A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 96 Ending the Aid
The group arrived outside the gate of the Eastern Depot and found Cao Zhengchun waiting for them at the gate. Master Yeyu and Liu Yun hurried a few steps forward to greet him.

"Master Yeyu and Sect Leader Liu must be tired from their journey. Please come with me to the living room for tea," Cao Zhengchun said, bowing with his fists clasped. He then gestured and led the two to the living room, while the others were led to guest rooms by the guards.

In the living room, Cao Zhengchun ordered tea to be served. After the three of them sipped the tea for a while, Huashan Sect Leader Liu Yun glanced at Abbess Ye Yu, who nodded slightly. Liu Yun then stood up and said to Cao Zhengchun, "Did Supervisor Cao invite us here because of Guihai Yidao?"

"Sect Leader Liu is straightforward, and I, Zhengchun, will not beat around the bush either. That's right. The reason I invited you all here today is to discuss how to get the Dragon Guard Manor to hand over Guihai Yidao," Cao Zhengchun put down his teacup, gestured for Liu Yun to sit down.

"Chief Supervisor Cao, our eight major sects are preparing to go to the Dragon Guard Manor together to question the Iron-Blooded Marquis and demand an explanation from him."

Before Liu Yun and the others arrived, they had planned to force Zhu Wushi to hand over Guihai Yidao. If that failed, they would have to rely on the power of the Eastern Depot.

Hearing Liu Yun's words, Cao Zhengchun chuckled and said, "Sect Leader Liu is thinking too simply. Guihai Yidao is a spy for the Dragon Guard Manor. To protect the manor's reputation, the Divine Marquis will not easily hand him over to you. On the contrary, your coercion will only make him more resentful, and in the end, it will all be in vain. Moreover, the Dragon Guard Manor is full of classified information, and the imperial court will not allow you to enter at will. You will inevitably be questioned in the end."

"Then what does it mean according to Supervisor Cao?" asked Abbess Yeyu.

Since you, Supervisor Cao, have invited us here, and you are at odds with the Dragon Guard Manor, I suppose you already have a plan.

"The Eastern Depot works for the Emperor, so it naturally has the right to enter and exit various places. Zheng Chun has the Emperor's personal edict. With the edict, he can also go to the Dragon Guard Manor. In addition, Master Liaojie of Shaolin should be on his way now. With the master stepping forward to uphold justice, even if Shenhou is powerful, he will have to give him some consideration. In this way, it is not impossible for Guihai Yidao to be handed over."

Master Yeyu and Liu Yun exchanged a glance, both surprised. The Eastern Depot had actually managed to bring out Master Liaojie, which was truly impressive. With this titan of the martial arts world, their chances of success this time were much greater.

"It turns out that Commander Cao had planned this all along. We have been outmaneuvered. We are truly ashamed."

Liu Yun offered flattering words, and Master Ye Yu nodded repeatedly. Cao Zhengchun, seeing this, was secretly pleased with himself.

"Now that you two know Zhengchun's plans, you two will go and explain things to the other factions. Tomorrow, we'll first go to the Dragon Guard Manor to investigate and see what the Divine Marquis's attitude is."

"We'll leave everything to Supervisor Cao," said Abbess Ye Yu and Liu Yun as they stood up together.

After the two left, the head constable, Iron Claw Flying Eagle, entered the living room and said, "Lord Supervisor, there's still no movement from the Divine Marquis's side."

"The quieter things are, the more abnormal it is. Tomorrow, the governor will take the people from the eight major factions to see what tricks he's up to. If we don't take down Guihai this time, it would be a waste of such a good show."

"Keep a close watch on the Dragon Guard Manor. Record in detail who enters and exits."

"Yes"

After Fei Ying left, Cao Zhengchun went to the archives room, where the information about Tianxiang Doukou was already placed. After picking up a letter and reading it, Cao Zhengchun was very satisfied. After searching for so long, he finally got his reward.

The next day, Cao Zhengchun was preparing to lead the group from the Eight Great Sects to the Dragon Guard Manor when someone whispered something in the ear of the chief guard, Flying Eagle. The latter's expression changed, and he hurriedly came to Cao Zhengchun's side and whispered a few words.

"What?" Cao Zhengchun's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and his smile vanished instantly.

"Chief Supervisor Cao, is something the matter?" Master Yeyu asked, noticing Cao Zhengchun's expression. Something important must have happened.

"Gentlemen, this morning three Grand Secretaries were found dead in their homes. The one who killed them was the Overlord of the World Sword Technique."

"Guihai Yidao is truly insane. This evil martial art should not have been left in the world. It would be best to destroy it as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun was first shocked, then overjoyed. The matter was no longer just a matter for the martial arts world, but the imperial court would certainly not stand idly by. It was truly shocking that a dignified Grand Scholar had been killed in the capital.

"Gentlemen, I'm afraid we can't go to the Dragon Guard Manor for the time being. Please rest at the Eastern Depot for now, and we'll discuss it again when Zhengchun returns from the palace," Cao Zhengchun said, bowing to the crowd before hurriedly leading his men towards the palace.

"It seems this matter is getting more and more complicated," Master Yeyu sighed as she watched Cao Zhengchun leave in the direction I was going.

Inside the imperial study, the emperor was furious and smashed several porcelain vases. Kneeling below were the Minister of War and the leader of the Imperial Guards who guarded the city, neither of them daring to utter a sound.

The Minister of War, being an experienced and shrewd man, knew that the emperor's concern was not only due to the murder of the three Grand Secretaries, but also, and perhaps more so, to his own safety. The previous assassination attempt had already left a shadow in the emperor's mind.

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Cao has arrived," Eunuch Wang reported as he entered.

"Let him in, you may leave," the emperor said, calming himself down. The Minister of War and the commander of the Imperial Guards hurriedly took their leave, and just as they were leaving, they saw Cao Zhengchun.

Cao Zhengchun could tell what the Emperor was feeling just by looking at them. Several solutions flashed through his mind. After straightening his robes, he bent down and walked into the Imperial Study.

The broken porcelain in the study had been cleaned up. After Cao Zhengchun bowed, the emperor asked directly, "I heard this was done by martial arts practitioners. Does Eunuch Cao have any suspects?"

"Your Majesty, before I came here I had heard that the three Grand Secretaries died from a very powerful sword wound. In the martial arts world, the most famous sword techniques that can be called domineering are the Overlord Sword of the Heartless Manor and the Hegemony of Guihai Yidao. Now, it is quite strange that these two techniques have been combined in one person."

"You mean Guihai Yidao? He doesn't seem like a bloodthirsty person." The emperor frowned upon hearing this. He had met Guihai Yidao a few times before during the fake Lixiu incident, and he didn't seem like the murderer at all.

"Your Majesty is wise. This Overlord Blade Technique has its drawbacks. The more profound one's cultivation, the more twisted one's mind becomes. Only by killing people frequently can one suppress one's inner demons. Guihai Yidao's father, Guihai Bailian, was unable to suppress his inner demons and slaughtered over a hundred people from the Bixie Manor before being killed by Jian Jingfeng and others."

Seeing the Emperor's thoughtful expression, Cao Zhengchun continued, "Guihai Yidao hasn't shown his face much since the fake Lixiu incident. I heard he was imprisoned by the Divine Marquis at the Dragon Guard Manor to cultivate his mind and character. Recently, for some reason, he has committed a series of bloody crimes, all of whom were killed by Xiong Ba Tianxia."

"Besides the three Grand Secretaries, there were other bloody incidents."

"Your Majesty, the rest of the dead were all martial arts practitioners. If this matter hadn't been so serious, I wouldn't have needed to say all this, lest I offend Your Majesty's ears."

"I'll leave this matter to your Eastern Depot. All I need is the result," the emperor said after a moment's thought.

"I obey your order."

Cao Zhengchun was in a very good mood as he left the imperial study.

"Unexpectedly, the deaths of the three Grand Secretaries have actually helped me. But who exactly did this?" Cao Zhengchun wondered.

"The initial order was only to kill some martial arts practitioners, not to kill government officials. It seems there was someone else involved. Could it be Zhu Tiedan?"

After returning to the Eastern Depot, Cao Zhengchun ordered Feiying to retrieve the files of the three Grand Secretaries. After careful examination, he discovered that all three were upright officials, known for their outspokenness and eloquence, and their relationship with the Iron-Blooded Marquis was not particularly good.

During his investigation, Cao Zhengchun also discovered something very interesting: many years ago, Zhu Wushi submitted a memorial to open up the sea, but it was met with strong opposition from these three people, and the matter was eventually dropped.

"They say ancestral rules cannot be violated, and these three even call themselves upright officials; they are all hypocrites."

Cao Zhengchun snorted coldly. These three families were all prominent clans in Jiangnan, and they had secretly made a fortune through maritime trade. Of course, they would not let the imperial court gain such a huge profit. Their words were more appealing than their actions.

"No matter what Zhu Tiedan's intentions are, this show will eventually have to go on."

After putting away the files, Cao Zhengchun sent someone to invite Master Yeyu and Liu Yun to the living room.

"Gentlemen, today I entered the palace to meet the Emperor. His Majesty attaches great importance to this matter and has already issued an imperial edict ordering me to handle it personally."

"That's great! With the Grand Eunuch and the Imperial Court stepping in, the matter with the Divine Marquis is nothing," Liu Yun said with great joy.

“That’s right. Although Master Liao Jie and the others haven’t arrived yet, I’ve decided to make a trip to the Dragon Guard Manor now. If you two have time, you might as well come along.”

Master Yeyu and Liu Yun both nodded in agreement. Judging from Cao Zhengchun's words, he seemed to have a high degree of confidence in this matter. If they did not go to question him personally, they would be letting down their deceased disciple.

The group marched in a grand procession to the Dragon Guard Manor. Upon seeing such a large entourage, the manor guards immediately sent someone to report to the Divine Marquis. Cao Zhengchun and the others did not want to force their way in, so they waited outside the manor.

Before long, Sheung Wan Hoi Tong personally led several people to greet them.

"Lord Cao, Abbess Yeyu, Sect Leader Liu, and fellow martial artists, the Divine Marquis invites you," he said, gesturing for the manor guards to make way.

Seeing this, Cao Zhengchun chuckled, glanced at Haitang, and stepped inside first, followed closely by the others.

As they walked along, Cao Zhengchun looked at the magnificent palace buildings and couldn't help but marvel at the wealth and power of the Dragon Guard Manor. The others were no better off, and gasps of admiration rose and fell among them.

Haitang led the way without saying a word, leading everyone to the main hall, where Zhu Wushi was sitting calmly on the throne.

Upon seeing Cao Zhengchun and the others enter, he stepped down the stairs, cupped his hands slightly, and said, "Eunuch Cao, it is an honor to have you here. I am sorry for not welcoming you sooner. Abbess Yeyu and Headmaster Liu, it has been a long time."

Master Yeyu, Liu Yun, and the others all bowed.

"Lord Divine Marquis, we have come here regarding Guihai Yidao's massacre of martial arts figures. We do not know where he is."

“Eunuch Cao, the truth of this matter still needs to be confirmed. We cannot judge Yidao as the murderer based on just one side’s story,” Zhu Wushi said as he walked up the steps, sat on the throne, and looked down at the man.

Cao Zhengchun sneered upon hearing this, casually sitting down on a wooden chair, and said coldly, "If the words of this Grand Eunuch alone are not credible, then are the testimonies of the eight major sects also unreliable?" He continued, "Master Yeyu, Sect Leader Liu, you must know better than I how your disciples died. Since the Divine Marquis doesn't believe you, then you shall tell me."

Master Yeyu and Headmaster Liu secretly groaned. Facing Zhu Wushi's gaze, Master Yeyu withstood the pressure and said, "Divine Marquis, we are not without evidence. After careful comparison, we found that the fatal knife wounds on our disciples are exactly the same as those on Guihai Yidao's Xiong Batianxia." Liu Yun echoed in agreement.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wushi's expression turned solemn. Looking at Cao Zhengchun, whose eyes held a mocking glint, Zhu Wushi said in a deep voice, "I wonder when and where your disciple died."

"On the 18th of last month, at the foot of Mount Emei"

"On the 19th of last month, the perilous path of Mount Hua..."

……

People from different factions announced dates and locations, and the times seemed very close together.

"This is absurd! There's no way Yi Dao could have been in these places in the middle of last month!" Zhu Wushi roared, instantly silencing the commotion below.

"As a secret agent of the Imperial Guard, Guihai Yidao could easily create an alibi. If someone deliberately erased the traces, the situation would be very complicated."

As soon as Cao Zhengchun said this, everyone looked up at Zhu Wushi above, but quickly looked away.

"Gentlemen, the matter has not yet been confirmed, so please forgive me for not being able to hand over the sword. Once I have verified it, I will give you all a satisfactory answer."

Zhu Wushi glanced at the people below, walked down the steps, and was about to leave when Cao Zhengchun suddenly blocked his way.

Upon seeing this, everyone stood up, and the atmosphere changed instantly. The guards of the manor held back their anger, as if they were about to start a fight at the slightest provocation.

"Divine Marquis, I think you should let us see Guihai Yidao first, otherwise this matter will be quite troublesome. Even the Emperor often inquires about it. The main problem is that if there is no progress, I won't be able to explain it to the Emperor."

"Eunuch Cao, if you want to explain to the Emperor, have you even looked at where you are? The Dragon Guard Manor was established by the late Emperor. To arrest someone from the Dragon Guard Manor without any real evidence is simply outrageous. Do you want me to draw my imperial sword?"

Zhu Wushi stared intently at Cao Zhengchun, and his words made the already tense situation even more serious. Master Yeyu and Liu Yun both looked serious.

"You, Zhu Tiedan, your skill in turning the tables is truly masterful," Cao Zhengchun thought to himself, but a smile appeared on his face.

"Divine Marquis, there's no need to intimidate me with the Imperial Sword. In the end, I'm only working for the Emperor. If the Emperor is displeased, it's the Dragon Guard Manor that will suffer. Divine Marquis, for the sake of the manor's reputation, I think you should hand over the Guihai Blade. If so, I'll leave immediately."

"Send the guests out," Zhu Wushi said calmly. The guards of the manor drew their swords and confronted the eight major sects.

"Divine Marquis, do not make a mistake!"

Cao Zhengchun's eyes sharpened, and his robes fluttered without wind, an astonishing aura rising continuously, forcing both the eight major sects and the manor guards to retreat.

However, Zhu Wushi narrowed his eyes slightly upon seeing this, and a powerful gust of wind swept over, disappearing without a trace three feet away from his body.

"Zhu Tiedan's Absorption Technique has improved again," Cao Zhengchun tested it with pure Tiangang True Qi, but it was like throwing a mud ox into the sea. His fear of Zhu Wushi increased even more.

Seeing Zhu Wushi's calm demeanor, Cao Zhengchun's figure flashed suddenly, and a fierce palm strike was launched. Zhu Wushi's figure floated out, and just as the fierce palm was about to strike, Zhu Wushi swung his right palm, and the palm energy entered the blade, instantly splitting the attacking palm force.

"Eunuch Cao's virginity training is truly impressive," Zhu Wushi said, standing proudly in the square as he looked at Cao Zhengchun walking towards him.

"The Divine Marquis's martial arts are truly divine. He has cultivated for only a few decades, yet he possesses the power of hundreds of years' worth of internal energy. It is truly enviable."

Upon hearing this, a flash of murderous intent crossed Zhu Wushi's eyes. He then leaped into the air, his five fingers forming a claw as he reached for Cao Zhengchun. However, the latter was prepared and dodged while two blades of energy slashed horizontally.

When the people from the eight factions came out, they saw the scene of the qi blade cutting through two giant rocks.

Liu Yun was shocked by what she saw. She knew that Cao Zhengchun was highly skilled in martial arts, but she had underestimated him. Even such a powerful figure could be fought to a standstill by Shenhou, who even seemed to have some strength left. Such martial arts were beyond her reach.

Zhu Wushi, seeing the eight factions emerge, intentionally restrained his power, only using eight-tenths of his strength to fight Cao Zhengchun. Even so, Cao Zhengchun still unleashed his full power.

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a clear Buddhist chant was suddenly heard.

"Shaolin Lion's Roar"

Zhu Wushi and Cao Zhengchun exchanged a glance, then stopped their practice and retreated. Looking in the direction from which the sound came, they saw several figures walking slowly towards them. The one in the lead was wearing a kasaya and had a solemn demeanor; he was none other than Master Liaojie of the Shaolin School.

"It's Master Liaojie from the Shaolin School!" Upon seeing Master Liaojie arrive, the people from the eight schools hurriedly descended the steps to greet him.

"Amitabha, Divine Marquis, Chief Supervisor Cao, this old monk greets you."

Master Liaojie performed a Buddhist salute and nodded to the people from the eight sects.

“Master, your arrival is just in time. I happen to have a matter here that requires someone of your high moral standing to uphold justice.”

After arriving, Luo Jusheng and his wife naturally stood beside Cao Zhengchun. Only after receiving a signal from Luo Jusheng did the latter speak up and make a request.

Zhu Wushi remained calm and composed upon hearing this.

"Amitabha, Chief Supervisor Cao, I already heard the reason from Benefactor Luo before I came. This matter still requires the assistance of Benefactor Yidao. I wonder what the Divine Marquis thinks?"

“Master is a senior expert, so naturally he wouldn’t be like others who can’t distinguish right from wrong. Haitang, go and call Yidao here.”

Zhu Wushi gave Haitang an order, and the latter immediately obeyed and went to carry it out.

"Master, this is not the place to talk. Let's go to the main hall to discuss this."

Zhu ignored Cao Zhengchun and the others, focusing his attention only on Master Jie and Gu Xu.

After taking his seat in the main hall, Zhu Wushi looked at Master Liaojie and said, "May I ask how to address this Taoist priest beside you? I don't think I've ever seen him before."

"Let me introduce you, this is my close friend, Daoist Gu Xu. Daoist, this is the renowned Iron-Blooded Marquis."

"The Divine Marquis is Courteous"

"Greetings, Taoist Priest"

After exchanging greetings, Gu Xu sat silently in his seat, while Cao Zhengchun secretly rejoiced at Zhu Wushi's apparent discomfiture.

People from all eight sects secretly elevated Gu Xu's status upon seeing him. To be called a friend by Master Liaojie, he must possess extraordinary abilities. Although he appeared unremarkable on the surface, the fact that Shenhou treated him with such respect meant that his martial arts skills were certainly exceptional.

After everyone waited for a while, Haitang and Guihai Yidao arrived at the main hall.

"Taoist Priest!"

Gui Haiyi was overjoyed, Gu Xu nodded slightly, and Zhu Wushi felt a chill run down his spine.

"How could Yi Dao be connected to Daoist Gu Xu? It seems their relationship is quite close."

Cao Zhengchun chuckled upon seeing this, finding the situation increasingly interesting.

"Divine Marquis, Guihai Yidao must be handed over to the Eight Great Sects for safekeeping."

When Kunlun Sect Leader Zhen Yunzi, who had always kept to himself, saw Gui Hai Yi Dao appear, he could no longer contain himself. His most promising disciple had died under Xiong Ba Tian Xia's sword technique, how could he not feel hatred in his heart?

“That’s right, we can give the Marquis Shen enough time to investigate, but during this period, Guihai Yidao must be under the supervision of our eight sects.”

The other eight factions also expressed their views one after another. Although Master Yeyu and Liu Yun did not say it explicitly, they also agreed with this move.

"Amitabha Buddha, everyone, please hear me out. Whether Guihai committed the murder is still uncertain, but he is the prime suspect and cannot be ignored. I humbly offer a suggestion, and I ask for your kind consideration."

"Master, please speak."

Liu Yun wanted to hear what good solutions Master Liaojie could come up with to resolve this matter.

"I will temporarily keep Guihai Yidao under my care. I will take him back to Shaolin. Once the truth comes out, if he is indeed the murderer, I will hand him over to you all. Otherwise, I will release Guihai Yidao. What do you all think?"

(End of this chapter)