The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

However, the strongest among them were only Shenshan, Liu Chengfeng, Yuzhenzi, Duan Tianya, and a bald Shaolin monk I didn't recognize.

If they really had to resort to brute force, and Qiao Feng hadn't come, considering that the seventeen of them came from all sorts of different families, there wouldn't be any strategy in a proper attack, and having too many people wouldn't be of much use. Whether they could kill Ao Bai before alerting the guards was truly an unknown!

Even if we add Qiao Feng, Chu Luren, and Murong Jiu, we can't say for sure that it will work—after all, Ao Bai was not only able to go toe-to-toe with Qiao Feng back then, but also had extremely strong hard skills and was not easy to kill in a short time.

Although he is no match for any of Qiao Feng, Chu Luren, or Murong Jiuzhong, he cannot fight Ao Bai in the capital for as long as he wants. Once the guards are alerted, he must retreat quickly...

The most important thing now is to see what the young emperor plans. "21 vs. Ao Bai" is not difficult, but "21 vs. Bordered Yellow Banner" is a challenge that Chu Luren can only plan to escape...

The identities of Qiao Feng and the other two were cross-referenced, confirming that they had been recognized, and Duan Yu did not deliberately conceal his identity.

As everyone exchanged greetings, their faces remained composed, but their hearts were filled with mixed feelings of joy and worry about the arrival of these four.

They had been informed beforehand that Qiao Feng might come, after all... there was some friction between the Southern Shaolin Temple and Qiao Feng, and Xiao Gui was worried that things might go wrong if they didn't give prior notice.

However, the arrival of the Red and White Tai Sui and Nan Murong was unexpected!

There were quite a few people who had grudges against each other. For example, Yu Zhenzi kept his distance from Chu Luren, only occasionally glancing at him with strange eyes—Chu Luren guessed that this guy was too ashamed to face him.

At this juncture, Chu Luren also demonstrated a strong sense of the bigger picture and didn't stoop to his level...

Qiao Feng's popularity has plummeted in the past two years, and his awkward position makes him less willing to socialize. Duan Yu, needless to say, has very few common topics with people in the martial arts world.

Chu Luren always thought he was good at socializing and that everyone liked him, but... Murong Jiu still secretly pushed him away and chatted with everyone herself, and the scene was quite lively for a while.

"The Qing Emperor is indeed cautious. In my opinion, with your abilities, killing Ao Bai should be a piece of cake," Murong Jiu praised the group.

"Young Master Murong, don't be careless. Ao Bai is also a formidable martial artist, especially in the last two years. It's said that his hard skills have improved even further, and he has mastered the 'Golden Bell Cover' to the level of the 'Golden Bell Divine Cover'." Liu Chengfeng reminded Murong Jiu while glancing at the Shaolin people.

The leader of the three Shaolin lay disciples stepped forward, displeased, and said, "We don't know yet whether he's practicing the Golden Bell Shield, but it seems he must have practiced the 'Pure Yang Limitless Skill,' which is why he has pushed his hard skills to such a level from the inside out!"

"Who is this master?" Chu Luren asked, since the Shaolin people hadn't greeted him either.

“I dare not accept the title of ‘Master.’ My name is Cheng Guan. I am not a master, and I have already left the monastic life.” Cheng Guan looked to be in his forties and was bald.

Judging from this, he not only returned to secular life... but he just did!

"'Cheng' Guan? Is it the 'Cheng' in Cheng Kun?" Chu Luren asked another question.

Cheng Guan, who had returned to secular life, twitched his lips but ignored him.

"This layman Cheng Guan is quite remarkable. Back then, he first became a disciple of the Northern Shaolin Temple, and his Dharma name was Cheng Guan, a member of the Cheng generation. His progress in cultivating the Iron Finger Zen Skill was so rapid that he was known as the third in a thousand years... Ten years ago, he broke through the Eighteen Arhats Formation, returned to secular life with his skills, and then went south to become a disciple of the Southern Shaolin Temple. Although he has always been a lay disciple, he still shaved his own head regularly." Shen Shan said in a somewhat sarcastic tone.

So it turns out he didn't just return to secular life, but... he's been shaved his head all along? The difference between him and a monk is that he doesn't have a formal ordination certificate?

Well, first he was a disciple of the Northern Shaolin Temple, and then when the Qing Dynasty entered the pass, he quickly returned to secular life and went south, and immediately became a disciple of the Southern Shaolin Temple. Even his so-called secular name was a homonym of his Dharma name. If it weren't for the Shaolin sect transferring his teachings from one hand to the other, the sacred mountain would have eaten the wooden fish!

At the time, it wasn't just one or two people who did this; some even speculated that the transfer of the Northern Shaolin's secret manuals was carried out by this group of monks who had returned to secular life.

The fact that Cheng Guan is here shows that the Northern Shaolin Temple... also leans towards the young emperor, but it's not appropriate for them to show it openly.

After all, Shaoshi Mountain doesn't have the same treacherous geographical location as Black Cliff or Tianshan Mountain. Otherwise, they wouldn't need to worry about incense money. If a large army were to wipe them out, even if hundreds or thousands of monks rushed in, they wouldn't be able to withstand it.

"Although Layman Cheng Guan has returned to secular life, he shouldn't be spouting lies, right? After the Patriarch comprehended the 'Pure Yang Limitless Skill,' even his true disciples only learned the basics. How could Ao Bai have learned it?"

"So Wudang knew that what Ao Bai practiced was the 'Golden Bell Cover'? Of the twelve levels of the 'Golden Bell Cover,' only the external martial arts training methods for the first five levels are known in the martial arts world. The internal martial arts training methods for the last five levels are only studied by the Prajna Academy. Only the eleventh and twelfth levels, which are kept strictly secret, and combine internal and external techniques, can be called the 'Golden Bell Divine Cover.' How could Ao Bai have learned them?"

Chu Luren also realized that Wudang and Shaolin had once again clashed over the origin of Ao Bai's martial arts.

As a "heroic warrior and pillar of the martial world," the righteous Chu Luren felt he should mediate disputes...

“What Master Liu said makes sense, and what Layman Cheng said can’t be said to be entirely unreliable… How about this, you teach me the ‘Pure Yang Limitless Skill’ and the ‘Golden Bell Cover’, and when I fight Ao Bai, I will give a fair judgment?” Chu Luren spoke with a voice full of public-spirited righteousness.

then……

Liu Chengfeng and Cheng Guan indeed stopped arguing, but neither of them picked up on his comment...

Chu Luren sighed. It was another day when his good deed was stopped!

Chapter 449 The Unlucky Old Man

On the night of his arrival in Manjing, Chu Luren did not stay at the inn, but instead put on a bamboo hat and went to... Qunyu Courtyard!

Wearing a straw hat on the street would normally attract attention, but even if someone noticed, they lowered their guard after discovering that he had gone to the Kunyu Temple.

They assumed this was a woman with a shrewish husband who couldn't resist having fun, sneaking in to "compose poems."

After exchanging the secret code, Chu Luren entered a quiet room isolated from the surroundings, and only then did he remove his bamboo hat...

After meeting the head of the Manjing Qunyu Academy, Chu Luren inquired about the recent situation in the capital.

The conflict between the young emperor and Ao Bai is much more acute and public than Chu Luren had imagined!

During the autumn hunt, Ao Bai was assassinated, but thanks to the timely arrival of the Black Hawk Team, Ao Bai killed the assassin and executed the remaining leader of Suksaha's gang on the spot.

Later, in order to appease Ao Bai, the young emperor awarded him a first-class merit—even among the common people, there were rumors that this was an act of "appeasement," which shows how open the conflict between the two had become!

The so-called "Black Hawk Team" is a trusted armed force established by Ao Bai, which would even suppress rebels on its own. In short, it is Ao Bai's personal Qing Dynasty imperial guards—this is somewhat similar to the TV series.

At this time, the Manchu upper class had clearly not completely shed their habits from beyond the Great Wall. Both Aobai and the young emperor were very reckless, as if as long as they didn't point their fingers at each other and say "I'm going to kill you," it was considered "secret discord."

Indeed, it hasn't been long since the Manchus entered the Central Plains...

At the same time, the other party also proactively reminded Chu Luren of a piece of information, namely... that Linghu Chong was also near Manjing at this time!

Because Chu Luren had paid special attention to Linghu Chong's information, Qunyu Academy also took the initiative to inform him of this matter.

Furthermore, according to the intelligence from Qunyu Academy, Linghu Chong's swordsmanship has recently improved by leaps and bounds, so he is once again suspected of having secretly learned the "Evil-Repelling Sword Technique".

Adding to the incident at Hengshan, Linghu Chong's reputation is now quite bad.

……

As Chu Luren sorted through the recent news in his mind, he returned to the inn and found Shenshan sitting quietly in the lobby, seemingly waiting for him.

"Master Shenshan is still awake?" Chu Luren asked curiously.

"Hehe, Benefactor Chu, you're still awake in the middle of the night? I wonder... where Benefactor Chu went?" Shenshan asked warily.

At the same time, Chu Luren also noticed that footsteps were coming from many other people's rooms. It was clear that even if no one appeared, Shenshan was not the only one who was on guard against his departure!

After all, what they are about to do must not be revealed beforehand.

"Qunyu Academy, what's wrong?" Chu Luren asked honestly.

Mount Kailash: ...

"Ha, you're not worried that I'll leak the information, are you? Don't worry, that young emperor is quite shrewd. Someone followed me as soon as I left the inn," Chu Luren said, bringing up the matter himself.

Upon hearing this, the others were also relieved.

At the same time, one can't help but be amazed by Chu Tai Sui's relaxed attitude—he was about to eliminate Ao Bai, but he still didn't forget to have a good time at night!

Before entering the "Dao Embryo" state that night, Chu Luren was still thinking about Linghu Chong.

However, to his surprise, Chu Luren met Linghu Chong the next day at noon—who was also brought there by Xiao Guizi!

"Why is Young Master Linghu here?" Shenshan frowned as he looked at Linghu Chong.

At this moment, who in the inn isn't a master or a renowned expert? Linghu Chong is just a junior, and a disgraced disciple of the Huashan Sect. Even his reputation... isn't much better than Yu Zhenzi's. His appearance here seems rather abrupt!

"I was entrusted by Eunuch Gui to come and eliminate the treacherous minister Ao Bai... But now it seems that I, Linghu Chong, am not needed." When Linghu Chong saw Chu Luren, he raised his eyebrows at him as a greeting.

Linghu Chong recently made a secret trip back to Mount Hua, intending to visit his junior sister who was under house arrest. However, he encountered Feng Qingyang instead, and... was taught the Dugu Nine Swords, which further improved his swordsmanship.

His timing was impeccable. Lin Pingzhi lost the sword manual in Fuzhou, and as a result, his swordsmanship improved dramatically.

The reason he appeared in Hebei was because he had previously followed clues and discovered that the missing Lao Denuo might have come to Hebei, or even... for some reason, might be heading to Beijing.

Linghu Chong was still hesitating whether he should shave his head first in order to investigate this matter—a true man can bend and stretch!

Fortunately, he didn't dwell on it for too long. Later, while drinking nearby, he ran into Mao Shiba. Because he was sighing and complaining after drinking, Mao Shiba, who had a fiery temper, provoked him, saying that he was "whining and acting like a man when he drinks," which resulted in a fight between the two...

Linghu Chong struck Mao Shiba's wrist and disarmed him with the scabbard in just a few moves, without even drawing his sword. This made Mao Shiba realize that he had met a master. At the same time, this scene was also witnessed by "Xiao Gui Zi"!

Xiao Guizi not only reconciled the two, but also invited Linghu Chong to "jointly participate in this important matter."

Linghu Chong obtained his ordination certificate from the imperial court and, as a Taoist priest, entered the city without having to shave his head...

Seeing that there were already so many experts present, including Chu Luren, Linghu Chong was already looking for an excuse to attend to his own business.

However, upon seeing Xiao Gui Zi, Zong Weixia, the second oldest of the Five Elders of Kongtong, spoke up with dissatisfaction: "Eunuch Gui! We have all risked our lives to come here. What if we invite some shady people and the news leaks out?"

Chu Luren nodded upon hearing this and looked at Yu Zhenzi.

Yuzhenzi:......

Linghu Chong couldn't stand being provoked. His delicate heart was already at its most sensitive point because of the previous infamy, so he excitedly said, "Sect Leader, don't worry. I, Linghu Chong, will eat and live with you until I kill Ao Bai!"

"Hmph." Zong Weixia snorted coldly and said nothing more.

"Eunuch Gui, can you tell us about Kangxi's plan now?" Chu Luren asked.

"Well... there's still one important thing missing. It'll only take two or three days. Don't worry, Your Majesty, would I dare to deceive you?" Xiao Guizi changed the subject again.

Only Xiao Guizi started praising and encouraging everyone in the inn, promising all sorts of benefits. Some people were secretly tempted, while others showed disdain.

Xiao Guizi was also clever and shrewd. He secretly distinguished between those who were interested, those who were pretending to be indifferent, and those who were genuinely indifferent. He made good arrangements for the former, increased efforts for the middle-of-the-road ones, and for the latter... In front of them, Xiao Guizi started to only talk about the greater good and not about the benefits.

Only Chu Luren's purpose was somewhat incomprehensible to him. When Chu Luren was about to leave, he stopped him and brought up the matter of teaching him internal energy. "Little Guizi" naturally dared not learn any skills that people with roots could not practice, so he could only find an excuse to change the subject.

However, Chu Luren took the opportunity to shift the topic to the person who taught him martial arts.

"Xiao Guizi" always felt that Chu Taisui was deliberately trying to find out about Hai Dafu, but he had no mental qualms about betraying the old turtle. He even thought it would be best if Chu Taisui and the old turtle fought!

Chapter 450 The Uninvited Master's Wife

In a small inn in the western part of the capital that had been booked out, Chu Luren was drinking and eating drunken crabs with Linghu Chong...

I've also heard the reason why Linghu Chong came to the vicinity of Manjing—it seems that Laodenuo has come to the capital!

When Chu Luren heard this, he became very wary, because the timing was too coincidental. Could it be that Songshan and Aobai were colluding in some way?

However, after careful consideration, Chu Luren felt that Songshan would not be so unwise. Unfortunately, even in Qunyu Courtyard, they could not find out Laodenuo's whereabouts, and could not even be sure if he was really in Manjing.

Just then, a fight broke out outside, but it came quickly and ended even faster. It seemed that someone was sneaking around and was then taken down by the three Shaolin monks in an instant!

Upon hearing the noise, Chu Luren and Linghu Chong immediately came out to investigate, along with many other people. After all, if they were exposed, they would definitely have to make a quick getaway.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the person who had come was someone Linghu Chong recognized all too well…

"Master's wife?" Linghu Chong exclaimed in surprise when he saw Cheng Guan pull down the mask of the man in black.

"Madam Ning? Forgive me!" Cheng Guan was taken aback when he saw this. He quickly released Ning Zhongze's acupoints and invited her into the lobby of the inn.