The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Chu Luren had suffered enough from the lack of offensive means before!

Before Duan Zhengming could speak, Duan Zhengchun couldn't help but interject, "Yu'er, don't be ridiculous! How can the One-Finger Divine Skill manual be shown to outsiders? You..."

Tsk tsk, they just said we weren't outsiders—Chu Luren secretly curled his lip, but this reaction was actually within his expectations.

Duan Yu agreed to these conditions entirely because this kid had no concept of the ways of the martial arts world. Chu Luren's current demands were nothing more than exorbitant prices. If you don't agree, just sit back and negotiate the money.

If One-Finger Divine Skill doesn't work, how about the Duan Family Sword Technique or the Heavenly Dragon Heart Sutra?

"Nephew Chu, I am truly sorry. I did not mean to target you. It's just that the Yi Yang Finger Manual..." Duan Zhengchun also realized that his reprimand of Duan Yu earlier seemed to have implicated Chu Luren.

"Second brother! A person cannot stand without integrity, and Yu'er is the future king of our Dali Kingdom. How can we break our promise to him? Someone, go find Guard Zhu and tell him to go to the secret compartment of the Imperial Study and retrieve the One-Finger Divine Skill Manual." Unexpectedly, Duan Zhengming had a different attitude.

"Brother, you must not do this for Yu'er's sake..."

"Second brother, there's no need for further discussion. This matter is settled. Let's continue with our meal," Duan Zhengming declared, making the final decision.

Not long after, Zhu Danchen brought over a sealed jade box. Duan Zhengming personally opened it and handed the scroll of the One Finger Divination Manual to Chu Luren. Only then did Chu Luren truly believe that Duan Zhengming was so magnanimous.

He glanced at Duan Zhengchun with a look that said, "Comparison is the thief of joy," leaving the latter speechless.

“Nephew Chu, you may borrow this fingering manual for now, but your uncle has a few words to say: first, just keep it in your heart and do not copy it; second, do not pass it on to others,” Duan Zhengming instructed.

Chu Luren smiled upon hearing this: "I am still relatively new to the world, but I have long heard of the Southern Emperor's magnanimity and generosity. Having met him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved! Uncle Duan, rest assured, I will not take this finger manual with me. I will simply observe it here for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and then return it to its rightful owner. How much you can comprehend depends entirely on fate!"

After saying that, Chu Luren began to flip through the fingering manual page by page. Judging by his speed, he was really just skimming through it. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he handed the manual back to Duan Zhengming.

Duan Zhengming's gaze toward Chu Luren grew increasingly appreciative. He had initially been close to Chu Luren because of the fact that Chu Luren had saved Duan Yu. He had also brought out the One-Finger Divine Skill Manual so that Duan Yu would not break his promise.

As for side stories or anything like that...

After all, the One-Finger Divine Skill is not easy to master. At this time, the manuals are generally written in a very vague and confusing way, and it is difficult to get started on your own without the guidance of a senior.

Furthermore, even the four great retainers of the Duan family had all been taught some techniques of the One-Finger Divine Skill, so it wasn't unacceptable for them.

But now, seeing Chu Luren's gentlemanly and open-minded demeanor, he truly admired him—what could one do in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea? Even the most rudimentary martial arts skills wouldn't reveal much, let alone the One-Finger Divine Skill passed down through the Dali Duan family!

In the eyes of Duan Zhengming and his brother, Chu Luren was thinking about the reputation of the Duan family, so he both made Duan Yu fulfill his promise and prevented the One-Finger Divine Skill from being passed on to outsiders.

Duan Zhengchun understood this as well. Thinking back on his previous petty-mindedness, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed and drank a cup of wine.

Unbeknownst to these two, the great gentleman Chu had already mastered the One-Finger Divine Skill in the time it took to read it once.

Although the profound principles cannot be fully explored, Chu Luren would definitely get full marks if a basic knowledge test on the One-Finger Divine Skill were created!

It's just that because of the special characteristics of the Chu Lu people, it can't be used yet; we can only wait for other materials to be fused together.

Of course, Chu Luren never intended to teach it to others. After all, it was a family martial art passed down by the Duan family, and he only needed to refer to it as material for integration.

In terms of compatibility and strength, the material Chu Luren most desires for fusion is undoubtedly the "Six Meridian Divine Sword"—of course, this is just a thought, and Chu Luren can't bring himself to ask for it.

With the matter of "One-Finger Divine Skill" resolved satisfactorily, the atmosphere at the table became even more lively.

Although Mu Wanqing was used to being wild, she knew, with Duan Yu's prompting, that she should offer Dao Baifeng a toast at this time.

"Auntie, there was a misunderstanding before, and I have offended you. Wanqing toasts you to apologize."

Dao Baifeng was also a member of the martial arts world. Although he was still somewhat concerned about the Shura Darts, judging from Mu Wanqing's behavior at this moment, she didn't seem to be harboring any schemes... Perhaps they were just from the same school?

So he raised his glass and said, "Wanqing, don't worry about it. As long as you and Duan Yu are together in the future..." Dao Baifeng reached out and revealed a birthmark on his left wrist.

"Are you Dao Baifeng? A Baiyi?" Mu Wanqing interrupted Dao Baifeng in surprise.

Seeing this, Chu Luren thought to himself that something was wrong. Only he could guess what was going on with Mu Wanqing.

The Baiyi people are one of the main ethnic groups in Dali. Qin Hongmian specifically emphasized that Dao Baifeng is a Baiyi because she is the daughter of the Baiyi chieftain. To some extent, this is the core competitive advantage that makes Dao Baifeng Duan Zhengchun's only legal wife. Therefore, Qin Hongmian has a lot of resentment about this.

“That’s right, I am Dao Baifeng. Did Yu’er tell you that I am a Baiyi person?” Dao Baifeng seemed not to notice Mu Wanqing’s conflicted expression.

"I cannot disobey my master's orders..."

In the blink of an eye, Mu Wanqing pulled out a poisoned dart and shot it at Dao Baifeng, who was sitting at the next table!

Chu Luren was prepared. He quickly exerted force with his right hand, flipped the table, and placed it between Mu Wanqing and Dao Baifeng. There were three Shura Darts being blocked by the table.

Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun, who were present, were not unskilled, so they reacted immediately. Duan Zhengming directly used his One-Finger Divine Skill to press Mu Wanqing's acupoint from a distance.

Duan Zhengchun, unaware of the situation, was enraged when he saw Mu Wanqing trying to kill Dao Baifeng and was about to strike her with full force.

But Chu Luren, who was standing to the side, naturally wouldn't watch: "Uncle Duan, wait a minute!" As he spoke, he reached out and blocked Duan Zhengchun's elbow, so that Duan's finger would lose its force and not strike.

Although he couldn't use the One-Finger Divine Skill himself, Chu Luren was familiar with how it was applied, and since it was right next to him, Duan Zhengchun wasn't on guard.

Duan Yu quickly stopped his father, wanting Mu Wanqing to explain first.

"Who sent you? Why did you try to kill Phoenix?" Duan Zhengchun asked angrily.

"Wanmei, what are you doing!" Duan Yu asked anxiously.

Mu Wanqing stubbornly remained silent. However, Dao Baifeng, who was standing to the side, looked Mu Wanqing's face over and over again, and then remembered an "old friend." Instead of pursuing the matter with Mu Wanqing, he fiercely shouted at Duan Zhengchun, "Ha! Isn't this all because of your romantic entanglements!" With that, he flicked his sleeve and was about to leave.

Duan Zhengchun was taken aback. Following Dao Baifeng's sleeve, he saw the three Shura darts stuck in the table. Looking at Mu Wanqing, he immediately understood what was going on...

More importantly, Duan Zhengchun judged Mu Wanqing's age from her appearance, and his anger instantly turned into apprehension!

"Wanqing, Qin Hongmian...who is she to you? Is she alright?"

Chapter Ten: The Uninvited Guest

"Wanqing, Qin Hongmian...who are you to her? Is she alright?" Duan Zhengchun's attitude made a complete 180-degree turn, leaving Duan Yu completely bewildered.

Duan Zhengming calmly walked to the side and began admiring the paintings hanging in the hall, as if the conflict had never happened and that he was simply there to look at the paintings.

"What Qin Hongmian? I don't know her," Mu Wanqing denied outright.

"Don't you recognize me? Then who taught you your kung fu?"

“He is my master, his name is Yougu Ke…”

Hearing this, Chu Luren secretly grinned, thinking to himself: Yougu Ke... doesn't sound like a real name at all, does it? You actually believed that your master's surname is You?

"So alike, so alike..." Duan Zhengchun then realized that Mu Wanqing's features did indeed resemble Qin Hongmian upon closer inspection, and more importantly... she also seemed to resemble him!

Then they asked about Mu Wanqing's birth date and time. Although Mu Wanqing herself didn't know, she did know her age...

Thus, the infamous "It's your sister" incident occurred. As a witness to the incident, Chu Luren expressed reservations...

Just as the melodramatic scene was halfway through, discordant sounds came from the courtyard of the Prince's mansion.

"Wanqing, are you there? Your master is here to save you."

"Hahaha, where is my disciple? I, the Crocodile God of the South Sea, am back!"

"Hehe, my beauties, you haven't forgotten your great master, have you?"

"You, surnamed Duan, come out here! This Valley Master wants you to know what's what!"

"Senior sister, that person is cunning and treacherous. We must not fall for his tricks again."

"Stop arguing! You're scaring my child."

"Brother Duan, today I, the hunchback, accompanied you to Dali. Don't forget what you promised me in the future!"

"Hahaha, you hunchback, who knows, Dali might belong to the Duan family in the future... What benefits will you miss out on then?"

The Zhennan Prince's Mansion is quite noisy today...

After listening for a while, Chu Luren pondered for a moment and then complained, "Isn't Dali also under the Duan family name now?"

Unfortunately, neither Duan Yu's father, uncle, nor Mu Wanqing, whose mind was in turmoil, had any interest in listening to his complaints.

Especially Mu Wanqing, upon hearing her master's voice, hurriedly tried to grasp at the last straw and stumbled out.

The others present naturally had no intention of cleaning up the dishes and left the main hall for the courtyard.

Duan Yu even pulled Mu Wanqing back from stepping forward—nine people jumped into the courtyard at this moment, none of them looking like they were to be trifled with.

Although the beautiful woman Mu Wanqing wanted to talk to seemed to care about her, Duan Yu dared not treat her as a friend at this moment!

Chu Luren looked at the people in the courtyard and suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed—some he recognized, some he didn't, some he could guess, and some... he couldn't quite guess.

The first person's features were the most obvious; his facial features were distorted and blackened, clearly indicating that he had suffered extremely severe external injuries. Most of the muscles in his face were necrotic, and he was also lame, using a cane at the moment.

However, among the nine people, he seems to be the leader!

Adding to their brief remarks, it goes without saying that they must be the leader of the Four Villains of Yipintang—the infamous Duan Yanqing.

In addition, there are Yue Laosan and Yun Zhonghe, whom Chu Luren met before, as well as a madwoman holding an empty swaddling cloth, who should be Ye Erniang, one of the Four Fiends.

As for the beautiful woman Mu Wanqing had tried to talk to earlier, she was now dressed in black and standing with another beautiful woman in plain clothes. Behind the latter, in the sycophantic seat, was a middle-aged man with a long, narrow face...

Judging from the titles, they should be Qin Hongmian, Mu Wanqing's master and biological mother, as well as Gan Baobao, who is her fellow disciple but also entangled with Duan Zhengchun, and... Gan Baobao's cheap husband Zhong Wanchou!

There were three other people, each with a strange appearance, who looked familiar to Chu Luren, but he couldn't quite place them because of something between them. One of them was to Duan Yanqing's left, and seemed to be the second highest-ranking person present. He had very distinctive features, with a hunchback behind him that made him feel ashamed.

The two people standing next to him were very close; one had three huge growths on his head, and the other was bald all the way down to the back of his head, with bloodshot, bright red eyes...

Duan Zhengming also sensed that the other party was up to no good, and the lame man in the lead and the hunchbacked man both put him under some pressure.

"My name is Duan Zhengming of the Duan family of Dali. May I ask what brings you friends here so late at night?" Duan Zhengming asked.

"Nothing much, just the extermination of your Duan clan!" Duan Yanqing's lips did not move, as if he were speaking out of thin air, and his tone was completely flat, which was quite frightening.

Although Duan Zhengming had been in Dali for a long time, he could actually guess the identities of the main people, but he didn't know what connection "Boss Duan" had with the Duan family.

Seeing his rudeness, Duan Zhengming decided to stop being polite and asked the hunchback, the fleshy man, and the bald man, "I never thought that the famous 'Northern Camel' and the two leaders of the Yellow River Gang would work for Yipintang... Is this the will of the Empress Dowager of Western Xia?"

Upon hearing the words "Northern Camel" and "Yellow River Gang," Chu Luren immediately remembered who these three people were!

It should be Mu Gaofeng, the famous camel from the north in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", and Hou Tonghai and Sha Tongtian in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".

The features do match, but... because Chu Luren hadn't considered anything outside of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" before, he was blind to the obvious!

While Chu Luren felt a slight toothache at this intrusion, he also secretly reminded himself that this was not a world he was familiar with, but rather... a "messy" world.

We must be more careful in the future and never rely too much on the "precognition" of time travelers.

Now the Mongol Yuan dynasty has occupied Guanzhong, while the Western Xia only occupies Guanxi and Longyou areas, making it much weaker than the Western Xia during the Northern Song dynasty. However, in this world, it is not necessarily difficult to recruit more "guest ministers"!

For example, Mu Gaofeng was born in the northern frontier, and was indeed from Longyou. Moreover, he was greedy and ungrateful, so it was reasonable that he would be recruited.

Needless to say, the two members of the Yellow River Gang were originally river bandits on the Yellow River. In the original work, they joined Wanyan Honglie, but now they are located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, which is also the territory of Western Xia. It is reasonable for them to be "corrupted".

Thinking of this, Chu Luren couldn't help but glance at Duan Zhengming—thinking to himself: How come you haven't separated from Master Yideng...?

"Hehehe, old Emperor of Dali, no need to try to trick us. We are not here today on the orders of the Dowager Consort, but simply to help Brother Duan!" Sha Tongtian said with a sly smile.