The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

"What? Did you steal something else?" Chu Luren asked angrily.

"No, no, I only stole the 'Infinite Life Sutra'!" Hu Guinan had no choice but to admit it.

He understood that Chu Luren not only wanted his movement techniques, but also wanted him to steal the "Infinite Life Sutra"—what was Chu Luren's purpose? Hu Guinan didn't think much of it, after all, the feud between Chu Taisui and Shaolin was nothing new.

As for what Chu Luren would do after obtaining the Amitabha Sutra, Hu Guinan neither knew nor wanted to know!

"Okay, then remember to hand it in to me tomorrow along with 'Turtle Walking'." Chu Luren's expression softened, as if praising him as "a promising young man".

Afterwards, Chu Luren left without any intention of monitoring Hu Guinan. However, after hesitating for a long time, Hu Guinan still left the warehouse full of pearls and jade and went to the Taichang Temple instead...

Hu Guinan stole the Amitabha Sutra with his strange movements. Before he could walk far, a flash of red light rushed straight at his heart. He had no time to dodge!

Just as Hu Guinan sighed inwardly, "My life is over," he discovered that... he had only been slightly grabbed in the chest, his clothes had been torn, and the scriptures in his arms had been taken away.

The red light wasn't some kind of hidden weapon, but rather a small red bird that immediately circled away.

Hu Guinan: ...

After thinking about the rumors surrounding Chu Tai Sui, Hu Guinan already had a clear idea of ​​the origin of the red bird and knew that he was truly taking the blame for this!

At the same time, I was also glad that I didn't intend to just leave. Otherwise, even if Chu Taisui wasn't there, I wouldn't have been able to stand it just because of his bird!

Sure enough, when Hu Guinan arrived at the inn and met Chu Luren, Chu Luren saw the "Turtle Walking" he had written and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Where's the 'Infinite Life Sutra'? Did you accidentally burn it?"

Seeing a clump of black ash under the lamp in Chu Luren's room, and the remains of two wooden sticks about the size of scripture scrolls, Hu Guinan could only admit with a pained expression, "That's right, I accidentally burned them!"

"Well, well, since the mistake has been made, then... seeing that you are repentant, I will help you cover it up. Just remember not to do such a thing again in the future." Chu Luren said as if he were a senior mentoring a younger generation.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Chu..." What else could Hu Guinan say?

After persuading Hu Guinan, who had come to steal the birthday gift, to leave, Chu Luren felt very pleased—he had done another good deed!

……

The next morning, the Taichang Temple became "lively," with Xuan Nan and Xuan Ji also sitting on the candles, as the scriptures had been lost.

Why steal this handwritten scripture when there are so many valuables among the birthday gifts? Who's deliberately trying to antagonize Shaolin? Their first thought was Luo Jusheng…

If it had been a while earlier, perhaps Xuan Nan and Xuan Ji would have chosen to keep quiet and notify the temple overnight to make another copy, but now it is obviously too late.

The old monk didn't have much energy to spare. Seeing that there was no way to remedy the situation, he directly informed the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices—after all, it was lost in the government office!

The officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices dared not cover it up. Although they suppressed the news from the public, they immediately summoned the Imperial Guards to seal off the scene. Thus, Chu Luren followed Cheng Shifei to the scene.

"What? The Buddhist scriptures are lost? Who would steal that!" Chu Luren glared angrily at Xuan Nan.

The others also noticed that Chu Luren's mood was off, and Xuan Nan responded stiffly, "What do you mean by this, Benefactor Chu? Do you think this humble monk would utter such lies?"

"Hmph! You know perfectly well whether it's true or not!" Chu Luren said indignantly.

Everyone was completely baffled, not understanding what Chu Taisui was up to—what reason could Shaolin possibly have for losing its handwritten sutra scroll?

While the other onlookers were wondering why Chu Luren was making such accusations, Chu Luren asked, "Let me ask you, who copied the opening and closing lines of the Infinite Life Sutra?"

Xuan Nan honestly said, "The opening was written by the abbot, and the ending was written by a senior monk who lives in seclusion in the temple."

"Oh! So it was Xuan Ci... I discovered a few days ago that the handwriting was exactly the same as the handwriting of the 'leading brother' that my elder brother showed me. I was going to contact my elder brother and have him send the letter over so I could compare it, but it just happened to be lost? Humph!" Chu Luren spoke in a tone that accused Xuan Nan of destroying evidence.

The other factions then suddenly realized—no wonder Chu Taisui suspected Shaolin of doing such a harmful thing!

The officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices didn't quite understand, but they did come to some realization that the Buddhist scriptures... seemed to have been destroyed by Shaolin themselves.

“Amitabha! Benefactor Chu, do you have any evidence to support your claim?” Xuanji hurriedly asked.

"Heh, proof? Are you deaf? What I'm saying is, I noticed that Xuan Ci's handwriting is very similar to 'Big Brother's'... I was just about to compare them when your scriptures went missing. What proof do you need? And you're asking me for proof?" Chu Luren sneered.

That's right, this is Chu Luren's second plan—no matter how careful Xuan Ci is, even if he doesn't reveal his handwriting or simply changes his handwriting, Chu Luren, who has already decided in his heart that this is the case, will directly stuff the roasted sweet potato into his pants...

If a standoff is to be declared, then that would be exactly what the Chu Lu people want!

Handwriting can be altered, and Chu Luren can claim he misread it, but can his actions withstand face-to-face confrontation? When those involved in what happened back then arrive, will Xuan Ci simply lie through his teeth? Will the others, out of respect for him, help him lie and deny the truth?

Chapter 557 They've Arrived

The Empress Dowager's birthday celebration originally had nothing to do with most people in the martial arts world except for robbing the birthday tribute and collecting tolls. However, at the same time, two pieces of news caused a huge stir in the martial arts world!

Firstly, the fire in Wuxi sparked rumors that "the imperial court suspected Guo Juxia," which angered countless people in the martial arts world. Secondly, the Red and White Tai Sui Chu Luren brazenly identified Xuan Ci's handwriting in Lin'an as being identical to that of the "leading figure" in the Shanhaiguan incident years ago.

In contrast, the second piece of news, because it involved Shaolin and the victims were Manchus, did not immediately elicit any stance from most people in the martial arts world.

But secretly...

Regardless of whether they are on the righteous or evil path, many people privately mock Xuanci, and by extension, Shaolin—if the handwriting incident is true, this old monk is truly audacious and unwilling to admit his actions!

He dragged Master Zhiguang and Master Xuanku into this mess for nothing, yet he's still hiding on the mountain like a coward. Even when Chu Taisui pointed it out, he still didn't dare to admit it. Even people in the greenwood would dare to say a few words and despise his lack of responsibility.

This is still without people attributing the series of murders to Xuan Ci's cover-up; otherwise, it wouldn't just be a matter of laughing behind people's backs.

Out of consideration for the royal family's reputation, the "theft" of the Amitabha Sutra was not made public. After all, it was just a token of goodwill, so let's consider it as the token of goodwill. However, whether the court accepted the goodwill is unknown to Xuan Nan and Xuan Ji!

After all, Chu Luren's words made it seem as if they themselves had destroyed the scriptures. Although the court did not investigate, it probably took some of the words to heart.

Even if they didn't listen at the time, they couldn't stop Chu Tai Sui from having a princess whispering in the ears of the Emperor and Empress Dowager.

In the martial arts world, secrets are no secret forever. Rumors of the stolen scriptures spread like wildfire, and many people became even more suspicious of the Southern Shaolin Temple because of this!

Especially as Xuan Ci failed to provide an explanation, this "bias" became increasingly apparent—which was exactly the effect Chu Luren wanted to achieve.

Compared to Chu Luren's accusation against Shaolin Xuanci, the news of the former Guo Juxia clearly ignited a greater sense of shared hatred among the martial arts community.

Even those from the evil sects only used this to mock Guo Juxia for "ultimately ending up being suspected by the court," and no one doubted that Guo Juxia really had any ambitions, let alone that anyone stood with the court.

Hulong Villa immediately issued a statement, saying that it will do its utmost to find out the truth and will never let anyone suffer an injustice.

Chu Luren scoffed at this claim—was this a matter of being wrongly accused? So what if it was found that the arsonist wasn't one of Guo Juxia's men? Shouldn't we still be wary?

On the contrary, because of Shenhou's apparent protection, Cao Zhengchun, who was always against Shenhou, instigated his ministers who were close to the Eastern Depot to slander him. At the same time, he secretly ordered the Eastern Depot's agents to spread rumors about Guo Juxia among the people.

This made Chu Luren somewhat suspicious that Shenhou, that bastard, was doing it on purpose!

Chu Luren did not leave Lin'an immediately after the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration because... Murong Jiu did not arrive!

Murong Jiu had clearly said that she would attend the birthday banquet, and I was looking forward to it with great enthusiasm. Chu Luren introduced Princess Yunluo to her, but Murong Jiu still didn't arrive by the end of the banquet.

Worried, Chu Luren not only did not leave Lin'an, but also went to Qunyu Courtyard every day to inquire about news!

This gave the uninformed people of Lin'an a strange impression of Chu Tai Sui. Even Liu Sheng Piaoxu, who knew too much about the truth, looked at Chu Luren going to Qunyu Courtyard every day with a strange expression.

There is still no news about Murong Jiu, but news about Shen Qinghong has already spread throughout the martial arts world!

This legendary chief镖头 (chief镖师, a term referring to a high-ranking镖师 in Chinese martial arts novels) from over a decade ago has reappeared, bringing back the镖 (镖师) that had been missing for over ten years...

This story is incredibly inspiring; it's practically the industry benchmark and moral exemplar for security escort agencies.

After being trapped for more than a decade, Shen Qinghong was completely unrecognizable and could not be identified by anyone who was not familiar with her. Even so, she still managed to find her former employer.

Of course, not all of this escort service was given to the other party. After all, after Shen Qinghong disappeared, several escort agencies, along with the Shen family's assets, had already been compensated to their employers. Now, the remaining amount, including principal and interest, has been returned, leaving a considerable amount.

In addition, there are treasures in the Five Absolutes Palace, which is more than enough as initial funds for the escort agency.

To open a security escort agency, the most important thing is not funds, but... a "brand name"!

The three major escort agencies of Shen Qinghong—Weiyuan, Zhenyuan, and Ningyuan—have long since disappeared. However, the name Shen Qinghong itself is now the biggest and brightest brand.

Old Shen re-established his镖旗 (镖旗 is a term used to describe the镖师, meaning镖师, a kind of镖师, or镖师) in western Hunan, immediately attracting countless江湖人士 (江湖人士, people from all walks of life) to join him...

When Lao Shen returned to Xiangxi and reopened the escort agency, Nan Murong was still with him. After that, he "disappeared" on the way to Lin'an and even in the Jiangnan region.

Fortunately, Chu Luren didn't have to worry for too long. Four days after the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, Murong Jiu arrived in Lin'an.

Although she missed the birthday banquet, Chu Luren finally breathed a sigh of relief, as she had thought Chu Luren had encountered some trouble.

While Murong Nan is undoubtedly one of the top figures in the martial arts world, his martial arts skills are far from invincible. Moreover, he is also involved in various schemes and plots.

Especially given Murong Jiu's tendency to "always make the wrong choice," it wouldn't be surprising if she really ran into trouble.

In some ways, Chu Luren was right.

"What happened? Why are you only arriving now? What trouble did you run into?" Chu Luren didn't take Murong Jiu to the inn because he hadn't explained Liu Sheng Piaoxu's matter to her yet, and he was worried that she might accidentally reveal some secret to Liu Sheng Piaoxu.

"It's not exactly trouble, but I did run into some things... Guess who came looking for me on my way to Lin'an?" Murong Jiu lowered her voice.

"Someone I don't know?" Chu Luren listened to Murong Jiu's words and realized that it didn't seem like someone he knew, but it was definitely someone he had heard of before.

Murong Jiu didn't keep them in suspense any longer and said directly, "It's Zhang San..."

"Huh?" Chu Luren was taken aback upon hearing this—the outlaws are looking for you?

Then it dawned on me that it must be... Zhang San from Xia Ke Dao!

"Reward the good envoy?" Chu Luren asked to confirm.

Counting the years, it's indeed almost time. The invitation to the Laba porridge event at Xia Ke Island is once every ten years, but from the last time the people from the major sects attended the event to the start of sending out invitations this time, there is usually only a six or seven-year interval.

After all, there are so many sects in the world. If it takes three or four years to distribute the goods, that's only because Zhang San and Li Si are fast!

I'm sure their stories will soon start circulating in the martial arts world...

Zhang San and Li Si don't sound like real names, and in fact they aren't. Each group of rewarders and punishers is called Zhang San and Li Si, which should be the code name of the third and fourth most skilled martial artists on Xia Ke Island, after the two island masters.

"Have you received the order?" Chu Luren asked hurriedly.

"I accepted it," Murong Jiu nodded directly.

Seeing Chu Luren's puzzled expression, Murong Jiu explained, "Originally, Zhang San was going to issue me a reward order, but I didn't give him an answer and told him to entertain him at Murong Manor when he returned. However, later the chief of the twenty-eight mountain strongholds in Jiangnan was issued a punishment order, which I happened to witness... I protected them, and in exchange, I accepted the reward order!"

Murong Jiu was still somewhat smug, probably thinking that she had successfully won over the hearts of the Jiangdong bandits...

Chapter 558 Not Bad

The rules on Xia Ke Island in the vast martial arts world are much more numerous than those in the original novel "Xia Ke Xing".

After all, in the vast world of martial arts, Xia Ke Island is a sacred place of martial arts and a reclusive sect. Each generation of Zhang San and Li Si are already formidable masters, but they are far from being invincible. There are many who have killed or driven away Zhang San and Li Si. Chu Luren knows two of them.

According to the rules of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", not only would the two envoys of rewarding good and punishing evil be unable to withstand it, but even the two island masters of Longmu Island would not be able to withstand it.

In the vast world of martial arts, the rule for the reward and punishment order is that one can accept or not accept the reward order. Regardless of the choice, Xia Ke Dao will not force one. However, once the order is accepted, one must keep the appointment.

If one wants to refuse the punishment order, one must fight Zhang San and Li Si—after enduring a hundred moves, the two will turn around and leave.

If we can't hold out, we either have to accept the order or die!

This was also to avoid incurring public wrath; otherwise, people like Ding Chunqiu, though barely holding on, could easily join forces to kill the two envoys of reward and punishment if there were more of them.