A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 73 The Traceless Young Master
On a high cliff behind Shaolin Temple, Gu Xu sat cross-legged, looking at the rolling clouds and mist in front of him, feeling a sense of relaxation.

"Master Liaojie is a rare person of upright character. Such a person should not die at the hands of outsiders. As for Iron-Blooded Marquis Zhu Wushi, given his suspicious nature, we will inevitably clash sooner or later. I still need to put in some more effort here."

"Amitabha, Daoist Master, you seem to be in high spirits. I wonder if you have gained anything from watching the sea of ​​clouds?"

Master Liaojie walked slowly over and looked at Gu Xu, saying...

"This sea of ​​clouds surges and disperses, just like people in the world. Master, do you understand what I mean?"

"The Taoist priest sees things clearly. People in this world usually gather for profit and disperse for profit. The sea of ​​clouds may reassemble, but people's hearts are always changing and never regain their original nature."

Thinking of this, Master Liaojie sighed again about Guihai Bailian's story. In order to compete for the title of the number one swordsman in the world, he even severed the bond between husband and wife, father and son, and brothers. It was truly a pity.

“Master’s words seem to have a hidden meaning,” Gu Xu stood up, dusted himself off, and looked into the distance.

Master Liaojie pondered for a moment, then finally shook his head.

"Master Liaojie, after today I will go out for a walk, while I am still young and in the prime of my life, to see this beautiful scenery. After I have seen enough, I will come back to bother you again. I hope you will not be annoyed."

"The Taoist's Taoist skills are profound, and this humble monk is of course more than happy to do so. Since the Taoist is leaving tomorrow, let's hold a farewell party for the Taoist today. The temple's Jixiang Kitchen has just received a batch of excellent mushrooms, which are delicious and can be called a masterpiece."

After observing for the past few days, Master Liaojie found that the other party was indeed a friend worth making. Although Shaolin's power was enormous, it was still under the supervision of the imperial court, especially with Bu Xiao, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, suppressing Shaolin to the extreme. No one knew what the next emperor's attitude would be, what if...

As the saying goes, having more friends means having more paths in the future. Although Master Liaojie was a monk, he also wanted to leave a way out for Shaolin.

"Thank you very much for your kind offer, Master."

Gu Xu had also heard of the Shaolin Temple vegetarian banquet, which was made with various wild mushrooms from the mountains. It was prepared using the most primitive methods to preserve the natural flavor of the ingredients. Many precious medicinal herbs were also added, which had the effects of strengthening the body, relaxing muscles and promoting blood circulation. Ordinary people could hardly afford to eat it.

That night, at Shaolin Temple, in the abbot's room
Although Master Liaojie was the abbot of Shaolin Temple, he rarely managed secular affairs and delegated them to his junior brother Liaofan. Although Liaofan's martial arts skills were slightly inferior, he was adept at handling secular affairs. With his assistance, the affairs of Shaolin Temple became well-organized, and all the monks respected him greatly.

Inside the abbot's room, there was a square table with more than ten exquisite dishes on it, the aroma of which made Gu Xu's mouth water.

After being introduced by Master Liaojie, the four gradually became acquainted.

"I have personally tried the vegetarian banquet of Shaolin Temple today, and it is indeed well-deserved of its reputation."

Putting down his chopsticks, Gu Xu praised the mushrooms highly. They were juicy, sweet and refreshing, with a natural fragrance. Combined with medicinal herbs like Ganoderma lucidum and ginseng, their nourishing effects were self-evident.

"I'm glad you're happy, Daoist Master. Actually, we don't get to eat this kind of vegetarian feast very often. Just preparing all thirty-nine kinds of mushrooms, twenty-eight kinds of medicinal herbs, and other various ingredients is quite difficult. In the past few decades, we've only had it twice."

Upon hearing Master Liaofan's words, Gu Xu was initially surprised, then nodded. Fungi have different growth cycles, making them extremely difficult to preserve intact. In addition, the various medicinal herbs must be of the right age, and there are many other factors involved. Consuming them once would be considered a great luxury. Even with the Shaolin Temple's vast resources, it could not afford such consumption.

"In that case, I have actually benefited from this."

"You flatter me, Daoist Master. Please."

After the banquet, Gu Xu returned to the meditation room that Fan had prepared for him, where he circulated his qi to gather all the medicinal properties from the ingredients and integrate them into his dantian.

The next day, after bidding farewell to Master Liaojie, Gu Xu walked south, enjoying the scenery along the way. When he met some people with good character and integrity, he would teach them a few moves if the mood struck him.

That night, Gu Xu came to an abandoned ancient temple. He heard from the locals that ghosts often appeared there, which was very frightening. Gu Xu became interested and wanted to find out if it was true.

"The strong smell of blood suggests that this temple is indeed strange."

Gu Xu walked silently to the front of the temple. A strong smell of blood lingered in the breeze, and it was clear that it was human blood.

Light as a feather, Gu Xu scaled the wall and carefully made his way inside, where a faint light shone from the main hall ahead.

Inside the half-collapsed hall, five people dressed in strange clothes were dissecting a corpse. Their hands were covered in blood, but their faces showed joy.

"Brother, we've finally succeeded in cultivating the Green Silk Gu. Now we can finally give the Grand Eunuch an explanation."

Gu Xu hid to the side, carefully observing the five people. The one who spoke was a burly man with a thick beard, holding a small blue insect in his hand.

The alluring woman chuckled and said, "It wasn't for nothing that we used so many living people to experiment on before we got this one. Luckily, it was a success, otherwise the Chief Supervisor might not have been able to provide us with any more help."

The leading man nodded upon hearing this. "Now that we have the Green Silk Gu, there's no need to stay here any longer. Green Snake, Centipede, you two go and clean up all those traces."

The thin-faced man, Green Snake, and the bearded man, Centipede, accepted the order, turned around, and walked to the back. After a while, they returned.

"Brother, it's all cleaned up."

"Okay," Scorpion took out a bottle of dissolving liquid and poured it on the corpse. A wisp of white smoke dissipated, and there was no trace left on the ground except for a pool of blood.

"Walk"

As the five were packing up to leave, five pebbles suddenly flew towards them. Scorpion's expression changed, and he shouted "Watch out!" He then swung his poison staff to block all the pebbles, but the internal energy surging within it made Scorpion's blood churn, and he felt very uncomfortable, his face turning red.

Everyone was on high alert. Scorpion cautiously scanned the surroundings, raised his hand to the empty courtyard and asked, "May I ask which senior has graced us with their presence? We, the Five Poisons of Shanxi, pay our respects."

After he finished speaking, the newcomer still hadn't appeared. Scorpion immediately became nervous. From their previous exchange, Scorpion had judged that the newcomer's skill was far superior to his own, so he couldn't afford to be careless.

The other four poisoners looked solemn, each holding a weapon, and firmly protected the scorpion.

The moonlight shone into the courtyard, and the sound of the night wind rustling the leaves made the five people tense. Just then, a figure flashed by, about ten feet away from the five people.

Seeing the newcomer appear, Scorpion felt relieved. The most dangerous enemies are those hidden in the shadows. As long as they are in the open, he might still have the power to fight back.

"What is your esteemed name, senior? Why did you attack us for no reason?"

Scorpion looked at the other man, who appeared to be only in his thirties, and wondered why. He knew almost all the famous figures in the martial arts world, but none of them matched him.

Gu Xu coldly observed the five people. These "Five Poisons of Shanxi" should be a lineage name, and they were clearly not the five people that Shangguan Haitang and Cheng Shifei later encountered.

"For the crime of taking human lives, you will not escape death."

Too lazy to talk to them, Gu Xu made a ruthless move, unleashing a powerful Iron Palm that swept across the area. The five people hurriedly dodged, but Scorpion, who was targeted, had no choice but to suffer. Under the pressure of the aura, he spun his poison staff to meet the palm strike. With a crack, the staff broke in half, and Scorpion was sent flying.

"Big Brother!" The four rushed over. Scorpion was already on the verge of death. He pointed at Gu Xu and then let his hand fall limply.

The green snake let out a mournful cry, glaring fiercely at Gu Xu. With a flick of its wrist, several green shadows shot towards Gu Xu like lightning.

"Go quickly"

Green Snake whispered something, and the other three glanced at her before quickly retreating. This person was not someone they could fight head-on; they should preserve their strength and let the Grand Supervisor decide for them.

Gu Xu looked at the flying poisonous creatures, formed a claw with one hand, and sucked them in. He saw four blue poisonous snakes being kneaded into a ball by his strength. With a squeeze, they immediately scattered into a pile of dust and fell down.

This scene horrified the Green Snake. Although her martial arts were not weak, her most important skill was her poison technique. The "Green Snake's Ten Thousand Poisons Technique" was her signature move. Anyone bitten by the poisonous snake would die of rotting flesh and pain within three quarters of an hour. Even some sect leaders dared not take it head-on, but this person treated it as a plaything. It was truly terrifying.

Seeing that the three had already left, the Green Snake thrust her snake-shaped sword straight at them, intending to buy them some more time. Gu Xu saw this, dodged with a leap, and with a swift sword strike, he chased after the three who had fled without stopping.

An incredulous expression appeared on the Green Snake's face. A bloody gash appeared on his forehead, extending to his lower abdomen. The snake-shaped sword in his hand was broken in the middle. The wind blew, and the corpse fell into the dust.

Meanwhile, the three centipedes desperately fled towards the town, hoping that once they entered the town, they would have a chance to survive.

"This matter must not be left unresolved," the bearded centipede said fiercely.

Since the Five Poisons of Shanxi first emerged, which martial arts figure didn't give them some respect? Not to mention they had the support of the Eastern Depot's supervisor. Few dared to oppose the Five Poisons.

"First, hand over the Green Silk Gu to the Grand Supervisor, and follow his instructions without making any rash moves."

The alluring Spider was shrewd and calculating. Such a person was far beyond the capabilities of the five of them. Death was a minor matter; failing to complete the task assigned by the Supervisor would be worse than death.

Just then, flowers rained down from the sky, and streaks of golden coins flew towards the three of them. "Hurry up!"

The three centipedes' expressions changed drastically, and they blurted out, "A shower of flowers and coins!"

This is the signature move of the martial arts master Wuhen Gongzi, and the three of them would naturally recognize it. Even the Grand Eunuch Bu Xiao would have to be wary of this person.

Although they caught the hidden money, the three of them sustained several new wounds.

Under the moonlight, four stunningly beautiful women carried a sedan chair slowly towards them. White veils concealed the figures inside the chair. When they were about ten feet away from the three people, the four women carrying the chair stopped.

"Senior, why are you blocking my way?" the centipede asked respectfully, gripping the grappling hook tightly. The spider and toad stared intently at the person inside the sedan chair.

"A life for a life, it's a matter of course."

A gentle, clear male voice came from inside the sedan chair. Upon hearing this, the centipede knew something was wrong and immediately lunged forward. At the same time, it nodded to the spider and the toad, who quickly escaped.

The sedan curtains moved without wind, and a golden rain poured out, enveloping the centipede's figure. After a few miserable howls, the centipede collapsed and died.

The two spiders hadn't run far when they suddenly felt a blur before their eyes, and the trees beside them began to move, slowly trapping them inside.

"Oh no, we've fallen into Young Master Wuhen's formation."

The spider cried out in surprise, quickly drew its soft whip, and climbed up the tree. Looking around, it saw that the area within a radius of about ten feet was covered by dense forest.

The spider used its lightness skill to try to find a way to escape, but it was locked in by the formation. Its true energy was greatly depleted, and it was stuck in place. On the other side, the toad that had mistakenly entered the killing path looked even more miserable. Several branches pierced its chest and abdomen, and it fell to the ground howling in pain.

"Senior, we serve under Chief Supervisor Bu of the Eastern Depot. We beg you to spare our lives for his sake."

Spiders, unfamiliar with formations, circled around but still couldn't find the exit. In desperation, they brought out Bu Xiao, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, hoping that Young Master Wuhen would show them some leniency.

But as soon as she said that, the formation did not stop turning. Instead, the attack became even more fierce. At this moment, after a scream, the toad died instantly, and she was also pierced through the heart by a rain of gold coins.

The two were dead. Inside the sedan chair, the Unmarked Young Master waved his hand, and the moving trees stopped instantly. The array gate opened, revealing the corpses of the spider and the toad.

"Friend, you've been watching for so long, it's time to come out."

The four men carrying the sedan chair adjusted its direction, positioning it towards the southeast corner.

Gu Xu strolled over and bowed with one hand to the figure inside the sedan chair.

"I am Gu Xu, and you are Young Master Wuhen. I have long admired your names, and this is our first meeting."

"So it's Daoist Gu Xu. I greet you."

A roll of white cloth flew out and lay flat on the ground, and the Imperishable Young Master stepped out.

He had a handsome face, wore a moon-white robe, had long black hair, and held a folding fan. He clasped his hands in a salute to Gu Xu.

The four women carrying the sedan chair all showed surprise. Their young master was a clean freak and never allowed his feet to touch the ground. Although there was a white cloth separating them now, it was still shocking enough.

Wuhen Gongzi looked up at Gu Xu opposite him. If this person hadn't deliberately made a sound, he really wouldn't have been able to detect him. This person's skill was unfathomable.

"I originally intended to deal with these three myself, but I didn't expect you to take care of them, young master."

"So it was the Taoist priest who made the move. No wonder there were only three of you," Young Master Wuhen chuckled.

"I only recently learned that the Five Poisons of Shanxi were killing people and refining poison here, so I came to deal with them. I didn't expect to find you here, Taoist Master. Please don't take offense."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xu said, "Young Master's intervention saved me a lot of effort. I have a favor to ask."

"Please speak, Taoist priest."

"I hope you will allow me to destroy this Green Silk Gu. Such a harmful thing must not remain in the world," Gu Xu said, looking at the spider's corpse with a porcelain bottle in his right hand.

"It's actually the Green Silk Gu. Bu Xiao is truly audacious."

Wuhen Gongzi knew that the Five Poisons were refining poisons, but he did not expect it to be the top ten Green Silk Gu. Once this thing enters the body, it will entwine the internal organs and cause unbearable pain every full moon night. It was originally a method used by the black witches of Miao Jiang to punish their disciples. Later, for some unknown reason, it fell into the Central Plains and eventually came into the hands of the Five Poisons of Shanxi.

"Please proceed, Taoist priest. This poisonous creature is most averse to fire."

Young Master Wuhen always kept his distance from such filth, his face showing disgust. Even when dealing with the three centipedes, he used hidden weapons and formations, afraid that unclean things would come into contact with him.

Gu Xu thanked him, walked to the corpse, raised one palm, and unleashed a scorching palm strike. The porcelain bottle shattered instantly, and the small blue insect inside was enveloped by the palm wind and turned to ashes in an instant.

"What amazing kung fu!"

Wuhen Gongzi's eyes lit up. Although he could also unleash such palm energy, he was definitely not as relaxed and at ease as Gu Xu. Gu Xu's control over his internal energy had reached its peak.

"I have made a fool of myself. My business is done. Young master, we shall meet again."

After Gu Xu finished speaking, he was about to leave when Wuhen Gongzi spoke up, saying, "Daoist, please wait."

"I wonder what advice you have for me, young master?" Gu Xu turned around and asked.

"Master Daoist, I have always loved making friends. Today, I feel an instant connection with you. May I invite you for a cup of tea?"

Gu Xu looked at Wuhen Gongzi and sensed that there seemed to be another reason for the other party's request to stay. After pondering for a while, he said, "If that's the case, then I'll respectfully accept your offer."

He wasn't worried about what tricks the other party might have up their sleeve; he just wanted to see what their true intentions were.

"Please, Daoist Master," Wuhen Gongzi said with a light tap of one foot. A white cloth floated up in the air and spread out into the forest. He stepped in first.

Seeing this, Gu Xu walked slowly.

The four women took out various pastries and a pot of fragrant tea from the sedan chair, and lit lanterns around the area.

"You may now speak."

Wuhen Gongzi nodded; it was so much easier to talk to smart people.

"Since you speak so frankly, I won't elaborate further. I hope you can help me heal my wife."

Gu Xu was puzzled upon hearing this. Young Master Wuhen was proficient in Qimen Dunjia, medicine, divination and astrology. What kind of strange illness could it be that even he was helpless to cure?

“My wife’s name is Ni Ying. She is my junior sister. Years ago, she was injured by fire poison when outsiders sought revenge. She has been suffering from this illness ever since. I thought I was a skilled doctor, but after my treatment, the fire poison not only did not disappear, but became stronger. Every time I see my beloved wife suffering, I am filled with remorse.”

After a pause, Young Master Wuhen glanced at Gu Xu and continued, "I had no choice but to freeze my beloved wife and search everywhere for famous doctors and ancient prescriptions, but all to no avail. Until two years ago, I obtained a secret manual for acupuncture using golden needles from an ancient tomb. It said that golden needles could guide fire poison, but one must have sufficient skill."

At this point, Gu Xu roughly understood what Young Master Wuhen meant. The other party must not have enough skill, which was why they had set their sights on him.

"If you are willing to lend a helping hand, I am willing to repay you with a generous reward," said the young master Wuhen sincerely, clasping his hands in a fist and bowing deeply.

“Young master, there’s no need for that. I can help, but please don’t place too much hope in me.”

Gu Xu made things clear in advance to avoid any future problems that would be difficult to explain.

"I am already extremely grateful that the Taoist priest is willing to help."

Upon hearing that Gu Xu was willing to help, Wuhen Gongzi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Gu Xu was willing to help because he was a person of good character and had sufficient skill. As for the acupuncture technique, in his opinion, it was the easiest one. To have such skill at such a young age, one's talent must be quite good.

(End of this chapter)