The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

But just then, his wife, Ban Shuxian, rushed out first and came to the two envoys of reward and punishment, saying, "What kind of Kunlun sect leader is he! Everyone knows that I am the one in charge of the Kunlun sect. I am here to receive the order!" As she spoke, she tried to snatch it from the two envoys' hands.

He Taichong is handsome and has superb swordsmanship. He seems dashing, but in reality, he is henpecked and lecherous. Moreover, he is cowardly by nature and does not act in a very ethical way.

In his early years, he married his senior sister Ban Shuxian because she helped him seize the position of sect leader. Later, he disliked her because she was old and unattractive, so he began to take concubines. He took five concubines, and the more he took, the more insecure and afraid he became.

Several years ago, his favorite fifth concubine was poisoned by Ban Shuxian. When Zhang Wuji was taking Yang Buhui to Zuowang Peak, he passed by the Kunlun Sect and treated her. After Ban Shuxian discovered this, He Taichong did not hesitate to exchange killing Zhang Wuji and Yang Buhui for her...

It is evident that he was cold-hearted, probably only slightly more shameful than Gongsun Zhi, and Ban Shuxian was just like Qiu Qianchi who had some sense of morality—after all, Ban Shuxian hadn't been trapped underground for more than ten years, so she was naturally not as stubborn.

Ban Shuxian and He Taichong's relationship was on the verge of collapse, but at this moment she wanted to die in He Taichong's place. However, when she grabbed him, the two envoys did nothing and dodged away without any sound. At this moment, He Taichong also reacted and grabbed Ban Shuxian, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about, you woman?"

"Wouldn't you be more at ease if I died!" Ban Shuxian didn't say anything conciliatory.

“You… I am the Kunlun Sect Leader. This order sent me to pick me up… After settling things in the sect, I will come to the island.”

"Settle down? Fine! You're still thinking about those vixens after all. What's the point of settling down? Just letting me come to the island is just making room for you guys, isn't it?"

He Taichong's face flushed. After all, this wasn't the inner courtyard of Kunlun. It was rather inappropriate for him and his wife to quarrel about family matters in front of so many martial arts figures...

But just then, the Good Samaritan smiled and said, "What is Sect Leader He up to? If you really want to come to the island, we welcome you."

"Evil should be punished."

“But we have our own rules on this island. He Zudao of the Kunlun Sect has already accepted the punishment order on behalf of the entire sect, so we will not issue the punishment order to the Kunlun Sect again.”

"It's such a pity."

They naturally knew that He Zudao was not a disciple of the Kunlun Sect, but... He Zudao's martial arts skills were far superior to He Taichong's! Since He Zudao was willing to accept the order, they naturally agreed as well.

Unlike in the original work, Xia Ke Island's purpose is more specific; it doesn't necessarily have to be given to the sect leader.

"Do you want the reward? There are many benefits to coming to our island..."

"Don't you believe me?"

Upon hearing this, He Taichong was overjoyed. He Zudao was truly a good friend. Back then, he was a disciple of the previous sect leader's lineage, but when he was still young, the previous sect leader passed away, and he and Ban Shuxian joined forces to seize the position of sect leader from their branch...

He Zudao usually doesn't pay much attention to the Kunlun Sect and rarely returns to the mountain gate, but now he's actually willing to take the order for me.

Upon hearing this, He Taichong quickly replied, "No, no, I have made very little contribution to the martial arts world, how could I be worthy of such recognition?"

"Alright, it just so happens that if you really want a reward order, I'm not too keen on issuing one."

"I feel suffocated."

Just as the two envoys, one for rewarding good and the other for punishing evil, were mocking He Taichong, a sudden sound rang out...

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tick-tick-tick—

Chapter 643 Our alliance has always respected the two island lords...

To fit the occasion, Chu Luren descended from a great height, accompanied by the song "Across the Martial World," and landed among the martial arts practitioners and the two envoys of reward and punishment, displaying an even more imposing presence than the two envoys themselves.

"Hahaha, why don't you two put your plaques away? Can't you see that I, the 'Hero of the Chivalry, the Backbone of the Jianghu,' am right here?" After landing, Chu Luren first burst into laughter, then reached out to the two envoys who were responsible for rewarding good and punishing evil.

"So it was the famous Chu Tai Sui who wanted the plaque? Of course, we can give it to him. Chu Tai Sui is ranked second on the Heavenly Ranking. If he were willing to come to the island and have a bowl of Laba porridge, the two island lords would be delighted."

"Drink a few more bowls."

As the Reward Envoy spoke, he smiled and wiped the Reward Token he was about to hand to He Taichong on his chest, indicating that it was new and not someone else's unwanted token, before handing it to Chu Luren.

This time, the "Zhang San and Li Si" pair considered themselves to be the strongest duo among the two envoys who had visited the Central Plains four times.

After all, the time of the two island masters, Longmu and Diyu, is also running out...

However, the agreement with the Dragon Guard Manor still exists, and... even without the Heroic Deeds Ranking, the two of them are not confident that they can defeat Chu Luren, let alone within a hundred moves.

Seeing that the Grand Duke of Chu had taken the initiative to accept the order, the Reward Officer smiled even more kindly.

The group of martial arts practitioners clicked their tongues in disbelief—So Chu Taisui had a penchant for courting death? Why didn't you say so earlier? Wouldn't it have been better if you had been our sect leader?

Of course, some people think that Chu Tai Sui is currently enjoying unparalleled popularity, and perhaps... he will be the third person to return safely from the Demon Island after Tie Dan Shen Hou and Zhang Zhenren?

Some, quicker-witted and less morally reprehensible, suddenly shouted, "Alliance Leader Chu! Is it too late for us to join the alliance now?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that Chu Luren recognized the man as Mi Hengye of the Chang Le Gang, whom he had met twice before!

"Hmm? Our Righteous Alliance is a place to promote righteousness. Your Chang Le Gang is a large and powerful organization. We won't accept you." Chu Luren shook his head after seeing Mi Hengye.

It's not just a matter of bad reputation; the reputation of the Sun Moon Cult is no less intimidating than that of the Chang Le Gang.

The main issue is its large size and extensive business...

Many of the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands had poor reputations before joining the alliance, but they are, after all, martial arts sects, and they can meet the strict requirements.

Whether one was ruthless in the past or not good at self-promotion, these can be corrected and restrained.

However, the Chang Le Gang, including its lower-level members, probably numbered in the tens of thousands, distributed throughout the Jianghuai region. They made their living by banding together to commit crimes and oppress the good—their industrial structure was anything but good!

To force them to reform, you simply cut off their livelihood...

The only option is to disband; there's no way to change it.

Everyone present was a seasoned veteran, and when Chu Luren said this, they could all understand what he was complaining about. Many of the smaller, less influential families began to have designs on him.

"Our Iron Fork Gang has always admired Lord Chu... no, Alliance Leader Chu! We hope to join the alliance..."

"We, the Golden Knife Stronghold, have always upheld chivalry and righteousness, robbing the rich to help the poor. Who wouldn't call us 'heroic thieves'? When I first heard about the Righteous Alliance, I was interested in joining..."

"A chivalrous thief? Stealing a few thousand taels and giving a few dozen to the poor makes you a chivalrous thief? If we're talking about chivalrous thieves, then we, the Sun-Shooting Society, have shot down countless corrupt officials!"

"Hmph! Have you no shame? Just to curry favor with Chu Taisui and get into the alliance? I... I don't know anything about Chu Taisui, I just like the Righteous Alliance..."

……

"Hey everyone, we brothers can't control which alliance you join, but we need to make it clear beforehand that it's not like you can just join an alliance and have only one person go. It has to be based on the alliance."

"That's wishful thinking."

That makes perfect sense; otherwise, why not just elect a martial arts leader every ten years to represent the martial arts community?

At this moment, Zhong Zhen, who was standing to the side, got excited and said with a smile, "Of course, after our Five Mountains Sword Alliance is completely merged into the Five Mountains Sword Sect, it will naturally be up to Alliance Leader Zuo... no, Sect Leader Zuo to choose whether or not to accept the reward order."

The two envoys, one for rewarding good and the other for punishing evil, glanced at him but said nothing more.

Apart from the Huashan Sect, which was in disarray and essentially used as a shell company by the Eagle and Snake Sect, the leaders of Hengshan, Hengshan, and Taishan Sects were actually unwilling to get involved in the affairs of the Ming Cult. However, the latter two had fellow disciples or even elders who were already very close to the Songshan Sect!

Only the three Hengshan disciples were united, and no one else was present. Yu Jizi of the Taishan sect and Lu Lianrong of the Hengshan sect hurriedly echoed Zhong Zhen's words, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of the unity of the five sects.

However, Chu Luren couldn't stand what the two envoys who rewarded good and punished evil said: "The rules of Xia Ke Island? What, according to the rules of Xia Ke Island, how many tokens should our alliance, the Eastern Cult Leader, and the Palace Master of Yaoyue receive?"

The smiling Rewards Envoy's expression hardened upon hearing this, while the Punishers Envoy's face turned even more sour and displeased.

"Don't hit someone in the face." Chu Luren cited this example: one had chased down the two envoys who rewarded good and punished evil, and the other had killed them.

Especially the former...

These are the two people who were being pursued back then!

The envoy adjusted himself, still smiling, and said slowly, "If the Eastern Sect Leader and the Palace Mistress of Yaoyue are willing to grace us with their presence, the two island lords will surely be delighted."

"Are you scared?"

"Let's not beat around the bush. Our alliance consulted with Master Zhang about the matters on Xia Ke Island. We went and that's that. If we don't return, we can only blame ourselves for not being skilled enough... Our alliance has great respect for the two island lords. If we are able to return, we will definitely invite the two island lords to join our Righteous Alliance and work together to uphold the righteous path of the martial world!"

"However, there are rules within the alliance. Since I am inviting the two island lords to join the alliance, and the two island lords agree, it should be Xia Ke Island that abides by the rules of the Righteous Alliance. How did it become the Righteous Alliance that has to abide by the rules of Xia Ke Island?" Chu Luren said, making perfect sense.

The two envoys, one for rewarding good and the other for punishing evil, were stunned. "You want to invite Xia Ke Island to join the alliance? And... it's not even close to being decided yet, how come Xia Ke Island is already going to have to abide by the rules of the Righteous Alliance?"

As for Chu Luren saying that Master Zhang told him about Xia Ke Island, it made the two envoys who reward good and punish evil look at Chu Luren with even higher regard.

Because of the special circumstances of Xia Ke Island, Master Zhang did not mention the specifics to his disciples, but only warned them not to go there without permission.

Since Master Zhang made this clear to Chu Luren, and Chu Luren still took the initiative to go to the island after knowing the situation there, it means that... both Master Zhang and Chu Luren believed that he could break the deadlock or at least escape unscathed.

"In Alliance Leader Chu's Righteous Alliance, many people aren't quite as 'righteous,' are they? Besides, since Alliance Leader Chu knows about the matter of Xia Ke Island, if it were the two of us brothers to invite Boss Wu of Green Wave Island, Cave Master An of Tianfeng Cave, and Sang Tu Gong of Bilin Cave... how could Alliance Leader Chu possibly do it all by himself?"

"Different approaches!"

Others might not understand, but Chu Luren understood what the two envoys meant—no matter how high his martial arts skills were, his style of martial arts was different from theirs.

In matters concerning Xia Ke Island, the more martial arts skills the people who go there possess, the greater their chance of breaking the deadlock.

Who knows, it might just be the perfect opportunity to learn something new from something else?

Those whom Murong Jiu protected were nothing but rotten fish and shrimp, but within the Righteous Alliance...

Excluding giants like Chu Luren, Dongfang Bubai, and Yaoyue Lianxing, there are quite a few who can be called "renowned figures in the martial arts world"!

Their martial arts skills are naturally no match for Chu Luren's, but... who knows, we might need them?

"Hahaha, whether I can do it or not, you two will know after trying!" Chu Luren retorted, spreading his arms and flicking his feathered cloak, gesturing to the two envoys to invite them to a duel.

The two envoys, one for rewarding good and the other for punishing evil, exchanged a glance—this was the first time they had taken the sign voluntarily, but then they were going to take action against each other.

Unaware of Chu Luren's intentions, the two assumed he wanted to overpower them with force. Therefore, they didn't hold onto the promise of a hundred moves; they only wanted to go all out, defeat him, and intimidate the other heroes...

Chapter 644 Xia Ke Island

Chu Luren had previously consulted Master Zhang about Xia Ke Island while at Wudang...

Master Zhang did not answer at first, but when he discovered the invisible Dao essence emanating from Chu Luren's Dao Embryo cultivation at night, he told Chu Luren what he had seen and heard back then before he left!

Xia Ke Island, located in the South China Sea, is shaped like the Chinese character "山" (mountain) and consists of three mountains.

One mountain to the north is covered in ice and snow all year round, while the other to the south occasionally spews out lava and emits a strong sulfurous smell. The mountain in the middle, however, harmonizes yin and yang and contains the "power" generated by the mysteries of nature. It is a natural place where martial arts are hidden.

From the sword carvings in the Contemplation Cave and the statue of the younger sister-in-law to the intricate chess game, the people of Chulu have seen many martial arts practitioners create unique works based on their "state of mind."

One can use their own lingering feelings to influence those who get involved...

In the concept of "mind, body, qi, technique, and momentum," "mind" and "momentum" correspond to each other. It can be said that "mind" is the "momentum" of a person, while "momentum" is the "mind" of heaven and earth and nature.

By exploring the mysteries of heaven and earth and harnessing the power of nature, this "treasure land" has been formed!

The mountain has twenty-four openings. Within each opening, any martial artist who can immerse their mind in the energy within it can comprehend unparalleled martial arts techniques…

However, at the same time, the "mind" will also be bewitched by this naturally generated "momentum," and greed will increase, making them unwilling to leave the island as if possessed.

There are many renowned figures in the martial arts world who progress through the stone chambers, learning from one chamber to the next, and then returning to the previous one, each time gaining different insights...

Just as Duan Yu would have been manipulated by Li Qiushui and turned into a sycophant of the "Fairy Sister" if Chu Luren hadn't rescued him, those who didn't return were also manipulated by the power of heaven and earth, with effects far exceeding a thousandfold, making them unwilling to leave the mountain's interior even for half a day.

Master Zhang had also spoken with the two island masters, Long and Mu, and learned that when they first arrived here, there were still many corpses here—presumably left here in a state of madness until they turned into withered bones!