The Martial Arts World is Full of Experts Chapter 42

119

Zhang Xiaoyuan carried a heavy birdcage and, in his sleeve, a mysterious addition of five hundred taels of silver. He walked aimlessly on the way back to the Martial Arts Alliance.

What just happened?

Why did he suddenly earn five hundred taels of silver and pick up a fat pigeon for free?

He had previously told Eldest Senior Brother that he was going to stroll around the street and buy some things. How would he explain this fat pigeon to Eldest Senior Brother when he returned? Moreover, he had to take care of this fat pigeon.

This was making the already poor sect even more miserable.

Zhang Xiaoyuan sighed deeply.

He hung his head, ignoring the various thoughts popping up on the heads of passersby, sighing as he walked towards the Martial Arts Alliance.

As he walked past a small shop promoting massage and bone-setting remedies with vigorous enthusiasm, the attendants extolling the virtues of their medicinal ointments caught his attention. Memories of Hua Liuque's lingering leg injury surfaced, coupled with a sense of guilt for involving him in the transcription of martial arts world secrets. So, with the five hundred taels of silver he had just earned in his pocket, he stepped into that massage and bone-setting shop.

Zhang Xiaoyuan just wanted to buy some ointment. The ointments in the shop were indeed affordable. However, the amount of silver on Zhang Xiaoyuan was too much, and the shopkeeper couldn't break it. He asked Zhang Xiaoyuan to wait for a moment while he went to the neighboring money exchange to get some silver coins.

Zhang Xiaoyuan sat in the shop, placing the birdcage at his feet. The fat pigeon, surprisingly unafraid of people, continued to coo softly. Zhang Xiaoyuan reached through the cage's gaps to touch its feathers. It merely flapped its wings in response, showing no further reaction.

Later, from the back room of the small shop, there suddenly emanated sounds akin to the screams of a slaughtered pig.

"Ah, ah, ah!!!!" The agonized screams seemed somewhat familiar. "Physician, be gentler! Ouch, ouch, ouch! My back!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

What a coincidence. Could it be Cao Zilian, the one whose waist was struck by Eldest Senior Brother's sword scabbard that day?

Having caused such a commotion in the Martial Arts Alliance, he dared to stay in Baicang City? He even openly found a small shop just to check on his back?

Zhang Xiaoyuan shifted his gaze towards the back room with a hanging curtain, feeling both nervous and curious.

Eldest Senior Brother wasn't by his side, and he felt a bit afraid.

Yet, still in disguise, clad in a straw raincoat and bamboo hat, a black cloth covering his face, he was the epitome of an ordinary martial artist. Even if Cao Zilian stood in front of him, he probably wouldn't recognize him with just a fleeting glance.

Zhang Xiaoyuan hesitated about whether to leave or not. As the back room curtain lifted, a blond and blue-eyed foreigner emerged.

Foreigners were rarely seen in the Central Plains. Perhaps one might encounter them more often in the capital or border regions. Zhang Xiaoyuan had only seen a few foreign performers and dancers. Suddenly encountering such a person... he was somewhat surprised. After scrutinizing him for a moment, he noticed familiar features on the man's head.

「Ashner, Elder of the Ethereal Illusion Palace.」

Oh, it was the person who saved Cao Zilian that day.

Afraid of arousing suspicion, Zhang Xiaoyuan dared not glance further. He focused on the ground, listening to Cao Zilian's pig-like screams inside the room. Ashner suddenly sat down beside him.

Ashner stared at his pigeon cage.

The fat pigeon continued to coo, perhaps feeling hungry. However, Zhang Xiaoyuan didn't want to feed it. Ashner, frowning, looked at Zhang Xiaoyuan and asked in non-standard Mandarin, "Do you also have someone injured at home?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan had no choice but to lower his voice and reply reluctantly, "Yes."

Ashner: "Is chicken stew useful?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "Huh?"

He paused. The cage was covered with cloth. He thought Ashner might have mistaken the pigeon for a chicken. Hastily waving his hands, he said, "This is a pigeon."

Ashner nodded. "So, people from the Central Plains eat pigeons."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

No, not really.

Inside the room, Cao Zilian let out another round of screams.

The shopkeeper timely returned with the silver. Zhang Xiaoyuan hastily grabbed the ointment and prepared to leave. Before departing, in a final glance, he noticed something atop Ashner's head. He was contemplating how to use the meager savings from the Ethereal Illusion Palace to buy a month's worth of medicine and make pigeon stew for Cao Zilian.

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

A familiar sensation.

It felt like not long ago, within his own sect!

120

Zhang Xiaoyuan returned to the Martial Arts Alliance.

Not far from the Martial Arts Alliance, he reverted to his original attire. Entering the gates while carrying the birdcage, the fat pigeon continued to coo. Many people turned to scrutinize him, leaving him feeling uncomfortably embarrassed.

Back in the courtyard where they temporarily stayed, he saw Hua Liuque sitting under the gallery, cracking melon seeds and reading a sword manual. Second Senior Brother was nowhere in sight, probably out somewhere.

Wait, Hua Liuque was also reading a sword manual!

After a little over a month of practice, Zhang Xiaoyuan, who had only memorized up to the second page of the sword manual, suddenly felt nervous.

Hua Liuque turned and saw him alone, slightly surprised. He asked, "Xiaoyuan, didn't Eldest Senior Brother come back with you?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan was equally surprised. "Eldest Senior Brother hasn't returned yet?"

Hua Liuque shook his head. "I thought you two came back together..."

He paused briefly, suppressing his overly fanciful thoughts. With a light cough, he turned his gaze to the pigeon cage in Zhang Xiaoyuan's hands.

Hua Liuque frowned and asked, "What is that?"

"Oh... just something I bought for fun." Zhang Xiaoyuan fibbed nervously, taking out the ointment he had bought earlier. "I saw someone selling ointment on the street. Heard it's effective, so I brought some for you."

Seeing Hua Liuque blink, the usually sharp-tongued Hua Liuque noticeably hesitated for a moment before whispering to Zhang Xiaoyuan, "Thank you."

It seemed rare for him to receive gifts or care from others, even if this so-called gift was just a small piece of ointment.

The fat pigeon suddenly cooed again.

Hua Liuque, wanting to change the topic, coughed and lifted the cloth covering the pigeon cage. After a surprised expression, he asked, "You didn't buy it to keep, did you?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan nervously nodded. "Yeah, I saw it on the street. It's so cute."

Hua Liuque sighed, fanning himself with the folding fan, quite puzzled. "This is the first time I've seen someone find a fat chicken cute."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Zhang Xiaoyuan emphasized seriously, "It's a pigeon!"

Hua Liuque clicked his tongue. "A pigeon without a neck."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "Still a pigeon!"

Hua Liuque flipped through the sword manual. "Are the two chickens at the county office as fat as this pigeon?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "Those two chickens are just too thin! Magistrate Qi raises what dies, so it's already quite an achievement for the chickens to stay alive!"

While he was arguing with Hua Liuque, Jiang Jianyu turned into the courtyard, curious. He peeked and asked, "What are you two arguing about?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan shouted, "Second Senior Brother! He says my pigeon is a fat chicken!"

Jiang Jianyu also looked into the cage.

"This chicken is quite plump." He paused, hastily shaking his head. "No, I mean, this pigeon is quite fragrant!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Hua Liuque: "......"

The three of them exchanged silent glances for a moment, and suddenly, Hua Liuque burst into laughter.

"I know there's a famous roasted pigeon place in Baicang City," Hua Liuque said. "Let's go together tonight when Eldest Senior Brother returns."

Jiang Jianyu nodded in agreement.

Zhang Xiaoyuan was very annoyed.

"Do you have to say these things in front of my pigeon? It's too cruel!" Unable to control himself, he also spat, "Let me hide the pigeon cage, and then we can go together!"

Jiang Jianyu chuckled, pulling out two pieces of ointment from his pocket and tossing them onto Hua Liuque's sword manual. He said, "Just saw a wandering physician at the gate."

Hua Liuque was momentarily stunned.

Zhang Xiaoyuan blinked. "What a coincidence, I bought some too."

Jiang Jianyu clicked his tongue. "If you had said you bought some earlier, I wouldn't have spent this money."

"Today we use mine, tomorrow we use yours," Zhang Xiaoyuan interjected, eager. "What's wrong with sharing!"

Hua Liuque shook his fan, hesitated momentarily, as if recalling something. Eventually, he just smiled faintly, then raised his voice a bit, saying, "Disciples getting hurt, and the sect providing money for ointments, isn't that only natural!"

Jiang Jianyu glared at him. "This is my personal savings!"

Just as Hua Liuque was about to reply, he heard footsteps. Looking up, he saw Lu Zhaoming walking in expressionlessly. Startled, Hua Liuque clutched the sword manual tightly, as if wanting to immediately hide to the side.

Lu Zhaoming tossed a paper package into his arms without even looking at him, then grabbed Zhang Xiaoyuan's arm, intending to leave. He said, "Xiaoyuan, come with me for a moment."

Hua Liuque sighed in amazement. "The relationship between Eldest Senior Brother and Xiaoyuan has escalated quickly."

Quick-witted, Jiang Jianyu turned the paper package around and saw a few words written on the outside.

"Yan's Pharmacopoeia"

Hua Liuque was momentarily stunned, unable to contain the amusement on his lips. He said, "Now I can use yours today, Xiaoyuan's tomorrow, and Eldest Senior Brother's the day after tomorrow."

Jiang Jianyu grumbled under his breath, "If I had known Xiaoyuan and Eldest Senior Brother were buying ointments, I wouldn't have spent this money."

121

Zhang Xiaoyuan was dragged outside the Martial Arts Alliance by Lu Zhaoming. Perplexed, he couldn't help but ask, "Eldest Senior Brother, what's going on?"

Lu Zhaoming replied, "No merit, no reward."

Zhang Xiaoyuan understood.

Lu Zhaoming probably still felt he had spent too much money at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Perhaps he carried some guilt within him. Now, he might have found a way to compensate, hence wanting to show him something.

But that money had already been repaid long ago. Not only that, Zhang Xiaoyuan even earned a few hundred taels from the innkeeper.

Unsure of how to express himself, Zhang Xiaoyuan could only say, "Eldest Senior Brother, it was just a little treat from a fellow disciple. No need to be so polite."

However, Lu Zhaoming responded, "I've kept the silver Martial Uncle gave that day, and there's still much left."

Zhang Xiaoyuan nodded. "And then?"

Lu Zhaoming: "I know you like snacks, so I bought some."

Zhang Xiaoyuan blinked rapidly. "Where are they?"

Lu Zhaoming: "But when I reached the entrance of the Martial Arts Alliance, they wouldn't let me in."

Zhang Xiaoyuan felt something was amiss.

Just buying some pastries, why wouldn't they allow Eldest Senior Brother inside?

Lu Zhaoming: "I had to leave the items with the guards temporarily. I'll bring you out, we'll eat, and then come back in."

Zhang Xiaoyuan was extremely puzzled.

"Eldest Senior Brother, what did you buy?" Zhang Xiaoyuan frowned. "Why won't the guards let you in?"

Lu Zhaoming was silent.

When they reached the entrance of the Martial Arts Alliance, Zhang Xiaoyuan immediately saw the guard with a helpless expression, holding an entire candied haw fork.

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

The guard wore a pained expression and shouted to Lu Zhaoming, "Young Hero Lu! You've been gone for fifteen minutes, and several people have already asked me how much the candied haws are..."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Lu Zhaoming thanked him, "You've worked hard."

The guard, genuinely curious, couldn't help but ask him, "What's going on? Is your sect so poor that you have to rely on selling candied haw to survive?"

Lu Zhaoming shook his head solemnly, "No."

He took the candied haw holder and turned to look at Zhang Xiaoyuan.

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

"Junior Brother," Lu Zhaoming said, "I remember you mentioned that you also like candied haws."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Zhang Xiaoyuan gazed at the candied haw fork, fully adorned with dozens of candied haw sticks, lost in contemplation.

What to do.

Would he never want to see candied haws again in his life?