Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 181 The Ming Cult Makes a Comeback, Wudang and Emei Form a Marriage Alliance

"What about the martial arts world? Has anything major happened recently?"

After inquiring about the situation in the imperial court, Jiang Xuan then asked about the situation in the martial arts world.

His goal was never just to wield absolute power, but to reach the pinnacle of martial arts and become invincible under heaven.

To achieve this, one must learn from the strengths of others and make up for one's own weaknesses.

Therefore, he pays close attention to the situation in the martial arts world. He needs to know the situation in advance so that he can judge which things he can get involved in, which things he cannot get involved in, and how much benefit he can ultimately gain.

"In the martial arts world, the most powerful force at present is the Tianxia Society of the Northwest Tianshan Mountains. At this moment, the Tianxia Society has swept across the martial arts world of the Northwest and has the potential to unify the martial arts world of the Great Northwest!"

"In the entire Northwest martial arts world, apart from Wushuang City, no one can rival it."

"But even Wushuang City is very wary of the Tianxia Society. Last month, Xiong Ba celebrated his birthday and invited various martial arts sects to celebrate. It is said that he had a falling out with Dugu Yifang, the lord of Wushuang City. At present, both sides have entered a state of war preparedness, and the situation is very tense."

Qiu Moyan spoke, his expression extremely solemn.

Although the World Society is a criminal organization, it can openly roam the martial arts world and compete for supremacy. In just over ten years, its membership has exceeded 100,000, making it a top-tier sect comparable to Shaolin and Wudang.

That powerful leader of the World Society was undoubtedly a dragon among men, a rare overlord!
"The World Association..."

Jiang Xuan murmured, a hint of apprehension appearing in his eyes.

Even though he was no longer afraid of ordinary grandmasters, and even Shangguan Jin Hong had died at his hands, and his strength had improved even further, he was still extremely wary of this Tianming Xiong Ba.

Even among the same kind of powerful figures, Xiong Ba was definitely the top-tier one, and Shangguan Jin Hong was simply no match for him; the difference was like that between a firefly and the bright moon.

According to rumors, Xiong Ba was only a Grandmaster, but among the Grandmasters, he was undoubtedly one of the most powerful.

Therefore, Jiang Xuan dares not get involved in anything related to the World Society at present.

"What about other places?" Jiang Xuan continued to ask.

The martial arts world of the Ming Dynasty was in a state of great chaos. Almost every province had some top sects in charge, and the various forces were constantly fighting each other, all vying for the unification of the martial arts world. The righteous and the evil factions were also constantly at odds.

This was a brilliant era, and also a chaotic one.

Previously, Jiang Xuan lacked the strength to get involved in the affairs of the martial world, fearing that he might accidentally die a violent death.

But now, looking across the martial arts world, with his skills, he might not be invincible, but he is certainly capable of protecting himself.

It was convenient for him to get involved in the affairs of the court at this time, so it was also time to enter the martial arts world, to begin the next phase of his plans, and to start laying the groundwork.

"Nothing major has happened in other areas for the time being, just minor skirmishes. However, a recent event may be related to us."

Qiu Moyan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Last month, Song Yuanqiao, the leader of Wudang Sect, went to Mount Emei to propose marriage to Zhou Zhiruo, a disciple of Abbess Miejue, on behalf of his son, Song Qingshu. Abbess Miejue has already agreed, and the two sides have agreed to hold the marriage ceremony on the ninth day of the fourth month next year, which is also Zhang Zhenren's 100th birthday. It will be a double celebration."

"At the same time, Song Yuanqiao also sent out invitations to various sects, inviting the nine major sects including Shaolin, Kongtong, Wuyue, and Kunlun to discuss the important matter of eliminating demons, and all sects responded one after another."

"Exorcise demons?" Jiang Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"It's the Ming Cult!"

Qiu Moyan explained: "The feud between Wudang, Shaolin and other sects and the Ming Cult has a long history. Many people from each sect have died tragically at the hands of the Ming Cult. It is an irreconcilable hatred."

"Originally, the two sides were constantly at war, but when Yang Dingtian, the leader of the Ming Cult, suddenly disappeared, the Ming Cult had internal strife and withdrew from the Central Plains, retreating to the Western Regions to develop. Due to the long distance, the various factions gave up their plans to continue the pursuit, and the two sides have been at peace for more than 20 years."

"But three months ago, Yin Tianzheng, the White-browed Eagle King of the Sky Eagle Sect, suddenly withdrew from Jiangnan and led his followers to the Western Regions to rejoin the Ming Cult."

"There are reports that the Ming Cult may have a new leader."

"After learning of this, all the factions took it very seriously, fearing that the Ming Cult would make a comeback. Therefore, Wudang took the lead and invited all the factions to discuss the matter of eliminating the demon. Perhaps they would take this opportunity to wipe out the Ming Cult in one fell swoop and eliminate future troubles forever."

Jiang Xuan was slightly surprised: "The Ming Cult has a new leader?"

"It is said that he was a young man in his early twenties who was valued by Yang Xiao, the Left Guardian of the Ming Cult. He even mastered the Ming Cult's signature martial art, 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth,' in just two hours. Therefore, the entire Ming Cult attached great importance to this young man, and Yang Xiao even intended to recommend him to succeed as the leader of the Ming Cult."

"However, it's just a rumor and hasn't been confirmed yet."

Qiu Moyan shook his head: "I think it's probably fake. Rumors are usually unreliable. Perhaps it's a false message deliberately released by the Ming Cult to win back the hearts of the people and end the internal strife."

"A young man in his twenties mastered the Ming Cult's signature martial art, 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth,' in just two hours? That's simply too far-fetched. Even if the Ming Cult wants to restore its prestige, there's a limit to how much they can boast..."

He mastered the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth within two hours?
Jiang Xuan was also taken aback upon hearing this, and murmured, "Could it be... the plot has changed? That young man, could he really be Zhang Wuji?"

"Zhang Wuji?"

Qiu Moyan was a little confused and didn't understand what Jiang Xuan was talking about, but seeing Jiang Xuan's expression, she was also a little stunned: "You don't actually think this is true, do you?"

Jiang Xuan snapped out of his daze, his eyes flickering, and said, "Perhaps, this matter is indeed true."

"How can this be?!"

Qiu Moyan was somewhat incredulous: "The Great Shift of the Universe is the supreme mental manual of the Ming Cult, almost comparable to the Yi Jin Jing and Xi Sui Jing of Shaolin. Back then, when Yang Dingtian, the leader of the Ming Cult, mastered the divine skill, he used it to fight against masters from various righteous sects without ever being defeated. If it weren't for this, the Shaolin, Wudang and other sects would not be so wary of the Ming Cult."

"How could someone possibly master such a divine skill in just two hours?"

Jiang Xuan smiled and said, "It might not work for someone else, but if this young man is really Zhang Wuji, then it will definitely work."

"You must believe that in this world, there will always be some people who are born with all kinds of adventures. No matter what danger they encounter, they can turn danger into safety. Moreover, they have extremely high martial arts talent. No matter what kind of martial arts they are, they can quickly master them in a short time. They are like the legendary chosen ones, the darlings of heaven."

In the original novel, Zhang Wuji mastered the sixth level of the Qiankun Great Shift in less than half a day.

It sounds outrageous, but it actually happened.

It's not surprising that he mastered it in just two hours.

But what Jiang Xuan didn't expect was that the plot of Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber had also changed.

In the original novel, Zhang Wuji returned from Icefire Island and, after various twists and turns, eventually stumbled into the forbidden area of ​​the Ming Cult, where he encountered Yang Dingtian's remains and learned the Great Shift of the Universe. Later, when the six major sects besieged Bright Peak, he saved the members of the Ming Cult and was then elected as the new leader of the Ming Cult.

But now, he has met Yang Xiao first, gained Yang Xiao's favor, and was directly elected as the new leader of the Ming Cult.
Sure enough, even if the plot changes, such a destined person will still be able to have various adventures and return to the original path.

"A chosen one? Does such a person really exist in this world?" Qiu Moyan murmured, still finding it hard to understand.

“Of course there are, and there may be more than one…” Jiang Xuan smiled, then got back to the point and asked, “Are you worried that after the marriage between Wudang and Emei, Abbess Miejue will use Wudang to deal with ‘Youming’?”

Qiu Moyan nodded, her expression solemn, and said, "Dugu Yihe died at our hands, and the Emei Sect's sacred weapon, the Yitian Sword, was also taken away. Abbess Miejue will never let this go. Even if she doesn't avenge Dugu Yihe, she will definitely find a way to take back the Yitian Sword."

"I suspect that her real purpose in marrying into Wudang was to reclaim the Heaven-Slaying Sword. After all, she knows that with Emei's strength, they are no match for us."

"That's also possible."

Jiang Xuan nodded, neither confirming nor denying: "After all, in the eyes of prestigious sects like Wudang and Shaolin, we 'Youming' can also be considered as the demonic path."

“Young master, if what my senior sister said is true, then we must be wary of this matter.”

Yang Huizhen's fair face also showed worry: "Shaolin and Wudang are the pinnacle of the martial arts world. If we add Emei, Kongtong, Kunlun and other six major sects, we are probably no match for them."

Jiang Xuan nodded: "Let's send someone to investigate first. Don't we have an inside man among the nine major sects? Send someone to Mount Hua to question Yue Buqun."

"I will send someone to take care of it," Qiu Moyan nodded in agreement.

"By the way, Cheng Shifei and Yunluo's wedding is coming up soon, isn't it?" Jiang Xuan changed the subject and asked.

The marriage between Cheng Shifei and Princess Yunluo was personally decided by Emperor Zhu Youjian. Although he is no longer favored by Emperor Zhu Youjian, the marriage has been arranged and cannot be canceled.

During this period, the Prince Gui's Mansion had been preparing for this event.

"It'll be soon, less than three months left." Qiu Moyan nodded.

Jiang Xuan had a headache; what was bound to happen would eventually happen.

He had already promised Cheng Shifei that he would find Tianxiang Doukou to revive Suxin before her wedding, so that mother and son could be reunited.

But with the wedding date fast approaching, he still hasn't received a single piece of news about Tianxiang Doukou.

Moreover, Su Xin was frozen in the Tianchi Ice Cave by Zhu Wushi. Once he rescued Su Xin, it would inevitably alarm Zhu Wushi.

However, he is not yet confident in dealing with Zhu Wushi and does not want to have any contact with him.

However, he inherited Gu Santong's martial arts skills, which was a debt he owed and had to repay.

Moreover, Cheng Shifei was his personal disciple, so even for the sake of their master-disciple relationship, he had no choice but to do this.

"Alright, I'll go to the palace first and ask."

Jiang Xuan sighed, washed himself, changed into his official robes, and headed to the palace.

Having not entered the palace for half a year, the palace had long since changed beyond recognition.

All the buildings still looked magnificent, but the people on duty had already been cleaned up and most of them had been replaced by people from the West Depot.

Some of the imperial guards were even transferred from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

However, even though the Western Depot is now in power, as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he was going to pay homage to Zhu Youjian, and no one dared to stop him. Along the way, everyone bowed respectfully.

Others quietly left, most likely to report to the West Depot.

Jiang Xuan ignored it and sped along, soon arriving at Qianqing Palace.

"Your Excellency... I pay my respects!"

The person on duty at Qianqing Palace hadn't changed; it was still Yin Cheng. Upon seeing Jiang Xuan, he quickly stepped forward to pay his respects, then approached him and whispered a reminder: "His Majesty isn't in a good mood today, so be careful."

Bad mood?

Jiang Xuan's eyes flickered slightly as he asked, "What happened?"

Yin Cheng shook his head and said in a low voice, "I don't know. Half an hour ago, Yu Huatian came by and reported some news to the Emperor. The Emperor suddenly flew into a rage, so something serious must have happened."

event?

Jiang Xuan sneered inwardly. It was probably because Yu Huatian had uncovered another case of official corruption or forming cliques. He didn't take it seriously, sent someone in to announce his arrival, and strode in after receiving permission.

After the Dragon Case, Zhu Youjian sat solemnly in a bright yellow dragon robe, but he did look as if he had just lost his temper and his anger had not subsided.

Moreover, in just six months, Zhu Youjian became increasingly plump, almost gaining weight, but there was a hint of frivolity in his eyes, which was clearly a sign of excessive indulgence.

Thinking of Zhu Youjian's ambitious appearance when he first ascended the throne, and comparing it with his current state, Jiang Xuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The Chongzhen Emperor in the previous life, after ascending the throne, was cautious and walked on thin ice, just like Zhu Youjian in this world when he first ascended the throne. But in the end, he still could not save the country from collapse and hanged himself on Coal Hill, drawing a tragic end to the history of the Ming Dynasty.

In today's world, history has changed. With his help, Zhu Youjian successfully eliminated Wei Zhongxian and destroyed the White Lotus Rebellion. Under his recommendation, he reinstated Sun Chengzong, Yuan Chonghuan, and others to guard the border, repelled the Qing army, resolved internal and external troubles, and gave the Ming Dynasty, which was originally on the verge of collapse, a new lease on life.

Unexpectedly, this caused Zhu Youjian's personality to change drastically.

Indeed, once people lose their sense of crisis, they begin to sink into depravity and indulge in pleasure.

Jiang Xuan sighed inwardly, but his face remained impassive as he calmly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your subject Jiang Xuan greets Your Majesty."

"Since I reopened the Western Depot, you haven't come to the palace for a full six months. Has the sun risen in the west today?"

Zhu Youjian spoke calmly, but his words carried a hint of sarcasm.

Clearly, in his view, Jiang Xuan was dissatisfied because he had fallen out of favor, which was why he had not visited the palace for half a year. But he didn't care. On the contrary, he felt that his choice was correct.

Even without you, Jiang Xuan, I still have people I can use, and they do just as well as you.

Even though Jiang Xuan had cultivated his character over many years and had long since reached a state of perfect tranquility, he still couldn't help but want to slap him on the head.

Have you really forgotten how you cowered like a dog when facing Wei Zhongxian, and who helped you turn the tide and regain power?
Six months ago, they were somewhat more restrained, but now they've stopped acting altogether?

This directly reveals their treacherous and disloyal nature.

A cold killing intent flashed in Jiang Xuan's eyes.

(End of this chapter)