A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 77 Three Secret Agents
Upon seeing this, Bu Xiao's expression turned solemn. With a flick of his wrist, he leaped forward, his soft sword like a swimming dragon attacking Gu Xu. The sword wind was cold, and the moonlight shone with a chilling light.

Seeing the opponent's movements, Gu Xu's figure flashed instantly. His long sword reflected the moonlight, and with a turn of the blade, a white light suddenly appeared in the wilderness. Bu Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly, his figure was thwarted, and then the sword tip suddenly turned back, pointing diagonally to the southeast, and the two blades clashed.

Bu Xiao felt an unfathomable internal force emanating from the sword, his body trembled, and he took two steps back.

"Master, your internal strength is truly remarkable," Bu Xiao praised Gu Xu, but his hands continued their work without pause. He unleashed a set of unpredictable sword techniques, combined with a soft sword, and a sinister aura spread across the wilderness, accompanied by a sudden ghostly howl.

This is the Youluo Sword Technique that Bu Xiao has been practicing. He has never shown it to anyone before. This sword technique emphasizes discarding the extraneous details and only retaining speed and unpredictability.

Seeing the soft sword thrust forward with great speed, Gu Xu spun his longsword, and with a swift stroke, he mastered the Tai Chi sword technique. The densely woven sword net continuously neutralized the opponent's attacks, and gradually brought the opponent's movements into his own rhythm.

Tai Chi swordplay is based on using softness to overcome hardness and slowness to control speed. In addition, Gu Xu's cultivation level is far superior to Bu Xiao's. When the two swordplays met, Bu Xiao felt the soft sword in his hand getting heavier and heavier in no time, and even his body felt as if it were filled with lead.

"Not good! This is clearly the Wudang School's Tai Chi sword technique. Gu Xu is indeed connected to Wudang!" Bu Xiao's face darkened. He hurriedly thrust his sword several times, then with a surge of power, his soft sword became like a white ribbon. Just as it entangled Gu Xu's weapon, it was vibrated by the internal force emanating from it, making a buzzing sound. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Bu Xiao added three more points of strength to his sword. With the combined force of the two attacks, he finally managed to break free from the "quagmire."
Although he escaped from Gu Xu's sword aura, Bu Xiao was exhausted and his face was pale. Just then, Gu Xu flew through the air with his sword, and an invisible sword aura several meters long gradually formed. He raised his sword and slashed vertically. Before the sword aura could reach him, Bu Xiao was already in great danger.

With his soft sword planted in the ground, Bu Xiao channeled his inner energy into his hands, creating an invisible shield that enveloped him for half a zhang. With a loud shout, the shield continued to layer upon layer. This was Bu Xiao's ultimate defensive technique, "Tian Gang Tong Zi Gong," which was even superior to the Shaolin Golden Bell Shield.

The giant sword slashed vertically at the Heavenly Gang Qi Shield, and with a loud bang, all the vegetation within a radius of several feet in the wilderness was swept away, turning it into a bare ground.

The sword energy and the qi shield clashed repeatedly. Bu Xiao struggled to support himself with both hands, his face flushed red, and his body kept sinking downwards. After holding on for a while, the qi shield could not withstand the sword energy and shattered. Bu Xiao coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, seriously injured.

“Lord Bu, you have been defeated,” Gu Xu said as he sheathed his sword and looked at the dejected Bu Xiao.

"Master, your martial arts have reached their pinnacle. Our defeat at your hands is not unjust. Master, if you wish to take our lives, then come at me!"

Bu Xiao sat upright and said weakly, "I just suffered a Qi-breaking slash from Gu Xu, which severely damaged my meridians. Even if I heal in time, I will lose seven or eight tenths of my martial arts skills. After this defeat, I have no way to survive."

Looking up at Bu Xiao, Gu Xu took a few steps closer and said to him, "Then please, Chief Bu, set off on your journey." As he spoke, he pointed a finger at Bu Xiao's chest, and the scorching force of the finger pierced through his chest.

“Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. Bu Xiao, this is the price you have paid for the more than one hundred innocent lives that have been lost.”

The night wind rustled, the cold moon hung high, and only a corpse lay in the wilderness. Not long after Gu Xu left, Guo Yun, the second-in-command, came here. He looked at Bu Xiao's corpse, his face not changing much. He carried Bu Xiao's corpse onto the carriage and returned to the East Depot.

The next day, the emperor's condition suddenly worsened, and he hurriedly left a will. Three days later, the emperor passed away, and a new emperor ascended the throne. Because the new emperor was still young, the Empress Dowager and the Iron-Blooded Marquis Zhu Wushi assisted in governing. For a time, the Iron-Blooded Marquis Zhu Wushi held immense power in the court. However, before Zhu Wushi could even rejoice, Cao Zhengchun also became the new director of the Eastern Depot under the late emperor's will, thus countering Zhu Wushi's Protectorate.

Dragon Guardian Villa
"This is outrageous! Even in death, you still plot against your younger brother. What a cunning scheme!"

Zhu Wushi thought that with Bu Xiao dead, no one in the entire court could rival him. However, he did not expect that the late emperor would appoint Cao Zhengchun as the director of the Eastern Depot. This man was not well-known, and Zhu Wushi did not take him seriously.

However, a few days ago, their encounter made him put aside his contempt. Cao Zhengchun had already received Bu Xiao's true teachings, and his "Heavenly Gang Boy Skill" was quite advanced. Even his own Absorption Technique couldn't defeat him, and he himself was injured. Although it was nothing serious, Zhu Wushi was proud and arrogant, and how could he tolerate Cao Zhengchun climbing over him?

"With Cao Zhengchun as his backer, the emperor's nephew is truly untouchable for the time being. It seems we must hurry and absorb the power of several more people to cultivate the Absorption Technique to its highest level."

Zhu Wushi held a secret letter in his hand, saying that Gu Santong had invited the eight major sects to a decisive battle at Taihu Lake on October 16th, and even the four great constables of the Ministry of Justice would personally be present to preside over the event in order to prevent any accidents.

"This is my chance."

In the palace, the young emperor sat in his bedchamber, lost in thought. Since his father's death, the palace had become cold and unpleasant.

"Father, I miss you," the young emperor murmured to himself, gazing at the bright moon outside the window.

Suddenly a figure appeared beside the young emperor, startling him. The young emperor looked at the newcomer and asked in surprise, "Who are you?"

This palace has always been heavily guarded, and there are quite a few experts from the Eastern Depot, but this person was able to enter silently, so he must be no ordinary person.

"Trespassing on the imperial palace is a capital offense. Aren't you afraid of implicating your entire family?"

"I am all alone. I have come here on someone's behalf."

Gu Xu looked at the young emperor, who was trying to remain calm, and nodded in satisfaction. As expected of the Zhengde Emperor, he had such demeanor at such a young age.

"I was entrusted by someone, but by whom?" Emperor Zhengde asked in confusion.

“Your father,” Gu Xu replied calmly.

"Father, are you someone by your side?" Upon hearing "Father," Emperor Zhengde couldn't help but look at Gu Xu and ask urgently.

"No, your father wrote to me before he died, asking me to come and protect you until you have secured your throne. I owe your father a favor, so I had no choice but to agree."

"So that's how it is. I still don't know how to address the Taoist priest," Zhengde said, half believing and half doubting, but at this moment he could only choose to believe.

"I am Gu Xu. I have come here to tell Your Majesty that I am your last line of defense. Even if it is Cao Zhengchun or the Iron-Blooded Marquis, Your Majesty need not fear. In fact, it is a bit early to say these things now. After you assume personal rule, someone will naturally teach you these things."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhengde said, "Daoist Master, my imperial uncle..."

"Your Majesty, this is your family matter, and I have no right to interfere. However, I believe one thing: as long as you can always keep others in check, they will not pose a threat to you."

"What the Taoist priest says makes sense," Emperor Zhengde nodded. His father had left him a contingency plan before his death: the Eastern Depot and the Dragon Guard Manor would check and balance each other, and he would mediate between them, supporting the weaker party and suppressing the stronger one, thus firmly keeping power in his own hands.

"Your Majesty, please do not speak of my matter to outsiders, lest they become suspicious. I will protect Your Majesty. It is getting late, I shall take my leave." After saying this, Gu Xu disappeared before Emperor Zhengde's horrified expression.

Time flies, and it is already the ninth day of the tenth month. After explaining everything, Zhu Wushi lied and said that he was going into seclusion to cultivate and would not attend court for some time. In fact, he had already gone to Taihu Lake.

On October 15th, Zhu Wushi finally arrived at Taihu Lake and found that the eight major sects had already arrived. Zhu Wushi recruited a Kunlun disciple, disguised himself as him, and infiltrated the alliance of the eight sects.

"This time, let Gu Santong take the blame for me," Zhu Wushi thought, his heart burning with excitement as he looked at the eight masters before him.

As night fell, Zhu Wushi added a muscle-weakening powder to the food of the eight sects. An hour later, all 104 members of the eight sects, plus the four great constables of the Ministry of Justice, were poisoned. Zhu Wushi drained all their internal energy one by one.

"Such abundant internal energy! The skill of the 108 men is indeed extraordinary."

Zhu Wushi dared not linger. After clearing away the traces and faking a fatal wound, he immediately rode away and returned to the capital. On the shore of Taihu Lake, only corpses remained, waiting for Gu Santong.

On October 16th, Gu Santong arrived at Taihu Lake as agreed, only to find corpses everywhere. He was incredulous. Soon after, the eight major martial arts sects denounced Gu Santong, and even the imperial court sent troops to capture him, but all their efforts were in vain. In the end, someone suggested that Iron-Blooded Marquis handle the matter.

"Uncle, this matter concerns the face of the court, and I can only entrust it to you with confidence," Emperor Zhengde said sincerely to Zhu Wushi.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely bring Gu Santong to justice," Zhu Wushi said, bowing as he walked out of the main hall.

At the summit of Tianshan
Zhu Wushi and Gu Santong were locked in a fierce battle, exchanging palm strikes and bursts of energy. Neither side was willing to give way, as neither wanted to tarnish their reputation. After exchanging a palm strike, they both took a few steps back. By now, both of their internal strength had been pushed to the limit.

"Brother Gu, I will show no mercy this time. If you are willing to surrender, I can plead with the Emperor to spare your life," Zhu Wushi said in a deep voice, panting heavily.

"I absorbed the power of a hundred people, and I was only barely on par with him. This Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill is indeed the nemesis of the Power Absorption Technique. Unfortunately, after today, no one in the martial world can restrain me anymore."

“Brother Zhu, I appreciate your kindness. Why should I admit to something I have never done? The title ‘Invincible Child’ is not just a joke. You have mastered the Absorption Technique. Let me see it.”

Gu Santong roared, his whole body shining with golden light, dazzling and radiant. He activated the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill to its fullest extent. Zhu Wushi's expression turned stern. He formed his palms into claws, and streams of water condensed in his palms. Then, ice arrows flew out, and at the same time, the Heart-Shattering Palm, which contained a lot of power, slammed towards Gu Santong.

Seeing this, Gu Santong shouted "Good!" and stood firm. The ice arrow struck him and immediately turned into ice shards that fell to the ground. Zhu Wushi's expression remained unchanged. This killing move was still to come. Gu Santong gathered his strength and struck out with a palm.

Just as the two were about to strike each other with their palms, a figure suddenly rushed in. Gu Santong was shocked and hurriedly withdrew his palms, but he only managed to withdraw half of his power.

"Su Xin!" Gu Santong roared as he watched Su Xin being sent flying. Zhu Wushi was also flustered by this sudden turn of events, but the Heart-Shattering Palm struck Gu Santong solidly, causing the latter to cough up blood and stagger back several steps.

Zhu Wushi rushed off with the word "Su Xin," but Gu Santong beat him to it.

At this moment, Su Xin's heart meridian had been shattered by the palm strike, and she was on the verge of death. Gu Santong was filled with remorse. If he hadn't been so engrossed in martial arts training, things wouldn't have come to this. "Get out of the way," Zhu Wushi rudely pushed Gu Santong aside, and with a quick check, found that Su Xin's breath was growing weaker and weaker. He hurriedly pulled a brocade pouch from his waist, tore it open, took out a fragrant, pill-like object, and stuffed it into Su Xin's mouth.

What did you feed Suxin?

Zhu ignored Gu Santong and, after a while, probed with his finger again. The originally weak breath gradually became stronger, but Su Xin was still unconscious and showed no signs of waking up.

"I want to freeze Su Xin in ice," Zhu Wushi said, looking at Gu Santong.

"Three of these 'Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom' are needed to save Su Xin's life. I need time to find the remaining two. As for you..."

"I have lost to you, I have nothing to say," Gu Santong said, looking at the unconscious Su Xin. His heart was ashen, and he exuded an aura of despair.

Shaolin Temple, back mountain
Gu Xu and Master Liao Jie were playing chess when, just as the game reached a stalemate, a young novice monk came over and handed a letter to Master Liao Jie.

"I didn't expect that the Iron-Blooded Marquis would actually capture Gu Santong," Master Liaojie said, handing the letter to Gu Xu after reading it.

"Being able to defeat the Undefeated Child, this Iron-Blooded Marquis's martial arts skills must be quite high. It's just a mystery why he improved so quickly in such a short period of time."

Gu Xu said seemingly casually, reaching out to place a white piece, and the white dragon was now formed on the chessboard.

"Master of Closure, it's your turn."

"Amitabha, the Taoist's chess skills are superb, and this old monk is ashamed to admit that he is inferior."

Upon hearing this, Master Liaojie's mind stirred, and he put the black piece he had already picked up back into the chess box.

"But let's play another game."

Zhu Wushi personally imprisoned Gu Santong in the ninth level of the Heavenly Prison and set up traps.

After receiving the emperor's reward, he remained in seclusion until five days later when he returned to the court, which relieved some officials who had been suppressed by Cao Zhengchun.

Cao Zhengchun looked down at Zhu Wushi and his expression changed. He hadn't seen him for several days and he couldn't even see through the depth of Zhu's skill. Could it be that Zhu had encountered some extraordinary event?

After the court session, Cao Zhengchun feigned flattery towards Zhu Wushi with a few words.

"Divine Marquis, your martial arts are unparalleled. You even captured the Undefeated Child. It has been a great effort for you to come all this way. The Emperor has praised you highly."

"Thank you for your praise, Eunuch Cao. It is my duty. But Eunuch Cao, things have been quite turbulent in the martial arts world lately. You should manage the Eastern Depot well and not let the previous supervisor's hard work go to waste." After saying this, Zhu Wushi walked away.

"Well done, Zhu Tiedan, you've come here to show off your power, but I, the Grand Eunuch, will not let you have your way."

Dragon Guardian Villa
When Zhu Wushi arrived at the manor, a boy was practicing swordsmanship. Although his swordsmanship was still immature, the momentum of his swordsmanship was already formed.

"Godfather!" The boy saw Zhu Wushi approaching, quickly sheathed his sword, and ran over.

"Tianya, how's your sword practice going lately? Is there anything you don't understand?"

"Godfather, Tianya has no doubts."

The boy's name was Duan Tianya. He was Zhu Wushi's adopted son. Zhu Wushi took him back to the Dragon Guard Manor because of his tragic family background and good aptitude. He planned to train him to be one of his own, so that he would be a great help in the future fight against the Eastern Depot.

"From now on, you no longer need to practice swordsmanship in the manor. Your godfather plans to send you to Qingcheng Mountain to learn martial arts. When you turn sixteen, your godfather will give you further instructions. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Godfather," Duan Tianya replied respectfully. His life had been saved by his godfather, and he would do whatever his godfather asked him to do.

"Alright, continue practicing your swordsmanship," Zhu Wushi said a few more words before leaving with his hands behind his back.

After walking for a while, they came to a courtyard, where a fierce-looking boy was wielding a knife and hacking wildly, causing damage to the trees and rocks nearby.

"If you continue practicing your swordsmanship like this, you're bound to run into problems."

Upon hearing this, Guihai Yidao's expression turned ashen, like still water.

"After you turn sixteen, I will stop teaching you martial arts. At that time, I will choose a suitable place for you to practice swordsmanship."

Guihai Yidao listened to his adoptive father's words in silence until Zhu Wushi left, then picked up his sword again and continued practicing his swordsmanship.

"This Guihai Yidao is quite vicious, but such people are the easiest to manipulate. The higher he achieves in the future, the greater my reward will be."

After several twists and turns, Zhu Wushi entered a delicate courtyard where a girl was practicing swordsmanship. Sweat dripped from her face, but her hands never stopped moving.

"Haitang," Zhu Wushi called out. Upon hearing her adoptive father's voice, Shangguan Haitang immediately sheathed her sword and stepped forward to bow.

“I know you want revenge, but martial arts skills can't be mastered in a day, and your godfather doesn't want your childhood to be filled with hatred. I promise you, when you turn fifteen, I will take you to Emerald Snail Valley to become the disciple of Young Master Wuhen. Once you learn his martial arts, you can find your enemies and avenge your parents and family.”

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Haitang asked with delight, "Godfather, is it true?"

The Master Wuhen is a famous figure in the martial arts world, and his martial arts skills are unfathomable. If one were to become his disciple, avenging one's grievances would not be out of the question.

"When has Godfather ever lied? Alright, you've been too tense lately, relax a bit."

"Yes, godfather."

Zhu Wushi nodded, gave a few more instructions, and then left the courtyard, returning to the secret room.

"These three children are all martial arts prodigies; finding them was truly no easy feat."

Although Zhu Wushi was in charge of the Dragon Guard Manor, he was the only one in the entire manor who could be considered a master. Compared with the East Depot, which was full of talents, he was far inferior. That was why Zhu Wushi spent his energy searching for promising talents in the martial arts world to enrich the Dragon Guard Manor in the future.

Besides Duan Tianya, Guihai Yidao, and Shangguan Haitang, who are openly known, there are also thirty-six Heavenly Spirits and seventy-two Earthly Fiends secretly being trained in Qingcheng Mountain.

"We've already located three of the four great secret agents of Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. We don't need to worry about the remaining one for now. The most important thing now is to establish a powerful intelligence network."

Establishing an intelligence network requires enormous material and human resources, which Zhu Wushi could not handle alone. Moreover, the emperor could not know about this matter. At this moment, he thought of one person: his good friend, Wan Sanqian, the richest man in the country.

"Looks like I should go and meet up with this good friend."

East Factory
Since Cao Zhengchun took over the Eastern Depot, he brought his own people with him. The former head of the Eastern Depot, Qi Yu, and the second head, Guo Yun, broke away from the Eastern Depot and went undercover in the nine coastal towns. Although they were not officially part of the staff, they were directly under Cao Zhengchun's command.

Xiao Tian, ​​the third-ranking officer, was quick-witted and efficient. With the support of Cao Zhengchun, he rose to become a senior officer, second only to the chief supervisor.

"Master, Qi Yu and Guo Yun have sent a letter," Pi Xiaotian presented the secret letter to Cao Zhengchun, who opened it, glanced at it, and snorted coldly.

"This Giant Whale Gang has only risen to power in the last few decades, yet it dares to oppose the imperial court. It truly doesn't know its own mortality. Order Qi Yu and the others that since the Giant Whale Gang leader is so out of touch with reality, then replace him with someone more obedient."

"Yes, I will do it right away," Pi Xiaotian accepted the order and left.

The Giant Whale Gang was originally an inconspicuous gang on the coast. Later, it made a lot of money through maritime transport. In order to avoid attracting envy, it promised to send 50% of its profits to the imperial court every year in exchange for protection. The imperial court gladly accepted and then ordered the Eastern Depot to manage the matter.

But ever since Bu Xiao died, the Giant Whale Gang has become somewhat restless and has developed inappropriate thoughts. Cao Zhengchun's first act of retribution was against it.

(End of this chapter)