The Martial Arts World is Full of Experts Chapter 60

158

Zhang Xiaoyuan didn't want to talk.

Hua Liuque thought Zhang Xiaoyuan hadn't understood the threatening meaning in the letter. He picked up a piece of paper, carefully examined the handwriting on it, and said, "This was stuffed in by Junior Martial Uncle late last night. I think he wants to kill me."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "Oh, I see..."

What makes him want to kill you?

If Zhang Xiaoyuan guessed correctly, the statements in the letter, comparable to death threats, were probably written by Lu Yanfeng as a love letter.

The meaning in that letter should be that he was restless in the middle of the night, his thoughts were running wild as he worried about Hua Liuque's leg injury. Not knowing how Hua Liuque was doing now, he tossed and turned, with a belly full of words he wanted to say to Hua Liuque. That was why he wanted to meet Hua Liuque in the afternoon and reminisce about the past.

How did Lu Yanfeng turn a sentimental love letter into something like this?

The letter was filled with murderous intent, making even the unrelated bystander, Zhang Xiaoyuan, shiver at every word.

Zhang Xiaoyuan was also about to reach the point where, like Mei Leng'an, he regretted that iron couldn't turn into steel.

Even if Eldest Senior Brother were to write a love letter, it would undoubtedly be better than what Lu Yanfeng managed!

How did Lu Yanfeng, a dignified martial arts expert, manage to live to this age?

Hua Liuque, with a pitiful look, clutched Zhang Xiaoyuan's hand. "Xiaoyuan, what should I do? And... where's Eldest Senior Brother? Eldest Senior Brother, please help!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan, upon rising, didn't spot Lu Zhaoming or the plump pigeon in the chicken coop. Figuring Eldest Senior Brother might be out early for physical training and exercising the pigeon, he replied to Hua Liuque, "Eldest Senior Brother might not be back so soon."

Hua Liuque nearly shed tears. "I have long said that I don't want to come back..."

Surprised by this statement, Zhang Xiaoyuan couldn't help but ask, "Is it because of your martial uncle that you don't want to return to Scattered Blossom Palace?"

With a pained expression, Hua Liuque nodded emphatically.

Zhang Xiaoyuan found this revelation quite astonishing.

Previously, he had thought Hua Liuque left Scattered Blossom Palace due to some undisclosed events or, perhaps, impulsively wandered into the pleasure quarters, getting caught in the act. Now, he entertained a peculiar thought.

Did Hua Liuque leave Scattered Blossom Palace initially because of Lu Yanfeng?

Jiang Jianyu was finally awakened by their commotion. He walked over, yawning. "What's all this fuss about early in the morning?"

Hua Liuque replied, "I think my martial uncle is plotting to murder me."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Jiang Jianyu, puzzled, said, "It shouldn't be that bad, right?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan took a deep breath and asked, "When you left Scattered Blossom Palace initially, was it because of your Martial Uncle?"

With a pained expression, Hua Liuque nodded and said, "It's part of the reason."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "Just a part?"

Hua Liuque: "Most of it!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

"I was only five when I first joined. When we first met, I hadn't even had a chance to speak to him, and he just glared at me," Hua Liuque tightly gripped Zhang Xiaoyuan's arm. Perhaps this was the first time he had someone willing to listen to his painful past. He seemed to seize the opportunity to pour out years of pent-up emotions, almost on the verge of tears, accusing Lu Yanfeng of years of bullying. "The first time we met, he just glared at me."

Zhang Xiaoyuan sensed trouble. "And then?"

Hua Liuque: "I cried out of fear."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Zhang Xiaoyuan recalled his own childhood.

In his early years, he seemed to have only cried out of fear when confronted by the large wolfdog in the street. So much so that for many years afterward, he would go out of his way to avoid that wolfdog. He understood that Hua Liuque's fear of Lu Yanfeng might be comparable to his fear of that wolfdog.

"When I was ten, I accidentally spilled water on his book." Hua Liuque took a deep breath. "He must have started holding a grudge against me since then."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "Just... because of that?"

"Isn't that enough?" Hua Liuque furrowed his brows and sighed deeply. "If I could go back, I would never have let my hand shake and spilled that cup of water on his book."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

It turned out that what Hua Liuque wished to redo that day was related to this...

Zhang Xiaoyuan felt that if Lu Yanfeng weren't Mei Leng'an's junior brother and if Lu Yanfeng didn't naturally excel in martial arts, he might not have survived to this age.

Jiang Jianyu, listening to their conversation, was wide-eyed and speechless. He asked in disbelief, "Didn't Elder Mei take care of this?"

"I was just an outer disciple." Hua Liuque sighed even more. "Elder Mei protects his own, but it's not me he's protecting."

Jiang Jianyu was so infuriated that he slammed the table. "This is too much!"

Hua Liuque nodded along. "It's beyond words!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

While Zhang Xiaoyuan thought that Lu Yanfeng deserved what he got for his reticence, at this point, he strangely felt a bit sorry for him.

Frowning in contemplation, he pondered whether he should find a way to give Lu Yanfeng one last chance.

He looked at Hua Liuque and couldn't help but ask, "Has he never done anything good?"

Hua Liuque: "Never!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "He hasn't hit you, right?"

Hua Liuque furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, and shook his head. "Seems like he hasn't."

Zhang Xiaoyuan nodded seriously. "In other words, besides making you afraid, he hasn't really done anything wrong."

With Zhang Xiaoyuan's statement, Hua Liuque rubbed his chin, earnestly recalling the past.

"At the age of eighteen, I went on a journey with a few senior brothers from the sect. During a temple fair, the crowd grew, and I got separated from my senior brothers," Hua Liuque sighed deeply. "In the end, it was Junior Martial Uncle who found me in a dilapidated temple."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "See! He does ——"

"He scolded me harshly, smashed my sect token, and threatened to expel me if I wandered off again." Hua Liuque's expression remained stoic. "Moreover, I had nothing to do with him since I was on the journey with my senior brothers. He was clearly tracking me, looking for leverage to kick me out of the sect!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "——care about you."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......."

Forget it. Let this Lu Yanfeng go to hell.

......

Hua Liuque continued to ramble.

"I think he just hates me!" Hua Liuque slammed the table. "For a trivial matter, how can he hold a grudge for so many years!"

Unable to resist, Zhang Xiaoyuan asked again, "So, after getting expelled from the sect, what happened? Did you really visit the pleasure quarters?"

Hua Liuque sighed deeply once more.

"It was still during that journey down the mountain. Junior Martial Uncle wanted to bring me back to the sect, but I managed to slip away when he wasn't paying attention," Hua Liuque said. "However, with his martial arts skills, I didn't know where I could escape to..."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "You weren't really running away from him, were you?"

Hua Liuque nodded with a heavy heart. "I was only planning to hide temporarily, but the big sisters were really welcoming, so I stayed a bit longer, just a bit."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Hua Liuque recalled the scene, showing a hint of nostalgia. He sighed, "Junior Martial Uncle didn't come inside, but when I left, I happened to run into Elder Yufeng."

If Zhang Xiaoyuan remembered correctly, Hua Liuque's Elder Yufeng was the Disciplinary Elder in Scatterred Blossom Palace.

He already knew what happened afterward.

Hua Liuque got expelled from the sect, leading him to wander. Later, due to various accusations, orchestrated by a few big sisters to frame him as a notorious flower thief, he became a fugitive wanted by the authorities. Eventually, he fell into the hands of Lu Zhaoming.

Zhang Xiaoyuan nodded earnestly.

Good and evil have their consequences. Hua Liuque got what he deserved.

Jiang Jianyu remained puzzled.

"I have a question," he said. "Little Liuque, you were visiting a pleasure house back then, right?"

Hua Liuque nodded seriously. "Yes, indeed. The pleasure house of that time, oh, the big sisters were alluring, nothing like today..."

Jiang Jianyu: "Why was the elder there?"

Hua Liuque: "As I recall, it was because the big sisters there were beautiful..."

Hua Liuque: "......"

Hua Liuque: "Right?!"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

159

Lu Zhaoming returned after taking the pigeon for a walk.

The overweight pigeon, having lost much of its ration and being pursued daily, was wilting. A plump head hang out from the chest of Lu Zhaoming's robe, as if it had already passed away.

Zhang Xiaoyuan grabbed the pigeon's neck, yanking it out from Eldest Senior Brother's clothes. He looked a bit alarmed and urgently exclaimed, "Eldest Senior Brother, don't you know birds can't control themselves?"

Lu Zhaoming looked bewildered. "Huh?"

Hua Liuque lunged forward, seemingly attempting to grab Lu Zhaoming's waist or legs, seeking protection. However, Lu Zhaoming reacted swiftly, dodging to the side. Hua Liuque missed his target, crashing into a nearby shelf. A bit disgruntled, he turned his head, looked at Lu Zhaoming, and pleaded, "Eldest Senior Brother, save me."

Lu Zhaoming was even more puzzled. "Save you?"

Hua Liuque handed the crumpled papers to Lu Zhaoming, his eyes teary. "What should I do? Should I go? If I don't, what if he comes looking for me?"

Lu Zhaoming unfolded the letters, glanced at them, and quickly had a response.

"It's not a threat," Lu Zhaoming said. "If he wanted to kill you, you would be dead by now."

Hua Liuque: "But... verbal threats are still threats."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "He has an injury on his leg. Are you afraid to run past him?"

Hua Liuque: "I have a leg injury too!"

"At least, as fellow sect members, it's better to go and have a look. If there's a real issue, discussing it openly would be better for everyone," Jiang Jianyu advised Hua Liuque. "If you don't go, and he comes looking for you, it might turn out worse."

Hua Liuque: "What if... if he really wants to kill me?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan grabbed Lu Zhaoming's arm. "Eldest Senior Brother and I will go with you! If he tries anything, we'll protect you! We'll be witnesses, and then Elder Mei can punish him!"

Lu Zhaoming: "......"

Lu Zhaoming didn't seem eager to get involved in this mess.

He furrowed his brows slightly, about to speak, but Zhang Xiaoyuan gently pulled his hand, giving him a meaningful look.

Lu Zhaoming was familiar with this expression.

He knew Zhang Xiaoyuan wanted to try something or uncover the truth. He could never refuse Zhang Xiaoyuan's requests.

Lu Zhaoming sighed.

"You can go with peace of mind," Lu Zhaoming said. "If he tries to retaliate against you, I'll break his other leg."