The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

"So, how did the Hengshan Sect come up with the idea of ​​traveling so far to protect Brother Lin?" Chu Luren then asked.

"It is... the order of the Five Mountains Alliance Leader." Ding Jing answered without concealment.

Seeing Chu Luren looking over, Zhong Zhen said matter-of-factly, "That's right! It was our Alliance Leader Zuo who discovered some unusual activity among the Demonic Sect members!"

That doesn't really count as lying...

Chu Luren smiled noncommittally, then looked at the monks and lay disciples of Hengshan, but did not see Yilin—the two had not only met in bed at Qunyu Courtyard, but had also "conspired" to kill Fei Bin together in Hengshan.

"Didn't Master Yilin make this trip?" Chu Luren asked casually out of curiosity.

After all, Yilin definitely came in the original work.

Unexpectedly, upon mentioning this matter, Ding Jing's expression changed immediately, and she asked somewhat stiffly, "Does Grand Duke Chu and Yi Lin... know each other?"

"I met Master Liu of Hengshan when he retired from the martial arts world." Chu Luren deliberately called him "Master Liu." Zhong Zhen knew he was intentionally provoking him and stopped Ding Mian from saying anything.

Ding Jing looked relieved upon hearing this, but still wore a bitter expression, seemingly reluctant to answer.

Chu Luren also noticed that Ding Jing's expression was unusual, and asked specifically, "Little Master Yilin, has something happened? Also... how is Brother Linghu who went to Hengshan a few months ago?"

Why specifically mention Linghu Chong?

Chu Luren thought that if something happened to an honest person like Yilin, it would definitely be because of that unlucky old man Linghu Chong!

"That's right, wasn't that when Chu Taisui met Linghu Chong? Speaking of which... it's a misfortune for his family!"

Chapter 372 Misfortune in the Family

Ding Jing was clearly reluctant to bring up the matter, but Chu Luren inquired about it...

Zhong Zhen, who was standing to the side, finally found an opportunity and said in a sarcastic tone, "What a coincidence, it turns out that Young Master Chu also knows those outcasts from the Huashan and Hengshan sects!"

Abandoned disciple? Chu Luren was taken aback. He had been traveling south recently, and when he passed by Qunyu Academy along the way, no one had specifically mentioned such a "trivial matter" that happened thousands of miles away in the north.

Moreover, even for matters that seem very "internal," the Sun Moon Sect couldn't delve into the Hengshan Sect to investigate. The Qunyu Academy was merely "well-informed," and wouldn't know anything too confidential, mostly only having information based on "rumors in the martial arts world."

“If Abbess Dingjing is unwilling to bring it up, we brothers can talk about it…” Lu Bai acted as if Chu Luren was determined to reopen old wounds.

It's estimated that the Songshan Sect knows they've already offended Dingjing, so they don't care about continuing to offend her. They'd rather Dingjing and Chu Luren hate them together!

"If Abbess Dingjing doesn't want to say, then so be it. I was just asking casually." Chu Luren took the initiative to put the matter aside, since the only option was to inquire elsewhere.

However, Dingjing sighed and said, "Chu Taisui should also know that if he encounters Linghu Chong and Yilin in the future... alas!" As she spoke, Dingjing led Chu Luren to the side, avoiding the people of Songshan Sect.

"This matter is not exactly honorable for Mount Hua or for my Mount Heng, and there are many doubts surrounding it..."

When Ding Jing first said this, Chu Luren was puzzled—since there were doubts, why was it dishonorable? Shouldn't they have investigated it thoroughly?

It wasn't until Ding Jing recounted the whole story that Chu Luren understood the whole story.

Several months ago, Linghu Chong and Lu Dayou went to Hengshan to deliver a letter. The letter stated that Yue Buqun hoped to discuss the Five Mountains Sword Sects with Hengshan. Although it was not explicitly stated, the implication was that they wanted to "join forces to resist Zuo Lengchan's coercion."

Originally, Hengshan Sanding had also agreed to this matter, so Linghu Chong and Lu Dayou didn't need to rush back—Hengshan Sect had countless nunneries, so they could simply use carrier pigeons to relay messages from station to station, and then have someone from the nunnery in Guanzhong notify Yue Buqun.

Linghu Chong and Lu Dayou originally intended to wait for their master to arrive at Hengshan.

It was not convenient for male guests to stay in the nunnery for long, so the two stayed in a small town at the foot of the mountain. This town was similar to Hengshan City in relation to Hengshan, and was basically where the lay disciples of Hengshan lived...

Over time, Lu Dayou became acquainted with a lay disciple of Hengshan Mountain, and they developed feelings for each other.

Since they were just lay disciples, they could naturally get married without any harm. However... one night three months ago, shortly before Dingjing set off, Lu Dayou and that lay disciple from Hengshan died a violent death!

It was Dingyi who first discovered the matter. Seeing Lu Dayou dead and the marks of humiliation on his own disciple's body, Dingyi was furious. At the same time, he also discovered a "suspicious point".

“Lu Dayou died from a sword wound, and after careful examination by my junior sister and me, we can see that it was caused by the ‘Welcoming Guests from the Pine Tree’ style of Huashan swordplay!” Dingjing pointed out the suspicious point in the matter.

"Just a sword wound? If it's just the location of the wound, there are too many ways to imitate it." Chu Luren frowned upon hearing this.

It's like saying that Ma Dayuan's throat was crushed and that it was a "chokehold grappling technique"—it's hard to believe!

“That’s right, Junior Sister Dingyi said the same thing back then. When Linghu Chong saved Yilin at Hengshan, Junior Sister Dingyi had a very good impression of him. After returning, she praised him highly in front of me and Junior Sister Headmaster. At that time, we also suspected that it was a frame-up.” Dingjing echoed, making Chu Luren realize that things were not so simple.

"Afterwards, Dingyi found Linghu Chong and questioned him about the events of the previous night. Linghu Chong's words were evasive and suspicious. Upon verification, they were all lies. Linghu Chong did go to the tavern that night, but he did not drink until dawn as he initially claimed. Instead, he left halfway through the night and could not say where he went afterward. Moreover, the wine sold in the tavern matched the smell of alcohol at the scene..." Dingjing continued.

The smell of alcohol might not seem like much evidence, but since Linghu Chong was lying and was exposed, yet still refused to test it, this small suspicion naturally became a major piece of evidence!

"Did Linghu Chong know that Lu Dayou had been murdered?" Chu Luren interjected.

Upon hearing this, Ding Jing knew that Chu Luren still believed in Linghu Chong, otherwise he wouldn't have asked if he knew. She then said, "At that time, in order to get information out of him, we didn't say it explicitly. If it really wasn't him, then he really didn't know. After we told him about Lu Dayou's murder, Linghu Chong did indeed look grief-stricken and indignant."

If it was truly an act, this young man is incredibly cunning! However, when questioned about the suspicious aspects of his character, he refused to elaborate, only hinting that he was definitely not the murderer.

Ding Jing paused here, and Chu Luren understood that this matter was not over yet—after all, Yi Lin had not yet "appeared"!

"Linghu Chong refused to answer any questions, and Dingyi, in a fit of rage, threatened to take her senior brother Daiyue to punish him! She only meant to scare him, but alas... just then, Yilin stepped forward! It turned out that Linghu Chong had been with Yilin that night, and according to Yilin, they had also been tricked into meeting there and... had been drugged with some aphrodisiacs..."

Dingjing didn't go into details, but for this reason, which concerned Yilin's reputation and the honor of Hengshan, Linghu Chong's words were initially incoherent until Yilin took the initiative to bring it up!

Thus, the matter became one that was "still in doubt" and "extremely disgraceful".

To put it more grandly, it would be that the disciples of the Huashan Sect killed each other and committed lewd acts, and that the disciples of the Hengshan Sect gave false testimony for him; to put it less grandly, it would be that the two of them had an affair and ruined their reputations, and that disciples from two other sects were killed, with the murderer's identity unknown.

"After that..." Chu Luren skipped over this part when he saw that Abbess Dingjing was too ashamed to speak.

"Afterwards, we took Linghu Chong to see Lu Dayou's body. He himself admitted that it looked like... it was indeed the work of the Huashan sword technique. Moreover, this move, 'Welcoming Guests from the Pine Tree,' is a direct and straightforward sword strike, usually used in martial arts duels. Yet Lu Dayou was directly struck by the sword and died. This shows that the murderer must have been someone he trusted very much and was not on guard against!"

This only increased the suspicion surrounding Linghu Chong.

“That’s strange. If it really was Linghu Chong’s doing, there’s no need to be so direct, and he even used the Huashan Sect’s swordsmanship…” Chu Luren pointed out the suspicious point, and then asked the crucial question: “I wonder if Linghu Chong is still in the Hengshan Sect?”

Upon hearing this, Ding Jing's face darkened further: "No, we originally planned to wait for Senior Brother Yue to arrive before dealing with it, but unexpectedly, Linghu Chong, relying on his superior swordsmanship, escaped with Yi Lin that very night. After Junior Sister Ding Yi and I caught up, we were no match for his sharp swordsmanship!"

Ding Jing didn't have much of a competitive spirit and honestly admitted that she was not as skilled as the other person.

Chapter 373 Burial

"He escaped? Did he... say anything?" Chu Luren was stunned when he heard this—not sitting there waiting to die was not in Linghu Chong's character, and if he escaped like this, wouldn't he be "getting into trouble"?

“Yes, before he left he said he had something important to discuss and needed to see ‘Junior Brother Lin’. He also said he would apologize when he returned. This matter… this matter is known only to me, Junior Sister Headmaster, and Junior Sister Dingyi.” Dingjing revealed this part.

As for why Linghu Chong wanted to see Lin Pingzhi, Dingjing didn't know either. Moreover, upon hearing this, most people would probably assume that he was just making up an excuse and was actually fleeing from punishment!

Another detail about this matter is that although Dingjing did not lie, she did conceal something—it was actually Yilin who secretly released Linghu Chong on the second night. Yilin did not initially intend to escape with Linghu Chong, but instead wanted to stay in the Ancestral Hall to repent. She "disappeared" afterward.

In this way, the explanation that the previous night was a "trap" is hard to believe...

If it was an aphrodisiac, then something must have happened. How could the usually honest Yilin do such a thing?

If Yilin and Linghu Chong already had a secret affair, was she drugged with aphrodisiacs, or was she simply harboring romantic feelings? The credibility of her previous testimonies is therefore questionable…

Chu Luren understood after hearing this. The fact that the Hengshan Sect was still so "obedient" in following the Five Mountains Alliance Leader's order to come to Fuzhou at this time probably meant that they also secretly harbored the intention of finding Linghu Chong!

"Does Chu Taisui think we've wronged Linghu Chong?" Ding Jing asked deliberately. She didn't really want Chu Luren to make the decision, but rather wanted to hear what he had to say.

“It’s not an injustice. The Hengshan Sect hasn’t actually issued a warrant for his arrest yet, has it? It’s clear that the nuns are still acting cautiously and have some doubts in their hearts. How can it be considered an ‘injustice’?” Chu Luren praised the Hengshan Sect.

"So, Chu Taisui still doesn't believe that Linghu Chong was behind it?" Ding Jing also understood the meaning behind Chu Luren's words.

“That’s right. There are few fellow disciples in Huashan, so their relationships are naturally close. Lu Dayou and Linghu Chong are especially close. There must be some reason for killing someone.” Chu Luren ignored other doubts and only talked about the motive.

“That night, Linghu Chong drank a lot of wine and saw Lu Dayou and my sect’s disciples… could it be…” Ding Jing didn’t finish her sentence, but Chu Luren understood.

"Does the nun mean 'jealousy'? So she had lewd thoughts again under the influence of alcohol? That's even more wrong. Not to mention that I've drunk with this person more than once, whenever he's in a bad mood and drinks too much, he always complains about himself and talks nonsense, but he's never taken his anger out on anyone else."

Furthermore, if we really think that way, then Yilin is intentionally giving false testimony and has an affair with Brother Linghu! I've met Little Master Yilin myself; in terms of appearance, none of the young disciples of Hengshan can compare to her beauty. Linghu Chong is happily with Little Master Yilin, so why would he be jealous of Lu Dayou?

Chu Luren's words were rather blunt, and Ding Jing didn't even want to respond, but after thinking about it, she realized that they were not entirely unreasonable!

"This humble nun has a request, though it may be impolite: if Lord Chu were to encounter Linghu Chong..."

If it were anyone else, this wouldn't be considered an "unreasonable request," but Chu Luren had just saved the Hengshan disciples, and he was the kind of person who wouldn't yield to force, so Dingjing spoke very politely.

Before she could finish speaking, Chu Luren volunteered, "Don't worry, Master. If I encounter him, I will definitely grab him by the neck and ask him why he left. I will bring him before you and make sure you understand the whole story! We can't let anyone be wronged, but we also can't let the Hengshan Sect disciples die without knowing why!"

Hearing Chu Luren say this, Dingjing breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that Chu Luren didn't want to help Linghu Chong, let alone help him. She put her hands together and said, "Then this humble nun thanks Chu Taisui in advance."

……

Having learned about Linghu Chong's situation, Chu Luren and his group hastily rested for one night at Ershibapu. The next day, they discovered that the people from Ershibapu had all returned.

The method for clearing the space is actually quite simple!

Previously, a group of unheard-of "robbers" committed a major crime in the vicinity—killing hundreds of people in a market and then burning down all the houses.

Such brutality naturally instilled fear in the surrounding markets and towns. Shortly before the Hengshan Sect arrived at Ershibapu, this gang of bandits announced their name again at Ershibapu, but instead of surrounding or pursuing them, they gave them ample opportunity to escape. Naturally, all the merchants and market-goers fled on their own within a short period of time.

Only after a night had passed and there was no further activity did they return...

"Alright, boss, I watched the shop for you all night last night. We're all neighbors, it's just a pleasure to help others, so you don't need to pay me for the night watch!" Chu Luren swaggered away.

The innkeeper was already overjoyed to find that the place hadn't been robbed, so he didn't care about anything else.

Chu Luren and his group did not travel with Hengshan, but instead hurried to Fuzhou on horseback...

……

On January 21st of the sixth year of the Tiansheng era, Lin Pingzhi returned to his hometown, which he had been away from for nearly two years.

Once you enter the world of martial arts, time flies... The white horse is still a white horse, but the person riding it is no longer the dashing, naive young man he once was.

Looking at the rural scenery and listening to the local dialect, Lin Pingzhi felt as if he had been transported to another world.

Sometimes I long to ride a horse and gallop away like I used to, and sometimes I think of my parents' faces and feel a void in my heart.

Looking at the Fuwei Escort Agency's signboard, now covered in ashes and tangled with ash, Lin Pingzhi felt as if his hunting trip that day had happened just yesterday, yet also as if it had been a very, very long time ago...

"Little Lin, are you alright?" Yue Lingshan could also sense that the closer they got to Fuzhou, the more turbulent Lin Pingzhi's heart became.

"I'm fine... I'll go arrange my parents' burial first. Senior Sister, Second Senior Brother, and a few镖头 (bodyguards) should go to the inn first," Lin Pingzhi said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"I... I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it all by yourself, so I'll go with you," Yue Lingshan said after a slight hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Lin Pingzhi looked at her and then nodded, saying, "Okay."

They were busy together burying their parents; their relationship... couldn't be ordinary!

As for the burial, Lin Pingzhi did not specifically wait for Chu Luren—however, Lin Pingzhi remembered Brother Chu's instructions that he did not plan to go to Xiangyang Old House before Chu Luren arrived.

After having someone calculate the auspicious date, Lin Pingzhi hired people...

Fuwei Escort Agency was once a powerful force in Fuzhou, and Lin Pingzhi was not short of money. No matter how much the person has fallen out of favor, it was still easy to put together a funeral procession.

The procession carried the coffin from Fuzhou city to the Lin family ancestral graves outside the city. Halfway there, a particularly loud suona horn melody joined the funeral procession.