The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

"I'll just use this 'Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms' to play with you for now," Zhao Wushi thought to himself.

But at that moment, Chu Luren's aura suddenly froze, and then a voice from outside the door announced: "The Mongol National Preceptor, the Golden Wheel Dharma King, and the Tibetan Bright King, Kumārajīva, have arrived..."

As luck would have it, two experts from the Mongol Yuan Dynasty arrived at this time—the Tibetan Ming King had also nominally joined Kublai Khan's forces.

The Golden Wheel Monk's party consisted of only a dozen or so people. At the head of the group, besides himself and Kumārajīva, were Yin Kexi, a lama, and an Indian monk. Those who had attended the Lion-Slaying Assembly would likely recognize him as Nimo Xing, who had visited the Southern Shaolin Temple with the Divine Mountain. As for the lama, he was the Golden Wheel Monk's top expert and the Great Protector Sangjie!

Jinlun remained the same, looking lean and slightly thin, while Kumārajīva had lost his dignified appearance, exuding an eerie aura in every gesture. His clothes seemed to be sponsored by Yin Kexi, radiating the air of a nouveau riche. He looked around, glancing at pretty female warriors, his behavior particularly frivolous. This was no different from a demon posing as a monk.

Seeing the scene inside the manor, Kumārajīva couldn't help but sneer, "Heh! Are Guo Juxia and Chu Taisui going to have a match first? Have Jinlun Guoshi and I come at the wrong time?"

"My sparring with Master Chu was merely a friendly exchange; killing you bunch of treacherous dogs is the real challenge!" Master Guo declared righteously.

Just then, a figure leaped out from the beam of the inner hall and said, "Alliance Leader Chu! Whatever it is, let's entertain our 'guest' first, and then Old Beggar will discuss it with you thoroughly!"

Upon seeing this person, the numerous Beggar Clan disciples present finally had a pillar of support—it was none other than Hong Qigong, the leader of the Northern Beggar Clan, who was always elusive and rarely seen.

Hong Qigong had already sensed something was wrong, but he had been hesitant. Now that the Mongols had arrived, it was no longer a matter of hesitation...

The Golden Wheel Monk dared to come because he had made a best-of-five agreement with the heroes of the Central Plains. The great monk was confident in the reputation of the Central Plains martial arts world and always valued his reputation. As long as he visited openly and generously, they would not swarm him regardless of the outcome.

Chu Luren closed his eyes, as if to calm his mind, but the golden light on his body did not dissipate!

Regardless of their own assessment of the situation, everyone's gaze now turned to Chu Luren...

Even among the members of the Righteous Alliance, those who, at this moment, were not only acting on the orders of their leader but also genuinely wished to aid Xiangyang, did not want their leader to continue attacking "Hero Guo," otherwise...

The Mongol experts, unaware of what had transpired, were simply enjoying the spectacle. Yin Kexi then deliberately mocked, "Are we still fighting or not? Why don't you start the fight?"

When Chu Luren opened his eyes again, he saw that his eyes were faintly glowing with golden light!

"Alright! Golden Wheel Monk and Bright King, you two will naturally be dealt with by me and... him! If we can't maneuver here, let's go outside the manor!"

As Chu Luren spoke, he pointed his sword at "Master Guo," which didn't seem like he was introducing a teammate at all...

Chapter 925 The Third Choice

"Alliance Leader Chu!"

"and many more……"

"Brother Chu..."

"Brother Jue!"

……

As soon as Chu Luren said this, many people tried to stop him, and even Guo Xiang, who had pretended to leave earlier, couldn't help but reveal her true colors.

Qiu Chuji, Wang Chongyang, Hong Qigong, and others also hurriedly tried to persuade the Chu Lu people...

They had figured out the problem and Chu Luren's intentions—nominally, he was teaming up with "Guo the Great Hero" to fight against Jinlun Fawang and Kumozhi, which was indeed in line with the initial expectations of the heroes of the Central Plains: their two strongest members facing off against the two strongest members of the opposing side...

But now they also realize that after "going out to fight", Chu Luren definitely did not want to join forces with "Guo Juxia"!

What if the person suspected of being Zhao Wushi really has malicious intentions, and it turns into a three-on-one situation?

even……

From the very beginning, Chu Luren wanted none of the other three to come back alive, right?

However, this would indeed prevent internal strife in Xiangyang—judging from the surrounding voices, besides those trying to stop Chu Luren, there were also quite a few chivalrous figures and martial arts heroes from Xiangyang trying to persuade Guo Juxia, worried that Chu Taisui would launch a sneak attack on him!

After all, "Master Guo" hadn't revealed any flaws just now, and many people still didn't understand what was going on...

If Jinlun and Kumārajīva hadn't arrived at such an inopportune time, Chu Luren might have forcefully exposed Zhao Wushi. Afterwards, even if there was unrest in Xiangyang, the focus would have been on the internal strife between the Song court's garrison and the martial arts world.

Lu Wende certainly couldn't sit idly by while "people in the martial arts world criticized Iron-Blooded Marquis," and Chu Luren even suspected that Iron-Blooded Marquis might have secretly taken control of Lu Wende!

Moreover, no matter how hard Chu Luren tries, at most he can only reveal that "the current Guo Juxia is fake." Judging from their previous encounters, it would be difficult to force Zhao Wushi to reveal his true identity. If Zhao Wushi wants to leave, there's nothing Chu Luren can do.

Even so, the Chu Lu people were willing to give it a try. At worst, they could start an uprising on the spot. With the power of the Righteous Alliance and the heroes of Xiangyang, they had at least a 30% chance of beheading or controlling the generals in the city and taking control of Xiangyang. At that time, the army and the people would be of one mind and clear away the internal obstacles.

Is 30% really that low?

Chu Luren felt that if they left the defense to the Song army, the success rate would be less than 30%...

What Chu Luren hesitated about before was nothing more than the issue of responsibility—how could I, the leader of the Righteous Alliance, bear the heavy responsibility of the soldiers and civilians of a region like Guo Juxia?

Without sufficient ambition to drive it, this decision is truly difficult to make.

Moreover, once it comes to this point, there are too many things to consider. It's hard to say how much help Yaoyue or Sister Dongfang will give him. Yaoyue herself has no interest in these things, and Sister Dongfang has her own plans. Just like before, whether she joined forces with Wu Sangui or turned against him, she never discussed it with Chu Luren.

However, the anger towards Zhao Wushi had already driven the Chu Lu people...

However, the arrival of Jinlun, Kumārajīva, and other Mongol experts has left Chu Luren with no time to expose Zhao Wushi!

Even if we were to force ourselves to say something, there's no time to verify it in front of everyone right now.

If things go wrong, it might turn into a conflict between "those who believe in Guo Juxia" and "those who believe in Chu Luren," causing a wave of conflict to erupt. The Song army led by Lü Wende will definitely also be hostile to the Righteous Alliance, and the Mongols on the sidelines will be watching the show to their hearts' content...

The optimal solution is exactly as Hong Qigong said: first, repel the Mongols. Zhao Wushi is now in a dilemma. No matter what he is planning, he must stop now and focus on using the identity of "Guo the Great Hero" to defeat Jinlun or Kumārajīva. Otherwise, the Chu Lu people will definitely take the opportunity to attack.

Hong Qigong stepped forward at this time to give Chu Luren a way out, and he himself was already convinced that the current Guo Juxia was an imposter, and he believed Chu Luren's words about Zhao Wushi being in disguise!

This is the optimal solution for the current situation, but for the Chu Lu people...

I'm so upset!

Even if they initially feign compliance, it would still be a form of torture for the people of Chu, but they couldn't really drag hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians from Xiangyang down with them...

Therefore, the Chu Lu people chose the third path!

To avoid potential conflicts, once he and "Master Guo" left, regardless of what those present thought, they would definitely unite against the common enemy.

Moreover, away from the "public," he can then freely and unscrupulously challenge "Master Guo" to a duel!

"All members of the Righteous Alliance, heed my command! Until our return, all matters concerning the defense of Xiangyang shall be under the command of Madam Guo. All matters within the alliance shall be decided by the five factions of Xingxiu, Mingjiao, Riyue, Yihuagong, and Gumu!" Chu Luren gave the final order, and then immediately departed using his movement technique.

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts tightened...

It is only natural that the defense of Xiangyang should be under the command of Madam Guo. In this way, no matter how confused they were before, the heroes of Xiangyang will definitely stand together with the Righteous Alliance against the common enemy.

But the Chu Lu people even went so far as to declare "internal alliance affairs"?

If he can come back soon, there's no need to explain this kind of thing, right?

However, after hearing this, Madam Guo gradually came to her senses—she had been distracted by the fact that her husband's fate was unknown, and memories of her husband from the past kept flooding back, which made her appear somewhat absent-minded...

But upon hearing Chu Luren's words, Madam Guo thought of the days when she and her husband had defended Xiangyang together, and her sense of responsibility once again took over.

"Rest assured, Alliance Leader Chu! I will certainly live up to your expectations!" Madam Guo cried out to Chu Luren's departing figure.

At this moment, "Master Guo" smiled slightly and said, "Then I will trouble you, Madam."

Madam Guo's eyes blazed with fury, but she remained silent. Then, "Master Guo" followed Chu Luren and left.

"Since Alliance Leader Chu and Hero Guo have this intention, this old monk will naturally follow suit." Jinlun readily agreed.

"Hehe, Madam Guo seems to care more about Chu Taisui? Is it because he's young?" Kumārajīva told a bawdy joke without any restraint as a high-ranking monk, hoping to use it to demoralize the people of the Central Plains.

However, no one present was mocked by him. Whether they believed in Guo Juxia or Chu Luren, the martial arts practitioners present were now completely united, forming a strong sense of hostility that rushed towards them.

After making a fool of himself, Kumārajīva also left with the Golden Wheel Dharma King.

……

North of Xiangyang, the Chu Lu people avoided the direction where the Mongol army was stationed and headed towards the mountains.

In a mountain valley where it was already October but still lush and green, Chu Luren was playing the suona...

"Master Guo" didn't immediately make a move—in the latter half of the match, Zhao Wushi had actually revealed his true abilities.

As "Master Guo," Zhao Wushi could go toe-to-toe with Chu Luren, but once it came down to a contest of lightness skills, Zhao Wushi couldn't maintain his balance and could only display lightness skills that "Master Guo" didn't possess...

As for Jinlun and Kumārajīva, they were even a step behind, and were completely left behind. They only came looking for them after hearing the sound of the suona.

In the valley, jagged rocks stretched out. Chu Luren stood atop the tallest stone pillar, his back to them, playing his suona alone. Meanwhile, his supposed teammate, Guo Juxia, stood atop a pile of rocks some distance away, a half-smile on his face…

Chapter 926 One Against Three

despair--

despair--

despair--

The moment Jinlun and Kumozhi stepped into the valley and saw Chu Luren, Chu Luren's suona tune changed—the suona piece "Nao Hai" was played by Chu Luren.

It started with a continuous barrage of notes, the suona's inherent generosity and boldness mixed with a hint of hysterical roar.

At the same time, the Chu Lu people's suona had already left their mouths...

The lag effect of the sound effects allowed "Nao Hai" to continue to resonate in the valley.

Due to the funnel effect, a fierce wind swept through the valley, lifting the hem of the Chu deer's robe as he stood with his hands behind his back...

despair--

despair--

despair--

With each high-pitched, drawn-out note, the wind picked up, especially around the Chu Lu people, where dust rose, making it impossible to tell how much of the fierce wind carried the Chu Lu people's tangible killing intent and fighting spirit!

The golden wheel's body then swelled up, and Kumārajīva raised his hand, his face displaying a solemn and dignified countenance that was both frivolous and sinister, appearing particularly contradictory and eerie...

Zhao Wushi no longer pretended, but as if to provoke, he swept his left hand across his body, and a golden dragon shadow appeared in his palm.

Reflecting the golden dragon in his pupils, Zhao Wushi revealed a hint of intoxication—not merely for provocation, but also because Guo Juxia's "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" held a different significance for Zhao Wushi, who aspired to the throne.

"Amitabha, Amitabha, I originally discussed with the Imperial Preceptor that I would fight with Hero Guo, but it seems that Hero Guo has other intentions? How about we postpone our fight and see if Alliance Leader Chu has anything to offer in terms of assistance?" Kumārajīva made a smile, but said some very despicable words.

Although it was amidst the suona music of the Chu Lu people, Kumārajīva's seemingly soft voice was clear and articulated, without being drowned out in the slightest.

"Very good." Zhao Wushi still used Guo Juxia's voice, but he no longer concealed anything else.

Just then, Chu Luren rallied his inner energy. What had been a slight, suppressed dust storm suddenly erupted with a series of cracking sounds, accompanied by the strains of a suona horn, and sand and gravel flew up from the surrounding area...

At the same time, the other three seemed to receive a signal as well, and they all lunged forward and disappeared into the sand and gravel!

The next moment, a muffled thud was heard, and the intense shockwave from the sand and gravel cleared away, instantly making the air clear.

At the epicenter of the impact, Chu Luren could be seen using his forearm to block Jinlun's punch...