A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 31 Doubt

The head guard quickly stepped forward and saluted. Zha Yadu glanced at him and said, "Tell Minmin the whole story carefully. If you miss anything, watch your head."

"Yes, yes," the head guard invited them to the military tent to talk, and then recounted the whole story in detail, handing the dagger to Zha Yadu as well. The latter glanced at it but couldn't figure out what it was.

"Minmin, can you see anything?" Zha Yadu handed the dagger to Zhao Min. He wasn't supposed to come, but after hearing that Zhao Min had begged his father after taking the dagger, he decided to accompany her.

Zhao Min examined the dagger carefully and said, "This is just an ordinary dagger, nothing special. It would be difficult to find the murderer from this. However, it's possible to find the murderer from the three Persians. By the way, where were their bodies found?"

The captain of the guards quickly said, "They were about three miles northeast of the main tent. If the patrol hadn't discovered them, we wouldn't have known they were dead. The cause of death was a blow from a palm strike and a sharp blade, and they died in a very short time. Their weapons have also disappeared." After the three Persians disappeared, the captain of the guards suspected that the three of them were responsible, but the three bodies were found in the valley, making the matter even more mysterious.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Min pondered. With Koto killed, the Yuan army was leaderless, and the current situation was extremely favorable to the Ming Cult. The disappearance of the Sacred Flame Token must also be related to the Ming Cult, since this item originally belonged to the Ming Cult but was later lost for some reason. If it weren't for the Beggar Clan elders mentioning it, Zhao Min would not have known about the connection between this item and the Ming Cult.

But who in the Ming Cult has such great ability to move through the army as if it were empty, and to quickly kill the three Persian envoys?
Perhaps it wasn't someone from the Ming Cult, but rather someone from one of the Six Major Sects. Thinking carefully about the masters of the Six Major Sects, Zhao Min couldn't think of anyone other than Zhang Sanfeng.

“No, there’s another one, Wudang Gu Xu,” Zhao Min suddenly remembered the person her father and brother had mentioned. He killed Hebi Weng, defeated He Taichong, Kong Wen and Du’e, and even Cheng Kun fell into his hands. Such a person had long been the focus of the court’s attention. If it was really him who made a move, things would be difficult to handle.

Without any evidence, he dared not openly provoke the behemoth that was Wudang. The imperial court had not yet broken ties with them. If he could not defeat them in one blow, and if he failed, the officials of the court would not be able to withstand Wudang's retaliation. Zhang Sanfeng was not someone to be trifled with, and the consequences would be unbearable for him.

Zhao Min's thoughts were in complete disarray.

His father and brother died in battle, and 50,000 elite troops perished in the fire. Although he managed to escape by chance, without Zha Yadu's help, he would probably have become a scapegoat.

In order to avenge her father and brother, Zhao Min had no choice but to agree to the Seventh Prince's request and obtain the position of commander-in-chief. After wiping out the Ming Cult, she immediately married Zha Ya Du.

Looking into Zha Yadu's sincere gaze, Zhao Min felt somewhat ashamed. She had only used him, but that was all she could do.

"Captain of the Guards, go and invite the main generals here. Tell them I have something to discuss with them." The captain of the guards obeyed and left. Soon, five generals entered. When they saw that Zha Yadu was also there, they hurriedly bowed. Originally, they were quite dissatisfied with a woman leading troops, but if she had any connection with the Seventh Prince, then it would be a different story.

However, Zhao Min did not let them underestimate her. Her analysis of the military situation was also very insightful, which impressed the five men. However, they also felt it was a pity that if this woman were a man, she would surely be able to command a region in the future.

On the official road, Gu Xu was walking slowly. In just one hour, two military horses galloped past, indicating that the battle was still fierce. Thinking that there were still some days before the ceremony at Emei, Gu Xu decided to detour to Kunlun to see Wei Bi.

Before the New Year, Wei Bi wrote to say that he had married Zhu Jiuzhen. He was too busy to go in person, so he asked Zhang Wuji and Song Qingshu to go on his behalf and deliver the congratulatory gifts.

They traveled along the way, stopping frequently. Sometimes they would intervene when they saw Tartars killing and looting. If they saw bandits taking advantage of the chaos and committing bloodshed and indiscriminate killing, they would eliminate them completely.

Half a month later, Gu Xu arrived at Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor. Wei Bi, who was chatting with his wife in the manor, heard from a servant that his master had arrived, and hurriedly led Zhu Jiuzhen out to greet him.

"Master has arrived, and I have not been able to greet you from afar. I hope you will forgive me." Wei Bi did not know that Gu Xu would visit suddenly, and he was unprepared.

"I've only come to see you, no need to be so formal," Gu Xu said, glancing at Wei Bi. Wei Bi's inner energy was abundant, indicating that his martial arts skills hadn't declined after marriage. However, the woman beside him seemed somewhat weak.

"Master, please come in and have some tea," Wei Bi led Gu Xu to the living room to serve tea, and then the couple knelt down and kowtowed to him.

"Master was in seclusion before and was unable to attend my wedding. Today, I and my wife come to pay our respects to Master."

Gu Xu asked the two to stand up. "I regret that I was unable to attend your wedding. Consider these two pills as my wedding gift." Gu Xu handed the porcelain bottle containing the "Restoration Pill" to Wei Bi.

Hu Qingniu refined a total of forty-nine pills, and Gu Xu gave thirty pills to his grandmaster as a reward for his disciples.

"Master, this is too precious, this disciple really..." Wei Bi was not unaware of the value of this item. Gu Xu had given him one before, saving him years of hard work.

Gu Xu waved his hand to interrupt him, "This item is of little use to me, and keeping it would be a waste. Even if you don't need it, your children will be able to use it in the future. We don't need to be so formal, so please keep it."

Zhu Jiuzhen didn't know how precious the medicine was, but seeing her husband's excited expression, she guessed that it must be quite beneficial, so she pulled Wei Bi to kowtow again.

"Bi'er, where are your father-in-law and the others?" Knowing Zhu Wu's and his companion's personalities, they would definitely show up if they knew he was coming.

"Master, your timing is unfortunate. My father-in-law and the others went to the mountains to gather herbs the day before yesterday." Since his daughter got married, Zhu Changling has handed over all the affairs of the manor to Wei Bi. He and Wu Lie occasionally go up the mountain to hunt and gather herbs to pass the time, which has made them quite leisurely.

"That's really unfortunate, Bi'er. Your teacher has something to tell you," Gu Xu had to tell Wei Bi. The situation was unstable, and one wrong move could get you into trouble.

"Husband, you and Master can talk here. I'll go prepare the banquet," Zhu Jiuzhen bowed to Gu Xuwan and then left the living room.

"Master, has something happened to Wudang recently?" Although Wei Bi had left Wudang, Zhang Wuji and Song Qingshu still wrote to him every month, showing that they were still very concerned about Wudang.

"Nothing major has happened at Wudang recently, but the Yuan Dynasty and the Ming Cult are at war. Although the manor is far from the Central Plains, we still have to be wary of this. You should keep this in mind."

"What my master said is similar to what my father-in-law and the others said. The two elders also reminded me that business is not as good as before, and the situation may change." Wei Bi has already begun to consolidate his assets and has dug several tunnels as a backup plan to guard against future changes.

"It is true that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. If that is the case, then I can rest assured." Although Wei Bi was only a disciple in name only, Gu Xu had devoted no less effort to him than Zhang Wuji and Song Qingshu.

He had taken him as a disciple with the intention of controlling Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor, but with the rapid development of Wudang in recent years and the improvement of his own martial arts, these thoughts have begun to fade.

"For the next month, I will stay at the manor. If you have any questions about cultivation, you may ask me at any time." After leaving Wudang, Wei Bi could not receive guidance from others as often as Zhang Wuji and Song Qingshu. Although his martial arts skills would not be ruined, his progress would be limited. He was taking advantage of the fact that he had enough time. Otherwise, when he returned to Wudang, Wei Bi would probably never have the opportunity to ask him for guidance in person again.

"This disciple thanks Master," Wei Bi said. He had received so many surprises today, and he was already very satisfied with the guidance he had received from his master for a month.

For the next period of time, Wei Bi handed over most of his mundane affairs to his father-in-law and son-in-law, while he himself devoted himself to cultivation by Gu Xu's side.

Time flies, and a month has passed quickly.

Outside Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor, Wei Bi and his wife, Zhu Changling, and Wu Lie saw Gu Xu off. "Bi'er, I'm leaving now. If anything happens, send a message to Wudang. I'll have to trouble you two to take good care of me."

Zhu Wu and the other man repeatedly said they dared not, but Wei Bi was very reluctant to part with him. He watched Gu Xu leave with tears in his eyes until he could no longer see him before entering the manor.

After leaving the manor, Gu Xu traveled eastward. "It's already June 25th, and there are less than 20 days left until the ceremony. There's still plenty of time. After the ceremony, I can return to Wudang to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival."

We traveled at a leisurely pace, stopping frequently along the way, and arrived at the foot of Mount Emei on July 12th. After purchasing some gifts, we began our ascent.

When the disciples guarding the mountain learned that the person from Wudang was Gu Xu, they dared not be careless at all and were extremely respectful. While leading him up the mountain, they sent someone to inform their senior sister.

The guide was a lay disciple named An Wen, who was a student of Abbess Jingxuan. He was eloquent and spoke with great refinement, constantly introducing the scenery along the way to Gu Xu, who nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"The beauty of Mount Emei is renowned throughout the world, and seeing it today, I can confirm that its reputation is well-deserved." If Wudang Mountain is known for its "spirit," then Mount Emei is known for its "beauty." Both are truly remarkable in their own way.

"Brother Gu Xu, you flatter me. Mount Emei is still slightly inferior to Mount Wudang," An Wen said, feeling very happy to hear Gu Xu praise Mount Emei.

If someone else had said that, she might not have cared at all, but the name Gu Xu had long been known throughout the entire Emei Sect by Abbess Miejue. His past achievements had become a model for teaching Emei disciples, so the entire Emei Sect respected this person of similar age very much.

As the two talked and walked, they reached the top of the mountain, where Abbess Jingxuan and her entourage were waiting. Upon seeing Gu Xu arrive, she prepared to step forward and pay her respects.

Upon seeing this, Gu Xu quickly took a few steps forward and was the first to bow, saying, "Greetings, Uncle-Master Jingxuan."

Master Jingxuan was slightly taken aback, then smiled and returned the greeting: "My nephew has finally arrived. Master has been waiting for a long time."

"Then please lead the way, Uncle-Master. This disciple will go and pay my respects to Abbess Miejue." After all, Abbess Miejue is a senior expert, and I cannot keep her waiting.

Upon hearing this, Abbess Jingxuan led Gu Xu into the hall, while several disciples lagged behind, whispering amongst themselves.

"Is that Senior Brother Gu Xu? He looks so young and handsome," a female disciple said, blushing as she spoke.

Another female disciple said, "Senior Brother Gu Xu is about the same age as us, how come he is so amazing, and so humble and polite? No wonder our master often uses him to spur us on. Anyone would praise such a person."

After listening to their senior and junior sisters' words, the male disciples weren't jealous. You might be jealous if someone is a little better than you, but if the gap is as wide as an insurmountable chasm, all you can do is look up to them and respect them.

Following Jingxuan, he arrived at a side hall, a place for entertaining distinguished guests. After Jingxuan led him inside, Abbess Miejue was entertaining Guo Jun, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect.

Upon seeing Gu Xu arrive, Abbess Miejue stood up to greet him, while Guo Jun also looked at Gu Xu, having already heard about him from his disciple Tan Fangrui.

Originally, he thought this person was just a talented young man from Wudang, and only slightly worthy of his attention. Unexpectedly, in just a few years, he rose to fame and his brilliance was so great that it was hard to hide. Just his defeat of Kong Wen and his cultivation of sword light were already astonishing.

"Gu Xu, let me introduce you. This is Guo, the head of the Qingcheng Sect. Head Guo, and this is Gu Xu, the talented scholar from Wudang I told you about," Abbess Miejue introduced the two.

"Master Gu Xu, I am Guo Jun. I have long admired your name," Guo Jun said, not daring to act like a senior and maintaining a very proper attitude.

"Greetings, Sect Leader Guo," Gu Xu bowed.

After the three were seated, Abbess Miejue said to Gu Xu, "Nephew, the reason I specially invited you to attend this ceremony is because the Sichuan region has been very unsettled recently. Yuan Dynasty Tartars have been infiltrating this area one after another. Our Emei sect has been somewhat overwhelmed lately, so we would like to ask your sect for some support."

The Sichuan region has always been a strategic location fought over by military strategists. The Yuan court would not allow this area to slip out of its control, so it secretly sent many experts to infiltrate and raid Emei Mountain from time to time. The last time Emei Mountain was almost burned down, it was their doing.

“What you say is very true, Master. Recently, our Qingcheng Sect has also felt that some of the smaller gangs below are very restless. Every now and then, many people are killed or injured. If it weren’t for you, Master, guarding Emei, the martial arts world of Sichuan would probably be in chaos.”

Although the Qingcheng Sect, led by Guo Jun, is not among the six major sects, it is still the second largest martial arts sect in Sichuan after Emei. Now that war has broken out, Qingcheng alone is not enough to resist, so they approached Emei, hoping that the two sects could join forces to stabilize the situation.

As for asking Wudang to help, Guo Jun agreed. Wudang now has a tight grip on the martial arts world in Hubei, making it the most stable of the six major sects. The fact that they can still spare the resources to support other parties shows their immense power.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xu pondered for a moment, then said, "Master, Sect Leader Guo, I agree to this matter."

Putting aside the relationship between Emei and Wudang, Wudang's intervention is worthwhile for the sake of stabilizing the martial arts world in Sichuan. If Sichuan falls into chaos, it will inevitably affect the entire martial arts world sooner or later, and no one will be able to remain unscathed.

Abbess Miejue and Guo Jun bowed and thanked them. Then the three of them discussed the most threatening gangs and figures at present. According to Gu Xu's idea, there was no need to exterminate the local gangs that were causing trouble. They only needed to find a few leaders and make an example of them. As for the Tartars, none of them should be let go.

"Zou Qing, the leader of the Green Bamboo Gang, and Sima Kong, the leader of the Five Blades Sect, must be eliminated," Abbess Miejue said fiercely. These two had originally submitted to Emei and were usually very obedient, but unexpectedly, in order to join the Tartars, they secretly murdered several Emei disciples and used their heads as a pledge of allegiance. How could Abbess Miejue not hate them?

If it weren't for the fact that I couldn't leave Emei without permission and that my disciples were too difficult to deal with, I would have killed them long ago under the Heaven-Slaying Sword. They wouldn't be so arrogant now.

"The two people the nun described are truly heinous. Not only do they burn, kill, and plunder, but they also act as henchmen for the Tartars, exterminating any sects that do not obey them. Now, the Green Bamboo Gang and the Five Blades Sect are expanding outwards from the south and north respectively. With the support of those Tartar masters, Emei is now caught in a pincer movement. Although it is not yet at a disadvantage, it will inevitably be devoured if this continues," Guo Jun said with a solemn expression. Although Emei is the first to bear the brunt, the Qingcheng Sect is not in much better shape.

"Master, you should have some understanding of the two's martial arts styles. Please enlighten me," Gu Xu decided to take action against these two and needed to know their methods.

"Zou Qing's martial arts skills are mediocre, but his lightness skills are remarkable. Moreover, he is good at setting up traps. The headquarters of the Green Bamboo Gang is located in a bamboo forest, which is almost full of traps. As for Sima Kong, he is skilled in using a heavy tiger-head saber, and his skill is passable..." Abbess Miejue knew the details of these two people very well and told Gu Xu about them in detail. Guo Jun also added a few words from time to time.

After a short while, Gu Xu had a general understanding of the two men. Sima Kong was impatient, greedy, and lustful, while Zou Qing was cowardly, skilled in underhanded tactics, and even his martial arts were primarily for self-preservation.

Gu Xuxin made a plan. "I will take care of Zou Qing and the other two. After the ceremony tomorrow, I will go to these two factions. Once this matter is settled, the nun should stabilize the situation on both sides as soon as possible."

Killing these two would be easy, but the real problem is that it could cause chaos within the gang, which would be a greater loss than gain.

Abbess Miejue said, "Nephew, do as you please. I will handle everything." Once these two are dead, she will select her own people from within the sect to ensure that both factions are under the control of Emei.

(End of this chapter)