The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

"You... how dare you! We are from White Camel Manor. Manor Lord Ouyang has already visited Peach Blossom Island. You... pfft!" As he spoke, he was trampled by Chu Luren and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Yes, White Camel Manor. Enough with the nonsense, answer my question," Chu Luren said coldly.

The white-robed manor servant was glaring angrily... when he suddenly saw the suona at Chu Luren's waist, his expression changed instantly, and he said, "You are... the Red and White Tai Sui? Pfft!" He spat out another mouthful of blood.

"Spare me, spare me! My master came to talk to Island Master Huang about some things. He arrived a day ago, but only two hours ago, he couldn't get out of the island's ghost formation. Instead, he circled back and then set off again with most of his snake slaves and snakes..." The white-robed manor servant began to speak as if pouring out beans.

Chapter 285 Western Poison

“Uncle Ouyang, you took advantage of my father’s absence on the island to drive away the snakes and bully a weak woman like me. If this gets out in the martial arts world, it will be quite unacceptable.” Huang Rong was guarding the core area of ​​Peach Blossom Island, namely Peach Blossom Residence.

Huang Rong was speaking to a chessboard in the center of the residence. Upon closer inspection, the chessboard was not the Chu River and Han Border, nor the black and white lines, but rather the Peach Blossom Residence itself, with the chess pieces being miniature three-dimensional stone sculptures.

At the entrance of Peach Blossom Residence, a stone sculpture blocking the gate clearly utters Huang Rong's voice...

At this moment, outside Peach Blossom Residence, layers upon layers of snake formations surrounded the area. Ouyang Feng and Ouyang Ke, nominally uncle and nephew, were both in front of the gate.

Upon hearing Huang Rong's voice, Ouyang Feng chuckled and said, "Niece Huang, you misunderstand. I have come here today to discuss something with Brother Yao. I called out for a long time outside the formation, but no one came to lead the way, so I used some methods to probe the formation... It seems that Brother Yao has made progress in Qimen Dunjia and mechanical arts over the years, which is truly commendable."

“My father usually returns within ten days when he goes out. If Uncle Ouyang has important business, you can either go to Jiaxing to visit him, or you can trouble yourself to wait outside.” Huang Rong clearly had no intention of opening the door to thieves.

“If I could find him in Jiaxing, I wouldn’t have come here. Besides… the reason I came here today with my good-for-nothing nephew is actually to propose marriage to Brother Yao. Why don’t you meet my nephew first, Miss Huang?” Ouyang Feng was clearly not going to give up easily.

However, among the other four masters, if Ouyang Feng had to choose one with whom he had a decent relationship, it would definitely be Huang Yaoshi. This can be seen from their way of addressing each other—Ouyang Feng calls Huang Yaoshi "Brother Yao" not to curry favor, but Huang Yaoshi always calls him "Brother Feng".

Generally speaking, Huang Yaoshi, known as the "Eastern Heretic," wasn't exactly a righteous figure in the martial arts world. It was only those who knew him well who knew that he hadn't actually done anything particularly heinous...

Moreover, given Huang Yaoshi's personality, he didn't care about Ouyang Feng's reputation, and even tried to please him out of a rebellious spirit.

"No need, my father can't decide on my marriage!" Huang Rong's journey through the martial world and her association with Chu Luren have further enhanced her eccentricity.

Moreover, Huang Rong also knew that the mute servant had set off to pick up Chu Luren, so she calculated that Chu Luren should arrive today!

With the traps and formations surrounding Peach Blossom Residence, even Ouyang Feng should be unable to do anything to her...

As for why that toad Ouyang Ke would target her, Huang Rong wasn't surprised at all—the two had met once before in Luoyang, at the Prince of Pingxi's residence.

When Huang Rong was walking ahead, she bumped into Ouyang Ke. Ouyang Ke's martial arts skills were superior to hers, but Huang Rong still managed to escape from him by using a trick... mainly because this guy was lustful and thought himself gentlemanly, so he didn't really hurt Huang Rong.

At that time, Huang Rong felt that the way this person looked at her made her very uncomfortable, so she didn't mention it to Chu Luren and only said that everything was going well.

Ouyang Feng was taken aback by Huang Rong's words. Then, remembering that his brother Yao was also quite "eccentric," he thought that this might be the way Peach Blossom Island raised its children. So, instead of scolding her harshly, he said, "Good! My niece Huang is indeed a woman who is not inferior to men. It seems that the rules of etiquette in this world have no place in such an elegant place as Peach Blossom Island..."

"But if that's the case, shouldn't my niece, Huang, get to know me, her nephew, even better? My niece, you don't know this, but after he saw you in Luoyang, he was so distraught he couldn't eat or drink. It was the first time I, his uncle, had ever seen him like that."

“Alright, since Uncle Ouyang says so, then let your nephew come in alone!” Huang Rong countered.

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ke was eager to fight, but...

Ouyang Feng looked at the Peach Blossom Residence, the stone statues that had slid down the track earlier, and the courtyard behind the stone statues and inside the gate that seemed to exude a murderous aura... How could he dare to let his only son go in and risk his life?

He even thought to himself: This brother Yao's mechanical skills, although not as good as Brother Wuya from Junshan, are probably not something Ke'er can handle!

Just then, Ouyang Ke couldn't help but shout, "Miss Huang, are you still thinking about that Chu Taisui? When my uncle and I passed through Lin'an before, we heard that he was having an affair with that princess of the Song court. I'm afraid he has already decided to become the prince consort and won't come looking for you anymore."

Indeed, the uncle and nephew had passed through Lin'an before, but they were just passing through and did not cause any trouble. Naturally, they did not encounter Chu Luren, and even the Qunyu Academy was unaware of it.

Huang Rong was unfazed by what she heard. She knew that Chu Luren was probably arriving soon, and she was even more convinced that the whole "imperial son-in-law" thing was utter nonsense—how could he possibly have that kind of heart?

However… Mu Wanqing, who was standing to the side, was already furious and wanted to ask more questions, but Huang Rong stopped her: “Sister Wan, don’t pay any attention to him! What kind of ignorant princess is he!”

“Niece Huang, as an elder, I must advise you to avoid associating with disreputable people… Since Brother Yao is not here, how about this: Niece Huang, come with me to Luoyang first, and then wait for your father there, so that you won’t be bullied by those with ulterior motives!” Ouyang Feng said, revealing his true intentions.

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ke couldn't help but feel a little excited, but after being glared at by his uncle, he immediately restrained himself...

Ouyang Feng, with his superior demeanor, was uninhibited in his scheming, but he still respected his status in his daily actions—for example, if he had truly "invited" Huang Rong to Luoyang, he would never have allowed Ouyang Ke to act recklessly at that time.

But just then, we heard...

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tick-tick-tick—

Suona!

Even someone completely ignorant of music could recognize it as a suona, let alone Ouyang Feng, who was usually quite cultured, and Ouyang Ke, who was even more so.

The two were not annoyed by the fact that it was a suona. On the contrary, they could hear the melodious tune of the suona and realized that the newcomer had clearly mastered the art of music and had the air of a master!

As for who the visitor is?

The Ouyang uncle and nephew were not ignorant of such things. In fact, they were a little embarrassed because they had just spoken ill of this person and were now being "caught" in front of him.

“Uncle, this piece of music…” Ouyang Ke discovered that his internal energy was slightly restricted.

After all, what he wanted most right now was to rush in and "invite" Huang Rong out so he could cherish her. But his uncle disagreed. In fact, ever since he asked his uncle to propose marriage, his uncle agreed but also demanded that he stop indulging in lust. Firstly, to avoid embarrassing him on the island, and secondly, since he was going to get married, and to his "old friend" as a relative, he should settle down.

Therefore, Ouyang Ke's current mental state is not good, and he is increasingly constrained by the music of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Feng frowned and said in a low voice, "Guard your mind. This melody is not some kind of mind-altering technique. If you can't even withstand this, how will you withstand Brother Yao's Azure Sea Tide Melody in the future?"

Meanwhile, Ouyang Feng didn't show much unusual reaction to the song "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," and in fact... he even received a positive boost from it—he didn't think there was anything wrong with proposing marriage to Ouyang Ke now!

Although he guessed that this piece of music would definitely be of greater help to Chu Luren, Ouyang Feng maintained the demeanor of a senior expert and had no intention of interrupting.

Chu Luren, who had just arrived, did not dare to be arrogant in front of Ouyang Feng. After playing a tune, he leisurely used his lightness skill to leap to the front of Peach Blossom Residence with the last delayed melody, facing Ouyang Feng, Ouyang Ke, and a group of snake slaves and snake formations!

Chapter 286 Toad Kung Fu

Yunluo and Chu Luren passed through the formation together. With the mute servant leading the way, they were much faster than Ouyang Feng and the others who forcibly explored the path using the snake formation. Although they set off two hours later, they arrived at Peach Blossom Residence shortly after.

Having just overheard Ouyang Ke's slander, Yunluo was furious. Guided by the mute servant, she entered Peach Blossom Residence through a side door.

Huang Rong knew that it was the mute servant who triggered the mechanism, so she opened the side door and saw Yunluo dressed in men's clothing—this level of men's clothing could not fool Huang Rong and Mu Wanqing!

Mu Wanqing was already extremely jealous, but Huang Rong asked first, "Are you Brother Chu's friend, Miss?" Huang Rong smiled and looked very kind.

Yunluo, who was initially annoyed by Ouyang Ke's careless words, felt a flush rise to her face and a slight sense of guilt when Huang Rong asked her a question...

"No, that's right, I am the princess of Chu Luren!"

Mu Wanqing, Huang Rong: ? ? ?

An ignorant princess has appeared!

And... is it really that direct?

Yunluo realized her mistake after speaking and quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "I meant... I'm a friend of the Great Song Dynasty!"

Mu Wanqing, Huang Rong: ...

……

Outside Peach Blossom Residence, Chu Luren had used his lightness skill to leap to the front gate with his back to Ouyang Feng. Now, having struck a pose, he slowly turned around. Originally, Chu Luren wanted Yunluo to keep the salted fish jar for him, but after discussing it several times, the two felt that it would be better to keep this important persona, as it would give off a more unrestrained vibe.

“Mr. Ouyang is a highly accomplished person, yet he speaks ill of me behind my back. Doesn’t he feel it’s beneath his dignity?” Chu Luren said, slowly turning around.

Chu Luren didn't care who said it; he blamed it all on Ouyang Feng!

At this moment, Chu Luren saw Ouyang Feng's face for the first time. He had a high nose, deep-set eyes, and a brownish-yellow beard. His appearance was very Western Region style, which was not entirely the same as that of the Han people, but he was not a pure Western Region person either. As for Ouyang Ke... his appearance was based on the Han people, with his facial features slightly influenced by the Western Region style.

However, his Mandarin was clear and articulate, though it sounded somewhat forced, his accent was standard and his pronunciation was clear.

Ouyang Feng paused for a moment upon hearing this, but when he spoke, he showed no embarrassment: "Young Master Chu, you misunderstand. I am merely looking after my old friend's daughter to prevent any unscrupulous people from getting close to her."

"Old friend? I wonder how long it has been since Mr. Ouyang last saw Island Master Huang? Twenty-three years, or twenty-four years?" Chu Luren said disdainfully.

"Although I haven't seen Brother Yao for many years, our spiritual connection remains!" Ouyang Feng was naturally angry at Chu Luren's behavior.

On the first day of the tenth month, he was still at sea and naturally did not know that Chu Luren was ranked second on the Heavenly Ranking. When facing Chu Luren, he inevitably still regarded him as a junior.

Chu Luren had already fully accepted his status as the second-ranked person on the Heavenly Ranking—even at his peak, Ouyang Feng was no match for the second-ranked person on the Heavenly Ranking!

As for the idea that the Divine Marquis was intentionally praising someone to his detriment, that's completely forgotten...

"Oh? Island Master Huang didn't mention it to me." Chu Luren acted as if he was very familiar with Huang Yaoshi.

"Hmph, what does Island Master Huang have to do with you, kid? Why would Island Master Huang tell you about my uncle's relationship with him?" Ouyang Ke said with dissatisfaction.

"What relationship?"

Chu Luren said something, then chuckled, and then his whole body burst into golden light, even his hair was faintly golden. Ouyang Feng also felt that it wasn't just a "special effect," but that the kid's style had subtly changed just now!

Then, Chu Luren stretched his hands out in front of him, and with a flick of his wrists, dozens of small pebbles on the ground were "drawn" to his front by the pull of the Dragon Crane Great Capture Technique, and they hovered in mid-air...

"What kind of relationship are you talking about!"

As Chu Luren spoke, his hands moved forward in a continuous, flower-like motion, while at the same time, the pebbles suspended in front of him shot out at Ouyang Feng and Ouyang Ke as if a machine gun had been fired.

It is the "Twin Snow Lotus" from "Ten Unseen Techniques"—a technique for throwing consecutive hidden weapons!

More importantly, if you slow down the viewing, each time the stones were struck, it was Huang Yaoshi's "finger flicking technique" that was used.

Upon seeing this, Ouyang Feng couldn't help but widen his eyes.

This level of martial arts skill alone is not enough to surprise Ouyang Feng. However, given Chu Luren's age, the fact that he possesses such skill is astounding... Did he have it twenty-five years ago?

Despite his many thoughts, Ouyang Feng acted swiftly. He took a step forward, his sleeves fluttered, and he raised his hands. Then, Ouyang Feng pressed his hands together in front of his chest, and a huge phantom of a toad appeared, enveloping Ouyang Feng and Ouyang Ke.

As Ouyang Feng puffed out his cheeks twice, the toad phantom, also faintly visible in the same spot, puffed out as well. With two muffled thunderous sounds, two waves of air surged forth, instantly shattering the pebbles that struck the toad phantom…

Chu Luren hadn't intended to injure Ouyang Feng or his "nephew" in front of Ouyang Feng with his limited skills; he simply believed that Ouyang Feng would recognize the "Finger Flicking Divine Skill" in his finger strike.

And let me show you that I'm not someone to be trifled with!

As for the actual threat?

Although the saying "falling leaves and flying flowers can all injure people" is a manifestation of a very high level of martial arts, ordinary sand and stones are ultimately too weak. Unless there is a huge difference in internal strength, it is even more difficult to injure people in the higher level of competition. Just like now, when Ouyang Feng used his Toad Stance, the flying stones turned into dust.

The design of concealed weapons is very important, especially for experts.

In particular, Ouyang Feng's "Toad Skill" not only has the element of "shock" in its attack, but also has no blind spots in its defense, making it a rare martial art that integrates offense and defense.

Even if it were the Young Master Wuhen, if he really wanted to injure Ouyang Feng with hidden weapons, he would have to use one of his unique hidden weapons that were specifically designed to break through true qi.

Unfortunately, the Dragon Guard Manor did not teach Chu Luren the method of forging hidden weapons, and Chu Luren's "Great Sage True Qi" was more suitable for direct attacks and not for hidden weapon techniques...

Even so, the strength Chu Luren displayed had already exceeded Ouyang Feng's expectations!

"Flick of the Finger Divine Skill? You're Brother Yao's disciple?" Ouyang Feng had never heard of any connection between the Red and White Tai Sui and Huang Yaoshi.

Wasn't he said to be a descendant of the Southern Emperor?

"Disciple? No, it's just that Island Master Huang asked me to use my Finger Flicking Divine Skill to teach someone a lesson." Chu Luren's words made it seem like he was being asked to teach Ouyang Feng a lesson.

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Feng's face darkened: "Nonsense! It seems I must teach this young man a lesson on behalf of Brother Yao!"