blogombal Chapter 134 The Demon-Eating Gu and the Martial Arts Tournament for Marriage
Chapter 134 The Demon-Eating Gu and the Martial Arts Tournament for Marriage
Chapter 134 The Demon-Eating Gu and the Martial Arts Tournament for Marriage
"Next time we meet, I definitely won't let you get away with this!"
The girl in red couldn't withstand the pressure and burst into tears. She ran away while crying, making everyone think that she was the bad guy.
Li Xiaoyao retorted, unconvinced, "No, she's the one who hit her, so why is she crying?"
At this moment, the rescued man and woman also came over to express their gratitude and explained the whole story to the group. They were originally servants and maids of the Lin family manor. The two of them had eloped, but were caught by the young lady of the Lin family and were beaten.
The girl in red is Lin Yueru, the young lady of the Lin family.
"Even if you elope, you can't hit people! Can't you just talk things out?"
Li Xiaoyao was quite angry.
Having grown up in a small town, he didn't understand what it meant to be a servant or maid who sold themselves into servitude to their master.
Strictly speaking, they weren't even human beings; they were the property of the master. Even if Lin Yueru beat them or killed them, the government would at most just impose a fine.
"Thank you all for your help, young heroes. Yinhua and I are about to leave. Since you have offended Miss Lin, it would be best if you did not enter Suzhou City."
After saying that, the couple who had eloped vanished instantly.
Xu Changqing was somewhat worried, "Lin Family Fortress is a well-known force in the martial arts world. We've really gotten ourselves into some trouble this time."
Li Xiaoyao lowered his head and said guiltily, "Brother Xu, I've caused you trouble."
Xu Changqing shook his head and chuckled, "Brother Li, what are you saying? We did this together, so I should share the responsibility as well. Besides—"
"It is only natural for disciples of Mount Shu to draw their swords to help those in need."
Li Xiaoyao nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
Zhao Ling'er asked worriedly, "Two Daoist priests, should we still go into Suzhou City?"
Xu Changqing turned to look at Chu Yang, "Junior brother, what do you think we should do?"
Chu Yang walked straight towards Suzhou City, laughing nonchalantly, "What? Is Lord Lin a tiger whose tail you can't touch? I'm going to touch it today!"
"Letting his daughter commit crimes is something that needs to be addressed no matter where you are! Lin Tiannan has failed to raise his daughter properly. If he has no shame, let him cause us trouble. Are we afraid of him?"
The three of them were also filled with enthusiasm after hearing this, and followed closely behind Chu Yang.
Xu Changqing smiled and said, "In that case, if Lord Lin really doesn't live up to the demeanor of a senior, it wouldn't be a disgrace to the reputation of Mount Shu if my junior brother and I joined forces to fight him."
Chu Yang quickly waved his hand, "If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Senior brother is the tallest, so you hold it up first. I'll bring Xiaoyao and the others to cheer you on!"
Xu Changqing: "—"
The four entered the city, and Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling'er were immediately attracted by the city's dazzling world.
Suzhou is one of the wealthiest places in the Central Plains. Whether it's food or entertainment, it's no less than, and in some ways even better than, the capital.
The two entered Suzhou City, much like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden. Xu Changqing behaved better; although his face remained calm, his eyes kept darting around.
"It's getting late, let's find a place to rest."
Xu Changqing seemed to have done his research beforehand. The inn he found wasn't very famous locally, but it was tastefully decorated, with most of the structure made of bamboo.
It has a bit of the style and flavor of Mount Shu.
It's clear that he has been preparing for this worldly cultivation for a long time!
After dinner, Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling'er suggested going for a stroll in the streets. After receiving Xu Changqing's permission, the two disappeared in a flash.
Watching them frolic and leave, Xu Changqing couldn't help but say, "In the end, they're still just two children."
Chu Yang sighed, "It's a bit unfair to put the fate of an entire nation on the shoulders of a little girl like Ling'er."
Xu Changqing, who never discussed state affairs, surprisingly nodded, revealing a kind expression.
Senior Brother!
Don't do that!
She looks more and more like her grandfather, holy crap!
After chatting in the lobby for a while, Xu Changqing went back to his room to rest, while Chu Yang waited quietly for the two to return.
If he remembered correctly, the Demon-Eating Gu was found by Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling'er in Suzhou City.
I waited for a while.
Suddenly, laughter came from outside.
Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Lingji entered the inn while playfully bickering, and then they saw Chu Yang sitting to the side, smiling at them.
Li Xiaoyao said apologetically, "Brother Chu, are you still up so late? Are you waiting for us?"
Chu Yang nodded. "It's your first time traveling so far, so you should be a little more cautious."
Both Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling'er were deeply moved.
Zhao Ling'er's eyes darted around, and she took something out of her small cloth bag, handing it to Chu Yang. "Daoist Chu, we've found a demon-eating Gu. Would you like to take a look?"
Chu Yang took the Demon-Eating Gu and asked, feigning ignorance, "What is a Demon-Eating Gu?"
Zhao Ling'er then began to explain the origin of the Demon-Eating Gu to Chu Yang. Because it involved her professional knowledge, the young girl spoke with great enthusiasm.
It was getting late, so Chu Yang had to interrupt her, "Could I borrow the Demon-Eating Gu for one night? I want to take it back and study it."
Without hesitation, Zhao Ling'er said, "If Daoist Chu wants it, Ling'er will give it to you. It's no problem."
Chu Yang smiled and shook his head, "I'm just a little curious. I'll return it to you tomorrow."
"Alright then." Zhao Ling'er readily agreed, and Li Xiaoyao didn't say much either. The two of them were basically of the same mind. They felt that no amount of money was too much to repay Chu Yang for saving their lives.
After returning to their rooms, Chu Yang entered the Soul Palace and shared the Demon-Eating Gu with his companions.
Magic Chu Yang immediately extracted and preserved the bloodline factor of the Demon-Eating Gu.
The immortal swordsman Chu Yang asked curiously, "Can it be copied?"
Magic Chu Yang wasn't quite sure. He picked up the Gu worm and examined it for a long time. "The replication technology for magical creatures is basically perfected, but I haven't tried it with the demon race and Gu worms yet. I wonder if they have anything in common—"
Cross-species replication is essentially a matter of two completely different fields, so Magic Chu Yang dared not give a definite answer.
This cloning technique was created by Hokage Chu Yang during the creation of the Ten-Tails.
By utilizing the Yin-Yang Release technique in the Sage of Six Paths mode, along with bloodline factors, a complete creature can be created.
Success rates can vary due to individual differences.
Xianxia Chu Yang was only trying it out. If he succeeded, great. Even if he failed, he could still go to the Nanzhao Kingdom to find the secret method of cultivating Gu worms.
It's just another insurance policy.
It's better to leave the Demon-Eating Gu in your hand to Li Xiaoyao. He can't devour all the power of the Crimson Ghost King and the Skeleton General by himself. Chu Yang can get a share of the spoils then.
There's no need to completely deplete renewable resources like this.
Early the next morning.
The four of them went downstairs for breakfast and saw pedestrians hurrying by on the roadside. The already bustling streets of Suzhou became even more lively.
All that could be heard was someone shouting in the crowd.
"A martial arts contest to choose a husband!"
"Lin Tiannan, the lord of Lin Family Fortress, has set up a martial arts arena to find a suitable husband for Miss Lin!"
As Li Xiaoyao was showing off his steamed buns, the image of the girl in red involuntarily popped into his mind when he heard the name of the Lin family's young lady.
"That wicked woman is actually looking for a husband? What kind of man is that reckless?"
Li Xiaoyao couldn't help but complain, but ended up choking on the steamed bun and couldn't breathe. Seeing this, Zhao Ling'er quickly handed him a bowl of porridge, which took him a long time to swallow.
"Brother Li, please be careful with your words. Although Miss Lin was in the wrong yesterday, we also had our faults."
Xu Changqing has the personality of a modest gentleman and is not fond of listening to others gossip behind his back.
"Okay, Brother Xu, I'm just a little upset."
Li Xiaoyao was very good at reading people's expressions, and immediately stopped saying a bad word about Lin Yueru.
"Master Xu, shall we set off after breakfast?"
Fearing that Xu Changqing would continue to reprimand Li Xiaoyao, Zhao Ling'er quickly spoke up to smooth things over.
Xu Changqing pondered for a moment and said, "I just heard from the innkeeper that there are snake demons around here. They have already killed many people and kidnapped many young girls. I need to go and check it out."
"Why don't you wait for me at the inn? We can set off after we've dealt with this matter."
Chu Yang's expression shifted, and he asked, "Is it the Hidden Dragon Cave?"
Xu Changqing looked at him with considerable surprise, "Junior Brother, you've also heard the shopkeeper mention this?"
Chu Yang nodded. "Why don't I go with my senior brother later? That way we can look out for each other."
Upon hearing that Chu Yang and Xu Changqing were going to exorcise demons, Li Xiaoyao couldn't sit still any longer and stood up excitedly, saying, "Take me with you!"
I've never seen a monster before!
Xu Changqing frowned and said, "Nonsense! If you come with us to exorcise demons, what about Ling'er?"
Realizing he couldn't leave Ling'er alone, Li Xiaoyao slumped back down, losing his appetite.
Seeing Li Xiaoyao's dilemma, Zhao Ling'er's love-struck mind kicked in again, and she said with a smile, "Brother Xiaoyao, go if you want to. Ling'er will take good care of herself. Suzhou City isn't some den of dragons and tigers, so don't worry."
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyao perked up again, looking at Xu Changqing with anticipation.
Just as Xu Changqing was about to refuse, he suddenly heard a voice coming from the dining table next to him.
"If you young heroes are willing to trust me, why not let me take care of this young lady?"
As they were talking, a refined-looking scholar walked over, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "It is a blessing for the people of Suzhou that you gentlemen are willing to go to the Hidden Dragon Cave to subdue demons and monsters, and Liu Jinyuan is truly impressed."
"It is a pity that I am just a scholar and cannot travel with you all. I can only help you in this way."
When Li Xiaoyao saw the young man in front of him shamelessly offering to take care of Ling'er, his first reaction was that the other party had ulterior motives.
"Who are you? Why should we believe you?"
Li Xiaoyao looked displeased.
"It's only natural that you don't want to believe me, brother." Liu Jinyuan wasn't annoyed. Instead, he smiled and said, "I am Liu Jinyuan, the newly appointed top scholar of the imperial examination. Lin Tiannan, the lord of Lin Family Fortress, is my uncle. Everyone in Suzhou knows me. If you don't believe me, you can ask anyone."
Upon hearing that he was the top scholar in the imperial examination, Li Xiaoyao's imposing manner suddenly weakened, and he muttered to himself, "So what if he can study? He's just a bookworm."
Chu Yang stood up and said with a smile, "There's no need to ask. I saw Young Master Liu's triumphant return yesterday, so I naturally trust him."
"However, we just had a conflict with Miss Lin yesterday, so it's inconvenient for us to trouble you, Young Master Liu."
Liu Jinyuan looked surprised. Seeing that these people looked upright and didn't seem like bad people, he asked curiously, "Did you have a conflict with your cousin? Could you tell me what happened?"
Li Xiaoyao, being straightforward, recounted what had happened yesterday.
After listening, Liu Jinyuan shook his head and sighed, "My cousin is too impulsive. She shouldn't have tied someone to a tree and whipped them!"
'
Li Xiaoyao nodded quickly, as if he had met a kindred spirit, and said, "That's right! That's right! You're not a bad bookworm, you can tell right from wrong."
Liu Jinyuan smiled awkwardly, unsure whether to thank Li Xiaoyao for praising him as a good person or to be angry that he had called him a bookworm.
Zhao Ling'er tugged at Li Xiaoyao's sleeve, urging him to sit down and stop talking.
Liu Jinyuan cupped his hands and said, "If you are worried about this matter, there is no need to. As the leader of the martial arts alliance, my uncle is very magnanimous, and I am willing to mediate the misunderstanding."
Xu Changqing looked at Chu Yang. In fact, he also wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. After all, Lin Tiannan had a special identity and had dealings with Shushan. It would be unwise to offend him easily.
Chu Yang nodded slightly. "Then let's go and pay our respects to Lord Lin."
Liu Jinyuan laughed and said, "My cousin is holding a martial arts contest to find a husband in front of the Lin residence at noon today. You may all come with me."
After everyone returned to their rooms to pack their luggage, Xu Changqing went to the innkeeper to inquire about Liu Jinyuan's identity. He breathed a sigh of relief after learning that Liu Jinyuan was indeed the top scholar in the imperial examination.
"That's strange. My junior brother was with us yesterday, and none of us saw Young Master Liu. How did he see him?"
"Could it be another magic weapon given by the sect leader?"
"Just how many magical treasures does my junior brother possess?"
Xu Changqing had always treated Chu Yang like a brother, and at this moment he couldn't help but feel a little jealous. He also wanted to receive such favor.
While the others were packing up their things, Chu Yang chatted with Liu Jinyuan in the lobby.
As the top scholar in the imperial examination, Liu Jinyuan had a wealth of knowledge. He didn't expect Chu Yang to be just as knowledgeable. No matter what he said, the other party could always find something to talk about.
Although brief, it is thought-provoking, as if it were a summary of countless experiences.
Gradually, their conversations became increasingly eclectic, ranging from astronomy and geography to governance policies and poetry.
The conversation between the two gradually evolved from simple chat to a discussion of mutual advice, and Liu Jinyuan's admiration grew stronger.
After Li Xiaoyao and the others came down, the group left the inn and headed to Lin Family Fort.
On the way, Liu Jinyuan continued to ask Chu Yang for advice, and his attitude became more and more respectful, just like a student meeting a teacher.
Li Xiaoyao was curious about what they were talking about, so he sneakily approached them. After a while, he retreated, his face full of confusion.
Zhao Ling'er asked curiously, "What are Daoist Chu and Young Master Liu talking about?"
Li Xiaoyao shook his head, "I recognize all the words they're saying, but I don't understand what they mean when they're put together—"
Zhao Ling'er burst into laughter.
Xu Changqing explained with a smile, "Because my junior brother has limited talent in cultivation, he has read many miscellaneous books in the Scripture Pavilion since he was a child. There is no one on Mount Shu who can talk to him. Today, he met Young Master Liu and they hit it off immediately."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Liu Jinyuan, who was in front of him, suddenly knelt down and said loudly, "Master, please accept my bow. I hope you will accept my bow."
Xu Changqing's smile vanished abruptly.
Zhao Ling'er and Li Xiaoyao were dumbfounded.
"Is this what they call—love at first sight?"
It wasn't until Liu Jinyuan knelt down that Chu Yang realized he had said a bit too much.
He was just chatting casually at first, never thinking about how his knowledge would affect Liu Jinyuan, an ancient person. It's just that Liu Jinyuan knows too much and has a strong ability to learn.
Communicating with him feels like talking to someone from ancient times.
This led Chu Yang to have a misconception.
"Please rise, Young Master Liu. I was just talking nonsense; please don't take it to heart!"
Chu Yang reached out and pulled Liu Jinyuan up from the ground.
"What you say, sir, is invaluable advice that benefits both the country and its people. How could it be nonsense?!"
"Please teach me, sir!"
Liu Jinyuan's eyes were as determined as if he were about to join the Party.
"Young Master Liu, please don't joke. My junior brother is a mountain dweller, and our sect has rules that we don't concern ourselves with the affairs of the dynasty or the secular world."
Xu Changqing stepped forward and said with a smile.
Liu Jinyuan carefully observed Chu Yang and Xu Changqing's attire and suddenly realized that they were monks. He immediately beat his chest in regret, his feelings overflowing.
After hesitating for a long time, Liu Jinyuan asked, "Can't I return to secular life?"
Xu Changqing's lips twitched, and he looked at him with an unfriendly expression, as if he wanted to punch him.
Li Xiaoyao rolled his eyes. "Are you crazy?! My brother Chu is going to cultivate immortality and become a celestial being. Who's going to go with you to become an official? That would be stupid!"
Liu Jinyuan closed his eyes in anguish; nothing in life could be more painful than this.
What a talented person! If he could serve as an official and bring benefits to the people, it would be a blessing for all the people of the world.
Zhao Ling'er was impressed but didn't understand. However, from Liu Jinyuan's reaction, she could sense that Chu Yang had talent that was no less than that of the top scholar.
With the apprenticeship controversy over, Liu Jinyuan had no choice but to suppress his regrets and continue leading the group forward.
A moment later, they saw the arena where the martial arts contest for marriage was held.
The willful girl in red from yesterday has now transformed into a female knight-errant dressed in a smart outfit.
He exuded heroic spirit.
Even the girls passing by couldn't help but swoon over him.
It's so beautiful that it appeals to both men and women.
The martial arts contest to find a husband has been going on for a while now, and several of the challengers who have gone up on stage have already been knocked away.
They were all sent away immediately after just one meeting.
It is conceivable that Lin Yueru's kung fu skills were not bad, at least in the Suzhou area, they were above average.
Liu Jinyuan said with a smile, "My cousin's kung fu is all family-inherited. Ordinary people can't even get close to her. I'm afraid Uncle will have to return empty-handed again this time."
Li Xiaoyao replied, "It's just average. I beat her with only one move yesterday."
Zhao Ling'er quickly covered Li Xiaoyao's mouth.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
Lin Yueru, who was in the arena, had already shifted her gaze to Li Xiaoyao. Her expression suddenly changed. "You little thief, you actually dared to come!"
"You won yesterday because I didn't have a proper weapon. Let's have another round today!"
Li Xiaoyao, young and impetuous, couldn't resist being provoked and drew his sword, ready to jump onto the arena.
As a result, Chu Yang slammed him to the ground.
"That's a martial arts contest to choose a husband. If you win, you get to marry him. You think you can have two wives at once?"
Chu Yang slapped him on the back of the head, causing Li Xiaoyao to run away with his head in his hands, tears welling up in his eyes from the pain.
Li Xiaoyao said aggrievedly, "She called me a petty thief!"
His parents, Li Sansi and his wife, were renowned chivalrous thieves, so they were very sensitive to the word "thief."
Zhao Ling'er tenderly stroked Li Xiaoyao's head, gently comforting him.
Ignoring all that, Lin Yueru continued her taunts, "Little thief, too scared to come up? You've backed down now that you see I have a weapon?"
Li Xiaoyao glared at her fiercely, then turned his head away as if he hadn't heard her, while Zhao Ling'er kept comforting him from the side.
Xu Changqing clasped his hands in a fist salute towards Lin Yueru on the arena and said, "Miss Lin, please forgive me for my offense yesterday in the suburbs. I have come here today to reconcile with you."
Lin Yueru said coldly, "Who wants to make peace with a bunch of thieves like you? If you're too scared to go on stage, then get out of here!"
Xu Changqing looked helplessly at Liu Jinyuan.
"Everyone, please calm down. I'll go up and explain to my cousin." Liu Jinyuan tiptoed up the stage, a scene that not only made the audience laugh but also made Lin Yueru frown.
Lin Tiannan, who was watching the fight from a short distance away, was even more ashen-faced. The martial arts contest to find a husband had been turned into a joke.
Where does this leave him as the leader of the martial arts alliance?
Moreover, as a martial artist, Lin Tiannan had always looked down on Liu Jinyuan. He knew that Liu Jinyuan liked Lin Yueru, but he had no intention of helping them get together.
"Cousin, what are you doing? Get down here right now! This is a martial arts contest to choose a husband!"
The onlookers around them made Lin Yueru anxious, and she kept urging Liu Jinyuan to step down from the stage.
"Cousin, I'm here to explain to you that Mr. Chu and the others aren't bad people. You might have misunderstood—"
Liu Jinyuan finally climbed up, panting heavily.
"I don't know any Mr. Chu. I only know that they are thieves who bully unarmed people."
Lin Yueru glared angrily at Liu Jinyuan.
Liu Jinyuan was taken aback for a moment, "Shouldn't it be my cousin who bullied someone who was unarmed—"
Enraged, Lin Yueru drew her sword and stabbed at Liu Jinyuan.
She didn't mean to hurt him; she just wanted to get this bookworm off the stage.
But to everyone's surprise, Liu Jinyuan neither dodged nor avoided, but closed his eyes and waited for Lin Yueru's sword to pierce him.
"Bookworm, get out of the way!"
Lin Yueru's sword thrust was very fast, and by the time she came to her senses, it was too late to retract her sword.
Lin Tiannan suddenly stood up, ready to save Liu Jinyuan.
He was dissatisfied, but after all, the other party was his nephew, and the newly appointed top scholar.
If something goes wrong, Linjiabao will be burdened with immense infamy.
In the blink of an eye, a figure appeared on the arena even faster than Lin Tiannan, blocking Liu Jinyuan's path. With a flick of his finger, he knocked the longsword out of Lin Yueru's hand.
Liu Jinyuan opened his eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "Sir?!"
Chu Yang shook his head helplessly. "Simps never get a good death. I'll save you this time since you're a decent person."
Liu Jinyuan immediately bowed and said, "This student thanks you for saving my life, sir."
On the other side, Lin Yueru was trembling with anger. Her weapon was knocked away again, just like yesterday.
Lin Yueru angrily retorted, "Is all you people know how to do? Ambush?"
Chu Yang ignored her and grabbed Liu Jinyuan by the collar, preparing to take him off the stage.
"Thief, don't run!"
Lin Yueru formed a sword with her fingers and stood behind Chu Yang, unleashing the Lin family sword technique. At this moment, she had lost her mind and didn't care about any rules of the martial world.
Lin Tiannan shouted, "Yueru, stop!"
True essence transformed into sword energy, shooting out from Lin Yueru's fingertips and aiming straight for Chu Yang's vital back.
This move, "Qi Sword Finger," is the signature technique of the Lin family's sword manual.
The Lin family's ancestors were known as masters of both swordsmanship and finger techniques. In addition to their superb swordsmanship, their hand skills were also first-rate, and they eventually reached the realm of unifying qi and sword.
【Qi Sword Finger】 can be seen as a deluxe enhanced version of 【Six Meridian Divine Sword】, which is simpler and more violent.
Chu Yang did not turn around. He also formed a sword with his fingers and used the [Qi-Breaking Style] of the Dugu Nine Swords. He pointed backward and easily broke the Lin family's family secret technique.
Lin Yueru was stunned.
Lin Tiannan's body trembled.
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