The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Chapter Five: Becoming an Apprentice

While Chu Luren and Yue Laosan were locked in combat, Duan Yu rescued Mu Wanqing. However, because the young master of the Dali Duan family was surprisingly unable to apply pressure points or release them, Mu Wanqing was still unable to move.

Chu Luren and Yue Laosan were fighting fiercely. Duan Yu, a mere novice in the martial arts world, couldn't see anything clearly as an onlooker. Mu Wanqing's eyesight was also only so-so; she could only tell that Chu Luren was toying with Yue Laosan...

In Mu Wanqing's view, her martial arts skills were not necessarily inferior to those young heroes on the Human Ranking, while Yue Laosan's martial arts skills were already comparable to some famous masters on the Earth Ranking. This Chu Luren looked to be about the same age as her, yet he was able to "easily" play tricks on Yue Laosan, which made Mu Wanqing slightly moved.

"Duan Lang, where did you meet this person? Is he trying to get close to you for some other reason?" Mu Wanqing asked suspiciously.

She only admired Chu Luren and was at most interested in him. Given Mu Wanqing's usually aloof personality, it's not surprising that she asked such a question.

Although Mu Wanqing was raised by her mother from a young age, her mother, Shura Dao Qin Hongmian, was heartbroken in the past and thus had a wicked personality. She not only told Mu Wanqing that she was an orphan and would only interact with her as her master, but also cultivated Mu Wanqing's "hatred of men" from a young age.

Upon seeing Mu Wanqing's natural beauty, Qin Hongmian specifically set a rule for her: "She must not let any man see her face, or she will either be killed or married off."

Qin Hongmian probably thought that this would prevent her daughter from being deceived by lecherous men?

In short, it's normal for Mu Wanqing to have a quirky personality after growing up in this environment. Not everyone can be like Xiaoyuer, growing up in the Valley of Villains and becoming a kind person.

However, upon hearing this, Duan Yu said somewhat reluctantly, "Miss Mu, please don't take it to heart. Brother Chu is a good person."

"A good person? Bad people don't put labels on their faces, how do you know what's good?" Mu Wanqing felt a little jealous when she heard that Duan Yu didn't recognize a good person's heart... no, she felt a pang of envy!

"You don't know, the first time I met Brother Chu, he went alone to assassinate bandits in a mountain stronghold for the sake of a farmer he had never met before..." Duan Yu explained to Mu Wanqing with great emotion.

This wasn't a lie, nor was there any hidden reason. After all, Chu Luren felt that he had already gained something by being reborn. Moreover, in his previous life, he could only be submissive in the face of reality. Now that he had come to the martial arts world, he still had a strong pursuit of "chivalry" and hoped to strike hard this time.

However, Mu Wanqing became even angrier when she heard Duan Yu talking back to her because of a stinky man.

Just as Mu Wanqing was about to ask Duan Lang, "Do you want him or me?", Chu Luren shouted, "Leg kicking exercise!"

But then he jumped up and kicked in a strange posture, sending Yue Laosan flying three to five meters high and more than ten meters away!

Although the posture was bizarre and lacked any aesthetic appeal, it made Mu Wanqing wonder if this strange posture was some kind of special power-generating technique.

If you find it lacking in aesthetic appeal, it's probably because your skills aren't up to par and you haven't grasped its essence...

After being kicked away, Yue Laosan limped to his feet, clutching his buttocks, and looked at Chu Luren with an uncertain expression.

Seeing this, Chu Luren felt a little uneasy. It seemed that Yue Laosan had a good foundation in external martial arts; after Chu Luren's kick, Yue Laosan was still able to stand up. And now Chu Luren's enlightenment time was almost over. What if...

However, Yue Laosan suddenly shouted, "I'm so angry! I'm so angry! I'm so angry!"

Chu Luren: ...

Chu Luren really wanted to say: Even if you shout like that, it doesn't feel cute at all.

Meanwhile, Chu Luren had already prepared to use the last bit of time to stall for time and urge Duan Yu to take Mu Wanqing and leave quickly. However, just then, a loud "bang" was heard...

Yue Laosan knelt so hard that the bluestone in front of him cracked, and then, without saying a word, banged his head on the ground three times, while gritting his teeth and shouting with a purplish-blue face, "Master!"

"You..." Chu Luren had just opened his mouth.

Before Chu Luren could say anything, Yue Laosan shouted and, with his pathetic lightness skill, hopped away.

Seeing this, Chu Luren pursed his lips and didn't call him again.

Chu Luren originally thought that Yue Laosan would become Duan Yu's disciple in the original work mostly because of the latter's protagonist aura and domineering aura. He never expected that this guy would actually become his disciple.

Although unwilling, he turned and fled, fearing to see Chu Luren's appearance again, but he still kept his word...

On the other hand, Chu Luren looked at Duan Yu and Mu Wanqing.

"Brother Chu! I didn't expect even Yue Laosan was no match for you... Are you alright?" Duan Yu was halfway through his sentence when Chu Luren's enlightenment effect ended, and he intuitively felt that "Brother Chu" seemed to have suddenly weakened.

"Hmph!" Mu Wanqing snorted coldly.

Chu Luren: ? ? ?

Having just fought a life-or-death battle with Yue Laosan, Chu Luren hadn't been distracted by their conversation. He noticed that Mu Wanqing's attitude was still somewhat questioning.

"By the way, Brother Chu, it seems Miss Mu has been acupunctured. My martial arts skills are not good enough..."

As soon as Duan Yu spoke, Chu Luren waved his hand and tapped Mu Wanqing's shoulder sockets on both sides—mainly to inject internal energy to break through the blocked acupoints!

However, Mu Wanqing looked embarrassed and angry, and shouted, "Shameless scoundrel! Who told you to touch me!" As she spoke, she took out a throwing dart from her waist and was about to hit Chu Luren twice, but Chu Luren was quick-witted and agile, and easily dodged it with a twist of his body. Then... she touched the area near his Tanzhong acupoint and sealed the acupoint again.

"Ahem, so it's a hobby... Sorry." Chu Luren grinned.

"Miss Mu! What are you doing? Brother Chu kindly helped you release your pressure points, how could you... Oh, Brother Chu, I apologize on behalf of Miss Mu," Duan Yu said apologetically from the side.

"Fine! You're even taking his side. You men are all the same!" Mu Wanqing said coldly.

"This... Brother Chu, could you please help her release her pressure points again? I... I'll keep an eye on Wanmei." Duan Yu reacted quickly, immediately remembering to use a more intimate form of address.

As expected, Mu Wanqing forgot her anger immediately upon hearing this—Chu Luren couldn't help but think to himself: Qin Hongmian's parenting methods are indeed problematic... She's clearly more easily deceived!

At the same time, he was naturally thinking to himself: that "Wanmei" really did bring about the right FLAG...

After helping Mu Wanqing release her acupoints again, Chu Luren decided to return to Dali City with Duan Yu first. Wuliang Mountain is actually within Dali's territory, but it is close to the Song Dynasty, so Duan Yu's escape from home is not too far away.

After all, Duan Yu had promised to show him "One Finger Zen," and although Chu Luren often acted chivalrously, he still had to accept the reward that had been promised.

Not long after they left, a loud "beep" sound suddenly came from behind them.

"With sword in hand, I travel a thousand miles; though humble, I dare to utter a word..."

Chapter Six: Jade Void Temple

"With sword in hand, I travel a thousand miles; though humble, I dare to utter a word..."

Upon hearing the voice, Duan Yu's face lit up with surprise: "Fourth Brother Zhu? It's Fourth Brother Zhu!"

A middle-aged man who looked rather refined and easygoing stepped forward with a helpless expression: "My young master, we've been looking for you for ages!"

All things considered, Duan Yu actually ran away from home this time...

And the man before them was none other than Zhu Laosi, Zhu Danchen, one of the four great retainers of the Duan family, known as "the Reader" among "the Fisherman, Woodcutter, Farmer, and Scholar," and skilled in using the Judge's Pen.

Chu Luren thought about it carefully for a moment, then muttered to himself, "There's even an opening poem? That seems pretty eye-catching... Maybe I should recite a couple of lines when I make my entrance in the future?" He then turned to Mu Wanqing and asked, "What do you think of 'Riding the wind on a sword, vanquishing demons across the land'?"

Mu Wanqing, the only listener, simply rolled her eyes at the strange man.

Ignoring Zhu Danchen's complaints, Duan Yu went up and gave him a hug: "Fourth Brother Zhu, I missed you so much!"

What else could Zhu Danchen say? He could only ask, "Young master, are these two your friends?"

"That's right! Let me introduce you all. This is my father's good brother, Zhu Danchen, or Fourth Brother Zhu. This is Chu Luren, or Brother Chu, a good brother I met outside. I was harassed by Yue Laosan of Yipintang before, and it was thanks to Brother Chu that I was able to get out of trouble! This... this is Mu Wanqing, and Wanmei is me..." Duan Yu said, becoming a little embarrassed.

Chu Luren mentally added: "It's your sister!"

However, he didn't say it aloud.

Zhu Danchen, having been associated with Duan Zhengchun, naturally wouldn't delve into such matters. He simply laughed it off and began exchanging pleasantries with Chu Luren—he naturally knew Yue Laosan of Yipintang.

Although he couldn't make it onto the list of chivalrous heroes, Yue Laosan was once one of the Ten Great Evils. Later, he was recruited by the Western Xia Yipintang and became a guest minister, which allowed him to be officially removed from the title of "Ten Great Evils".

However, putting aside his character, his martial arts skills are worthy of his status as the head of a sect in the South China Sea!

Chu Luren looked quite young, and upon hearing from Duan Yu that he was able to mediate with Yue Laosan, Zhu Danchen naturally took notice.

"So you are Brother Zhu Danchen. I have long heard that Zhu Danchen, the Judge of the Four Heroes of Dali, is learned in both ancient and modern times and has the demeanor of a Confucian knight. Meeting you today, I can see that your reputation is well-deserved!" Chu Luren also exchanged pleasantries with Zhu Danchen and did not offer any comments on his opening poem.

Upon hearing Chu Luren's flattery, Zhu Danchen felt his face rise considerably and happily exchanged compliments with Chu Luren.

After all, everyone has to flatter each other. Just like now, how can we subtly spread the news of our victory over Yue Laosan?

Relying on a novice like Duan Yu and an introverted girl like Mu Wanqing won't work; we need an experienced veteran with influence.

Mu Wanqing muttered "hypocritical" under her breath, but Duan Yu stopped her.

Chu Luren didn't have the chance to make a name for himself in his previous life, but in this life he wants to be a great hero—not only to satisfy his chivalrous sentiments, but also because he has some low-level desire to be praised by everyone.

After meeting up with Zhu Laosi, the group continued their journey back to Dali. On the way, Chu Luren mentioned that it seemed that Yue Laosan was not the only one from Yipintang's "Four Fiends" who had come this time. He had also heard that Lian Yunzhonghe, Ye Erniang, and the mysterious "Evil Manying" were all active in the southwest region.

"I don't know if the information is accurate or not, but I've heard some rumors that things might not be peaceful in the southwest." Chu Luren deflected the question by saying it was just hearsay.

Even so, Zhu Danchen appeared very nervous. After discussing it with Duan Yu, they decided to take a slight detour to visit Yuxu Temple.

The name "Yuxu Temple" is not particularly distinctive. It's likely that there are other Taoist temples with the same name in various places. The one that Duan Yu and Zhu Danchen went to was quite remote, deep in the mountains. It was clearly just a private place for quiet cultivation and did not receive worshippers.

Chu Luren always felt that the "area" of this world seemed to be larger than that of his previous life, and the terrain was also quite different...

Even Duan Yu, a novice among the four, had the foundation of "Lingbo Weibu" (a martial arts technique) and could move freely up and down the mountain. However, it was still two days later that they arrived at Yuxu Temple.

Before Zhu Danchen could step forward, Duan Yu excitedly rushed over, banging on the door and shouting, "Mother! Open the door quickly, it's Yu'er who's here to greet you!"

There was a commotion inside immediately. A beautiful Taoist nun opened the door and, upon seeing Duan Yu, also showed a joyful expression, touching his hair and shoulders, probably because she thought her son had grown taller.

Chu Luren could naturally guess that this must be Duan Yu's biological mother, Dao Baifeng. Although she became Duan Zhengchun's only legal wife in name after a series of "dragon and tiger battles," she had constant conflicts with Duan Zhengchun because of his philandering. In the end, she moved out of the palace in a huff. Even... Duan Yu's background is a bit... cough cough, anyway, it's still good that he has the surname Duan.

However, Mu Wanqing, seeing the nun's appearance, had no idea she was Duan Yu's mother and immediately attacked her with a Shura Dart...

Dao Baifeng's martial arts skills were also quite good; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to snatch Duan Zhengchun away from the pack of wolves. Seeing this, she immediately pulled Duan Yu away with her and raised her eyebrows as if to make a move!

You can still see some of the ruthlessness he had when he was young...

However, Duan Yu quickly stepped between the two and said, "Wanmei! What are you doing? This is my mother!"

"Your mother?" Mu Wanqing was taken aback when she heard this, then... her face turned red, and she greeted Dao Baifeng with embarrassment.

Although Mu Wanqing was clueless about social etiquette and lacked cunning, much like Fahai who would unleash his fury upon seeing a demon, her reaction inadvertently praised Dao Baifeng for being "young." Seeing Mu Wanqing's reaction, Dao Baifeng glanced at her and his son before deciding not to hold a grudge about what had just happened.

However, just as Dao Baifeng was showing Mu Wanqing a friendly look, she noticed Mu Wanqing wielding the Shura Dart and immediately changed her expression, asking in a stern voice, "Who is Qin Hongmian, the Shura Dart, to you?"

Duan Zhengchun's "harem" back then was a real battlefield. It's just a mystery why Duan Zhengchun didn't turn on her with a woodcutter's knife. Instead, they were constantly fighting to the death whenever they met.

"Qin Hongmian? I don't know her. Is she a person or a ghost?" Mu Wanqing really didn't know that her master, who was also her biological mother, was Qin Hongmian. She only knew her by her alias "Yougu Ke".

This excuse naturally wouldn't work on Dao Baifeng. Now she even suspects that Mu Wanqing was sent by Qin Hongmian to take revenge on her son.

Even from a completely neutral perspective, Chu Luren felt some sympathy for Mu Wanqing at this moment...

In the original work, Mu Wanqing's mother did not acknowledge her from a young age, and there was no proper mother-daughter relationship. She was instilled with a lot of bizarre values ​​during her growth. Even after meeting Duan Yu and thinking that she could open her heart to him, she immediately became "siblings" with him. She even thought about jumping off a cliff to commit suicide because of this. As a result, she was kidnapped by the Four Evils and sent to Wanchou Valley as a tool to ruin Duan Yu's reputation.

Before Dao Baifeng and Mu Wanqing could finish their argument, Chu Luren's ears twitched as he heard a rustling sound. He immediately shouted, "Who's there!"

"Hahaha... I, Yun Laosi, am in luck today! That idiot Yue Laosan wouldn't let me touch the girl who delivered herself to my door, and she even brought a pretty Taoist nun with her. Perfect, I'll grab her and have some fun with her!"

Chapter Seven: Crane in the Clouds

The person who made the lewd remarks soon revealed their true identity.