The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

However, after Chu Luren left, Wei Xiaobao still laughed out loud—no matter what, he had passed Hai Dafu's test.

According to Chu Luren, that old tortoise should be dying soon and is going to seek revenge on someone. He probably won't live past tonight. And even if he does, with Chu Taisui backing him up, Wei Xiaobao felt that he wouldn't dare to hurt him.

Although he was poisoned, Chu Tai Sui didn't seem like a man of his word. As for meeting Ao Bai...

Not simple! But compared to the life-or-death ordeal just now, and the poison I was poisoned, it wasn't that difficult. At least I had a clue.

On the other hand, after leaving the Imperial Kitchen, Hai Dafu would occasionally sneak into secret passages within the palace when no one was around, and when there were people around, he would deliberately pass by the patrolling imperial guards...

Clearly, Hai Dafu was also worried that Chu Luren, who appeared indifferent, was actually following him—it had already been proven that if Chu Luren followed him with his agility, he wouldn't be able to hear him.

However, in some secret passages, it was obviously not possible to follow him. In addition, he had repeatedly passed by the imperial guards. Hai Dafu felt that he had shaken off Chu Luren. After all, Chu Luren obviously had other things to do, and he had handed over the "Shangqing Qigong". There was really no reason for him to follow him!

Unfortunately, Hai Dafu didn't know that although Chu Luren didn't follow him at first, a small red bird had been following him all the way...

The blind man was suspicious, but he didn't question the occasional sound of birds flapping their wings.

When Hai Dafu arrived at Cining Palace, it was already late, but he acted very brazenly, asking the Empress Dowager to come out and meet him, and even knocking out several eunuchs and palace maids who tried to stop him.

It would be impolite enough for an old eunuch to visit so late at night, but to actually make the Empress Dowager come out...

However, the Empress Dowager knew that this person was a confidant of the "late emperor" and had returned from Mount Wutai with unclear intentions!

Feeling guilty, he didn't avoid meeting her.

After the Empress Dowager came out, Hai Dafu told her about the matter that the old emperor had entrusted to him to investigate, and his findings.

The Empress Dowager made no attempt to conceal her hatred and resentment towards Consort Dong'e, but when it came to the cause of Consort Dong'e's death...

The Empress Dowager initially feigned doubt, but even after hearing that Hai Dafu had already identified the "Bone-Melting Palm" and knew that she had taught the Emperor martial arts, she still pretended to be ignorant.

After all, what the Empress Dowager taught the young emperor was just the common, fancy techniques passed down among the lay disciples of Wudang, and had nothing to do with the Shenlong Dao martial arts.

Hai Dafu only deduced from this that the Empress Dowager knew martial arts, but he could not actually prove that the Empress Dowager knew the "Bone-Melting Palm"!

This is one of the reasons why he still came to test the waters...

"Very well, cough cough... Since even the Empress Dowager doesn't know who in this deep palace knows the martial arts of Snake Island, this old servant is blind and can't find out anything either. I'll go and report to the Emperor, and then to Mount Wutai... cough cough cough... Please let His Majesty and the old Emperor decide!" Hai Dafu said, sneered, and turned to leave.

When the Empress Dowager heard that Hai Dafu was going to report this matter, how could she let him leave?

If it were any other eunuch, even if he knew this secret, he certainly wouldn't dare to reveal such palace secrets. After reporting it, the young emperor would be the first to kill him.

But Hai Dafu was different; he had been sent back by Emperor Shunzhi to investigate the matter...

"Halt! The Emperor is resting. You old servant, don't disturb him!" The Empress Dowager said, and then attacked Hai Dafu from behind.

The only eunuch standing by was just surprised when the Empress Dowager slapped him to the ground.

Upon hearing the sound of the Empress Dowager making her move, Hai Dafu was not surprised but rather delighted. He turned around and began exchanging blows with the Empress Dowager...

The Empress Dowager was initially delighted. Hai Dafu's martial arts skills were indeed superior to hers, but after he went blind, his strength was more than halved.

Especially the "Bone-Melting Palm," unlike ordinary powerful palm strikes, makes a faint sound when it is used, and is particularly restrained against people whose eyesight is ruined!

But before she could be happy for long, a strange thing happened just as she slapped Hai Dafu on the chest.

Even if one is not physically injured after being struck by the "Bone-Melting Palm," one would still suffer internal injuries.

However, when the Empress Dowager struck with her palm, she felt as if her bone-dissolving palm force had been poured into a millstone and completely dissolved!

At the same time, Hai Dafu sneered and seized the opportunity to twist the Empress Dowager's right arm and hold her left hand, which was about to strike...

"Fine...you teach that little Gui Zi...Shaolin Kung Fu...while you yourself are from the Kongtong Sect..." The Empress Dowager was unable to break free for a moment, and the two were already in a situation where their internal forces were dissolving each other.

"Empress Dowager was from Snake Island, but didn't she only teach the Emperor Wudang Kung Fu?" Hai Dafu said disdainfully.

The Empress Dowager sometimes wanted to push harder to disintegrate Hai Dafu's bones, and sometimes wanted to withdraw, but she failed to do so.

"Your Majesty, there's no need to try. This old servant has mastered the 'Yin-Yang Millstone,' which is specifically designed to grind away the power of Yin Poison Palm! My master instructed me to find the murderer and execute him on the spot... Today, Your Majesty, please join me in returning to this place!" Hai Dafu had already made up his mind to perish together with his master.

The reason why the last two levels of the Seven Injury Fist were changed into "Yin Yang Grinding" was to counter the Empress Dowager's "Bone-Melting Palm" and at the same time cover up some of his blindness. He could start to grind away the palm force the moment he was hit, which had a high margin of error.

"You dog servant..." The Empress Dowager was furious, but she still couldn't break free and could only continue to use her inner strength to hold out.

Originally, the "Bone-Melting Palm Force" was not as powerful as a direct palm strike, but it excelled at injuring opponents with hidden force during internal energy battles. However, Hai Dafu had actually mastered the "Yin-Yang Grinding Technique," and his internal energy was far superior to hers...

Just then, Chu Luren calculated the angle and appeared gracefully under the moonlight—a technique he learned from Huang Yaoshi.

Because there was no commotion from deliberately removing clothes, even Hai Dafu heard it...

"You two are both getting on in years, why bother with fighting and killing?" Chu Luren said with compassion.

"Chu Taisui? You should kill this old hag immediately, and the Emperor will surely thank you and Prince Feng!" Hai Dafu said immediately.

"Don't listen to this old servant's nonsense! Chu Taisui is highly skilled in martial arts, but if the Emperor finds out that you know so much, he will definitely be wary of you and may even plot to eliminate you! Chu Taisui can leave easily, but he will inevitably face many obstacles in the future, and it will also implicate Prince Feng, ruining your goal of controlling the Plain White Banner!" The Empress Dowager immediately retorted.

Chu Luren was displeased upon hearing this: "What do you mean by the purpose of controlling the Plain White Banner? My elder brother wants to benefit the Qing court. You old woman, stop talking nonsense!"

Chapter 463 The Fake Empress Dowager's Confession

"Yes, yes, I misspoke. I should naturally understand Prince Feng's sincere intentions..." The Empress Dowager immediately feigned fear and explained.

However, before she could utter the word "forgiveness," the Empress Dowager, taking advantage of Hai Dafu's distraction, suddenly snapped her left wrist bone off itself, freeing her hand from Hai Dafu's grasp.

Without pulling back, he thrust forward, his palm shaped like a knife, and with the tips of his four fingers, he struck Hai Dafu squarely in the chest!

With another flick of his wrist, he used the force to reattach his wrist bone, and then slapped his palm back into place...

Even though Hai Dafu had mastered the "Yin-Yang Grinding Technique," he couldn't withstand the sudden two palm strikes and immediately coughed up blood, retreating and collapsing to the ground.

More importantly, his accumulated internal injuries erupted all at once.

"Chu...Chu Taisui...you know her secret, that old hag won't let you go...she'll definitely be plotting against you!" Hai Dafu managed to say, his voice hoarse and strained.

Although it was because of Chu Luren that he was ambushed by the Empress Dowager with the "Boneless Snake Fist", Hai Dafu knew that he had no chance, so he began to wholeheartedly try to instigate Chu Luren to kill the Empress Dowager!

Hearing Hai Dafu's instigation, the Empress Dowager quickly said, "Don't worry, Lord Chu, I actually... I come from the Divine Dragon Sect. The sect leader and all the brothers in the sect respect Lord Chu, so how could I have any evil intentions?"

Even if she were fully recovered from her injuries, she wouldn't be a match for Chu Luren. She knows that much. Besides, if she were killed now, people would just think that she had committed suicide together with Hai Dafu!

At that time, it will just be another unsolved case in the palace, and the people of Chulu will not have to worry about being suspected...

"Oh? I never imagined that the Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty was actually a member of the Divine Dragon Cult?" Chu Luren asked with great interest.

Chu Luren had actually guessed long ago, and even knew that in the original work, the Empress Dowager was a fake, an imposter named Mao Dongzhu, a subordinate of the Black Dragon Envoy, who was infiltrating the palace in order to collect the "Forty-Two Chapters Sutra" for the Divine Dragon Sect.

However, although the Empress Dowager wanted to gain Chu Luren's trust, she did not reveal this biggest secret, but only said that she had joined the Divine Dragon Cult.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager and Chu Luren were discussing their江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) relationships, Hai Dafu realized that Chu Luren probably knew more about the Empress Dowager than he did. He worried that if Chu Luren continued like this, his killing intent towards the Empress Dowager would gradually fade. So, with his last bit of strength, he spoke in a final, desperate burst of energy...

"Hahaha...cough cough cough...haha...Empress Dowager, since that's the case, why did you hide the fact that you were secretly collecting the 'Forty-Two Chapters Sutra' from Chu Tai Sui? Wasn't the sutra that the Emperor gave to Consort Dong'e hidden by you? What secret does this eight copies of the 'Forty-Two Chapters Sutra,' which are only kept by the Eight Banners' leaders, hold? Is it something you want? Or does the Divine Dragon Sect...want it..."

Hai Dafu died from his severe injuries before he could finish speaking.

"The Forty-Two Chapters Sutra? Your Majesty... you're interested in Buddhist scriptures?" Chu Luren looked at the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager originally wanted to follow Chu Luren's words and talk about Buddhist scriptures, but when she saw Chu Luren's eyes, she felt inexplicably guilty. She instinctively felt that Chu Luren actually knew something about the Forty-Two Chapters Sutra.

So, he turned back and said, "Uncle Chu, you may not know this, but many of our brothers in the Divine Dragon Sect are descendants of former generals of the Eastern Song Navy. After the Qing army entered the pass, they transported a large number of looted treasures by sea. Our sect failed to plunder them and could only watch as they transported a large number of treasures back to their ancestral land. In addition, this 'Forty-Two Chapters Sutra' is in the possession of the Eight Banners' banner lords. Therefore, the sect leader speculates that the location of the treasure is definitely related to the 'Forty-Two Chapters Sutra'."

Chu Luren thought about it and realized that the explanation was indeed reasonable. This also explained why the Divine Dragon Church knew about the treasure and the importance of the Forty-Two Chapters Sutra, but did not know the specifics of it.

It is likely that they discovered the batches of treasures that the Qing court was transporting overseas, and at the same time learned about the rules of the Manchu Eight Banners—the spoils of war were to be divided among the eight banners!

Therefore, after learning that each of the Eight Banners leaders possessed a copy of the "Forty-Two Chapters Sutra," the Divine Dragon Sect speculated that this was related to the largest batch of "spoils of war."

Even the Divine Dragon Sect speculated that, based on the sacrificial customs of the Manchu ancestors, they might have buried the treasure in the dragon vein!

However, the Divine Dragon Sect also didn't know where the Manchu dragon vein was or how to find the treasure, so they had to have Mao Dongzhu impersonate the Empress Dowager to find out in the palace...

Chu Luren wasn't particularly interested in the treasure, after all, he was just an ordinary person in the martial arts world, and his spending power was enough to cover his expenses by robbing the rich to help the poor.

Such a huge treasure...

Aside from those blinded by greed, probably only those who want to rebel would be interested. For example, if someone like Jiu knew about it, he would probably dream about the "Forty-Two Chapters Sutra" from now on.

As for why only those who rebel or are blinded by greed would be interested?

nonsense!

For ordinary people who love money, making money is easier anywhere than digging up the dragon veins of the Qing Dynasty, right?

Such a plunder of the fertile lands of the Central Plains yielded wealth far exceeding what an individual could realistically possess, likely far surpassing a net worth of 13,000. It was something no ordinary person could possibly afford.

Not only were they the exclusive property of the Manchus, but they were also buried in the ancestral land's dragon vein. How could they tolerate outsiders coveting them?

As for the theory of dragon veins, the people of Chu Lu did not really believe in it, so the Forty-Two Chapters Sutra only held a moderate appeal for them.

"Oh? You, a Manchu noblewoman of the Bordered Yellow Banner, actually hope that the Divine Dragon Sect will destroy your Manchu dragon vein? Even if you are jealous of Shunzhi's favor towards Consort Dong'e, it doesn't have to be that serious, does it?" Chu Luren asked with feigned doubt.

The Empress Dowager knew that there was no room for secrecy now, so she took off her mask and revealed her true face.

"To tell you the truth, my real name is Mao Dongzhu, and I am a descendant of General Mao Wenlong of the previous dynasty... Ah! Someone is coming, Lord Chu, please come inside with me to take shelter for now!" Mao Dongzhu heard a commotion outside at this moment.

When Hai Dafu came in, he killed several eunuchs who were guarding outside, so it seems that the bodies have been discovered.

Although Chu Luren was not afraid, there was no need for him to confront her directly. So he followed Mao Dongzhu into the house. Although Mao Dongzhu had taken off her mask, her voice was still there—she had been impersonating the Empress Dowager for countless years, and her voice was that of the Empress Dowager!

He dismissed the guards inside the house, saying only that "the eunuchs were fighting," and told them not to make noise or disturb his rest, and to collect the body.

These imperial guards knew all too well how many shady things happened within the palace...

Several people died after the "eunuchs fought," and although it sounds unbelievable, no one bothered to investigate. They simply moved the bodies away and that was the end of it.

In order to gain the trust of the Chu Lu people, Mao Dongzhu claimed that he had obtained a copy of the "Forty-Two Chapters Sutra"—presumably the one belonging to Consort Dong'e.

Chu Luren originally thought that since she was under the influence of the "Leopard Embryo Tendon-Changing Pill," she would definitely prioritize the Divine Dragon Sect and wouldn't reveal this matter...

Even if Hai Dafu mentioned it, she could have easily said that it had been "sent back to Shenlong Island".

At the same time, Mao Dongzhu actually knelt down and said, "The Divine Dragon Sect is no longer the Divine Dragon Sect it once was. The sect leader is cruel and ruthless, harboring evil intentions. He is by no means a righteous anti-Qing hero. I am also being controlled by the Leopard Embryo Tendon-Changing Pill... I beg Chu Taisui to cure me!"

Chu Luren was taken aback upon seeing this, and asked doubtfully, "Antidote? I don't have an antidote. Are you so sure that I can cure the poison of this Leopard Embryo Tendon-Changing Pill?"

Chapter 464 Leopard Fetus Tendon-Changing Pill

"Who in the world doesn't know about the battle between Chu Tai Sui and Ding Chun Qiu? If Chu Tai Sui were to make a move... I am willing to hand over the 'Forty-Two Chapters Sutra' that I have already found, the one with the white flag!" Mao Dongzhu said very frankly.

"The Bordered White Banner... is that the one you got from Consort Dong'e?" Chu Luren asked.

"Dong'e" is a Manchu surname, belonging to the Plain White Banner. During the Shunzhi reign, the banner chief of the Bordered White Banner was executed for a crime. For reasons unknown, Shunzhi entrusted the scriptures of the Bordered White Banner to a concubine of the Plain White Banner for safekeeping...

Upon hearing this, Mao Dongzhu hesitated for a moment before admitting, "That's right."