The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

"That's...that kind of place?" Lianxing asked, somewhat embarrassed.

"Yes, it's the kind of place where they gather intelligence," Chu Luren said with certainty.

Lianxing:? ? ?

Originally, Lianxing was "educated" about Qunyu Academy by Tie Xinlan, which is why she was somewhat inclined to question him, although... this questioning seemed to lack confidence.

Just as the two were looking at each other in bewilderment, Lianxing suddenly heard some noise outside. When Lianxing frowned and opened the window, Chu Luren heard it too.

In terms of lightness skill, Chu Luren considered himself to be slightly better than Lianxing. However, in terms of keen senses and sharp eyesight, Lianxing, who had cultivated the Mingyu Gong, was far superior to Chu Luren.

Because the "Mingyu Gong" was passed down from Yaoyue to Lianxing, even if it was "Chu Lang", Lianxing did not dare to teach it to him. Chu Luren also knew this and would not bring it up on his own initiative.

Of all the martial arts skills Chu Luren gained from this trip to Mount Emei, only the "Five Ultimate Divine Skills" came to him...

Chu Luren also looked out the window. At first, he couldn't see anything, but he could hear some noise in the distance. Later, he could vaguely see firelight—it was in the direction of the port warehouse!

Recalling what Yang Guo had mentioned about the Giant Whale Gang when they met before, and... thinking about the thin cotton clothes that the Giant Whale Gang had brought, which should be in the warehouse over there, Chu Luren had a bad feeling.

"I'll go take a look!" Chu Luren said, and darted out of the window.

Lianxing came along this time too—it's not like it's a place women can't go!

Chu Luren didn't stop him, after all... with Chu Luren's abilities, it was too early for him to complain about the Second Palace Master being a burden.

As the two flew through the air and were about to approach the center of the riot, Lianxing suddenly said, "There's someone in that alley over there, injured!"

Chu Luren neither saw nor heard anything, but upon hearing Lianxing's words, he quickly said, "Let's go take a look."

When the two landed in the alley, there was no one in front of them. Lianxing pointed to a house next door and said, "That person climbed over the wall and two ordinary people were acupunctured."

Chu Luren couldn't help but feel secretly fortunate that Lianxing had come along. Putting aside the other effects of the "Mingyu Skill," its perception ability alone was unparalleled...

In the original work, when Yaoyue was on the eighth level of the Mingyu Gong, she was known for her ability to hear everything within a hundred feet, from flying flowers to falling leaves.

Moreover, in the vast martial arts world, all sorts of divine skills and secret techniques have been enhanced...

Moreover, even a master of lightness skill would not dare to say that their footsteps are so quiet as to be "flying flowers and falling leaves" unless they are carefully and deliberately concealed. Even normal breathing sounds are quieter than "flying flowers and falling leaves". The detection range of this level of sound is at least several hundred feet, which can be calculated in "miles"!

Chu Luren then climbed over into the house and found a couple who seemed to be getting up to check something, but they had both been put to sleep by pressure points...

The other person inside the house was none other than Yang Guo!

Upon hearing Lianxing's voice, Yang Guo felt a chill in his heart, but he was severely injured at the time, with a penetrating wound under his ribs, and he no longer had the strength to escape.

Only when he saw Chu Luren did Yang Guo breathe a sigh of relief, and then he fainted.

"Chu Lang, do you know him?" Lianxing noticed the last expression on the young man's face.

"Yes, he's a descendant of Guo Jing, and from the Quanzhen Sect." Chu Luren said, stepping forward to seal Yang Guo's acupoints to stop the bleeding, and then carrying him on his back.

Lianxing glanced at the noisy outside and frowned, saying, "Then... should we kill them all?"

Firstly, they injured a boy who seemed to be "in cahoots" with Chu Lang, and secondly... it was really noisy.

"No, we don't know what's going on yet!" Chu Luren quickly stopped her.

Chu Luren carefully avoided the Giant Whale Gang members and government soldiers who seemed to be investigating Yang Guo, lest they be "killed all of them".

With Chu Luren and Lianxing's lightness skills, even though Lianxing was dressed in white and very conspicuous in the dark, she still easily shook off the people searching for her.

After returning to the inn, Chu Luren first used "Divine Illumination True Qi" to heal Yang Guo's injuries.

Although a wound passing under the ribs is an extremely serious external injury, even with "divine energy," it is impossible for it to heal completely overnight when helping others. However, before dawn, it has already "falsely healed." It is not visible from the outside, but the inside has not yet healed. If the movement is too large, the "falsely healed" skin and flesh will tear open.

However, bandaging is no longer necessary!

After Yang Guo woke up, Chu Luren, disregarding his injuries, immediately asked him what had happened...

Yang Guo was very clever, but he was still a young man, full of youthful vigor!

After parting ways with Chu Luren, Yang Guo ignored Chu Luren's advice not to act rashly and instead went to investigate the warehouse where the thin cotton clothes were located.

Then they encountered a Japanese master. After fighting for a hundred moves, Yang Guo had the upper hand. However, he was tricked by the smoke bomb thrown by the opponent and blocked a sword thrust from the smoke in a sorry state. Then the opponent pulled out a short blade from his chest and stabbed him through the ribs while Yang Guo was exhausted and had not yet generated new strength!

However, he was injured by Yang Guo's last bit of strength when he struck him with a palm.

After listening to Yang Guo's description, Chu Luren felt that the Japanese expert must be a disciple of Yagyu Tajima-no-kami—Chu Luren had encountered this technique of thrusting with a long sword and stabbing with a short blade before when he was with Yagyu Tajima-no-kami.

Of course, it certainly wasn't Yagyu Tajima-no-kami himself; otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to resort to such a shameful tactic as a smokescreen to deal with Yang Guo.

At this time, Yang Guo proved himself worthy. When Chu Luren treated his injuries, he discovered that Yang Guo had already mastered the "Innate Skill" to a considerable degree. In addition, his swordsmanship, despite his young age, was already at a second-rate level.

"So you set the fire to escape?" Chu Luren asked to confirm.

But Yang Guo suddenly said, "No! I didn't set the fire. I was wondering about it too. I just noticed that someone was setting a fire, and when I chased after them, I found that Japanese master!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Luren felt an even greater sense of unease.

If the Japanese set the fire, were they trying to take advantage of the chaos? No! They were probably trying to frame someone!

But then, Yang Guo actually ran headfirst into it...

Just then, the sound of soldiers banging on the door came from outside the inn.

Chu Luren and Lianxing certainly didn't leave any traces; it was probably a routine search. The Empress Dowager's birthday gift, especially such a "meaningful" one, was burned. The government, which is usually very indifferent to people in the martial arts world, must have become nervous at this moment!

Chapter 532 Mystery

"The government is handling a case. Open the door! Open the door!"

Officials knocked on Lianxing's door. According to the inn's registration, the room was occupied by a woman named "Nongyue".

The helpful Chu Luren then emerged from a nearby room.

"What's all the noise about? There's no one suspicious here, get out!" Chu Luren shouted, uttering a sage's words.

After all, if Chu Luren doesn't speak up, "Nongyue" will probably start a massacre soon.

"Bold..."

The official was taken aback by the reprimand. Normally, he would have been worried about offending some outlaws in the martial arts world. However, now that the major cities near Lin'an were assisted by secret agents from the Dragon Guard Manor, and especially since this agent was right beside him, dressed as a constable, they were naturally bolder.

Just then, the "captain" behind him stepped forward to stop him and bowed to Chu Luren, saying, "So it is Master Chu who is staying here. Last night, the Giant Whale Gang's birthday gifts to the Empress Dowager were robbed and burned. We were ordered to search... Since Master Chu said there are no suspicious people here, we will take our leave. If Master Chu has any clues, we hope you will let us know."

"A clue? I think the Giant Whale Gang colluding with the Japanese counts, right?" Chu Luren also realized that this person should be from the Divine Marquis's Mansion, so he curled his lips and said.

The spy had recognized Chu Luren and, in accordance with the Divine Marquis's "handling principles," was to avoid Chu Luren unless absolutely necessary, intending to exchange a few polite words and then leave.

Who knew that Chu Luren would actually accuse the Giant Whale Gang of colluding with the Japanese?

As a mere secret agent, he might not know many secrets, but he did know that this was Cao Zhengchun's accusation against the Giant Whale Gang. The Divine Marquis's Mansion was still actively investigating, hoping to clear the Giant Whale Gang's name. Chu Luren echoed Cao Zhengchun's words, so he couldn't pretend not to hear. He quickly asked, "This... does Hero Chu have any evidence?"

“No, I already said it was ‘I think’,” Chu Luren said matter-of-factly.

Hearing Chu Luren say this, he guessed that Chu Luren was deliberately provoking him after recognizing his identity because of his previous conflict with the Divine Marquis's Mansion. So he ignored him and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Hero Chu. We will be careful!" Then he was about to leave with his men.

But just then, the sound of shackles rattling came from the room next to Chu Luren.

Normally only escaped prisoners wear shackles, right?

The scene was somewhat awkward, but Chu Luren seemed not to have heard anything and continued to look at the "captain," so the latter also pretended not to have heard and naturally led his men away.

It was as if, after Chu Luren said "there are no suspicious people," he had completely believed it...

Chu Luren glanced at the young spy's back a few more times—he had indeed guessed the man's identity; even dressed as a constable, his strong fists and feet and steady aura were impossible to conceal.

Of course, in comparison, these nameless spies were, in some ways, even more skilled than those "well-known imperial secret agents."

At least they're more like secret agents than Duan Tianya and his group...

After all, people like Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyidao don't keep their identities secret, and their detective abilities are not as good as those of top-tier constables. They rely on recklessness when things happen.

Only Shangguan Haitang has a bit of brains, but her status is equally high-profile.

However, in normal times, the hype is all about the three secret agents of the Heaven, Earth and Profound Realms, which makes people subconsciously overlook the true foundation of the Divine Marquis's Mansion - the Dragon Guard Manor also has quite a few of these real "secret agents"!

Chu Luren then instructed Yang Guo to find an opportunity to leave, as there was a possibility that someone was secretly watching them.

Then Chu Luren went to the dock to visit Li Tiande, who was in a bad mood. It was clear that Elder De was very moved, and... Chu Luren was also a little surprised to find that Shangguan Haitang was also there.

Chu Luren originally thought that she should be with Duan Tianya at the headquarters of the Giant Whale Gang investigating.

"Elder De, this is truly unfortunate. If I had known this would happen, you should have invited me to a grand banquet yesterday." Chu Luren's words made Li Tiande smile even more bitterly.

"Master Shangguan is here too? How is it? Is there anything I can help you with?" Chu Luren's face was full of the image of a good citizen of the Song Dynasty.

"Is Lord Chu going to Lin'an? If you have nothing else to do, you can set off as soon as possible. There are people in the capital who miss him very much." Shangguan Haitang said with a straight face, as if to say, "You'd be helping us if you just left quickly."

"Are these the members of the Giant Whale Gang who were attacked?" Chu Luren didn't seem to hear Shangguan's words and went to check on his own, where he saw several corpses covered with white sheets.

However, after only glancing at it, he quickly covered it up again.

After all, Chu Luren wasn't a professional coroner. His original plan was to examine the wounds and see if he could discern the style of Japanese martial arts. Even if he couldn't, Chu Luren was prepared to make something up, since he had fought against Japanese masters and could claim that "no one knows Japanese martial arts better than me."

Yang Guo had previously stated that apart from striking the Japanese martial artist he fought with once, he had not killed anyone, and even that strike was not enough to kill the opponent.

So these people were most likely killed by the Japanese!

After all, ordinary gang members might not be involved in the "collusion with Japan"; they were just cannon fodder.

However, upon opening the lid, Chu Luren discovered that the bodies had been burned to a crisp, making it difficult to say anything against his conscience...

“That’s right, it was the brother who guarded the warehouse after unloading yesterday… Sigh! I never expected that, since it wasn’t anything valuable, I thought no one would care, but there are such heartless people!” Li Tiande was also very helpless.

Chu Luren could tell that he wasn't faking it; he must genuinely be "helpless." After all, ordinary robbers wouldn't steal these tattered, thin cotton clothes.

They would never offend the Giant Whale Gang or be wanted by the imperial court for such reasons.

“Master Shangguan, this must be someone trying to undermine the prestige of the imperial court, and also, intentionally frame my Giant Whale Gang for something unjust. Master Shangguan, please investigate!” Li Tiande was also somewhat guilty in front of Shangguan Haitang.

After all, it was originally meant to save face for the imperial court, but the Giant Whale Gang ruined it...

After a moment of contemplation, Shangguan Haitang asked, "Are there any cotton-padded coats left?" It seemed she had realized that the arsonist's purpose was not limited to this.

"There are still some on the ship, which were not all moved last night," Li Tiande said honestly.

"Take me to see it first." Shangguan Haitang clearly didn't see this as a simple "slap in the face."

Chu Luren suspected that someone had given her some hints beforehand, leading her to suspect that there was something wrong with the cotton-padded coat itself.

However, Chu Luren still had some doubts. These cotton-padded clothes were ultimately allocated by the Ministry of Revenue and issued by the Ministry of War. Even if they were made with inferior materials, it was impossible to blame Guo Juxia, who led the "Xiangyang heroes."

Isn't it the cotton-padded coat itself? Or is it what unfavorable accusations Guo Juxia might have hidden inside the coat?

Chu Luren naturally followed suit and boarded the ship, seemingly to accompany them on the investigation...