The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

But it can't just be some unknown little sect, right?

However, at this moment, Chu Luren had already stood next to Qiu Chuji, cupped his hands and said, "Chu Luren of the Ancient Tomb Sect greets your esteemed neighbor!"

Seeing Chu Luren wink at him, Qiu Chuji had no choice but to speak up: "Ahem, my esteemed neighbor is too polite... The founder of the Ancient Tomb Sect had a very deep relationship with my Quanzhen Sect founder, and... indeed, indeed, they both resided in Zhongnan Mountain..."

Qiu Chuji found it hard to say, so Chu Luren added for him, "Indeed, it is an important part of the martial arts world in Guanzhong!"

Chapter 151 Acquaintances

Upon hearing Qiu Chuji introduce the Ancient Tomb Sect and prove that the Ancient Tomb Sect had a relationship with the Quanzhen Sect and was even neighbors, although everyone was still confused, or guessed that the Ancient Tomb Sect must have been a reclusive sect before, they could not refuse Chu Luren's attention.

While the Ancient Tomb Sect is relatively unknown, Chu Luren has recently gained some fame. More importantly... he is the neighbor of the Quanzhen Sect, so their relationship must be excellent and have a long history.

Just like the Songshan Sect and the Northern Shaolin Temple in the past... their relationship has gradually become estranged in recent years since Zuo Lengchan took over as sect leader!

Well, now that I know there's a suona player in the Ancient Tomb Sect, I should be careful when I see this series again, as they might all be from the Ancient Tomb Sect!

Distracted by Chu Luren, Yue Buqun seized the opportunity to say, "Brother Feng said that my position as sect leader is illegitimate? Haha, it just so happens that many sects from Guanzhong have been invited to Mount Hua today, so let's settle things then! Fellow disciples of the Songshan Sect may also stay and listen, lest the Left Alliance Leader be misled by treacherous people."

After all, the notification had been urgent, and not all the people had arrived yet, so Yue Buqun wanted to delay a little longer.

Previously, the Songshan Sect had lost face in Hengshan City, which made Yue Buqun see another way to counter Songshan—to use the resistance of the local martial arts community to the powerful actions of cross-regional martial arts forces to gradually get rid of Songshan!

The reason why the Five Mountains Sword Sect was established and has achieved its current prestige is that the five sects hoped to unite and increase their influence in the region. It cannot be called "befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones", but it is a similar principle.

However, with the deepening connections between the Five Mountains Sword Sects and the emergence of a powerful figure like Zuo Lengchan, the Songshan Sect's strength surpasses that of the other four sects, which has led to the current predicament of the other four sects.

Unexpectedly, Lu Bai and Ding Mian not only did not refute this, but instead chuckled and said, "Heh, Mr. Yue's words make sense."

This made Yue Buqun feel increasingly uneasy, and he vaguely sensed that something might be beyond his expectations!

Linghu Chong, Lin Pingzhi, and Lu Dayou stood obediently among the disciples of the Huashan Sect. Yue Buqun glared at Linghu Chong, who was secretly on the Cliff of Contemplation, but since there had been an unexpected turn of events and it was in front of so many people, he did not reprimand him.

At this time, apart from Qiu Chuji, they had only just arrived at a few neighboring sects. Qiu Chuji gave Chu Luren a brief introduction.

Chu Luren is currently in the spotlight, and he seems to have a good relationship with the Quanzhen Sect. People are fawning over him, and even those who haven't heard of the Ancient Tomb Sect are exchanging pleasantries with him.

Only Qiu Chuji was very suspicious...

Can Chu Luren really represent the Ancient Tomb Sect? There weren't any male disciples before! However, it's not appropriate to question him directly, since Chu Luren just returned to Quanzhen Sect.

Yue Buqun had already hired a chef and prepared a banquet, inviting everyone to gather in small groups...

Afterwards, amidst an awkward silence, representatives from other sects arrived one after another, mostly from the Guanzhong region, as well as some from neighboring areas such as Shaanxi, eastern Shaanxi, and Sizhou.

All the visitors greeted Yue Buqun first, and then exchanged a few perfunctory pleasantries with the people from the Songshan Sect.

Just then, someone outside suddenly called out, "Amitabha! I am not late, am I, Lord Zuo, having been invited?"

These words undoubtedly came from a Buddhist monk, but the voice... was so loud it was breathtaking. Although it didn't seem like someone was deliberately shouting, it lacked the restraint of a Buddhist monk.

At this moment, the disciples of the Huashan Sect also sang: "The abbot of Qingliang Temple on Mount Wutai, the venerable one from the sacred mountain, has arrived!"

A short but strong monk, wearing a kasaya, walked in leisurely.

The monk was unremarkable in appearance, but as soon as he entered, many people from the martial arts world stood up to greet him. Lu Bai and Ding Mian also greeted him politely, saying, "Greetings, Master Shenshan. Our sect leader instructed us to greet you in person when we see you. We also apologize to our sect leader for being too busy with worldly affairs to meet you this time."

"Haha, you're too kind, Alliance Leader Zuo."

Yue Buqun's expression remained unchanged, but he could tell that the Divine Mountain Abbot had been brought by Zuo Lengchan.

However, compared to others, the status of the Divine Mountain Master in the martial arts world was clearly a level higher; only Qiu Chuji present could compare to him…

Qiu Chuji didn't initiate a conversation, and the Venerable Shenshan seemed oblivious as well. After exchanging pleasantries with the others, he came over and cupped his hands to Qiu Chuji, saying, "Amitabha, it's been a long time since I last saw you, Master Qiu. I've missed you dearly!"

Qiu Chuji, who had been frowning and cold, clasped his hands together and said, "It is only because the Master has come that this humble Taoist has missed you."

The exchange of greetings between Buddhists and Taoists is a long-standing custom, signifying mutual respect. According to this old custom, the monk should first perform the Taoist greeting, and then the Taoist should return the Buddhist greeting, also to distinguish between host and guest.

However, this rule is more common in religious discussions. In martial arts sects, they generally follow their own rules. If a disciple of the Zhi generation were here today, according to the rules of the martial arts world, they would definitely have to come and pay their respects to the Divine Mountain Master.

After all, in this situation, we are all people in the martial arts world, not practitioners of the two religions debating Zen and Taoism.

However, everyone could see that the Divine Mountain Master and Qiu Chuji seemed to have had some disagreements, and their words at this moment contained a hidden barb!

This is not surprising, after all, both of them are known for their strong personalities. Qiu Chuji's combativeness is well known, and those who know the Venerable Shenshan of Qingliang Temple know that although he is a Buddhist, he is also very competitive.

Indeed, he was talented. Not only was he highly skilled in martial arts, but at a young age, his martial arts skills surpassed those of the entire temple, and he succeeded as the abbot of Qingliang Temple. He was as famous as Abbot Xuanci of Southern Shaolin Temple. Xuanci was known in the martial arts world as the "Dragon-Subduing Arhat," while Shenshan was known as the "Tiger-Taming Arhat."

On the contrary, the Northern Shaolin Temple has kept a very low profile in recent years, perhaps due to the rebellion of the Fire-Worker Monk and its current conflict with Zhang Sanfeng.

There are two Qingliang Temples serving as abbots of Shenshan. Besides the Qingliang Temple on Mount Wutai in eastern Shaanxi, which is both a Chan (Zen) Buddhist temple and a martial arts school, there is also a Qingliang Temple near Chang'an, which is a place that receives many pilgrims.

Now that the Mongol Yuan dynasty was in control of Guanzhong, the Mongols were not very familiar with Buddhism and Taoism. While the Han Chinese sects in various regions were disgusted by these foreign invaders, it seemed that Taoist and Buddhist practitioners also wanted the Mongol Yuan to recognize them, or even to influence the Mongol Yuan with their own teachings.

The Quanzhen School, also known as the Quanzhen Sect of Taoism, although it refused to cooperate with the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, actually tried to get the Mongol Yuan to accept Taoism. There was also the Chongyang Palace near Chang'an City—which was involved in spreading Taoism and converting people. Could this be considered as surrendering to the Mongol Yuan?

The Quanzhen School was located near Chang'an, and the sect of Qingliang Temple was also based in Chang'an...

The Venerable Shenshan also had a somewhat domineering personality. It is said that he once wanted to join Shaolin Temple in his early years, but was rejected by the Shaolin elders because they thought he was too sharp. So he went to Qingliang Temple instead. It is not surprising that something happened between him and Qiu Chuji.

However, the two have clearly not reached the point of falling out yet. After all, whether it is spreading the teachings or converting people, Zen Buddhism and Taoism have not been successful in the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. On the contrary, Tibetan Buddhism, which is more esoteric, is now gaining popularity in the Mongol Yuan Dynasty after the Golden Wheel Monk spread the teachings!

Speaking of the Venerable Shenshan, Chu Luren had another secret in his heart—when it came to Qingliang Temple on Mount Wutai, the Qing Dynasty Emperor Shunzhi in "The Deer and the Cauldron" became a monk there!

Of course, considering the current situation of various countries in the martial arts world, Wutai Mountain is too close to the border between Mongolia and Manchuria. It is not a place that retired cadres should go. However... if this really happens, the position of the person on the sacred mountain will be very delicate.

Let's set aside the unverifiable matters for now.

Seeing that everyone from different sects seemed to be very friendly, Chu Luren felt a little envious—why didn't anyone recognize me?

In contrast, Chu Luren received a somewhat cold reception, not because he looked down on him, but because... he was simply not familiar with him! After all, Chu Luren had only been in the martial arts world for a little over a year.

Just then, a somewhat familiar name made Chu Luren's spirits lift...

"Qin Hongmian from the Five Phoenix Swordsmen of Hedong has arrived!"

Chu Luren suddenly realized... he seemed to hear a familiar name?

Then, a familiar figure followed behind Qin Hongmian and squeezed into Chu Luren's field of vision...

Chapter 152 The Star Absorber Appears Again

The Five Phoenix Blade Sect is a small sect in Hedong, which is part of eastern Shaanxi, bordering Guanzhong.

Chu Luren had no recollection of the Five Phoenix Saber Sect, a small sect, which was roughly similar to the Qin Family Village or the Golden Saber Sect. The only appearance of the Five Phoenix Saber Sect in the original work was that its disciple Meng Zhengfei's brother was killed by Xie Xun, forcing them to seek help from the Wudang Sect before Zhang Sanfeng's 100th birthday banquet...

Of course, they weren't going to Wudang Mountain to seek revenge. It was just out of face that they reluctantly went. On the way, they met Yu Lianzhou and the other two heroes and asked them a question. Afterwards, Yu Lianzhou and the other two heroes politely said that they had "other difficulties and could not tell them." They also gave them face and asked Meng Zhengfei to convey that "Yu Er, Zhang Wu, and Yin Liu should give their regards to their master, Master Wu."

Having gained face, Meng Zhengfei not only didn't press the matter further, but instead declared, "If the Wudang Sect needs anything in the future, just send a message. Although the Five Phoenix Saber Sect members are of low ability, we will never refuse to go to the trouble of running errands," acting as if he had already sworn allegiance to Wudang, before returning home...

Of course, Wudang didn't have anything to do to send them around, so the "Five Phoenix Saber Sect" didn't get any other roles.

Chu Luren naturally couldn't remember such details, but he was surprised to learn that the Shura Blade was actually made from the "Five Phoenix Blade"!

Not only Qin Hongmian, but also Chu Luren's good friend Mu Wanqing came with her mother. When Chu Luren saw Mu Wanqing, he waved to her.

Actually, there was no need to wave. Mu Wanqing had already locked onto him immediately, and... she looked over with murderous intent!

Given the nature of the Five Phoenix Saber Sect, it wouldn't normally be Qin Hongmian's place to take the lead in such a matter. Moreover, Qin Hongmian has been away from the sect for a long time and has an eccentric temperament, so representing the Five Phoenix Saber Sect would be inconvenient.

After hearing the news that "the Red and White Tai Sui and the Red Serpent Witch traveled together to Guanzhong," Mu Wanqing was very excited, so she begged her mother to come.

The Five Phoenix Saber Sect was not an important sect and did not want to get too involved in the affairs of the Guanzhong martial arts world and the Five Mountains Sword Sect. Therefore, Sect Leader Wu took the opportunity to send his female disciple Qin Hongmian to the sect. However, he specifically emphasized that she should only listen and not speak, only watch and not do anything, and not offend anyone!

Mu Wanqing had already planned that upon seeing Chu Luren, she would not waste words with him, but would first use the Shura Dart (non-toxic) to greet him, and then talk slowly.

However, now...

Seeing that Chu Luren acted as if nothing had happened and even waved at her like he was seeing an old friend, Mu Wanqing felt both annoyed and amused. She snorted and ignored him.

However, this "humph" made Lu Bai a little embarrassed—he had just been talking to Qin Hongmian. Although he was not familiar with Qin Hongmian, or to be precise, did not know her at all, since she was also a "friend in the martial arts world," he naturally had to exchange a few warm words with her.

Moreover, although Qin Hongmian is already over thirty years old, she takes great care of herself and was once favored by Duan Zhengchun, so her appearance is naturally beyond question. When she is with Mu Wanqing, many people would believe that they are sisters.

The Songshan Sect is 90% male, and its neighbor is the Shaolin Temple—it's like a chemical engineering university next to an industrial university; they're all more like monks than monks themselves…

However, not only was Qin Hongmian extremely impolite and showed no reaction to his reputation as one of the Thirteen Protectors of the Songshan Sect, but the young woman beside him actually... even "humphed" at him?

Also, when I greet you, where are you looking?

Lu Bai turned his head and followed the gaze of the two "sisters," only to see... Chu Luren came up to him, cupped her hands and said, "Hello, Aunt Qin! Before... cough, Uncle was worried about you and Wanqing, saying that if you were alright, he would take Wanqing back to visit more often!"

Chu Luren deliberately avoided mentioning the word "Duan," otherwise... everyone would know what was going on with Qin Hongmian!

Qin Hongmian originally wanted to bring her daughter to "bring justice from heaven," but Chu Luren's reaction really puzzled her.

Before this, she had considered that if Chu Luren saw her daughter, he might explain, he might cover it up, or he might even be like that heartless man, shamelessly saying something like "To die under the Asura's blade is to die a romantic death" to deceive her daughter into being affectionate...

Yes, I might fall for that kind of trick, but I won't let my daughter fall for your scumbag men's tricks again!

However, Chu Luren's reaction was completely unexpected. When he saw his daughter, he showed no remorse whatsoever, only overwhelming joy, as if he were seeing his good brother...

After greeting Qin Hongmian, Chu Luren led her and Mu Wanqing back to their previous spot, acting as if they were very familiar with each other.

Lu Bai already disliked Chu Luren, and when he saw Chu Luren interrupt him, he became even more dissatisfied. He deliberately took a half step back when Chu Luren turned around and bumped into him shoulder to shoulder.

Chu Luren, who had just turned around, seemed to have no idea what was happening. He appeared to have been hit by Lu Bai, who was secretly ruthless, without any apparent effort.

But in the next instant, Chu Luren seemed to react slowly and continued walking forward, while Lu Bai's expression changed drastically. He tensely jerked his shoulder back and jumped several steps backward...

The audience was stunned, looking at Lu Bai as if he were a drama queen.

Ding Mian and his fellow disciples were also glaring at Lu Bai, clearly annoyed that their junior brother had made a fool of himself. They could see clearly that Lu Bai had deliberately bumped into them, and afterwards he acted as if he had been burned...

No matter what Lu Bai is acting, it will damage the reputation of Songshan. And if he is not acting... it will damage the reputation of Songshan even more!

However, Lu Bai had no time to care about his fellow disciples' angry glares. Instead, he questioned Chu Luren with suspicion and even a hint of bravado: "You... how do you know the Star Absorbing Technique? What is your relationship with the Demonic Sect?"

Upon hearing the words "Star Absorbing Technique," the martial arts practitioners who hadn't paid much attention to the "Five Phoenix Blade Sect" all turned to look.

Even those who were not from the Five Mountains Sword Sect, which were mortal enemies of the Sun Moon Sect, were deeply impressed by this "demonic art," or rather... were deeply impressed by its former practitioner, Ren Woxing!

Although Dongfang Bubai is also rumored to be incredibly powerful, in reality, apart from relentlessly pursuing the two envoys of reward and punishment for three days and three nights six years ago, he didn't have many achievements. In recent years, he has rarely taken action personally. In fact, the impression of the Demonic Sect's highest martial force is still that of Ren Woxing from ten years ago.

The Songshan Sect members reacted immediately, surrounding Chu Luren.

"Star Absorbing Technique? You're just making a fuss over nothing... As for me and the Sun Moon Cult, we're just ordinary passersby, like any other ordinary sect," Chu Luren said calmly.

"Senior Brother Ding, he clearly used the 'Star Absorbing Technique' just now!" Lu Bai insisted. Just now, as soon as he touched Chu Luren, he felt his internal energy flowing uncontrollably towards Chu Luren through the Jianjing acupoint, and it took a lot of effort to "pull" it away.

"Hmm? This matter concerns collusion with the Demonic Sect. If Young Master Chu cannot explain himself clearly, this matter cannot be easily covered up today. I suggest you make a trip to Mount Song!" Ding Mian said coldly at this moment.

However, Qiu Chuji frowned and said, "How dare you! When did the Songshan Sect become a group of江湖捕机 (jianghu constables) who can invite whomever they want?"