The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

"Ouch!"

"what!"

Chu Luren cried out in pain, and Mu Wanqing, who had landed squarely on top of him, also screamed. She immediately got up to check on Chu Luren's condition...

Fortunately, the final distance wasn't too high, and Chu Luren at least had the agility to leap, so although he couldn't completely deflect the force, the impact wasn't too solid.

Mu Wanqing, who was lifted up at the end, was almost unharmed. Chu Luren's foot, on the other hand, twisted hard when it landed, and it felt... very painful, but it didn't seem like he had a broken bone.

"Hiss, hiss... Don't move!" Chu Luren hissed in pain and stopped Mu Wanqing from taking off her shoes.

"If you're afraid of pain, why did you jump down to save me?" Mu Wanqing asked stiffly.

"It was just a mistake; I wouldn't have been injured otherwise." Chu Luren was also filled with regret, wishing he had invested more fusion fragments.

Mu Wanqing's expression froze upon hearing this. She had originally thought that Chu Luren would say something sweet.

However, after realizing her own emotions, Mu Wanqing snorted coldly in embarrassment and turned to leave.

Then they discovered that Chu Luren seemed unable to put weight on one foot, so they made sarcastic remarks like "Why did you save me?" and "You deserve to be injured," but their bodies obediently returned and used the Shura Dart to cut open Chu Luren's right boot and sock.

Chu Luren's ankles were swollen to the size of his knees.

Mu Wanqing used her experience as a seasoned martial artist to give him a simple massage, then breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "The bone isn't broken, but it's twisted quite badly... By the way, weren't you yelling too loudly? A real man shouldn't be yelling like that when your bones aren't even broken."

"Your standards for a 'man' are too high!" Chu Luren couldn't help but complain. After all, just three months ago, he was just an ordinary out-of-school youth from the Qidian Orphanage.

The two exchanged a glance, seemingly both wanting to say something...

Chu Luren originally wanted to say—if it were Duan Yu, he'd probably be crying for his mother right now.

Mu Wanqing instinctively wanted to ask – if you are so afraid of pain, why did you jump down?

After a brief silence, Mu Wanqing, with a cold face, took the initiative to help Chu Luren up. After all, judging from his appearance, he didn't seem like the kind of person who could grit his teeth and walk on his own.

Jumping down is quick, but getting back up will take some effort...

It was already dark, and the two of them had walked along the mountain path until midnight, leaving Mu Wanqing exhausted.

The two had been silent the whole way, but after finding the mountain path and walking for more than half, Mu Wanqing suddenly said, "You are the second man besides Duan... Duan Yu who has seen my face."

"Huh? Shouldn't the second one be Yue Laosan?" Chu Luren cleverly discovered the blind spot.

Mu Wanqing: ……

On Mu Wanqing's head, a vein bulged out in the shape of a well!

"Yue Laosan is a villain! Villains aren't human, so how can they be considered men!" Mu Wanqing retorted with a nonsensical, illogical statement.

But then came a long silence, with only the rustling of footsteps and the chirping of cicadas all around.

The awkward silence was broken once again by Chu Luren, who was being supported: "Ah, actually Miss Mu should be happy. Although what happened with Brother Duan is regrettable, at least you now know who your parents are, right? Madam Qin's heart is still unresolved, but she still raised you to adulthood. Uncle Duan was also very happy when he learned your identity..."

Mu Wanqing didn't speak when she heard this, but she also remembered the longing she felt when she saw other people with parents as a child. Now that this "longing" had come true, not only was her master her mother, but she also had a father who cared about her. Mu Wanqing felt much better.

But this situation... is far more complicated than she had ever hoped for!

"What do you know!" Mu Wanqing retorted instinctively.

"Actually, I've never met my parents, and... I probably won't see them again." Chu Luren is, after all, a human, so no matter how hard he tries, he can't imagine that his parents are here.

Mu Wanqing hesitated for a long time, and after taking more than twenty steps, she finally managed to stammer out, "Sorry."

This is probably the first time Mu Wanqing has ever apologized since she was a child, except when she apologized to "Yougu Ke" for not practicing her skills hard enough.

……

In the dead of night, the Zhennan Prince's Mansion was attacked again, and a curfew was imposed in Dali City.

However, when Mu Wanqing and Chu Luren returned, they were quickly informed and invited into the city.

This time, the two were led to the palace by Zhu Danchen, presumably because Duan Zhengming felt that the palace would be more secure.

When they saw Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun again, the two brothers were initially nervous when they saw Chu Luren clinging to Mu Wanqing. In their view, unless someone had a broken leg, they wouldn't cling to a woman. However, seeing Chu Luren's complexion, they felt much more at ease. At the same time, they looked at Mu Wanqing and Chu Luren with a "strange" expression.

When Mu Wanqing left earlier, Duan Zhengchun was worried that something might go wrong. Fortunately, he saw that Chu Luren had brought her back, although... the way he brought her back was a bit strange.

Moreover, although Mu Wanqing still had a cold face when facing Duan Zhengchun, she no longer showed much resistance.

Upon seeing their gazes, Mu Wanqing blushed even more, pushed Chu Luren onto a chair beside her, and then said, "He accidentally fell off a cliff, and I picked him up!"

However, after a moment's thought, Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun, seeing the dust on their bodies, could vaguely guess what was going on.

"Thank you so much, Young Hero Chu, for saving my daughter. From now on..." Duan Zhengchun was deeply moved and solemnly expressed his gratitude.

But Chu Luren couldn't help but interrupt, "Uncle Duan, you don't need to be so polite... Where is Brother Duan?"

When Zhu Danchen brought the two into the palace, Chu Luren noticed that he looked worried. When asked, he only said, "Let's see His Majesty and the Prince first and then discuss it further."

Logically speaking, based on the situation when Chu Luren left, Duan Yanqing and his group shouldn't have gained any advantage. However, when they saw Duan Zhengchun and Duan Zhengming, the two seemed a bit anxious, and even... Duan Zhengming didn't look too well!

"Alas, it was my carelessness that led me into Mu Gaofeng's trap, and... alas, it even resulted in Yu'er being captured!" Duan Zhengming said helplessly.

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhengchun immediately advised, "Brother, don't blame yourself! It's because I've made many enemies in the past that... I've implicated Yu'er and Dali!"

After hearing Duan Zhengming's explanation, Chu Lu finally understood...

It turns out that when Duan Zhengming was fighting Duan Yanqing and Mu Gaofeng, he had already gained the upper hand and was about to take down the weaker Mu Gaofeng when the latter suddenly lowered his body, pointed his hunchback at Duan Zhengming's One-Finger Divine Skill, and then slapped his own hunchback from behind.

His clothes billowed even more, and after Duan Zhengming pointed at them, poisonous smoke burst forth...

Although Duan Zhengming suppressed the poison with his innate skill, Duan Yu was distracted and his Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) faltered. Duan Yanqing, who had been watching him closely and had now withdrawn from the battle due to Duan Zhengming's poisoning, seized the opportunity to capture him!

Then, Ba Tianshi, Hua Hegen and other Dali masters arrived, but Duan Yu was still captured by them.

Duan Zhengming had to forcefully suppress the effects of the poison, and when he tried to give chase, he was blocked by an "old acquaintance," causing him to miss his chance...

Before leaving, Duan Yanqing said, "If you want Duan boy's life, come to Wanchou Valley in seven days to demand his return!"

Chapter Fourteen: The Past of the Southern Emperor

"No bones or tendons were injured, just quite swollen. Nephew, just rest well and don't worry about Yu'er. This is Dali, Yu'er will be fine."

Duan Zhengming had just personally used his internal energy to massage Chu Luren's ankle, and Chu Luren immediately felt the pain lessen considerably, so he quickly thanked Duan Zhengming.

Despite having been poisoned yesterday, Duan Zhengming's complexion has returned to normal today. However, Chu Luren... has been in pain and hasn't slept much all night. Moreover, because his ankle is swollen, he can't sit cross-legged to regulate his breathing, and now he looks like he has suffered a serious injury.

Upon hearing Duan Zhengming mention Duan Yu again, Chu Luren, who was "familiar" with this matter, quickly reminded him, "And Miss Mu's safety! I have a feeling they might cause trouble."

"Hahaha, yes, and 'your' Mu girl too." Duan Zhengming even winked at Chu Luren as he spoke.

Chu Luren: ? ? ?

What does this have to do with me? We're not siblings!

Besides...

Chu Luren had wanted to complain for a long time: So what if he was drugged with "beep"? Why couldn't he hold back?

Don't they still have hands? These so-called heroes and heroines are truly baffling!

Anyone who dares to administer "beep" to him, Chu Luren will make them know what it means to detoxify in three minutes, safely and painlessly...

Upon hearing Chu Luren's "reminder," Duan Zhengming clearly thought of something else and suddenly found Chu Luren increasingly pleasing to the eye.

After a moment's thought, he brought up another matter to Chu Luren: "Nephew Chu, when you fought with Yun Zhonghe, your finger techniques seemed to have some traces of the One-Finger Divine Skill... Oh! Uncle, I was just thinking that if you have such comprehension, you might be able to learn another technique."

"Indeed, the One Finger Divine Skill is profound and extensive. I was deeply moved after just a few glances." Chu Luren was both surprised and delighted. Could it be that he was going to be taught the Six Meridians Divine Sword?

Duan Zhengming could discern the origins of some finger techniques, which didn't surprise Chu Luren. However, since Chu Luren had only just seen the finger manual at the time, and the synthesized "Vitality Finger" was ultimately different from "One Yang Finger," Duan Zhengming assumed that Chu Luren already possessed some kind of finger technique and gained further insights when he looked at One Yang Finger later.

Even so, it is enough to show how high Chu Luren's aptitude is—for which Chu Luren can only accept his fate with shame.

"Is my nephew Chu ready for marriage?" Duan Zhengming groaned again, seemingly hesitant.

Chu Luren wasn't stupid. Following Duan Zhengming's reaction, she assumed he had misunderstood her and Mu Wanqing, so she quickly explained, "We're not married yet, but there's nothing between Miss Mu and me..."

Upon hearing this, Duan Zhengming winked at Chu Luren with an even stranger expression, and then said, "It's just that the technique your uncle wants to pass on to you will be easier to practice if you are a virgin."

Chu Luren: 囧

"Hahaha, of course, about you and Wanqing...you're young! Just be careful yourselves. If you really think it's right, you can talk to your uncle!" Duan Zhengming laughed loudly.

In an instant, Chu Luren not only felt that his foot was healed, but he was also so embarrassed that he wished he could dig out a three-bedroom apartment on the spot...

Seeing Chu Luren's embarrassment, Duan Zhengming did not press his advantage, but instead changed the subject back to the previous one: "This skill was passed down to me by the Quanzhen founder Wang Chongyang. It was originally intended to restrain Ouyang Feng, but unfortunately... this skill requires extremely high comprehension. I have also discussed it with my second brother. When Wang Chongyang was alive, he also passed it on to the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, but none of them gained anything from it."

Upon hearing Duan Zhengming's words, Chu Luren immediately realized that the Six Meridian Divine Sword was just wishful thinking on his part. What Duan Zhengming was referring to was probably another skill besides "One Finger Divine Skill"—the Innate Skill!

It was precisely because it was so difficult to master that it was almost lost in the Condor Heroes storyline. In the original work, the Southern Emperor regretted not saving Ying Gu's child and even contemplated suicide, only wanting to pass on the Innate Skill to the Northern Beggar before his death. However, Hong Qigong discovered his intention and resolutely refused to learn it, which led the Southern Emperor to change his mind and take a step back to become a monk to reflect on his actions...

Not only did the Southern Emperor fail to find a suitable successor, but even the Seven Masters of Quanzhen failed to master this skill.

"As for the matter of the primordial yang body, my dear nephew, there is no need to worry. However, if the primordial yang is still present, it will be easier to enter the path. If you can truly master it, it will only take two or three years. After that, there will be no problem. You and... cough cough, you are both still young, so there is no rush for these things." Duan Zhengming added.

Chu Luren wasn't worried about the Yuan Yang issue. After all, even if he learned it, he would only use it for fusion. Even if there were any bad limitations after fusion, he could simply not use it.

However, I am somewhat worried about the reason for Duan Zhengming's transfer of power...

"Since it was passed down from the Quanzhen Patriarch to Uncle Duan, why... please forgive me for not accepting it." Chu Luren recalled Duan Zhengming's vague remarks yesterday, only saying that there was an "old friend" blocking him, and he already had some guesses in his mind. Naturally, he would not think about the Innate Skill at this time.

Just then, Duan Zhengchun suddenly pushed the door open and entered: "That's right! Your Majesty, even Nephew Chu said so, you must not even entertain such a thought!"

It was rare for Duan Zhengchun to speak to his elder brother in such a "stern" tone.

That's right, the person who "timely" stopped Duan Zhengming last night was none other than the legendary Ying Gu.

Duan Zhengming was even more tragic than the Southern Emperor in Chu Luren's memory.

The Southern Emperor in The Legend of the Condor Heroes had a large harem, but Ying Gu was one of his favorites. Duan Zhengming, on the other hand, only had Ying Gu, and when he first brought her into the palace, he went to practice the Innate Skill with Wang Chongyang before they even consummated their marriage...

Just like in the Legend of the Condor Heroes, Zhou Botong, who came with Wang Chongyang, developed feelings for Ying Gu and committed immoral and unethical acts. After being discovered, Wang Chongyang wanted to expel him from the group, but Duan Zhengming stopped him.

Firstly, he was grateful for Wang Chongyang's trust in traveling so far to impart his skills, and couldn't bear to hurt his junior brother. Secondly, Duan Zhengming and Ying Gu were childhood sweethearts, and seeing Ying Gu's eyes on Zhou Botong, he realized that Ying Gu didn't love him... Instead, he wanted to help the two of them leave Dali.

However, Zhou Botong felt sorry for Duan Zhengming and actually "ran away". Duan Zhengming did not drive Ying Gu away. Even after discovering that Ying Gu was pregnant, Duan Zhengming acted as if she did not exist.

Later, Ying Gu's child was ambushed and injured with an extremely powerful palm strike, but miraculously survived. Ying Gu knew that only her innate abilities could save the child, so she begged Duan Zhengming. Duan Zhengming was initially reluctant, but when he was about to help, he saw the love poems between Ying Gu and Zhou Botong embroidered on the child's bib. Therefore, he hardened his heart and refused to save the child once...

Logically speaking, anyone who hasn't gone mad with evil spirits, even a feminist, wouldn't think that Lao Duan did anything wrong. After all, saving someone is no easy task; Duan Zhengming would have to dissipate his power for a long time and take great risks, which was exactly the purpose of the person who plotted against him.

To use a modern analogy, it's like selling your only home to pay for medical treatment for your wife's illegitimate child with her lover... It's remarkable enough that Duan Zhengming even entertained such a thought.

However, Ying Gu hated him because of this incident, and Duan Zhengming himself felt very guilty and remained unmarried for twenty years.

Duan Zhengchun noticed yesterday that Duan Zhengming's mood was not quite right. Today, when he heard that Duan Zhengming had come to see Chu Luren, he came over to check on him. He happened to hear a section of the Innate Skill outside the door. When he saw that Chu Luren refused, he could not hold back any longer and pushed the door open and came in.