A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 97 Valley Attack
Upon hearing this, Abbess Yeyu and the others were slightly taken aback, then their thoughts shifted, and they secretly considered the feasibility of the idea.

"If we forcibly take Guihai Yidao away, it would undoubtedly be a complete break with the Dragon Guard Manor. But if Master Liaojie intervenes, even if the Divine Marquis is dissatisfied, he won't blame us."

After discussing it with the others, Abbess Yeyu and Liu Yun finally agreed to the plan to end the master's life.

"Amitabha, I wonder what the Marquis and Governor Cao think?" Master Liaojie asked, looking at Cao Zhengchun beside him and Zhu Wushi on the throne.

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhengchun thought to himself, "That's good. As long as Guihai Yidao leaves the Dragon Guard Manor, Zhu Tiedan won't be able to return to the manor until this bloodbath is solved. Zhu Tiedan has already greatly weakened by losing two major secret agents."

Thinking of this, Cao Zhengchun chuckled and said, "Since Master Liaojie is willing to act as guarantor, this Grand Supervisor naturally agrees. I wonder what the Divine Marquis's consideration is?"

Seeing Cao Zhengchun's indifferent mockery, Zhu Wushi remained calm. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he pondered for a moment and said, "I know Master Liaojie's character. I am very reassured that you are guarding Yidao. This matter is settled."

"Yidao, pack your things and go with Master Liaojie to Shaolin Temple for a while. Once the truth comes out, I will personally send someone to bring you back to the Dragon Guard Manor."

Upon hearing this, Guihai Yidao didn't say much, but simply bowed and stood silently to the side. Haitang, on the other hand, looked anxious, but when she met Shenhou's gaze, she could only manage to calm down.

"Amitabha, Chief Supervisor Cao, everyone, since the matter has come to a temporary end, this old monk will not stay here any longer. Benefactor Yidao, you may go and pack your bags. We will depart in three quarters of an hour."

Master Liaojie stood up, bowed to the crowd, and then took his leave.

Guihai Yidao glanced at Zhu Wushi, who nodded to him, and then Haitang led Yidao away from the main hall.

Seeing this, Cao Zhengchun hurriedly said, "Master, why are you in such a hurry to leave? It's already late, and even if you're in a hurry, it won't waste another night."

"I appreciate your kind intentions, Master, but the sooner the matter of Guihai Yidao is resolved, the sooner the martial world will be at peace. I dare not delay any longer. Divine Marquis, the innocence of Benefactor Yidao rests entirely in your hands."

Zhu Wushi stared into Master Jie's deep gaze, his heart tightened, and his face showed some unnaturalness, but almost no one noticed. He said, "Yidao is my adopted son, and his affairs are naturally my affairs. I will do my best to investigate this matter and clear Yidao's name. I will have to trouble you for the time being."

"However, Master, you should be careful in the future to prevent those with ulterior motives from taking risks for their own purposes." Although Zhu Wushi did not say who it was, the people from the Eight Great Sects glanced at Cao Zhengchun cautiously before quickly looking away.

"The Divine Marquis is right; Master should be careful on his return journey."

Cao Zhengchun sneered, looking at Zhu Wushi on the throne, and made a sarcastic remark.

"Now that you, Master Yidao, have returned, let's get up here."

When Master Liaojie saw Guihai Yidao return with his bundle on his back, he bowed to everyone and then left with Gu Xu and Yidao.

“Although Guihai Yidao has been taken away by Master Jiejie, this matter is not over. Divine Marquis, the Emperor has a time limit. If you cannot prove Guihai Yidao's innocence within a month, this Chief Supervisor will have no choice but to close the case.”

After Cao Zhengchun finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and left with everyone.

"Godfather, Cao Zhengchun is far too arrogant," Haitang said, feeling indignant as she watched Cao Zhengchun leave.

"Cao Zhengchun is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor, and the future of the Dragon Guard Manor is uncertain. Have you made any progress with Haitang and Zhang Jinjiu?"

"We've uncovered some clues about Zhang Jinjiu, and we're accelerating our efforts. With the help of the intelligence network of the Dragon Guard Manor, I think it won't be more than a month before Yidao clears his name and returns to the Dragon Guard Manor."

"Hmm, well done. Cao Zhengchun's goal is very clear now: to eliminate the four of you one by one, leaving me with no one I can use. Haitang, you must be even more careful in your actions from now on. Tianya and Yidao can't help you for the time being, and your godfather can only rely on you now."

"Haitang will certainly serve her godfather wholeheartedly, but godfather need not worry too much. Judging from the time, Cheng Shifei and the princess should be returning soon. With Cheng Shifei here, godfather can be a little more at ease."

Zhu Wushi nodded noncommittally. Although Cheng Shifei was Gu Santong's disciple, if he could be influenced and utilized, he would be a useful weapon.

"We'll discuss this matter once things have settled down. I heard you recently expelled some people from the Number One Manor in the World. What happened?"

Although Zhu Wushi knew the whole story, he still wanted to hear Haitang's thoughts.

"Godfather, actually, Haitang's decision was somewhat related to that Daoist Gu Xu."

"Oh, tell me about it," Zhu Wushi was very sensitive to the name Gu Xu, and when he heard Haitang say this, he immediately took it to heart.

Haitang then told Zhu Wushi all the questions that Gu Xu had mentioned earlier. The latter nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, and after Haitang finished speaking, Zhu Wushi looked at her with admiration.

"You did a great job. These people who seek fame and fortune and fish in troubled waters are unworthy of calling themselves the best in the world. It's just that our intelligence network had some gaps and failed to discover their ugly side in time."

Zhu Wushi sighed, his tone quite hostile, "None of these people can be let go. They've received so much kindness from the Number One Manor under Heaven over the years; they must pay the price."

"Don't worry, Godfather, all those people have been sent by Haitang to mine in the deep mountains."

"Hmm," Zhu Wushi was quite satisfied upon hearing this. It was best for his family to handle such a scandalous matter themselves. If Cao Zhengchun got involved, it would be even more difficult for the Emperor to deal with it.

Seeing that her adoptive father had no further instructions, Haitang left the main hall.

"This Gu Xu is truly a stumbling block. If it were just about eliminating one person, I could handle it, but with him by my side, this charade can't continue."

Zhu Wushi pondered for a while, but finally decided to make a move. He went up to the throne and threw down a note. Soon after, thirty-six figures appeared outside the main hall.

"This time, all you need to do is keep this person occupied, and you will succeed in your mission. I will reward you handsomely afterwards."

Zhu Wushi tossed down a portrait, which the leader caught, read, and then passed to another person. After all thirty-six people had read it, Zhu Wushi said to them, "Tomorrow at noon, at Xieyue Valley."

The thirty-six people all agreed, and then their figures vanished instantly.

"With the thirty-six Heavenly Generals joining the fight, holding off Gu Xu for a while shouldn't be too difficult. As long as we can kill him and frame Gui Haiyi, this grand drama will truly reach its most exciting part. Cao Zhengchun, the little emperor, hmph."

Meanwhile, Gu Xu and his two companions were supposed to ride back on horseback, but for some reason, all three horses got sick from eating the same food and had to be led around.

"Master, it seems someone is worried we're moving too fast and wants to keep us here for a while."

Gu Xu was roasting dry rations and chicken over the fire; the golden-brown skin was incredibly tempting.

"Amitabha, what is meant to come cannot be stopped," Master Liaojie reached out and tore off a piece of dry food, swallowing it with water.

"Master, are you saying that someone will try to harm us on the road?" Gui Haiyidao asked, taking a bite of chicken and looking at Gu Xu with a puzzled expression.

Leaving aside Master Jie's martial arts skills, who in the martial arts world could withstand even a few moves from this Taoist priest? The person behind the scenes wouldn't be so unwise, would they?

"Who can say for sure? Perhaps the person behind the scenes has many considerations. Master, Master Yidao, the road ahead will be difficult. Please be very careful."

Upon hearing this, Guihai Yidao silently drew his sword. The gleaming blade flashed with a cold light in the firelight, as if it were about to devour someone.

"This sword of the Hermit of One Blade looks quite extraordinary. If I'm not mistaken, it should be forged from black iron."

"What the Taoist priest said is correct. This knife was forged by my father from black iron in his early years and later passed down to me."

When Guihai Yidao talked about his father, he recalled his conversation with his mother, and felt a pang of sadness.

"Amitabha, let bygones be bygones. Cherishing the present is the most important thing. Benefactor Yidao should look forward."

Master Liaojie looked at Guihai Yidao, whose expression was gloomy, and shouted, waking the latter from his deep thoughts.

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Master and Taoist priest," Guihai Yidao suddenly realized he had almost gotten himself into trouble, and immediately sheathed his sword.

"Master Yidao, this supreme sword technique can greatly influence the mind. You should calm down and study the mental manual I gave you. If you can practice diligently, it will not only dispel the malevolent energy in your sword, but also cleanse your soul." "I understand. This is also one of the reasons why I followed the master back to Shaolin this time."

At the Dragon Guardian Manor, Guihai Yidao couldn't calm down for some reason. Whenever he practiced his sword, he had a vague feeling that he couldn't control himself. Once, he even almost injured Haitang.

This was even after cultivating the mental technique given to him by Gu Xu. Without this, the Dragon Guard Manor would probably have lost more lives, and things would have become even more difficult to handle.

"It turns out that the Taoist priest had a plan all along, which saved this old monk a lot of trouble."

Master Liaojie originally intended to use the Shaolin Heart-Cleansing Mantra to help Guihai Yidao expel the demonic nature from his body, but now it seems that he will not need it.

“Master, your Buddhist teachings are profound. With your cooperation, the hidden dangers in Master Yidao’s body will surely be eliminated soon. Master, you cannot abandon him.”

Gu Xu handed the roasted rations he had prepared to Master Jie, who smiled nonchalantly.

"Master Dao is joking with this humble monk. Very well, would you be willing to listen to this old monk recite a few passages of scripture in the future, Benefactor Yidao?"

"I will gladly accept your kind offer, Master," Guihai Yidao hurriedly bowed to the two of them.

Master Liaojie's Buddhist scriptures are not for just anyone to listen to, so in this case, I actually benefited from it.

After a night had passed, the three packed up and left the cave, heading east. At noon the next day, they arrived at a narrow valley.

"We didn't thoroughly investigate this place before coming to the capital. It's an extremely strategic location; according to military strategists, it should be a must-contend area."

"I never imagined that the Taoist priest was also familiar with military strategy."

"I've just read a lot of miscellaneous books."

Guihai Yidao found Gu Xu increasingly unfathomable. Suppressing his curiosity, he explained to him, "This narrow valley is called Slanting Moon Valley. Whenever the moonlight falls, it shines down here and casts a long shadow through the cracks in the valley, hence the name."

Master Liaojie and Gu Xu listened to Guihai Yidao's introduction and nodded repeatedly. Suddenly, Gu Xu frowned and pulled on the reins. Master Liaojie then realized that something was wrong, glanced at Gu Xu, and the latter gave him a wink.

The two were on guard. After a while, Guihai Yidao also noticed that the surroundings were too quiet. He turned around and glanced at Master Jie and Gu Xu. He saw Gu Xu secretly make a hand gesture, and Guihai Yidao silently picked up his sword.

Just as the three were about to pass through the narrow valley, a huge rock suddenly fell from the sky. Guihai Yidao placed one foot on the back of his horse, leaped up, and unleashed a powerful sword strike that shattered the rock, which then scattered from the air.

Before it even landed, countless invisible streams of energy wove together, shattering the pebbles into dust that drifted away in the wind.

After Guihai landed his sword on the horse's back, he was immediately shocked by what he saw.

"Breaking the rocks isn't difficult; what's difficult is completely controlling every wisp of energy to pulverize the rocks without leaving a trace. The Taoist's internal energy cultivation can be said to have reached a level of subtlety and perfection, something even my godfather probably couldn't do."

“Master Yidao, be careful,” Master Liaojie warned. As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of figures stood at the entrance of the valley, all dressed in black and masked, holding long swords.

The leader, in particular, stood there like a towering mountain, exuding an astonishing aura. He drew his sword, his eyes fixed on his opponent, as if he were about to strike.

“Benefactor Yidao, you are no match for this man. You should leave him to this old monk. Daoist, the rest of the men are yours and Benefactor Yidao’s responsibility.”

"Master, please be very careful." Gu Xu knew that Master Jie had already seen through the opponent's identity. Since he had accepted the challenge, he must have some confidence. After Gu Xu dealt with those soldiers, he would go to help.

"You've blocked my path because of Yidao?"

Master Liaojie dismounted, stood in front of the man in black, and chanted a Buddhist prayer.

"No, I came here today for your life."

"It seems that settling this matter involves no deep-seated grudge against you."

"Why say so much? I'll send you to the Western Paradise to meet your Buddha." The man in black waved his hand, and dozens of figures behind him rushed towards Gu Xu and Gui Hai Yi Dao. He himself also flew forward and ruthlessly slashed at Master Liao Jie with his sword.

There were thirty-six people besieging Gu Xu and Yi Dao. These people formed a huge sword formation, intending to entangle them. Gu Xu saw that the formation contained the Heavenly Gang, and knew that this was the thirty-six Heavenly Gang secretly trained by Zhu Wushi.

"The person behind this is truly powerful. Any one of them could be an elite disciple in any of the eight major sects."

Guihai Yidao looked at these people, each one full of energy and spirit, even their footwork and moves were exactly the same, as if they came out of the same mold.

Thirty-six longswords gleamed coldly, their swordplay weaving together into an impenetrable net that enveloped Gu Xu and Gui Haiyi, the biting chill constantly assaulting the two of them.

Gu Xu, protected by his true qi, naturally didn't take these people seriously. However, Gui Hai Yi Dao was struggling to hold on. His sword techniques had already been dissected by Zhu Wu Shi, who then passed on the method of breaking them to the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals. In just a few breaths, he had three sword wounds on his body.

Seeing three longswords rushing towards them, Guihai's longsword was locked, and Gu Xu pointed his finger, breaking the three longswords in the process. At the same time, the three of them were also swept away by the force of the energy.

"A good opportunity!" Although Guihai Yidao was unfamiliar with formations, he sensed that the formation was momentarily blocked. He immediately swung his sword horizontally, and an unstoppable massive sword aura swept out. The six people could not dodge in time and were killed on the spot.

Seeing this, Zhu Wushi, the man in black who was fighting with Master Liaojie, sharpened his eyes and swung his long sword freely, radiating sword energy, but it was all neutralized by Master Liaojie's Great Compassion Palm.

Zhu Wushi's expression changed drastically when he saw Gu Xu effortlessly deal with the remaining twenty-odd people.

"This Taoist's skill is even more unfathomable than before, but I am not without my own tricks."

Zhu Wushi watched Gu Xu approach and channeled his inner strength into his longsword, sending it hurtling forward. At the same time, he unleashed three different powerful moves with his left palm, forcing Master Liaojie to focus all his attention on dealing with them.

As Gu Xu watched the longsword approach, he instantly gripped it with his five fingers forming claws. To Gui Hai Yi Dao's astonishment, a thick layer of frost visibly formed on the sword. Gu Xu clenched his fist, and the longsword instantly turned into ice shards that fell to the ground, evaporating completely before they even hit the ground.

Zhu Wushi hadn't expected this move to cause any damage to Gu Xu, but he was still shocked by how easily it was countered.

Zhu Wushi glanced deeply at Gu Xu, then used his lightness skill to scale the mountain wall and disappear from the three people's sight. Then, a burst of dark light shot out from above the valley like rain. The dark light was in front, followed by a loud noise. Rocks rolled down from above the valley, determined to bury the three people there.

"Dominate the world!" Gui Hai shouted, his long sword emitting a burst of white light. The fine blade energy swept away the hidden weapons and even cleaved several boulders in two.

"This place is not safe to stay for long." Gu Xu circulated his true energy, and a protective aura enveloped the three people and their horses. The rocks continued to fall, hitting the aura with loud bangs. However, the aura, which seemed to break at the slightest touch, held up for a full half hour before the rocks stopped rolling down.

"I didn't expect this person to be able to produce gunpowder; he must be someone of great importance."

Gui Haiyi's expression was grave. Gunpowder had always been a vital resource for the imperial court, something ordinary people could hardly obtain. Furthermore, this man possessed profound martial arts skills; could it be…?

Guihai Yidao quickly dismissed the suspect from his mind.

"We can speculate on this person's identity once we return to Shaolin. Now it's time to continue our journey." Gu Xu swept his sleeve, and a gust of air dragged the pebbles on the ground, quickly opening the valley entrance.

"Master, are you alright?"

"It's nothing, just a minor injury," Master Liaojie said, his face slightly pale. He had just exchanged several blows with Zhu Wushi, and if he hadn't been prepared, he probably would have suffered a great loss.

"Zhu Wushi's Absorption Technique has reached an unparalleled level. At this rate, Cao Zhengchun will be no match for him. I wonder what the Taoist priest is thinking. Could he have other plans?"

Master Liaojie looked at the composed Gu Xu and shook his head. Why should a monk like himself think so much about the affairs of the court? It seems that his willpower is still not strong enough. After returning, he should read more Buddhist scriptures.

After a brief rest, the three mounted their horses and continued their journey. The dozens of corpses they left behind would be completely cleaned up after nightfall, leaving no trace.

(End of this chapter)