The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

When Hua Wuque is out and about, he will respectfully address others as "Great Hero" or "Your Excellency," but he will never call them "Senior," because in Hua Wuque's eyes, no one is worthy of being on the same level as his two masters... not even in name!

Chu Luren really wanted to gag him now...

Huang Yaoshi was indeed so angry that his face twitched – that fake face was applied very perfunctorily, and it would tremble if he breathed heavily.

"Does Young Master Hua think that I'm afraid of the Flower Palace?" Huang Yaoshi's voice was now genuinely cold.

However, Chu Luren felt that... he was genuinely "afraid," otherwise such a pretentious person would not have asked that question at all!

Even if it's not "fear," it's at least "warning."

This is understandable. After all, the two palace masters of Yihua Palace only have one disciple. If it were a young disciple from another famous sect, they would teach him a lesson if they didn't like him. But those two crazy women from Yihua Palace are not only willful, but also have the power to be willful!

"How dare I? How dare I? My master and second master are so respectable, how could they be frightening?" Hua Wuque quickly denied, but... his denial was quite peculiar.

Huang Yaoshi's mask was constantly being fanned, making it impossible to discern his expression.

"Respect? Ha, in the martial world, the strong are respected, but this respect is not so cheap! If you two juniors are not convinced, I cannot bully the weak, so I will limit it to... a hundred moves!" Huang Yaoshi also included Chu Luren in his calculations.

Chu Luren: ? ? ?

What does this have to do with me?

Chu Luren could also see that Huang Yaoshi neither wanted to "be afraid of the Yihua Palace" nor wanted the future rumors to spread that "he could not defeat Hua Wuque in a hundred moves," so he deliberately dragged him into it!

"Very well, if Brother Chu and I are fortunate enough to win even a move or two, please ask Elder Huang to apologize to the three young ladies." Hua Wuque still looked very confident, and... because of his previous performance, "Young Master Chu" had been upgraded to "Brother Chu".

However, Chu Luren, who was no longer in his rebellious teenage years, secretly groaned at Huang Yaoshi's flirting...

As expected, Huang Yaoshi was also angered by Hua Wuque's attitude—Hua Wuque's tone never gave people a sense of arrogance, but rather indifference... as if the truth itself really was like that.

At the same time, he only showed superficial humility to everyone!

"Alright, if you can withstand a hundred moves, I will apologize to them. But if you can't... you'll have to go to Peach Blossom Island and learn arithmetic for a few years. Consider it my place as the two palace masters of the Flower Palace... and also Emperor Duan, to temper your temperaments!"

Chu Luren: ? ? ?

What does this have to do with me?

“I think… Senior Huang just wanted to take this opportunity to resolve his inner conflict. The three young ladies will surely understand Senior Huang’s good intentions. Where did this talk of apology come from…” Chu Luren didn’t think that this so-called “arithmetic” was mathematics. It was more likely that he was thrown into the Qimen Dunjia Forest on Peach Blossom Island and not allowed to leave until he got out.

Huang Yaoshi clearly didn't want Chu Luren to back down, as if he was only targeting Hua Wuque, so he directly interrupted, saying, "If you can withstand a hundred moves, I can teach you a finger technique that is no weaker than the 'One-Finger Divine Skill'!"

"Please give me your guidance, senior!" Chu Luren replied quickly, his words preceding his thoughts.

Chapter 109 One Hundred Moves

Li Mochou awoke from her meditation and saw... Chu Luren dodging Huang Yaoshi's palm strike with a water-splashing leap!

Although the palm strike landed on the tree trunk more than ten feet away, causing wood chips to gush out from the other side, Huang Yaoshi stopped attacking after that. Chu Luren also stood still and said, "Thank you for your mercy, senior."

"You've passed the hundred moves; consider yourself lucky!" Huang Yaoshi said stiffly, his figure flashing once more as he suddenly stepped forward and "captured" Chu Luren.

"Be careful!" Li Mochou, unaware of the situation, remembered the sounds of the flute and suona from before, and thus gave a warning.

However, Chu Luren did not resist much. Wang Yuyan, who was standing nearby, stopped Li Mochou from speaking up and let Chu Luren be "taken away" by Huang Yaoshi.

At the same time, Hua Wuque, who was standing to the side, looked rather pale.

Chu Luren blocked Huang Yaoshi's hundred moves?

of course not!

If we rewind time, we'll see that after Huang Yaoshi made a bet with Hua Wuque and Chu Luren, Hua Wuque didn't intend to fight two against one. Instead, he discussed with Chu Luren that they would each experience Huang Yaoshi's superior skills.

The Chu Lu people naturally agreed...

After all, Huang Yaoshi had been famous for a long time and his martial arts were far superior to the two of them. Chu Luren and Hua Wuque were not familiar with each other and did not know much about each other's martial arts styles, so they could not help each other in a tacit way, which did not help to delay the situation.

Moreover, the hundred moves are definitely limited to Huang Yaoshi's hundred moves. It's impossible for Hua Wuque and Huang Yaoshi to be fighting while Chu Luren is doing calisthenics on the side, with each beat counting as a move...

As for Hua Wuque's thoughts, even if he couldn't defeat a top-tier expert like the Eastern Heretic, he still wanted to win spectacularly and strive to handle a hundred moves on his own.

However, reality is harsh!

What does it mean to withstand a hundred moves from Huang Yaoshi, who is in his fifties?

According to the original novel "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", the protagonist Guo Jing's strength would only be at the "Second Mount Hua Sword Tournament", which is near the end.

In the second Mount Hua Sword Tournament in the original work, Hong Qigong and Huang Yaoshi "carried sedan chairs" for their disciple and son-in-law, agreeing to fight Guo Jing. Whoever won first would be the winner. They even agreed that if Guo Jing was trapped by Huang Rong and did not win after 300 moves, he would be considered the winner!

As a result, Huang Yaoshi couldn't defeat Guo Jing even after three hundred moves...

Of course, there are objective reasons for this. At first, Huang Yaoshi underestimated Guo Jing and wanted to enhance his son-in-law's reputation, so he did not go all out. As a result, Guo Jing gained the upper hand at the beginning and only turned the tide after more than a hundred moves. At three hundred moves, Huang Yaoshi used the "Five Turns of Qimen" and was about to knock Guo Jing down.

In reality, if you count carefully, there are only about a hundred moves.

Similarly, Hong Qigong, being a powerful and explosive fighter, was confident that he could defeat Guo Jing in a maximum of two hundred moves. However, firstly, he felt sorry for his disciple, and secondly... Hong Qigong was worried that if he won too quickly, Huang Yaoshi would lose face and cause further trouble. Therefore, he decided to unleash his full power after two hundred moves.

The result was that Hong Qigong was old and had just recovered from serious injuries. This move... caused Hong Qigong to run out of steam after about 150 or 160 moves, and Guo Jing showed no signs of defeat after 300 moves!

Ignoring these objective factors, if one goes all out and acts cautiously, that would be roughly the strength of "Guo Jing in the Second Round," enough to withstand a hundred moves.

Although they were somewhat wary of the masters and mistresses of the Yihua Palace, Huang Yaoshi was, after all, the "Eastern Heretic," and he would not be timid or hesitant when his evil side came out!

At first, Huang Yaoshi wanted to include Chu Luren as well, thinking that being outmatched by the two of them for a hundred moves wouldn't be anything shameful. However...

Under Hua Wuque's "provocation" without his own awareness, Huang Yaoshi lost his temper and made a bet with him. Naturally, if Huang Yaoshi wins, he will really capture him and take him to Peach Blossom Island.

With the bet in place, it can't be considered bullying the weak. Even if the two palace masters of Yihua Palace are unreasonable... if you can't afford to offend them, you can at least avoid them.

In the original "Legend of the Condor Heroes" novel, the second discussion takes place five years later.

However, Huang Yaoshi was already over fifty years old, which was a stable period for his strength. He was in his prime and would not make rapid progress in just a few years, so there would not be much difference between him and a few years later.

On the contrary, Guo Jing at that time, although young, was already in his early twenties, while Hua Wuque now was only fifteen or almost sixteen!

Even with Huang Yaoshi's furious attack, genuinely intending to capture him and "educate" him for several years, Hua Wuque managed to withstand ninety-five moves before finally losing ground. On the ninety-seventh move, Huang Yaoshi used the "Five Turns of Qimen" to knock him down, which was enough for Hua Wuque to be proud of and worthy of the prestigious name of the Yihua Palace.

after that……

Chu Luren's martial arts skills are a whole level below Hua Wuque's, and he can't even compare to Huang Yaoshi. However, with his slippery "Kun Swimming in the Void" technique, it won't be easy to defeat him in three moves.

At first, Huang Yaoshi wanted to use the "Falling Flower Divine Sword Palm" with its powerful palm strikes to clear the field directly. However, Chu Luren's "Flowers in Full Bloom" was not enough to expose Huang Yaoshi's weakness, but it was enough to see through the weakness in the falling petals.

Even the acupoint striking technique of the Finger Flicking Divine Skill couldn't harm Chu Luren, who had undergone the Yi Jing Transformation—although the acupoints weren't hit, the sheer force of the finger still caused Chu Luren internal injuries, but he was ultimately only somewhat disheveled, and when the palm strike came from the void, he could still leap up in a splash...

Three moves, gone in the blink of an eye.

“Although Senior Huang is neither entirely righteous nor wicked and is not listed on the list of chivalrous heroes, I don’t think he would go back on his word. Taking Brother Chu away is probably to fulfill the bet we made before,” Wang Yuyan explained to Li Mochou.

Huang Yaoshi is of course not listed on the list of chivalrous heroes!

Firstly, he did not establish any sect or gang, so his influence was limited. Secondly, Huang Yaoshi was not only extremely skilled in martial arts, but also proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, medicine, divination, astrology, and even agriculture, water conservancy, economics, and military strategy.

In his youth, he also aspired to serve his country, but later found no way to do so and became disillusioned with the Song court. This led him to live abroad and become increasingly unconventional and disgusted with worldly customs and etiquette.

Like other talented but unappreciated individuals, Huang Yaoshi often enjoyed gossiping about the affairs of the imperial court, both big and small. Naturally, the Number One Manor under Heaven, representing the "Song Dynasty's correctness" in the martial arts world, wouldn't rank him on the list of chivalrous heroes…

Even if Wang Yuyan didn't explain, Li Mochou wouldn't chase after her, but she did breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing this!

As for the bet between Huang Yaoshi and Hua Wuque?

Even Hua Wuque couldn't last a hundred moves!

Huang Yaoshi didn't feel he had broken his promise by not taking him to Peach Blossom Island to fulfill the bet. This was because Chu Luren had withstood a hundred moves.

After taking a breath, Hua Wuque didn't think about chasing after him to argue. He just felt that he had embarrassed his master and second master, and that his martial arts skills were "mediocre" and that he had failed to uphold justice.

After Chu Luren returned having learned the "Flick of the Finger" technique, Hua Wuque confirmed that Huang Yaoshi had also left and that Li Mochou, Wang Yuyan, and the others were safe. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he turned and left...

Chapter 110 Encountering a Melee

This was not the first time Huang Yaoshi had used his Finger Flicking Skill. More than 20 years ago, when Huang Yaoshi was still young and ambitious, he challenged Yang Xiao, who had become the Left Envoy of the Ming Cult at a similarly young age, to a duel.

Yang Xiao became famous at a young age and was the Left Envoy of the Ming Cult at the height of his power at the age of twenty. He was also over thirty years old at the time, nearly ten years older than Huang Yaoshi, so he was ultimately superior in skill... At that time, Huang Yaoshi also lost to this "Finger Flicking Divine Skill".

Of course, more than twenty years have passed, and Huang Yaoshi's "finger flicking skill" has changed a lot since then.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior!" Chu Luren looked radiant after receiving the instruction.

Seeing this, Huang Yaoshi's frustration eased somewhat—after all, his joy at obtaining the "Finger Flicking Divine Skill" was an affirmation of the skill and a sign of respect for himself.

Unlike Yang Xiao back then, who would ramble on after winning, saying things like "Flick of the Finger Divine Skill and Falling Flower Divine Sword are nothing special," which was incredibly infuriating.

Upon thinking of this, Huang Yaoshi added, "If you ever encounter someone in the Ming Cult who knows the Finger Flicking Skill, you can demonstrate this move to him and ask him if he can still break it!"

Chu Luren was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then vaguely guessed the identity of that person...

Since it was just a demonstration and there was no need for Chu Luren to teach the other party a lesson, he readily agreed.

"Actually... this junior also has a rudimentary understanding of music, I wonder if I can communicate with you, senior..." Before Chu Luren could finish speaking, the figure in green disappeared in a few leaps.

Chu Luren felt somewhat regretful that he had not been able to exchange ideas with Huang Yaoshi on the "Song of the Rising Tide of the Azure Sea".

I could only force myself to think bitterly: I wouldn't want to use such a weak entrance song either!

However, having learned this "Finger Flicking Divine Skill" was already a worthwhile investment. Following his memory, Chu Luren returned to Lu Village by the same route. Hua Wuque seemed somewhat depressed, and after seeing Chu Luren, he took his leave after only a few words.

"Young Master Chu, I, He Hongyao, owe you a favor this time. In the future, if you have any orders, as long as they do not harm the Five Poisons Sect, I, He Hongyao, will accept them, whether it is my old life or something immoral!"

"Indeed, Mei Fanggu will remember this kindness today."

He Hongyao and Mei Fanggu were both very grateful to Chu Luren—although they hated men, their savior was naturally treated differently from any other scoundrel.

He Hongyao was one thing, but Chu Luren glanced at Mei Fanggu and then quickly asked, "Sect Leader Mei, what did you mean by 'bastard' earlier...?"

Upon hearing this, Mei Fanggu's eyes darted away, but she pretended to be natural and said, "He is my... adopted son, a little beggar I took in more than ten years ago, just so he wouldn't be left unattended. I had to go out a few days ago, and I don't know where that little brat went. Maybe he's been carried off by wolves."

Chu Luren, hearing Mei Fanggu's excuses and knowing that "dog bastard" was no longer around and there was nothing he could do, did not argue further.

Afterwards, He Hongyao also bid farewell and left, as she would continue searching for "Little Bitch" and the missing Xia Xueyi in Jiangnan.

After Li Mochou was left alone, the Scarlet Serpent Fairy spoke somewhat awkwardly, bowing and saying, "Although I am a person outside the realm of civilization, I will remember the great hero Chu's rescue today. As for the Lu family matter... I will never mention it again. As for the trip to Zhongnan Mountain..."

Seeing her earnestness, and thinking that it might not be a bad thing if Li Mochou could return to the Ancient Tomb, Chu Luren continued her words, saying, "I also need to go to Chongyang Palace. If it is truly a good thing, I can go with Miss Li."

Wang Yuyan wasn't bothered by going to find Murong Fu at this moment. The incident at Xingzi Forest still bothered her, and she didn't know how to face it. If Chu Luren wanted to go to Shaolin, she would go with him; if not... she would let nature take its course.

Li Mochou then revived Hong Lingbo, but unfortunately, Lu Manor had already burned down. The four of them had no choice but to travel through the night. Even if it hadn't burned down, Li Mochou wouldn't have wanted to stay there.

Zhongnan Mountain is far away in Guanzhong, while the mountain where Chongyang Palace, the ancestral temple of the Quanzhen School, is located is in the Chang'an area. It is likely that the Tomb of the Living Dead of the Ancient Tomb School is also nearby.

Although the journey from Jiaxing to Chang'an is not as long as the journey from Dali to Suzhou that Chu Luren had previously undertaken, it is still about half the length of the journey!