A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 61 Visiting Relatives
“Zhong’er, Yu Yan, you’ve been a bit reckless,” Gu Xu said, turning around to the two of them.

"Master, your disciple knows he was wrong," Murong Zhong said with a look of shame, and Jiang Yuyan also lowered her head to admit her mistake.

Seeing that the two were sincere, Gu Xu stopped criticizing them.

"Master, these are my friends, Hua Wuque and Xiaoyuer," Murong Zhong introduced Hua Wuque and Xiaoyuer to his master as his expression softened.

"Indeed, he is a young talent, truly extraordinary." Gu Xu knew in his heart that Hua Wuque's martial arts skills were even better than Murong Zhong's, and although Xiao Yu'er was not as good as Hua Wuque, he was also a standout among the younger generation.

"Hua Wuque greets senior." After witnessing Gu Xu kill Hanjiang Fisherman with a single finger strike, Hua Wuque concluded that the other party's martial arts were even stronger than his two masters. Although he was always arrogant, he was extremely respectful to such a master.

"Little Fish greets Senior." Although Little Fish didn't fight, he kept talking during the battle, which left him mentally exhausted and looking pale.

“This place is not safe to stay for long. The two lower levels are where prisoners are held. Zhong’er, Yu Yan, you two go and rescue them. This is the antidote for the bewitching soup.” Gu Xu took out two large porcelain bottles, which Murong Zhong and Jiang Yu Yan took, and then went down to the lower level.

The two rushed down to the two lower levels. Murong Zhong reached the first level, quickly dealt with the guards, and arrived at a cell. He took out the key, opened the cell, and found that Tie Ruyun was imprisoned inside.

"Who?"

Since being imprisoned, Tie Ruyun had been given a drug every day, leaving her weak and powerless. Hearing the noise outside, she realized it wasn't Liu Xi's people and became alert.

"Alliance Leader Tie, I am Murong Zhong, and I have come here specifically to rescue you." Murong Zhong lit a tinderbox, and in the firelight, Tie Ruyun was able to see the face of the newcomer.

"Nephew Murong," Tie Ruyun was overjoyed. Since an acquaintance had come, he was finally saved.

"Please wait a moment, Alliance Leader Iron, let me remove the shackles from your body first," Murong Zhong said, using a key to remove the shackles one by one.

"Leader Iron, this is the antidote to the bewitching potion. I still need to go and rescue the other imprisoned people," Murong Zhong said, handing him a pill before leaving.

After watching Murong Zhong leave, Tie Ruyun pondered for a moment before swallowing the pill.

In no time, Tie Ruyun felt her body filled with power again. She quickly sat down to meditate and regain her energy, gradually circulating her power back into her body.

Actually, he had suspected before that the other person might be an imposter, but then he thought that he was already a prisoner, so what could the other person possibly have that would be worth coveting? His situation couldn't be any worse than it was now.

In retrospect, I was the one who judged him with my own petty mind. After recovering 30% of his power, Tie Ruyun immediately walked out of the cage.

With Murong Zhong's help, four more people were rescued. Murong Zhong calculated the time and found that half an hour had passed. Fearing that things might change if they were delayed, he led the five people to the third floor, intending to meet up and escape the Tower of Death together.

At this moment, Jiang Yuyan had already returned with Yuan Yang Zhenren and the others.

"Meng Zhongliu!" Tie Ruyun shouted as soon as she saw a man dressed as a merchant. Meng Zhongliu was terrified when he heard Tie Ruyun's voice.

"Alliance Leader Iron, now is not the time to settle personal grudges. Let's get out of the tower first." Although Murong Zhong also despised Meng Zhongliu's character, now was not the right time.

Tie Ruyun glared at Meng Zhongliu with hatred, but said nothing more. The group returned the way they came and finally escaped the Tower of Death.

"It's better to destroy this harmful place," Murong Zhong said, following the structure of the Death Tower. He activated the self-destruct device, and with a loud bang, the ground sank into a bottomless pit.

“Zhong’er, your sister is about to return home to visit her family. You need to prepare in advance. Zheng’er should have already returned to the manor. You should also set off as soon as possible.” Gu Xu had received the news from the palace before he came that Murong Shu would be visiting her family on the second day of the tenth month.

"Yes, Master," Murong Zhong replied. It had been a long time since he had seen his sister since she entered the palace. He had missed the last time she went to the palace, and he couldn't miss this time no matter what.

"As for Yu Yan, she should gain more experience in the martial world. I think Xiao Yu'er and Hua Wuque are trustworthy friends. You can communicate with them more."

"Yes," Jiang Yuyan immediately agreed. Her experience in the martial world was still somewhat shallow, unlike her two senior brothers who had traveled the martial world with their master for more than ten years.

"Uncle Tie, until we meet again," Gu Xu bowed to Tie Ruyun and left with Murong Zhong and some other rescued martial arts figures.

“Young Master Hua, Brother Yu, since Jiang Biehe is not in the Tower of Death, he must have been secretly hidden by the Eastern Depot. It seems we should make a trip to Red Leaf Studio.”

"it is good"

The three of them didn't want to deal with these people from the martial arts world. After saying goodbye to Tie Ruyun, they left together. At this moment, only Tie Ruyun, Meng Zhongliu, Yuanyang Zhenren, Zhao Qianhe, and Li Gao remained in the wilderness.

"Meng Zhongliu, prepare to die!" Tie Ruyun could no longer suppress the killing intent in his heart. He immediately made a killing move. The fierce palm wind forced Meng Zhongliu to retreat repeatedly. Even the Yuan Yang Zhenren and others who were watching the battle changed their expressions drastically.

"This Tie Ruyun has such domineering strength," said Master Yuanyang, who claimed to be a master of martial arts, but he was still three points inferior to Tie Ruyun.

Meng Zhongliu had focused most of his skills on his weapon, the Iron Abacus. Now that he had lost his weapon, he could only unleash about 50% of his fighting power. In fact, Meng Zhongliu knew in his heart that even if he had his weapon back now, he would still be no match for Tie Ruyun.

"Iron Alliance Leader, please don't press this so hard. I, Meng, am not to be trifled with either," Meng Zhongliu said, barely managing to withstand a few blows. His arms were numb and sore from the impact, and his blood and qi surged, causing him to suffer serious injuries. Blood kept flowing from the corner of his mouth.

"Bah! If you hadn't secretly sided with that eunuch Liu, you wouldn't have ended up like this. You must pay for the lives of your fellow martial artists who died because of you!" Tie Ruyun now hated Meng Zhongliu to the core.

Murong Wudi had told him that Meng Zhongliu had defected to Liu Xi and secretly helped him arrest many martial arts figures, including Tie Ruyun's close friend, Qinglin Daoist of Xuanqing Temple.

"Bang bang bang," one palm strike after another landed on Meng Zhongliu's body. It was clear that the other party was about to die. Yuan Yang Zhenren and Zhao Qianhe exchanged a glance and stopped Tie Ruyun.

"You two are trying to stop me too, shameless scoundrels! I haven't settled accounts with you yet!" Tie Ruyun said, withdrawing his hand and standing up with a furious expression.

"Alliance Leader Tie, although I have pledged allegiance to Liu Xi, I have never done anything to wrong my fellow martial artists. Why speak ill of me?"

Master Yuanyang had his own reasons for helping Meng Zhongliu. Now that Liu Xi was no longer reliable and Tie Ruyun was a person who hated evil, if he didn't join forces with others, he would really be all alone.

"Alliance Leader Tie, your most important task now is to deal with Liu Xi, not to cause trouble for us. After all this, we will never follow Liu Xi again," Zhao Qianhe said quietly from the side.

"Hmph, it's better to say nothing when you don't see eye to eye," Tie Ruyun glanced at the three of them and said to Li Gao, "Brother Li, what about you?"

"Iron Alliance Leader, I trust you." Li Gao was straightforward and flamboyant, which earned him the nickname "Mad Bull." He had few friends in the martial arts world.

"Alright, Brother Li, come with me and we'll discuss this further," Tie Ruyun snorted coldly, then led Li Gao away without looking back.

"Tie Ruyun is no match for Liu Xi, Master. What should you do next?" Zhao Qianhe was also confused. He had previously sought refuge with Liu Xi, thinking he had gained a powerful backer. Little did he know that Liu Xi would become his source of power for training. He had witnessed the tragic scene of some fellow practitioners having their power drained, and the thought of it always made him shudder.

"Naturally, we should return to Wudang first and then make further plans. The martial world is about to descend into chaos, so it's best to stay in our own territory," said Master Yuanyang, glancing at the unconscious Meng Zhongliu and channeling his inner energy into him until he awoke.

"Ahem, thank you, Master," Meng Zhongliu said, barely managing to stand up and clasping his hands in thanks.

"Brother Meng, Brother Zhao, why don't you come with me to Wudang Mountain to recuperate?" Yuan Yang Zhenren invited.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Master," Zhao Qianhe pondered for a moment before helping Meng Zhongliu make the decision.

Murong Manor, Living Room

"Master Murong, now that the Iron Alliance Leader and Yuan Yang Zhenren are missing, the martial world is leaderless. I would be extremely grateful if you could come out and take charge of the situation."

After Abbess Rusu was brought back to the manor by Murong Zheng, besides recuperating, she talked most about making Murong Wudi the leader of the martial arts world to fight against Liu Xi.

However, Murong Wudi never gave a direct response, and Abbess Rusu never gave up trying to persuade him.

“Master, I really cannot make this decision. You should know that my daughter has already entered the palace as a concubine. If she were to become the leader of the martial arts alliance, it would be a catastrophic disaster for my Murong family.”

Murong Wudi was also annoyed by her, so she had no choice but to speak frankly. Besides, the choice of the leader of the martial arts alliance had already been secretly decided by her virtuous brother, and she could not disrupt his plans. "Alas, what the master said makes sense. It was I who was in the wrong."

Looking at the famous figures in the martial arts world today, apart from Murong Wudi, only Jiang Biehe is a suitable candidate. Unfortunately, he is a complete hypocrite, which makes Abbess Rusu exclaim that she was blind.

"Father, Master and my elder brother are back, and they've brought some people I don't recognize," Murong Zheng said to Murong Wudi as he entered.

Murong Wudi was overjoyed upon hearing this. He apologized to Abbess Rusu and left with Murong Zheng.

Master Rusu stayed at the villa for a while, and the name she heard most often from Murong Wudi was Xu Gutong, which made her curious about him.

"Brother, you're finally back!" Murong Wudi glanced at them and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the two were unharmed. He then noticed the six martial arts figures following behind them, many of whom were familiar faces.

After exchanging pleasantries, Murong Wudi noticed that they all looked unwell, so he immediately ordered someone to clean the room and let them rest. Gu Xu then followed Murong Wudi to the living room.

“Brother, let me introduce you. This is Abbess Rusu, the head of the Emei Sect. Abbess, this is my brother Xu Gutong.”

"The nun is very polite."

"Greetings, Mr. Xu." When Master Rusu entered, she couldn't sense his presence at all. His eyes were dark and bright, full of shrewdness, clearly indicating that he was a master. When did such a figure appear in the martial arts world?

After the three of them sat down, Gu Xu gave a detailed account of the information about the Tower of Death.

"What?! Mr. Xu rescued Alliance Leader Tie and Master Yuanyang from the Tower of Death?"

Master Rusu was shocked, but then overjoyed. Since Tie Ruyun had been rescued, perhaps he could continue to lead the martial arts world, and there was no need to involve Murong Manor in this mess.

"Master, Mr. Xu, this humble nun has something to attend to and must take her leave now," said Abbess Rusu, who was now eager to contact Tie Ruyun and the others.

“Master, the Iron Alliance Leader and the others will probably arrive at the manor soon. Please wait patiently for a few days. There are also several fellow martial artists in the manor who are recuperating. You can discuss this further after they have recovered,” Murong Wudi advised.

"It was my impatience that caused you trouble, Master Rusu said a few more words before leaving the living room."

"Brother Murong, Liu Xi must have received the news that the Tower of Death has been breached. Knowing his nature, he certainly won't let this go easily. He'll definitely use Consort Shu's visit home to do something."

The fact that Liu Xi had painstakingly captured the Five Yang candidates and they escaped must have enraged him. The Murong family would now have to confront Liu Xi directly.

"Rest assured, my dear brother. In the imperial court, the Murong family's power is inferior to Liu Xi's, but in the Jiangnan region, the Murong family still has some strength. If Liu Xi doesn't come, fine, but if he does, the Murong family is not afraid at all."

Murong Wudi has not neglected his martial arts over the years. He has continuously improved his Mad Dragon Palm through sparring with Gu Xu. His martial arts are now incomparable to what they were a few years ago. Moreover, with Gu Xu, a top expert, in charge, Liu Xi would definitely not get the better of him if he tried any tricks.

"It's good that Brother Murong knows what's going on." Now that the curtain has been raised, Gu Xu will see what kind of show Liu Xi can put on.

East Factory
The ground was littered with debris and two corpses. Liu Xi's face was frosty. He was furious to learn that the Death Tower had been breached. The Death Tower was so close to the capital, yet no news of it had been leaked before. It was only because the sinkhole was so big that it attracted the attention of the Eastern Depot. Unfortunately, it was too late.

"Damn it! My years of hard work have been ruined by the Murong family. I will never let this go! Zhou Yan, who accompanied Consort Shu on her visit home?"

“Yes, Your Excellency, it is Anliang,” Zhou Yan replied hastily.

"Anliang, let him fall ill. I will personally accompany Consort Shu to Jiangnan to see if the Murong family is truly a den of dragons and tigers, and whether that Xu Gutong is really as powerful as he seems."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Have you found any information about the whereabouts of those who escaped?" In fact, Liu Xi was mainly concerned about the selection of the Five Yang people; the others were just supporting characters.

"Reporting to the Grand Supervisor, according to the scouts, Master Yuanyang, Zhao Qianhe, and Meng Zhongliu are on their way to Wudang Mountain, while Tie Ruyun and Li Gao are heading south, seemingly towards Murong Manor."

Zhou Yan felt a chill run down his spine. Fortunately, he had gathered information on these five people beforehand; otherwise, he would have had a hard time getting through this today. Look at his two colleagues in charge of intelligence; they are now two cold corpses.

"Alright, it seems I have no choice but to go to Murong Manor this time. Yuan Yang Zhenren and the other two, send your elites to capture them and deal with them when I return."

On the second day of the tenth month, Consort Shu returned home to visit her family, accompanied by the eunuch Liu Xi.

"Liu Xi's sudden request for this job must be part of a conspiracy," Murong Shu thought to herself as she sat in her carriage.

Logically speaking, Liu Xi's status was higher than An Liang's, and his presence would greatly enhance Consort Shu's prestige. Since the Emperor favored Murong Shu, he naturally had no reason not to agree.

The grand procession traveled south, with officials of all ranks making appearances along the way. After a month of stopping and starting, they finally arrived in Jiangnan. At this moment, everyone at Murong Manor was already prepared and waiting for Murong Shu's carriage.

"They're here! They're here!" A servant saw the convoy heading towards the manor and hurriedly ran back to the manor to inform the manor owner.

"According to the time, we're almost there. Zhong'er, Zheng'er, Xian'er, all of you be careful not to offend your sister," Murong Wudi said respectfully as he stood with his children outside the manor, giving them one last instruction.

"Understood, Father."

As the wheels rolled over the road, Murong Wudi and the others lowered their heads. Liu Xi, riding his horse, looked at Murong Wudi with icy eyes.

After Murong Shu entered the manor, Murong Wudi took his children back to the manor. After a series of elaborate rituals, the father and daughter exchanged a few words of everyday conversation.

“Father, that Liu Xi is up to no good.” Murong Shu couldn’t figure out what the other party was up to along the way. Murong Wudi chuckled when he heard this and told her about the recent events.

"I see. No wonder Liu Xi looked so unwell the whole way."

"Shu'er, your master told you that Liu Xi needs to find five yang and two yin to cultivate the telekinetic absorption technique. Liu Xi already knew that your destiny was purely yin. Be very careful in the palace and don't let him find any fault with you."

"Father, I understand. Although my martial arts skills are not as good as Liu Xi's, my master taught me a set of light-body techniques, so escaping shouldn't be difficult."

"That's good." Murong Wudi's biggest worry was his daughter who was all alone away from home.

“Tonight, I will first test Liu Xi’s martial arts skills,” Murong Wudi said in a deep voice.

As night fell, Liu Xi was enjoying tea and reading in his room when suddenly the tea in his cup swayed, the lamplight flickered, and the leaves rustled. Liu Xi snorted coldly and threw the book in his hand away.

Murong Wudi approached Liu Xi's room step by step. When he saw the scroll fly out, he struck it with his palm, shattering it into countless fragments that fell to the ground.

“You’re quite capable,” Liu Xi said, his right hand forming a claw. Through the broken window, a powerful suction force enveloped Murong Wudi’s entire body.

"Not good!" Murong Wudi was startled and quickly used his lightness skill to escape, but was instead gradually pulled towards the room by the suction force. Murong Wudi grabbed a wooden pillar with one hand and struggled to support himself when he saw Murong Shu walk through the air, reach out and pluck a string of leaves, which flew in through the window like an arrow.

Seeing this, Liu Xi sneered and used both hands to restrain the two of them firmly. Murong Wudi and Murong Shu's expressions changed drastically.

"Murong Wudi is nothing special. By absorbing your power, I can reach a higher level."

Just as Liu Xi was secretly pleased with himself, a scorching finger force suddenly attacked from afar. Liu Xi was not surprised but delighted. Judging from the momentum, it must be Xu Gutong who made the move.

Putting Murong Wudi and his daughter aside for the time being, Liu Xi focused on dealing with the finger force.

The palm strike collided with the finger strike. Although it was silent, Liu Xi groaned, felt a sharp pain in his palm, and felt the chair beneath him fall apart. He raised his right hand, revealing a dark spot on his palm.

"What formidable finger strength! This person is indeed extraordinary. He injured me with just one move." Liu Xi was filled with apprehension. The real person hadn't even shown his face yet, but he had already given him such a powerful warning. He had no choice but to accept this loss.

(End of this chapter)