The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

The scene of my father killing my mother and sisters with swords before he committed suicide seems to flash before my eyes.

"I am Li Zicheng, the King of Rebels!" the old monk said, his neck stiff.

When Chen Yuanyuan saw him, her eyes reddened, and she said, "You...you're still alive..."

"Yuanyuan! How could you let our daughter recognize a thief as her father?" Li Zicheng said with great grief.

Well, at this point he didn't know that his troubles were far greater—after all, Wu Sangui had confiscated property and exterminated entire families, while Li Zicheng had directly murdered his father and mother...

At this moment, Jiu Nan shouted sternly, "Good, good! Today, the number one rebel and the number one traitor in the world have all gathered here! Heaven has granted me the right to avenge this great grudge!"

Chapter 1017 The Peacemaker.jpg

Wu Kang vaguely guessed that this nun had a grudge against both Li Zicheng and his father, so he immediately spoke up to stop her: "Nun, please wait!"

"You brat, what do you have to say? If you hide well today, I won't kill you. But if you insist on sticking your neck out... well, that would be perfect for you and your father to keep each other company on the road to the underworld!"

Jiu Nan's eyes reddened at this moment, probably because... she thought of her whole family, who had all passed away together.

“Master! I know you must have a grudge against my father, but... monks are compassionate, and revenge only leads to more revenge. If you lay down your butcher's knife, you can become a Buddha on the spot... If you are willing to let go of this matter, I will hold a grand ten-day Buddhist ceremony, and... I promise on behalf of my father that from now on he will be a Buddhist monk, repenting before the Buddha every day!” Wu Kang said in a series of words.

On the other side, Wu Sangui and Li Zicheng were already exchanging insults...

"I heard you were beaten to death in Jiugong Mountain, I didn't expect you to still be alive today?"

"Ha! You dog thief, you're still alive. How could I bear to die before you?"

"So Ake is your daughter... No wonder, only you could have given birth to such a wicked girl!"

"Shut up! You dog scoundrel, you're not allowed to insult Yuanyuan and Ake!"

As they were hurling insults at each other, calling each other "traitors" and "villains," Wu Sangui, upon hearing Wu Kang's words, immediately glared at him and said, "Shut up! I've ruled the world for decades, and now you want me to live a life of quiet contemplation? Are you impatient?"

"Father!" Wu Kang hurriedly tried to stop him.

He didn't know why his father was being so serious today—even if they really didn't want to, they should save their lives first. What if the nun believed them... couldn't they back out?

Little did they know that Wu Sangui had encountered his old rival and was unwilling to back down.

The fact that Chen Yuanyuan seemed particularly interested in Li Zicheng made Wu Sangui especially sensitive—even though he originally didn't care about Chen Yuanyuan.

"It seems your father isn't interested in your good intentions... Besides, back then, no one gave my father the chance to become a monk!" Jiu Nan said, looking at Lingzhi Shangren, "Didn't you want to make a trade? I'll kill your prince, and you help me kill this traitor, okay?"

"Ah? Good... of course not!" Master Lingzhi also realized that something was wrong.

Ouyang Feng then spoke up, "Master, you can only take one of your two enemies with you today. If you want to kill the Prince of Pingxi, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave here alive either. How about this... you take Li Zicheng and his daughter, and we will not stop you. If you want to seek revenge on the Prince of Pingxi in the future, we can each rely on our own abilities! What do you think, Your Highness and Master?"

“That’s right! Master Ouyang’s words make sense,” Wu Kang quickly added.

“Master, don’t be fooled! If you kill this villain, how will they let me, Li Zicheng, go? Rather than die at the hands of a traitor, I, Li Zicheng, would rather die at your hands! Master, quickly kill this traitor, and I, Li, will gladly accept my death!” Li Zicheng shouted immediately.

Wu Kang gritted his teeth and knelt down with a thud...

"You scoundrel! Is this how your father taught you to kneel and beg for mercy when you encounter an enemy?"

"Ha, who doesn't know that when you led the Qing army into the pass, you begged Dorgon in the same way? How come you, the father, can kneel before the Manchus, but he, the son, can't kneel before the imperial princess?"

Although Li Zicheng did not yet know Jiu Nan's exact identity, he guessed that she must be a princess from the previous dynasty...

"Please, senior, save my father!" Wu Kang pleaded as he knelt down.

Jiu Nan also found it strange. Although Wu Kang was bowing in her direction, she always felt that he wasn't bowing to her.

Moreover, Wu Kang did indeed say "save," not "let go"...

Ouyang Feng's first reaction was that Wu Kang was pleading with the Holy Maiden in the house, and he wanted to remind Wu Kang that the Holy Maiden might also be in trouble.

However, she later felt something was strange—why did the Crown Prince call her "senior"?

Chu Luren understood that his beloved grand-disciple was calling him, but Wu Kang now knew better than to reveal Chu Luren's identity, lest Chu Luren's reluctance to help be exposed...

After a moment's hesitation, Chu Luren played "Ambush from Ten Sides" on his flute—which reminded Jiu Nan of the turbulent capital city of yesteryear, almost bringing her to tears on the spot.

Upon hearing the suona horn, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Ouyang Feng appeared calm and composed, but he was also looking around, thinking about how to leave later.

Master Lingzhi trembled all over as if he were a leaf...

Accompanied by the sound of suona horns, a figure was seen slowly descending from the direction of the setting sun.

"Alliance Leader Chu! Are you trying to stop me from taking revenge?" Jiu Nan was already somewhat prepared, but she didn't understand why Wu Kang could call out Chu Lu Ren.

"Master, don't be anxious. Are you worried that I'm taking sides?" Chu Luren first reassured Jiu Nan.

“Grand-disciple, your father once ruthlessly exterminated the former dynasty’s royal family. Even if he had been a general of the former dynasty, or even if he had been a Manchu general with impeccable integrity, it would have been only right and proper for you, Abbess, to kill him to vent your personal grievances. I have no relation to him, so how could I stop him?”

Although Chu Luren was the one without hostages, he strolled leisurely between the two sides.

Wu Kang continued to look at Chu Luren expectantly, without getting up...

If they simply didn't save him, their grandmaster uncle probably wouldn't have shown up at all!

"Wu Sangui, if you had only been forced by Li Zicheng to surrender to the Manchus back then, although the world would despise you, you wouldn't have such a bad reputation today. After all, there were far more civil officials who kowtowed to the Manchus. In the end, you were attacked from both sides and had no other way out..."

But after you helped the Manchus enter the pass, instead of trying to turn the tide, you aided and abetted their evil deeds, actively exterminating the remnants of the previous dynasty and repeatedly hindering the Song court's northern expeditions, all in an attempt to "gain merit." Didn't you know that the people of the world wished to devour your flesh? Now, only now do you want to overthrow the Qing and restore the Han? Don't you think it's too late?

Chu Luren first reprimanded Wu Sangui.

"Hmph." Wu Sangui was quite defiant, turning his head away from Chu Luren.

"And you! A useless piece of trash who can conquer a kingdom but can't hold onto it! The victor is king, the loser is villain. You can't be king, and you think you can just become a monk and get away with it?"

As Chu Luren spoke, he reached out and sucked Li Zicheng in as well. Lingzhi Shangren, who was standing to the side, shrank back and didn't dare to stop him.

Chu Luren doesn't know how Li Zicheng was defeated in other timelines, but Chu Luren in the martial arts world, just like in the original novel "The Sword Stained with Royal Blood," used his wisdom and martial prowess to overthrow the corrupt Ming Dynasty.

Dynasties rise and fall, the survival of the fittest—this has been the way of China since ancient times. If he could secure his rule and benefit the people, he would be a founding emperor praised by all. However… after entering the capital, he indulged in sensual pleasures, became suspicious and fickle, indiscriminately killed good officials, and forced the border soldiers to rebel, causing the people to suffer twice. That would make him a great traitor.

"Master, every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor! Today I will act as a peacemaker... All three parties from back then are here, so I don't think there's any need to get involved any further. You two shouldn't accuse me of bullying you. Let the three of you settle your old grudges yourselves! Anyone who dares to interfere is disrespecting me, Chu Tai Sui!"

Chu Luren drew two more swords and placed them in front of Li Zicheng and Wu Sangui, acting as if he, Chu Taisui, was very fair and didn't bully anyone...

But no one present thought that the seemingly tall and imposing Wu Sangui and Li Zicheng had any chance of defeating Shang Jiu!

Chapter 1018 Becoming a Monk

After Chu Luren offered what seemed to be a "fair" solution, both Wu Sangui and Li Zicheng looked at Jiu Nan. However, in the next moment, the two of them simultaneously drew their swords from the ground and slashed at each other...

When enemies meet, their eyes are filled with hatred, and there is a big difference between who dies first and who dies last!

Clang, clang... The two were having quite a lively fight.

Both of them were skilled in martial arts, but they were both from the battlefield, focusing on external skills rather than internal ones, and were good at charging into battle, showing a style somewhat similar to the Songshan swordplay.

Jiu Nan merely watched the two men with a cold smile. Seeing his two sworn enemies killing each other, he naturally wanted to enjoy the show first.

The more Wu Sangui fought, the more he sided with the people of the Western Prince's Mansion. Seeing this, Ake was about to remind Chu Luren to be careful of the old turtle's tricks.

But at that moment, Chu Luren flicked his sleeve and, using the side of the Prince of Pingxi's residence as a pretext, feigned a palm strike...

Suddenly, a powerful force, seemingly soft yet resilient, surged forth like a tidal wave, sweeping across the entire Pingxi Prince's mansion.

The group was pushed backwards repeatedly. Several disciples of the Golden Summit Sect tried to use their internal energy to resist, and a golden light flashed above their heads, but they were still pushed backwards.

Their faces were ashen, partly due to the backlash from their futile attempt to shake a tree, and partly due to the realization of the vast gap between them, resulting in a psychological letdown.

Chu Luren seemed to be handling things with ease, as if it were just a casual gesture, and in such a large area... I myself was in the middle of it, and I couldn't even stand still!

Of all the people present, only Ouyang Feng could stand still if he insisted, but... Mr. Ouyang took a step back and did not engage in this argument.

Seeing that he was trying to cheat, Li Zicheng no longer held back. He took the opportunity to throw his sword at Wu Sangui and, while Wu Sangui was blocking, he used his foot to hook up his own monk's staff that had just been knocked down!

Both men were known for their bold and sweeping style, and were not particularly skilled with swords. But now that Li Zicheng had wielded his monk's staff, he felt even more confident...

With only a long sword, Wu Sangui dared not confront him head-on.

However, seeing Li Zicheng acting shamelessly and hearing Chen Yuanyuan's exclamation, Wu Sangui became even more shameless. He pretended to attack Li Zicheng, but in reality, he paused midway and slashed at Chen Yuanyuan instead!

Li Zicheng rushed forward and used his staff to block Wu Sangui's sword. Then, in a fit of rage, he kicked Wu Sangui to the ground and was about to smash his head into a pulp with his staff.

But at that moment, Chen Yuanyuan shouted, "No!"

As he spoke, he rushed in front of Wu Sangui, blocking Li Zicheng...

Chu Luren: ? ? ?

"Yuanyuan! Get out of my way!" Li Zicheng said angrily.

Chen Yuanyuan shook her head and said, "No! We've been husband and wife for over ten years, and he's treated me well before. I can't just watch him die for me!"

Chu Luren: ? ? ?

"Sigh, so after all these years, the one you still long for... is still him!"

Chu Luren: ? ? ?

Chu Luren was completely baffled—Aunt Chen, where do you get all this drama from?

What does it have to do with you that Wu Sangui dies here today?

Look, Wu Sangui's face has turned purple...

Thinking about it, it was truly a grievance. He hadn't really cared much about Chen Yuanyuan, otherwise he wouldn't have acted so decisively just now. But with people constantly leading him like this, and now Chen Yuanyuan had pulled this stunt... Wu Sangui was really about to vomit blood!

Wu Kang, standing to the side, also looked suspicious, as if he too was beginning to wonder whether his father truly regarded Chen Yuanyuan as a substitute for his mother, or whether there were any deep feelings involved!

“Master, we are both nuns…” Chen Yuanyuan looked at Jiu Nan with a pitiful expression.

She wasn't completely stupid—it was useless for Li Zicheng not to kill Wu Sangui; as long as Jiu Nan wanted revenge, both of them were doomed.

Chu Luren seemed to have sensed something, and frowned as he glanced in Chen Yuanyuan's direction.

Ake gritted her teeth and said, "Why are you begging her? This person is so vicious, what kind of nun is she!"

At this moment, she did not acknowledge these two fathers and mothers in her heart, but her resentment towards Jiunan was immense, and she immediately spoke sarcastically.

"You!" Jiu Nan was a little annoyed when she suddenly saw A Ke talking back to her, but then she thought of her own actions and her heart softened, so she turned her gaze away.

After all, she wasn't some heartless villain. Although she didn't think she was wrong because of hatred, she inevitably felt guilty after doing some things.

Wu Kang immediately shouted, "Master! The dead are gone. Killing my father now will only please the Tartar emperor. My previous promise still stands. As long as you are willing to let my father go... my grand-uncle can be my witness. My father will become a monk and repent every day before the late emperor's memorial tablet!"

"How dare you!" Wu Sangui was furious.

"Moreover...moreover, once the Tartars are overthrown, the nun will know best which of the three Zhao princes, the third and the fifth, is the real one. My lineage of the Prince of Pingxi will definitely support the true prince to succeed to the throne!" Wu Kang made a very earnest promise.