The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

"I never imagined that after parting ways more than half a year ago, Young Master Chu would have made such rapid progress. You must have already reached the level of a top master in this world, right? When I passed on the 'Star Absorption and Earth Infusion Technique' that the Right Envoy had figured out for himself to you, I thought you wouldn't be able to master it on your own," Ren Yingying said directly.

From these words, Chu Luren understood that the Holy Maiden was making a direct point: compared to Dongfang Bubai, he should be "closer" to her!

"Thanks to the Holy Maiden for imparting her skills." Chu Luren also said politely, but in his heart he also thought: It would be even better if there was an authentic copy of the "Star Absorbing Technique".

"No, this is your reward for saving Feifei, you don't need to thank me anymore." Ren Yingying further sought to confirm her relationship with Chu Luren.

Chu Luren didn't know whether she learned of his strength from the Six Immortals of Peach Valley or whether her intelligence network was truly so vast that she already knew about his fight with the Songshan Taibao a few days ago.

In short, Ren Yingying must have understood that there was little hope of silencing them.

"It was Senior Qu who asked me to take care of Fei Fei. I should be the one thanking you." Chu Luren seemed to be declining, but in fact he was telling Ren Yingying to rest assured that he would definitely be closer to her faction.

"Young Master Chu, what do you think of the Sun Moon Cult these days?" Ren Yingying's sudden direct question made Chu Luren choke.

"Ahem, without knowing the whole story, I won't comment." Chu Luren uttered a sound that, upon closer examination, made some sense, but was unpleasant to hear.

After all... as close as they may be, Chu Luren didn't want to really get involved in the internal strife of the Sun Moon Cult. Dongfang Bubai was not someone to be trifled with.

Ren Yingying could naturally understand the directness of the refusal.

Chapter 173 Heart-to-Heart Talk

Chu Luren was also very curious as to why Dongfang Bubai would appear in Luoyang, but... this was a cautious curiosity, the kind that would try to avoid even if he knew the reason!

He was at most somewhat familiar with Qu Feiyan, but he had never even met Ren Yingying. There was no reason for him to get involved in the affairs of the Sun Moon Cult.

If Chu Luren were willing to consume the fusion fragments, there wouldn't be many opponents who could render him powerless to resist, but Dongfang Bubai would definitely be one of them!

Even if Ren Yingying really had the authentic "Star Absorbing Technique", Chu Luren was unwilling to take the risk.

"Since Young Hero Chu doesn't know the whole story, I can tell you..." Ren Yingying made no mention of what Green Bamboo Elder had let slip earlier, but instead started talking about Dongfang Bubai.

Chu Luren was both worried and curious, but ultimately did not interrupt Ren Yingying.

The "story" that Ren Yingying told was generally in line with Chu Luren's expectations. From the "Left Envoy of the East" being given the "Sunflower Manual" by Ren Woxing, to Ren Woxing's "disappearance" ten years ago, and then to Dongfang Bubai's succession, he still treated her, the "Holy Maiden," relatively well...

However, some details caught Chu Luren's attention.

For example, Dongfang Bubai has indeed been living a secluded life in recent years, but the power of the sect has not been entirely entrusted to Yang Lianting. In particular, Ren Yingying specifically mentioned that Dongfang Bubai's seclusion seems to be a conspiracy.

Furthermore, when mentioning Yang Lianting, perhaps to evoke sympathy from the Chu Lu people, Ren Yingying specifically mentioned that he was the first to defect to Dongfang Bubai, forging a pair of deadly pipa hooks to assassinate Ren Woxing...

Chu Luren couldn't recall anything specific at the moment, but he felt that the phrase "Deadly Pipa Hook" sounded familiar.

Of course, Chu Luquan pretended not to hear Ren Yingying's attempt to play the victim.

Putting aside the fact that Ren Yingying's writing was also a subtle way of writing, perhaps... when she was only six or seven years old, she didn't know that Ren Woxing had ulterior motives in giving the "Sunflower Manual" to Dongfang Bubai. Chu Luren wasn't going to sympathize with Ren Woxing; more importantly... was she trying to play the victim? Back then, you refused to listen, and that was that...

"...The fact that Dongfang Bubai is suspected to have appeared in Luoyang this time is most likely related to Wu Sangui, the Prince of Pingxi. If the two are colluding, war will surely break out and lives will be lost. Doesn't Young Hero Chu want to do something about it?"

Seeing that playing the victim had no effect, Ren Yingying broadened her perspective, elevating the issue to the level of the common people.

"How about... I go to Tianxia Tower and report this matter for you?" Chu Luren suggested with great insight.

Ren Yingying: ...

Forget it! Since it's related to Wu Sangui, if there's going to be chaos, it'll be the Qing court. Telling the number one village in the world? Zhao Tiedan will only make things worse!

Ultimately, Ren Yingying only wanted to take this opportunity to rescue her father and did not want the situation to escalate to an uncontrollable level.

Especially... judging from the location where Dongfang Bubai imprisoned her father, which she found out, Zhao Tiedan might have some kind of tacit understanding with Dongfang Bubai!

Seeing that Chu Luren was unmoved by her words, Ren Yingying asked, "Young Master Chu, do you still remember your promise to the Six Immortals of Peach Valley?"

This time, it was Chu Luren's turn to be helpless...

Did I just walk right into a trap?

“The Six Immortals of Peach Valley are my father’s old subordinates. I can make a request to you on their behalf. Of course… if you don’t believe me, you can wait two or three days for them to return.” Although Ren Yingying hadn’t said what it was about yet, she could obviously guess what it was.

"No need. I believe the Holy Maiden won't fool me about this... In fact, the Holy Maiden could have brought up this agreement from the beginning." Chu Luren's tone was as if to say, "Did you not say so before because you wanted to get something for nothing?"

In fact, when Chu Luren made the agreement with the Six Immortals of Peach Valley, he had already considered the possibility of "rescuing Ren Woxing". However, at that time, Chu Luren only briefly thought about it in his mind - the matter of rescuing Ren Woxing could not be leaked in the slightest. In the original work, Linghu Chong was also tricked away, and the possibility of the Holy Maiden's faction seeking help from an outsider like himself was not high.

If it's also a case of deception and trickery, Chu Luren could easily use his "prophetic" abilities to expose the other party's scheme and then accuse them of breaching the contract first...

“No, being willing to lend a helping hand is always different from being simply bound by an agreement. I’m not asking for Young Hero Chu’s help for nothing. After this, Young Hero Chu’s agreement with the Six Immortals of Peach Valley will be wiped clean no matter what. However, I still hope that this is more than just an agreement.” Ren Yingying still didn’t give up and wanted to encourage Chu Luren’s initiative.

Chu Luren, on the other hand, disapproved of their behavior of "sincerely cooperating on the surface, but still maintaining an air of mystery on the surface."

“What the Holy Maiden said is incorrect. If you truly want to befriend someone, why keep hiding your true self?”

Sensing Chu Luren's resentment, Ren Yingying was taken aback at first, then hesitated for a moment before using her inner strength to draw back the gauze curtain that was covering the bed.

"Common people are prone to judging by appearances. This is just to avoid some trouble. Young Master Chu, please don't misunderstand," Ren Yingying said, revealing her true colors.

Seeing this, Chu Luren felt somewhat embarrassed, as if he had forced the other person to show themselves...

“If it’s something I promised the Six Immortals of Peach Valley, I will naturally do it. However, as mentioned in the agreement, it must be within my power. And since it’s ‘one-time intervention,’ if it’s some big plan, I’m sorry I can’t accompany you for the whole time,” Chu Luren emphasized the rules.

"Thank you for your righteous help, Young Hero Chu! You need not worry about anything else. I will inform you when the time comes. You only need to come to Lin'an before September next year." Ren Yingying immediately agreed.

Lin'an? Chu Luren was slightly taken aback upon hearing this—could it be that he was still imprisoned in the West Lake dungeon?

Chu Luren originally thought that "The Great Jianghu" was different from the original work, with a more complex power structure. He believed that Dongfang Bubai, who was far away in Heimu Cliff in Hebei, would not imprison Ren Woxing in the south, especially since "Lin'an Prefecture" by West Lake was the capital of the Song Dynasty!

In that instant, Chu Luren understood why Ren Yingying was unwilling to report the incident to Tianxia Tower...

After a pause, Ren Yingying added, "If this matter succeeds, I will definitely ask my father to pass on the entire 'Star Absorbing Technique' to Young Hero Chu!" She added the promise because she remembered how persistent Chu Luren was about martial arts.

Aside from when Chu Luren completely refused, Ren Yingying mentioned the "agreement between the Six Immortals of Peach Valley," and then never mentioned it again, relying entirely on emotional appeals, which made Chu Luren feel a little embarrassed... just kidding!

Why did Linghu Chong get everything he wanted from Ren Yingying by playing the victim, while I, Chu Luren, had to listen to the Holy Maiden play the victim?

However, it must be said that although Ren Yingying is only sixteen or seventeen years old, even if she has a more mature temperament, you can still see the immaturity on her face. However, she is indeed generous and poised in her dealings with others, and does not have a petty or narrow-minded appearance at all.

To those who followed the Sun Moon Sect, the Holy Maiden appeared ruthless. However, she intentionally projected a ruthless image to maintain order, as many of those who followed the Sun Moon Sect were seasoned veterans from all walks of life.

When it really comes to changing one's attitude to make friends, Ren Yingying's emotional intelligence is more than enough to make people feel at ease!

“Alright, I will be in Lin’an in September.” Chu Luren agreed first, then added, “Actually… I also have a basic understanding of music, and I hope to discuss it with Miss Ren in the next few days!”

It was a case of learning on the spot. He agreed first to show that he wasn't using it as a threat, and then made a "friend request," which made the other party feel awkward refusing.

only……

Chu Luren clearly overlooked one thing—a young, vigorous man of marriageable age, eager to spend several days discussing music with a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl…?

Of those present, only Qu Feiyan, who had the most contact with Chu Luren, believed it!

Green Bamboo Elder was already glaring at her, but before he could speak, Ren Yingying agreed first: "Since you have such a refined intention, how could this humble woman refuse?" Her form of address subtly changed, and her smile... became a little more dangerous than before!

Chapter 174 Martial Arts Tournament for a Bride

Three days have passed since Chu Luren proposed to discuss music with Miss Ren...

These past few days, Chu Luren has been visiting friends in Green Bamboo Lane every day during the day and returning to the inn to rest at night, which has left Ren Yingying feeling "melancholy and lost"!

Ren Yingying had originally decided that if this kid dared to take advantage of her misfortune and have any ill intentions towards her, she would teach him a lesson—no matter how high his martial arts skills were, they could not surpass his scheming and plotting.

however……

When Ren Yingying gradually discovered that Chu Luren had only come to discuss music, she found it hard to accept!

Chu Luren was also puzzled. His goal was originally just to find the healing music score for Ren Yingying's "suspected state of mind" so he wanted to explore it. So why did she start by pulling him to sit next to her and play the piano, her hands trying to touch his little hand, and then wanting to teach him to play the flute, and even handing him the flute she had played?

Of course, what Chu Luren didn't see was the poison smeared on the strings of the zither and the jade flute—not fatal, but causing discomfort and embarrassment if one came into contact with it.

However, Chu Luren clearly had no intention of learning the xiao or qin. After all, musical instruments are not easy to learn, and consuming extra fusion fragments was simply not worth it. Therefore, he firmly said "no" to Ren Yingying's flirtatious behavior...

Today, Chu Luren breathed a sigh of relief, probably because Ren Yingying finally realized that she couldn't just use music theory to her advantage, so she stopped making unwanted advances and instead focused on discussing music honestly.

It is difficult to understand the "state of mind" from a piece of music, but without understanding it, the music is just music.

The "Song of the Smiling, Proud Wanderer" was composed by Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang, perfectly capturing the spirit of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer." However, the "Pure Heart and Universal Benevolence Mantra" is not...

The reason it has the effect of healing internal injuries is that Ren Yingying has mastered a certain state of mind, which she then expresses through music.

It's difficult to reverse the state of mind after simply learning a piece of music.

That's why Chu Luren thought of communicating with Ren Yingying to carefully understand her interpretation of the music—it was indeed more efficient!

After cautiously using the "sudden enlightenment" technique several times, Chu Luren felt that he was close to achieving enlightenment.

Lin Pingzhi will definitely stay at his maternal grandfather's house for a while longer. Chu Luren has been staying at the inn and Green Bamboo Lane for the past few days, trying not to go to other places, especially not close to the Prince of Pingxi's mansion.

After all, there are invincible bosses lurking in the city right now, and it would be terrible if you accidentally attracted their aggro!

Mu Wanqing was also curious about what kind of friends Chu Luren had visited that he had to meet with every day.

If it weren't for the matter of Dongfang Bubai, Chu Luren could have brought her to Green Bamboo Lane, but now... Chu Luren just used the excuse of discussing music to change the subject.

When the topic of discussing music came up, Mu Wanqing remembered the misunderstanding about listening to the zither, blushed, and did not ask any further questions.

Moreover, Chu Luren would return to the inn every evening for dinner, so Mu Wanqing didn't misunderstand anything.

With the New Year approaching, Chu Luren left Green Bamboo Lane a little early that day, just in time to catch a commotion...

Seeing the crowd gathering ahead, Chu Luren instinctively wanted to go around it. What if the commotion attracted Dongfang Bubai as well?

Moreover, Chu Luren vaguely realized what this was all about—a martial arts contest to find a husband!

The people of Chulu have never been interested in this kind of excitement...

But just then, someone suddenly called out, "Brother Chu... Brother Chu! Over here!"

The voice was both unfamiliar and familiar. Chu Luren looked in the direction of the voice and saw Mu Wanqing, dressed in men's clothing, waving at him from the crowd. Huang Rong was also there, dressed in men's clothing.

Chu Luren: ...

"Here, here! Don't pretend you can't see me!" Mu Wanqing waved.

That's right, I lowered my voice a bit because I was dressing up as a man!

Helpless, Chu Luren approached and whispered, "Didn't I tell you that Luoyang is not peaceful lately and you shouldn't make a fuss? Why are you getting involved in this kind of trouble?"

"Huh? Aren't we dressed as men?" Mu Wanqing said matter-of-factly.

Chu Luren: ...

Mu Wanqing clearly did not understand the level of "unrest" that Chu Luren was referring to—the kind of unrest where "Dongfang Bubai is lurking"—which could not be avoided simply by flattening her chest!

"Haha, young master, would you like to come up and give it a try?" At this moment, a weathered man asked Chu Luren from under the banner, clearly having noticed the commotion earlier.