The Martial Arts World is Full of Experts Chapter 52

142

Cao Zilian wrote with a swift pen, finishing the repentance letter in less than half an hour.

Lu Zhaoming took the repentance letter, where thousands of words flowed eloquently. Even Lu Zhaoming thought it was a decent piece of writing.

Holding Cao Zilian's repentance letter, he felt he could confidently report back. Without bothering to talk to the tearful Cao Zilian, he left directly and returned to the Martial Arts Alliance.

But Zhang Xiaoyuan was already asleep.

He lay on the bed with closed eyes, in a strange position, motionless. Probably afraid of hurting the injury, he didn't even cover himself with a blanket and left the window open, not minding the night chill.

Fortunately, it was early summer now, and the weather wasn't that cold. Lu Zhaoming closed the window for him. Seeing him sleep so soundly, he hesitated for a moment. Since Zhang Xiaoyuan's injuries wouldn't heal immediately, he couldn't give Cao Zilian's repentance letter to Pei Wuluan. Lu Zhaoming decided to make another trip, delivering the letter later in the night.

He arrived at Pei Wuluan's courtyard and noticed the study was lit. The guard informed him that due to recent busy affairs within the Alliance, the Chief had to oversee matters like the Martial Arts Conference during the day. Official documents and letters could only be attended to at night. Burning the midnight oil until the early hours was a common occurrence.

Lu Zhaoming requested to announce his presence, and the guard went to knock on the door. Outside, he conveyed Lu Zhaoming's name, and Pei Wuluan promptly allowed him in, likely because Lu Zhaoming was Wang Henian's disciple, and Pei Wuluan didn't deem it necessary to set up extra defenses.

Holding Cao Zilian's repentance letter, Lu Zhaoming pushed open the door and saw Pei Wuluan sitting behind the desk, holding several letters. Pei Wuluan looked up and asked, "Lu Zhaoming, what brings you here?"

With Cao Zilian's repentance letter in hand, Lu Zhaoming handed it over to Pei Wuluan and said, "I've come to deliver Cao Zilian's repentance letter."

Pei Wuluan took it, visibly surprised. "So soon?"

He thought Zhang Xiaoyuan had only left for a couple of hours, yet Cao Zilian had already completed the repentance letter. Judging by its thickness and word count, Pei Wuluan initially thought it might be hasty, but upon flipping through it, he found it sincere and well-written. Pleased, he accepted the repentance letter and said to Lu Zhaoming, "Since we're currently at the Martial Arts Conference, I'll bring up this matter during tomorrow's council meeting. Once the other sect masters agree, I'll have someone inform you."

Lu Zhaoming bowed and expressed gratitude, "Thank you, Uncle Pei."

Pei Wuluan smiled and remarked, "No need for formalities, but... where's Xiaoyuan? And why are you delivering the repentance letter?"

Lu Zhaoming hesitated.

Why did everyone have to inquire about Junior Brother's whereabouts?

Nevertheless, Pei Wuluan was an elder he had always respected. Unlike Cao Zilian's questions, Lu Zhaoming would naturally answer Pei Wuluan's queries.

So, Lu Zhaoming honestly responded, "He injured his knees..."

This time, he didn't finish the sentence.

Pei Wuluan stiffened, his brush almost falling off the table. His eyes widened as he immediately looked at Lu Zhaoming, directly interrupting him, "Virtuous Nepher Lu, what did you say?"

Lu Zhaoming paused, clearly not understanding what was wrong with his words. He furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, and then honestly replied, "Xiaoyuan injured his knees, making it difficult to move. He's resting in bed. That's why I'm here instead of him to deliver Cao Zilian's repentance letter."

"Injured knees, difficult to move, resting in bed." Pei Wuluan murmured Lu Zhaoming's last words, his gaze becoming even more peculiar. He scrutinized Lu Zhaoming for a while before gently continuing to ask, "Virtuous Nephew Lu, is this... related to you?"

Lu Zhaoming thought carefully. Since Zhang Xiaoyuan tripped over a fat pigeon while trying to talk to him, the incident was indeed related to him. Not only that, but it had significant implications. So, he nodded and said, "Possibly because of me—"

Pei Wuluan coughed heavily, interrupting him once again.

"I understand." His gaze carried a deep meaning, appearing quite strange. "Virtuous Nephew, you don't need to say more."

Lu Zhaoming looked puzzled.

He hadn't even mentioned that Zhang Xiaoyuan was tripped by a pigeon. How did Pei Wuluan already understand?

Pei Wuluan set down his brush, stood up, and walked over to Lu Zhaoming. He circled around Lu Zhaoming twice, as if never having examined him so earnestly. After a while, he clicked his tongue and asked Lu Zhaoming, "Does your master know about this?"

Lu Zhaoming found Pei Wuluan's question increasingly perplexing.

His master was several hundred miles away, and Zhang Xiaoyuan had only been injured this afternoon. Even if he immediately wrote a letter, the news couldn't have reached his master so quickly. Naturally, his master wouldn't know about Zhang Xiaoyuan's injury. Lu Zhaoming furrowed his brow but still answered truthfully, "Of course, my master doesn't know."

Pei Wuluan nodded seriously. "Right, I understand. It's not suitable to tell him about such matters."

Lu Zhaoming: "......"

But it was just an injury. Why wouldn't it be suitable to tell his master?

Pei Wuluan changed his address, adopting a posture of an elder listening to the life queries of a junior. In a gentle and coaxing tone, he asked, "Zhaoming, Uncle Pei has something to inquire."

Lu Zhaoming responded, "Please, Uncle Pei."

Pei Wuluan, with some difficulty and extreme tact, deliberately lowered his voice, softly inquired, "Do you know... that Xiaoyuan is only seventeen?"

Lu Zhaoming nodded blankly. "I'm well aware..."

"A seventeen-year-old youth... there are many things he doesn't understand," Pei Wuluan coughed, "and his temperament is uncertain. It wouldn't be appropriate to inform your master hastily. Let me think of a solution. I'll speak up for you both."

Lu Zhaoming finally uttered a questioning sound, "Huh?"

"You don't need to worry. Uncle Pei understands," Pei Wuluan patted his chest, "Uncle Pei has been through this. Uncle Pei understands!"

However, Lu Zhaoming became even more perplexed.

"Xiaoyuan just took a tumble," Lu Zhaoming looked puzzled, "Why wouldn't it be suitable to inform my master hastily?"

Pei Wuluan: "......"

Pei Wuluan: "Just a tumble?"

Lu Zhaoming nodded.

Pei Wuluan: "...Then why did you say it was your fault?"

"He was walking over to talk to me and accidentally tripped," Lu Zhaoming frowned slightly, "The incident did start because of me. At least part of it is my fault."

Pei Wuluan: "......"

Lu Zhaoming persisted with another question, "So what if Xiaoyuan is seventeen this year?"

Pei Wuluan kept waving his hand. "It's nothing, it's nothing."

Lu Zhaoming: "Why wouldn't it be suitable to inform my master about this?"

Pei Wuluan: "No, no, it's perfectly suitable. You can immediately write a letter to inform your master when you return."

Lu Zhaoming: "Then... Uncle Pei, do you understand what happened?"

Pei Wuluan: "......"

Pei Wuluan covered his face with one hand, wearing a peculiar expression, as if unsure of what to say.

Lu Zhaoming finally felt something was amiss.

He cautiously asked Pei Wuluan, "Did I say something wrong again?"

Pei Wuluan: "......"

143

Lu Zhaoming returned to the courtyard, still not figuring out what had just happened.

He felt that everything he encountered today was strange. Cao Zilian unexpectedly started writing a repentance letter, and Pei Wuluan asked him a bunch of inexplicable questions without providing any answers, making up an excuse in the end to let him go.

Perplexed, he saw lights in the room. It seemed Zhang Xiaoyuan had awakened. With a mind full of thoughts, he entered and saw Zhang Xiaoyuan sitting up, straightening his legs. Surprisingly, Zhang Xiaoyuan was flipping through the sword manual.

Lu Zhaoming was extremely surprised. "Why are you looking at the sword manual again?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "Eldest Senior Brother... I also want to do other things..."

But now, as soon as he moved, his knees throbbed with pain. Lying in bed, he couldn't do anything else except flip through the sword manual. It became the only pastime available to him.

Lu Zhaoming sat at the bedside, knowing Zhang Xiaoyuan had always been sharp-minded. Considering the day's events, he thought asking him might provide insights into what happened. Thus, he nodded thoughtfully and told Zhang Xiaoyuan, "Cao Zilian has given me his repentance letter."

Zhang Xiaoyuan blinked. "Where is the repentance letter?"

Lu Zhaoming: "I've handed it over to Uncle Pei."

Zhang Xiaoyuan nodded. "How did Chief Pei react?"

Lu Zhaoming: "He was very satisfied."

Zhang Xiaoyuan sighed in relief. "That's good."

"But there are a few things I don't understand," Lu Zhaoming said. "Cao Zilian was initially reluctant to write the repentance letter. When he asked why it wasn't you who went instead, I mentioned your knee injury. Suddenly, he berated the Martial Arts Alliance and swiftly wrote the repentance letter... Why is that?"

After uttering this lengthy explanation, Zhang Xiaoyuan blinked, taking a moment to absorb the information. Then, he couldn't help but smile and shake his head. "Eldest Senior Brother... you shouldn't have told Cao Zilian that way. Perhaps he misunderstood."

Lu Zhaoming: "Misunderstood?"

"When we parted ways this morning, I told him I was going to seek Chief Pei's approval for this matter," Zhang Xiaoyuan explained, "Now, when you mentioned my knee injury without specifying the cause, he might think I got on my knees to plead and injured them..."

Lu Zhaoming: "Ah?"

"But in any case, he wrote the repentance letter." Zhang Xiaoyuan nodded seriously. "Let's just continue keeping it from him."

Lu Zhaoming asked again, "Then... why did Uncle Pei also ask me about this?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan was puzzled. "Huh?"

Lu Zhaoming had to repeat Pei Wuluan's words, "He asked if your injury is related to me and if our master knows about it. He said that if our master is unaware, it's better not to inform him hastily."

Zhang Xiaoyuan, bewildered, asked, "Why tell our master at all?"

"He also asked if I knew that you are only seventeen now." Lu Zhaoming looked pensive. "I told him I knew, and he mentioned the instability of a youth's temperament. He said he would speak up for us."

Zhang Xiaoyuan faintly felt something was amiss.

"He also mentioned he had been through something similar." Lu Zhaoming propped his chin, full of questions. "Did he fall before as well?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Suddenly, Zhang Xiaoyuan's face turned completely red.