The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

“That’s right. How can I recognize wine that I haven’t even tasted myself? I do regret not having met someone like Qiao Feng sooner.” Linghu Chong shook his head in a huff as well.

"I don't agree either!" This time, Yue Lingshan also insisted on standing on Chu Luren's side.

After all, Xianyu Tong's words were too outrageous. What did he mean by killing Tian Boguang "for the sake of Sect Leader Yue"? Anyone who didn't know better would think that Sect Leader Yue's wife and daughters had been harmed by Tian Boguang...

Upon seeing this, Xianyu Tong's face turned ugly, and he could only say with a pale face, "Fine, then I, Xianyu Tong, will drink with you on behalf of the Huashan Eagle and Snake Hall!"

The three of them then bumped their bowls together...

After a few bowls of wine, Chu Luren, whether genuinely drunk from the alcohol or feigning intoxication, began to ramble on.

"I think it's better to cut ties with these demons and monsters as soon as possible! They spout benevolence and morality every day, but in reality... for a few moments of pleasure, some sleep with their sister-in-law, some abandon their wives and children for the position of sect leader, and some secretly collude with the imperial court for wealth and glory... I'm ashamed of them!"

Chapter 214 No one can force me, Xue Muhua!

Most people in the martial arts world took Chu Luren's "drunken talk" as just drunken ramblings. Only Bai Shijing, Xianyu Tong, Feng Jizhong, and others, who had something to hide, felt uneasy and broke out in a cold sweat. They wanted to step forward and shut him up, but they didn't have the ability to do so.

The reason it's called "waiting for someone"...

It's because Chu Luren was talking about them, but there are many others who don't know that he was talking about them!

Because of Chu Luren's interference, there were far fewer people drinking with Qiao Feng. People like Tan Gong and Tan Po, and the elders of the Beggars' Sect except for Xu Chongxiao, were all forced to drink a bowl of wine by Chu Luren. In the end, they all just shrank back and didn't come out to finish their wine.

Most of the others who stepped forward were from branch sects of Shaolin, or closely related sects, as well as sects and gangs determined to overthrow the Qing dynasty.

As for the Wudang and Quanzhen sects, they remained silent at this time. Even Zhong Zhen of the Songshan sect did not stand up—not because he trusted Qiao Feng, but because he wanted to take the opportunity to embarrass Shaolin.

Chu Luren suspected that Xianyu Tong's provocative actions were intended to annoy Yue Buqun. Moreover, his actions at this time were indeed in line with the image of a gentlemanly swordsman. Yue Buqun knew that Xianyu Tong had ill intentions, so he couldn't say much in the future.

However, with Linghu Chong, the eldest disciple, and Yue Lingshan, the daughter of the sect leader, leading the way in disrespecting him as the sect leader, the so-called "representing Mount Hua" was naturally just a joke.

And the most numerous are the lone wolves...

Less than a third of them stood up, as many were shaken by Chu Luren's meddling.

As the "banquet" was about to end, Chu Luren was indeed quite drunk—even though he had been very unhappy halfway through and had asked the You brothers to bring him some snacks to go with the wine, he still drank quite a bit.

Having drunk this much, Chu Luren felt that Qiao Feng was invincible, and he didn't deliberately try to keep himself completely sober.

Seeing that no one else was stepping forward, the You brothers, who were the hosts, and Doctor Xue exchanged glances and then stepped forward together...

Qiao Feng felt a surge of anxiety upon seeing this—he could let it go with others, but he had something to ask of this Doctor Xue.

"Dr. Xue, that young lady is truly innocent. I hope you will be magnanimous and lend a helping hand. Whether I drink this wine today or not, I will be grateful for your great kindness for the rest of my life!" Qiao Feng quickly said.

but……

"Hmph! I'll save anyone else who sends me, but I won't save anyone who sends you, Qiao Feng!" Xue Muhua said, twitching his goatee.

"This... Why is Doctor Xue so fixated on whether it was me who brought it? Besides, if this girl dies under the power of the Vajra Palm, it would probably not be good for Shaolin's reputation..." Qiao Feng changed his perspective.

First, he spoke kind words, then reminded Xue Muhua that if he didn't save A'Zhu, he would offend people and no one would remember his kindness.

However, Xue Muhua's rebellious streak kicked in at this moment. He and the You brothers did organize this heroes' gathering for fame, but once he got carried away, he didn't care about anything else: "I can save them if I want to, and I can choose not to save them if I don't want to. No one can force me!"

Xue Muhua craned his neck and shouted.

Seeing this, Chu Luren, half-drunk, put his arm around Doctor Xue's shoulder and whispered something in his ear.

Upon seeing Chu Luren's posture, everyone became wary, with Xianyu Tong leading the charge by shouting, "We must not be rude to Doctor Xue!"

However, after Chu Luren finished speaking, he immediately let go of Xue Muhua and patted him on the shoulder.

Xue Muhua's expression changed drastically, becoming... extremely complicated.

"Don't worry, Dr. Xue, with so many of us here, we won't be threatened by them!"

"That's right, I believe the masters of Shaolin and the heroes of Wudang wouldn't just stand by and watch like that..."

“Amitabha, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, but Benefactor Chu should not threaten Benefactor Xue.”

Just as everyone was about to speak, Xue Muhua shouted, "Shut up! This girl... I'm going to save her, and none of you can force me!"

Everyone: ...

Just as everyone was wondering if Doctor Xue had lost his mind in anger, said the wrong thing, or was really threatened, they saw Doctor Xue make a very awkward, ingratiating expression.

Xue Muhua had never made such an expression before; he was just trying to imitate the expressions of people who usually begged him.

"Senior Chu... you must be feeling unwell after drinking so much. You have a high alcohol tolerance, but drinking with these scoundrels must have made your lungs too hot. And Hero Qiao... I have some hangover pills that I usually make. If you don't mind, please use them." Xue Muhua said, taking out a porcelain bottle from his pocket.

Upon hearing this, everyone felt incredibly angry, their lungs practically about to explode with rage—"You, surnamed Xue, are you even human? Who organized this party today? Say it again, who's the scoundrel?"

Chu Luren, on the other hand, was very easygoing. He took the porcelain bottle, took out the pills inside, chewed them, handed one to Qiao Feng, and then gave it to Mu Wanqing to keep.

Seeing that Chu Luren hadn't collapsed after a long time, everyone understood that Xue Muhua hadn't taken the opportunity to poison him, which meant... he probably hadn't been forced into anything!

What Chu Luren actually said to Xue Muhua was something no one could guess. How could Xue Muhua's seniority drop so drastically after those words? He even addressed her as "senior"?

Look at your own goatee, don't you feel guilty?

but……

Most of those who came today were also thinking about cultivating a good relationship with Xue Muhua.

Having run into Qiao Feng was already a huge loss, and with Chu Luren colluding with Wudang to cause trouble, they didn't even gain much of a moral advantage. Their losses were already quite "miserable." At this point, even if Xue Mu Hua acted a bit "flirtatious," most people would tolerate it because of his reputation as a "miracle doctor."

After all, Hu Qingniu and Ping Yizhi have worse tempers and their rules are more unacceptable. It's just that they're more difficult to compare.

"Dr. Xue! What are you doing..." You Ju couldn't help but exclaim.

This is not what we agreed on!

When the two brothers and Xue Muhua were organizing the gathering, they never expected what they were seeing. Will this incident really boost their prestige in the martial arts world?

What's even more unacceptable is that Xue Muhua ultimately betrayed them.

Chu Luren slammed his hand on the table and said, "You have the nerve to ask me to drink?"

"Why can't we drink?" You Ji retorted angrily, thinking to himself: We didn't even know you before!

“Those filthy beggars, my brother and I only saved ourselves. If they don’t acknowledge it, fine. But you two brothers… tell me, what if I hadn’t come today? If I hadn’t brought Yu Erxia and the others here, would my brother have slaughtered you all, leaving you bloodied and battered?”

Are you two brothers going to die from broken shields and the entire village about to fall into ruin?

After your family is destroyed, will your unfortunate son be subjected to psychological manipulation by that scumbag woman, resulting in disfigurement and emotional damage?

"Tell me, what a great favor this is!" Chu Luren said matter-of-factly.

游骥、游驹: ? ? ?

Are you drinking fake alcohol? The alcohol in our village isn't fake either!

Chapter 215 Night Inquiry

Thanks to Chu Luren's drunken antics and Xue Muhua's persuasion, the You brothers ultimately failed to drink the farewell toast.

Because Xue Muhua would stay at Juxian Manor to treat Miss Azhu's illness, Chu Luren specifically requested that You Ji and You Ju not drink the farewell wine with him.

"With such a great favor, aren't you going to invite my brother and me to stay for a few days? Our Juxian Manor, how come we're short a few guest rooms and a few tables of good wine and food? If you really want to sever ties, you should wait until my sister-in-law is cured and my brother is leaving before you drink the farewell wine!" Chu Luren said, pulling You Ji and You Ju along.

Playing horses, playful colts: ...

The two brothers firmly denied it, saying they didn't know where this "favor" came from. Besides... so the reason they weren't severing ties for the time being was because the brothers wanted to stay overnight? And they had to be treated to good food and wine?

And what's with the "our Juxianzhuang" thing? You're really being too informal!

"If you really want to drink," I have to wait until you leave? So, all this good food, drinks, and hospitality... is just to end our friendship? Whose cost of ending a friendship is so high?

Fortunately, Eryou didn't know what PUA meant and just thought it was Chu Luren's drunken ramblings, otherwise he would definitely have said something like, "I don't think it's my son/nephew who's being PUA'd, it's clearly you who's PUA'd us brothers!"

But since Xue Muhua had already spoken, and the two brothers had previously had their lives saved by Xue Muhua, judging from the way the divine doctor was acting, if the two brothers insisted, they were afraid that the divine doctor would also have to eat a bowl of rice with them...

They didn't want to lose face like the Southern Beggars' Clan, so they gritted their teeth and said for the time being, "Then... we'll remember this bowl of wine for now. If it's proven in the future that you, Qiao Feng, really did something that betrayed the Han martial arts world, we'll fight you to the death, even if we don't drink!"

After saying this, You Ji and You Ju also felt waves of resentment approaching. Clearly, many of those who had previously parted ways with Qiao Feng over the farewell drink were now wondering—what was going on? How come the gathering you brothers organized with Doctor Xue ended up with only us breaking off ties with Qiao Feng?

The Heroes' Gathering at Juxian Manor ended in a very awkward manner...

Qiao Feng was initially embarrassed to stay at Juxian Manor, but Chu Luren persuaded him to stay. Chu Luren's attitude of keeping him there, like that of an old manor lord, made You Ji and You Ju tremble with anger.

Most of the other martial arts practitioners, seeing that Qiao Feng was staying overnight, dispersed that same day, with very few staying until the next day. The Shaolin monks and the like set off in a hurry, with the Northern and Southern Shaolin Temples heading towards Mount Song together.

The Wudang heroes stayed overnight at Chu Luren's warm invitation.

The large amount of food that Youji and Youju had prepared for the day of the Heroes' Gathering was used by the Chu Lu people to make a grand banquet to welcome themselves and Qiao Feng, so as not to waste it.

"Fish and crabs spoil easily, so hurry up and clean them all up. No matter how many you bring to me, they won't go to waste! Don't worry, don't worry... Rongrong, go and give them some instructions so they don't go to waste." Chu Luren successfully stopped this wasteful incident and contributed to solving the food problem in the Great Jianghu.

In the evening, Shi Qing and his wife made a special trip to visit Chu Luren. Previously, when they were in Luoyang, Chu Luren went to Qunyu Courtyard at night, so the couple naturally couldn't go there to look for him. Later, when they acted with other members of the Wudang branch, as well as Yu Er and Zhang Si, the couple couldn't find a good opportunity to question him alone.

"Brother Shi, Madam Min, what brings you here to see me..." Chu Luren opened the door and saw the couple. He guessed what they wanted to ask, but he still asked anyway.

"We hope we haven't disturbed Brother Chu's rest? My wife and I have some urgent matters to discuss with you," Shi Qing said, clasping his hands in greeting.

"I'm used to practicing my cultivation by feigning sleep at night, so there's no issue of disturbing you. Please come in, both of you." Chu Luren invited the two of them in.

After settling down on a small chair in the guest room, Min Rou couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Chu, when you were traveling in Guanzhong, were you with the Crimson Serpent Demon... Fairy?"

"Oh, Brother Chu, please don't misunderstand. We have no grudge against Li Mochou. We just heard that when Li Mochou went to Luzhuang in Nanhu, she traveled with Mei Fanggu. I wonder if Brother Chu saw her?" Shi Qing added, worried that Chu Luren might misunderstand.

Although the couple were sworn enemies with Mei Fanggu, even if Mei Fanggu and Li Mochou had a close personal relationship, and Li Mochou had an ambiguous relationship with Chu Luren... cough cough, yes, a "close personal relationship," it wouldn't be enough to spread their grudges to Chu Luren just to find out where Mei Fanggu was now!

"Indeed, I did see Sect Leader Mei." Chu Luren nodded upon hearing this, but clearly looked troubled.

“Brother Chu, my wife and I have a deep-seated hatred for Mei Fanggu, who killed our son. This hatred is hard to quell. We hope you can tell us where she is… If you are reluctant to speak up due to our friendship, my wife and I will not take offense. However, if you wish to make peace, we should let it go.” Shi Qing said frankly.

“Brother Shi, you misunderstand. Actually, after Mei Fanggu left Lu Manor in Nanhu, she separated from me and Miss Li. I really don’t know where she went. But this murder grudge… I’ve actually discovered something, but I don’t know if I should say it.” Chu Luren looked at Min Rou with difficulty.

At first, the couple were disappointed when they heard that Chu Luren did not know Mei Fanggu's whereabouts—whether he really did not know or pretended not to know made no difference to them, since they could not force him to ask.

“Brother Chu, please speak freely,” Shi Qing said immediately.

Chu Luren gave Shi Qing a deep look, then gritted his teeth and said, "Actually, although I don't know where Mei Fanggu went, I do know that her son is missing... After parting ways with Mei Fanggu, Miss Li and I happened to meet her son. He looked about twelve or thirteen years old at the time, and now he should be about thirteen or fourteen years old. I think his eyebrows and eyes... look a lot like Brother Shi!"

I'm wondering if... your youngest son really died back then? Of course, of course! If I'm mistaken, it's my fault for being blind; please forgive me!

Chu Luren was indeed not lying; the dog-like man did resemble Shi Qing somewhat. However, Chu Luren was afraid that if he said it aloud, besides the fact that "Mei Fanggu took the baby and raised it herself," people would also conclude that "Shi Qing was a scumbag who cheated on his wife during her pregnancy"...

Recognizing relatives by appearance is unreliable to begin with, and in the original work, Brother Gou and Shi Zhongyu were not exactly identical as depicted in the TV series.

After all, they weren't twins; Shi Zhongyu was a year or two older, and neither Shi Qing nor Min Rou noticed anything amiss when they first met Dog Brother…

However, Chu Luren underestimated the feelings between Shi Qing and his wife. Upon hearing this, the two immediately stood up, looked at each other, and their eyes were filled with cautious surprise and hope—clearly, neither of them considered the second possibility, but rather hoped that what Chu Luren said was true.