A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 49 Taking refuge
"What? Liu Xi actually fought with the Divine Nun?" Murong Wudi exclaimed in surprise as he looked at the pale-faced Divine Nun of the South Sea.

"That's right. Last night, Liu Xi and his group of seven came to the Compassionate Nunnery. This humble nun exchanged three blows with him and was quite injured. It seems his Absorption Technique is about to reach its peak. Alas."

Murong Wudi pondered for a moment, then said, "Divine Nun, is Liu Xi's martial arts really that profound that even you are not confident?"

"In recent years, Liu Xi has relied on his Absorption Technique to absorb the internal energy of many martial arts masters. Before, I had a 50% chance of winning, but now I'm afraid I don't even have a 30% chance. Once he masters the final level, apart from the two palace masters of the Yihua Palace, I'm afraid only Young Hero Xu can contend with him."

Those within the family know their own limitations. The South Sea Divine Nun's martial arts have reached a bottleneck, and it will be extremely difficult to make any further progress. On the other hand, Liu Xi has made rapid progress with his evil skills. This pause and advancement has widened the gap between the two sides.

"It seems Liu Xi was hurt, which is why he couldn't help but attack the Divine Nun, trying to eliminate a major ally of my Murong Manor. Unfortunately, his plan backfired."

Looking at the seriously injured South Sea Nun, Murong Wudi said gently, "Nun, you should stay at the Compassionate Nunnery for now and stay in the manor to heal your wounds, and also to prevent Liu Xi from launching a surprise attack."

The South Sea Divine Nun chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Then I'll have to trouble Master Murong."

“You’re too kind, Nun. Please stay in the original courtyard. Fang Ren, take Nun back to her room to rest. No one is to disturb Nun without my permission.”

“Yes, Divine Nun, please,” Fang Ren accepted the order and left. The Divine Nun of the South Sea bowed again and followed Fang Ren out of the living room.

"I must tell my brother about this," Murong Wudi knew he was no match for Liu Xi and would not fight a losing battle, so he could only place his hopes on Gu Xu.

Upon arriving at the secret chamber of the stone cave, Gu Xu was instructing Murong Zhong and the other two. When he saw Murong Wudi arrive, he merely nodded in acknowledgment and continued to explain the doubts they had about cultivation to Murong Zhong and the other two.

Murong Wudi waved his hand, sat down to the side, and listened quietly. About half an hour later, Gu Xu finally stopped.

"Father," Murong Zhong and the other man greeted Murong Wudi.

"Your father and master have something to say, you two can leave now," Murong Wudi nodded and waved for the two to leave.

After bowing to Gu Xu and Murong Wudi once more, Murong Zhong and the other man left the stone cave.

"Brother Murong, is there something urgent that you've come to see me about?" Gu Xu asked, noticing his grave expression.

“Brother, last night Liu Xi went to Cibei Nunnery and fought with the nun. The nun was seriously injured and is now recuperating in the manor.”

Murong Wudi looked at Gu Xu, who remained calm and composed, and continued, "Liu Xi's Absorption Technique is almost complete. Even the Divine Nun has been defeated by him. I really don't know what to do. Do you have any advice, my brother?"

“Brother Murong, although Liu Xi’s martial arts are superb, I don’t take him seriously. If he sits still, that’s fine, but if he becomes reckless, his death is not far off.” As soon as Gu Xu finished speaking, he reached out and grabbed at the void. To Murong Wudi’s horrified eyes, several luminous pearls in the distance fell into Gu Xu’s hand like a hundred streams converging into a river.

"Brother, what is this...?" Murong Wudi asked in surprise. This kind of skill seemed to have the characteristics of the Absorption Technique, but it had no evil nature at all. Instead, it presented a majestic aura.

"This is merely a skill of telekinesis; once your skill reaches a certain level, you will naturally learn it."

Gu Xu spoke lightly, but Murong Wudi was speechless. The peerless skill that Liu Xi had tried so hard to master was used so easily by his own brother, which was really a slap in the face.

"My brother's skills are unparalleled, and I, as his elder brother, am somewhat ashamed."

Gu Xulu's move was meant to reassure Murong Wudi.

"Brother Murong, everything can continue as before. As long as you don't do anything out of line, I will take care of Liu Xi." Gu Xu had to protect Murong Manor for his own plans. He would be very busy once Jiang Yuyan was born.

"I am deeply grateful for your kind words, brother," Murong Wudi said solemnly, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

East Factory
With a slow exhale, Liu Xi picked up a cup of ginseng tea and drank it, his complexion regaining some color.

"Master, have your injuries fully healed?" Zhou Yan glanced at the two withered corpses on the ground and asked in a low voice.

"It's already six or seven tenths better. If we take two more people tomorrow, it'll be about right. That old nun really has some skills."

Liu Xi felt resentful when he thought about his previous defeat at the hands of the South Sea Goddess. The two women from the Yihua Palace were already difficult to deal with, and he had suffered another loss at their hands. How could he possibly unify the martial arts world in the future? It seemed that he had to find the Five Yang and Two Yin as soon as possible.

"Master, the South Sea Goddess is also seriously injured, otherwise she wouldn't have stayed at the Murong family. Moreover, once you master the divine skill, her power will belong to you," Song Tao flattered.

"Well said. By the way, have you found out anything about that mysterious young man?" Liu Xi disliked unexpected variables and wanted to prevent them from ruining his plans. He spent a lot of money to have Hongye Zhai investigate thoroughly. So much time has passed, there should be some progress by now.

“Master, Hongye Zhai sent a message three days ago. At that time, you were healing your injuries, so I didn’t disturb you,” Zhou Yan said, glancing cautiously at Liu Xi. “That mysterious young man is named Xu Gutong. He is currently a guest elder of the Murong family and the master of Murong Zhong and Murong Zheng. His lineage is unknown, but we know that he is highly skilled in martial arts. It was this man who killed Ai Song Gui.”

"Why was such a person not famous in the martial arts world before? Could he be a reclusive master of some sect?" Liu Xi was now paying more and more attention to Xu Gutong. His martial arts skills were no less than his own, and he was on the same side as Murong Wudi, which made him an enemy of the Eastern Depot.

"Master, Xu Gutong's background is unknown. Should we test him again..."

"No need. This person has never attacked us first, and I don't want to clash with him so soon. The most important thing now is to regain the Emperor's favor. If we can't stand firm in the court, unifying the martial arts world will just be empty talk. Pass down the order: don't target the Murong family for now. Take down those smaller sects first."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"How is Tie Ruyun now?" At the last martial arts tournament, Liu Xi took the opportunity to capture many masters, who have been imprisoned in the Death Tower to serve as training materials.

"Master, Tie Ruyun is currently contacting martial arts masters everywhere, including Meng Zhongliu the Iron Abacus, Zhao Qianhe the Divine Traveler, Li Gao the Mad Bull, Gu Xiao the Divine Blade, Yuan Yang Zhenren of Wudang, Qu Youyi of Kunlun, Ru Su the Emei, Zhi Chan the Shaolin monk, and Ji Feng of the Beggar Clan, forming a secret alliance to prepare to resist the Eastern Depot."

"Heh, Tie Ruyun was smart all his life, but he made a foolish mistake. His reign as the leader of the martial arts alliance is over. If it weren't for my support behind the scenes, could he have become the leader of the martial arts alliance? Oh well, let him be happy for a few more days. By the way, have you found any clues about the woman with a pure Yin destiny that I asked you to find before?"

There are quite a few people in the martial arts world who practice pure Yang martial arts, but it is a bit troublesome for a woman with a pure Yin destiny who also practices martial arts. That is why he specifically searched for her all over the country.

"Master, those fortune tellers haven't sent any messages yet, but in my opinion, we should receive news soon," Song Tao hurriedly replied.

"Yes, once we find them, we'll have them learn martial arts. I can wait seventeen years. This matter must be handled with care. If anything goes wrong, watch out for your heads," Liu Xi said sternly.

"Your subordinates will do their utmost to serve the supervisor," Zhou Yan and Song Tao hurriedly knelt on the ground to express their loyalty. Liu Xi was very satisfied with their attitude and casually took out two pills and threw them to them.

"These two Lesser Rejuvenation Pills are a reward for you. You may leave now."

Zhou and Song were overjoyed and thanked the supervisor, then backed away.

"This Lesser Rejuvenation Pill is extremely precious, and it's fortunate that the Grand Supervisor was willing to part with it."

"That's because the Supervisor values ​​us. We must work even harder from now on."

“You’re right. Go and see if any messages have come from those fortune tellers. I’ll go and do what the supervisor asked me to do.”

Tower of Death

This is an underground prison secretly built by Liu Xi. It is full of traps and guarded by experts, making it virtually impregnable.

"Master, Daoist Heyang is in that cell," Granny Tie respectfully led Liu Xi to a cell door made of fine iron. Through the iron bars, one could see an old Daoist in a Daoist robe. This person was none other than Heyang, the current leader of Wudang Sect.

"Liu Xi, you dog!" Upon hearing the noise, He Yang Dao Ren shook the chains binding him. In the dim light, he saw that the person who came was Liu Xi and immediately began to curse.

He was betrayed by his junior brother, losing his position as sect leader and becoming someone else's prisoner. He ended up in this predicament all because of Liu Xi.

“Master Heyang, if you hadn’t trusted Yuanyang so much, how could you have fallen into my hands? Since you don’t know what’s good for you, then I have no choice but to bring you down,” Liu Xi said smugly. “Open the cell door,” Liu Xi ordered, and the old woman immediately took out her key and opened the cell door.

“Master Heyang, I was slightly injured before, and now I need to borrow some of your power to heal. You won’t mind, will you?” Liu Xi stepped into the cell, looking at the terrified man in his eyes, and felt extremely pleased.

"Master, please spare my life. I promise to become your most obedient dog from now on. Please spare my life, Master."

Upon hearing that Liu Xi wanted to use him to practice the Absorption Technique, Daoist Heyang immediately abandoned his dignity, groveling and begging for mercy, showing no trace of his former sect leader demeanor.

"Master Heyang, no matter how much you beg for mercy, it's useless. However, I can give you a quick death." After saying that, Liu Xi pressed his palm down on the top of Master Heyang's head, and a powerful suction force emanated from his palm, sucking out all of Master Heyang's hard-earned internal energy.

Hearing the screams coming from inside, the old woman outside the door felt a chill run down her spine, fearing that she would become the next Daoist Heyang.

After a while, the screams inside the room gradually subsided. Liu Xi withdrew his hand, his swollen abdomen slowly calmed down, and his internal injuries were instantly healed.

"This Master Yang's skill is indeed substantial; one of him is equivalent to two people."

After glancing at the mummified corpse on the ground, Liu Xi walked out of the cell, instructed the old woman to take good care of the Death Tower, and then returned to the East Depot.

"Lord Supervisor, Jiang Qin requests an audience," Zhou Yan immediately reported as soon as Liu Xi returned.

"Jiang Qin, Jiang Feng's pageboy, what's he doing here?" Although Liu Xi disliked such a traitor, it didn't stop him from appreciating him. If used well, he could be an obedient dog.

"Let him in"

"This humble servant greets the Grand Supervisor," Jiang Qin said as soon as she entered, kneeling down and kowtowing to Liu Xi.

"Get up and sit down to talk."

"Thank you, Supervisor. I have come today to present you with a great gift," Jiang Qin said, knowing that Liu Xi disliked beating around the bush, and stated her purpose directly.

"Oh, what a wonderful gift?" Liu Xi asked, immediately intrigued.

"I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Your Excellency. I have now collected all of Jiang Feng's assets, totaling three million taels. I am aware that I am not fortunate enough to bear this burden, so I am offering this to Your Excellency. I hope Your Excellency will not find it offensive," Jiang Qin said, taking out a thick stack of silver notes from her sleeve and presenting them with both hands.

"Well, it's kind of you to do this. In that case, I'll accept it." Liu Xi was short of money at the moment, and such a large sum of money was enough to solve his current predicament. At this moment, Liu Xi looked at Jiang Qin again and found her much more pleasing to the eye.

"I heard you're not married yet. I happen to have a goddaughter who is very beautiful and would be a perfect match for you. What do you think?" Liu Xi said kindly.

"Thank you for your kindness, Master. I am willing to serve you," Jiang Qin said excitedly, standing up and kneeling down.

Seeing how cooperative the other party was, Liu Xi nodded. He realized that his move had not only earned him a dog, but also demonstrated that Jiang Qin was indeed quite capable in business. With her around, he wouldn't have to worry about money.

"Master Supervisor," Song Tao walked in with a letter in his hand. He glanced at Jiang Qin, who hurriedly said, "Master Supervisor, I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now." Liu Xi hummed in agreement, and Jiang Qin left.

"What's up"

"Master, those fortune tellers have now found three women with pure Yin destiny, and they are currently escorting them to the capital."

"Good, this matter has been handled well. Once the people arrive, let them cultivate. As for those fortune tellers, we need to deal with them as soon as possible to prevent the news from leaking out." Liu Xi was really happy today because all the good things had come at once.

"Yes".

Murong Manor
“Brother, although the Eastern Depot has been making a lot of small moves lately, it has reduced its pressure on the Murong family. It seems that Liu Xi does not want to break off relations prematurely.”

"Liu Xi is a cautious and prudent man. He won't make a move against me unless I have absolute confidence in him. Besides, he's currently busy winning the emperor's favor, so it's understandable that he can't attend to this matter. However, once he's dealt with his internal affairs and mastered the art of remote absorption seventeen years later, he will definitely be unable to resist. It will then be a matter of who is more cunning."

Seeing that Gu Xu had everything under control, Murong Wudi was envious. In this world, things are either based on power or reason. Now that his brother's skills have reached the level of profound understanding, he certainly wouldn't take Liu Xi seriously. There are probably very few things that would interest him.

"Brother Murong, how is the Divine Nun's injury?"

"After a period of recuperation, she is much better now and is teaching Shu'er."

"That's good. I have a Qi-Nourishing Pill here, which is quite helpful in treating internal injuries. I'll trouble Brother Murong to give it to the Divine Nun."

Gu Xu handed a porcelain bottle to Murong Wudi, who took it and said, "Okay, I will pass it on to the nun."

"Master, the leader of the martial arts alliance, Tie Ruyun, has come to pay a visit," Fang Renjin reported as he entered, presenting a visiting card with both hands.

Murong Wudi took it, glanced at it, and said, "I have never had any dealings with Tie Ruyun. Why would she come here today without my knowledge?"

"I will go to greet them myself." No matter what, the other party is of noble status, and I cannot be impolite. Seeing this, Gu Xu said, "The master has guests, so I won't join in the fun. I'd better go and see Zhong'er and the others."

"My dear brother, please go ahead." Knowing that his brother disliked these social engagements, Murong Wudi did not insist and led his men out to greet Tie Ruyun.

Outside the manor, a middle-aged man with a resolute face and a black beard was looking at the plaque. The gate creaked open, and Murong Wudi came out first. Upon seeing Tie Ruyun, he clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Alliance Leader Tie, it is an honor to have you here. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly."

"Master Murong, you flatter me. It is I who have come here so abruptly. Please do not take offense."

"You're too kind, Alliance Leader Tie, please," Murong Wudi gestured, and the two of them walked forward together into the living room.

A cup of fragrant tea was served, and Tie Ruyun took a sip. He then said to Murong Wudi, "I, Tie, do not come here without a reason. I have something to discuss with you."

"Oh, I wonder what it is? If it is within my power, I will do my best to help," Murong Wudi said, not giving a definitive answer.

"To be honest, I have come here today hoping that the Murong family will lend us a hand and help us resist the Eastern Depot's encroachment on the martial arts world," Tie Ruyun said in a deep voice, looking at Murong Wudi.

"Master Murong, nowadays, apart from a few major sects, almost all the remaining gangs in the martial arts world have submitted to the Eastern Depot. If this continues, and we don't join forces to defend against the enemy, I'm afraid the entire martial arts world will become the private property of the Eastern Depot. Are you willing to accept this, Master Murong?"

Although Tie Ruyun had a rugged appearance, he was actually quite shrewd. News of the feud between Murong Manor and the Eastern Depot had already spread throughout the martial arts world. Adhering to the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, Tie Ruyun came to persuade them to form an alliance.

Murong Wudi pondered for a moment after hearing this, "Alliance Leader Tie just mentioned us, but I wonder who else is involved."

“Meng Zhongliu, Zhao Qianhe…” With each name Tie Ruyun uttered, Murong Wudi’s heart sank.

If my brother hadn't told me beforehand, I really wouldn't have known that most of these people had secretly sided with Liu Xi. That fool Tie Ruyun probably doesn't even know that the news has already been leaked. The alliance against the Eastern Depot is just a joke. I don't want to go down the river with this broken ship.

"Alliance Leader Iron, I regret to inform you that I cannot agree."

"Why is that?" Tie Ruyun never expected that Murong Wudi would refuse the suggestion.

"The Iron Alliance Leader is proud and upright. I can't bear to see you deceived. Among these people, Yuan Yang Zhenren, Meng Zhongliu, Zhao Qianhe, and Ji Feng of the Beggar Clan have secretly pledged allegiance to Liu Xi."

After considering it, Murong Wudi still spoke up. After all, Tie Ruyun was one of the few men in the martial arts world who still had some backbone, and he couldn't bear to see him being deceived.

"What?" Tie Ruyun exclaimed in surprise.

(End of this chapter)