A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 86 successfully completed.
"Master, this formation almost gave this old monk a hard time," Master Liaojie said, looking at Gu Xu who stood with his hands behind his back.

“Even with such an impressive formation, didn’t the master still manage to break through it?” Gu Xu laughed.

"I am ashamed. If this formation had not been arranged by the Daoist for the first time and had not been somewhat imperfect, I would not have been able to find the flaws so easily. Even so, it still took a lot of my effort."

Master Liaojie could no longer say he admired Gu Xu. Not only was his martial arts superb, but his mastery of esoteric arts was also unparalleled. In the martial arts world today, the only one who could rival him in this regard was probably the young master Wuhen.

After listening to Master Liaojie's words, Gu Xu shook his head and said, "This formation has taken a lot of my effort, and it seems that there are still some parts that are not perfect. Thank you for testing the formation for me, Master."

According to Gu Xu's previous plan, this Reverse Five Elements Yin Yang Formation should have trapped Master Jie for an hour to be considered successful. However, it was broken by him in just over half an hour, so it seems that the formation still needs improvement.

Seeing his reaction, Master Liaojie didn't say much.

Upon arriving at the Bodhidharma Cave, a young novice monk served them tea and food. Gu Xu and Master Liaojie ate while discussing the flaws in the formation.

Just then, Abbot Liaofan of Shaolin Temple suddenly arrived, bowed to the two of them, and after taking his seat, Abbot Liaofan asked, "Junior brother, what brings you here?"

Master Liaofan usually doesn't come to the back mountain, so his sudden appearance this time, coupled with his solemn expression, must mean something important has happened.

"Senior Brother Liao, I received news that Guihai Yidao is investigating the death of Guihai Bailian back then. I'm worried that Senior Brother Liaokong might be implicated."

Liao Fan knew that Gu Xu was a close friend of Master Liao Jie and also knew some inside information, so he did not shy away from it and directly stated his purpose.

"Amitabha Buddha, what's meant to happen will happen. As for Junior Brother Liaokong, don't tell him yet. Every moment we can buy him time is precious. With Shaolin's great reputation, surely we can protect Liaokong?"

If Liao Kong were truly the murderer, Liao Jie would naturally not care. However, that matter was merely taking the blame for someone else's sins, which is why Liao Jie had the intention to help.

"That's all we can do. Guihai Yidao is Shenhou's prized disciple. If we really make things difficult for Shaolin, Shaolin probably won't be able to withstand the wrath of the Dragon Guard Manor. Senior brother, I'll take my leave now."

Master Liaofan bowed to the two of them again before quickly leaving the Bodhidharma Cave.

Watching Master Liaofan leave, Master Liaojie shook his head slightly and said to Gu Xu, "It must have been hard for Junior Brother Liaofan to manage all these years."

Gu Xu knew what Master Liao Fan was going to say, and replied calmly, "Master Liao Fan was also considering the interests of the entire Shaolin Temple. If it weren't for the reputation of the Dragon Guard Manor, Shaolin Temple might not have been afraid of Gui Hai Yi Dao. It was just a matter of pity."

"Master, I will soon be leaving Shaolin to travel the martial arts world and see the changes that have taken place over the past ten years," Gu Xu said to Master Liaojie, putting down his teacup.

"Amitabha, please go ahead, Daoist Master," Master Liaojie said without offering any words of persuasion, only giving some instructions.

Just as Gu Xu left Shaolin, Cheng Shifei, far away in the capital, also began to undergo Zhu Wushi's three tests.

"This Dragon Guard Manor looks really grand."

Upon entering the Dragon Guard Manor, Cheng Shifei's only impression was its sheer size. It seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see, rivaling even the imperial palace. One particularly striking hall stood out, its glazed tiles gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight, dazzling and radiant, like a ball of white light enveloping the entire area around it.

"Keep your voice down, don't look like you've never seen the world before," Yunluo slapped Cheng Shifei's arm. Cheng Shifei let out a cry, and everyone turned to look at her, making Yunluo a little embarrassed.

In order to help Cheng Shifei pass the test, Yunluo begged and pleaded until Shenhou finally agreed to let her go through the test with Cheng Shifei. That's why the emperor specially released her from the palace.

"It's a pity that my brother is busy with court affairs and can't come. But Mother should have arrived at the Dragon Guard Manor by now. Senior brother, let's hurry over there." After saying that, Yunluo pulled Cheng Shifei along, and with the help of the manor's guards, they made their way to the main hall without any obstacles.

"Greetings, Empress Dowager, and greetings, Imperial Uncle," Yunluo said, pulling Cheng Shifei along as they bowed respectfully.

"Get up," the Empress Dowager said, raising her hand. Yunluo and Cheng Shifei stood up.

At this moment, besides the Empress Dowager and Zhu Wushi, only Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang were in the hall.

"Haitang, where is Yidao?" Yunluo asked softly.

"Yidao is recovering from his injuries and it's inconvenient for him to come out," Haitang casually made up a lie. Yunluo didn't believe her, but didn't say anything more.

After exchanging a few words with the Empress Dowager, Zhu Wushi descended the steps, accompanied by two guards carrying two trays, one containing the Imperial Sword and the other the Imperial Edict.

"Cheng Shifei, this test is that I have placed these two treasures in the Dragon Guard Manor, and you must find them within one day. If you cannot find them, you will not be able to become a secret agent of the Imperial Guard. Are you willing to accept this?"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Cheng Shifei straightened his chest and loudly declared, "I do."

"Alright," Zhu Wushi said, and was about to have the two treasures hidden away when he heard Cheng Shifei's voice.

"Lord Divine Marquis, even if you want me to find these two treasures, at least let me see what they look like. What if I find the wrong ones?"

Yunluo nodded repeatedly, saying that even she herself had never seen these two treasures before, let alone Cheng Shifei.

"Lord Shenhou, Cheng Shifei's words make sense. Let him confirm it first, so we can search for it," came the Empress Dowager's voice.

Zhu Wushi glanced at him, waved his hand, and the guards came forward carrying a tray. Cheng Shifei moved closer and first looked at the Shangfang Sword. It had a golden scabbard with a dragon coiled around it, and was decorated beautifully with strings of pearls and jade that shone brightly. The iron certificate was like a piece of black iron with words on it, but Cheng Shifei did not recognize them.

Cheng Shifei glanced at Shenhou, then carefully touched him with his hand. Under Shenhou's angry glare, he withdrew his right hand and said nonchalantly, "I've finished looking. Shenhou can hide now. Hide well, or it won't be good if I find you easily."

With a wave of his hand, the guards carried the tray away from the main hall to hide the treasure. A moment later, the two returned to report.

"Cheng Shifei, the treasure has been hidden. If it is not found by midnight tonight, this test will be considered a failure, and you will not need to do the next two questions. Let's begin."

Zhu Wushi approached the Empress Dowager and respectfully said to her, "Empress Dowager, Cheng Shifei will need some time to find the treasure. Why don't you go to the inner palace to rest for a while and wait for the results?"

"Very well, I'm tired too, so I'll trouble you, Marquis, to take care of things." The Empress Dowager glanced at Yunluo and Cheng Shifei, gave them an encouraging look, and then turned to go into the inner palace to rest.

Zhu Wushi left with Duan Tianya and Gui Haiyidao, leaving only Cheng Shifei and Yun Luo in the hall.

"Senior brother, why aren't you worried at all? The Dragon Guard Manor is so big, how are we going to find it?"

Yunluo looked at Cheng Shifei's calm and unhurried demeanor and felt somewhat annoyed. The composure she had tried so hard to maintain in front of her uncle had crumbled in an instant.

"Don't worry, I already placed some things around those two items. There's no rush. What we need to do now is take a good look at this Dragon Guard Manor."

Seeing his confident demeanor, Yunluo was no longer in a hurry, and the two strolled around the Dragon Guard Manor.

“Godfather, it seems that Cheng Shifei is confident that he can find the Imperial Sword and the Iron Certificate before midnight,” Haitang said from a high platform, taking in the actions of Cheng Shifei and his companion.

“Cheng Shifei is quite clever. Didn’t you see that just now, Haitang?” Zhu Wushi said with a smile.

"Cheng Shifei sprinkled the Eternal Light Pearl Powder on it, which was a clever trick, but my godfather always had his own plans."

"Tianya, what do you think of this situation?" Zhu Wushi asked Duan Tianya, who was standing silently to the side.

"Godfather, although I have only met Cheng Shifei a few times, I trust his character."

"Hmm," Zhu Wushi said, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Duan Tianya's words.

As time passed, lights were lit throughout the Dragon Guard Manor, which, when viewed from above, resembled a constellation of stars, their light cascading across the ground.

"Senior brother, weren't we supposed to be looking for the Imperial Sword and the Iron Certificate? How did we end up in this main hall?" Yunlu asked, puzzled.

"Look at your feet," Cheng Shifei pointed to Yunluo's feet. Yunluo looked down and saw a faint green light emanating from the ground, extending all the way to the main hall.

"Senior brother, could it be that you..." Yunluo seemed to have thought of something.

"That's right, those luminous pearls you gave me. I turned them into powder and sprinkled them on the Imperial Sword and the Iron Certificate. In addition, I also secretly put luminous pearl powder on the two guards."

Cheng Shifei looked at Yunluo with pride. The latter looked at him with admiration, her eyes sparkling, which made Cheng Shifei very satisfied. "I marked those two treasures. Others can't see them, but they can't be hidden from the Divine Marquis. However, he was still one step behind."

"Senior brother, now that we know where the treasure is, let's go in quickly," Yunluo said, and hurriedly pulled Cheng Shifei into the main hall. The hall was brightly lit, and the luminous pearl powder looked even more special under the light.

"Senior brother, this way," Yunluo said excitedly, pulling Cheng Shifei into a side hall. As soon as the door opened, it was pitch black inside, except for a few scattered green lights emanating from the table in the center.

“The treasure should be hidden down here, Junior Sister, please step aside.” Cheng Shifei lit a candle and handed it to Yunluo. He tapped the ground lightly, and a hollow sound came from inside. After confirming that he had found the right place, he pulled up a hidden latch on the side, and with a tug, a metal plate was lifted up.

"Senior brother!" Yunluo exclaimed in surprise.

"Come on, let's go down," Cheng Shifei took the candle from Yunluo's hand and went down first, then let Yunluo go down.

As soon as they entered the secret room, candlelight suddenly lit up the surroundings, and Cheng Shifei and Yunluo were stunned by the sight before them.

The immeasurable gold and silver treasures were piled up like small mountains, and large boxes were neatly arranged on both sides. On the table in the center were the imperial sword and the iron certificate, which were shining with a dazzling green light and were very conspicuous.

"Senior brother, look! The Imperial Sword and the Iron Certificate!" Yunluo was only surprised to see the gold and silver treasures, but she quickly calmed down, pointed to the two treasures in front of her, and tugged at Cheng Shifei's sleeve and shouted.

Cheng Shifei was somewhat unable to walk. He had never seen such a scene before. The shock kept impacting his mind until Yunluo's voice rang in his ears.

"Ah," Cheng Shifei answered unconsciously, which displeased Yunluo. She reached out and twisted Cheng Shifei, successfully making him scream.

"Junior sister, let go, let go, I won't do it again," Cheng Shifei begged for mercy, and Yunluo finally let go, staring at him with wide eyes.

Cheng Shifei shifted his gaze from the gold and silver jewelry and carefully looked around.

"This is a treasure room, there will definitely be traps, junior sister, be careful," Cheng Shifei said as he moved his feet lightly toward the table, with Yunluo following closely behind him.

After walking a few steps, Cheng Shifei suddenly picked up Yunluo and dodged to the side. Several hidden arrows whistled and landed straight and powerfully in the ground, startling Yunluo so much that she broke out in a cold sweat.

Before Yunlu could speak, small holes appeared in the walls on both sides, from which arrows shot out in rapid succession. Cheng Shifei quickly channeled his energy, unleashing the Shaolin Golden Bell Shield. Clanging sounds echoed continuously. Under Cheng Shifei's protection, Yunlu was unharmed. However, after a while, the rain of arrows intensified. Yunlu saw that Cheng Shifei's face was flushed, clearly indicating that he was about to collapse.

Half an hour later, Cheng Shifei gradually became exhausted. The Golden Bell Cover technique consumed the most true energy, so he switched to Wudang Cotton Palm and swept away the incoming flying arrows. Yunluo came out to help, but a flying arrow from the left grazed past her, cutting a wound and revealing a bloodstain in front of Cheng Shifei's eyes.

"Are you alright?" Taking advantage of a gap in the rain of arrows, Cheng Shifei came to Yunluo's side. He saw that her face was sallow and her wounds were turning black. He knew that she had been poisoned. He leaped over the rain of arrows, moved a table over to block the attack, and then, to Yunluo's disbelief, he sucked the poison out of her wound.

"Senior brother," Yunluo said weakly. Cheng Shifei took several breaths of the poison and saw that Yunluo's face had regained some color. Only then did he feel relieved, but he himself felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground.

The two men collapsed to the ground, the arrows stopped flying, and a hole opened in one side of the secret chamber, from which Zhu Wushi and the other two emerged.

"Haitang, take Yunluo away first," Zhu Wushi ordered. Shangguan Haitang responded and went to Yunluo's side to pick her up. She nodded to Duan Tianya and left the secret room.

"He's clever enough to come up with this idea, so he's not stupid. Tianya, give him the drug, and then start the next round."

“Yes, Godfather,” Duan Tianya walked to Cheng Shifei’s side, pried open his mouth, and fed him a pill. Zhu Wushi glanced at Cheng Shifei and left with Duan Tianya.

Not long after the two left, Cheng Shifei gradually woke up. He opened his eyes and saw that Yunluo was gone. He was in a panic and saw a note that said Yunluo was poisoned and needed to be treated, so she could not go through the challenge with him.

"That's fine too," Cheng Shifei thought, just as he was about to pick up the Imperial Sword and the Iron Certificate. Suddenly, his body felt light, and as the ground opened and closed, Cheng Shifei's body fell into a magnificent secret room.

Cheng Shifei gathered his strength and circulated his qi to avoid falling to the ground. Looking at the scene before him, which resembled a brothel, Cheng Shifei was first delighted, then shocked.

"This must be another test from that Divine Marquis. How could I, Cheng Shifei, be so easily fooled?" Cheng Shifei looked at the stunning woman who was walking towards him with disdain.

"Young master, come here," the alluring woman said, her eyes sparkling and her gaze conveying a hint of attraction. She draped a ribbon over Cheng Shifei's body, and he watched as she approached, a fragrance wafting from her lips.

"Cheng Shifei, you must endure it," Cheng Shifei kept telling himself. He closed his eyes and remained unmoved. The charming woman gestured to the others, and soon six beautiful women surrounded Cheng Shifei, constantly moving around him.

After a while, Cheng Shifei felt a growing fire within him, as if it were burning him to the bone. Realizing something was wrong, Cheng Shifei tried to use his strength to resist, but to no avail. Instead, it only fueled the fire, making it rebound more and more intensely. With the woman beside him, he felt even more uncomfortable.

"Oh no, I have to think of a way quickly!" Cheng Shifei was sweating profusely, his mind constantly searching for a way to solve the predicament. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, sat cross-legged on the ground, put his hands together, and silently recited the Heart Sutra.

The Shaolin Tranquilizing Mantra is a first-class method for calming the mind. Under the stimulation of internal energy, true qi circulates throughout the body, and a cool sensation, like sweet spring water, washes over the whole body. Cheng Shifei's face, which was originally as red as a crab, gradually returns to normal, and the internal fire is extinguished.

No matter what the women did, Cheng Shifei remained seated and unmoved. Seeing that things were beyond saving, the leading woman led the group away.

After practicing the calming mantra for a while, Cheng Shifei felt refreshed and opened his eyes to find that all the women had disappeared, and even the magnificent room was now just an empty shell.

"The Imperial Sword and the Iron Certificate," Cheng Shifei stood up and saw the sword and certificate placed obediently on the table. He went inside, and just as he grasped the two treasures, a loud bang was heard, and four walls of ice descended, surrounding Cheng Shifei.

In the monitoring room, Duan Tianya watched Cheng Shifei pass the second test and said to Zhu Wushi, "Godfather, this Cheng Shifei is not simple. The medicinal power of that Fiery Pill is quite strong. He was able to suppress it with his internal strength alone. It seems that he has a great background. I wonder if he can break this Xuanbing Wall."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wushi's heart stirred, but he still needed to confirm, so he observed Cheng Shifei's next move through the small hole.

Inside the ice wall, Cheng Shifei felt a bit cold, so he rubbed his hands together and breathed on them.

He focused his power into his palm and struck the ice wall, but it remained completely still, without even a crack.

"The ice is so hard!" Cheng Shifei was somewhat surprised. His palm strike could have cracked even a stone, so how come the ice was completely undamaged?

"We can't use brute force. Right, let's try this move," Cheng Shifei thought for a while and came up with another idea.

"Taste the Flaming Palm!" The scorching palm force, brimming with internal energy, was firmly imprinted on the ice wall. A white mist appeared, and as the internal energy continued to be activated, the white mist increased, condensing into fog, and finally filling the entire room.

"It really works!" Cheng Shifei was overjoyed. He seized a moment and increased his strength. After another two quarters of an hour, Cheng Shifei's body was soaked with moisture. As his palm force surged, the center of the Xuanbing wall became thinner and thinner. He released his palm and landed in empty space, leaving a hole the size of a human head that was very conspicuous.

"Godfather," Duan Tianya said, seeing that Cheng Shifei had successfully passed the test. He looked at Zhu Wushi, who nodded to him. Duan Tianya bowed and immediately went down to shut the mechanism.

"Blazing Palm!" Zhu Wushi's heart sank; he had almost confirmed the other party's origins.

Cheng Shifei successfully returned to the main hall with the two treasures, where Zhu Wushi, Duan Tianya, and Shangguan Haitang were waiting for him.

“My Lord, look,” Cheng Shifei said, holding a sword in one hand and an iron certificate in the other, a smile on his face.

"Very good, Cheng Shifei. From now on, you will be the number one secret agent of my Dragon Guard Manor. Keep this token safe."

With a whoosh, the token flew through the air. Cheng Shifei reached out and caught it, his five fingers tightly gripping the still-shaking token.

"This Divine Marquis has such great strength." Even after only exchanging blows indirectly, Cheng Shifei felt that the Divine Marquis's skill was profound, far surpassing that of Wuhuan. Thinking of this, Cheng Shifei thought about how to deal with Zhu Wushi, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

Zhu Wushi seemed not to see it and said to Cheng Shifei, "Cheng Shifei, now that you are a secret agent of the Imperial Guard, everything you do from now on represents the Dragon Guard Manor. You must not do anything out of line, or I will not forgive you."

"My Lord, rest assured, I am the most law-abiding citizen. However, this token looks quite unusual. Could we exchange it for money?"

"As long as the order is there, the person is there; if the order is lost, the person dies." After saying this, Zhu Wushi turned and left, leaving only Duan Tianya and the other two behind.

"Brother Cheng, congratulations on joining the Dragon Guard Manor. From now on, we are companions," Shangguan Haitang said, cupping his hands to Cheng Shifei.

"Congratulations! By the way, how is Yunluo?" Cheng Shifei asked worriedly.

"The princess is fine. It was just a little poison, and she has already been detoxified. She is currently resting. If you want to see her, it's not too late to do so tomorrow."

"That's true. So, where am I staying now?"

"Come with me," Duan Tianya glanced at him, took a step forward, and walked out of the main hall. Cheng Shifei nodded to Shangguan Haitang and followed Duan Tianya to the backyard.

(End of this chapter)