A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 291 Chaos Has Begun
"Third brother, this matter is of utmost importance. It must not be leaked, otherwise..."

Qiu Tanggui looked at Qiu Tangjie with a solemn expression, "Go and call Xiaodie here."

Qiu Tangjie's eyes lit up upon hearing this. His second brother's idea was brilliant. Although Xiaodie served Qiu Ruofeng, her status in the manor was not low. Even he himself had to give her some face.

"Second Brother wants to use Xiao Die to control all those who know about this matter. I'll go and invite her over right away."

Qiu Tangjie immediately headed towards Qiu Ruofeng's courtyard, while Qiu Ruofeng was wandering around Qingyang Town, completely unaware that a calamity was about to befall him.

"Third Master, Xiaodie understands. There are only three people around the young master. Apart from me, if we're talking about who he trusts the most, it must be Qiu An. But Qiu Quan can't be let off the hook either."

After listening to Qiu Tangjie's brief explanation, Xiaodie was filled with terror. If things went wrong, it could mean the extermination of her entire family. She had received great kindness from the old master Qiu Tangbai, and she absolutely could not let this happen.

"Qiu An, he always seemed so honest, but I never expected him to be such a troublemaker. He doesn't serve the young master properly and even helps him hide things from us. This kind of wretch is no good. Xiao Die, you hold that bastard back while I deal with those two ungrateful fellows."

Qiu Tangjie previously thought that Qiu Ruofeng only had some petty schemes, especially after the fall of Qiushui Manor, when he had lost his ambition. It was this wretched child who almost caused a major disaster.

"Don't worry, Third Master, leave this matter to me. However, you need to hurry. Young Master has complicated thoughts, and I'm afraid it won't take long."

Xiao Die served Qiu Ruofeng. Although he was usually all smiles, he had an aura that kept people at a distance.

"Ah."

Qiu Tangjie nodded, gave a few more instructions, and walked out of the courtyard. After discussing with Qiu Tanggui for a while, he immediately led more than ten people out of the manor and headed towards the teahouse where Qiu Ruofeng was. At the same time, Qiu Ruofeng, who was drinking tea in the teahouse, received a message from Xiaodie saying that the old manor lord left behind something before his death, saying that it would be handed over to him after everything was settled.

"Could it be a Dragon Ball?"

Qiu Ruofeng pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He had found some clues in his father's notes, in which the dragon ball was mentioned the most. However, the dragon ball disappeared after his father's death. Qiu Ruofeng had always thought that it was in his second uncle's hands, but he did not expect it to be in Xiaodie's hands. This was a pleasant surprise.

"If I had the Dragon Ball, I, Qiu Ruofeng, would surely become the number one martial artist. What Zhongxin Hall, what Tianshan Sect, they would all be no match for me. At that time, I would make the entire martial arts world submit to me, especially Shangguan Yun. I would cut you into a thousand pieces and torture you to death."

Qiu Ruofeng grew increasingly agitated, his eyes turning bloodshot, and his aura suddenly surged. He crushed the teacup in his hand with a crack, spilling warm water all over himself. Qiu Quan, who was serving him, was terrified. Qiu An, seeing this, felt a chill run down his spine, took a few steps forward, and said softly, "Young Master."

Qiu Ruofeng hummed in response, casually tossed away the broken porcelain in his hand, clapped his hands, tossed a silver ingot to Qiu An, and said, "Go buy a dress."

Qiu An immediately took it and said with a smile, "Young master, please wait a moment. I will go to Jinyi Pavilion right away. The clothes there are of the highest quality."

As she spoke, Qiu An immediately pulled Qiu Quan downstairs with her. Qiu Quan was still a little puzzled and asked, "Why did you leave the young master there alone? Shouldn't we leave someone behind to serve him?"

"What do you know? Young Master is clearly preoccupied and doesn't want us to serve him. Besides, this is Qingyang Town, Tianshan Sect's territory. Are you worried about any danger? Let's go and get away so Young Master won't have any worries."

Not long after Qiu An and Qiu Quan left, Qiu Ruofeng got up and went downstairs, walking briskly towards the manor. What he didn't know was that Qiu An and Qiu Quan were blocked by Qiu Tangjie and his men not far from Jinyi Pavilion. Qiu An felt something was wrong and tried to escape, but was stopped by Qiu Tangjie's finger.

"take away!"

Qiu Tangjie glanced at the flustered Qiu An, then at the bewildered Qiu Quan, and with a wave of his hand, his attendants immediately tied the two of them up, and they disappeared in no time.

The people on the street were used to it and went about their business as usual. Later, disciples of the Tianshan Sect would compile a report on what had happened and send it back to the mountain.

As soon as Qiu Ruofeng entered the manor, he went straight to his courtyard. However, just after stepping into the courtyard, Qiu Ruofeng's expression changed slightly, because his second uncle, Qiu Tanggui, was sitting in the middle, holding a soft whip in his hand, while Xiaodie was looking at him calmly.

"Second Uncle, what brings you to my nephew's place? Xiaodie, go and pour some tea."

Qiu Ruofeng's heart tightened, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He walked slowly toward Qiu Tanggui, who snorted coldly and looked at him with a gloomy face. She said sternly, "You wicked child, now that things have come to this, why don't you tell me the whole story? Do you really want me to use the family law?"

A furious shout rang in Qiu Ruofeng's heart. His heart skipped a beat. Looking at his second uncle's extremely ugly face, he knew in his heart that he had fallen into a trap. Now that his third uncle was not here, he must have gone to capture Qiu An. Thinking of this, Qiu Ruofeng decided to give up and said in a deep voice, "I think I did this very discreetly. How did you see through my plan, second uncle? Did someone tell you?"

"Don't try to beat around the bush. Since you're asking this question, it seems the matter is indeed confirmed. So why are you doing this?"

Qiu Tanggui gripped the soft whip in her hand, looking at Qiu Ruofeng with disappointment. Why had the only bloodline left by her elder brother turned out like this?

"Heh, why? Isn't it all for the sake of revitalizing Qiushui Manor? Second Uncle, you and Third Uncle have lost your spirit. In order to survive, you are willing to seek refuge under the Tianshan Sect. Since its founding, Qiushui Manor has never been in such a sorry state. As the rightful successor of Qiushui Manor, I, Qiu Ruofeng, should bear the responsibility of its revival."

Qiu Ruofeng's increasingly impassioned tone silenced Qiu Tanggui. Xiao Die, standing to the side, frowned and glanced at Qiu Ruofeng as if he were an idiot. This glance stung Qiu Ruofeng, who said resentfully, "It's true that my martial arts are weak, but do we have to be skilled in martial arts to rebuild our family? As long as I can understand people's hearts, the future of the martial arts world is destined to belong to the Qiu family. Second Uncle, do you know that once this plan succeeds, it will cause chaos in the martial arts world? Then we can sit back and watch the Tianshan Sect and Zhongxin Hall fight. When they are both exhausted, we will come out to clean up the mess and wipe out both sects in one fell swoop. Our Qiushui Manor will be the only king in the martial arts world!"

"You're crazy, you're crazy..."

Looking at the increasingly frenzied Qiu Ruofeng, Qiu Tangjie's face was full of dejection. The soft whip in his hand fell to the ground, and his body slumped into the wooden chair.

"I'm crazy, yes, I'm crazy. If it weren't for the Qiu family, I wouldn't be so crazy. You are willing to live an ordinary life, but I am not. Xiaodie, tell me the whereabouts of the Dragon Ball."

Qiu Ruofeng slowly approached Xiaodie, reaching out to grab her, but the latter took a step back and said coldly, "The old master's dragon ball is long gone, so give up."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Ruofeng smiled coldly, staring at Xiaodie with a sinister gaze. "If you're willing to tell me the whereabouts of the Dragon Ball, I'll spare your life. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Now that things had come to this, Qiu Ruofeng's killing intent was growing stronger. A flash of cold light appeared in his hand, and a Hun Tian Thorn suddenly appeared in his grasp. It flew towards Xiao Die with lightning speed, but the latter moved her feet and stood up to retaliate with an "Autumn Water Horizontal Wave Palm". The palm energy rippled out like waves, and the continuous back force pushed the Hun Tian Thorn away. Qiu Ruofeng's expression changed slightly, and he reached out and grabbed the Hun Tian Thorn back.

"You think you can defeat me just by practicing the Autumn Water Wave Palm? Second Uncle, aren't you going to make a move?"

As soon as Qiu Ruofeng finished speaking, he took out a Hun Tian Thorn with his other hand. The two Hun Tian Thorns swirled and danced, and sharp bursts of energy shot out from Qiu Ruofeng's body, rushing towards Qiu Tanggui and Xiaodie.

"The Eighteen Forms of Autumn Water, I never expected you to have mastered up to the seventh form. Your second uncle really underestimated you."

The Autumn Water Eighteen Forms are different from ordinary martial arts. The later forms are easier to learn. Qiu Tangbai is a martial arts prodigy, but he only mastered the first form in the last ten years. Qiu Ruofeng is only nineteen years old, but he already has such skill. He can be said to have extraordinary talent.

Qiu Tanggui's eyes sharpened, and she lashed out with her soft whip, creating thunder out of thin air as she struck towards Qiu Ruofeng. At the same time, Xiaodie also gathered her inner strength and unleashed several palm winds, surging towards Qiu Ruofeng like a raging torrent.

Qiu Ruofeng tightly guarded the entrance with the two Chaos Thorns. The whip-like palm wind was swallowed up by the gale emitted by the Chaos Thorns when it came within three feet. Moreover, after only a few breaths, the Chaos Thorns reversed their course and sent the absorbed energy towards Qiu Tanggui and Xiaodie.

Seeing this, Qiu Tanggui knew something was wrong. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the soft whip towards Xiaodie, wrapping and swishing it to send her outside the battle circle. She continued to shake the soft whip, the whip rings absorbing the incoming force. With a deep shout, the soft whip suddenly shattered, and the force burst out, knocking Qiu Tanggui and Qiu Ruofeng back.

"Second Uncle, it turns out you're not a complete waste after all. You haven't mastered the Hun Tian Ci technique, but you've managed to pull off this acrobatic act with some flair. Handing Qiu Shui Manor over to you is a complete disgrace to our ancestors."

Hearing Qiu Ruofeng's mockery, Qiu Tanggui remained unmoved. Looking at his arrogant and unrepentant appearance, and recalling his elder brother's dying words, he finally sighed, his expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Today I will teach you a lesson on behalf of our ancestors!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Qiu Tanggui's figure darted around, and in a flash, she arrived half a zhang away from Qiu Ruofeng. She raised her right palm high, and a stream of emerald palm energy swept over like a surging torrent. Qiu Ruofeng, who was standing in front of her, was like a rock in the torrent, constantly enduring the frontal impact. Qiu Ruofeng's expression changed drastically, and she wielded the Hun Tian Ci with both hands, weaving a ball of black energy to continuously dissolve the overwhelming power coming at her.

This is the "Pillar in the Midstream" of the Autumn Water Horizontal Wave Palm. Water is the softest thing, and the Autumn Water Horizontal Wave Palm is based on softness. However, this move is fierce and relentless, and it will not stop until the opponent is crushed.

Qiu Ruofeng's cultivation was still shallow. Even though he had mastered the seventh form, he was forced to retreat step by step by this fierce attack. Just when he was about to be cornered, Qiu Ruofeng's eyes flashed and his left hand's Hun Tian Ci shot towards Qiu Tanggui like lightning.

"Second Uncle, you're courting death, so don't blame your nephew for being ruthless."

Qiu Ruofeng had already memorized the Autumn Water Wave Palm. With his own study and some insights left by Qiu Tangbai, he naturally knew the weakness of this palm technique. Once the "Pillar in the Midstream" move was used, the attacker's "Divine Sealing Acupoint" would be slightly obstructed. If it could be broken by force, the attacker would surely die.

Seeing the Chaotic Sky Thorn hurtling towards Qiu Tanggui, Xiao Die, who was watching the battle from the sidelines, also changed her expression drastically. Before she could react, she quickly struck the Chaotic Sky Thorn with her golden bracelet. With a clang, the bracelet was pierced by the Chaotic Sky Thorn and split in two. However, this gave the Chaotic Sky Thorn a slight pause in speed. Seeing this, Qiu Tanggui changed her move, circulating her true energy and using the move "Autumn Water Returns" to knock the Chaotic Sky Thorn away with a pull and a blow, sending it crashing into the stone table with a hiss.

Before Qiu Ruofeng could make another move, Qiu Tanggui turned halfway around, flicked her left sleeve, and a streak of green light flashed out. Qiu Ruofeng was horrified when he saw it and hurriedly used the Hun Tian Thorn, which was infused with true energy, to block it. He tried to knock it away with a forceful slash, but since Qiu Tanggui had taken out this item, she must have been absolutely confident. The green light became even faster and snapped the Hun Tian Thorn with a crack, then injured Qiu Ruofeng. A thin, green needle-like object was stuck in his right chest, and blood kept gushing from the wound, quickly staining his clothes red.

"Azure Dragon".

Qiu Ruofeng spoke with difficulty, her face growing paler. This Azure Dragon was a unique hidden weapon of Qiushui Manor, extremely difficult to forge. Once released, it would flash with azure light, and anyone struck by it would instantly lose all their true energy. It was the most cruel weapon for martial artists. When Qiu Tangbai first took over Qiushui Manor, he destroyed the only two remaining ones to prevent trouble.

Qiu Ruofeng thought the manor was gone, but she didn't expect that her second uncle still had it. She had overlooked it.

"You wretched creature, you should be ashamed that this Azure Dragon was used on you today!"

Qiu Tanggui walked to Qiu Ruofeng's side, pointed her fingers and sealed all the major acupoints on his body, then carried him out of the courtyard. Xiao Die hurriedly followed.

Qiu Tanggui carried Qiu Ruofeng all the way to the ancestral hall, casually tossing her in front of the ancestral tablets and Qiu Tangbai's tablets. She then lit three sticks of incense, bowed respectfully, and placed them in the incense burner. The smoke rose straight up and filled the air. Upon seeing this, Qiu Ruofeng chuckled, tears welling in her eyes, her expression sorrowful, and she uttered incoherent words.

"Brother, I am incompetent and have failed your trust. If Ruofeng has done something wrong, I cannot shirk my responsibility. In order to protect the Qiu family lineage, I can only cripple his martial arts and let him live an ordinary life. I will apologize to you after I pass away."

"Xiaodie, after tomorrow, take the young master back to Qiuming Courtyard. No one is allowed to enter without my order."

Xiao Die immediately agreed. Qiu Tanggui glanced at Qiu Ruofeng again, snorted coldly, and turned to leave the ancestral hall. At this moment, Qiu Tangjie led the bound Qiu An and Qiu Quan into the manor through the back door.

"Qiu An and Qiu Quan cannot be kept alive, Third Brother. Make things quick. Our Qiu family can't afford any more trouble. I've already crippled Ruo Feng's martial arts. After a few days, I'll have him marry Xiao Die and leave behind a bloodline before we make further plans."

"Second Brother, what about Master Ni from the Tianshan Sect..."

"In a few days, I will personally go to Tianshan to explain this matter clearly. Let's keep a low profile recently and not attract too much attention."

"Yes."

……，……

Four days later, Chungshin Hall

"Master, the business of Qiushui Manor is gradually getting back on track. Those Jiangnan sects are all opportunists. With their help, it may not take half a year to take over Qiushui Manor."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yun shook his head and said, "You yourself said those sects are all opportunists. If we really rely entirely on them, wouldn't our takeover of Qiushui Manor just be doing them a favor? I, the hall master, would rather spend more time than give them the lion's share of the profits. Yue Sha, tell your men to keep to their duties. Once things are settled, I will reward them handsomely. However, anyone who outwardly obeys but inwardly defies those sects, colludes with them, or deceives their superiors will be severely punished!"

"Yes, Hall Master."

"How are things going with the Tianshan Sect?"

Shangguan Yun has recently neglected the Tianshan Sect. In the entire martial arts world, only the Tianshan Sect can pose a threat to him, especially the unfathomable Ni Qingfeng. Although his own skills have greatly improved, he still feels that Ni Qingfeng is somewhat unpredictable, which makes him very wary.

"Recently, the Tianshan Sect has been recruiting disciples extensively, seemingly to expand its strength in preparation for a future battle against our Zhongxin Hall. Furthermore, the An family of Xiyuan City and the Golden Whip Sect have formed an alliance with the Tianshan Sect, and their trade routes are thriving. Qiu He of Luanshi Mountain was killed by Cheng Feng, a disciple of the Tianshan Sect; his entire clan perished at the hands of the Tianshan Sect."

"Also, Ni Qingfeng went to Cuiping Mountain, seemingly intending to form an alliance with the Iron Spear Sect."

"Hmm, the Tianshan Sect is making frequent moves, as if preparing for war. I really underestimated Xue Wanshan's courage. The Dragon Pearl and Ni Qingfeng have given him a lot of hope."

In the past, Xue Wanshan would have made Shangguan Yun wary, but he wouldn't have been accommodating in every way, especially since the two sides were not on the same level. Without absolute power, there was no right to speak. However, now that the Tianshan Sect has prospered because of the Dragon Pearl and has Ni Qingfeng in charge, it has truly become a bit troublesome.

"Master, why don't we have our men cause some trouble for the Tianshan Sect? We don't expect to kill many people, just create some disturbance."

Yue Sha thought that his suggestion would be approved by Shangguan Yun, but Shangguan Yun said: "The Tianshan Sect today is not what it used to be. The Tianshan territory has been completely wiped out by them. It is not easy to break in. If we want to carry out a sneak attack, we need the elites of the sect. Otherwise, it will be difficult to succeed. Qiushui Manor is already short of manpower. How can we mobilize more? It would be a big taboo to neglect one thing for another."

"Master is wise; it was I who was reckless."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yun waved his hand and said, "I understand your loyalty. There's no need to rush into a confrontation with the Tianshan Sect. A steady and methodical approach is the best way to deal with such a tough opponent."

The two evil spirits, Sun and Moon, exchanged a glance and said, "We will await the Hall Master's orders."

"You guys go down first."

"Subordinates retire."

Shangguan Yun sat quietly in the hall for a while, then walked out of the main hall and came to a quiet place. There were piled rocks, flowing water, green bamboo and ancient pines, orchids and chrysanthemums, pavilions and terraces, and everything was there. When he was in this place, his physical fatigue disappeared instantly.

"father!"

Seeing Shangguan Yun standing outside the courtyard, Shangguan Feiyan immediately waved her hand and shouted. He Yanrong, who was feeding the fish nearby, didn't even turn her head. Shangguan Yun responded to Shangguan Feiyan, took a deep breath, walked into the courtyard, and came to the mother and daughter's side.

"Are you getting used to living here?"

"This place is very quiet. You must have put a lot of thought into creating such a peaceful spot in the middle of the city."

He Yanrong scattered the remaining pinch of fish food into the pond, attracting the koi carp to devour it, which was soon completely eaten up.

"As long as you like it."

"Dad, Mom really likes this place. Yesterday she made a camellia cake with camellia flowers, and it tasted really good. I specially saved a few pieces. Dad, you should try some too."

After Shangguan Feiyan finished speaking, she turned and headed towards the waterside pavilion not far away. After a while, she came out carrying a bright white porcelain plate with six red and yellow round cakes neatly arranged on it.

"Dad, try this. Mom made it herself."

Shangguan Yun glanced at He Yanrong, reached out and took a piece from the porcelain plate, took a bite, and immediately felt that it was sweet but not greasy. After eating it, the fragrance lingered on her lips and teeth.

"Your skills have improved so much, even more so than back in the day..."

Before Shangguan Yun could finish speaking, the Sun and Moon Duo approached from afar, looking very anxious. Shangguan Yun's expression changed slightly. He glanced apologetically at Shangguan Feiyan and He Yanrong, then turned and walked towards the Sun and Moon Duo.

Upon seeing this, Shangguan Feiyan sighed, while He Yanrong remained calm, her gaze fixed on the fish swimming in the pool.

"What happened?"

"Master, news has just arrived that the Emei Sect, Huashan Sect, Chanyin Temple, and Beggars' Sect were wiped out overnight. In addition, the Three Swords of Heaven, Earth, and Man, the Twin Heroes of the Northern Desert, and Gao Jue of the Black Tiger Sect have all died. The entire martial arts world is now in chaos!"

(End of this chapter)