The Martial Arts World is Full of Experts Chapter 10

40

Although Eldest Senior Brother's words sounded cool, Zhang Xiaoyuan felt it was quite inappropriate to say such a thing at this moment!

Saying that would just create even more misunderstanding!

No, now was not the time for idle chatter. He had to figure out how to help Eldest Senior Brother deal with these people first.

Zhou Youyi laughed again. "You, at such a young age, are quite good at talking big."

After saying this, he raised his sword to his chest and pounced towards Lu Zhaoming.

Then he stepped on the iron chain thrown far away by Lu Zhaoming. The damp cave was covered in moss. With a slide, he barely stabilized his posture with lightness skills, but stumbled on the iron chain nearby, falling to the ground with a thud.

With his sword raised to his chest, as he fell, the blade seemed to be pointing towards himself.

With a sharp sound, the blade pierced his body. Zhang Xiaoyuan stared in shock, then averted his eyes, unable to bear watching anymore.

Could this even happen?!

Eldest Senior Brother's luck was just too good!

Regardless! Zhou Youyi inflicted severe wounds upon himself. Now, their enemies were only Cong Tian and those miscellaneous small pry.

All faces wore a bewildered expression. The event unfolded too suddenly, and it seemed like everyone had yet to comprehend what had occurred.

Finally coming to her senses, Cong Tian's face turned livid. She angrily swung the long whip in her hand, making a sharp sound through the air, and loudly shouted, "What are you all staring at?! Attack!"

Her remaining subordinates gradually snapped out of their daze. She led the charge, lifting her long whip and rushing toward Lu Zhaoming. Lu Zhaoming didn't even lift his sword. Cong Tian, however, stepped into the pool of blood left by Zhou Youyi, and tripped suddenly — her martial arts skills were nowhere near as good as Zhou Youyi's. This unexpected turn of events happened too suddenly. With no time to regain her balance, she careened forward, her head slamming into a jagged stone. Her eyes rolled back, and she fell beside Zhou Youyi.

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Wen Tingting: "......"

41

Wen Tingting, in terror, turned her head, attempting once again to communicate with Zhang Xiaoyuan through lip movements.

「What's wrong with your senior brother! Does his fate spell doom for anyone close to him?」

Zhang Xiaoyuan kept shaking his head.

He had no idea what was going on!

What was this?

Others might win without fighting, but Eldest Senior Brother caused people to die without fighting?!

Trembling, he cautiously looked up at Lu Zhaoming and quivered, "El... Eldest Senior Brother?"

Lu Zhaoming didn't answer him. He glanced at Cong Tian and Zhou Youyi's subordinates, then spoke, "I never make empty boasts."

The bandits were all in panic. Even those who charged with that person a moment ago quietly retreated, trembling with fear, afraid that taking one step forward might inexplicably lead to severe injuries.

Zhang Xiaoyuan, stunned, watched Lu Zhaoming's back. Suddenly, he heard the familiar sound of a bell. Zhang Xiaoyuan lifted his head in a daze, noticing that Lu Zhaoming, usually inscrutable, now had a few words above his head.

「Lu Zhaoming, unknown individual.」

「Luck: Extreme」

「Great luck on hand, always able to turn a bad situation into a good one.」

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

This... what did this mean?

Judging from the words above Eldest Senior Brother's head, Eldest Senior Brother certainly wasn't a harbinger of doom. It seemed he was... just unusually lucky?

He didn't even need to act himself. The enemies trying to kill him would end up severely injuring themselves?

No, no, no, this couldn't be possible!

Luck, of all things! It couldn't possibly strike every time. This must be a coincidence!

Even if it was just a coincidence, Cong Tian's subordinates dared not move. Outside the cave, the sounds of dog barks and people approached. Pidun and the other constables finally arrived. They charged into the cave, only to find a group of masked men shivering like newborn chicks and two injured and unconscious bandits on the ground. It was a scene they couldn't comprehend.

After a while, one of the constables spoke, loudly praising, "Young Hero Lu's martial arts are truly unparalleled. Impressive!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Wen Tingting: "......"

Wen Tingting grabbed Zhang Xiaoyuan's arm.

"I-I-I've decided," Wen Tingting said in terror. "F-from now on, I'll keep my distance from your senior brother."

42

Exiting the cave into the wilderness, the constables had to escort the brides back to Fengji County's county office and accompany the captured bandits. Short-staffed, Zhang Xiaoyuan and Lu Zhaoming naturally stayed behind to help. Zhang Xiaoyuan eagerly anticipated changing out of the messy bridal attire. Upon checking the bandits' cave, he found no clean clothes, each item reeking of sweat. He gritted his teeth, deciding to endure it until they returned to Fengji County.

Leaving the cave, Zhang Xiaoyuan saw Lu Zhaoming scanning the surroundings, resembling an extremely vigilant cat. Approaching, Zhang Xiaoyuan asked, "Eldest Senior Brother, what's the matter?"

Lu Zhaoming replied, "Someone is following us."

Zhang Xiaoyuan hadn't noticed anything. Considering they had just captured a group of bandits, possibly remnants, he felt a bit tense. "I'll go tell Chief Constable Wen."

Zhang Xiaoyuan remained frozen in place, first thinking Senior Brother's attack was too forceful, then realizing—

Eldest Senior Brother lost his scabbard again! Master would be heartbroken again!

Wait, who was this woman? Why was she hiding in the bushes?

Seeing the woman about to escape, Zhang Xiaoyuan quickly glanced at her head, where a line of text was floating.

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Eldest Senior Brother! You got it wrong! She's one of the good guys!

No, someone from the Demon Sect claiming to be a good person didn't sound right either.

Xing Yan, injured and feeling like Lu Zhaoming's attack aimed at her life, swiftly raised her hand. Smoke billowed from her sleeve, enveloping her. Lu Zhaoming frowned, dispersing the white smoke, but she had already vanished.

Zhang Xiaoyuan, however, saw it clearly.

Lu Zhaoming clicked his tongue lightly, bending down to pick up the scabbard. "What a pity."

Unable to restrain himself, Zhang Xiaoyuan asked him, "Eldest Senior Brother, that's the sword Master gave you."

Lu Zhaoming: "Yes."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "You're tossing it around, aren't you the least bit concerned?"

Lu Zhaoming frowned. "Isn't a sword meant for gaining victory in battle?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "Well, that's true..."

"I won." Lu Zhaoming sheathed his sword again, glancing at him. "Any issues?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

None, even if there were, he dared not speak. It was just that he felt a bit sorry for Master.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xiaoyuan looked up and saw Wen Tingting standing far away, observing them. She didn't dare approach and shouted loudly, "Wha... what happened?!"

Knowing Wen Tingting still firmly believed that anyone close to Lu Zhaoming would suffer misfortune, he waved his hand to indicate that nothing had happened. He then said to Lu Zhaoming, "Eldest Senior Brother, shall we go ahead?"

Lu Zhaoming nodded.

The mountain path was rugged and difficult to traverse. Wearing an elaborate long skirt and embroidered shoes made it even more inconvenient to descend. Seeing this, Lu Zhaoming extended his hand, seemingly to help Zhang Xiaoyuan down. However, Zhang Xiaoyuan was startled. Not daring to hold Eldest Senior Brother's hand, he awkwardly smiled at Lu Zhaoming. "Eldest Senior Brother, I can manage on my own."

Before he could finish speaking, his feet slipped suddenly on the muddy terrain.

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

In the last moment, he reacted quickly, grabbing Lu Zhaoming's arm. The whole person slipped down, following that path.

Lu Zhaoming pulled him up, and, looking around, found a spot. He assisted Zhang Xiaoyuan, who hopped on one foot, to a clean rock, and said, "Sit down for now."

Lu Zhaoming descended the slope to pick up Zhang Xiaoyuan's shoe. Zhang Xiaoyuan turned his head and saw Wen Tingting with a face full of fear. She even gave him a "See, I told you so" expression.

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Not good.

Could Wen Tingting's belief in Eldest Senior Brother bringing bad luck to everyone around him ever be explained?