The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Even so, she could only hide behind Chu Luren.

Zhao Wushi was an illegitimate child. The palace maid who gave birth to him died in childbirth without any official status. However, the old emperor still had some sense of shame. Although he wanted to "ignore" him, he still gave him the status of a prince of the imperial clan. As for seducing other men's wives... Zhao Wushi was even more convinced that Gu Santong must have said something to him!

It's unbelievable that Gu Santong was so shameless even on his deathbed.

Zhao Wushi stared at Chu Luren expressionlessly, without any anger or glare. Instead, his eyes were calm, like two black holes, as if they were about to devour everything.

Chu Luren met his gaze without fear, his eyes shrouded in a dignified, Buddhist light, as if proclaiming wisdom, tranquility, and the annihilation of evil...

The venomous snakes that had been frightened by Xiao Hong around them first thrashed violently, as if trying to escape her intimidation, and then lay still one by one, whether they were scared to death or fainted!

Yunluo had completely hidden behind Chu Luren, but just then, Jin Dan climbed onto Chu Luren's shoulder and bared his teeth at Shenhou, making threatening noises as if a monkey was about to attack.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Wushi was slightly surprised—this monkey seemed strange.

After being interrupted, Shenhou calmed down a bit. Although he could defeat Chu Luren if he fought him now, it would only make everyone lose face.

Moreover, Chu Luren only lost face because he couldn't beat me, so what should I do with him afterward?

If Chu Luren continued to spout such nonsense in front of the Emperor, it would only embarrass Zhao Wushi himself...

Should he be punished for the things he said?

Putting aside the relationship between Chu Luren and Yun Luo, and the Empress Dowager's favor, what's more important is that many court officials were saying these things more than a decade ago. It's just that in the last twenty years, the Dragon Guard Manor has become increasingly important, so they have toned it down!

Especially regarding Chu Luren, Zhao Wushi recalled that when he learned of Chu Luren's conflict with Shangguan Haitang, he had already devised a plan to "deal with" him and had discussed the matter with Yagyu Tajima-no-kami. There was no need to rush, so he temporarily suppressed his anger.

Once this plan succeeds, not only will it prevent Chu Luren from interfering in the plans related to Japan, but it will also sow discord between Chu Luren and Princess Yunluo, and even the Empress Dowager will surely be dissatisfied!

It's not too late to deal with him then...

As for the accounts of those court officials, I'll keep them in mind for now and settle them one by one when I ascend to the throne!

"The inner palace is no place for you to stay any longer, Master Chu. Please leave!" What Shenhou really wanted to say was, "Get lost."

"Hmph." Chu Luren flicked his hem and pulled Yun Luo away.

There was no other way; if she wasn't pulled along, Yunluo was already starting to lose her balance.

After walking more than a hundred steps, Yunluo gradually calmed down and complained, "Hey! Why are you being so stubborn with your uncle? Don't you know that your uncle hates it when people talk about his background? By the way... what's this about forcibly taking someone's wife?" At the same time, she didn't forget to gossip.

"Don't you also dislike him talking about you like that?" Chu Luren said matter-of-factly.

Upon hearing this, Yunluo blushed and said in a much softer voice, "You did this to help me get revenge? Don't do this again... Your Royal Uncle was so scary just now."

"Not really, it's just that I can't stand it. It's as if I would do anything to you. Who in the world doesn't know the character of Chu Luren?" Chu Luren denied.

Yunluo: ...

Of course, the reason why Chu Luren dared to repeatedly offend Zhao Wushi was still the same as before—the less he showed his true colors and the more directly he expressed his dislike for him, the less likely Shenhou would suspect that Chu Luren already knew his true colors and all sorts of conspiracies!

……

Inside Lin'an City, in a secluded private residence.

Yagyu Tajima Morimasa spoke solemnly to his daughter, Yagyu Hyouse. Hyouse remained expressionless, though one could still discern that her face was pale and her eyes twitched slightly... but she ultimately nodded.

……

At this moment, the kind-hearted Chu Luren was unaware that a despicable conspiracy against him was quietly unfolding.

Chapter 541 The Perfect Plan

After Ouyang Feng and Yu Zhenzi escaped from the palace amidst the chaos, they killed the imperial guards who were following them too closely. Then, after circling around for a while, they arrived at Qunyu Courtyard...

It was the end of the opening hours at Qunyu Courtyard. There was still some time before guests were to be seen off. Most guests had already rested, while a few were still enjoying their experience.

The two climbed over the back wall and were immediately met by someone who led them to a secret room. Each floor of the Qunyu Courtyard had two fewer rooms at the end than it appeared from the outside, but this was not easily noticeable due to the ornate and complex decorations.

If Ren Yingying were to witness this scene, she would surely fall into deep thought…

Ren Yingying had always believed that the Qunyu Academy, which was far from the Blackwood Cliff headquarters, was already under her control.

However, she had no cooperation with Wu Sangui!

After Ouyang Feng and Yu Zhenzi hid in the secret room, Yu Zhenzi complained with great dissatisfaction, "Is the Eastern Sect Leader making a fool of us? The Prince of Pingxi sent the three of us to retrieve the military treatise, but we still haven't seen him!"

Ouyang Feng did not respond.

However, Dongfang Bubai, relying on his status as the leader of the Sun Moon Sect and his influence throughout the martial arts world, was different from the other retainers. He only cooperated with Wu Sangui and indeed acted arrogantly. In fact, none of the other retainers had ever seen Dongfang Bubai.

Originally, Ouyang Feng also considered himself to be "cooperating" with Wu Sangui, and usually his nephew was the one who contacted the people of the Prince of Pingxi's mansion, but he was still not as "aloof" as Dongfang Bubai.

Ouyang Feng was not without resentment about this, but he disdained the idea of ​​him and Yu Zhenzi speaking ill of Dongfang Bubai behind his back.

Yu Zhenzi, feeling rebuffed, muttered a few more words before settling into his own breathing exercises.

Thinking of Chu Luren's palm strike just now, Yu Zhenzi couldn't help but grin—it seemed that every time they met, this kid's martial arts had changed a lot, not only improving, but also drastically changing his style!

Could it be that woman who taught him? Yu Zhenzi thought of an even more terrifying person, someone whose identity he still didn't know, and couldn't help but shudder.

At the same time, Yu Zhenzi was unaware that the person he was "talking about" was only a hundred feet away from him in a straight line!

Inside the Qunyu Courtyard in Lin'an, in a secluded room at the back, a slender figure in red was sitting and playing the zither. Although it was late, the melodious music she played did not seem out of place in the Qunyu Courtyard.

In the spacious room, hundreds of oil lamps, each with its own unique decoration, were all lit, creating a magnificent spectacle…

But just then, the candlelight in the room flickered for a moment, and then... a figure dressed in black night clothes, whose figure could be seen as a woman, appeared out of thin air, pointing a sword at the figure in the red robe with wide sleeves!

Upon closer inspection, this "sword" is clearly in the style of a Japanese samurai sword.

However, even as the samurai sword pierced through the red-clad woman's hair, which draped over her shoulders and lay across her neck, it did not disturb her music.

The woman in black's large eyes widened slightly with tension as she said in a low, feigned voice, "Stop playing!"

The music stopped abruptly, and the woman in red obeyed her threat.

"You are the actual person in charge of this Jade Garden, aren't you? We have no intention of being enemies with the Sun Moon Cult, but we need your cooperation on one matter!"

The woman in black was none other than Liu Sheng Piaoxu, whom her father had entrusted with the plan to stall Chu Luren.

After the incident in Wuxi, the Iron-Blooded Marquis felt deeply troubled by Chu Luren's interference, but he didn't want to forcefully eliminate him lest he alert Chu Luren. So he devised a roundabout way to keep Chu Luren from hindering his plans until he ascended the throne and then dealt with him properly!

Although Yagyu Hyouse was somewhat resistant to the plan, he eventually agreed, having been influenced by the "loyalty culture" of Japanese samurai and ninjas for a long time.

The plan is quite simple – a honey trap!

Using a beauty trap directly is definitely not going to work. Although Liu Sheng Piaoxu is a rare beauty in the Central Plains, the Chu Lu people are obviously not such superficial people, especially since they often change female companions. In terms of appearance, none of them are below this level. Therefore, this beauty trap obviously needs to be prepared.

Firstly, with the vast network of secret agents in the Hulong Manor, it's easy to arrange for Chu Luren to witness the old cliché of Liu Sheng Piaoxu rescuing a little girl from a fast horse.

This gave Chu Luren the impression that "this woman is very kind," and coupled with Liu Sheng Piaoxu's appearance, this impression was not shallow.

Next, Liu Sheng Piaoxu will disguise herself as a courtesan and seduce Chu Luren before launching an assassination attempt!

The assassination is unlikely to succeed, but it doesn't matter if it fails. Based on the deductions of Shenhou and Yagyu Tajima-no-kami, and observing Chu Luren's actions, after discovering that Yagyu Hyouse was the person who saved her before, especially after discovering that she was good-looking... he probably won't kill her directly. Afterwards, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami will bring Japanese experts to help her escape.

After making this impression, Yagyu Tajima no Kami went to ambush Chu Shiren's companions and kidnapped them, intending to threaten Chu Shiren.

Yagyu Hyouse could then use the previous "gratitude for not killing" as a pretext to inform Chu Shikato, and the two could then work together to rescue Chu Shikato's companions, orchestrating a scheme to create the illusion that Yagyu Hyouse accidentally killed Yagyu Tajima-no-kami while trying to save someone...

At this point, Liu Sheng Piaoxu, who is emotionally distraught, can naturally cling to Chu Luren, and Chu Luren will be unable to refuse. Over time, feelings will develop, and Liu Sheng Piaoxu and Chu Luren will be bound together!

After that, he spent all his time with Japanese women. No matter the reason, he would definitely be suspected. Chu Luren could no longer interfere in anything related to the Japanese, and even if he did, he would be attacked.

Moreover, some alluring traps could be set up during this time, which would naturally cause dissatisfaction among Princess Yunluo and the Empress Dowager.

In the eyes of the God of War and Yagyu Tajima-no-kami, the plan was perfect.

It just so happens that Chu Luren has a habit of visiting Qunyu Courtyard wherever he goes, and originally, because of Huang Rong's identity and her relationship with the princess, the Divine Marquis was not too keen on touching her for the time being. After all, Huang Yaoshi, the Eastern Heretic, was one of his targets for winning over. Now, Chu Luren has brought another companion to Lin'an...

Well, if we force the manager of Qunyu Academy in Lin'an, and then sneak up on a seemingly weak woman who looks like a maid, it will be a piece of cake!

After several days of investigation, Liu Sheng Piaoxu now knows that the actual controller of this Qunyu Courtyard is the woman in front of him—who doesn’t seem to know martial arts at the moment.

Of course, if possible, Liu Sheng Piaoxu did not intend to actually harm the other party, after all, the Sun Moon Cult was not to be trifled with.

Seeing that the other party did not reply, Liu Sheng Piaoxu continued to speak to herself: "That Chu Luren should be coming here in the next few days, right? When that time comes... I will disguise myself as someone from here to receive him. Before that, I hope you will not do anything unnecessary!"

"Oh? Him? He should be coming... Sure." The woman in red spoke, her voice as clear and melodious as a nightingale's, giving Liu Sheng Piaoxu the feeling of a girl who had just gone through puberty and was speaking for the first time.

At the same time, what made Liu Sheng Piaoxu a little uneasy was that she always felt... this person was not nervous at all, especially after hearing that she was going to "receive" Chu Luren, he even seemed to be smiling with great interest!

Chapter 542 A Good Show

"You'd better not... think of anything funny. The Sun Moon Cult's headquarters has some connections with our Japan. Although this move is presumptuous, we will visit Blackwood Cliff later, so you don't need to worry about being implicated!" Liu Sheng Piaoxu felt a chill run down her spine, but she still gritted her teeth and delivered the threat.

Clearly, in the understanding of the Japanese, or rather, the Dragon Guardian Manor, the affiliated forces of the Sun Moon Cult have become significantly disconnected from Blackwood Cliff. Especially now that the news of Ren Woxing's escape has spread like wildfire, the branches far from Blackwood Cliff should all be leaning towards the "Holy Maiden" side!

Therefore, Liu Sheng Piaoxu was worried that the other party was unaware that Japan and the Sun Moon Cult had some cooperation, so he made a point of mentioning it.

Ultimately, they are all members of the Sun Moon Cult. Revealing this fact can be seen as leaving a way out for the person in charge.

but……

If viewed from a different angle, from the front of the woman in red, Liu Sheng Piaoxu, dressed in black, is holding a sword to the woman's neck, while behind Liu Sheng Piaoxu...

There were probably hundreds or even thousands of "needles" made entirely of true energy floating behind her!

The woman in red, whose interest had been dampened, was getting impatient and was about to turn her into a bloody mess or even a cloud of blood mist when, thankfully, she revealed her purpose.

The woman in red then revealed a breathtakingly beautiful smile, and the countless energy needles instantly and silently stopped, just as they had silently gathered...

"Sure, would you like me to prepare some nice clothes for you?" the woman in red replied with a smile.

"Don't do anything unnecessary! I'll take care of everything myself. Before he arrives, whatever you do, I'll be by your side..." Liu Sheng Piaoxu threatened mysteriously.

She would actually leave after that, but another disciple of the Shin-Kage Ryu sword style would disguise himself and monitor her!

"Hmm, do you think... my voice is nice?" The woman in red seemed more interested in this.

"It sounds nice." Liu Sheng Piaoxu replied instinctively. The woman in red smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this, but Liu Sheng Piaoxu was immediately angered by her "indifferent" attitude!

"Don't even think about asking for help. My sword will be faster than your sweet voice!"

As Liu Sheng Piaoxu spoke, he felt he should show off his skills. He swung his samurai sword around, and under the heavy snowfall, all the surrounding lights were extinguished, but the oil lamps were not damaged in the slightest.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu vaguely noticed that the other person's body stiffened for a moment, and thought to herself: This time I should have intimidated her!

However, what she didn't notice was that because she felt the person in front of her was too calm, she became increasingly unsure of herself and made a slight mistake when she drew her sword—she originally wanted to draw the sword directly, but... she accidentally cut off a few strands of the person's hair.

The woman in red barely managed to suppress her murderous intent, but for the sake of "more interesting things to come," she decided to keep track of these few strands of hair for now!

"Hmm." The woman in red's tone turned somewhat cold.