The Martial Arts World is Full of Experts Chapter 29 Part 1

87

Zhang Xiaoyuan poured cooking oil into the pot and ignited the vigorous flames. Brimming with confidence, he believed the next egg in his hands would surely transform into an extraordinary dish.

However, his egg-beating speed slowed, spending more time picking eggshells. Before he could pour the egg mixture into the pot, the oil in the pan suddenly caught fire.

Zhang Xiaoyuan stared at the towering flames, at a loss.

He grabbed the nearby water, about to pour it into the pot. Lu Zhaoming reacted swiftly, managing to hold his hand and cover the pot.

Zhang Xiaoyuan's face was filled with shock.

"Eldest Senior Brother! There's a fire in the pot!" Zhang Xiaoyuan clung to Lu Zhaoming's arm. "Will the pot lid... will it catch fire too?"

Lu Zhaoming remained relatively calm.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine in a while." Lu Zhaoming moved the bucket of water from his hands. "Frying eggs is too troublesome. Let's go for something simpler."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

But… what could be simpler than eggs?

Lu Zhaoming extinguished the fire in the pan, poured a pot of water, and began boiling eggs.

"Just make do for now." Lu Zhaoming said. "Fill your stomach first, and we'll prepare something delicious when Second Junior Brother wakes up."

Zhang Xiaoyuan leaned on the kitchen table piled with ingredients, eagerly watching the boiling water in the pot, hoping for it to boil faster and the eggs to cook sooner.

The effects of the mysterious drug had just worn off, leaving him utterly exhausted. After collapsing onto the table, he struggled to keep his eyes open. The water in the pot bubbled, and in his drowsy state, he fell asleep again.

After an unknown amount of time, he felt Lu Zhaoming gently nudging his arm.

In front of him were two perfectly round, white eggs. This was his first time finding joy in the sight of eggs.

After a busy day with Eldest Senior Brother, hunger persisted until dawn. Finally, in the kitchen of the secluded teahouse, they sat down to peel two eggs.

Too pitiful.

Zhang Xiaoyuan felt the urge to shed tears for himself.

They struggled in the kitchen all night, and as the morning light crept in, Zhang Xiaoyuan, tired and hungry, stuffed eggs into his mouth — cooked to an unintended softness. He felt like he had never been so down and out in his life.

Suddenly, the kitchen door creaked, startling him as he glanced outside.

Hua Liuque, limping on one leg, stood outside looking utterly confused.

"I heard sounds here, so... I came to check." Perhaps the effects of the drugs hadn't completely worn off, as his speech was unclear, and his tongue seemed to stumble. "Did we... encounter a shady inn?"

......

The potency of the drug varied individually. Hua Liuque woke up much quicker than Jiang Jianyu, who still slumbered heavily by the outer table. Hua Liuque could already move around smoothly.

He listened attentively as Zhang Xiaoyuan recounted their arduous journey for food, visibly surprised as he blinked and asked, "You... can't cook at all?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan corrected him, "Second Senior Brother can!"

Hua Liuque couldn't contain his bewilderment and sighed. "Do you guys do anything other than practicing martial arts regularly?"

Although Zhang Xiaoyuan hadn't practiced martial arts for many days, he couldn't help muttering softly, "Do we have to do other things too?"

Hua Liuque: "......"

"If you were disciples of a prestigious sect with thousands of servants, it would be understandable for disciples to avoid menial tasks," Hua Liuque sighed. "But your sect has only five members—"

He paused, realizing he forgot to include himself, raising an eyebrow and adding, "Make that six, counting me!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan cradled the bowl of eggs, looking aggrieved.

It wasn't that he refused to work. He was just accustomed to a life where everything was provided at home. Without someone clearly instructing him on what needed to be done, he struggled to recall those mundane chores.

Hua Liuque, for the first time, confidently rolled his eyes at Lu Zhaoming.

"To capture a woman's heart," Hua Liuque declared confidently, "you must first capture her stomach!"

Lu Zhaoming: "......"

Rolling up his sleeves, grabbing a spatula, Hua Liuque took a step forward and lifted the pot lid.

Zhang Xiaoyuan felt a glimmer of hope once again.

88

For the first time, Zhang Xiaoyuan realized how joyful it was to have a full stomach.

With dawn breaking outside, having satisfied his hunger, he leaned back in the chair, drowsy. After a short nap, Jiang Jianyu finally woke up.

Zhang Xiaoyuan got up and decided to sleep in the carriage.

The teahouse owners and their accomplices were still tied outside. In this remote place with no village in sight, and no officials or constables, leaving these bandits stranded could lead to more harm if they managed to escape.

Moving forward, the nearest official residence was more than a day's journey away. However, if they turned back... returning to Fengji County would only take half a day.

So, the four of them set out for the returned to Fengji County in the afternoon.

It was the familiar county office, with the familiar rush of Pidun approaching.

Wen Tingting was sitting in the courtyard, nibbling on plums. Turning her head, she saw the patrolling constables bringing back several shirtless men, happily shouting to her, "Chief Constable Wen! Young Hero Lu caught some thieves for us again!"

Wen Tingting spat out the plum pit.

"So many?" Her eyes widened. "Xiaoyuan, Young Hero Lu, are you aiming to fill the county jail?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan awkwardly smiled. "We were out on business and happened to pass by a shady teahouse..."

Wen Tingting called for assistance to put these criminals in the jail, frowning at the injuries on their bodies. The wounds from the last batch of kidnappers they brought in hadn't healed yet, and the county had already spent money treating Hua Liuque's leg. How did they manage to bring back so many injured individuals this time?

Did Lu Zhaoming intend to empty the county office?

"Young Hero Lu," Wen Tingting stood five feet away from Lu Zhaoming, earnestly suggesting, "Can you be a bit gentler next time?"

Lu Zhaoming frowned slightly. "...I can try."

Wen Tingting continued, "I think Magistrate Qi should reward you."

Zhang Xiaoyuan waved his hand. "We were just passing by, there's no need for that."

"Passing by?" Wen Tingting was curious. "Where are you headed?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan replied, "The martial arts conference."

Wen Tingting's face lit up with longing. "The one the storytellers often talk about—"

Zhang Xiaoyuan began nodding.

Yes, the martial arts conference.

Wen Tingting: "Will there be some strange occurrences at the martial arts conference?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

No! What strange occurrences are these again!

Wen Tingting asked again, "The martial arts conference, is it held south out of the city?"

Jiang Jianyu: "The martial arts conference is in Baicang City. Naturally, we head south."

"Perfect! Pidun, go call Master Pei!" Wen Tingting patted Pidun's head. As Pidun rushed inside, she looked up at the group and said, "Master Pei was just saying he wanted to go back to visit his family. His father seems to live in Baicang City. Since you're going in that direction, can you give Master Pei a ride?"

Knowing about going home to visit family, Zhang Xiaoyuan was aware that Pei Junze's father was the Chief of the Martial Arts Alliance, Pei Wuluan. He was likely slipping back to participate in the martial arts conference.

Seeing neither Zhang Xiaoyuan nor Lu Zhaoming nod, Wen Tingting cleared her throat and added, "Master Pei is not skilled in martial arts. You managed to resist at the teahouse, but he'd be in trouble if he encounters one. He won't survive a visit to a shady inn!"

Who doesn't know martial arts! Only you believe Pei Junze don't!

However, Zhang Xiaoyuan dared not speak these words. He could only look at Lu Zhaoming. After all, among them, Lu Zhaoming was the one who could make decisions.

Lu Zhaoming nodded slightly. 

After all, Pei Wuluan was a long-time friend of Wang Henian. Even if Pei Junze accompanied them, it wouldn't be inappropriate.

Pidun, with a grip on Pei Junze's clothing, pulled him out from inside. Originally, Qi Chaoyun had arranged a carriage for him. Now, with a few more people traveling together, they had two carriages that surpassed the financial capacity of their sect. The space was much more expansive, and there was even a dedicated coachman hired by Qi Chaoyun. Zhang Xiaoyuan couldn't help but feel the long-lost joy of having money.

Having money was truly great. Once he attended the martial arts conference, Zhang Xiaoyuan vowed to keep a close eye on everyone's conversations, memorizing useful information to profit from later.

The more Zhang Xiaoyuan thought about it, the more excited he became. He was sitting in the carriage, yet his heart had already flown hundreds of miles away.

He forgot that Pei Junze was currently in the same carriage, watching him with an ambiguous smile.

"What's on your mind, Brother Zhang?" Pei Junze asked, "You seem quite happy."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Suppressing the smile on his lips, Zhang Xiaoyuan answered seriously, "I'm thinking about what delicious food Baicang City has to offer."

Pei Junze chuckled.

The carriage curtain was partially raised. After Zhang Xiaoyuan uttered those words, he heard Lu Zhaoming, who was driving the carriage, softly click his tongue. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Zhang Xiaoyuan cleared his throat and said, "After all, it's my first time going to Baicang City."

"Indeed, still with a youthful heart," Pei Junze laughed. "There are indeed many delicious treats there. I'll take you around when we arrive."

Zhang Xiaoyuan nodded eagerly.

Suddenly, Lu Zhaoming reminded, "Watch out for your teeth."

Pei Junze: "Teeth?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan subconsciously covered his mouth and muttered under his breath, "Eldest Senior Brother, I'm not a child anymore!"

"The bond among you martial brothers is truly admirable." Pei Junze shook his head with a smile. "I envy it a lot."

Zhang Xiaoyuan found it odd and instinctively glanced at Pei Junze's head.

If he remembered correctly, when the Chief of the Martial Arts Alliance, Pei Wuluan, roamed the martial arts world in his youth, he took in his first disciple before coming of age. He was unparalleled at that time, and those who wanted to be his disciples could form a line from one end of the Martial Arts Alliance to the other. Later, he indeed had numerous disciples. If Pei Junze was truly Pei Wuluan's son, growing up by his side, he would have an uncountable number of senior brothers.

Why would he, in turn, envy someone else's martial brotherhood?

Zhang Xiaoyuan couldn't help but think of Pei Junze's mysterious identity.

Even after all this time, Zhang Xiaoyuan still couldn't figure it out.

Whose son was Pei Junze?!

He stared at Pei Junze for a moment, and slowly, words appeared above Pei Junze's head.

「Grew up in the Demon Sect during childhood, only returned to the Martial Arts Alliance after reaching adulthood.」

「Externally, Pei Wuluan claims him to be the son of a confidante. Due to Pei Wuluan's charismatic youth, with confidantes scattered throughout the world, no one doubted the claim.」

Pei Junze jokingly asked, "Brother Zhang, is there something on my face? Why are you staring at me?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "I…"

He was about to come up with an excuse when he suddenly saw a string of words popping up above Pei Junze's head.

More precisely, it was a list.

「Rumored list of his birth mothers in the martial arts world: Talented woman from Shu, Jiang Yitong; Elder of the Demon Sect, Wen Chuge; Formerly the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world, Ji Huaidie; Songstress from the Western Regions, Liesel; Master of the Swallows Nest Tower, Rong Xue'er; Flying Frost Lady from the Purple Mist Tower, Gu Feishuang... (and so on for three hundred words)」

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"