The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

As for the difference between joining the "Number One Manor Under Heaven" and serving the imperial court?

Indeed, the former offers more freedom, and most people in the martial arts world are not particularly interested in "serving the imperial court," with some even considering them "lackeys of the imperial court."

Therefore, the number one manor in the world is not theoretically an official government agency...

"I am not very knowledgeable and have no such plans at the moment," Chu Luren naturally declined upon hearing this.

Not to mention that he didn't know much about the number one manor in the world or the so-called Divine Marquis, Chu Luren had just been reborn and naturally had no intention of finding a BOSS to work for.

Not to mention that if it really is similar to the situation in "The Number One Under Heaven", then the Marquis of the Divine Marquis is probably not a good person - at least from the perspective of the Jianghu and chivalry, he is definitely not a good person, and on a deeper level... it has nothing to do with ordinary people in the Jianghu.

Shangguan Haitang was clearly just saying it casually. Although her tone and expression were full of "regret," she didn't try to persuade him further. She simply said that if Chu Luren changed his mind, he could go to the number one manor in the world at any time.

Then he adopted a "busy with official business, time to take my leave" attitude...

With his level on the Earth Ranking, he could indeed "get employed" at the Number One Manor in the World at any time.

As for why Shangguan Haitang was in Changsha, Chu Luren naturally didn't ask any further questions—after all, she was a well-known secret agent, so why would he pry into her mission?

However, as soon as Chu Luren went downstairs, he was "ambushed" by someone.

Several young men dressed in dark blue martial arts uniforms, who were disciples of major sects from the beginning, saw Chu Luren come downstairs. The one in the lead, a martial artist with a broad forehead and wide eyes, who looked honest and was older, could barely be considered a "young man." He stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Brother, please wait. May I ask if you are the rising star Chu Luren from the Earth Ranking?"

Others don't have the same standardized definition of "young hero" or "great hero" as the official definition from the number one manor in the world. They just call Chu Lu a "young hero" because he is young.

"I dare not accept such praise as a young hero. I am but a passerby who often finds it inappropriate to see other people's business." Although Chu Luren did not know what the other party was up to, he still responded politely.

"Young Master Chu is too modest! I am Mi Weiyi, a disciple of the Hengshan Sect. My master will be holding a 'Golden Basin Retirement Ceremony' in Hengshan City in four days. I hope that any friends from the martial arts world who are free will be able to come to Hengshan City to meet me then." As he spoke, Mi Weiyi took out an invitation and handed it over.

The name "Mi Weiyi" was only somewhat familiar to Chu Luren, but when "Hengshan City" and "washing one's hands of the pot" were mentioned, Chu Luren naturally understood which section it referred to. Just to be on the safe side, he still asked.

"So it's Master Mi, I've heard so much about you... Your master must be Senior Liu Zhengfeng of the Hengshan Sect, right?" Chu Luren called out "Master" to Mi Weiyi, who was older than him.

Seeing that Mi Weiyi agreed, Chu Luren became even more convinced that this was the "washing one's hands of the martial arts world" incident from "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer"...

Of course, Chu Luren wasn't surprised that Mi Weiyi would invite him.

After all, in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," Liu Zhengfeng's retirement from martial arts world was attended by thousands of martial arts practitioners—while Juxian Manor only had three to five hundred!

Moreover, in the vast martial arts world where Chu Luren is currently located, there are probably even more cases.

The guests invited were naturally those with whom they had some connections or reputation; those without connections or reputation but with some fame would also be invited.

After all, Hengshan City is not far from Changsha...

Thinking of what happened when Liu Zhengfeng retired from the martial arts world in the original work, Chu Luren felt a pang of melancholy. Then... a thought suddenly struck him, and after a moment's thought, he asked Mi Weiyi in a low voice, "Brother Mi, I heard before that Senior Liu seemed to have held some kind of official position?"

Mi Weiyi was taken aback upon hearing this—his master shouldn't have made this public. In Hengshan, only he and Xiang Danian, the two direct disciples, should know about it. Originally, his master intended to reveal it when he retired from the martial arts world…

Unexpectedly, Chu Luren not only knew, but also asked about it?

Leaving aside how you know this, why ask specifically? It doesn't seem like you have any complaints about "the court's lackeys".

Seeing this, Mi Weiyi bypassed the two ordinary Hengshan disciples behind him and spoke privately to Chu Luren: "My master did indeed ask Lord Ling Situi, the Provincial Governor of Jinghu South Road, to introduce me to a position as a deputy general, intending to take up the post after retiring from martial arts. However... this has nothing to do with my friends in the martial arts world anymore. I hope Brother Chu..."

"Ahem, I certainly wouldn't speak carelessly. I just wanted to remind Brother Mi that Master Shangguan is currently in Changsha. Although the Number One Manor under Heaven isn't an official government agency, it's still a government entity. Brother Mi, don't forget to send this invitation when you arrive."

Chu Luren only understood after explaining it to Mi Weiyi...

Who introduced them? Ling Situi? That name sounds familiar, yet it feels strange!

Of course, whoever introduced him has nothing to do with Liu Zhengfeng retiring from his criminal life—it's called "introduction," but it's really just a "donation" for the official position.

In The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Liu Zhengfeng also used the excuse of donating money to obtain an official position in order to become a wealthy man and retire from the life of a swindler. He received an imperial decree to retire from the life of a swindler, which was ridiculed by many people behind his back.

However, Liu Zhengfeng actually became friends with Qu Yang of the Sun Moon Sect. In particular, the two shared the same interests in music and jointly composed and played the piece "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer". He had already abandoned the distinction between good and evil and only wanted to spend the rest of his life with the qin and xiao. Therefore, he decided to leave the martial arts world.

However, the Songshan Sect, which wanted to facilitate the complete merger of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, learned of this at this time. Zuo Lengchan not only sent people to interrupt the Golden Basin Washing Hands ceremony, but also killed Liu Zhengfeng's entire family in order to force Liu Zhengfeng, or rather, to establish his authority!

Logically speaking, such behavior would be unacceptable to many people in the martial arts world. Even if they were truly members of a demonic sect, killing entire families at the drop of a hat is certainly not the act of a chivalrous person!

In fact, when Liu Zhengfeng confessed and said he wanted to live in seclusion overseas, Yue Buqun and others had already agreed. In particular, when the Songshan Sect killed the women and children of the Liu family, the hot-tempered Abbess Dingyi even intervened to stop them...

Many of the elders of the Hunan martial arts world who were present at the time wanted to stop them, but... they hesitated because of the power of the Songshan Sect. They did not expect the Songshan Sect to be so ruthless and take action directly, which is why Liu Zhengfeng's entire family was slaughtered in front of thousands of martial arts practitioners.

Although Chu Luren was just a passerby, he couldn't stand by and watch this happen.

The Songshan Sect is not to be trifled with, but... strangers have their own methods. If we summon Shangguan Haitang, there will be well-known spies present. Would the Songshan Sect still dare to touch the people of the imperial court?

Chapter Thirty-One: Ah, the Divine Marquis's Mansion

"Brother Chu, where did you learn that the Songshan Sect would be detrimental to Hero Liu?" Shangguan Haitang asked Chu Luren with a puzzled look.

The two were now more familiar with each other—more familiar on a social level, since this was their second meeting and they were going to Hengshan City together later.

Previously, when Mi Weiyi readily handed Shangguan Haitang an invitation, the latter only politely accepted it, but the implication was that "I'm too busy, so I won't go."

Mi Weiyi didn't insist; he had only sent the invitation after Chu Luren mentioned that Shangguan Haitang was in Changsha.

However, Chu Luren then specifically sought out Shangguan Haitang and revealed to him that Liu Zhengfeng had already "donated" the title of lieutenant general, and also mentioned the Songshan Sect!

In fact, Shangguan Haitang knew about the actions of the Songshan Sect. After all, Songshan was now within the territory of the Qing Dynasty. They had sent twenty or thirty elite disciples from afar to the Song Dynasty. Although they had concealed their tracks, it was fine if ordinary sects didn't know, but how could the number one sect in the world not have eyes and ears?

Shangguan Haitang was unaware of the matter concerning the deputy general. After all, the Number One Manor under Heaven focused on monitoring affairs in the martial arts world. Liu Zhengfeng clearly intended to retire from the martial arts world, having directly donated for a nominal military officer position instead of going through the recommendation process of the Number One Manor under Heaven…

However, now that Shangguan Haitang knows, she can no longer pretend she didn't see it.

The number one manor in the martial arts world can ignore a feud, but when it involves an official of the imperial court, especially since Shangguan Haitang already knows about it, it naturally cannot be ignored!

However, Shangguan Haitang also had some doubts—according to the intelligence from the number one manor in the world, Chu Luren should be a lone wolf, at most he is more familiar with Dali, so how could he know so much about the infiltration of the Songshan disciples?

"I happened to run into some suspicious guys before, but I didn't pay much attention to them. It was only after receiving the invitation that I realized it might be Zuo Lengchan's way of being flamboyant and domineering," Chu Luren said, half-jokingly.

"Brother Chu is indeed a chivalrous person. Thank you for telling me about this." Shangguan Haitang naturally knew that Chu Luren had no prior relationship with the Hengshan Sect.

"I'm merely offering my opinion; it's still up to Master Shangguan to take charge," Chu Luren said, flattering Shangguan Haitang.

Chu Luren wasn't sure what level Shangguan Haitang's martial arts skills were in the vast martial arts world, but... Chu Luren believed that as long as Shangguan Haitang appeared at the Golden Basin Washing Hands Ceremony, the Songshan Sect wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

"Although the Number One Manor under Heaven is not an official government office, protecting officials appointed by the imperial court is also part of my duty," Shangguan Haitang said modestly.

However, the two had not been riding out of the city for long when they suddenly heard the sound of horses galloping wildly behind them—clearly, they were sprinting at full speed!

"Master! Master, please wait! There's an urgent report!"

A man dressed in black, a standard secret agent from the number one manor in the world, chased after them from behind and called out to Shangguan Haitang.

"Brother Chu, please forgive me." Shangguan Haitang's voice was still beside him when he spoke, but by the time he finished speaking, he had already left his horse and "drifted" far behind.

Upon seeing Shangguan Haitang's lightness skill, Chu Luren couldn't help but compare it with Yun Zhonghe's—if Shangguan Haitang were to see him, Yun Zhonghe would probably have no chance to escape!

Shangguan Haitang was a disciple of Wuhen Gongzi, who ranked twelfth on the Heavenly Ranking. Wuhen Gongzi was known for his lightness skills, movement techniques, and hidden weapons. Even considering that Wuhen Gongzi had a good relationship with the Divine Marquis's Mansion and was Shangguan Haitang's master, his ranking might be a bit exaggerated. However, being ranked twelfth on the Heavenly Ranking meant that he was undoubtedly a rare master in the world.

Judging from Shangguan Haitang alone, her lightness skill surpasses that of Yun Zhonghe, and her movement technique, based on the sound of the ladder, should be comparable to Chu Luren in his non-enlightened state. As for hidden weapons... Chu Luren has never seen them.

At this moment, Shangguan Haitang went to see the secret letter that his subordinate had sent him, and his expression froze for a moment. Chu Luren had already reined in his horse and led Shangguan Haitang's horse back with him.

Seeing Shangguan Haitang's expression, Chu Luren had a bad feeling...

"Master, it seems they're in a real hurry. Otherwise... I'll go to Hengshan for you! After all, the Five Mountains Sword Alliance isn't ours..."

Shangguan Haitang stopped the man in black from saying anything more, but also said to Chu Luren, "Brother Chu, I'm afraid I'll have to break my promise this time." Although she tried her best to hide it, it was clear that Shangguan Haitang was also somewhat displeased.

What a coincidence!

Although she trusted her adoptive father and believed there was no conspiracy she was unaware of, Shangguan Haitang still sensed that her adoptive father didn't want her involved in the Five Mountains Sword Alliance's affairs.

"This..." Chu Luren didn't know how to persuade him. He couldn't very well ask him to neglect his duties as a "secret agent."

"This must be Hero Chu, right? May I accompany Hero Chu to Hengshan later?" the man in black said with a veiled warning, probably thinking, "This guy is the one who's causing us trouble."

Not to mention that if it weren't for Master Shangguan, the force might not be strong enough, Chu Luren felt that if it were this guy, he might very well stand by and do nothing.

The Divine Marquis's Mansion...tsk tsk.

Chu Luren is now 80% certain that the Divine Marquis's Mansion is deliberately feigning ignorance, and even deliberately diverted Shangguan Haitang's attention after learning that she was going there!

Chu Luren was puzzled by the purpose of the Divine Marquis's Mansion. Was there some tacit understanding between Mount Song and the Divine Marquis's Mansion, or was the Divine Marquis's Mansion simply unwilling to get involved in this matter?

Logically speaking, neither Mount Song nor the Sun Moon Sect are located within the current territory of the Song Dynasty, and therefore should have no connection with the Divine Marquis's Mansion.

Judging from what the man in black said, could it be that... he really is dissatisfied with the Hengshan Sect simply because of the existence of the "Five Mountains Sword Alliance"?

After all, the Five Mountains Sword Alliance is a "transnational organization," and apart from Hengshan, none of its members are located within the territory of the Song Dynasty. From this perspective, it seems quite normal to want to see the Five Mountains Sword Alliance "fighting each other."

"Very well, since Master Shangguan has something to attend to, then... I believe Senior Liu will understand. I will go alone." Chu Luren couldn't complain to Shangguan Haitang, after all, he couldn't say that she necessarily had this obligation.

However, Chu Luren clearly did not give up "meddling in other people's business". Even if he had not met Shangguan Haitang by chance, Chu Luren himself was only slightly unwilling to provoke Songshan. If it really came to the point where he could not stand it, he would provoke it!

Shangguan Haitang hesitated for a moment, then cupped her hands to Chu Luren and said, "Then I'll take my leave here, Brother Chu! By the way, since you've just arrived in Hunan, you can also visit many senior masters in the Hunan martial arts world. For example... there's Tie Wushuang and Senior Tie from not far away in Xiangtan. They are public-spirited and righteous, not only renowned for their palm strikes but also for their righteousness, which has won over the entire Hunan martial arts world. If you happen to pass by, you should pay them a visit!"

"Master..." Upon hearing this, the man in black seemed to want to dissuade him, but Shangguan Haitang glared at him and stopped him.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Chu Luren's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he also cupped his hands and said, "Master Shangguan, have a safe journey. I will naturally pay my respects to Senior Tie."

Clearly, Shangguan Haitang was also dissatisfied with this matter. Even though she would not go against her adoptive father's wishes and involve the number one manor in the world, she still gave Chu Luren a suggestion—reminding him of another big shot who could keep the situation in check!

Chapter Thirty-Two: A Chance Encounter with the Cold Moon Sword

In this vast martial arts world, although there is no title like "Leader of the Hunan Martial Arts Alliance" and no one can restrain any martial arts alliance, in terms of prestige, no one in the entire Hunan martial arts world can surpass Tie Wushuang!

In terms of martial arts skills, it's uncertain whether Tie Wushuang can match Yue Laosan, Chu Luren's apprentice. However, even when Tie Gu Mo E Mei Niansheng was still alive, her reputation might have surpassed Tie Wushuang's, but her prestige was still inferior...

Just like in Liangshan Marsh, Song Jiang might not rank first in terms of fighting skills, but he could only be the leader.

Tie Wushuang is not a "good person" or "hero" in the narrow sense, but someone who has connections in both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds. Moreover, he has a great love for talent. Even when Li Dazui, who "doesn't eat human heads," had just begun to show his evil reputation but was not yet one of the Ten Great Evils, Tie Wushuang married his daughter to him in order to bring him back to the right path.

however……

In the end, his daughter and a disciple were all eaten by Li Dazui, leaving only their heads!

From then on, Li Dazui continued to live a wild and unrestrained life, eventually being forced to hide in the Valley of Villains.

However, there was actually a hidden story behind this, which Li Dazui did not reveal to the outside world—in fact, his wife was having an affair with her junior brother, which was discovered by Li Dazui, and he killed him in a fit of rage.

However, Li Dazui did not tell outsiders about this in order to protect Tie Wushuang's reputation.

Even someone as heinous as Li Dazui didn't want Tie Wushuang's reputation to be damaged, which shows his prestige...

Chu Luren already knew from Shangguan Haitang that the Songshan Sect had sent only twenty or thirty people, but they were all elites, and several of the Thirteen Protectors of Songshan were leading the way. Chu Luren estimated that even if he risked offending the Songshan Sect, he would not be able to withstand the combined forces of several of the Songshan Protectors.

However, for Tie Wushuang, as long as he raises his arm and calls, the martial arts people of Hunan, who already dislike the Songshan Sect's domineering style, will definitely respond in droves. At that time, even if twenty or thirty Zuo Lengchans came, they would be beaten to a pulp...

Following Shangguan Haitang's instructions, Chu Luren traveled to Xiangtan and then paid a visit to the "Iron Mansion".