The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

If I'm not mistaken, the other party involved should be Qiao Feng's father, Xiao... no, most likely "Aisin Gioro Yuanshan".

If it's similar to the original story, then Feng's father should have been infiltrating Shaolin for thirty years and learned a lot of Shaolin martial arts. It's very likely that when he makes a move, it will also be Shaolin kung fu.

Hong Qigong probably didn't want Chu Luren to become more suspicious of Shaolin, or rather, he didn't want to reveal any more information about Shaolin, so he concealed this fact from Chu Luren.

Chu Luren also realized that Hong Qigong's appearance was not only because he was lured over by the chicken's butt, but also because he intended to tell him about this matter!

After all, the mysterious person wanted to intervene when there was a slight turning point in Qiao Feng's situation. In Hong Qigong's view, this was very suspicious. Half of the time, it was possible that he wanted to harm Qiao Feng, and the other half... it was possible that he wanted to frame Shaolin.

Because Hong Qigong had a lot of dealings with Shaolin, although he trusted Qiao Feng, he did not believe that Shaolin had intentionally framed him.

"How is Chief Qiao?" Hong Qigong asked with some emotion.

During the battle at Mount Tai, Hong Qigong and most of the elders of the Northern Beggars' Clan were completely convinced of Qiao Feng's abilities, even though Qiao Feng was only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old at the time...

“My elder brother is doing very well now, but he’s no longer the gang leader,” Chu Luren said, half-correcting.

"Ah, I never imagined that there were such hidden details about what happened back then. I was young at the time and only vaguely knew that a group of righteous masters fought a great battle with the Manchus on the border and suffered heavy losses as a result," Hong Qigong sighed.

Twenty-one years ago, during the Mount Hua Sword Tournament, Hong Qigong was a young and strong master. More than thirty years ago, he could barely be considered young.

"The Southern Beggars' Gang members are mostly regretting it, but the letter has already been exposed, so their regret is useless. Old Xu even came to me a few days ago, wanting this old beggar to ask Brother Qiao for the 'Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms' manual... Actually, if you ask me, this old beggar, they should have just gone to Brother Qiao openly. Would they have refused to give it to them?" Hong Qigong complained as he spoke.

Indeed, after the leader's letter was made public, which meant that Qiao Feng's identity was revealed, no matter who regretted it or whether Qiao Feng committed these murders, he could no longer be the leader of the Beggars' Sect. The only difference was whether the righteous people would cause him trouble.

Unless Xu Chongxiao and the four elders, like Ma Dayuan, trusted Qiao Feng after reading the letter and kept the secret to themselves, it would be impossible.

However, those in the know also include bad apples like Chen Youliang and Quan Guanqing, as well as the four elders of the Beggars' Sect and the senile Xu Chongxiao, who are easily swayed.

From the moment they revealed the letter, it was too late to take it back.

However, after Qiao Feng left the Southern Beggars' Sect, the inheritance of the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" of the Southern Beggars' Sect was incomplete. Although everyone could put together fourteen or fifteen moves, there were still three most important moves that no one has learned since Wang Jiantong.

Although the Northern Beggars' Sect also has its own "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms," there are still some differences between the two sects. Using the Northern Beggars' Sect's "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" as a patch to make up the eighteen palms is not a problem, but it is still somewhat incongruous.

As for the entire text inheriting the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" of the Northern Beggars' Sect, regardless of whether the Northern Beggars' Sect agrees or not, the Southern Beggars' Sect must also be upset, after all, this is the result of improvements made by generations of ancestors.

In the original work, Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu exchanged palm techniques, which improved the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" further, and Xiao Feng entrusted Xu Zhu to pass it back to the Beggars' Sect.

"Old Chief Hong really has a good temper." Chu Luren curled his lip in disdain—this was directed at the people of the Southern Beggars' Gang.

In fact, Qiao Feng is currently at Juxian Manor. If the Beggars of the Southern Clan were to swallow their pride and go to him to beg, Qiao Feng would not refuse them. Unfortunately, none of them have any sense of responsibility. Xu Chongxiao would rather rely on his seniority to beg Hong Qigong than see Qiao Feng.

"I can consider this a favor I owed Chief Wang back then, so let's consider this repayment!" Hong Qigong said, feeling melancholy but also trying to be as carefree as possible.

"Actually... there's a way to make things less awkward for Chief Hong." Chu Luren said, breaking off his two chicken legs and placing them on lotus leaves before handing them to Hong Qigong.

Upon seeing Chu Luren suddenly showing respect for the elderly and care for the young, Hong Qigong was momentarily speechless... and dared not respond!

"Hehe, what's your idea?" Hong Qigong asked cautiously.

"Actually, my elder brother also taught me this palm technique. If Chief Hong is willing to exchange it for the 'Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms' of the Northern Beggars' Clan, I am willing to trade." Chu Luren's sincere eyes were bright and clear.

Upon hearing this, Hong Qigong glared at him: "Wasn't this taught to you by Qiao Feng? You can write it down and teach it back to the Southern Beggar Clan. I won't even glance at it!"

"No, if they teach me, they're mine... Those lousy beggars don't have any skills I'd be satisfied with. If I'm going to trade, I'll trade with Old Master Hong." Chu Luren shook his head repeatedly.

“Why don’t I go find your older brother instead of you, you old beggar?” Hong Qigong said, immediately snatching the chicken leg that Chu Luren hadn’t yet taken back.

"Hehe, that's just a matter of face. When this matter spreads throughout the martial arts world, everyone will know that the Southern Beggars' Clan's martial arts were begged back by Senior Hong. If he were to 'exchange' with me, naturally no one could say anything!" Chu Luren acted as if he was thinking of Hong Qigong.

“No, no, no, Brother Qiao isn’t that kind of person. He wouldn’t go around spreading rumors,” Hong Qigong said firmly.

“But I am!” Chu Luren looked at Hong Qigong firmly.

Hong Qigong: ...

"Aren't you afraid people will gossip about you?" Hong Qigong asked back while sucking on a chicken bone.

Chu Luren curled his lip upon hearing this: "There are just as many people criticizing me these days... What's worse, I saved his whole family, and as a result, even though I eat at their place and live there, they still give me attitude!"

If someone else had said this, Hong Qigong would definitely have protested, but since Chu Luren said it... Hong Qigong felt he could understand.

Chapter 224 Dragons Descending in the North and South

Hong Qigong considered Chu Luren's conditions, took a big bite of the chicken leg, then looked at the beggar's chicken in front of Huang Rong and Mu Wanqing, and said with a glint in his eyes, "Then it's like this, you teach me the Southern Beggar Clan's 'Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms,' and I will teach you the Northern Beggar Clan's 'Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms' move by move."

"How long it takes you to learn is up to fate, at most a month. I, the old beggar, have other things to do, so don't blame me if you haven't learned it all by then. Also, no matter how long it takes… this little girl has to feed the old beggar!"

Chu Luren glanced at Huang Rong, and seeing her nod, he stretched out his hand to Hong Qigong and said, "Success!"

Hong Qigong patted him on the shoulder with his oily, large hand.

Of course, Chu Luren also understood that while Hong Qigong's gluttonous nature was one aspect, more importantly, Chu Luren was now exchanging the Southern Beggar Clan's "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" for it—not that Hong Qigong also wanted to learn it, but rather that this meant Chu Luren already knew the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms very well.

The two schools' "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" ultimately share the same origin but differ in their development. Under such circumstances, teaching Chu Luren the Northern Beggars' Sect's "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" is not considered a serious case of martial arts transmission; at most, it's just filling in gaps and verifying each other's knowledge.

In addition to what Chu Luren hadn't considered, Hong Qigong actually had another reason.

Hong Qigong didn't forget to seek some benefits for himself. Thinking about the next month... Hong Qigong's only remaining index finger started to move!

However, Hong Qigong soon changed his mind. Chu Luren first used the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms—the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" that Qiao Feng had passed down to him. After all, it was meant for the Southern Beggar Clan, and there was no need to give them the results of their own and Qiao Feng's discussions.

Hong Qigong originally thought that since the Heroes' Gathering had only been over for a little over half a month, even if Chu Luren had learned the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" from Qiao Feng, he should only have memorized the incantation and theoretically understood how to perform the technique.

Hong Qigong was even prepared to fill in the blanks with his own imagination.

Generally speaking, if you only have a half-baked skill yourself, there's no difference between teaching it to someone else and having them learn it directly from a manual.

Hong Qigong, confident in his mastery of the Northern Beggars' Sect's "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms," secretly thought that as long as Chu Luren could describe seven or eight parts of it, he could learn it completely and then go back to teach it to the Southern Beggars' Sect!

however……

Chu Luren first explained the flow of energy through the meridians and the techniques for generating power. Just as Hong Qigong was thinking to himself that Chu Luren's understanding was truly thorough and that he would most likely be able to master it in the future...

"Just like this... the dragon soaring too high will regret it!"

"The dragon soars in the sky!"

"The dragon appears in the field!"

"The wild goose gradually approaches the land!"

……

"A ram butts against a fence!"

"Dragon's Tail Swing!"

Chu Luren used the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" move by move meticulously, and the surrounding trees suffered as a result.

Naturally, it was "Dream God" who made the move at this time. Chu Luren did not want to pass on the "Dragon's Journey Twenty-Eight Forms" back to the Southern Beggars' Sect. The original martial arts could only be learned by the Dream God's body!

If we really want to talk about the difference between the way Qiao Feng used it and the way Qiao Feng used it, apart from the power, the difference is that the "special effects rendering" is not the same.

If used by the main body, it can also simulate the effect of "Dragon-Capturing True Qi". With layers of stacking, the true qi resembles dragon scales, which is the most authentic.

However, since it's the Dream God's body demonstrating this now, the "Free Immortal Ape True Qi" doesn't have any simulation effect; it only has its own golden light shining through, making it look more like a Dragon Ball warrior, unleashing an energy wave with its left hand and an energy slash with its right...

Fortunately, the "Free and Easy Immortal Ape Scripture" is also quite suitable for releasing palm power. When practicing the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms", the true qi flows through the meridians and emits a series of low sounds that resemble "dragon roars", which are indeed very real.

With Hong Qigong's keen eye, he could naturally tell that Chu Luren was using the authentic "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms"!

"Did you see it clearly, Elder Hong?" Chu Luren asked after finishing his work.

Upon hearing this, Hong Qigong blushed and said, "How can you learn it in just one time!"

He was too shocked to watch the second half of the video, but as Hong Qigong said, even if Chu Luren explained it in a simple and easy-to-understand way, how could anyone learn it in just one viewing?

"How about this, Elder Hong first teaches me the incantation and practice of the Northern Beggars' Clan's 'Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms,' and then we can spar and learn from each other, which can also be considered as exchanging insights," Chu Luren suggested.

Hong Qigong originally had no intention of communicating, but seeing that Chu Luren had truly mastered it, he changed his mind.

“Alright, let’s start with the incantation…” Hong Qigong said, passing on the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms of the Northern Beggars’ Clan.

In fact, from the formulas for meridian exercises and the tips for channeling energy, it is clear that the two are indeed of the same lineage, but there are also quite a few differences!

The Southern Beggars' Clan's "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" is more about the combination of "hardness and softness". Qiao Feng also comprehended the changes between hardness and softness from Dragon Claw Kung Fu and Demon Subduing Palm before making rapid progress in his mastery of the "Southern Subduing Dragon Palms".

The "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" of the Northern Beggars' Clan demonstrated by Hong Qigong tends to be more about "steady change".

Originally, the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" was steady and methodical in its execution. However, the Northern Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms made good use of explosive techniques when executing and exerting force. Each time, there was an alternation between steady and explosive movements when finally exerting force, making the palm strike more powerful, similar to the force exertion technique of the "Jade Breaking Fist".

Furthermore, it can instantly "go from agitated to stable," and is even better at protecting itself when facing an opponent!

Therefore, Hong Qigong's internal energy cultivation also developed into a dynamic form...

Two hours later.

"The dragon soars in the sky!"

"A hidden dragon should not be used!"

After a verbal exchange, Chu Luren and Hong Qigong, who were sparring again, exchanged blows. Because Bei Jianglong was good at transforming stability into dynamism, he could unleash his power by going from stability to dynamism. Therefore, when he was moving around in the air and exchanging blows, he was not afraid of being slow to exert force due to the lack of leverage. So Hong Qigong jumped up and struck with a palm from top to bottom.

At this moment, Chu Luren's move "Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use" underwent a subtle adjustment after he struck out.

Originally, the palm strike, which combined both strength and gentleness, was better at breaking through defenses. However, at this moment, Chu Luren's "Hidden Dragon in the Dark" was also in the style of the Northern Dragon Subduing Technique. He instantly went from being impetuous to being stable, and he was less likely to get injured when exchanging palm strikes!

"Huh?" Hong Qigong was taken aback when their palms collided.

Immediately after regaining his footing, Chu Luren changed his move to "Ram Butting the Fence" after exchanging palm strikes. The force was both soft and hard, and it was one of the moves in the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms that was closer to a grappling technique. Moreover, Chu Luren's move was clearly in the style of the Southern Subduing Dragon Palms!

Even Hong Qigong was almost caught by his force, but... in the end, Hong Qigong's internal strength was much stronger than Chu Luren's, even in his Dream God Body state, there was still a considerable gap.

Previously, they had only discussed techniques. During the contest, Hong Qigong tried his best not to rely on internal energy to win, but rather suppressed it to a level similar to Chu Luren's. Now, he slightly got serious and managed to escape...

Chu Luren was not surprised. If he really wanted to be evenly matched with Hong Qigong, he would at least need to be in a state of enlightenment and use swordsmanship. He would definitely not be able to win in a head-on palm strike.

Of all the people Chu Luren had ever met, Hong Qigong and Huang Yaoshi were both more skilled in martial arts than Emperor Duan Zhengming of the South, who is now Master Yideng.

Based on what he had seen and heard in Dali, Chu Luren estimated that before becoming a monk, the Southern Emperor had an unresolved inner conflict, and that his strength would likely increase dramatically after becoming a monk...

Having forcefully shaken off Chu Luren, Hong Qigong did not make another move. Instead, he exclaimed, "I never imagined that you, a young man, would master two types of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms before this old beggar!"

"How about... Elder Hong stays for dinner before leaving?"

Hong Qigong: ...

Chapter 225 Reminder

Hong Qigong never expected this...

I originally thought that learning the Southern Dragon Subduing Technique would be very simple, taking at most two or three days. After all, I was quite proficient in the Northern Dragon Subduing Technique, so even if I didn't master the Southern Dragon Subduing Technique, just "learning" it shouldn't be too difficult.