The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

However, the magic stopped working, and the Western Xia people chased them all the way to the outskirts of Wuxi. Fortunately, Qiao Feng hadn't entered the city yet, and he rescued the three of them after discovering them.

Qiao Feng deduced that the Western Xia people were likely planning something bad for the Beggars' Clan, so he returned to Xingzilin overnight to investigate. Duan Yu and the other two accompanied him, only to find that the Dayi Branch was completely deserted, with very few signs of fighting!

Knowing that the Western Xia people might have kidnapped everyone, Qiao Feng also started looking for clues nearby. Just as dawn broke, he encountered Chu Luren and Wang Yuyan...

Chu Luren also told Qiao Feng about what he had encountered.

"They actually poisoned them? How shameless! No wonder there were no signs of a fight... I'm afraid those Western Xia people arranged this fight with the intention of doing just that!" Upon hearing this, Qiao Feng did not gloat over the Beggars' Sect's misfortune; instead, he appeared extremely indignant.

After reuniting with Qiao Feng, Chu Luren no longer needed to hide. Instead, he joined Qiao Feng and the others in searching for clues in the vicinity.

Last night's heavy rain washed away all traces in the surrounding area. Even Qiao Feng, a seasoned veteran, was not exactly a secret agent or a famous detective, and he didn't find many clues.

However, just when things seemed hopeless, they unexpectedly encountered several young monks...

The young monks all looked disheveled, as if they were fleeing a disaster. Qiao Feng had grown up at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain and was a lay disciple of Shaolin. His master, Xuan Nan, was also a master of Shaolin. Naturally, he felt a sense of kinship upon seeing the bald man and quickly stepped forward to inquire.

"Little Master, who bullied you?"

Although the young monk did not recognize Qiao Feng, he could tell that he was dressed as a wandering swordsman. He quickly cried out, "They were some evil foreigners! They forced their way into the temple and killed my master and many of my fellow disciples. We were chopping wood and carrying water at the time, which is how we escaped through the back door."

Upon hearing "foreign villains," Qiao Feng immediately guessed they were from the Western Xia and hurriedly asked, "Little Master, which temple are you from? In which direction are you from? Have those villains captured anyone?"

"We're from Tianning Temple, not far from there. We were only focused on escaping and didn't pay attention to anything else." You can't expect two young monks to have the mindset of Buddhist masters.

"You two go to Wuxi City first! Return to the temple in a few days," Qiao Feng said, slipping a piece of silver to the two young monks.

"Tianning Temple?" Chu Luren suddenly felt that the name sounded familiar.

Chu Luren remembered that the Western Xia people took the prisoners to a Buddhist temple, but he couldn't recall details such as which temple they went to.

However, Chu Luren now had an impression of Tianning Temple when it was mentioned...

"Wait, little master, when was your Tianning Temple built? Are there any other Tianning Temples?" Chu Luren suddenly asked.

Tianning Temple...

Chu Luren suddenly remembered that the treasure of the Liancheng Jue was hidden in Tianning Temple!

Throughout the entire novel "A Deadly Secret," the treasure serves as a central plot thread, ultimately leading to the annihilation of both the righteous and evil factions within the Hunan martial arts world by poisoning the treasure.

Chu Luren clearly remembered that Ning Temple was in Sanxiang that day, and if he remembered correctly, it was near Jiangling City, which was quite far from Wuxi!

“I heard from my master that our ancestor built this temple here. Our ancestor came from Jiangling… There seems to be a Tianning Temple in Jiangling as well,” the little monk replied, not quite understanding.

Chu Luren nodded, indicating that it was not the same "Tianning Temple".

"Brothers, the Western Xia people are currently waiting in the temple, a den of dragons and tigers. I have received a great favor from the Beggars' Sect, so I must go there. Please protect the ladies and return to Wuxi to wait for me." Qiao Feng emphasized "protect the ladies" to avoid offending Chu Luren and Duan Yu.

"No, Brother Qiao, please don't think I'm a burden. If there's real danger, I'm confident I have some ability to escape. If there's no danger... it's always good to lend a hand!" Duan Yu said immediately.

In this respect, Duan Yu inherited his nominal father Duan Zhengchun, rather than his biological father Duan Yanqing. After all, Duan Yanqing had experienced great changes in his youth, and his temperament was unpredictable, while Duan Zhengchun... without considering personal feelings, was indeed a hero.

Although Duan Zhengchun was a womanizer, he not only had the courage to die for love, but also the courage to die for righteousness and duty. In the original work, when Murong Fu threatened him to give up the throne of Dali, Duan Zhengchun refused to yield even if it meant death, which was the courage to die for duty. On Shaoshi Mountain, when he saw Xiao Feng in trouble, he instructed the guards to prepare to "do their best and repay him with their lives", which was the courage to die for righteousness.

Of course, in the end, only those who died for love succeeded.

Duan Yu inherited this trait from Duan Zhengchun, and Chu Luren wasn't a stranger to being a stranger either. Besides, in terms of escape ability, he was even stronger than Duan Yu.

"Hahaha, I'm definitely going to capitalize on this trend! With July almost here, I'll pull off another big heist and try to climb the rankings on the chivalry leaderboard next quarter!"

Chapter Ninety: Sworn Brotherhood

Wang Yuyan, Azhu, and Abi returned to Wuxi to await further news.

Wang Yuyan originally wanted to offer to help identify martial arts techniques and find weaknesses, but Chu Luren still strictly ordered her to go back with Abi and Azhu!

Furthermore, Chu Luren, carrying Qiao Feng on his back, specifically instructed the three women that if they had not returned to Wuxi by the end of the day, they should immediately go to "Tianxialou" and, without looking for any manager, directly shout that the Western Xia warriors were persecuting Song Dynasty martial arts practitioners at Tianning Temple!

No matter what the "Number One Manor Under Heaven" is up to, they won't be able to pretend they didn't see it...

Qiao Feng never even considered such a thing. After all, the Western Xia people came to cause trouble for the Beggars' Sect. If he asked the imperial court for help, where would he put his face?

Duan Yu goes without saying. The Dali Duan family was bullied to the point of being bullied by Kumārajīva and Wanchou Valley, and they had no intention of using the power of their own court. So why would they go to the Song court to complain to the "Number One Manor in the World"?

Chu Luren didn't have such concerns—was I accusing someone? As long as I didn't consider the number one manor in the world as one of my own, then I was using someone else to do my dirty work, which was a sign of wisdom!

The two sides split up. Chu Luren and Qiao Feng and Duan Yu headed towards Tianning Temple. On the way, Qiao Feng seemed to want to say something and showed a somewhat shy expression.

After noticing this, Duan Yu specifically asked, "Brother Qiao, is there something you need?"

Qiao Feng hesitated upon hearing this, but Chu Luren, understanding his situation, took out some straw paper and handed it to him, saying, "Brother Qiao, please!"

Qiao Feng: ...

"No, I was thinking... If I had met you two brothers under normal circumstances, I would definitely have sworn brotherhood with you. But since my background is still unclear, it's not appropriate to bring it up." Qiao Feng's tone was carefree, but he was clearly still concerned about the matter.

Upon hearing this, Duan Yu immediately replied, "Hahaha, Brother Qiao, you are mistaken. I would be more than willing to become sworn brothers with you, and the one I would become sworn brothers with is not the Han Qiao Feng or the Jurchen Qiao Feng, but simply the great hero Qiao Feng!"

The Duan family of Dali was originally of mixed Han and Bai descent, and Duan Yu's mother was also a Bai Yi. The Manchus were far away from Dali. Although there were rumors in the martial arts world that the Duan family of Dali was protecting the "Mu Wangfu" (Prince Mu's Mansion) among the anti-Qing forces, there was no evidence. Besides, Duan Yu would not get involved in such "adult" matters.

“That’s right. If it’s about becoming sworn brothers with Qiao Feng, then count me in! But if it’s about becoming sworn brothers with a Han Chinese like Qiao Feng, and his identity is later verified, then there’s the issue of ‘canceling the sworn brotherhood,’ so don’t bother with me!” Chu Luren didn’t care either—enemies and enemies aren’t defined by ethnicity. Chu Luren, who grew up under the red flag, understood this principle better than anyone.

Moreover... we could never have too many brothers like Qiao Feng who would go to great lengths for their friends!

When you're always wandering the world, who can say for sure that there won't be times when someone has to stab them in the back?

Not to mention compared to hypocrites, even a true gentleman, if it comes to being friends or brothers, cannot compare to Qiao Feng.

"What you two brothers say is right. I was being pretentious! After this matter is over, I will go to the dinner table to apologize to you both!" Qiao Feng was naturally very moved when he heard this. In the original work, he had become sworn brothers with Duan Yu before Xingzi Forest. At that time, he was at the peak of his life. Even after he became the King of the Southern Court, he was not as happy as he was at this moment.

However, now that he has suddenly learned his true identity, he is in the most conflicted state. Therefore, even though Qiao Feng is generous and magnanimous, he hesitated repeatedly and acted like a little girl when he wanted to propose a sworn brotherhood.

Right there on the way to Tianning Temple, even the rooster-head paper was left, and there was no Guan Yu to worship, so with "Heaven as witness and the earth as proof," Qiao Feng, Chu Luren, and Duan Yu became sworn brothers...

Chu Luren didn't know his own birthday, or even his exact age; he was unsure if he was a year or two older. However, he did know Duan Yu's birthday—in order to ensure the effectiveness of his "special move against Duan Yanqing," Chu Luren had long ago seen the gold plaque bearing Duan Yanqing's birthday—therefore… Chu Luren deliberately gave a birthday date a few months older than Duan Yu's.

Although Duan Yu suspected that Chu Luren was doing it on purpose, since Chu Luren was the one who revealed it first, he had no choice but to accept his second brother's identity.

"Brother, your 'Dragon-Capturing Skill' yesterday was truly admirable. I wonder if you learned this skill from Shaolin or the Beggars' Sect?" After becoming sworn brothers, Chu Luren became even more informal.

In fact, whether in this vast martial arts world or in Jin Yong's original works, "methods" should not be easily passed on. There are many cases of people fighting tooth and nail over martial arts secrets. However, "sectarian prejudice" is not considered serious. There are examples of different sects exchanging martial arts techniques. For example, in the Shaolin sect, lay disciples can learn a move from one of the Seventy-Two Arts.

Of course, based on Chu Luren's understanding of Qiao Feng, if the "Dragon-Capturing Skill" was passed down from the Beggars' Sect or Shaolin Temple, even if the Beggars' Sect had expelled him now, or Shaolin Temple was related to the events of thirty years ago, Qiao Feng would still not pass it on to outsiders.

However, in the original work, Qiao Feng later had a "great enlightenment" and no longer cared about these conventions. He not only discussed with Xu Zhu how to improve the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms", but also passed on the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" and the "Dog Beating Stick Technique" to Xu Zhu, asking him to pass them on to the Beggars' Sect.

"Hahaha, Second Brother, have you taken a fancy to this 'Dragon-Capturing Skill'? This skill is nothing to keep secret from you, Second Brother, but this clumsy skill may not be suitable for you." Qiao Feng laughed loudly upon hearing this.

Chu Luren breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. It seemed that Qiao Feng's "Dragon-Capturing Skill" was more likely due to his own fortuitous encounter.

In the original work, besides Qiao Feng, several old Shaolin monks in "The Deer and the Cauldron" also used the "Dragon-Capturing Skill". As for the equally famous "Crane-Controlling Skill", it was used by Kumārajīva and Xie Yanke, the hermit of Motian in "Ode to Gallantry".

The former used this move to ambush Xu Zhu during the Zhenlong Chess Game, while the latter... was not described directly, only mentioned in the background that the Great Compassion Elder once lost to Xie Yanke because of the "Crane Control Skill," but Xie Yanke was never seen using it in the story.

It is evident that the teachings are quite complex, and that both Shaolin monks and Tantric monks possess them, suggesting a possible connection to Buddhism.

As for the Beggars' Sect... it's normal for a sect to have a connection with Shaolin in terms of martial arts—after all, sects recruit members from all over the country, and many martial arts practitioners who don't belong to any sect are lay disciples of Shaolin. Over time, the martial arts of many sects have been influenced by Shaolin.

However, since outsiders have also received the teachings, it is clear that it was not a secret transmission. In fact, the "Crane Control Skill" has even appeared in the hands of outsiders, which means that... it is very likely not a Shaolin family martial art, but only has Buddhist origins.

Indeed, this skill is not among the 72 Shaolin Arts.

Moreover, apart from Qiao Feng, no one else used the "Dragon-Capturing Skill" or the "Crane-Controlling Skill" very well.

The old monk in "The Deer and the Cauldron" used a common grappling technique with some remote pulling effect, which was ignored by Jiu Nan. When Kumārajīva used it, even Su Xinghe could easily neutralize it. Xie Yanke's time... was more like a surprise attack, emphasizing the element of surprise!

Apart from Qiao Feng, no one else considered it a primary internal skill to cultivate. Qiao Feng himself called it "clumsy kung fu," which shows that it does have its weaknesses.

"Brother doesn't know, but Second Brother is most fond of making connections between different martial arts techniques," Duan Yu explained to Qiao Feng from the side.

Since it wasn't some secret technique, Qiao Feng naturally wouldn't be stingy with his knowledge. Along the way, Qiao Feng explained the practice and techniques of the "Dragon-Capturing Skill" to Chu Luren.

Even Qiao Feng knew the "Crane Control Skill". Although this move was as famous as the "Dragon Capture Skill", it could only be considered a technique and did not have any internal energy component. Qiao Feng did not use it much in his daily life.

Chu Luren speculated that Qiao Feng's "Dragon-Capturing Skill" was because his "heart" and "momentum" resonated with the "Dragon-Capturing True Qi". In addition, the "Dragon Claw Hand", "Demon-Subduing Palm", "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" and so on were twisted into one rope. Therefore, this clumsy skill could only truly "capture the dragon" in his hands!

……

Chu Luren, Qiao Feng, and Duan Yu arrived at the Tianning Temple in the direction pointed out by the little monk, and could already see the Western Xia guards protecting the area from afar.

Qiao Feng was about to step forward and introduce himself when Chu Luren stopped him, saying, "Brother, wait! Let me speak first..."

Chapter Ninety-One: First Gift

At this moment, in the main hall of Tianning Temple, the Western Xia people, under the leadership of Helian Tieshu, were behaving very unruly, setting up a pot, boiling water, and cooking beef right in front of the Buddha!

This also shows that this is not the historical world after all. Otherwise, Buddhism would have been very popular in the Western Xia Kingdom. Even if Helian Tieshu did not believe in these things, he would not have acted so irrationally.

And just then, we heard...

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tick-tick-tick—a high-pitched suona sound came from all directions!

Upon hearing the sound, Helian Tieshu was first taken aback, then frowned. At that moment, the coffin beside him opened, and Xiao Xiangzi sat up straight inside, coldly demanding in a stiff tone, "Who's playing tricks?"

Another burly man, upon hearing the sound, paid no heed and continued to reach into the boiling water to scoop out meat to eat!

The other experts from Yipintang looked around, but even Xiao Xiangzi couldn't discern the source of the voice!

He was just deliberately using his musical skills to play the suona, and it sounded... kind of nice?

They definitely have ill intentions!

Mu Gaofeng's eyes lit up, and he asked in a sarcastic tone, "This sound skill... isn't it somewhat similar to Boss Duan's ventriloquism?"

When Duan Yanqing was still alive, Mu Gaofeng was eager to get close to him and helped Duan Yanqing run "private jobs" in Dali. However, now that Duan Yanqing has disappeared, he has not gained any benefits from the "private jobs" and has instead ended up in trouble. Now Mu Gaofeng occasionally harasses Yue Laosan and others.

"Bullshit! Are you hunchbacked and hard of hearing?" Yue Laosan cursed, never one to tolerate such behavior.

Upon hearing this, Mu Gaofeng looked at Yue Laosan and sneered. However, Ye Erniang and Yun Zhonghe also moved closer to Yue Laosan at this time—if the three of them teamed up, Mu Gaofeng would still be no match for them.

Helian Tieshu glanced at Yue Laosan and Ye Erniang, then said in a strange accent, "Where did you come from? Are you here to visit this general? Please come in!"

The four villains have always been arrogant in Yipintang. Even when Duan Yanqing was still around, they were somewhat disobedient. However, back then, Duan Yanqing was powerful enough that Helian Tieshu tolerated him. But now, Helian Tieshu's tolerance for the remaining three villains has decreased even more, especially last night when Chu Luren escaped because of Yue Laosan.

Chu Luren heard Helian Tieshu's words...

If it's just "ventriloquism" or "sound transmission over long distances," the sound can travel very far, but if it's beyond the range of hearing, the sound cannot be heard in the area where the sound is heard.

However, Chu Luren's "Sound Soul Unwavering" also has the characteristics of the Xiaoyao Sect's "Sound Transmission and Soul Searching". Not only can his voice travel far, but within the range of his own sound power, although subtle sounds are still difficult to detect, as long as they cause too much air vibration and affect his own sound power to a certain extent, he can get feedback!

In the original work, Li Qiushui used this trick to disturb Tong Lao's mind, and when Tong Lao was yelling and cursing, she directly discovered that Tong Lao and Xu Zhu were hiding in the ice cellar.

The difference between Chu Luren's internal strength and Li Qiushui's was immeasurable. Chu Luren didn't hear the rest of the conversation, but he vaguely heard Yue Laosan cursing. However, Helian Tieshu deliberately shouted loudly, which Chu Luren heard, but he ignored it.