A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 7 Night Detective
Although Gu Xu had learned from outsiders that the Vajra Sect was very powerful, it was still just hearsay. He decided to go there in person to investigate and thoroughly understand the Vajra Sect's background in order to avoid any unnecessary damage caused by incorrect information in the future.

As night deepened, Gu Xu cautiously left the inn and headed towards the Vajra Gate's headquarters.

Using the "Ladder to the Clouds" technique, Gu Xu soon arrived in front of a magnificent temple with golden bricks and green tiles. "As expected of a royal temple registered by the Tartars, it is indeed extravagant."

After integrating the intelligence, Gu Xu discovered that the Vajra Sect was originally not very powerful. It was only because a person with extraordinary talent emerged and relied on his superb martial arts skills to join the Ruyang Prince's Mansion that the Vajra Sect was able to rise to become a major sect in the Western Regions.

The thought that the Indian was the culprit who crippled his master filled Gu Xu with rage. "If this man is here, I will force him to hand over the 'Black Jade Broken Heart Elixir,' and then offer his head as a gift." Gu Xu suppressed his thoughts, gathered his strength, and leaped into the temple, quickly disappearing into the night.

The Vajra Temple was still brightly lit at night. Gu Xu lay in ambush on the roof and carefully peered down. A group of bare-chested monks were each embracing a prostitute, drinking and making merry, uttering all sorts of vulgarities, which made Gu Xu frown deeply.

Although there were many monks below, only two were worth Gu Xu's attention. At the head of the table was a fat monk with big ears. Gu Xu could see clearly that he had a fierce face, high temples, and strong arms. He was obviously a master of external martial arts.
Another gaunt monk sat beside him. He was not tall and had dark skin, but his hands were as white as jade. Gu Xu had heard his master say that this phenomenon would occur when one's hand skills were practiced to a certain level. It seemed that this person's specialty was palm techniques.

By carefully examining the two men's auras, Gu Xu discovered that while they could not contend with him using only internal strength, their external martial arts skills were somewhat troublesome. If he could not defeat them within ten moves, he might jeopardize important matters.

Since he had already sent a message to his sect that once everyone had gathered, he would completely remove the Vajra Sect from the martial arts world, Gu Xu did not want to linger any longer and carefully left the Vajra Temple. From beginning to end, the monks of the Vajra Temple did not know that he had already walked on the brink of death.

After returning to the inn, Gu Xu pondered for a while longer. "There are thirty-two people in the Vajra Sect. Apart from those two, the rest are also skilled, but they are much weaker than the elite disciples of Wudang. As long as we act quickly, it should not be difficult to take them down. We should not act rashly before the sect sends anyone."

For three consecutive days, Gu Xu spent the rest of his time not only keeping a close watch on the Vajra Sect, but also continuing to cultivate, not allowing himself to slack off. The path of martial arts is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind. If you relax even slightly, it will become a habit, and if you continue like this, you will definitely not achieve anything significant.

Gu Xu has never been lax in his martial arts training. If he relaxes for a moment today, he may have to spend more time making up for it tomorrow, which is a losing proposition.

On the evening of the fourth day, Gu Xu was having dinner downstairs when a familiar figure came into view. It was Yu Lianzhou. Gu Xu and Yu Lianzhou exchanged a glance, and the latter nodded slightly before buying a few steamed buns and leaving.

Gu Xu put down his chopsticks and followed closely behind. They walked to a secluded corner, where Gu Xu bowed respectfully. "Uncle-Master, you've arrived so quickly." Gu Xu had originally thought he would have to wait another two days.

"As soon as I received your message by carrier pigeon, your eldest uncle immediately gathered his men. In addition to me, your three uncles also came. If it weren't for Master's seclusion and the need for his senior brother to oversee Wudang, he would have come too. There are also twenty disciples accompanying him this time."

In fact, Yu Lianzhou still had some questions he wanted to ask in detail, but this was not the place to talk, so he took Gu Xu to the inn where they were staying.

Inside the inn room, Yu Lianzhou, Zhang Songxi, Yin Liting, Mo Shenggu, and Gu Xu sat in a circle. "Nephew, you said in your letter that our third brother was injured by the Vajra Sect, and that the 'Black Jade Broken Heart Ointment' can really cure our third brother's disability. What exactly is going on?" Yu Lianzhou couldn't wait to know the truth.

The others were also staring intently at him. "Uncle-Master, this is a long story, so I'll just give you a brief explanation. The Vajra Sect was originally created by a fire-working monk from Shaolin, which is why the Vajra Finger technique is so powerful. Since the Vajra Sect trains external martial arts, it's inevitable that bones and tendons will break. After many years of research, they finally created this precious medicine."

Gu Xu tried his best to explain the matter concisely, and within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, everyone had a general understanding. "Damn it, the Vajra Sect actually colluded with the imperial court to try to sow chaos in the martial arts world. It's a pity that my third brother suffered such a calamity. This debt must be settled properly!" Yu Lianzhou, who was usually quite composed, suddenly became furious and slammed his hand on the table with a bang. The others were also filled with anger.

Anyone who knew the truth about their brother's murder would be furious. Yu Lianzhou suppressed his anger and asked Gu Xu, "Nephew, have you found out anything about the Vajra Sect?"

Although we are not afraid of the Vajra Sect, we should still be strategic and find out their strengths and weaknesses in advance.

Gu Xu then explained the situation in detail. One person's plan is limited, and it's always better for everyone to discuss a solution than for one person to do it alone. Besides, his fourth uncle was there, and he was sure he would come up with a proper solution.

Yu Lianzhou knew that his fourth brother was resourceful, so he asked, "Fourth brother, do you have any plans?" Zhang Songxi pondered for a moment and slowly said, "According to my nephew, the Vajra Sect still has connections with the imperial court, which is a bit troublesome. We are here to seek revenge and obtain medicine. In essence, we do not want to escalate the matter. Exposing our identities is a bad idea, so as not to break ties with the imperial court in advance and make the Wudang Sect a sitting duck. This trip can be defined as a Jianghu feud."

After a pause, he continued, "However, to prevent others from discovering that Wu was the one who did it and getting into unnecessary trouble, we can only destroy the evidence after it's done." At this point, Zhang Songxi looked at Yu Lianzhou.

Yu Lianzhou understood the meaning behind Zhang Songxi's words. The Seven Heroes of Wudang were renowned for their chivalry, and doing such a thing as destroying evidence would really damage their reputation. However, those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trivial matters. Yu Lianzhou immediately decided to do it this way.

No one else objected. What did it matter if their own reputations were damaged? Their brothers' future was the most important thing. The group finalized many details and arranged their respective tasks. They would rest for the night and launch the operation at midnight tomorrow.

After Gu Xu left, Yu Lianzhou said to Zhang Songxi with emotion, "Our junior disciple is truly remarkable. Even I can't see through him. Perhaps only my senior brother has the ability to do this. With him in the Wudang Sect, great prosperity is in sight."

Zhang Songxi smiled and said, "Gu Xu is indeed a Wudang prodigy. He is naturally gifted and has worked hard to cultivate. I am not surprised at all that he has such cultivation today." He then changed the subject, "If the 'Black Jade Broken Heart Ointment' can really cure Third Brother, I believe Master will be very happy. I just don't know what has happened to Fifth Brother all these years."

The mention of Zhang Cuishan lowered everyone's spirits, but Yu Lianzhou broke the silence, saying, "Right now, we must focus on our third brother's matter and not get distracted. We'll set sail again to continue the search after we've resolved this." With that, he told everyone to go back to their rooms to rest.

Back at the inn, Gu Xu repeatedly rehearsed the battle with the Vajra Sect in his mind. His senior uncle and the others would have no trouble dealing with the two most skilled fighters, and he would lead a group of disciples to deal with the remaining lackeys.

These disciples have little practical combat experience, so this is a great opportunity. With me overseeing them, they can go all out and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, become the cornerstone of Wudang.

Gu Xu believed that he could not reach the prestige of the founder. He knew that it was not enough for Wudang to prosper on his own; a large number of talented people were needed. Any sect that entrusts its honor, disgrace, rise and fall to one person is going astray.

If an accident were to occur, it would be a catastrophic disaster. Gu Xu will be in charge of Wudang in the future, so of course he will not make such a mistake. He wants to build Wudang into a giant sect that can truly rival or even surpass Shaolin.

With many thoughts flashing through his mind, Gu Xu immediately calmed down, meditated to practice his breathing, completed his evening practice, and conserved his energy to prepare for tomorrow's battle.

(End of this chapter)