The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Xuanci paused for a moment, then asked, "Are the three senior uncles still keeping Junior Brother Yuanzhen in the other courtyard?"

“Not bad.” Xuan Nan nodded.

The three monks did not explain the reason, and Xuanci did not ask any further questions.

After all, Yuanzhen was from the Northern Shaolin Temple, and they weren't familiar with each other. Moreover, his identity was sensitive. Even though Xuanci had some suspicions, he didn't point them out. In short, as long as the Three Elders were watching, there shouldn't be any major problems. From the moment the Three Elders captured Xie Xun, Xuanci felt that Yuanzhen had no good intentions!

On the other hand, after Chu Luren brought the bastard dog back to the inn, he entered seclusion...

After acquiring the "Marrow Cleansing Classic," Chu Luren's seclusion became much more intensive. Even after two or three years of seclusion, he might not be able to complete the basic "organization."

Even if Chu Luren were to remain in seclusion for ten years, he wouldn't be idle—he could use that time to meticulously organize and digest the cultivation technique, after which Chu Luren would at least be able to meet Yaoyue's requirements...

Of course, Yaoyue didn't have ten years to give him, so Chu Luren could only do a general "organization" first, and then seek a new breakthrough!

As for Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami, eight days later, when his internal injuries had temporarily subsided and he could barely exert 60-70% of his strength, he came to Chu Luren for a deep talk. He earnestly extended an invitation to Chu Taisui to cooperate, and as a token of his sincerity, he voluntarily handed over the Shinkage-ryu's Killing God One-Slash and Snowfall in the Human World.

Chu Luren followed Huang Rong's instructions, pretending to "not hold a grudge against Murong Jiu," remaining noncommittal about Yagyu Tajima-no-kami's proposal for cooperation, only stating that Xie Xun was someone the Righteous Alliance would definitely save...

Chapter 767 The Lively Xinghua

As it gets closer to the end of May and the first day of June, Xinghua is gradually becoming lively.

Various sects and renowned figures from the martial arts world gathered at the foot of the Southern Shaolin Mountain. During this time, the Southern Shaolin Temple treated everyone equally—regardless of their relationship, no one was received on the mountain. They would only invite everyone to the mountain on the day of the "Lion Slaying Assembly"!

Grandpa Tan and Grandma Tan also arrived in Xinghua that day. Grandpa Tan was in a very bad mood and was caught red-handed by Zhao Qiansun...

"Xiao Juan, I knew you would come!" Zhao Qiansun exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Tan Gong twitched his lips, ignoring the rude fellow—"How dare you call her Xiao Juan? Never mind, she's just an old madwoman after all!"

"Senior brother, did you go up the mountain to visit... him?" Granny Tan asked after hesitating for a moment.

"No, why would I visit him? I'd rather visit Master Zhiguang and offer him a bowl of wine at his tombstone," Zhao Qiansun said unhappily.

"Senior brother!" Granny Tan quickly stopped him and looked around. Seeing that no one else was around, she breathed a sigh of relief.

If Zhao Qiansun's attitude just now were seen, it would at least provide solid evidence that the "ringleader" was in the Southern Shaolin Temple!

Master Zhiguang died because of this incident. Tan Gong, Tan Po, and Zhao Qiansun escaped death because Qiao Feng concealed his whereabouts, preventing their father from following his route to kill people.

However, Master Zhiguang and all six members of the Shan family perished...

Zhao Qiansun was also somewhat annoyed, and couldn't help but feel that Xuanci wasn't upright enough, so he thought it would be better to stand up now!

"Alright, alright, there are no outsiders around. Although this old man didn't come with us back then, I suppose you two don't have any secrets between you." Zhao Qiansun said, glancing at Tan Gong.

It was Granny Tan and Zhao Qiansun who were invited initially; actually, Master Tan wasn't familiar with Xuanci...

Tan Gong was indignant upon hearing this and was about to say something to him, “Although I didn’t go, it’s still better than someone who went but chickened out,” but before he could even open his mouth, Zhao Qiansun burst into tears!

"Waaaaah! You two are husband and wife...you're husband and wife! How could Xiaojuan have married you? Waaaaah..."

Seeing his erratic behavior, Master Tan's annoyance subsided somewhat, but he became even more troubled. What would it look like if others saw him like this...?

Granny Tan quickly comforted Zhao Qiansun, telling him not to act so crazy, and that he would definitely see many old friends in the future, so wouldn't it be embarrassing to act like this?

The three of them barely made it to Xinghua County, only to find that the scene in the city was very different from what they had imagined.

Logically speaking, with the "Lion Slaying Assembly," the "Butcher's Knife Assembly," and the secretly announced "Turtle Slaying Assembly," the sheer scale of the event combined should have made Xinghua a veritable "Water Margin" long ago.

Shouldn't the streets be filled with demons and monsters, and swaggering江湖人士 (jianghu figures) everywhere, with every place that could be considered a shed turned into a tavern, and the daytime filled with the noisy sounds of drinking games...?

Looking at the street now, there are quite a few people, but it feels rather deserted, even somewhat deserted!

Could it be...

Is the Dragon Guardian Manor really going to risk public condemnation by forcefully protecting Guihai Yidao?

They even sent people to suppress the various factions in the martial arts world.

But then they realized something was amiss—there were no more government officials on the street, but instead a group of demons and monsters were passing by, shouting loudly, "The heavens and earth possess righteous energy, which manifests in all its forms..."

Tan Gong, Tan Po, and Zhao Qiansun: ...

That's right, the Righteous Alliance would never miss such an opportunity to gain reputation!

What can be done if an excessive number of people involved in the underworld cause chaos and a decline in public order?

Shaolin Temple is closed, but our Righteous Alliance will take on the responsibility of maintaining order in the martial arts world!

Actually, it's not that dangerous. At least in this situation, lecherous thieves and the like certainly wouldn't dare to approach Xinghua, or even Fujian Road in the first place.

After all, most people in the martial arts world consider themselves to be on the righteous path, or at least on the white path. Most of the remaining outlaws also consider themselves to be "heroes" who rob the rich to help the poor and are full of righteousness. Even the evil masters value ruthlessness and domineeringness, bully ordinary people, and are generally discriminated against.

For example, the third rule of the Snow Mountain Sect is that one must not bully those who do not know martial arts. In the original work, when Shi Xiaocui heard that her husband was arrogant and reckless and had indiscriminately killed disciples of the sect and two doctors, she thought, "That old bastard has already caused great dissatisfaction among everyone by indiscriminately killing disciples of the sect. Now that he has killed these two doctors, he has violated the sect rules even more." In other words, in terms of rules, the latter is more serious...

If we place this category within the context of outlaw heroes, then the scope of "common people" becomes even smaller. It's not just about not knowing martial arts; it also excludes corrupt officials, wealthy landowners, and landlords.

However, if such a group of people were allowed to gather, even under the Southern Shaolin Temple, there would definitely be more chaos and disorder. While you might not see people forcibly abducting women, there would be people like Yu Canghai's son who would grope women in the shop, or beat and verbally abuse them if they didn't like them, or even harm passersby if they encountered enemies on the street...

None will be missing!

Chu Luren seized this opportunity to make the Righteous Alliance a prominent force.

Although the Southern Shaolin Temple was officially closed until the first day of June, it wasn't that they were completely indifferent. However... they couldn't withstand the overwhelming power of the Righteous Alliance, and everyone only knew that the Righteous Alliance was maintaining order!

Of course, the Righteous Alliance doesn't meddle in other people's business. If they really have a grudge, they can go outside the city and fight however they want.

At this moment, two groups of people in the west of the city almost came to blows—they were from the Heaven and Earth Society and the Mu Prince's Mansion!

The saying "rivals in the same trade are enemies" is true in itself, but it's rare to see competitors already at loggerheads before the business has even taken off...

However, this saying is commonly heard among various anti-Qing forces in the martial arts world!

The forces that originated from the common people were alright, but these anti-Qing forces whose predecessors were princes and nobles were more likely to fight tooth and nail for "legitimacy".

They just happened to run into each other today. They greeted each other politely at first, but their hearts were not in harmony. Just as the atmosphere was getting a little warmer, the topic turned to the "turtle-killing gathering," and the atmosphere immediately turned sour.

The Mu family believed that Young Master Mu should be the leader of the alliance, while the Green Wood Hall of the Heaven and Earth Society felt that if it wasn't Chief Chen who was the leader, then there was a huge conspiracy. So the two sides started dredging up old grievances again. The Mu family said, "Xu Tianchuan's murder of Brother Bai has not yet been avenged," while the Green Wood Hall said, "Have you no shame? Chief Wei helped you save people, that already settles the score." The Mu family also said, "The disappearance of the young princess and Fang Yi must have been caused by the Green Wood Hall..."

In the end, the two sides parted on bad terms!

The reason they didn't fight was because Wei Xiaobao was present and suddenly lost his temper. The people from the Mu family were dissatisfied with the Heaven and Earth Society, but they remembered their relationship with "Eunuch Gui," so they only parted on bad terms.

After the two sides parted, Master Xu and the others noticed that the incense master's complexion was still not good. They offered words of comfort and inquiries. They had recently noticed that not only did Master Wei seem to be unwell, but his personality had also become strange. However, Wei Xiaobao himself was unwilling to reveal much about it...

After all, what could Wei Xiaobao say?

He said that lately he sometimes has sudden bursts of desire and sometimes enters a state of enlightenment for no reason, and he can't even get up at one o'clock in the morning.

Meanwhile, Chu Luren, who was also outside the city, quietly finished his training—well, he had become increasingly proficient in using this move that incorporated the "Three Blades of Avici" and could now be used as a killing move!

Can't one cultivate without sufficient demonic willpower?

Just kidding, I, the host of this Dao Embryo, can be used as a dry cell battery for demonic thoughts, okay?

As expected of Master Wei, his demonic power is truly formidable...

Moreover, "cleanliness and environmental protection" is not one's own demonic thought. After using it, it is immediately "frequently wiped clean" by Chu Luren. Only when making a move will the emotions be affected to some extent!

Chapter 766 June 1st

On May 30th, the Beggars' Sect disciples arrived in Xinghua in droves.

As they approached Shaolin Temple, they no longer concealed their purpose along the way...

Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance in the South!

The leaders of the various branch gangs were mostly Chen Youliang's confidants, and the young members at the grassroots level also had a lot of support. In addition, the mysterious gang leader, Mr. Fang, made up for the lack of top-level combat power. Chen Youliang's ambitions expanded, or rather, he took this step step by step!

If the Beggars' Sect becomes the leader of the martial arts world in the south, it can then leverage the power of the martial arts world to gather forces for a northern expedition—if the Ming Cult can do it, why can't the Beggars' Sect?

The Ming Cult has a base of believers, and the Beggars' Sect also has a base of members. In terms of numbers, the Beggars' Sect is the largest sect in the world!

Moreover, if a sufficiently large rebel army could be organized for the Northern Expedition, the Beggars' Sect would likely cooperate...

It was precisely for this purpose that the other four elders, and even the elders in charge of transmitting skills and enforcing the law, did not vehemently oppose it.

To become the leader of the martial arts world, one must naturally gain everyone's trust. The Beggars' Sect chose to establish its authority by targeting the most authoritative force in the southern martial arts world—the Southern Shaolin!

Once the Southern Shaolin Temple submits, it is believed that the major sects in the south will also recognize this leader. Even if it's not the kind of recognition that involves "obeying orders," it will at least be an acknowledgment and they can persuade everyone to contribute.

After the Beggars' Sect made its name public, its large numbers of members inevitably got into arguments wherever they went, especially with lay disciples of Shaolin and members of other sects.

"What qualifications do you beggars have to become the leader of the martial arts world?"

"Hmph, Shaolin's reputation is now ruined. Our Southern Jianghu naturally needs a leader. If you are not satisfied, you can also compete!"

"How did your reputation get ruined? Was it those baseless rumors? Or the Shanhaiguan incident? Regardless of whether this matter is related to Shaolin, if you really think the family that was killed was innocent, why did you change the leader?"

"As a complete outsider, to be honest, I think the Righteous Alliance is a good fit. We'd all accept Alliance Leader Chu as the leader of the martial arts world!"

Well, generally, as soon as a complete stranger from the Righteous Alliance appears, everyone disperses and doesn't want to argue with them.

……

Recently, the Three Goddesses of the Starry Sky have been in charge of the Righteous Alliance in the Xinghua Prefecture area. The Alliance Leader, Chu Luren, has not shown up and is said to be in seclusion.

On the first day of June, Chu Luren had just finished adjusting his state and was about to meet up with Yu Yan and the others when he heard that the Righteous Alliance and the Beggar Clan had met and clashed at the southern foot of Jiulian Mountain!

Before Chu Luren could get anxious, Huang Rong reassured her, "The Ming Cult members are also here, Yu Yan and the others won't suffer any losses."

Upon hearing this, Chu Luren felt relieved, but he still rushed over immediately...

The Ming Cult is supposedly one of the giants of the Righteous Alliance, but compared to other factions, it is more "self-contained." Apart from sects like the Eagle Sect, which are branches of the Ming Cult, its relationship with other sects in the alliance is generally average.

So previously everyone would seek orders from the Three Star Goddesses...

However, they are allies after all. This time, because it concerns the Lion King, almost all the high-ranking members of the Ming Cult have come. Not only did the leader Han Zhao come in person, but he also brought along the vice leader Yang Xiao, the leader of the Eagle Cult Yin Tianzheng, the Dragon King, the Bat King, the Five Wanderers and a whole host of other experts.

In addition, although Wudang Mountain was theoretically still closed, Zhang Wuji came in his personal capacity. At this time, he was not well-known and there was little news about him in the martial arts world. If he had not come specifically to visit Chu Luren, even Chu Luren would not have known about him.

Since it concerned his godfather, Zhang Wuji naturally wouldn't be absent. If it weren't for Chu Luren's persuasion and the fact that he had revealed some of the Three Elders' secrets, he would have even wanted to explore Shaolin alone first!

Meanwhile, on the southern slope of Jiulian Mountain, Wang Yuyan and the masked man, Mr. Fang, were locked in a stalemate for several dozen moves before Wang Yuyan was defeated and retreated.

It was only because the martial arts of the Free and Unfettered Sect were elegant and graceful, and the martial arts of the Ancient Tomb Sect were light and graceful, coupled with her own white dress and high appearance, that she was forced back by the opponent's palm strike, but she looked like a celestial being dancing and did not look embarrassed.

However, if one has a discerning eye, one can see that the difference between the two is actually quite significant...

When Wang Yuyan first fought him, Mr. Fang didn't use his own family's techniques at all. Wang Yuyan saw through the styles of several different families and couldn't find any weaknesses to exploit.

Later, when they finally managed to get some real skill from them, they were immediately overwhelmed...