The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Chapter 903 Valley of Heartbreak

Valley of Heartbreak?

In the original work, this place should be between Guanzhong and Luoyang, that is, west of Luoyang. Now... it is much further south than in the original work!

However, judging from Xiao Hong's appearance, the imposter should be among them.

So the Chu Lu people concealed their tracks and sneaked into the valley.

This valley is rarely visited by people, but it is a paradise-like place. Along the way, Chu Luren also saw many disciples in the valley.

Following the sound of laughter, Chu Luren also saw a graceful and elegant young girl, accompanied by other maids, laughing and joking as she picked flower petals.

In fact, those "maids" were all wearing flowing gauze skirts, not the linen clothes of servants. However, in terms of temperament, the elegant and refined girl in the green skirt, with her outstanding beauty, made everyone else stand out.

Moreover, although he was neither arrogant nor stingy and treated the girls around him with great humility, his graceful demeanor and polite manners also indirectly proved his status, suggesting that he must be extraordinary in the valley.

"Miss, this should be enough for dinner. Let's go back."

"Yes, let's go. We have guests today. Besides the Hundred Flowers Banquet, Father will probably prepare other vegetarian dishes as well."

Seeing that they were about to return, Chu Luren quietly followed them.

Sure enough, there was another world hidden in the valley. In the gentler part of the valley, there were houses—mostly simple stone houses, and some thatched huts and wooden huts.

This young lady in the green dress even personally busied herself with all the arrangements...

Chu Luren followed the servants who brought the dishes from the kitchen to the main hall in the valley. Although it was built of stone and wood, it had a unique, antique charm.

At this time, the food in the back hall was not yet ready, and there was no one there. However, Chu Luren heard voices coming from the front hall, so he hid on the beam in the back hall and moved closer to the front hall...

The front and back halls were separated only by a wooden wall, and the roof did not separate them, so the Chu Lu people could see the front hall from the beams of the back hall.

"Hahaha, the Imperial Preceptor and the Holy Maiden are indeed remarkable people. I have been living in seclusion for too long and have become quite ignorant... Come, let me toast you both. Oh, this wine is made from the hundred flowers of the valley, and it is not suitable for meat or fish, nor does it need to be eaten with food."

In the main hall, a middle-aged man sat in the head seat. He was dressed in a royal blue robe, with a handsome face and elegant manners. He looked like a wise old man, very polite and refined.

At this moment, Chu Luren was exchanging pleasantries with the guests on either side. He recognized them all: on his left was the Mongol Yuan Dynasty's National Preceptor, the Golden Wheel Dharma King, and on his right was a woman in a light blue and pale yellow gauze dress...

At first glance, her features were quite unfamiliar, but upon closer inspection, Chu Luren noticed a wooden box beside her and a black bird perched next to her. He figured she must be the Divine Dragon Saintess he had fought a few days ago!

How did these two end up together?

Fortunately, Chu Luren could vaguely sense that the two sides' auras were at odds, suggesting that they were not allies, but rather trying to win over the Valley Master of the Heartless Valley at the same time.

“Valley Master Gongsun is very considerate, but our Tantric sect does not prohibit alcohol and meat, especially when associating with a refined person like Valley Master, there are no taboos,” the Golden Wheel Dharma King said in a deep voice.

"Thank you for the wine, Valley Master," the Divine Dragon Saintess said, raising her cup as well.

Compared to the Golden Wheel Monk's usual short and stocky build, the Divine Dragon Saintess appeared quite tall, even taller than the Golden Wheel Monk. Moreover, her facial features exuded a captivating charm and allure, yet she also possessed a unique heroic spirit.

Gongsun Zhi seemed very enthusiastic towards both of them, but out of the ten times he turned his gaze, seven or eight times he looked at the Divine Dragon Saintess, and he would also sneak a few more glances.

Upon seeing this, the Golden Wheel Monk's face darkened slightly as he said, "Kublai Khan has always been eager to find talented people. Master Gongsun is the descendant of a famous general and now occupies this precious land. Why not support the Dragon Court and restore the glory of his ancestors?"

Clearly, Kublai Khan and the Golden Wheel Monk were eyeing not only Gongsun Zhi, a martial arts master, but also the power and... position of the Valley of Heartbreak!

The Valley of Heartbreak is not far from Xiangfan, but it is deep in the mountains and not easily found. It is very effective for deploying surprise troops or stockpiling grain.

Moreover, this matter cannot be bypassed by Gongsun Zhi; otherwise, given the place's defensive and difficult-to-attack nature, a forced take would only alert the enemy.

As for "beheading"...

Gongsun Zhi was no ordinary man either. Although Jinlun was confident of defeating him, he was not confident of a quick victory. Moreover, there were battle tactics left over from the Tang Dynasty in the valley, and he was skilled at setting up the Golden Light Fishing Net Formation. Not to mention, Wu Sangui's men were also watching him closely!

"Your Excellency, you may not know this, but because our ancestor was a great general during the Tang Dynasty, he was used to the battlefield and exhausted from fighting. We, his descendants, have also been told the principle that 'one general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand,' and we only seek to live a comfortable life with our beautiful wives and concubines. We no longer have the desire to become generals or be ennobled," Gongsun Zhi said sincerely.

Upon hearing this, the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon revealed a shy expression and covered the smile on her lips with her sleeve. Although Chu Luren did not "look" directly in order not to arouse suspicion, but only glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, he could still imagine the shameless behavior of this old man.

If he had known what would happen to Hong Antong, he probably wouldn't have been so careless!

"If we succeed, when Kublai Khan is rich and powerful, he will not hesitate to bestow upon us a hundred or a thousand beauties!" the Golden Wheel Monk said bluntly.

Both Jinlun and Kumārajīva were well-versed in Buddhist scriptures, but compared to Jinlun, Jinlun's teachings were more pure, while Kumārajīva's teachings highlighted Zen wisdom. If it were Kumārajīva, he would definitely not have been so direct.

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Zhi scoffed, "The Grand Preceptor's words are vulgar! How could a beautiful woman possibly fill the void in my heart?"

Although Gongsun Zhi was an LSP, he was a self-respecting and elegant LSP who liked to indulge in romantic pursuits and refused to admit that he was an LSP.

"Valley Master Gongsun's words are very wise." The Divine Dragon Saintess secretly gave him a look, which pleased Gongsun Zhi greatly.

"Father." Gongsun Lü'e, the girl Chu Luren had seen before, entered from the back hall.

"Green calyx greets the Imperial Preceptor and the Holy Maiden. Father, dinner is ready," said Gongsun Green calyx.

"Yes." Gongsun Zhi nodded with great authority.

When Gongsun Lü'e looked at the Divine Dragon Saintess, she was somewhat wary—although she didn't mind having another stepmother, this person gave her an uncomfortable feeling.

Unfortunately, her relationship with Gongsun Zhi was already cold, and as his daughter, it wasn't appropriate for her to remind him of these things.

Moreover, at this moment, the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon warmly took her hand and said, "Sister Green Calyx is so well-behaved. Valley Master Gongsun is truly blessed. No wonder he is unwilling to interfere in the mortal world."

Hearing the Holy Maiden of the Divine Dragon call his daughter "little sister," Gongsun Zhi felt even warmer inside. He rarely praised his daughter, saying, "Not bad, this child has always been easy to take care of."

Afterwards, Gongsun Zhi led the two to the back room where they were dining. They saw a table full of vegetarian dishes, half of which were made of flower petals. Jinlun wanted to remind him that he did not need to fast.

Chu Luren quietly moved from the back hall, along the beam, to the front hall without disturbing anyone...

Chapter 904 Crisis

Chu Luren felt a pang of regret. If he had asked his little master for a Seven Hearts Begonia candle earlier, he could have easily overpowered everyone else and sent them all to their deaths, regardless of any schemes or plots...

However, Chu Luren now hesitated – if it were only Gongsun Zhi, the Divine Dragon Saintess, and the Golden Wheel, Chu Luren would still have some confidence.

After all, Chu Luren's ability to deflect force gives him a significant advantage when fighting multiple opponents. These three individuals have no formation to coordinate with, are not from the same school, and don't even know each other, let alone be friends. If they were to face Chu Luren, they would be unable to form an effective encirclement.

However, there are many disciples in the Valley of Heartbreak, especially a Golden Fishing Net Formation. Although Chu Luren did not know its name, he had already discovered that outside the hall, a short, middle-aged man with a long beard was leading people to pull a fishing net made of some kind of soft silk, on which various sharp and strange weapons were hanging!

A slight deduction of the array reveals its profound mystery and well-founded principles of advance and retreat.

It's likely that Gongsun Zhi didn't trust the Golden Wheel Monk or even the Divine Dragon Saintess, and specifically instructed his disciples to lay a trap so that they could swarm in if anything went wrong...

From the conversation just now, we know that Gongsun Zhi's ancestors were great generals during the Tang Dynasty—a setting that is the same as in the original work.

However, in the vast world of martial arts, the last time the Heavenly Gate opened was during the Former Tang Dynasty. The "Six-Character Mantra" of Mount Emei and the "Six-Army Mirror" training method in the Dragon Slayer Saber were both left behind by masters from the Former Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, the Chu Lu people naturally speculated that there was something else going on with this fishing net formation.

Even when Chu Luren was in perfect condition, he wouldn't want to take such a risk, let alone now that he's only recovered to 90%!

What does 90% mean?

Facing an opponent who is inferior to oneself is no different from being completely defeated.

However, in a real life-or-death battle, nine times out of ten it's equivalent to having half health left...

Chu Luren did not make a move immediately, but hoped that Gongsun Zhi would be impatient and poison the food, after which the three parties would fight each other, and Chu Luren would take advantage of the situation—unfortunately, there was no such good thing.

So Chu Luren changed his strategy, preparing to defeat the three one by one when they separated.

The primary target, naturally, is Jinlun!

Although Jinlun is the strongest of the three in terms of martial arts, Gongsun Zhi is always protected by a fishing net formation. Moreover, if the Valley Master is eliminated first, the valley will be in chaos, which will only benefit the Mongol Yuan.

As for the Divine Dragon Saintess...

In terms of martial arts, she is not much worse than Jinlun Fawang, and Chu Luren doesn't know much about her methods. If he is not careful, he will fall into her trap. In comparison, Jinlun Fawang's approach is more straightforward.

Even if they fail to succeed because they cannot win quickly, at least Chu Luren is not worried about escaping!

After that, Xiangyang was instructed to be cautious and guard against this place...

After patiently waiting for the three to finish their dinner, Chu Luren left together with the gloomy-faced Golden Wheel Monk, quietly falling behind him.

Logically speaking, a master like Jinlun Fawang would not be easily followed. Even the legendary thief Hu Guinan could not possibly follow Jinlun without being discovered.

However, Chu Luren did it!

Chu Luren also knew the reason why the Golden Wheel Monk had a gloomy face—just now at the banquet, Gongsun Zhi made a series of witty remarks and frequently hinted at his intentions, while the Divine Dragon Saintess sometimes politely refused and sometimes showed her coquettishness, which made Gongsun Zhi more and more excited. At first, he tried to cover it up, but later he almost expressed his feelings in public.

After returning to his quarters, Jinlun said to one of his Semu disciples, "Go and inform Huo Du that he must bring Guo Juxia's children here! Also, tell Yin Kexi that regarding the trade route he mentioned, this Imperial Preceptor can agree on behalf of the King, and ask him to cooperate with Huo Du as well."

Chu Luren was taken aback upon hearing this—Guo Juxia's daughter?

Are the three siblings about to be ambushed by Huo Du? Has their whereabouts been exposed?

After receiving the order, the Semu man left. Chu Luren hesitated for a moment, then followed him, temporarily abandoning his idea of ​​ambushing Jinlun.

Fortunately, they were Semu people, so Jinlun used Chinese, which both sides, including the Chu Lu people, could understand. Otherwise, if he had given instructions to Darba, the Chu Lu people probably wouldn't have known what they were saying.

As the man from the Semu Valley left the valley, once no disciples of the Heartless Valley were watching him, bandages suddenly shot out from the side. Before he could react, they gagged him, bound his limbs, and dragged him into the roadside bushes!

"Speak! What does Jinlun want you to do?" Chu Luren demanded, clutching the bandages in his hand that had been loosened slightly.

The bandages were loosened slightly, and the man with the colored markings could be heard uttering, "Gibberish, gibberish..."

Upon seeing this, Chu Luren immediately gagged himself again, his face almost splitting open. At the same time, he loosened the bandage on his other hand and severed his left thumb!

gurgling...

The man from Semu had a sore throat but couldn't make a sound. Chu Luren only said one word: "Speak."

"Go find my second senior brother and ask him to come back and help." The Semu man no longer pretended not to speak Chinese, but he didn't tell the truth either.

This time, Chu Luren directly snapped one of his arms...

hissing—

With the sound of his arm hitting the ground, the man was about to faint, but Chu Luren pressed his acupoints to wake him up.

"Here is a bottle of honey. If you still can't say what I want to hear, I'll seal your pressure points, apply it to your wounds, and leave it here," Chu Luren said coldly.

Of course, the Chu Lu people didn't have the habit of carrying nectar with them; this was actually a medicinal ointment they had applied themselves...

"Second senior brother, go and capture Guo Juxia's children." This was a man from Semu who spoke broken Mandarin, and he also had to endure the pain of having his arm severed.

"How do we catch them?" Chu Luren continued indifferently.

“Partners, Beggars’ Gang, Master He,” the Semu man said with difficulty.

Chu Luren immediately realized that what this guy said was probably true—the name He Shiwo was probably not made up. In the original work, He Shiwo did indeed conspire with Huo Du, and was later killed by Huo Du, who then impersonated him.

At this moment, Chu Luren suddenly remembered that Guo Fu had mentioned that the Beggar Clan leader who escorted them seemed to be surnamed He? But Chu Luren certainly wouldn't have made that connection back then!

Chu Luren casually pressed the pressure points of the man with the colored eyes and threw him into the dense forest outside the valley. Then he had Xiao Hong send a message to the people of the nearby Qunyu Academy, asking them to come and collect the "tongue"—maybe they could pry out more information.