A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 87 The Giant Whale Incident
After leaving the main hall, Zhu Wushi took a secret passage to the ninth level of the Heavenly Prison, where he found that Gu Santong, who had been imprisoned there, was dead and had a tombstone erected in his honor. This made him even more certain of his previous guess.

After taking one last look at Gu Santong's grave, Zhu Wushi turned and left.

The next day, the Empress Dowager and Yunluo were overjoyed to hear that Cheng Shifei had passed the test. Yunluo, in particular, held Cheng Shifei's hand tightly, her face full of excitement. It was only when the Empress Dowager coughed that Yunluo noticed everyone staring at her. She quickly let go of his hand and stood obediently beside the Empress Dowager.

"My Lord, I already know the result, so I won't stay at the manor any longer. I'll return to the palace now. As for Yunluo," the Empress Dowager turned to look at Yunluo, whose eyes were pleading, and her heart softened.

So he said to the Marquis, "Yunluo has finally managed to leave the palace, so let her stay here for a few more days."

Zhu Wushi, upon hearing this, naturally obeyed; after all, it was just a trivial matter.

"Young hero, Yunluo is a bit impulsive, so I'll have to trouble you to take good care of her," the Empress Dowager said, looking at Cheng Shifei dressed in his new clothes with even greater satisfaction. Before leaving, she added another sentence.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, Yunluo is my junior sister, and I will definitely take good care of her," Cheng Shifei said, patting his chest.

"Respectfully seeing off the Empress Dowager," Zhu Wushi and the others bowed respectfully, watching as the Empress Dowager boarded the phoenix palanquin and the grand procession left the Dragon Guard Manor.

"Cheng Shifei, you've just joined the Dragon Guard Manor and don't yet understand some of the rules. This is the Dragon Guard Manor's manual; read it through first," Zhu Wushi tossed Cheng Shifei a thick manual. Cheng Shifei hurriedly took it, opened it, and found it filled with densely packed small characters.

"Knowing I can't read, they still want me to memorize it. Isn't that just making things difficult for me?" Cheng Shifei muttered to himself. Yunluo, however, brightened up. She glanced at the expressionless Zhu Wushi and the worried Cheng Shifei, and cautiously said, "Uncle, can I take a look together?"

“Alright, go to the quiet room to see, but don’t reveal what’s inside,” Zhu Wushi nodded. Yun Luo immediately became excited, bowed respectfully to Zhu Wushi, and left the main hall with Cheng Shifei.

"Godfather, so you had this planned all along, having the princess learn to read and write," Haitang said, watching the two figures leave.

"As a secret agent of the Imperial Palace, how can I not be literate? It just so happens that Yunluo is willing. If it were someone else, Cheng Shifei might not be willing. So I might as well grant their wish."

"Take a look," Zhu Wushi said, handing a secret letter to Duan Tianya, who took it, opened it, and read it with Haitang.

“Godfather, I didn’t expect that the fake Rihide would be involved with the Giant Whale Gang. It seems that things are not as simple as we thought. What exactly does Izumo want to do?” Duan Tianya frowned, and Haitang was also somewhat puzzled.

"I don't know the specifics of the matter either. Although the Emperor has handed over the investigation to the Eastern Depot, I don't believe they will find anything out. After all, Li Zhengkai, the leader of the Giant Whale Gang, rose to power with Cao Zhengchun's support."

Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang both nodded in agreement. They believed that they should avoid suspicion when doing things. The Eastern Depot and the Giant Whale Gang were so deeply involved that it was hard to say that they would collude. Moreover, if the two of them were to target the Dragon Guard Manor, it would not be a good thing for the imperial court.

“It seems that my godfather has made a decision,” Duan Tianya said with certainty.

"That's good. This time, I plan to send the two of you to investigate this matter with the Giant Whale Gang. You should openly visit Li Zhengkai. Although he is Cao Zhengchun's man, he is also a member of the imperial court. On the surface, he won't do anything to you."

Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang were both intelligent people and understood their adoptive father's meaning. Unless Li Zhengkai immediately turned against the court, they could only smile and let the two of them investigate the matter. However, if they really did turn against the court, it would be a good thing for the Dragon Guard Manor.

"Godfather, Haitang and I will set off immediately."

"Well, you two be careful on your journey. If you need anything, send a message by carrier pigeon immediately, and I will send someone to help you."

Duan Tianya and the other man agreed and turned to leave. As they left, Zhu Wushi's gaze deepened.

Sitting on the throne, Zhu Wushi wrote a note, activated the mechanism, and inserted it into the throne.

At the same time, Cao Zhengchun, who was inside the Eastern Depot, also received a secret report from Qi Yu and Guo Yun.

“The Giant Whale Gang, Li Tianhao, and Yagyu Tajima-no-kami are quite interesting. Flying Eagle, take a look.”

Cao Zhengchun handed the secret report to Iron Claw Flying Eagle, who was slightly taken aback before taking it and reading it. He then said to Cao Zhengchun, "Chief Supervisor, the information about Qi Yu and Guo Yun is definitely accurate. This fake Li Xiu is actually connected to the Giant Whale Gang. What about the Dragon Guard Manor..."

Cao Zhengchun glanced at Feiying and said calmly, "The intelligence network of the Dragon Guard Manor is even stronger than that of the Eastern Depot. We have all received intelligence, and they must know it too. Given Zhu Tiedan's personality, he must have sent imperial spies to investigate. If he catches us in a compromising situation, the Eastern Depot may suffer a great loss."

The relationship between the Giant Whale Gang and the Eastern Depot was known to everyone in the court and among the common people. If the Giant Whale Gang were involved in the assassination of Li Xiu, someone might use this as an excuse to attack the Eastern Depot, or even Cao Zhengchun himself.

"Flying Eagle, now that we've made some progress on this matter, I'm entrusting it to you. Make sure you investigate thoroughly. If it really was the work of the Giant Whale Gang, you know what to do."

Hearing Cao Zhengchun's chilling tone, Iron Claw Flying Eagle felt a chill run down his spine and said respectfully, "Understood, I will do it right away."

After he left, Cao Zhengchun sent a secret letter to his confidant, instructing him to deliver it to Qi Yu and Guo Yun.

As both the Dragon Guard Manor and the Eastern Depot set off for the Giant Whale Gang, Qi Yu and Guo Yun, members of the Giant Whale Gang, received a secret letter delivered through a special channel.

"The Chief Supervisor instructed the two of us to clean up the mess and leave the Giant Whale Gang immediately. The rest of the matter was to be handled by Iron Claw Eagle. We were to return to Qingyan Town immediately to continue our deployment. Without the Chief Supervisor's personal orders, we were not to obey anyone's orders."

After Qi Yu finished reading, Guo Yun pondered for a moment, then looked at Qi Yu and said, "The Chief Supervisor has given the order, so we shall carry it out."

Qi Yu nodded upon hearing this. This matter seemed quite complicated, and it would be best to withdraw as soon as possible. The Grand Supervisor's actions were well-intentioned.

When the Giant Whale Gang was fighting with other gangs, the death of two members was not a big deal and did not cause any significant disturbance.

royal palace, royal study
The emperor looked at the intelligence report in his hand. Both the Dragon Guard Manor and the Eastern Depot had set their sights on the Giant Whale Gang. It seemed that the Giant Whale Gang was at the center of the vortex.

"Very well, then let me see what kind of surprise Eunuch Cao and the Imperial Uncle will give me." Putting down the report in his hand, the emperor's ears twitched, and his eyes were fixed on Gu Xu in front of him.

Even after experiencing it twice, the emperor was still shocked by Gu Xu's elusive movements. You must know that the imperial study was heavily guarded by soldiers, and there were also several court officials present, yet they had not noticed him at all.

"Your Majesty, it's been a long time."

"Master, is there something you need?" The emperor's heart skipped a beat. Whenever the master appeared, something was bound to happen. His ability to foresee the future was truly enviable.

"The Emperor must already know about the Giant Whale Gang. I only have one thing to say: Your Majesty only needs to go with the flow and observe the situation from the sidelines."

After saying this, Gu Xu's figure suddenly vanished in front of the emperor, as if a glass mirror had shattered. The emperor was shocked by this sight and stood up, staring blankly at it.

Although his martial arts skills were not particularly high, his knowledge was extraordinary. It seemed that no other martial artist in the world could achieve such a level, and Master Gu Xu would not stoop to using magic tricks to deceive people.

"What a divine being!" the emperor exclaimed, then sat back down and pondered Gu Xu's words.

After leaving the Imperial Study, Gu Xu quietly made his way to the Eastern Depot's headquarters. Since the death of the former supervisor Bu Xiao, he had not yet met the famous Eunuch Cao. Since he was here, he would test his martial arts skills and give him a warning.

The Eastern Depot's buildings were not as magnificent as the Dragon Guard Manor because Cao Zhengchun spent all his money on interior construction, while the exterior was secondary.

"This Cao Zhengchun is quite a character," Gu Xu strolled over and discovered that there were no fewer than twenty hidden sentries within a short distance of a few feet, and several of them were quite skilled, making them pillars of the martial arts world.

Without alerting his guards, Gu Xu arrived at a house in the middle. His footsteps made a slight sound, and the light inside suddenly went out. Then the door opened abruptly, and two palm strikes came out, but they disappeared without a trace when they were about ten feet away from Gu Xu.

"Who is this expert who has come to the Eastern Depot? Zhengchun has failed to greet you properly."

Cao Zhengchun noticed that his opponent had easily neutralized his power, and he secretly wondered who the prominent figures in the martial arts world were.

"Master Liaojie of Shaolin has always been detached from worldly affairs. Gu Santong is dead, and I have no grudge against Young Master Wuhen. Zhu Tiedan is even less likely to be involved."

After eliminating several candidates in his mind, he suddenly thought of someone: Gu Xu, the mysterious figure that Bu Xiao and Pi Xiaotian had both mentioned to him before.

Cao Zhengchun stepped out of the room and saw a Taoist priest standing gracefully in front of it, which confirmed his guess.

“But since Master Gu Xu is here in person, I, Zheng Chun, am very grateful,” Cao Zheng Chun said, clasping his hands in greeting.

"Greetings, Supervisor Cao"

"I wonder what brings Daoist Gu Xu here tonight. If there is any help you need, I, Zheng Chun, will do my best to assist you."

Cao Zhengchun was keen to win over Gu Xu. If he could get Gu Xu's help, the Eastern Depot would completely overwhelm the Dragon Guard Manor, and Zhu Tiedan would become his prisoner. Perhaps he could even advance further.

"Lord Cao, I have heard that your Heavenly Gang Boy Skill has reached a state of perfection. I have always enjoyed exchanging a few moves with a master like you. I wonder if you would be willing to grant my request?"

“Since you have such an interest, Master, I will gladly accompany you. However, this place is too small, so let’s find a larger place.”

"Okay," Gu Xu replied calmly.

"Then please come with Zhengchun," Cao Zhengchun said, and his figure took off into the air first, like a ghost, his ghostly movements so fast that they left people speechless.

Gu Xu looked in the direction Cao Zhengchun had left and immediately chased after him.

Hearing the sounds coming from behind, Cao Zhengchun became secretly on guard.

"This person is definitely not just interested in the martial arts competition; perhaps he has other motives."

Cao Zhengchun and Gu Xu left the Eastern Depot and continued walking until they reached the outskirts of the city. "Daoist Master, please make your move," Cao Zhengchun said, gesturing to Gu Xu.

"Chief Supervisor Cao, I hope you won't disappoint me," Gu Xu said without hesitation. He flipped his hand and unleashed a palm strike that flew out with a hissing sound, making Cao Zhengchun's expression turn serious.

"With just a casual move, he possesses such skill; this person's abilities are truly terrifying."

The palm strike pierced the sky and came hurtling through the air. Cao Zhengchun focused his mind and circulated his inner strength. His robes fluttered, and an invisible protective aura condensed into a shield. When the palm strike touched the shield, it made a hissing sound.

After a while, the palm energy eventually ran out of steam, just like water without a source, gradually being worn away by the protective energy.

Cao Zhengchun withdrew his protective aura and looked at Gu Xu, saying, "It is impolite not to retaliate, Daoist, take my move." With that, Cao Zhengchun stretched out his hand and sucked in the nearby pebbles, which were all sucked into the air and continuously gathered under the control of his internal force. Finally, he shouted loudly, and the pebbles pressed down on Gu Xu like a tidal wave, and its momentum looked truly magnificent.

"Not bad," Gu Xu said, bringing his two fingers together to form a sword. He then slashed through the air, sending sharp sword energies flying like meteors. These energies crashed into the sea of ​​rubble and sand, creating a series of explosions. The rubble and sand were like falling meteors, turning into dust before they even hit the ground. The dust was then blown away by the wind and scattered across the sky.

Cao Zhengchun's internal energy surged back, his acupoints churned, and he spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot, staring in horror at the proudly standing Gu Xu.

"Lord Cao, you are one of the top masters in the world to be able to withstand my move, but you are still slightly inferior to the Iron-Blooded Marquis. Take care."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xu passed by Cao Zhengchun like a gentle breeze and quickly disappeared from his sight. Looking at the place where Gu Xu left, Cao Zhengchun felt a mix of emotions.

"This man is not to be trifled with; he is practically a god. Judging from what he just said, it seems that Zhu Tiedan also suffered a loss. Hehe, that's good; it's not just me who has to suffer."

"Could this person be here to remind me that Zhu Tiedan's martial arts are superior to mine, and to prepare me?" Cao Zhengchun pondered, the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

What exactly is he trying to do?

Outside the Giant Whale Gang, Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang dismounted and presented their visiting cards. After a while, someone led them into the living room.

As soon as Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang entered the living room, they saw a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar writing calligraphy. Shangguan Haitang nodded to Duan Tianya, who then knew that this was Li Zhengkai, the leader of the Giant Whale Gang.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen, while I finish writing this calligraphy," Li Zhengkai said without looking up, continuing to write. Seeing this, Duan Tianya and the other man sat down, and servants brought them tea and snacks.

After a moment, Li Zhengkai exhaled, put down his brush, washed his hands, and then looked at Duan Tianya and the other man.

"It is an honor for our Giant Whale Gang to have two top secret agents from the Divine Marquis's entourage visit us," Li Zhengkai said politely, while Duan Tianya and the other man rose to return the greeting.

"Chief Li, let's not beat around the bush. We've come here today because of something, and we hope you can do us a favor."

Duan Tianya learned from Haitang that this person never liked beating around the bush and always did things and asked questions in a straightforward manner. Therefore, he went straight to the point from the beginning, which not only did not annoy him, but also made him think more highly of him.

"Oh, tell me about it," Li Zhengkai said, not blaming Duan Tianya for his abruptness, but instead taking a sip of tea with great interest.

Duan Tianya then recounted some of Li Xiu's past actions, and the more Li Zhengkai listened, the more suspicious things seemed.

"Chief Li, after investigation, this fake Li Xiu seems to have some connection with Elder Li Tianhao of your gang. I wonder if this elder is here?"

Li Zhengkai gave Duan Tianya a deep look, put down his teacup, and said in a low voice, "Brother Duan, you've come at an inopportune time. Elder Li has gone to inspect the branch and won't be back until at least next month."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Haitang stood up and said, "In any case, we must ask Elder Li in person. If that's the case, then I will come to visit again later."

“No problem, I will inform you both when Elder Li returns.”

"I apologize for disturbing you, farewell," Shangguan Haitang knew that she was destined to return empty-handed today, but she was not discouraged, since there would be plenty of time in the future.

Watching Duan Tianya and Shangguan Haitang leave, Li Zhengkai gave an order to someone outside, and a shrewd man walked in.

"Boss".

"Go and deliver a letter to Elder Li, telling him to come back immediately after he has finished dealing with his current affairs, and that I have something important to discuss with him."

"Yes, Chief," the shrewd man accepted the order and left. Li Zhengkai walked to the desk, picked up a brush, and wrote the character "忠" (loyalty) on the paper.

"A storm is brewing," Li Zhengkai sighed, gazing out the window.

Just as Duan Tianya and his companion stepped out of the Giant Whale Gang, Duan Tianya suddenly stopped and looked to the side. Seeing this, Shangguan Haitang asked, "Big Brother?"

"It's nothing, maybe I mistook you for someone else," Duan Tianya shook his head and then left the Giant Whale Gang's headquarters.

On the other side, Yagyu Tajima no Kami, along with his daughter Yagyu Hyouse, entered the Giant Whale Gang through a side door.

"Hyousu, what are you looking at?" Yagyu Tajima-no-kami asked, looking at his daughter.

"It's nothing, Father," Liu Sheng Piaoxu replied hastily, withdrawing her gaze.

"You go back to your room and rest first. I'm going to find Chief Li to discuss some things."

"Yes"

When Yagyu Tajima-no-kami arrived in the living room, he saw Li Zhengkai staring blankly out the window.

"Chief Li"

"So it's Mr. Yagyu. When did you return? Why didn't you let me know? I could have sent someone to pick you up."

Li Zhengkai saw Yagyu Tajima-no-kami and his face lit up with joy. He hurriedly stepped forward.

"I have received many favors from the gang leader, how could I accept such treatment? Gang leader, I have completed the task you asked me to do, and now I am waiting for you to see it for yourself."

"Well done, Mr. Yagyu is indeed efficient," Li Zhengkai said with a smile.

When Li Zhengkai took over the Giant Whale Gang, he intended to find the head of a Japanese martial arts family to teach his gang members, so that they would be familiar with Japanese martial arts in order to deal with the Japanese pirates in the future.

Under the guidance of Elder Li Tianhao, Li Zhengkai made contact with the Yagyu Shinkage School, and thus specially hired Yagyu Tajima no Kami as a guest elder of the Giant Whale Gang. Over the past ten years, the Giant Whale Gang has trained three batches of gang members, all of whom are proficient in naval warfare. In their battles against the Japanese pirates, they have always gained the upper hand, and their annual profits are quite considerable.

Li Zhengkai was grateful for the help from Yagyu Tajima-no-kami, and he also greatly supported the Yagyu family, leading to a marriage alliance between the two families.

This time, Yagyu Tajima-no-kami had just finished training the fourth batch of his followers and returned to hand over the mission.

"Master, it seems someone came by just now," said Yagyu Tajima-no-kami, looking at the teacup that hadn't been cleared away from the seat.

"Oh, it was someone from the Dragon Guard Manor who came to ask about something, they've already left."

"I see. Chief, if there are no other instructions, then I'll take my leave."

"Mr. Yagyu, you must be tired from your journey. Please rest. If you need anything, just ask the steward," Li Zhengkai said gently. Yagyu Tajima-no-kami thanked him and then left.

"Duan Tianya, I've been waiting for you for a long time. This time, let's see how you get away with it."

In the inn, Duan Tianya seemed absent-minded. Seeing this, Haitang asked, "Brother, what's wrong? I've never seen you like this before. Is something on your mind?"

"It's alright, Haitang. Do you think Li Zhengkai is lying to us? After all, he's from the Eastern Depot."

"I don't think so. His case file clearly states that he is an extremely upright person."

"Although the Giant Whale Gang was under the supervision of the Eastern Depot, he himself never flattered anyone, and Cao Zhengchun, apart from the initial support, did not provide him with any assistance. He himself was extraordinary to have reached this point."

Upon hearing this, Duan Tianya nodded in agreement, "It seems we'll have to stay here for now and wait for Elder Li to return."

"The Eastern Depot must have received intelligence as well, and Cao Zhengchun will definitely send people. Let's hold back for now and see what Li Zhengkai does."

"Um"

Back in his room, Duan Tianya lay on the bed, recalling the beautiful figure he had inadvertently seen when he left the Giant Whale Gang, and his heart was filled with turmoil.

In his dream, Duan Tianya dreamt of the happy days in Japan, spending every day with Yukihime and falling in love with her. Just as the two were deeply in love, Yagyu Jubei, with a hole in his chest and bleeding, walked towards them with a ferocious expression, cursing incessantly. Then the scene changed, and in the snow, Yagyu Yukihime shielded him from a sword strike by Yagyu Tajima no Kami, dying in his arms.

"Snow Princess," Duan Tianya was startled awake from his dream. He sat up, but it was still pitch black outside the window. He got out of bed, poured himself a glass of water, drank it, and lay back down. However, he couldn't fall asleep again and stayed awake until dawn.

(End of this chapter)