The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

"So you are Heiress He from the Five Immortals Sect and Mei, the head of the Plum Blossom Sect. My apologies for not recognizing you sooner," Chu Luren said politely, revealing their identities.

The woman in black showed a slight look of surprise...

It was not unexpected that He Hongyao was recognized, after all, the warning was quite obvious, and the fact that He Hongyao had been punished to beg for more than ten years was quite a rumor in the martial arts world.

Chu Luren was also helpless at this moment—why did the other side have two more "Red Serpent Witches" in terms of martial arts, while his side... Chu Luren looked at Lu Guanying and the few big men he brought.

It's quite reasonable that He Hongyao would get involved with Li Mochou. Given their experiences, He Hongyao, as a "senior," would definitely lend a helping hand to Li Mochou. Therefore, it's perfectly normal for Li Mochou to know the Five Poisons Sect's kung fu.

By some accounts, He Hongyao is actually the aunt of Lan Fenghuang, the current leader of the Five Poisons Sect. Back then, she fell in love with Xia Xueyi, not only losing her virginity to him but also stealing the three treasures of the Five Poisons Sect to help him take revenge...

However, after Xia Xueyi obtained the Golden Snake Sword, the Golden Snake Cone, and the Golden Snake Manual, he did not return to Miao territory to find her as promised three years later. Instead, the reputation of the Golden Snake Gentleman spread, and the theft of the three treasures naturally came to light.

Although the previous leader was He Hongyao's brother, such a heinous crime could not be covered up for her. He Hongyao was prepared and calmly accepted the punishment of being bitten by ten thousand snakes. She was also punished to beg for thirty years, during which time she was not allowed to steal a single needle or thread, nor was she allowed to accept charity from fellow martial artists. This is why He Hongyao is dressed like this now.

If that were all, He Hongyao had actually anticipated it. What truly changed her mindset was what happened afterward...

More than a decade ago, He Hongyao begged her way to Jiangnan, following the legend of the Golden Snake Gentleman, hoping to find "Xia Lang".

When they finally found Xia Xueyi, he was ambushed by the five elders of the Wen family, who severed his tendons and forced him to lead the way to the treasure of the previous dynasty. He Hongyao's martial arts skills were no match for the five elders working together, but she relied on the Five Poisons Sect's abilities to control poisonous insects and rescue Xia Xueyi amidst the chaos.

Upon learning that Xia Xueyi's plan was to go to Mount Hua to ask Mu Renqing, who had been living in seclusion since the sword qi dispute, for help—he had some past ties with Mu Renqing and hoped to ask him to lend a hand.

They were already close to Mount Hua, and the five elders of the Wen family were still in pursuit. He Hongyao originally intended to settle Xia Xueyi down and then go to Mount Hua herself. If Mu Renqing refused, she would commit suicide in front of him with her sword drawn...

After all, although "Golden Snake Gentleman" was very handsome, compared with Duan Zhengchun and Jiang Feng of the same era, he had too many bad deeds. Even the newly created chivalrous list did not take advantage of his popularity. He was completely of the evil path. The Five Poisons Sect was not a good sect either. Master Mu might not care about this matter.

However, Mu Renqing was ultimately a righteous person, and He Hongyao thought that if she died in front of him, she would eventually feel some pity, and it would be good if she could save Xia Xueyi afterwards.

However, just as she was carrying Xia Xueyi into the cave, she discovered the sachet in Xia Xueyi's arms...

At this point, Xia Xueyi's affair with another woman was exposed, and perhaps he had already suffered enough. Moreover, his "true love" was a descendant of the Wen family, and he was not particularly obsessed with revenge. He did not even pretend to be friendly with He Hongyao, and bluntly stated that his relationship with her was just a charade. His real fiancée was better than her in every way. He even allowed the crazed He Hongyao to beat him until he was unrecognizable, but he still refused to reveal who his "true love" was.

He Hongyao severed Xia Xueyi's legs, then planned to go down the mountain to find his new lover and kill her, hoping to completely extinguish his hopes. However, she couldn't find who the new lover was, and when she returned to the cave, Xia Xueyi was also gone...

For the next ten years or so, He Hongyao continued to carry out her punishment, begging in tattered clothes to atone for the theft of Sanbao, while also continuing to inquire about Xia Xueyi's whereabouts and the identity of her "new lover".

Logically speaking, He Hongyao was far more unfortunate than Li Mochou in terms of being "betrayed."

The reason why Li Mochou and Lu Zhanyuan fell in love was simply because Li Mochou saved Lu Zhanyuan's life. After that, they fell in love with each other, and Lu Zhanyuan even accepted a token of their love—a silk handkerchief.

In the original work, when Li Mochou suspected that Xiaolongnu and Yang Guo had an affair, she checked Xiaolongnu's virginity mark and it was exposed at that time, which shows that the two did not go all the way.

As for Lu Zhanyuan's infidelity, it could at most be considered... a breakdown in the relationship? He was a bit of a jerk, but it didn't cause any major consequences.

When Li Mochou left the Ancient Tomb, although she broke the sect's rules, it was only a case of running away from home.

After all, the Ancient Tomb Sect at that time consisted of only three people: Big Cat, Little Cat, Master and Disciple, plus an old servant Granny Sun. They didn't have such strict rules. According to the original content of the Sanlian edition, Li Mochou returned to the Ancient Tomb after her heartbreak, and her master did not send her away.

The real reason Li Mochou betrayed the Ancient Tomb was that a madman, suspected to be Ouyang Feng, relentlessly pursued her. She escaped back to the Ancient Tomb, where her master allowed her to enter and even helped her trap Ouyang Feng...

However, after Li Mochou and Xiaolongnu's master subdued the madman, he was ambushed and killed by him!

Until her deathbed, her master believed that her eldest disciple, Li Mochou, had deliberately harmed her. She secretly released the madman's pressure points and told Xiaolongnu the same thing.

After all, Li Mochou's departure from the Ancient Tomb for Lu Zhanyuan had already greatly displeased her master. Furthermore, Li Mochou's personality had drastically changed after experiencing heartbreak, and she didn't offer much explanation, simply leaving the Ancient Tomb, thus perpetuating the misunderstanding between her and Xiaolongnu…

In the original work, it was Xiaolongnu who talked about this matter with Yang Guo, and Granny Sun deduced that the madman was Ouyang Feng. Therefore, Yang Guo suspected that it was not Li Mochou who released his acupoints, but that they were not actually pressed in the first place. After practicing the Nine Yin Manual in reverse, Ouyang Feng's meridians were different from ordinary people!

However, Ouyang Feng and Li Mochou were already dead at the time, so there was no way to verify it.

……

As for this Sect Leader Mei, she is Mei Wenxin's daughter, Mei Fanggu. Chu Luren even knows that her father is Ding Busi!

Mei Fanggu was skilled in both Ding Family Fist and Plum Blossom Fist. In her youth, she was a beautiful and chivalrous woman. However, she fell in love with Shi Qing, but Shi Qing only loved Min Rou. Thus, her love turned into hatred...

Rumors circulated that she killed the youngest son of Shi Qing and Min Rou, and was subsequently hunted down by the Black and White Twin Swords. She abandoned her position as the leader of the Plum Blossom Sect and has been missing for a long time.

However, Chu Luren naturally knew that Shi Qing's youngest son was actually adopted by Mei Fanggu.

only……

Compared to Li Mochou and He Hongyao, Mei Fanggu had no reason to blame Shi Qing, since Shi Qing had never had any romantic feelings for her from the beginning, nor had he ever wronged her.

Shi Qing and Min Rou became husband and wife. Mei Fanggu, in a fit of anger, disfigured herself... In the end, it was just a tantrum, a way of making things difficult for herself.

Unlike He Hongyao, Mei Fanggu is currently living in anonymity and was somewhat surprised that Chu Luren recognized her from the name of her secluded place.

Of course, Mei Fanggu also noticed that it wasn't Chu Luren who recognized her, but rather the woman beside him who whispered something to him.

Chu Luren didn't remember anything about Xiong'er Mountain or Kucaoling, but Wang Yuyan recognized her lightness skill as belonging to the Plum Blossom Sect. This led Chu Luren to think of Mei Fanggu...

"I've heard so much about you? You lie without batting an eye. What achievements do we have that are worthy of admiration? But if you want to admire us, then admire us all you want, and then get lost! Or... do you want to try to protect the remnants of the Lu family?" He Hongyao said aggressively.

Based on Hua Wuque's previous address to Chu Luren and his suona, the Women's Revenge Alliance (just kidding) guessed Chu Luren's identity, so they didn't take action directly but wanted him to leave.

After all, they are "heroes" whose rankings have risen rapidly. Although the three of them are confident that they can win if they join forces, wouldn't they have another enemy in the future if Chu Luren escapes?

However, Chu Luren sighed and shook his head...

Chapter 104 Pre-War Insurance

Chu Luren sighed and shook his head, saying, "If Lu Zhanyuan were here today, as long as no one else is involved, you can do whatever you want with me. But now... I'm here on someone's behalf. If the three ladies insist on taking action, I can only accompany them!"

Lu Zhanyuan's crime didn't actually warrant death, but if Li Mochou really wanted to kill him, Chu Luren, as a bystander rather than a judge, probably wouldn't be so indignant as to intervene. He just wouldn't be as meddlesome as Hua Wuque to the point of helping him.

However, Lu Liding's entire family had absolutely no connection to this matter, and Chu Luren was acting on behalf of the Prime Minister...

Previously, Chu Luren had taken everything from the Duan family in Dali, including the One-Finger Divine Skill and the Six Meridians Divine Sword. Now, if possible, he naturally wouldn't want to break his promise.

Although Chu Luren didn't fawn over her, he kept addressing her as "Miss," which made the three older, resentful women feel somewhat favorably toward her. They recalled the grudges and affections they had felt when they were called "Miss" in the past, and felt a deep sense of loss and regret.

Of course, if that were all, Lu Liding's family would still not be spared!

At most, they decided that if it was not necessary, they would not use lethal poison on Chu Luren.

Whether it's Li Mochou, He Hongyao, or Mei Fanggu, none of them are soft-hearted people. However... if they can kill people for a momentary evil, they can naturally spare someone for a word that touches their heart, like "girl".

Just then, another rough voice came: "This young man is right! Fairy Li, the person involved is already dead, why do you have to press him so hard?"

A middle-aged man, unkempt and even disheveled, came running over. His movements were less graceful but still quite solid.

Upon seeing this, Wang Yuyan let out a soft "Eh" and then looked at Chu Luren...

She recognized the shadow of Duan's lightness skill in the middle-aged man's movements. However, everyone knew that Chu Luren and Duan had a good relationship, so how could they sound like they didn't know each other?

Chu Luren guessed the other party's identity, but now was not the time to explain to Wang Yuyan.

“The bloody palm print has been left. I’m determined to take the lives of the nine members of the Lu family! If Master Wu and Young Master Chu can’t do that, then let’s settle this with our hands!” Li Mochou also recognized this middle-aged man.

It was Wu Santong, who had disrupted the wedding banquet with her ten years ago, and who was also the key figure who connected the Lu Manor incident with the Dali Duan family...

Wu Santong was "Geng" among the four great guards of the previous generation of the Duan family, and He Yuanjun, Lu Zhanyuan's wife, was Wu Santong's adopted daughter.

Although Wu Santong was already married and had two children, he still developed romantic feelings for his adopted daughter. However, he was ultimately a righteous man and usually restrained his thoughts, never overstepping the bounds of propriety.

However, after the news of He Yuanjun's marriage arrived, Wu Santong was greatly shocked and went mad. He used the excuse that "Southerners cannot be trusted" to try to break up He Yuanjun and Lu Zhanyuan. He even caused a scene at the wedding banquet with Li Mochou.

However, the Duan family of Dali wouldn't let him make a fool of himself. After learning about the situation back then, they personally went to the wedding banquet to ensure its success, and even forced Li Mochou to back down, thus establishing a ten-year agreement...

For ten years, Wu Santong had been insane. But not long ago, after digging up the graves of Lu Zhanyuan and his wife and learning that He Yuanjun was dead, he calmed down a little and regained some of his senses. So he started to persuade Li Mochou instead!

Back then, Li Mochou was not yet twenty years old, and her skills were similar to Wu Santong's. Both were key figures in disrupting the wedding banquet. However, ten years have passed...

Wu Santong, now middle-aged and still somewhat eccentric, has made little progress in his strength, while Li Mochou is in her prime and experiencing the fastest growth in her abilities. The difference between the two is obvious.

Just then, seeing his figure, the village girl who had stayed there earlier exclaimed in surprise and joy, "Sanlang...you, you finally..."

"Ah! You are... my wife? What are you doing here?"

"Back then, you fell ill with hysteria and never returned. I searched for you while raising two children. I also learned that your ten-year agreement with Master Benxiang was about to expire, so I came to Lu Village to wait for you. I just happened to discover that the Crimson Serpent Demoness had left a bloody handprint at Master Lu's house..." Wu San Niangzi was indeed kind-hearted.

but……

Chu Luren really wanted to remind the two of them, could they please stop showing off their affection?

Didn't you see that the three on the other side are getting more and more murderous?

and also……

Do you even call Chi Lian "Witch" to her face?

Didn't you see I was always coaxing you into calling me "girl" or "fairy"? How come you're so arrogant?

Could it be your husband...?

"Master Wu, I wonder if you have ever practiced the 'Absorbing Power Technique' or the 'Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill'?" Chu Luren suddenly asked.

Although one is "Wu Santong" and the other is "Gu Santong", they still sound very similar.

just in case……

"What kind of kung fu is the Absorbing Power Technique? The Star Absorbing Technique? Of course I don't know that kind of crooked and evil kung fu. The Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill... that's Shaolin kung fu, right? I was a guard of the late Emperor of Dali, and I was fortunate enough to learn a few basic kung fu techniques from various schools." Wu Santong was puzzled by the question.

Well, as expected, there was no "what if".

"Since you don't even know how to do it, can you stop showing off your love?" Chu Luren said disdainfully.

Not only are their martial arts skills poor, but they also manage to attract hatred!

Looking at Li Mochou's teammates and then at his own, Chu Luren felt like he was being targeted.

"Could you and your wife go aside and talk with Sect Leader Mei for a while?" Chu Luren didn't want to directly clarify who was friend or foe, otherwise the outcome would be unpredictable.

Especially since the two on the other side were using poison, if they really went all out, Chu Luren herself had poison resistance, but the Lu family and the Wu family couple would be in grave danger. So he left some room for maneuver in his words.

Wu Santong glanced at Chu Luren. He had been acting crazy before, so naturally he wouldn't have looked at the chivalry list. He originally wanted to be more confident and face Li Mochou, but... judging from Li Mochou's appearance, which was exactly the same as ten years ago, he knew that her martial arts must have improved a lot since then!

After a slight hesitation, Wu Santong nodded and said, "Alright! Please, Sect Leader Mei!"

"Hmph, it seems I've been in seclusion for too long. Even a common soldier of the Duan family has forgotten the power of Plum Blossom Fist," Mei Fanggu said disdainfully, but was still led aside by Wu Santong.

After all, the three of them were only temporarily "teamed up" to bring justice to the scumbag. In reality, their martial arts skills were not coordinated. Rather than fighting in a chaotic mess, it would be better for them to fight each other separately.

At most, He Hongyao and Li Mochou were more familiar with each other. After Li Mochou completely left the Ancient Tomb, He Hongyao deeply resonated with her because of her experiences. He Hongyao made an exception and appointed her as an outer sect elder on behalf of the sect leader, passing on the Five Poisons Divine Palm technique from the "Five Poisons Secret Manual" to her.

The current leader, Lan Fenghuang, is, after all, her niece. In fact, Lan Fenghuang had already pardoned her many years ago, but He Hongyao was stubborn and wanted to continue searching for Xia Xueyi, so she vowed that if the Three Treasures did not return, she would not return either...

"Master Chu, what about us?" Lu Guanying looked at He Hongyao with eager anticipation.

Seeing this, Chu Luren rolled his eyes and said, "You protect your uncle's family and get out of here! Cough cough, of course, Miss Li's handprint can't be left for nothing, the manor will be burned down!"

After saying that, Chu Luren turned his head and changed his expression, looking at Hua Wuque...

Although only fifteen years old, Hua Wuque keenly sensed that beneath Chu Luren's seemingly cheerful demeanor lay some ill intentions...