The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Ma Dayuan was killed in Luoyang while serving as a liaison between the Northern and Southern Beggars' Sects. The Golden Knife Wang family was also a powerful family in Luoyang.

At this moment, Chu Luren also realized who this guy was—wasn't he Wang Yuanba, the father-in-law of Lin Zhennan of Fuwei Escort Agency and the maternal grandfather of Lin Pingzhi?

In "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", after the Huashan group was attacked by the Sword Sect and terrified by the Peach Valley Six Immortals, they abandoned their stronghold and stayed at the Wang family's house. During this time, the Wang family showed great interest in the "Evil-Repelling Sword Technique" and even mistook the "Smiling, Proud Wanderer Melody" that Linghu Chong was carrying for a sword manual!

Once Chu Luren confirmed the visitor's identity, he couldn't help but sneer, "Old Master Wang is indeed a public-spirited man. His own daughter and son-in-law were harmed by the Qingcheng Sect, and he didn't even leave Luoyang. But when the Beggars' Sect is in trouble, he immediately rushes south?"

Chapter 81 False Testimony

As soon as Chu Luren said this, the three generations of the Wang family changed color, and the elders and leaders of the Beggars' Sect also turned their heads in surprise. Wu Changfeng was only responding to the conversation, but Chu Luren's words were a blatant slap in the face.

"How dare you! Who are you? Are Beggar Clan disciples so unruly?" a young man behind Wang Yuanba shouted.

"It seems the Wang family and the Beggars' Sect have only a so-so relationship. With my disguise, how can I possibly be mistaken for a Beggars' Sect disciple?" Chu Luren first explained the relationship between the Wang family and the Beggars' Sect before introducing himself: "I'm just a wanderer of the martial world..."

Although there is a distinction between dirty and clean clothes among the Beggar Clan disciples, especially in the Northern Beggar Clan, this has caused quite a stir. But in reality, even the clean-clothes faction only wears neat and presentable clothes. Even if they are a bit flashy and wear gold and silver, they will definitely add decorations to their tattered clothes for fear of being thought to be poor. Unless they are hiding their identity, they will not wear ordinary clothes.

Before Wang Jiajun could react, wondering what was so arrogant about a mere "passerby," and was about to retort, his father, Wang Bofen, pressed down on his shoulder from behind, and Wang Jiajun shut up.

"So it's Young Hero Chu who's here too. It's a pity that my sister and brother-in-law have perished. I must thank Young Hero Chu for speaking up for justice when we were in Hengshan." Wang Bofen looked sorrowful.

The story of Chu Luren at Qunyu Courtyard in Hengshan City, who, "dissatisfied with the domineering nature of the Qingcheng Sect," fought Yu Canghai for hundreds of moves without a clear winner (a rumor) had long been circulating.

Therefore, when Chu Luren spoke on this matter, the Wang family's rebuttal was not very strong...

Regardless of whether Wang Yuanba and his grandson were secretly cursing Chu Luren, Elder Xu had already come over to mediate. After all, he had invited the Wang family, and although Chu Luren didn't know why he was there, he was still a guest. As the host, the Beggars' Sect couldn't afford to let them cause trouble.

Finally, Elder Xu said to Chu Luren, "Since Young Hero Chu is here, why not also bear witness for the Beggars' Sect... alas, for this unworthy matter! I am doing this for the sake of the Song Dynasty's martial arts world, otherwise... how could I be willing to speak up!" As he spoke, he glanced at Qiao Feng.

Chu Luren was somewhat indifferent to this old man Xu, but at least he didn't argue with the Wang family anymore.

On the other hand, Madam Ma, also known as Kang Min, bowed deeply to Qiao Feng, displaying the utmost courtesy.

From the moment she stepped off the bus, one could sense that she was a frail, delicate widow who had just lost her husband.

As dusk approached, the apricot grove became even more lively. In the short time it took for the sun to set, the six members of the Shan family from Mount Tai, the Tan family from Mount Taihang, the eccentric Zhao Qiansun, and Elder Lu and Elder Peng from the Northern Beggars' Gang all arrived.

The Shan family were chivalrous heroes in the Taishan area, but they had no connection with the Taishan Sect. Shan Zheng was known as the Iron-Faced Judge, meaning he was fair and just, and he was invited by Elder Xu.

As for Mr. Tan and Mrs. Tan, although they were hermits in the Taihang Mountains, they were also invited because they were related to the matter they were to witness.

And Zhao Qiansun, whose statements were inconsistent, was a firsthand witness to this event!

Elder Lu and Elder Peng were not involved in this matter, but since Ma Dayuan of the Southern Beggars' Sect was killed in Luoyang, the Northern Beggars' Sect naturally had to offer their opinion.

Both of them are elders of the Northern Beggars' Clan, one from the Dirty Clothes Faction and the other from the Clean Clothes Faction. In the absence of Hong Qigong, they are sufficient to represent the Northern Beggars' Clan!

As soon as the two arrived, Elder Peng wanted to remain silent for a moment, but Lu Youjiao stepped forward directly and bowed deeply to Qiao Feng, saying, "Lu Youjiao greets the Chief!"

Although there are differences between the North and the South, Lu Youjiao, who was righteous and generous, greatly admired Qiao Feng after the battle at Mount Tai and recognized him as the leader of the gang!

Seeing this, Elder Peng had no choice but to reluctantly pay his respects, and Qiao Feng quickly stopped the two of them from doing so.

Elder Xu then said from the side, "I apologize to the two elders, but there is actually another matter I wish to witness. Please don't rush to greet me."

Lu Youjiao frowned deeply upon hearing this, while Elder Peng remained calm, seemingly unaffected, as if he had known something beforehand.

“Madam Ma, please start from the beginning,” Elder Xu said to Kang Min.

Upon hearing this, Kang Min began to recount Ma Dayuan's death, and as if she had reached a point of deep sorrow, she wept bitterly, her face streaked with tears.

Hua Wuque, standing to the side, had shown no arrogance whatsoever, always displaying impeccable manners. Yet, he always gave the impression of a well-mannered rich young master being polite to his servants. He probably didn't even realize how much men disliked him...

Aside from showing proper courtesy, neither the Beggar Clan leader nor any other hero of Luoyang deserved a second glance from him.

However, upon seeing Kang Min crying so sadly, he immediately showed concern.

However, this is not because Hua Wuque is lecherous or obsessed with women. Rather, Hua Wuque, who grew up in the Yihua Palace, was taught to be a "protector of flowers." He cannot bear to see any woman suffer even the slightest injustice, especially injustices related to unfaithful men.

"Alas, Madam Ma is so affectionate, this Senior Ma really shouldn't have left so early!" Hua Wuque's reproachful tone was very serious. As he spoke, he sadly unfolded his folding fan and shook his head.

Upon seeing this, the surrounding Beggars' Sect disciples couldn't help but glare at them angrily...

If he weren't outmatched and wary of the Yihua Palace, this guy would probably be getting a beating from the dog-beating formation!

Upon hearing this gentle voice, Kang Min immediately looked at Hua Wuque, then... looked away.

It wasn't that Kang Min was overly protective of the young seedlings, but rather that Hua Wuque was simply not her type.

Although Hua Wuque was undeniably handsome and dashing, Kang Min still preferred the heroic type—indeed, if we disregard personal feelings, Duan Zhengchun also possessed a heroic spirit.

Qiao Feng's current predicament was caused by Kang Min.

Kang Min also went on an "adventure" to Wushan with Duan Zhengchun. Moreover, Kang Min was selfish and vicious from a young age. Coming from a farming family, Kang Min would disregard her father's injuries for a new set of clothes, and would secretly cut up the neighbor girl's new clothes before she would stop...

After she developed hatred for Duan Zhengchun, she naturally became even more terrifying.

While Chu Luren carefully observed the group, he also mentally analyzed the situation.

In the original work, it was Kang Min who discovered that Ma Dayuan possessed evidence that could put Qiao Feng in an abyss. However, it was Wang Jiantong who gave it to Ma Dayuan in order to prevent Qiao Feng from committing an unjust act in the future.

Kang Min's first intention was to seduce Qiao Feng, but he ignored her, which fueled her hatred. Secondly, she wanted to take control of the Beggars' Sect and take revenge on Duan Zhengchun, so she hoped to use Ma Dayuan, who usually doted on her.

However, Ma Dayuan himself greatly admired Qiao Feng. Kang Min encouraged Ma Dayuan to turn against Qiao Feng, but instead, Ma Dayuan slapped her.

Afterwards, Kang Min used her lover Bai Shijing to kill Ma Dayuan—what kind of throat-locking grappling technique is this, unparalleled in the world?

It's just crushing someone's throat... Anyone with enough strength can do it if they're drugged!

Although Bai Shijing was threatened by Kang Min and killed Ma Dayuan, he resolutely refused to frame Qiao Feng.

So Kang Min went to Quan Guanqing again... In this world, that would be Chen Youliang!

Chen Youliang, who was already blinded by greed, naturally hit it off with Kang Min. Chu Luren didn't know whether he and Kang Min had ever gone on an adventure together, but given his personality, even if they had, it probably wasn't the main reason. His real intention was to gain control of the Beggars' Sect.

If we count them, besides Kang Min herself, Bai Shijing should know the most. Before being ambushed today, Bai Shijing did not know that Kang Min had instigated Chen Youliang and others, but now he must have guessed it.

Secondly, there's Chen Youliang. The only thing he doesn't know is the cause of Ma Dayuan's death... otherwise, there's no reason why he wouldn't use it to threaten Bai Shijing!

The reason Kang Min didn't tell him was probably because she realized that Chen Youliang wasn't someone who indulged in beautiful women and was as difficult to control as Qiao Feng. She was also thinking that once Chen Youliang drove Qiao Feng away, she could join forces with Bai Shijing to get rid of Chen Youliang.

Bai Shijing, that old lecher, is much easier to control than Chen Youliang.

“After my husband Da Yuan died, I found a wax letter at home. It said that if I were to be killed, I should give this letter to the elders of the Beggars’ Sect. Because I didn’t dare to delay the important affairs of the Beggars’ Sect, I gave the letter to Elder Xu, who was a guest at the Wang family in Luoyang at the time… I don’t know what happened after that…” Kang Min cried so hard she could barely breathe.

At this moment, Elder Xu took out a letter from his bosom. Upon seeing this scene, the four elders, Song, Xi, Wu, and Chen, all looked embarrassed and wanted to stop it.

Bai Shijing remained expressionless, while only Elder Lü Zhang, who was passing on his skills, was puzzled.

Chu Luren speculated that the three elders, Song, Xi, and Wu, had only been informed by Chen Youliang of the "crimes of Qiao Feng" that Ma Dayuan had kept, and believed the nonsense that "Qiao Feng killed Ma Dayuan." Therefore, they knew what the letter was, but now they did not believe that Qiao Feng would want to kill Ma Dayuan, and instead did not want the matter to be made public.

Elder Chen knew more than the other three. The reason Chu Luren guessed this was because Kang Min took out a fan again at this moment!

Elder Xu had just described how important the letter was, and how disgraceful it would be for the Beggars' Sect if it were exposed, whetting everyone's appetite. He had even mentioned that the letter wasn't written by Ma Dayuan, but by another prominent figure, addressed to Wang Jiantong...

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, everyone could tell that this letter... was definitely very unfavorable to Qiao Feng!

Qiao Feng thought it over and over, but couldn't think of anything he had done wrong. He was still wondering if he had unintentionally done something to hurt everyone's feelings, or if someone was deliberately framing him.

Chu Luren, carrying his "expectations," naturally saw clearly that when Qiao Feng saw Kang Min, his expression was somewhat awkward and contained disdain—showing that although Qiao Feng was a straight man, he was by no means unaware that Kang Min was seducing him!

It seems they were simply trying to save face for Ma Dayuan and Kang Min, and were unwilling to say anything, pretending not to know.

Kang Min's words actually contained many omissions. For example, the sealing wax letter was originally intact and was opened by Elder Xu. How could Kang Min think of killing someone to cover it up just by looking at an envelope?

A'Zhu, whose "cuteness" was triggered by Qiao Feng's previous act of stabbing her, disregarded her status as an outsider and questioned Kang Min.

Kang Min then took out a folding fan and, sobbing, added insult to injury: "The night before my late husband was murdered, our home in Luoyang was robbed. The thief only stole about ten taels of silver, so I didn't pay much attention to it at first. But now that I think about it... Oh right! Afterwards, I found this thing at home. Some of it... some of it doesn't seem to be something that the Yuan Dynasty used!"

Upon seeing the folding fan that Kang Min took out, Chen Guyan's expression indeed changed, which was noticed by the observant Chu Luren, but everyone else's eyes were on Kang Min.

In the original story, it was Chen Guyan who stole Qiao Feng's fan...

However, it's difficult to tell from Chen Guyan's expression at this moment whether he was determined to frame Qiao Feng with Chen Youliang or had been deceived.

However, it was clear that Chen Guyan was unwilling to clarify the matter at this moment...

As for Elder Lü Zhang... so you were indeed bullied, weren't you? You were the only one who knew nothing from beginning to end!

Why is it that you, the Transmission Elder, have even less popularity than the Enforcement Elder?

Many people recognized the fan that Kang Min took out, and Qiao Feng did not deny it, only saying that he had lost the fan before going to Luoyang.

However, given the previous setup, it seems that Ma Dayuan has some evidence of Qiao Feng's crimes. After Qiao Feng fails to steal it, he kills Ma Dayuan the next day without hesitation!

Chapter 82 The Great Yin-Yang Master

Upon hearing that the fan truly belonged to Qiao Feng, the Beggars' Sect disciples exchanged bewildered glances. Elders Song, Xi, and Wu also hesitated, while only Lu Youjiao glared indignantly at the group that doubted Qiao Feng.

But at this awkward moment, Chu Luren suddenly said regretfully, "Oh dear, this fan fell badly!"

The sudden sound immediately attracted the attention of many people...

Qiao Feng felt a chill in his heart, thinking that his newly acquainted Brother Chu did not trust him either, and even made sarcastic remarks.

Only Duan Yu, who had known Chu Luren for a long time, noticed the difference in his tone and replied, "Brother Chu, what do you mean by 'not good'?"

"Tsk tsk, what a waste of a fan! Why not just drop a name stamp with the words 'Qiao Feng' engraved on it? Wouldn't that be better? It would save us the trouble of identifying him." Chu Luren's tone was now full of sarcasm.

It's as if the Yin-Yang School, from the era of the Hundred Schools of Thought, has emerged from the long river of history.

Many people looked at Madam Ma with suspicion after hearing Chu Luren's words—it wasn't that no one suspected "too coincidental" just now, but no one brought it up.

"Young Master Chu, are you implying that you doubt me?" Kang Min asked, her voice filled with grievance and indignation, her emotions natural and full of emotion.

Hua Wuque was the first to stand up and defend her, saying, "Brother Chu, speaking like that is hardly gentlemanly!"

Chu Luren curled his lip at the handsome young man—if anyone else had said it, Chu Luren would have assumed that he and Kang Min were having an affair, but only Hua Wuque truly had a deficiency in emotional intelligence in this regard…

"No, no, I suppose someone with my lightness skill, or someone like Young Master Hua, who ranks seventy-second on the Earth Ranking, would often leave a paper fan behind when visiting someone's home," Chu Luren said sarcastically, adding that Hua Wuque was also among those who were implicated.

Don't think I won't argue with you just because you're young!

Chu Luren also emphasized the fact that Hua Wuque ranked seventy-second on the Earth Ranking.

Hua Wuque was clearly not good with words, and... he didn't seem to care much about being ranked seventy-second on the list. Instead, a maid behind him said indignantly, "How dare you! How can my young master be compared to you commoners?"

However, Hua Wuque called out "He Lu" to stop the maid, and then pondered, "If I were that bandit, and I were to use sleeping potion and break into a house to steal from a weak woman like Madam Ma, I would feel uneasy and ashamed to face the world. With such inner turmoil, anything could happen."

Chu Luren: ...

Hua Wuque spoke with an air of "I really have a point," showing no sign of pretense; clearly, he genuinely believed it!

Chu Luren was also helpless. Qiao Feng's situation was bad enough, but there was also a guy like Hua Wuque, who was a master of playing the central air conditioning, present.