The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Liu Sheng Piaoxu felt more at ease; this was the proper reaction—when faced with fear, in addition to collapse, people also experience impotent rage…

"I will always be by your side," said Liu Sheng Piaoxu, taking a few steps back and disappearing into the now-dark room.

Like the fake Princess Toshihide, Yagyu Hyouse also knew a lot of illusion techniques, but unlike the fake Toshihide's techniques, she could not perfectly coordinate with illusion techniques.

After Liu Sheng Piaoxu and another Liu Sheng Shinkage-ryu disciple disguised as a madam "handed over the reins," Liu Sheng left Gungyokuin.

She had originally intended to keep a closer eye on the woman in red, as the period immediately following her departure was the most likely time for her to call for help.

However, for some reason, Liu Sheng Piaoxu felt very tired, as if she had just fought a life-or-death battle and was walking on the edge of life and death, so she left first.

Recalling the other party's initial composure, Liu Sheng Piaoxu couldn't help but sigh—a mere minor leader of a branch of the Sun Moon Sect's subordinate civilian intelligence-gathering department, who didn't even know martial arts, actually possessed such mental fortitude…

China is truly a vast and resource-rich land!

Meanwhile, after a short rest, Liu Sheng Piaoxu, who was about to rest at dawn, didn't even have a chance to sleep a little longer and recharge.

Then the news arrived...

Early in the morning, Chu Luren was on his way to Qunyu Academy!

Liu Shengpiaoxu:......

If I had known this guy would manage his time like this, I would have stayed in the Kunyu Courtyard and never come back!

There was no time to complain; another "show" awaited her.

……

Chu Luren had only left the palace in the early hours of last night, so he returned to the inn first to let Lianxing and Huang Rong know he was safe. After having breakfast, he went to Qunyu Courtyard.

The streets of Lin'an were bustling with activity. Although the security had been improved for the Empress Dowager's birthday, it couldn't be held like a funeral. Lin'an was even more lively than usual.

Wandering through the market, Chu Luren couldn't help but sigh. Although the Song court was weak and there were still people freezing to death on the streets, this place was currently the most prosperous and decadent place in the entire Jianghu. Chu Luren, who had traveled all over the country, was qualified to make such a judgment.

But just then, a commotion arose, and pedestrians at the distant intersection were thrown into disarray, followed by the rapid sound of horses' hooves...

The location for this spectacle was deliberately set up on a street in front of the Chu Lu people, with a kidnapper specially arranged to place the newly kidnapped little girl in the center of the intersection—after all, there were no little girls among the people from Japan.

Although some evil techniques can shrink one's bones and disguise oneself, ultimately one's eyes and facial features will be significantly different, making one easily detectable.

The reason for arranging him in this position was due to Chu Luren's martial arts skills; neither oncoming horses nor those galloping from behind could easily harm him in his vicinity.

At such a distance, Chu Luren could only see the horse about to collide with and trample people, which would leave him no time to react, giving Liu Sheng Piaoxu a chance to shine!

Upon hearing the sound of hooves, Chu Luren immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly took two steps to stop the frightened horse in the bustling city.

However, it was a little too late. After the chaotic crowd dispersed, a classic "crying little girl" was left behind.

At this moment, panicked horses and riders appeared from one side, while Liu Sheng Piaoxu, dressed as an ordinary official's daughter, was already prepared...

At that critical moment, Liu Sheng Piaoxu lunged forward, seemingly about to pull the little girl into his arms and then leap past her, but...

At this critical moment, Chu Luren waved his hand, and the soft silk rope was thrown out. More than twenty feet away, it twisted and turned to avoid the others, accurately wrapped around the little girl, and pulled her away. At the same time, a stone hit the horse's hoof. Only then did Chu Luren see the white-clothed woman rushing out.

not good!

Chu Luren thought to himself, "This is bad." He only wanted to teach this guy who was riding his horse in the middle of the city a lesson, but he didn't expect someone to rush out.

Liu Shengpiaoxu:? ? ?

The startled horse immediately fell to the ground, moving even faster than expected, and crashed directly into the lonely Liu Sheng Piaoxu...

Chapter 543 The Transformation of Heaven and Man

"Waaaaah..." The little girl was still crying after being frightened repeatedly.

"Don't cry, you're a man... cough cough, girls can hold up half the sky too, don't shed tears easily!" Chu Luren encouraged.

"Waaah... thank you..." The little girl was still very polite.

"Go thank the older sister over there too." Chu Luren looked somewhat guilty at the woman in white who was standing up while supporting her back.

Fortunately, the "big sister" was also trained; even though her back was crushed, she didn't seem to be seriously injured!

"Thank you... big sister." The little girl clearly felt closer to the pretty big sister.

"Eh—cough cough, you're welcome." Liu Sheng Piaoxu responded naturally while feeling helpless, even pretending to accidentally speak Japanese.

The original plan was that Liu Sheng Piaoxu wouldn't need to interact with Chu Luren; he only needed to see her. The little girl's mother was also nearby, so Liu Sheng Piaoxu could simply pretend to be inarticulate and leave quickly.

If there were any communication, it would seem like overacting and might arouse suspicion.

But now that Liu Sheng Piaoxu hasn't saved anyone, he naturally has to adapt to the situation and change his approach!

"Is your back alright? I can tell you're a fellow martial artist. I'm just a passerby in the martial world, but I'm well-versed in the Divine Illumination Scripture... Would you like me to give you a massage?" Chu Luren felt a little guilty and wanted to make amends.

“No need…” Liu Sheng Piaoxu suddenly wondered—was this honey trap designed too complicated?

"Little girl, little girl! How did you end up here?" A woman ran over. She had thought she had encountered a kidnapper, but thankfully it seemed that the child had just gotten lost.

It looks like they almost had an accident...

"Mommy!" The little girl immediately ran into her mother's arms.

Amidst the other party's profuse thanks, Chu Luren gave them a few words of advice, such as to be extra careful when taking children out in the future.

Then Chu Luren turned around and found that the woman in white had disappeared. Only then did he realize that he hadn't even asked her name.

However, Chu Luren didn't dwell on the matter for long and continued walking towards his original destination, Qunyu Courtyard.

Meanwhile, Liu Sheng Piaoxu, enduring her back pain, arrived at Qunyu Courtyard even faster, changing into clothes that had been prepared beforehand and concealed a short sword—which happened to be a bright red outfit!

Then Liu Sheng Piaoxu went to the woman in red's room and threatened in a deep voice, "He's coming, so behave yourself!"

"Are you injured?" the woman in red asked curiously.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu was also puzzled. Was her waist twisted that obviously? She could only feel it slightly; it shouldn't be noticeable, right?

However, this was clearly not the time for curiosity. Liu Sheng Piaoxu immediately retorted, "It's none of your business!"

"Alright, it shouldn't have much of an impact." The woman in red thought for a moment, then nodded.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu felt increasingly uneasy, finding her reaction too strange. But now the die was cast and there was no turning back. If a conflict broke out now, Chu Luren and the others would definitely find out!

Just then, the madam came to report to the woman in red that a "guest" had matched the code and that someone had been arranged to take him to the Warm Smoke Pavilion. She asked her whether she should give the message as usual.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu immediately used his short sword to block her from behind, but the woman in red spoke in a superior tone, "Step back, I will go myself."

Upon hearing this, Liu Sheng Piaoxu's expression turned anxious. She didn't know if Liu Sheng wanted to resist or cooperate—if she wanted to cooperate, wouldn't it be simpler to just let her go? But judging from her tone, it didn't seem like resistance…

After the madam left, Liu Sheng Piaoxu had just asked, "You want..." when she felt a sharp pain in a vital acupoint on her back, and her whole body went numb and stiffened!

The acupressure training I usually do is completely ineffective at this moment.

At the same time, the woman in red turned around. This was the first time Liu Sheng Piaoxu had seen her face, which was already breathtakingly beautiful, and was far more breathtaking than the one she had seen in the portrait.

Just as Liu Sheng Piaoxu was feeling nervous, she noticed that the other person didn't look smug at all. Instead, they were looking at her with admiration, and the other person stretched out their fair hand and stroked her face with their slender fingers, saying, "You are so beautiful, really nice."

“You…” Liu Sheng Piaoxu could really hear sincerity in her tone, but it was obviously inappropriate and made it impossible to figure out her purpose.

"Am I beautiful?" the woman in red asked.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu remained silent. Looking at this face, she found it difficult to lie, yet she was unwilling to praise this inexplicable fellow.

"It's a pity, she is beautiful, but she is still half a step away from the realm of 'transformation of heaven and man'... Don't worry, since I promised you, I will do it. If you want to serve him, then you can go then." The woman in red said with a charming smile.

Liu Sheng Piaoxu didn't really hear what he said after that; he only heard "the transformation of heaven and man" and felt a chill run from his feet to the top of his head!

Could it really be that "transformation of heaven and man"?

Does such a realm truly exist in the world?

Just a step away?

There is a similar legend in Japan, which says that when Xu Fu sailed eastward, he brought with him a concept from Taoist scriptures: "Nothingness is the origin of all things; Being is the mother of all things..."

The "Mother of All Things" gave birth to all kinds of "beings," which is called "the transformation of heaven and man, and the growth of all things," believing that everything comes from the "Mother of All Things."

However, this theory seems to be too sophisticated for the general public, because when applied to martial arts, it only resulted in a kind of evil technique—the same one used by the fake Toshihide!

It makes men look like women and has many strange effects. Although it is named "Mother of All Things Divine Skill", it has nothing to do with "the transformation of heaven and man". In fact, after practicing it, it is easy to cause psychological distortion and go astray. It was originally a skill that Liu Sheng Piaoxu looked down on.

The reason she remembered it was because her father had mentioned it: ten years ago, the Iron-Blooded Marquis had asked him to collect this evil technique. For this, the New Yin Stream destroyed the Mother of All Things Cult and suffered considerable losses. Fortunately, the Marquis gave her more compensation and rewards...

Could it be that this evil skill ultimately fell into the hands of this person?

wrong!

That evil technique couldn't possibly be that powerful.

Could it be that there are similar martial arts in the Central Plains that more directly point to the essence of "the mother of all things"?

Liu Sheng Piaoxu had no time to think. The woman in red grabbed her hand, and as her meridians were suppressed, she involuntarily followed in her footsteps, arriving at Nuanyan Pavilion through the back door first.

She was then placed on the bed by the woman in red, who covered her face with a handkerchief. At the same time, she heard the woman in red sit down beside her, and from the angle... she should be blocking her view.

"Don't worry, I'll let you go later, but... protect your waist." The woman in red whispered in her ear.

Although it seems like this hasn't deviated from the plan, Liu Sheng Piaoxu's nervousness is beyond words; the fear of the unknown leaves her feeling lost and helpless...

Chapter 544 Dongfang Bubai

Upon arriving at Nuanyu Pavilion, Chu Luren immediately noticed a red veil covering the bed, inside which sat a woman in red, with a zither placed before her…

Chu Luren's first thought was that Ren Yingying was here and was taking this opportunity to meet him.

However, he immediately noticed something was wrong—the temperament was completely different. Even through the red veil, Chu Luren could feel that this woman from the Sun Moon Sect exuded confidence and even domineering aura from the inside out, with a touch of charm. She was indeed somewhat similar to Ren Yingying, who commanded the demons, but she was definitely not the same. At least she was an enhanced version. Moreover, she did not have the shyness that Ren Yingying showed after letting her guard down. Instead, she exuded a desire for control from the inside out!

Moreover, although it was covered by a red veil, Chu Luren's eyesight was still good enough to see it clearly.

It's beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful.

Needless to say, this person is none other than Dongfang Bubai, the leader of the Sun Moon Cult!

This was the fourth time Chu Luren had seen her...

However, the first time was in Hengshan, it was just a fleeting encounter, and Dongfang Bubai left in the blink of an eye; the second time was at the Prince of Pingxi's mansion, where Chu Luren only saw her back as she sat on the bed; the third time was at the Qunyu Courtyard in Luoyang, where Chu Luren was already completely drunk and didn't even know how she got back to the inn.

Therefore, Chu Luren didn't really have any impression of her appearance. In particular, as Dongfang Bubai's martial arts progressed, each breakthrough of a small bottleneck seemed to involve a minor adjustment, making it impossible for Chu Luren to recognize her.

Moreover, Dongfang Bubai did not speak during the first three times—the first time she completely ignored Chu Luren, and the latter two times she used her superb sonic skills to make Chu Luren think she had spoken!

Back then, in order to cripple Dongfang Bubai, Ren Woxing handed over the extremely dangerous "Sunflower Manual" to him. Like the "Evil-Repelling Sword Technique," the Sun Moon Cult's "Sunflower Manual" was merely a patchwork of fragments from the original "Sunflower Manual."