The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

The only thing that could reassure Wei Xiaobao was that he knew Chu Taisui was still the leader of the Righteous Alliance, which meant that... it was possible that the Righteous Alliance had a traitor within the Heaven and Earth Society, rather than the matter being common knowledge in the martial arts world!

Even so, this made Wei Xiaobao uneasy. Now Chu Taisui knew, but tomorrow it might be Xiao Xuanzi who knew, and if that happened, he would definitely have his head chopped off...

After Chu Luren left, Wei Xiaobao started making a fuss about going back to his hometown and not getting involved in these matters anymore. Only after Shuang'er comforted him did he calm down again.

At the same time, he had to pay more attention to what Chu Luren said—although Chu Taisui said he had worked hard and kindly reminded him, Wei Xiaobao was worried that if others found out about this, he would anger him and the secret would be revealed!

If it were someone else from the martial arts world, they might have had reservations. After all, if someone reported the identity of the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society to the Qing government, would they still have any reputation left?

However, as the leader of the Righteous Alliance, Chu Luren could easily throw out two "scapegoats" or use other methods to make him naturally reveal his identity.

and……

At this moment, Chu Luren suddenly appeared again and reminded Wei Xiaobao: "By the way, the current Empress Dowager was truly righteous back then for eliminating the evil concubine and forcing the tyrant to become a monk. I hope Brother Wei will not always go against her. As for any misunderstandings, I will explain them to her, and she will not bother you again."

"Yes, yes, Master Chu is right. It was my narrow-mindedness that led me to say that." Wei Xiaobao was no longer aware of what he was saying.

Why did Chu Tai Sui know about the Empress Dowager's affairs?

It's one thing for the Heaven and Earth Society to be a motley crew, but the Empress Dowager is a legitimate member of the Eight Banners nobility. It's one thing for her to fight for power in the harem and poison other concubines, but would she really join the Righteous Alliance and bring disaster to her own country?

Since the Divine Dragon Cult can no longer threaten Mao Dongzhu, it naturally doesn't dare to fight her to the death. Instead, it resorts to underhanded tactics and sabotage. If Mao Dongzhu's identity is directly revealed, she will surely take the opportunity to expose the Divine Dragon Cult's treason.

Therefore, although Wei Xiaobao has some contact with the Divine Dragon Cult, everyone is reluctant to mention the Empress Dowager in front of him, and he only knows that the Empress Dowager is a traitor to the Divine Dragon Cult.

After Chu Luren left this time, Wei Xiaobao once again insisted on taking Shuang'er back to his hometown...

This capital city is unbearable to stay in!

Not only am I in a difficult situation, but I think Xiao Xuanzi is in a difficult situation too, even the Empress Dowager is about to rebel...

Moreover, because Chu Luren deliberately concealed the Empress Dowager's true identity, Wei Xiaobao had no evidence whatsoever. On the contrary... Wei Xiaobao had to consider whether his identity as a member of the Heaven and Earth Society had been revealed to the Empress Dowager!

After Chu Luren greeted Wei Xiaobao, he left Manjing first—Wei Xiaobao was going to the Northern Shaolin Temple by imperial decree, with a complicated procession and a fixed arrival time, so Chu Luren wouldn't accompany him all the time.

Instead, he planned to go to Shaolin Temple by himself first...

After telling her elder brother about this, Mu Wanqing, Wang Yuyan, and Azi also wanted to come along. Originally, Azhu wanted to keep Azi to talk more, since the two were sisters with the same father and mother, and were closer than her other sisters. However, Azi was tired of staying in Manjing, and her brother-in-law wouldn't allow her to bully men and women. She felt that she was not as powerful as the Star Goddess!

When Chu Luren was traveling south from Manjing and reached the Cangzhou area of ​​Tianjin Prefecture, he suddenly received some news...

The Flying Fish Gang was wiped out by the two envoys who reward good and punish evil!

This matter is neither a major nor a minor one. Chu Luren and the Flying Fish Gang have no connection whatsoever. However, this tells them that the two envoys responsible for rewarding good and punishing evil are currently in the Tianjin area...

Chapter 731 Who Am I

Chu Luren, along with Wang Yuyan, Mu Wanqing, Azi, and the four sword attendants, a group of eight, traveled from Manjing to Shaolin Temple on Mount Song.

The team was unusually large...

On this day near Cangzhou, as night was falling, the eight men were riding forward when they heard Xiao Hong, who was scouting ahead, chirping.

"It seems there are people living ahead, perhaps a small village. We can find lodging here," Chu Luren said after hearing this.

However, as the eight people were heading in the direction Xiao Hong indicated, they suddenly saw a bonfire in the distance, and a disheveled figure could be vaguely seen beside the bonfire, who looked like a homeless person.

But upon hearing the sound of horses' hooves, the man immediately ran over, shouting, "Don't go! Don't go! A group of vicious martial arts practitioners are hiding in that village. They'll kill anyone who goes there!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Wanqing raised an eyebrow and asked sharply, "What kind of江湖客 (jianghu ke, a person from the martial arts world) are they? And did they injure the villagers?"

Chu Luren didn't pay much attention to what he was saying; instead, he carefully examined the person running towards him...

His Dao Embryo was subtly stirred by this person's approach, as if the newcomer was a great master. However, even as the other party approached, Chu Luren couldn't discern anything special about him.

However, upon getting closer, Chu Luren saw his appearance clearly and suddenly recognized the newcomer!

Just as this man was about to answer Mu Wanqing, Chu Luren tentatively called out from the side, "Brother Dog?"

Upon hearing this, "Brother Dog" was taken aback at first, then looked at Chu Luren and immediately showed a look of surprise. Wang Yuyan then remembered—wasn't this the boy who was taken away by "Xie Yanke" back then?

Because it had been four years, the boy's appearance had changed, but his simple and honest temperament remained the same. With Chu Luren calling out to him, Wang Yuyan immediately recognized him by following her memories!

"Brother Chu? And Miss Wang... It's you two! It's been so long, I didn't expect Brother Chu to still recognize me! By the way, Brother Chu, you must not go to that village ahead, there are some vicious people entrenched there." Dog Bastard said happily.

Dog Bastard was clearly the kind of person who didn't care about the affairs of the martial arts world at all. To him, Chu Luren was just a kind older brother he had met back then.

"Don't be afraid, Brother Dog. Not to mention your Brother Chu, even your Sister Wang can easily deal with those vicious people." Chu Luren chuckled as he dismounted from his horse, pulling the dog along, appearing very friendly.

"Sister Yu Yan, who is this kid? Is he a relative of the Chu Lu people?" Mu Wanqing asked Wang Yu Yan in a low voice.

Clearly, only she knew this "dog brother" who had appeared out of nowhere...

As for Mu Wanqing, Wang Yuyan, and others, they usually address each other as "sisters" by name, without any ranking. After all... you never know when more people might be added, and nobody knows exactly how many places Duan Zhengchun, the Swift Traveler, had traveled back then!

"I met him on the way to Zhongnan Mountain with Brother Chu and Senior Sister Mochou. At that time, he didn't know martial arts, but he was still under the knife of the villains of Chang Le Gang. He had to protect the old man Da Bei, whom he didn't know. Afterwards, before the old man Da Bei died, he left him and Brother Chu a set of clay figurines. It was Brother Chu who deciphered the secret of the clay figurines," Wang Yuyan explained to Mu Wanqing in a low voice.

But I can't say what this "dog brother" is called...

"Oh, so he looks a lot like Zhang Wuji?" Mu Wanqing nodded.

Azi then said, "I think he's more capable than Zhang Wuji. Zhang Wuji saved a beautiful young woman he didn't know, while he's trying to save a grumpy old man he doesn't know."

Leaving aside the three people gossiping about Zhang Wuji and Gou Zazhong behind their backs, Chu Luren pulled Gou Xiong aside and asked eagerly, "Have you seen the Black and White Twin Swords couple? I saw before that you looked very much like Master Shi. After I mentioned it to them, they also said that they had lost a son, but unfortunately they didn't know where you were at the time..."

Upon hearing this, the bastard said excitedly, "So it was you, Brother Chu, who told... told Master Shi and Hero Min? Then... do you know who I really am?"

Chu Luren was puzzled upon hearing this. It seemed that he had met Shi Qing and his wife before. However, Shi Qing and Min Rou already knew from Chu Luren that Gou Zazhong and Shi Zhongyu were not the same person, and that her adoptive mother was Mei Fanggu. Shouldn't it be logical to deduce that he was their youngest son? Why would Gou Zazhong be so confused?

"Don't worry, don't worry. Logically speaking, your mother, Mei Fanggu, might have stolen you from Shi Qing and his wife back then..."

Just as Chu Luren was about to explain, the bastard said, "No! Originally... Master Shi and Master Min said the same thing, but... but..."

As the bastard spoke, he began to take off his clothes.

"What are they doing?" Mu Wanqing looked at Chu Luren and "Dog Brother's" backs in the distance, her expression not good.

Why did you head straight for the grove as soon as we met... and even take off your clothes?

"Sister Wanqing, don't overthink it, maybe she just likes him!" Azi said deliberately.

Mu Wanqing: ……

Of course it's not liking!

To show Chu Luren his scars, the bastard said, "Brother Chu, look at the plum blossom scar on my shoulder, the sword mark on my thigh, and the birthmark on my buttocks..." He then started to unbuckle his belt.

Seeing this, Chu Luren quickly stopped him: "Alright, alright, Brother Dog, it's here, so what?"

"No! Brother Chu, you don't know, I... I can't remember how I got these scars! Master Shi... Master Min said they were scars and birthmarks on their son's body, but... but I shouldn't have them! Could it be that I really have amnesia? No, no, Brother Chu, when you met me before, you also told me about my mother. Indeed, my mother isn't non-existent, right?" The bastard became very confused when he mentioned this.

Chu Luren then realized what was happening and immediately asked, "The eldest son of Shi Qing and his wife was recruited by the Chang Le Gang to be their leader to ward off disaster. Were you also recruited by the Chang Le Gang?"

That's how it is in the original work...

While Gou Zazhong was unconscious, Bei Haishi faked his scars and birthmarks. So when Gou Zazhong wanted Shi Qing and his wife to clear up the misunderstanding, Shi Qing discovered Shi Zhongyu's scars and birthmarks on him, which completely confirmed his identity!

Afterwards, the simple-minded dog bastard fell into deep self-doubt. Following Shi Qing and Min Rou's guesses, he wondered if he had really lost his memory, and even in a daze, he imagined his childhood memories of Xiong Er Mountain...

Actually, neither "Mom" nor "Rhubarb" exists.

Did I become seriously ill in Chang Le Gang and then start hallucinating?

Such questioning is nothing to ordinary people, because most people have their own realities in life and won't get caught up in such trivialities.

But Gou Zazhong was different. When he lived in Xiong Er Mountain, he was already isolated from the world. Later, when Xie Yanke brought him to Motian Cliff, it was also a secluded place. Moreover, he was not only simple-minded by nature, but also seemed dull-witted. In fact, he had great wisdom. Suddenly, he was confused by the question of "Who am I?"

Chapter 732 You're a Good Person

"Brother Dog, don't worry. Yu Yan, Mo Chou, and I have all met Aunt Mei Fang. Mo Chou even has some connection with Aunt Mei Fang. This scar and birthmark must have another reason." Chu Lu Ren immediately comforted him upon seeing this.

However, the bastard looked at Chu Luren with a somewhat unfocused gaze, and then suddenly asked, "Brother Chu, could it be that you are also something I imagined?"

Chu Luren: ...

Is this child going crazy?

The thought that the bastard must have also practiced the "Arhat Subduing Demon Skill" sent a chill down Chu Luren's spine—could it be that because of his influence, the bastard had practiced the "Arhat Subduing Demon Skill" ahead of time, and thus... gone mad?

"Don't overthink it! There's no such thing as just imagining things. Next time I see Mr. and Mrs. Shi Qing, I'll talk to them and tell them that you must have misunderstood because you didn't explain things clearly! By the way, there's also Xiong Er Mountain. If you don't understand it, I can go back with you to take a look after I've finished my business!" Chu Luren said quickly.

"Oh...right! I roasted some wild boar meat. If Brother Chu hasn't had dinner yet, you can come and eat with us! I definitely can't finish it all by myself." The bastard immediately stopped thinking about it, which made Chu Luren feel a little uncomfortable.

That's right. Dog Bastard is simple-minded, reserved, and possesses great wisdom. This makes him easily confused by questions like "Who am I?", but he doesn't get too caught up in them—if he can't figure it out, he doesn't think about it for now.

Even if everything around me is an illusion, so what? I'll still do what I have to do...

Just then, two voices were heard...

"Wow, who would have thought that Cangzhou is such a magical place, where wild boars can actually grow?"

"She's good-looking."

"Yes, there's no one around, so it must have grown out of the ground. Let's just consider it a reward from heaven for us brothers!"

"It's very hard."

"Hey, little brother over there, don't say we stole your wild boar meat. We're just... taking our leave!"

"Farewell!"

It turned out to be none other than the two envoys who reward good and punish evil, who were "hunting" for food along the way and happened to spot the bastard's roasted wild boar.

They also saw the bastard dog in the distance, but... they didn't care about that. They just wanted to amuse themselves, treating it as if they had found it themselves, so that they wouldn't be left with it if they wanted it later.

However, when they actually looked in this direction, they spotted a familiar face and quickly said goodbye to the Second Company.

However, although they moved quickly, turning their heads and leaving in an instant, and each step covered several feet, they were still grabbed by the shoulder just as they took their third step!

"Long time no see, isn't this Brother Zhang San and Brother Li Si?" Chu Luren knew that Zhang San and Li Si were just code names, but he still addressed them as such.

Seeing that they couldn't leave anytime soon, the two turned around and exchanged pleasantries with Chu Luren: "So it's Alliance Leader Chu, what a coincidence... we meet again from nowhere!"

"unlucky!"

One of them was all smiles, while the other had a sour expression.

Ignoring Li Si's sarcastic remarks, Chu Luren went straight to the point: "Who are you looking for to deal cards with online? There's a group of thugs entrenched in the village ahead, and they seem to be hiding from someone even more ruthless, afraid of being discovered. Do you want to go and take a look?"

"Oh? Perhaps those good-for-nothings from the Iron Fork Society. Since Alliance Leader Chu hasn't accepted them, then we brothers won't stand on ceremony."

"Deal the cards!"

As they talked, the two turned and headed in the direction Chu Luren had indicated.