A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 82 Fierce Battle in the Villa

Princess Yunluo pestered Cheng Shifei, saying she wanted to become his disciple. She then took out a whole box of gold and silver jewelry as a gift for becoming his disciple, and Cheng Shifei honestly accepted the jewelry.

"My master is none other than the Mighty Dragon Hero. Today, I'm accepting you as my disciple on his behalf. You're now my junior sister. Be good, call me senior brother!"

"Senior brother," Yunluo called out to him cheerfully, and Cheng Shifei burst into laughter upon hearing it.

"Senior brother, what martial arts are you going to teach me?" Yunluo grabbed Cheng Shifei's arm and shook it repeatedly, acting coquettishly.

Cheng Shifei couldn't stand such "entanglement." He coughed, straightened up, looked at Yunluo solemnly, and said in a low voice, "Junior sister, what martial arts have you learned before? I'd like to know which moves I should teach you."

"Junior sister, I studied swordsmanship with Abbess Yeyu of the Emei Sect for a while, but the Emei Sect's swordsmanship doesn't seem to be very powerful."

During her previous fight with Cheng Shifei, Yunluo's use of the Emei sword technique not only failed to achieve any effect, but also left her at a disadvantage in every aspect.

"Hmm, the Emei sword technique is still very powerful. It's just that you haven't mastered it enough, Junior Sister. Today, your senior brother is in a good mood, so I'll teach you a superior sword technique from the Emei School. Watch carefully."

Cheng Shifei took the sword from Yunluo's hand, his expression turned solemn, and he unleashed a set of Returning Wind and Willow Sweeping Sword techniques. The sword light was like a rain curtain, and the sword energy was like rain threads, falling and flowing, as if a spring breeze was brushing the water's surface, like green willows rippling in a pond.

Princess Yunluo and Xiaohuan were mesmerized. The Emei sword technique was incredibly powerful. Yunluo looked at Cheng Shifei with stars in her eyes.

With a shift in sword intent, the energy flowed continuously, and invisible sword energies swept to one side like a whirlwind. Under Cheng Shifei's control of his internal energy, a string of candles suddenly went out, and the hall became much darker.

"Senior Brother"

With a shout, the extinguished candles were relit by Cheng Shifei, and the hall was lit again.

Cheng Shifei sheathed his sword and stood there, winking at Yunluo. Yunluo looked at his handsome face and blushed. Her mind wandered, and it was only when Xiaohuan gently pushed her that she came to her senses.

"Ah, senior brother, what did you say?"

"Junior sister, did you see clearly the sword technique that your senior brother just used?"

"Junior sister is dull-witted and only remembered three or four tenths. Senior brother, why don't you stay in the palace? Tomorrow I will ask the emperor to let you be my martial arts instructor," Yunluo thought to herself, determined to keep her senior brother here.

"No, Senior Brother has other matters to attend to. Let's talk after he's finished," Cheng Shifei said, making an excuse to leave since he didn't want to stay in the palace.

"Anyway, it's already late, and besides, there are assassins tonight. Eunuch Cao will definitely be keeping a close watch on the palace. Your identity is unknown, and if you get caught, it will be hard to explain yourself."

After listening to Yunluo's words, Cheng Shifei felt that they made sense. He glanced at Yunluo and thought to himself that he might as well use her to get out of the palace.

"Senior brother," Yunluo pleaded desperately.

"Alright," Cheng Shifei agreed and stayed.

"Xiao Huan, quickly prepare a room for your senior brother, and bring up some dried fruit and other food," Yun Luo instructed, and Xiao Huan immediately went down to prepare.

"Senior brother, I'm sorry to trouble you today. Tomorrow, I'll treat you to a big meal."

Avoiding Cao Zhengchun's valley, they arrived at the Dragon Guard Manor. In the dead of night, the Dragon Guard Manor was brightly lit, and the grand hall at the highest point was magnificent, with a giant stone dragon standing in front of the hall.

Gu Xu, dressed in all black, had just landed when he noticed more than a dozen guards with weapons around the square, but he didn't care at all.

"Who are you, sir? What brings you to the Dragon Guard Manor so late at night?"

After a while, Zhu Wushi arrived at the square, waved his hand, and dismissed all the guards. He stared intently at Gu Xu. In his perception, the other party had no aura at all, yet he was standing there in reality, secretly exerting his power, but his internal energy was completely dissipated within three zhang of him.

"This person is no ordinary individual," Zhu Wushi thought gravely, secretly on guard.

"I have long admired the Iron-Blooded Marquis's extraordinary martial arts skills, and I have long wished to learn from him. Now that this is an auspicious occasion, I hope the Marquis will not refuse."

"So you want to have a duel with me? Then why not issue a challenge openly and honestly? Instead, you sneak into the Dragon Guard Manor. This is not the behavior of a gentleman," Zhu Wushi said, trying to find a flaw in Gu Xu's words.

"Divine Marquis, please make your move!" Gu Xu suddenly unleashed his aura, and Zhu Wushi's entire body surged with energy. The two forces collided, and the surrounding area was instantly filled with wind and sand, which filled the sky. The bright moon hung in the sky, and the cold wind rustled, adding to the solemn atmosphere.

Knowing that the newcomer was extraordinary, Zhu Wushi took the initiative to strike first, delivering a swift, fiery palm strike to Gu Xu's chest. Even though they were several feet apart, Gu Xu still felt a burning sensation.

"What a brilliant move, Blazing Flames in the Sky!" Gu Xu raised his hand, and a wave of energy surged forth, directly confronting the attack. The flame energy was gradually submerged and quickly dissipated.

Seeing how easily his opponent had broken through his full-force "Blazing Palm," Zhu Wushi felt even more apprehensive.

"When did such a figure appear in the martial arts world? After today, it seems the martial arts world will have to pay more attention to him." Zhu Wushi composed himself, drew his sword, and pointed it at Gu Xu.

Four sword energies shot towards Gu Xu from all directions. Gu Xu could see clearly that this move was only meant to distract him, and the real killing move was yet to come. Sure enough, after the four sword energies shattered, Zhu Wushi had already soared into the air. With the sword energy combined with his palm force, the entire square began to shake violently.

The sword energy wove into a dense net, like a dome covering the ground, trying to lock the opponent in place. The palm wind roared like a dragon, striking down with a deafening crash, aiming to slaughter the opponent.

"Qingcheng Sect's Nine Swords of the Dome, Beggar Clan's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms."

"Zhu Wushi has mastered the Absorption Technique to a high level. He not only absorbs all of his opponent's power but has also learned their moves. Judging from his appearance, he has cultivated it to a very high level. I wonder how many people he has secretly harmed."

Gu Xu didn't want to wait for his opponent to gather his strength. He pointed his fingers like a sword and slashed six times at Zhu Wushi in the air. The six streams of flaming fingers pierced through the dome-shaped sword net and struck Zhu Wushi's protective true qi. With a few popping sounds, the sword qi and palm wind completely disintegrated. Zhu Wushi fell down, his long sword broke, and his face turned ashen.

"Iron-Blooded Marquis, so nothing special," Zhu Wushi said, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he watched the other party drift away.

"Who exactly is this person?" Zhu Wushi's eyes were filled with resentment and a trace of fear. He considered himself the number one expert in the world, but now, after only a few rounds, he had been utterly defeated and did not even know who his opponent was. How could he, who was always so arrogant, tolerate this? He was so angry that he spat out another mouthful of blood.

The guards dared not enter without orders. Zhu Wushi stood up, walked back to the main hall, sat on the throne and began to heal his wounds. At the same time, he sent Gu Xu's portrait to the underground archives to find out the man's origins.

The next day, Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang returned to the Dragon Guard Manor. Upon hearing that their adoptive father had fought with a mysterious person, they hurriedly came to inquire.

"Godfather, Lord Yang Yuxuan's family has been settled. He was slightly injured by Yidao, and I have arranged for him to recuperate at the Number One Manor in the World."

Seeing that her adoptive father's expression was normal and he didn't seem injured, Shangguan Haitang felt relieved and began to talk about the things her adoptive father had instructed her to do.

“Very good, Tianya, Haitang, you have just returned to the Dragon Guard Manor. Your godfather originally intended to let you rest for a while, but there is an important matter here that I need you to handle.”

"Godfather, what is it?" Duan Tianya asked respectfully.

"I'm sending you to the State Guest House tonight to investigate Princess Chuyun," Zhu Wushi said, handing a portrait to Duan Tianya, who opened it and read it with Shangguan Haitang.

"According to intelligence, there's something wrong with Princess Lixiu, and the Empress Dowager went missing last night. I suspect it's related to them. I need to know the details. Tianya, you're familiar with Japanese customs and culture and fluent in the language, so you're the most suitable person to go. Haitang is clever and resourceful, but I'm worried about unexpected things happening. You two should go together."

“Yes, Godfather,” Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang immediately accepted the order and went to carry it out.

After the two left, Zhu Wushi went to the back hall. His face was a little pale. He quickly swallowed a pill, which made him feel a little better.

Imperial Palace, Qianqing Palace
"By imperial decree, the Empress Dowager is unwell, and Princess Lixiu will request an audience at a later date," the eunuch delivering the decree told Princess Lixiu.

Princess Lixiu remained expressionless, kowtowed to accept the decree, and led the envoy Wuhuan out of the palace and back to the State Guest House.

"Even if the emperor delays, it will only be three to five days. If he can't give us an explanation when the time comes, this Celestial Empire will lose all face," Princess Lixiu said, savoring a cup of fragrant tea with her slender fingers.

“Next is another scene,” Karasuma said with a smile, stroking his beard, his eyes gleaming with calculation.

"As long as this step is completed smoothly, the emperor will surely walk into the death feast we have arranged for him, and after the matter is over, it will be time for us to reap the rewards."

With a snap, Princess Lixiu crushed the porcelain cup, but her hand remained unharmed, demonstrating her remarkable inner strength.

In the imperial study, the emperor looked at Yunluo with a headache. He had finally managed to rest for a while, but his younger sister kept him occupied.

"Yunluo, even if you appoint a complete stranger as a martial arts instructor, at least let me see him in person. What if he has ulterior motives and sneaks into the palace?"

Although Yunluo thought Cheng Shifei was a good person, her brother had already taken a step back, and she couldn't be ungrateful. It was reasonable for her to meet him in advance.

"Brother, then I'll bring her to meet you," he said, and rushed out.

Shortly after Yunluo left, Cao Zhengchun arrived at the imperial study. After paying his respects, Cao Zhengchun said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, this servant is incompetent and unable to find the assassin, but this servant has a clue, however..." "Speak your mind, don't beat around the bush."

“This servant discovered that the assassin disappeared near the State Guest House, and therefore suspects that the assassin may be hiding in the guest house. However, the Izumo Kingdom is currently staying there, and without imperial decree, this servant dares not search.”

Although Cao Zhengchun suspected Izumo Kingdom, Princess Lixiu was going to be the emperor's concubine in the future. If he offended her, she could whisper in the emperor's ear after entering the palace, and he would have no way to complain. Therefore, he was only afraid of her settling scores after the emperor issued an edict.

"There's no need for an official decree. You are here by my oral order to thoroughly search the State Guest House. Remember, you must not disturb Princess Lixiu excessively, understand?"

"If the Empress Dowager is missing, I can still buy myself three to five days, but if the Empress Dowager..."

Before she could finish speaking, the door was pushed open, and Yunluo stormed in, followed by the timid Cheng Shifei.

Cao Zhengchun was about to shout "Bold!" when he saw that it was Princess Yunluo, and immediately shut his mouth. But Cheng Shifei was not so lucky.

"How dare you! Who are you to enter the Imperial Study?" Cao Zhengchun shouted angrily at Cheng Shifei, his fingers forming a delicate pinky gesture.

He saw that Cheng Shifei was an unfamiliar person with an unknown identity and that he had the right to deal with him. Before Yunluo could even shout "Stop!", Cao Zhengchun struck Cheng Shifei with a palm. The latter hurriedly dodged, and Cao Zhengchun was somewhat surprised that his palm missed. But soon he struck again.

Cheng Shifei was forced into a corner by the force of the palm strike. Just then, the emperor shouted, "Eunuch Cao, stop!"

Cao Zhengchun quickly withdrew his hand and bowed his head to the emperor's side.

"Brother, why didn't you tell me that Mother has disappeared?" Yunluo said angrily.

If Yunluo hadn't overheard this by chance, she still wouldn't know that her mother had been kidnapped.

"I will handle the Empress Dowager's affairs; you need not get involved. But this young man seems to possess extraordinary martial arts skills; I wonder which school he comes from," the Emperor said, intrigued by Cheng Shifei's ability to exchange a few blows with Cao Zhengchun.

“Brother, this is the martial arts master I told you about, who is also my senior brother. His name is Cheng Shifei.” Yunluo grabbed Cheng Shifei, who was trying to escape, and brought him to her brother.

“Your Majesty, this person’s identity is unknown. It would be best if I were to investigate,” Cao Zhengchun suggested.

The assassin appeared just last night, and Cheng Shifei is here today, which makes him suspect that there is something fishy going on.

"Eunuch Cao, this is my senior brother, not an outsider. Don't you even trust me? Your Majesty, what do you think? Senior brother should be able to be my martial arts instructor, right?"

"Alright, take him away. I have some things to attend to," the emperor waved for Yunluo and Cheng Shifei to leave. Yunluo was overjoyed and thanked him before pulling Cheng Shifei away.

"Your Majesty, he..."

"Find out his background in secret, but don't make things difficult for Yunluo."

"This servant understands."

After giving a few more instructions, Cao Zhengchun left the Imperial Study and returned to the Eastern Depot.

"Master, the troops have been deployed. When shall we move out?"

The speaker was tall and had a resolute face. He wore a black hat and a red cloak, and had an iron claw in his right hand. This man was named Flying Eagle. He was promoted by Cao Zhengchun from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and had now become the head of the Eastern Depot, enjoying Cao Zhengchun's deep trust.

"Alright, Flying Eagle, let's make our move tonight. Try not to disturb Princess Lixiu. Also, before that, go and do something else."

When Cao Zhengchun recounted the matter that had caused trouble, Feiying immediately knew what to do. He accepted the order and went down to retrieve a scroll of files shortly afterward.

"Cheng Shifei, a native of the capital, is an orphan and a hoodlum. He is on good terms with the gambler Zhang Laosan and is addicted to gambling... After being sent to the silkworm room, his whereabouts became unknown. Upon investigation, it was found that the silkworm room has a secret passage that leads directly to the imperial prison."

"My lord, there's no further record, but I heard that the Iron-Blooded Marquis personally ordered the complete sealing of the Heavenly Prison entrance. Is there any connection between this and..."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengchun pondered for a moment and said, "Since Cheng Shifei is not in question, let's put this matter aside for now. The most important thing now is to find the Empress Dowager and go make preparations."

"Yes"

As night fell, the lights of the State Guest House came on, and two figures suddenly flashed by, heading straight for the residence of the Cloud Kingdom. The newcomers were Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang.

"This is where we are temporarily staying in Izumo," Shangguan Haitang said, dressed in black with her eyes fixed on the courtyard.

"Be careful," Duan Tianya warned Shangguan Haitang. The two of them tiptoed into the courtyard, unnoticed by the guards of Chuyun Kingdom.

Upon reaching the window, Duan Tianya peered through the curtains and saw a woman bathing inside. He immediately looked away. Seeing his unusual expression, Shangguan Haitang hurriedly stepped forward. After witnessing the scene inside, Shangguan Haitang felt somewhat embarrassed.

"Let's go," Duan Tianya said, calming himself down. He leaped onto the roof, and just as the two were leaving, Princess Lixiu turned around halfway in the inner room and revealed a smile.

"Brother, you've been learning martial arts in Japan, have you seen anything interesting?" Shangguan Haitang tried to change the subject and avoid the awkwardness.

"In Japan, martial arts are highly valued, and there's constant fighting. There's nothing interesting to do there. The only somewhat interesting event is the joint martial arts competition between various factions, which is also the biggest event in Japan."

As Duan Tianya spoke, a trace of reminiscence appeared on his face as he recalled the beautiful woman he had met, but sadly, she had passed away.

Seeing Duan Tianya's somewhat dejected expression, Shangguan Haitang hurriedly stopped the conversation. Just as she was about to change the subject, Duan Tianya suddenly pushed her away with a palm strike. His figure flashed, and the roof tiles shattered in response.

Shangguan Haitang stopped in her tracks and saw a figure standing in the courtyard. Judging from his appearance, it was clearly Wuwan, the guard envoy of Izumo Kingdom. She thought to herself that something was wrong and was about to turn back.

A shower of golden petals rained down on Wu Huan, but the latter ignored it, unleashing a burst of palm power. Two blazing energies, shaped like fire blades, swept towards the hidden weapon, while the other attacked Shangguan Haitang.

The Fiery Cloud Blade easily deflected the shower of gold coins, its remaining power undiminished. It merged with another blade of energy. Upon seeing this, Duan Tianya drew his blade, flashing three times in one move, completely dispelling the blade of energy.

"Iga School's Oni Wheel Three Flashes, who exactly are you, and why do you know my Japanese ninjutsu?"

Seeing that the masked man's skill was no less than his own, Wuwan changed his mind and set his sights on Shangguan Haitang, who was standing to the side.

Duan Tianya looked at Wuwan's eyes and guessed that his opponent was going to make a move against Haitang.

"Haitang, you go first."

While instructing Haitang, Duan Tianya charged forward with his sword. Japanese ninjutsu emphasizes unpredictability and stealth, but Karasuma was a first-class Jonin, no ordinary person. Duan Tianya's attacks were blocked several times, and he almost fell victim to the opponent's Fire Cloud Blade.

"Kan represents water, Zhen represents thunder, Li represents fire, and Xun represents wind. When the four symbols move together, water and fire interact, and Zhen and Xun combine, forming the hexagram Lin."

While fighting Duan Tianya, Wu Huan felt a sudden change in the scenery before his eyes and his heart skipped a beat.

Before he could think further about the "array technique," the dazzling lights in the courtyard pond were amplified by the array and attacked Wu Huan all at once, making it difficult for him to escape.

"Let's go," Duan Tianya said, seeing Wuwan trapped. He was about to leave with the pale-faced Shangguan Haitang when several cold glints and a palm strike flashed from the inner room.

With a few crisp clangs, Duan Tianya knocked away all the hidden weapons, but in just that short time, the formation was hit by the palm energy. As the formation was exposed, Wu Huan seized the opportunity to come out, and several fiery cloud blade energies flew over.

With a hissing sound, several copper coins collided with the fiery cloud blade energy and instantly turned into molten copper droplets on the ground. Duan Tianya's expression turned solemn. He hadn't expected there to be a master in the inner room. It seemed he would have to take a gamble tonight.

"Haitang, take care of yourself," Duan Tianya said, his blade aimed at Wuwan, intending to finish the battle quickly. The force of Duan Tianya's blade was unpredictable and ghostly, leaving Wuwan helpless for the time being.

"The Koga School's Shadow Clone Technique," Karasuma exclaimed, seeing several identical Duan Tianya figures in the courtyard. Just as he was on guard, a sword light suddenly flashed by. Karasuma hurriedly unleashed three sword energies, but to his disbelief, the sword energies passed right through the sword light and landed in empty space.

"Not good!" Wuwan was about to turn around and dodge, but he only dared to feel a pain in his arm as a bloody gash appeared on his arm. Looking at Duan Tianya with fear, Wuwan said hatefully, "Illusion Sword."

Just as Duan Tianya injured Wuwan, Shangguan Haitang was struck by a palm strike, spitting blood and collapsing to the ground. Duan Tianya was shocked and rushed over. With his sword flashing, several sword energies shot straight into the inner room. Before the other party could react, he carried Shangguan Haitang away. Duan Tianya's lightness skill was superb, and he disappeared into the night in just a few breaths.

Just as Karasuma was about to give chase, Princess Toshihide's voice came from the inner room.

"No need to chase them. Someone's coming from outside. Judging from the footsteps, it's a top-tier expert."

Upon hearing this, Karasuma immediately vanished, leaving only the ravaged courtyard behind.

(End of this chapter)