A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 48 Bet
"I have made a bet with the two palace masters. Sixteen years from now, my disciple will compete with the disciples of the palace masters and Yan Nantian to determine who will be the number one martial artist in the future. I wonder if the two palace masters are interested?" Gu Xu planned to take Jiang Yuyan under his wing in the future and use her to compete with Hua Wuque and Xiaoyuer.

“You certainly have the ability, but why should I compete with you?” Yaoyue had no interest in the bet. If she could see through her opponent, she would have made her move long ago.

"Really? What about the Six Ren Divine Dice?"

"What? You have the Six Ren Divine Dice?" Yaoyue's eyes shot like sharp arrows at Gu Xu, but the latter remained calm and composed.

"The Six Ren Divine Dice are in the other party's hands, so it seems we have no choice but to accept this bet." Yaoyue has always wanted to master the final level of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, and now that the treasure has appeared, how could she not be tempted?

"Sixteen years from now, the winner will receive the Six Ren Divine Dice. Palace Mistress, what will you wager?"

"Ink Jade Plum Blossom, is this item of sufficient value?" Yaoyue knew the value of the Six Ren Divine Dice. Apart from the "Ink Jade Plum Blossom," the Yihua Palace really had nothing else to offer.

“Alright, let’s use these two items as the stakes. I’ll leave it to Palace Master Yaoyue to talk to Yan Nantian. I’ll take my leave now.” With that, Gu Xu’s figure flashed and disappeared from everyone’s sight in just a few breaths.

"Sister, this person's martial arts are so high, I can't even tell which school of kung fu he is from," Lianxing thought that there were no other masters in the martial arts world besides her sisters and Yan Nantian, but she didn't expect to encounter one as soon as she left the valley.

“This is what you call a master. Things are about to get interesting. Sister, take one back to the palace first. I’ll stay here and wait for news from Yan Nantian,” Yaoyue instructed Lianxing.

"Yes, sister, what about Jiang Feng's body..." Lianxing asked cautiously.

"Let's send someone to bury him," Yaoyue thought, her mind now focused on the Six Ren Divine Dice, everything else had to wait.

Lianxing slowly withdrew, and had someone collect the bodies of Jiang Feng and his wife, find a good place, and give them a proper burial.

Four days after Lianxing left, Yaoyue received a message by carrier pigeon saying that Yan Nantian was in Qingshi Town, which was not far away. Yaoyue immediately set off with her child.

To avoid being spied on, Yaoyue wore a veil and arrived at a luxurious restaurant in Qingshi Town. At that moment, a middle-aged man was sitting at a table in the corner. As soon as Yaoyue entered, the waiter immediately came forward to greet her warmly.

"Sir, what would you like to order?"

"A pot of tea, two vegetarian dishes, and a bowl of rice."

"Alright, please come this way, sir."

Yan Nantian sensed that Yaoyue was a master when she entered the room, and now that she was only two steps away, her aura was even more obvious.

While eating meat and drinking wine, Yan Nantian suddenly noticed that several people upstairs were staring intently at him. When he looked over, they quickly looked away, clearly indicating that they had malicious intentions.

Yaoyue quietly sipped her fragrant tea, a cold laugh escaping her lips as she thought, "The Twelve Zodiac Signs."

As Yan Nantian finished his meal and was about to leave, several hidden weapons suddenly shot down from upstairs. Yan Nantian dodged to the side, and the weapons hit the ground, emitting a wisp of blue light. Then the weapons cracked, releasing plumes of white smoke that quickly filled the entire inn with choking fumes.

Yaoyue took out a poison-avoiding pill and placed it on the baby. Then, with a sway of her body, she released several bursts of energy, killing the three villains who surrounded her.

Yan Nantian was currently being besieged by three of the twelve constellations. In terms of martial arts alone, even the twelve of them would not be a match for Yan Nantian. However, the enemy had the advantage of terrain and manpower, so the fight was going back and forth.

Just as Yaoyue was about to go over, a white light flashed, and three heads shot into the sky and rolled to the ground. Yan Nantian stood there with his sword, but in Yaoyue's eyes, he had already been poisoned.

"Don't use your internal energy anymore," Yaoyue said, sealing several vital points on Yan Nantian's body. Then she led him out of the inn and into a grove of trees.

"Who are you, Your Excellency?" Yan Nantian asked in a deep voice, the other party not seeming to be a bad person.

"This is the flesh and blood of your sworn brother Jiang Feng," Yaoyue said, handing the child to Jiang Feng before pulling off her veil to reveal her true face.

"It's you! What happened to my sworn brother Jiang Feng?" Yan Nantian took the child and asked sternly.

"He's already dead. If you want revenge, then let this child hone his martial arts skills and come to the Yihua Palace in person."

“You are poisoned now. Here is a Hundred Fragrances Detoxification Pill for you. It can temporarily suppress the poison. However, if you want to be completely cured, you must go to the Valley of Villains to find Chang Baicao. This child is related to a bet. You must teach him well, otherwise…” Yaoyue took out a porcelain bottle and handed it to Yan Nantian. She snorted coldly and then drifted away.

Yan Nantian looked at the child in his arms with a sorrowful expression and walked step by step out of the town.

Hongye Studio

Old Red Leaf looked at the young man in front of him, remaining calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.

"Who exactly is this mysterious young man? Why is there not a single piece of information about him in the files? If he hadn't introduced himself, we wouldn't even know his name."

On his way back to Murong Manor, Gu Xu made a special trip to Hongye Zhai, with the aim of taking control of this supposedly all-knowing information hub.

"Mr. Hongye, what's your decision?" Gu Xu gently placed the teacup on the table and asked in a low voice.

"Young Master Xu, this old man is willing to do things for you." Old Hongye was also feeling helpless. This Young Master Xu had broken into this place alone, and none of the guards outside had noticed. Looking at the six guards standing motionless inside the house, Old Hongye was completely convinced.

These six men were his carefully trained assassins, considered top-notch fighters even in the martial arts world. They also possessed a combined attack technique, ensuring that even against someone like Liu Xi, they wouldn't be at a disadvantage and could guarantee his safe retreat.

However, they were all subdued in less than two rounds by this mysterious young master Xu. His martial arts were truly terrifying. Old Hongye always valued his life and thought to himself that this person was irresistible.

"Being around someone like that might not be a bad thing."

“Mr. Hongye, you are indeed sensible. Since you are working for me, I will not treat you unfairly. These two martial arts manuals are for you.” Gu Xu carried the two booklets to Old Hongye and placed them on the table with a thud.

Old Hongye was quite shocked by Gu Xu's technique of holding objects in mid-air. Such martial arts skills could be described as divine. In his impression, there was hardly anyone in the martial arts world who could match him.

"Indestructible Vajra Body, Nine Spiral Shadows," Old Red Leaf glanced at Gu Xu, who was sipping tea, and carefully opened the box. After a moment, Old Red Leaf, who had been in a daze, was startled awake by a voice.

"Mr. Hongye, what do you think of these two martial arts?" Gu Xu had gone to great lengths to get him to work diligently. These two skills were top-notch life-saving techniques, perfect for someone like Old Hongye who was afraid of death.

"Young master, you flatter me. I have never seen these two skills before, but based on their content alone, they are top-notch martial arts. Even among the nine sects, they would be treasures of the sect." Old Hongye was amazed by Gu Xu's generosity. Such treasures were bestowed so generously, it was hard to refuse. The slight resentment he had felt earlier had completely dissipated.

"I've given you the item. I hope you'll do your job well. When I need it, I'll send someone to find you." Gu Xu left Hongye Zhai. With a flick of his sleeve, the pressure points of the six people were released. Watching Gu Xu's departing figure, everyone showed fear on their faces.

Looking at the six people, Old Red Leaf waved for them to leave, saying, "The winds of change are rising again in the martial world, and my Red Leaf Studio must ride the winds to the top."

"Brother, you're finally back!" Murong Wudi rushed to greet him when he heard from his servants that Gu Xu had returned.

Seeing that Murong Wudi was somewhat flustered, Gu Xu asked, "Brother Murong, why are you in such a hurry? Has something happened in the manor? Could it be that Liu Xi has come to test us again?"

"It's related to Liu Xi. Brother, come with me to the living room, and I'll tell you the details. Also, the nun has returned." Seeing Gu Xu, Murong Wudi felt somewhat more confident.

Following Murong Wudi into the living room, after exchanging greetings with the nun, Murong Wudi said to Gu Xu, "Brother, while you were away, several major events have occurred in the martial world."

"Oh, I wonder what those matters are?"

"The first thing is that He Yang Daoist of Wudang Sect has disappeared, and Yuan Yang Daoist has succeeded him as the sect leader. According to my investigation, he has secretly defected to Liu Xi, and the eunuch's power has expanded several times over."
The second incident was the sudden attack on the martial arts tournament held last month by men in black, resulting in heavy losses, including serious injuries to the alliance leader, Tie Ruyun.

Murong Wudi concluded, "This last matter is somewhat related to my Murong family. Liu Xi slandered me, imprisoning my close friend, Minister of War Yang Fangyi, in a death row. It was immediately clear that Liu Xi intended to harm my Murong family."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xu said, "Liu Xi suffered a great loss and will certainly not let it go, but he doesn't know Brother Murong's strength and dares not act rashly. So he captured Lord Yang, just to retaliate."

The Divine Nun of the South Sea agreed, saying, "Young Master Xu is right. Liu Xi is cunning and treacherous. He wouldn't risk his life without absolute certainty. If he can't touch the Master of the Manor, he'll have to eliminate the Master's influence in the imperial court and ultimately use the court's power to deal with the Murong family."

“What the nun says is very true,” Gu Xu thought, having a higher opinion of Liu Xi. He was not only highly skilled in martial arts but also so cautious. Indeed, to have reached the position of Director of the Eastern Depot, he was no ordinary person.

"Lord Yang is my closest friend. I cannot bear to see him die unjustly like this. My dear brother, do you have any ideas?"

Putting aside the relationship between the two families, Yang Fangyi's position in the imperial court is very important. Murong Wudi cannot sit idly by. If he has no better solution, he can only resort to the worst option: storming the execution ground.

“Brother Murong, rescuing Lord Yang is not difficult, but storming the execution ground is the worst possible strategy,” Gu Xu said, looking at Murong Wudi.

Murong Wudi was taken aback, stood up, and hurriedly asked, "Brother, what's your plan?"

"Liu Xi's goal is nothing more than to suppress the Murong family, but he cannot yet wield absolute power in the court. As long as Brother Murong is willing to spend money to smooth things over with important officials and the emperor's bedmate, this matter will not be difficult to resolve."

“What you say makes sense, my brother. I had thought about it before, but I was afraid that those officials would not dare to offend Liu Xi, which is why I was not sure what to do.”

"Don't worry, Brother Murong. After a few days, Liu Xi will no longer be interested in dealing with Lord Yang." Gu Xu obtained some private information about Liu Xi from Hongye Zhai. Although he was highly skilled in martial arts, he was, after all, a eunuch, and all his power came from the emperor. If these incriminating facts were presented, Liu Xi would definitely not fare well.

“If you are so confident, my brother, I will await your good news. If you need any help, please let me know.” With one worry resolved, Murong Wudi felt much more at ease.

"Young Master Xu, this humble nun must thank you for guiding Shu'er." The South Sea Divine Nun had been checking Murong Shu's martial arts these past few days and found that her progress was rapid, exceeding her expectations. This was all thanks to Young Master Xu's guidance.

"You're too kind, Nun. My guidance is one thing, but the most important thing is for you, Miss, to practice diligently. If a person helps themselves, then Heaven will help them. It's not surprising that you've achieved such success."

The South Sea Goddess nodded upon hearing this.

"Master Murong, I will temporarily stay at the Cibei Nunnery. The nun Jingzhao and I have a long-standing relationship. From now on, Shu'er will go there to learn martial arts. Is that alright?"

"As the nun said."

After the three of them talked for a while, Gu Xu went to Qiulan Courtyard and wrote down all the things Liu Xi had done, intending to hand them over to Murong Wudi the next day. He would leave the rest to Murong Wudi to handle himself. If he still couldn't deal with Liu Xi after doing this, he would be incredibly stupid.

Upon arriving at the cave, after checking on Murong Zhong and the other two's studies and confirming that they hadn't been slacking off, he offered a few words of encouragement before continuing his own meditation.

"Brother Murong, this is Liu Xi's weakness. The rest is up to you." Gu Xu handed the item to Murong Wudi. The latter took it and his expression changed drastically. How capable was his brother to be able to find out such a private matter?

"Brother Murong, I have obtained the Moon Dew Plate and need to borrow the alchemy furnace to refine the Nourishing Essence Pill. I wonder if that would be convenient for you?"

"Convenient, convenient, Fang Ren, take my brother to the alchemy room," Murong Wudi said hurriedly as he came to his senses.

“Young Master Xu, please come with me,” Fang Ren gestured.

Watching Gu Xu leave, Murong Wudi was still somewhat frightened.

He stayed in the alchemy room for seven days. By now, the medicinal herbs inside the alchemy furnace had melted into liquid and begun to condense. Gu Xu continuously poured his true energy into it, fusing the medicinal properties to perfection.

Two hours later, a fist-sized golden ball appeared inside the alchemy furnace. Gu Xu knew that the alchemy process had reached its final stage. He condensed his true energy like a knife, carefully divided the golden ball, and then soothed it with his true energy. After a few soft sounds, more than twenty red pills were scattered inside the furnace.

"Seven days of hard work have finally paid off," Gu Xu said, putting the pills into a porcelain bottle before getting up and opening the door.

Upon arriving at the secret chamber in the stone cave, Murong Zhong and his companion were meditating. When they saw Gu Xu arrive, they hurriedly stood up and greeted him as "Master."

"Alright, take these two pills."

Murong Zhong and his companion took the pills and swallowed them without hesitation. After a while, they felt their bodies become lighter and their dantian felt warm and comfortable.

"Master, what kind of medicine is this? How can it be so miraculous?" Murong Zhong asked.

"This is a Qi Cultivation Pill, which will help you accelerate your Qi cultivation time." With this bottle of Qi Cultivation Pill, the two of you can start cultivating your internal energy techniques ahead of time.

The two were overjoyed upon hearing this. Although they were already used to meditation and breathing exercises, it would be good to be able to cultivate internal energy a day earlier.

After letting the two continue meditating and circulating the medicinal power, Gu Xu sat upright on the cold jade platform and silently circulated the Pure Yang Profound Skill.

Valley of Villains

Yan Nantian finally arrived at the Valley of Villains with the baby in his arms. Looking at the desolate landscape before him, with sandstorms blowing in his face and bones scattered everywhere, Yan Nantian couldn't help but frown. This place was really too harsh. He held the baby in his arms tightly and walked in step by step with firm steps.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, a cluster of mud houses appeared ahead. Hearing the noise, Yan Nantian stopped and looked around.

"Haha, who's here again?" Amidst the eerie laughter, a dwarf-like figure suddenly appeared before Yan Nantian, his face painted with strange patterns and carrying a rattle drum.

"No matter who it is, anyone who comes to the Valley of Villains is doomed to die," said Li Dazui, who was holding a large bone club, as he slowly walked out.

Then came three more people dressed in strange clothes, two men and one woman. The woman was tall, one man had a fierce face, and the other had a ghostly aura.

Yan Nantian quickly identified the five people: Li Dazui, Tu Jiaojiao, Haha'er, Yin Jiuyou, and Du Sha—five of the Ten Villains.

"My name is Yan Nantian. I have something to ask the Ghost Doctor Chang Baicao. Please make way for me," Yan Nantian said in a deep voice, as he was now almost unable to suppress the poison in his body.

"What? You're Yan Nantian? Haha, you've just delivered food to us. If Yan Nantian dies at the hands of the five of us, how prestigious would that be?" Li Dazui realized that something was wrong with the other party; he was clearly poisoned, and immediately decided to kill him.

The other four were also filled with murderous intent and gradually surrounded him. Yan Nantian's heart sank, knowing that this matter would not end well. He then drew his long sword, its momentum soaring into the sky, and took the lead in attacking one of them, who was none other than Li Dazui.

The five men were momentarily stunned by the astonishing sword force, their steps slowing down. As the sandstorm obscured their faces, a flash of sword light cleaved the bone club in Li Dazui's hand into several pieces. Li Dazui was also struck by Yan Nantian's punch, spitting out blood as he flew backward. His obese body crashed through several earthen walls before falling heavily to the ground.

Seeing this, Tu Jiaojiao roared angrily and swiftly grabbed at Yan Nantian with her iron claws. The latter held a sword in his hand and slashed horizontally and vertically. The sword blade collided with the iron claws, sparks flying. Du Sha and Haha'er each wielded weapons to assist. While Yan Nantian was entangled with the three, an unexpected change occurred.

Using her lightness skill, Yin Jiuyou moved around Yan Nantian, her white ribbons dancing in her hands as she launched surprise attacks with hidden weapons, keeping her opponent busy.

Unable to gain the upper hand after a prolonged battle, Yan Nantian's brow furrowed with rage. He channeled his inner energy to its limit, and the longsword in his hand hummed. Then, to the horrified gazes of Tu Jiaojiao and the other three, three crisp sounds rang out, and all four of them lost their weapons. At the same time, they felt a sharp pain as each of them was struck by a heavy punch, and their bodies flew backward in all directions.

"Huff, huff," Yan Nantian stood leaning on his sword, panting heavily. The forced exertion of his internal energy had caused the poison to spread, and his body was almost at its last gasp. Although the five villains knew that Yan Nantian was now at his limit, they dared not provoke him any further. After struggling to their feet, they hurriedly retreated.

With the five villains gone, Yan Nantian could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground. Looking at the baby in his arms, Yan Nantian felt guilty for betraying his brothers. As his consciousness gradually blurred, he seemed to see an old man with a long beard before losing consciousness.

East Factory
Inside the main hall, the scene was a mess. Two still-warm corpses lay on the ground. Liu Xi's face was ashen, and he cursed angrily, "Those old bastards actually joined forces to trick me. They really don't know what's good for them."

Just the day before yesterday, led by Censor Wang Zhao, more than a dozen officials of the third rank and above impeached Liu Xi, listing ten major crimes and producing irrefutable evidence, which greatly angered the emperor. After court, the emperor directly reprimanded him. Although he did not strip him of his power, he placed someone here, ostensibly to assist, but in reality to monitor him.

“Master, those old scoundrels are nothing to fear. The key is the Murong family. Now that Yang Fangyi has been released without charge, what should we do next?” Zhou Yan asked in a low voice.

"Murong Wudi, you are truly skilled. You managed to gather so much evidence against me. I really underestimated you." Liu Xi had never taken Murong Wudi seriously, but now he had suffered a great loss, which made him very angry. He wished he could get rid of Murong Wudi as soon as possible.

"Has there been any news from the people monitoring Murong Manor?" Liu Xi had to get his revenge at the Murong family's place.

"The scouts reported that the Divine Nun of the South Sea appeared at the Murong family's residence and then stayed at the Compassionate Nunnery. The other mysterious young man made a brief appearance but never came out again."

"Hmph, does Murong Wudi think that with the help of these two, I will be afraid? Since he is so ungrateful, I will give him a big gift first. Go and prepare. I will take action myself. I will first test my Absorption Technique on that old nun."

"Yes," Zhou Yan accepted the order and left.

“Master, the South Sea Divine Nun is not easy to deal with. Should we send more people to accompany her?” Although Song Tao had confidence in the Master, the South Sea Divine Nun was no ordinary person either.

“Yes, you’re right. Let Liu Lang and the others follow.” Liu Xi had absolute confidence in the Absorption Technique; that old nun was no match for him.

Compassion Temple

After discussing Buddhist teachings with Abbess Jingzhao, the South Sea Divine Nun prepared to return to her meditation room to rest. When she reached the courtyard, she stopped and said to her surroundings, "Liu Xi, since you're here, show yourself." As soon as she finished speaking, seven figures flashed by and stood in front of the South Sea Divine Nun.

“The old nun is quite skilled, but you are doomed today. Go!” Liu Xi pointed, and six men in black, swords in hand, stepped forward.

These six men were Liu Xi's secret trained assassins. They had lived together since childhood and their behavior was almost identical. Outsiders, unaware of their backgrounds, could not tell them apart. At this moment, the six men were using the same sword moves, and they were as one. It would be difficult for an ordinary expert to withstand more than a few moves.

However, the South Sea Divine Nun lightly flicked her whisk, using her supple strength to neutralize the attack. She infused the whisk with her inner power, turning it into a densely woven net, intending to trap the six people within it.

Seeing this, Liu Xi was startled. "This old nun is indeed extraordinary." Seeing her displaying great power, Liu Xi flew up and struck her with a palm.

Noticing Liu Xi's attack, the South Sea Divine Nun swept away the six people with her whisk, picked up the longswords on the ground, and then, with a soft shout, sent the longswords flying towards Liu Xi like sharp arrows.

With a series of cracking sounds, the longsword shattered and fell to the ground. Liu Xi's face turned solemn. He gathered his inner strength again and unleashed a powerful palm strike, the force of which swept over him.
The South Sea Divine Nun remained calm, her whisk clasped in her arm. She struck out with her palm, and the two clashed. The courtyard was instantly devastated, the wind howled past their ears, and the air currents swirled. Liu Xi and the South Sea Divine Nun each let out a muffled groan as their internal forces clashed, and both were injured.

After two more blows, Liu Xi was the first to withdraw, followed closely by Liu Lang.

"Old nun, I'll let you off this time."

Seeing Liu Xi and the others retreat, the South Sea Divine Nun's face turned pale, and she then spat out a mouthful of blood.

"This villain's martial arts have improved so much. Alas, I wonder how much internal energy he has absorbed from masters." In just three short blows, although the South Sea Divine Nun had the upper hand, her internal injuries were three times more severe than Liu Xi's. Liu Xi was not confident that he could keep her alive, otherwise he would not have retreated so easily.

"It seems I should inform Master Murong and Young Hero Xu."

(End of this chapter)