The Martial Arts World is Full of Experts Chapter 44

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Zhang Xiaoyuan snatched the precious pigeon from Lu Zhaoming's hands. "It will definitely get thinner!"

Fat pigeon: "Coo, coo!"

Lu Zhaoming: "It's not about being fat or thin."

Even the species were different now.

Jiang Jianyu seriously examined the pigeon in Zhang Xiaoyuan's hands for a long time. Zhang Xiaoyuan thought he was determining the species, so he lifted the pigeon higher for Jiang Jianyu to see better. "Second Senior Brother! This really is a pigeon, right?"

Jiang Jianyu: "This pigeon is really delicious."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Zhang Xiaoyuan silently withdrew his hand, hugging the chubby pigeon, not even wanting to talk to Jiang Jianyu anymore.

Hua Liuque, clearing his throat nearby, said, "There's no need to bully Xiaoyuan like this."

Lu Zhaoming, with a serious expression, as if there was still a puzzle unsolved, said, "Bully?"

Hua Liuque said earnestly, "Even though the pigeon is a bit chubby, it's still different from a chicken. Listen to its call. Do chickens coo?"

Lu Zhaoming: "They do."

Jiang Jianyu: "They do."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Hua Liuque: "It can fly, chickens can't soar that high!"

He gestured for Zhang Xiaoyuan to toss the chubby pigeon into the sky. Zhang Xiaoyuan felt conflicted. Indeed, this pigeon could fly, the best flyer in the hands of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion's shopkeeper. Yet, even so, the pigeon was too plump and couldn't fly too far. That distance... Zhang Xiaoyuan thought, free-range chickens could manage that.

Hua Liuque didn't know what to say.

"Chickens... there's nothing wrong with chickens!" Hua Liuque earnestly stated. "If Xiaoyuan likes it, then raise chickens. There's nothing to it."

Lu Zhaoming said seriously, "I suspect he's been deceived."

Zhang Xiaoyuan shouted emphatically, "This! Is! A! Pigeon!"

Lu Zhaoming: "Can pigeons be this fat?"

The topic circled back again.

Zhang Xiaoyuan felt that if this continued, it would be an endless loop. Arguing with Eldest Senior Brother, who had a single-minded nature, was futile. He needed to convince Eldest Senior Brother with facts.

Once this pigeon slimmed down, they would realize it was a pigeon!

He snorted heavily, shoved the chubby pigeon into the birdcage, and loudly declared, "Even if it's a chicken, I'm still going to raise it!"

Lu Zhaoming paused and whispered, "I'm just worried you're being deceived..."

Hua Liuque couldn't bear it any longer.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to bypass this topic and asked, "I'm heading out to eat roasted pigeon. Who wants to come with me?"

Jiang Jianyu finally heard the words "roasted pigeon." He almost immediately jumped up from where he was sitting as he excitedly said, "Let's go, let's go!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan, with a huff, hugged the birdcage tightly. "I want to study the sword manual. I'm not going."

Lu Zhaoming: "......"

Lu Zhaoming wondered if he had done something wrong. How come even Junior Brother wanted to study the sword manual?

Zhang Xiaoyuan had already entered the room, holding the birdcage. Lu Zhaoming hesitated for a moment, then took the candied hawthorn skewer back from Jiang Jianyu and said to both, "You go ahead."

Without further explanation, he turned and walked into the room.

Jiang Jianyu stood still for a moment, rubbing his chin and muttering softly, "Isn't roasted pigeon delicious?"

Hua Liuque: "I mentioned earlier, such things are common among fellow disciples..."

Jiang Jianyu: "I didn't bring much money anyway. If they don't go, doesn't that mean I can have an extra one."

Hua Liuque: "Ah?"

......

Zhang Xiaoyuan placed the birdcage inside the room and sighed deeply as he looked at the plump pigeon inside.

He had never heard of someone trying to slim down a pigeon in all his years.

Besides, when he accepted this pigeon, wasn't it to earn some money for the sect, to help his master recruit disciples? Why, in the end, was he suspected of raising a chicken?

Zhang Xiaoyuan felt deeply disheartened.

Lu Zhaoming, unsure of what he had done wrong, pondered. It seemed that since he had worried about Zhang Xiaoyuan being deceived, Zhang Xiaoyuan had become unhappy.

But that thing really did look like a big, fat chicken...

Lu Zhaoming furrowed his brow, pondering. Perhaps it really was an overweight pigeon. Chickens didn't have this color naturally, and dyeing it would be challenging to achieve such a good effect. Even if it wasn't a pigeon, the young man had a strong temper. If he thought he had been deceived, Junior Brother might be upset for quite some time.

Lu Zhaoming understood.

Whether it was a pigeon or not, it was still a pigeon.

Lu Zhaoming figured out the whole situation. He looked around the room, finding a way to prop up the candied hawthorn skewer in his hand. Now free, he walked over to Zhang Xiaoyuan and calmly said, "I made a mistake earlier. This is a pigeon."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

No, Eldest Senior Brother, you don't have to force it like this!

Lu Zhaoming: "It will slim down."

Zhang Xiaoyuan couldn't help but sigh deeply.

He had thought he found an excellent way to make money — simply transcribing martial arts world secrets and writing legendary stories. It would easily provide for the sect's needs. But now it seemed that before making money, he might have to spend a significant amount of time and effort to help the chubby pigeon lose weight. He hadn't figured out a way to disguise it yet, and it appeared that no matter what, the beginning seemed extremely challenging.

Lu Zhaoming asked him again, "Do you want to study the sword manual?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan hesitated, "I..."

That was just an excuse when he was angry!

However, even Hua Liuque was delving into the sword manual. Shouldn't he... make time to read some as well?

Lu Zhaoming said, "I'm very familiar with the sword manual. I can accompany you."

There's really no need for that...

Zhang Xiaoyuan's perusal of the sword manual was simply flipping through a few pages casually. Although he had some basic martial arts skills, they were learned from his father over the years. His martial arts were far inferior to his sister's, and he never took it seriously. The sect's sword manual was obscure and difficult for him to understand. Moreover, during sword practice, the manual was just the first step. Countless sword techniques awaited him. He felt his aptitude was dull, just thinking about it made him want to retreat. The drumbeat of withdrawal began to sound in his mind.

Lu Zhaoming had already taken the sword manual.

He opened the first page and looked up to ask Zhang Xiaoyuan, "Where have you read up to?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan said, "I..."

The chubby pigeon squeezed its plump head out of the cage and cooed at Zhang Xiaoyuan, "Coo, coo."

Lu Zhaoming, for some unknown reason today, surprisingly had a good temper. He nodded and said, "No harm, let's start from the first page."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

He had to reluctantly take his own sword manual, wondering why Eldest Senior Brother was so different today. Last time when he almost couldn't recall the sword techniques after the manual, Eldest Senior Brother didn't speak or discuss, just coldly made him carry the heavy water bucket. Now, he couldn't even remember the content of the first page, yet Eldest Senior Brother remained so calm and composed.

Zhang Xiaoyuan inexplicably felt that Eldest Senior Brother's calmness was like the calm before a storm. If he admitted he didn't know anything, the next moment might be a ruler hitting his palm. Eldest Senior Brother must be intentionally deceiving him.

But... could Eldest Senior Brother be so cunning?

Zhang Xiaoyuan had no choice but to take out his sword manual. He nervously sat in front of Lu Zhaoming, opened the first page, reluctantly read a sentence, then looked up at Lu Zhaoming's serious face.

Lu Zhaoming didn't display the anger or frustration he imagined. Instead, he kindly asked when Zhang Xiaoyuan stopped, "Is there something you don't understand?"

Why was Eldest Senior Brother so gentle? What on earth had happened!

He looked at Lu Zhaoming and saw that even Lu Zhaoming was cautiously observing him.

Zhang Xiaoyuan seemed to understand all at once.

Could it be that Eldest Senior Brother thought he was upset... so he was deliberately using this method to appease him?

Eldest Senior Brother, unexpectedly trying to please someone? No, Eldest Senior Brother could actually tell he was upset?!

Zhang Xiaoyuan grew even more horrified.

He couldn't help but shake his head and loudly say, "I understand everything!"

Lu Zhaoming slightly pursed his lips, seemingly attempting a smile. However, the forced expression didn't suit his rarely expressive face. It looked strained, even a bit grim, scaring Zhang Xiaoyuan into swallowing hard. He quickly raised the sword manual, spoke louder, and directly continued from the first sentence he had just read.

Although he had flipped through the first few pages of the sect's sword manual several times before, there were still some parts he didn't quite understand. However, he hadn't paid attention before and never thought about asking his two senior brothers. Now, with Eldest Senior Brother sitting in front of him, staring at him, it was the perfect time to inquire about the sword manual. Yet, he dared not ask a single question or utter a single word.

Facing Eldest Senior Brother's gaze, he nervously continued reading, forcing himself through a second round.

In extreme tension, a sudden insight flashed in his mind. Suddenly, the fog lifted. It turned out the sentence in the sword manual meant this!

The current scene felt like his childhood days in private school, being scrutinized by the teacher. The only difference was that back then, for not paying attention, the teacher would smack his palms, while Eldest Senior Brother would only... only use a gaze he considered patient and gentle, staring at him intently.

He took a deep breath and turned the sword manual to the second page.

Lu Zhaoming was somewhat surprised. "Don't you have any questions?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan kept shaking his head. "None!"

The pigeon in the cage continued to crane its neck, looking at them, and incessantly cooing, "Coo, coo!"

Lu Zhaoming felt a bit disappointed.

He also turned the sword manual to the second page, murmuring, "The second page has some challenging points."

The chubby pigeon: "Coo, coo, coo!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan had already continued reading loudly.

He used the book to cover his face, revealing only his forehead and hairline, adamantly avoiding looking at Lu Zhaoming's face. It had been a long time since he had earnestly contemplated swordsmanship questions in his mind. He wished he could recall all the sword techniques his father and sister had taught him over the years in one go. However, those were things from when he was slightly younger. After so many years, how could he remember everything?

He finally came across a part he didn't understand.

Zhang Xiaoyuan slowly lowered the sword manual, exposing his eyes. He looked up at Eldest Senior Brother with anticipation. However, Lu Zhaoming, supporting his head with one hand, furrowed his brow, absentmindedly flipping through the sword manual.

He wasn't really examining it, perhaps feeling vexed. His eyes skimmed quickly, turning the pages rapidly. Zhang Xiaoyuan cautiously called him, "Eldest Senior Brother." He lifted his eyes, and the candlelight on the table reflected in his deep, ink-like eyes, seemingly gaining a glint in an instant.

Zhang Xiaoyuan laid the sword manual flat on the table, pointing to a sentence and cautiously asking, "What does this mean?"

......

Lu Zhaoming didn't get a chance to speak.

The fat pigeon by their side let out an ear-piercing coo, so loud that even Zhang Xiaoyuan couldn't help but turn around and glance at it.

The pigeon still craned its neck through the gap in the cage, tilting its head towards the direction of the two, seeming curious but also... something seemed off.

Many feathers on its thick neck were standing on end, and its agitated appearance didn't look like mere curiosity.

Zhang Xiaoyuan remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"Eldest Senior Brother," he struggled to identify, "that pigeon... is it..."

Lu Zhaoming had already spread out his own sword manual, covering his face, not wanting to say a word.

"...stuck?"