The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

"No, there are quite a few ways. Although they can't make the doubts disappear, they can at least stall for time." Huang Rong's eyes flashed with a "wicked" light.

"For example?" Chu Luren sensed a dangerous aura emanating from Huang Rong.

"For example, the Mongol army is pressing in, or the Divine Marquis has discovered the weapons that Wan Sanqian had accumulated, or the fact that some court officials have been in close contact with the Manchus and Mongols in private has been exposed... Anything is possible!" Huang Rong was quite capable; she even knew about the Divine Marquis's secret procurement of weapons.

This wasn't something Chu Luren told her—Chu Luren had only reminded Huang Rong about the Divine Marquis's purpose and character!

Chu Luren thought for a moment, meaning... as long as the imperial court doesn't have time to suspect Guo Juxia, is that enough?

Well, Chu Luren can't make the decision about the Mongol invasion. Moreover, if he were to incite them, the casualties would be too great, and Chu Luren couldn't bear to do that. But if he were to reveal the Divine Marquis's secrets... Chu Luren was also afraid that the Marquis would become desperate and bite him to death!

You have to pick the softest persimmons!

Chu Luren decided to go to Qunyu Courtyard soon and ask them to find a way to send a message to Wu Kang's grand-disciple and Brother Qiao Feng—to expose the court officials who had connections with Wu Sangui and the Manchu Qing.

Although this matter is somewhat "harmful to the interests of the Manchu Qing," Qiao Feng would generally not do such a thing. However, using the pretext that a Song official wanted to assassinate Guo Juxia, Qiao Feng, who has always disliked these people, would probably assist them—after all, these people are just fence-sitters who are only exchanging glances, and they may not really be of much help to the Manchu Qing.

Moreover, Qiao Feng doesn't need to do anything actual; he just needs to find a way to inform the "Empress Dowager" so that she can gather some intelligence in the palace!

With a direction in mind, Chu Luren was no longer a headless fly. After visiting Qunyu Courtyard after dinner, he planned to go to the palace while it was still afternoon, lest Yunluo find out that he had come to Lin'an and hadn't visited her yet and cause trouble...

Chapter 537 I'm Here to Help

"Master Chu, are you going to the palace to meet the Emperor?" The palace guards asked respectfully after seeing Chu Luren's warrant.

"I don't have anything to see the emperor about. I'm just going in to see the princess. No need to announce my arrival," Chu Luren said casually.

Imperial Guards: ...

I feel there's an even greater need for a notification!

"Well... Master Chu, you may not know this, but Princess Yunluo should be in Cining Palace right now," the Imperial Guard said with a grin.

This is a big difference. Princess Yunluo is already an adult, so although her palace is in the imperial city, it is not in the inner palace. However, Cining Palace is in the inner palace. Obviously, Chu Luren's imperial city pass does not allow him to enter the inner palace.

Chu Luren thought for a moment, took two steps closer, and whispered, "It's alright, I'll sneak in."

Anyway, it's not the first time.

Imperial Guards: ...

"This humble general will take you there!" The guard had no choice but to say this while gesturing to his colleague behind his back.

After all, Chu Luren was a "hero among heroes, the backbone of the martial world" personally bestowed by the imperial court, and it was true that he had a pass to the imperial city. He, a mere city gate guard, dared not offend him, and besides, he was no match for him in a fight. However, he was also worried that Chu Luren would cause trouble once inside, and he would have to take the blame. So...

He slowly led Chu Luren into the palace. Halfway there, his colleague, who had given him the hand signals earlier, brought Eunuch Sun over!

It was clear that Eunuch Sun had already consulted with the Empress Dowager and dismissed the guards who had led the way. He then led Chu Luren to Cining Palace to meet the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager had a good impression of Chu Luren because he had saved her before—originally, she had a "very good impression." However, after hearing Yunluo mention Chu Luren's "scheme" when she pretended to be kidnapped by the Japanese, her impression dropped to "good."

"A commoner from the martial world pays respects to the Empress Dowager!" Chu Luren said, bowing with his hands clasped.

"Young Master Chu has finally arrived, otherwise I would never have a moment's peace," the Empress Dowager said kindly.

"Mother! You're teasing me again. Haven't I been behaving well in Cining Palace lately?" Yunlu immediately retorted in a coquettish tone.

"Good boy, he just doesn't let my ears rest usually. I can almost recite what Young Hero Chu has been doing lately. He hasn't done anything bad." The Empress Dowager said, rubbing her head.

"Alright, you young people can chat at your leisure, but don't forget to see Young Hero Chu out before the palace gates are bolted," the Empress Dowager reminded him.

"Yes! Mother, please rest. I'll tell you all the interesting things happening in the martial world later!" Yunlu said, then pulled Chu Luren away.

Chu Luren was originally ready to hear the story of "Yunluo and Huang Rong causing trouble in Lin'an" again. However, Yunluo was obviously not the same type as Huang Rong. After pulling Chu Luren to the small pavilion, she immediately asked Chu Luren to tell her about her experiences during this period!

Just how skilled is Murong Nan in martial arts? It's said he's knowledgeable in all martial arts under heaven, is that true?

"Who could be so evil as to turn the tomb of the founder of Emei Mountain into a fake treasure map?"

"After Master Zhang emerged from seclusion, strange things seemed to happen in various places..."

"What's going on with the Zhenlong Chess Game at Leigu Mountain? I heard that many people have suffered setbacks. It's said that Song Qingshu from the Wudang Sect had his legs broken by his father!"

"Is Ao Bai really dead? I heard he's invulnerable to swords and spears? Is he even afraid of being tickled?"

"Did Yue Buqun really...do that thing on the spot?"

"Isn't Miss Shui exceptionally beautiful? You didn't let that villain, Old Ancestor Blood Saber, die too easily, did you?"

Yunluo obviously knew what Chu Luren had been up to lately, but there was a fundamental difference between firsthand information and rumors circulating in the martial arts world. Yunluo excitedly inquired about it from Chu Luren—not out of concern for Chu Luren, since he was sitting there perfectly fine; Yunluo wasn't feeling sentimental. She was just intrigued by the excitement and gossip…

Chu Luren satisfied her in one go, continuing until nightfall, until he was so tired that his mouth was dry.

And they successfully missed the moment when the palace gates were bolted!

"Oh no, the palace gates are already closed. Why don't you climb over the wall and go out?" Yunluo suggested.

Before Chu Luren could speak, Yunluo's personal maid, Xiaonu, stopped her, saying, "No, no, Princess, have you forgotten? There are many imperial guards watching over the palace recently. If you climb out, you'll definitely be discovered!"

Even if Chu Luren isn't caught, a quick check of the palace records will reveal who this guy who sneaked out of the palace in the middle of the night really is!

Upon hearing this, Chu Luren asked another question: "Is it because of the Empress Dowager's birthday?"

"Not entirely. A few days ago, some experts sneaked into the palace and even infiltrated the Imperial Garden, so my brother ordered my uncle and the eunuch... Eunuch Cao to strengthen the guards," Yunluo explained.

The royal family is very secretive about the intrusion into the palace, so there are naturally no rumors about it. This is the first time Chu Luren has heard of it.

"Do you know who it is? Are they injured?" Chu Luren asked hurriedly.

After all, this might be related to the Giant Whale Gang...

"I don't know, but no one was injured and nothing was lost." Yunlu shook her head.

At this moment, Xiao Nu corrected, "Princess, yes! Have you forgotten what Eunuch Yang from the Imperial Kitchen said? He said that the dishes prepared by the Imperial Kitchen were frequently going missing those days. Because of this, the Imperial Kitchen received a lot of scolding."

"That must be because a servant is greedy. How could an outsider sneak into the palace and brazenly steal food from the imperial kitchen?" Yunluo clearly didn't believe such a thing.

Chu Luren, however, felt that things were not so simple...

"Let's go check out the imperial kitchen," Chu Luren suggested after thinking for a moment.

Upon hearing this, Yunluo's eyes lit up, and she nudged Chu Luren with her shoulder, saying, "You're really smart!"

"Huh?" Chu Luren was full of doubt. I heard that something was missing from the Imperial Kitchen, so I went to check it out. Is that considered smart? What would a stupid person be like?

“That’s right, you didn’t stay in the palace on purpose, you came to help the palace catch thieves! Even if my brother and mother know, they can’t say anything to us… Besides, I’m really hungry! Let’s see if there’s anything we can have for a midnight snack.” Yunluo had already seen through Chu Luren’s intentions.

Chu Luren: ...

For some reason, Chu Luren also felt that Yun Luo's words made a lot of sense, so let's just take it as such for now!

Without Xiao Nu, whose skills were insufficient, Chu Luren and Yun Luo arrived near the imperial kitchen. They first had Xiao Hong fly up to occupy a high vantage point and looked around, but found nothing unusual.

After the two got their midnight snack, Chu Luren told Yunluo to lie in ambush outside, while he hid inside the imperial kitchen...

Nominally, the plan was to attack from both sides with Yunluo, but in reality, Chu Luren felt that since the other party possessed martial arts skills that allowed her to disregard the imperial guards, Yunluo's two sons would be easily discovered. It would be better to leave them outside, and once discovered, the enemy would feel more comfortable bypassing her and sneaking into the imperial kitchen.

Of course, Chu Luren didn't forget to have Xiao Hong keep an eye on Yun Luo, just in case anything really happened...

Chapter 538 If the Divine Marquis is reliable, can you rank second?

"Seventh Master, shall we not come to the Imperial Kitchen again? We already caused trouble a few days ago, and it would be terrible if we were discovered."

"You're such a coward, you need a 'Five Treasures Stew' to replenish your strength... It's a pity we don't know if that imperial chef is still around, let's try our luck!"

"Seventh Master! There's an ambush! Let's get out of here!"

"What's all this fuss about? What ambush? It's just a little girl, probably a princess or noblewoman, just messing around... Come on, let's go around her."

Two voices, one old and one young, echoed softly in the Song Dynasty imperial palace.

The visitors were all "acquaintances" of Chu Luren—Hong Qigong, the leader of the Northern Beggars' Gang, and Guo Jing, the disciple of Guo Juxia!

As expected, the two spotted Yunluo outside the imperial kitchen and easily bypassed her guard, sneaking into the kitchen.

However, as soon as he entered, he was stopped by a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) pointed at him...

The two were startled at first and were about to make a move when they realized that the person who had discovered them was none other than Chu Luren!

"You brat! You scared this old man to death... What? You've come to the imperial kitchen to steal food too?" Hong Qigong almost used the "Hidden Dragon inactive" technique, but breathed a sigh of relief after discovering it was Chu Luren.

"Steal food? Why would I need to steal food when I'm in the palace?" Chu Luren said disdainfully.

"Tsk tsk, I almost forgot, you're still a guest of honor of the Emperor. So why are you sneaking around in this little imperial kitchen?" Hong Qigong said to Chu Luren while already eyeing what food was in the imperial kitchen.

Guo Jing had been saved by Chu Luren before, and he was naturally grateful. However, because of Yang Tiexin's matter, the relationship between the two was somewhat awkward, so he remained silent at this moment.

"I only came to check because some petty thieves broke into the imperial kitchen to steal things," Chu Luren said deliberately.

Guo Jing felt embarrassed by what was said, but Hong Qigong waved his hand and said, "Hehe, there's no small thief, but there is one old thief. However, before catching the thief, Hero Chu, you should at least make sure the thief is well-fed, right?"

"How did you two, an old man and a child, end up together? Just to steal food from the palace? Why don't you just go find Rongrong? Are you worried about your martial arts skills...? Aren't they just material possessions?" Chu Luren asked incredulously.

Hong Qigong grimaced upon hearing this, saying with a headache, "External possessions? Eating Xiao Rongrong's? Tsk tsk, if she eats any more of my old beggar's special skills, she'll learn them all!"

Hong Qigong clearly has no intention of having Huang Rong succeed him, so naturally he hasn't taught her the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique".

“However, we’re not that greedy. We came to the palace mainly for Marshal Yue’s masterpiece, a military treatise that can help us win on the battlefield.” Hong Qigong clearly trusted Chu Luren and didn’t hide anything from him.

"A military treatise? That's it? There are so many military treatises in the world, have you learned all the others?" Chu Luren clearly did not believe that Marshal Yue's invincibility on the battlefield was solely due to a single military treatise.

If reading Marshal Yue's military treatise can make one a junior military strategist, wouldn't it be great to just start a training class?

“Firstly… it is said that Marshal Yue once obtained a widely applicable method of physical training in the army. The Beiwei Army was invincible. In addition to the military formation, discipline, and fighting spirit, this physical training method was also a reason. It is very likely that this method was recorded in the ‘Wumu Legacy’.” Hong Qigong said this first point.

Chu Luren frowned and asked, "Does Chief Hong know about 'Knocking on the Heavenly Gate'?"

“I know. Master Zhang truly deserves to be called a grandmaster who carries on the legacy and opens up the future. He was able to take the lead and open the Heavenly Gate by exploring in seclusion all by himself. It’s a pity that the second person to knock on the Heavenly Gate did not cause any great phenomena in the area. I wonder who it was.” As Hong Qigong spoke, he had already found a roast chicken.

"Does Chief Hong think that once the Heavenly Gate is fully opened, the role of the army... will be reduced?" Chu Luren asked cautiously.

"So isn't that why we need a universally applicable body-training method even more? As for how effective it is, we'll see later. The reason we must have the 'Wumu Legacy' is because, firstly, the 'Wumu Legacy' represents Marshal Yue Fei, and now that scoundrel Wu Sangui has also set his sights on the 'Wumu Legacy.' No matter what is recorded in it, how can we let Marshal Yue Fei's relics fall into his hands? Don't you think so?" Hong Qigong said very reasonably.

He didn't expect to become invincible with the "Wumu's Legacy," but at least he couldn't let Wu Sangui get his hands on it!

Otherwise, if this scoundrel were to take the "Wumu's Legacy" and claim to uphold Marshal Yue's will... just thinking about it makes me feel disgusted.

"Wu Sangui also knows that the 'Wumu's Legacy' is in the deep palace of the Song court? Why doesn't Chief Hong report this to Iron-Blooded Marquis? Wouldn't that be much more direct?" Chu Luren asked deliberately.

Upon hearing this, Hong Qigong chuckled, as if to say, "You know perfectly well what I'm asking."

On the contrary, Guo Jing, standing to the side, said in a simple and honest manner, "That's right, Seventh Master... See, I told you to go and report to Iron-Blooded Marquis, right? Brother Chu thought so too!"

“Foolish boy! Can’t you tell right from wrong…” Hong Qigong said, lightly kicking him, then said to Chu Luren, “If Iron-Blooded Marquis can be trusted, can you rank second on the Heavenly Ranking?”