A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 44 Hometown
Gu Xu slowly opened his eyes and shielded his eyes from the sunlight.

"Young master is awake!" a clear female voice exclaimed in surprise.

"Where is this place?" Gu Xu stared intently at the source of the voice, a young girl dressed as a maid.

"This is the Murong family. Young master, please don't move. I'll go and fetch the master," he said, and quickly walked out of the room.

After the girl left, Gu Xu sat up and examined his body. He found that there was nothing wrong with his body and his martial arts skills were still intact. However, the jade pendant had become dull and lifeless again.

Recalling the turbulent currents he encountered when he shattered the void, he still felt a bit scared. If it weren't for the jade pendant protecting him, he probably wouldn't have gotten here so easily.

Looking closely at his surroundings and the room layout, which resembled the style of the Jiangnan region, and seeing that the girl said she came from the Murong family, Gu Xu's first thought was, could it be that he had entered the world of The Peerless Twins?

As he was pondering, Gu Xu heard footsteps outside. One of the people in the footsteps was steady and had obviously considerable internal strength.

The door was pushed open, and the first person Gu Xu saw was a middle-aged man with a resolute face and a short beard. The man stepped forward and reached out to take Gu Xu's pulse, but Gu Xu subconsciously withdrew his hand.

“Young brother, there’s no need to be so wary. I am Murong Wudi, the master of this place,” Murong Wudi said with a smile, withdrawing his hand as he looked at Gu Xu’s guarded expression.

"This person is truly extraordinary; I couldn't sense his skill at all."

Gu Xu collapsed at the entrance of the Murong family for no apparent reason. Murong Wudi’s daughter, Murong Shu, happened to see him. Murong Wudi was worried that the man’s origins were unknown, so he personally investigated and found that although the man’s breath was weak, he had a huge amount of internal energy gathered in his body. So he placed him in this secluded courtyard and sent people to take good care of him.

"Murong Wudi?" Gu Xuxin was somewhat surprised. It seemed that this world should be Xiaoyuer and Hua Wuque. This drama also had another special name, Yu Yan Zhuan, which was the name of the extraordinary woman who killed everyone in the drama.

"Manor Lord Murong, thank you for saving my life. I am deeply grateful," Gu Xu said, getting up from the bed and bowing with his hands clasped.

"Young brother, there's no need for such formalities. You've just recovered, so you should rest more," Murong Wudi said, lifting Gu Xu up with both hands and waving his hand to dismiss the servants around him, leaving only Xiao Cui behind.

"May I ask your honorable name, young brother, and why you have come to Jiangnan?" Murong Wudi saw that Gu Xu had an extraordinary demeanor and did not seem to come from a small sect.

"My name is Xu Gutong, and I come from the Wudang Sect. I offended my enemies because of a private matter and was chased by them, which is why I ended up here. I didn't expect to be rescued by the Master of the Manor. I am truly ashamed."

Murong Wudi looked at Gu Xu and understood the situation. The other party claimed to be from the Wudang Sect, but as far as he knew, Wudang had not produced any outstanding figures in recent years. The only ones who could be considered experts were the sect leader and Master Yang. It seemed that this young man was still holding back and was not telling the truth. However, this was only natural. Since the other party was unwilling to reveal his identity, as long as the other party did not have any ill intentions, he would not investigate too much.

"So Brother Xu is from Wudang. Forgive my poor eyesight."

Gu Xu knew that the other party did not fully trust him, so now was not the time to reveal everything. He would wait for the right opportunity to speak.

"Brother Xu, please rest and recover. If you need anything, just let Xiao Cui know," Murong Wudi said, seeing that Gu Xu looked tired. He then left after giving Xiao Cui his instructions.

"Young master, you've been unconscious for half a month and haven't eaten anything properly. Eat this bowl of porridge while it's hot," Xiao Cui said, holding a bowl of steaming medicinal porridge and preparing to feed Gu Xu with a spoon.

"Miss Xiao Cui, I can do it myself," Gu Xu said, not having the habit of being waited on, and reached out to take the bowl.

Xiao Cui suddenly paused, then showed a wronged expression and said in a slightly tearful voice, "Does the young master dislike Xiao Cui? Serving the young master is Xiao Cui's duty. If the master finds out, Xiao Cui will definitely be punished."

Gu Xu quickly finished the bowl of medicinal porridge and looked at Xiao Cui, saying, "Miss Xiao Cui, I'm feeling a little unwell and would like to take a bath. Would you please prepare some hot water for me?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Cui happily said, "Young master, please don't be so polite. I'll go right away," and hurriedly left the house.

Seeing Xiao Cui's hurried manner, Gu Xu shook his head and smiled. After finishing a bowl of medicinal porridge, Gu Xu sat cross-legged and began to circulate the Pure Yang Profound Technique. After circulating it throughout his body, his true energy continued to gather.

A moment later, Gu Xu slowly finished his practice, and Xiao Cui's voice came from outside: "Young Master, the hot water is ready, you can take a bath now."

Gu Xu entered the inner room, where a steaming wooden tub was placed inside, and a set of clothes was on a shelf next to it.

Refusing Xiao Cui's service, Gu Xu removed his clothes and immersed himself in the wooden tub, gradually emptying his mind.

After washing off the grime, Gu Xu felt refreshed. He put on new clothes and went to the bronze mirror, where a handsome face of no more than thirty years old was reflected.

"I never imagined that this time travel would make me younger. It's truly unbelievable." Gu Xu had achieved success in cultivating the Pure Yang Profound Art before, and he was only thirty years old. Since then, his appearance has remained at that age, which makes Song Qingshu and Zhang Wuji extremely envious.

After Gu Xu walked out of the room, Xiao Cui, who was standing outside the door, suddenly opened her eyes wide, then blushed and thought to herself, "Young Master is just too handsome."

"Miss Xiao Cui, I've been bedridden for a long time and would like to go out for a walk. Could you show me around?" Gu Xu wanted to get to know this place thoroughly first, otherwise he would always feel uneasy.

“Young master, please come with me. Master instructed that if you feel bored, you can take a walk in the garden. The scenery there is very beautiful.” Xiao Cui suppressed her excitement and led Gu Xu out of the courtyard, heading towards the southeast corner.

Gu Xu looked at an exquisite pavilion not far away. As he approached, he smelled a refreshing fragrance and saw a winding stream of water flowing over and into a large pool.

"Young master, please wait in the pavilion for a while, I will go prepare tea and snacks," Gu Xu nodded and sat down in the pavilion.

Just then, he suddenly heard the sound of sword practice. Looking towards the source of the sound, he saw that it was blocked by a cluster of flowers. Gu Xu did not rush over, but listened quietly.

"Shu'er, your 'Frosty Ice Sword' move lacks both power and direction. Let me demonstrate it for you again, so you can watch carefully."

In Gu Xu's perception, the sword's momentum suddenly changed, and the sword wind swept across like flying snow, icy and bone-chilling. The flowers on the side were covered with a thin layer of frost, and then, like fragile ice crystals, they were swept away by the wind and scattered into fragments, falling to the ground.

"Master, you're amazing! When will I be able to be that amazing?" the little girl's voice was full of envy.

"Shu'er, you must practice this 'Thirteen Boundless Swords' diligently. As long as you don't slack off, you can reach your master's level in less than ten years," the middle-aged woman said kindly.

"Who goes there?" A leaf flew swiftly toward Gu Xu. Upon seeing this, he put two fingers together and caught the flying leaf. At this moment, a middle-aged nun holding a whisk came out, accompanied by a girl of about seven or eight years old.

"My name is Xu Gutong. I was unaware that you were here. I apologize for disturbing you." Gu Xuxin had already determined the other party's identity. It should be the South Sea Divine Nun, and the girl should be Murong Shu.

"Your finger strength is truly remarkable," said the South Sea Goddess. She had initially thought someone was spying on her martial arts, but she never expected it to be such a young man. Seeing how easily he caught her hidden weapon, he must be no ordinary person.

Murong Shu, standing beside him, stared wide-eyed at Gu Xu and exclaimed in surprise, "You're that big brother! You're awake! That's wonderful!"

Looking at the excited Murong Shu, Gu Xu smiled and said, "I must thank you for saving my life, Miss. I am extremely grateful."

The South Sea Divine Nun glanced at Murong Shu. Her disciple had saved someone; it turned out to be him. Xiao Cui, who had just arrived with tea and snacks, saw the South Sea Divine Nun and Murong Shu standing opposite Gu Xu. She put the tea tray aside, took a few quick steps, and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Divine Nun, Miss, this is Xu Gu and Young Master Xu. Young Master Xu, this is Miss and Divine Nun's master."

Xiao Cui was worried that neither party knew the details, so she hurriedly introduced them to each other.

The South Sea Goddess felt slightly relieved, nodded to Gu Xu, and left with Murong Shu.

"Young master, what just happened? Why did the nun come here?"

"I was resting here just now. The nun was teaching the young lady swordsmanship. I may have accidentally disturbed her."

Xiao Cui breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. As long as it wasn't anything serious, that was fine. The nun was of noble status, and even the master respected her greatly. It was good that the young master hadn't offended her.

"Young master, please try these pastries. They were just made," Xiao Cui said, placing four plates of exquisite pastries and a pot of fragrant tea on the table.

He reached out and picked up a piece of white pastry, which melted in his mouth. "It has a delicate texture and is not astringent. It has a sweet aroma of new rice, so it should be made with fragrant rice as the main ingredient." Gu Xu had eaten this kind of pastry before when he was in the Eagle Sect.

"Young master is indeed amazing. Making fragrant rice cakes is not difficult, but making them well is not so easy. Young master, please try some other desserts as well." Xiao Cui was overjoyed to see that Gu Xu liked them.

After enjoying some snacks and fragrant tea, and gazing at the garden scenery, Gu Xu felt deeply content.

As darkness fell, Gu Xu returned to his room. After dinner, he silently meditated and circulated his internal energy.

The next day, led by a servant, Gu Xu arrived at the living room. At that time, Murong Wudi was talking to the South Sea Divine Nun. When Murong Wudi heard that Gu Xu had requested an audience, he had someone invite him in.

"Greetings, Master Zhuang, greetings, Divine Nun," Gu Xu bowed respectfully.

Neither of them dared to be presumptuous, and both stood up to return the greeting.

"Young Master Xu, please have a seat. May I ask what brings you here today?"

"I am deeply grateful for the care and attention you have given me, Master. I have come today because I wish to return to the mountain to take care of some matters. I have come to tell you that I will continue to trouble you after these matters are settled."

Although Gu Xu wanted to go back to the mountain to take a look, he couldn't just leave like that; he had to tell Murong Wudi.

“Since you have urgent business to attend to, young hero, I will not delay you. The journey to Wudang is long. Fang Ren, go and prepare the travel expenses and a fast horse, and give them to young hero Xu later,” Murong Wudi instructed his attendant. Fang Ren immediately went to make the preparations.

"Thank you very much, Master. I shall depart now," Gu Xu said without further ado, bowing once more before leaving the living room.

Murong Wudi watched Gu Xu's departing figure and asked the South Sea Nun beside him, "Nun, did you notice anything?"

The South Sea Divine Nun shook her head and said, "Judging from his breathing, his energy is long and deep, his eyes are bright and his spirit is hidden. This young hero Xu's internal strength is quite remarkable, probably even above mine."

Murong Wudi was greatly surprised upon hearing this. The South Sea Divine Nun could be considered one of the top three martial arts masters in the world today, second only to Yaoyue and Lianxing of the Yihua Palace. Even Liu Xi of the Eastern Depot was slightly inferior to her.

He knew that Gu Xu was skilled in martial arts, but he didn't expect him to be this powerful.

"Master, there is no need to worry. I observe that this young hero Xu is humble and polite, and I do not think he is a villain. Moreover, Wudang is a prestigious and righteous sect, and there would be no scoundrels among them."

Upon hearing this, Murong Wudi could only smile wryly. "You're overthinking it, Nun. I was just wondering when Wudang produced such a figure. Why wasn't there a word about it?"

"Wudang has a deep foundation, so it's not surprising that there might be some hidden masters. However, if this gets out, the martial arts world will probably be in turmoil again."

Murong Wudi nodded repeatedly. Now, Yihua Palace is a powerful force in the martial arts world, and even Wudang and Shaolin dare not touch it. If Yihua Palace knew that Wudang had such a master, Yaoyue would definitely not be content and would want to have a match with him. At that time, the martial arts world would become even more chaotic, and Liu Xi would definitely increase his efforts to devour the forces of the martial arts world.

"This matter must not be revealed, please keep it a secret, Nun."

"It's natural"

Gu Xu rode westward for two days and arrived at Wudang Mountain. He left his horse at an inn and went up the mountain from the back to the top. After avoiding the disciples guarding the mountain, he arrived at the place where his ancestors were buried.

Apart from Zhang Sanfeng's tombstone, the names of everyone else in this world have disappeared. It seems that everything that had happened was an illusion. The green mountains remain the same, only the people have changed.

Bending down to touch Zhang Sanfeng's cold tombstone, Gu Xu remained silent, letting the mountain breeze blow gently, his thoughts drifting away.

"Who's there?" A voice rang in Gu Xu's ears. Gu Xu stood up and looked back. He saw a young Taoist priest holding a long sword, with a bamboo basket next to him.

"Who are you, and how did you get into my Wudang forbidden area?" The young Taoist drew his sword and secretly flicked a firework signal with his left hand.

"What's your name?" Gu Xu asked slowly, as if he hadn't seen the other person's movements.

"Cangmu," the young Taoist replied without hesitation, then regretted it. Why did he tell him all this? The other party had infiltrated the forbidden area; he must have ill intentions. Just as he was about to make a move, a figure flashed by, and before he could react, the signal in his hand had vanished.

Cangmu glared angrily, his sword moving like a dragon, attacking Gu Xu from the top, middle, and bottom, while simultaneously striking Gu Xu's right shoulder with his left palm.

Gu Xu watched as Cang Mu unleashed the Thirteen Swords of the Divine Gate and the Cotton Palm, and inwardly admired him. It was rare for someone of his age to have such skill. He then swept his right sleeve around the long sword, and with a forward lean of his right shoulder, he sent Cang Mu flying backward. The long sword ended up stuck right at his feet.

"Your martial arts skills are not bad," Gu Xu said calmly, looking at Cang Mu's somewhat frightened eyes. "Judging from your attire, you should be a true disciple. Why don't you practice the Pure Yang Limitless Skill and the Nine Yang Divine Skill?"

Once a Wudang disciple is promoted to a true disciple, he must practice the complete martial arts technique. However, Cangmu was clearly still practicing the Wudang Nine Yang Skill, which made Gu Xu somewhat puzzled. Could something have happened to Wudang?
"Senior, do you have some connection with Wudang?" Cangmu was stunned by Gu Xu's words and, hearing that he seemed very familiar with the inner workings of Wudang, couldn't help but ask.

“I do have a connection with Wudang. First, answer me why I don’t practice those two sets of kung fu.”

"Senior, you may not know this, but only the sect leader and his successor can cultivate the Pure Yang Limitless Skill and the Nine Yang Divine Skill. True disciples can only cultivate the Wudang Nine Yang Skill," Cang Mu said with a sigh of relief.

"Didn't the Wudang Sect Leader always cultivate the Pure Yang Profound Skill? What exactly happened?" Gu Xu stared intently at Cang Mu. Before he left, he left behind a simplified version of the Pure Yang Profound Skill. As long as one's talent was not lacking, one would surely be able to cultivate it to perfection within twenty years and become a top master. Why has Wudang fallen to such a state now?

“Senior, a great upheaval once occurred at Wudang, and the secret manual of the Pure Yang Profound Skill was lost in that turmoil,” Cangmu said hastily, his mind somewhat dazed after being looked at by Gu Xu.

"turmoil?"

(End of this chapter)