The Martial Arts World is Full of Experts Chapter 61

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Hua Liuque, trembling and unwilling, stood nervously at the "old place" as he waited for Lu Yanfeng to arrive.

Zhang Xiaoyuan had assumed that despite Lu Yanfeng's somewhat clumsy way with words, both spoken and written, his invitation to Hua Liuque to meet at their "old place" implied careful planning and the selection of a perfect rendezvous spot.

He never imagined that the "old place" mentioned by Lu Yanfeng was actually the training ground of the Scattered Blossom Palace disciples.

Since it was mealtime, the training ground was naturally empty. However, the choice of this place seemed quite strange. Zhang Xiaoyuan cautiously stood by Hua Liuque's side, looking around and asking, "Is this really the place?"

Hua Liuque forced a smile. "It's definitely here."

Zhang Xiaoyuan said, "But I feel something's off. If he wanted to retaliate against you, he should have chosen a place with fewer people."

"When I was still at the Scattered Blossom Palace, every time he called me out alone, he would bring me here," Hua Liuque recalled a painful memory, "squatting, sword practice, leg exercises, sparring, getting beaten..."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Wait, could Lu Yanfeng possibly think this was his sweet rendezvous with Hua Liuque?

What on earth was going on with this guy!

Lu Zhaoming felt he understood. "He is urging you to practice martial arts."

Hua Liuque shouted in frustration, "Practice martial arts? He's clearly retaliating!"

Lu Zhaoming was puzzled. "Your martial arts foundation was built during that time."

"I'm just an outer disciple." Hua Liuque angrily took a deep breath. "In a lifetime, I can only learn some basic inner sect techniques. He made me memorize them repeatedly. He's clearly retaliating!"

Lu Zhaoming was confused. "Isn't this urging you to practice martial arts?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan shifted his gaze nervously, afraid to join the conversation between the two.

He feared that Eldest Senior Brother might be inspired by Lu Yanfeng and start urging him to practice martial arts tomorrow.

From a distance, he saw Lu Yanfeng limping over.

Lu Yanfeng's invitation was extended exclusively to Hua Liuque. Seeing Zhang Xiaoyuan and Lu Zhaoming here, he appeared a bit surprised. Zhang Xiaoyuan was initially concerned about any hostility towards Eldest Senior Brother, but to his surprise, Lu Yanfeng just nodded respectfully to Lu Zhaoming, displaying a hint of admiration not seen during their previous encounter.

Lu Zhaoming also nodded slightly, saying little.

But Zhang Xiaoyuan had many words to say.

Seeing Lu Yanfeng about to speak, Zhang Xiaoyuan hurriedly coughed and shouted, "Elder!"

Lu Yanfeng paused, looking at him with confusion.

Signaling to Lu Zhaoming with his eyes, Zhang Xiaoyuan, not knowing if Lu Zhaoming understood, took a step forward, grabbed Lu Yanfeng, and said, "Elder Lu, may I have a word?"

As he led Lu Yanfeng away, Hua Liuque, initially frightened, watched the two figures with wide eyes. "Eldest Senior Brother, what is Xiaoyuan doing?"

Lu Zhaoming, of course, had no idea.

Although he appeared composed and calm, his mind was full of doubt. He only remembered the last look from Zhang Xiaoyuan. It seemed like a request for help.

So, Lu Zhaoming spoke with a serious tone.

"He's..." Lu Zhaoming paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words, "advising your martial uncle not to hit you."

Hua Liuque: "...Xiaoyuan is really something!"

......

Zhang Xiaoyuan pulled Lu Yanfeng aside, making sure no one could overhear their conversation before coming to a stop.

Lu Yanfeng had no idea what he was up to. He didn't even know the name of the person before him. All he knew was that this person was Lu Zhaoming's junior brother, so he asked, "Young Hero..."

Zhang Xiaoyuan introduced himself, "Elder Lu, my surname is Zhang, Zhang Xiaoyuan, and I am currently Hua Liuque's senior brother."

Lu Yanfeng: "Is there something you need, Young Hero Zhang?"

Considering Lu Yanfeng's conversational skills, Zhang Xiaoyuan decided to get straight to the point.

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "Elder Lu, you like Hua Liuque, don't you?"

Lu Yanfeng fell silent.

Zhang Xiaoyuan stared at Lu Yanfeng, who showed no response or reaction. After observing for a while, he finally noticed... Lu Yanfeng's ears and the base of his neck were slightly flushed. He had hit the mark. Lu Yanfeng indeed liked Hua Liuque.

Zhang Xiaoyuan sighed deeply. "But you really don't know how to express yourself."

After a moment, Lu Yanfeng responded, "I know I'm not good with words."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Not good with words? This was definitely not just a matter of being bad with words.

The ability to deliver these life-threatening sentences was more terrifying than mere clumsiness with words.

Zhang Xiaoyuan asked him, "I have a few questions... Do you know that Hua Liuque is afraid of you?"

Lu Yanfeng looked puzzled. "Afraid of me?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Well, Lu Yanfeng not only couldn't speak, but also couldn't discern that Hua Liuque had no feelings for him and was afraid of him.

Zhang Xiaoyuan didn't know how to answer Lu Yanfeng for a moment. After thinking for a while, he felt that since Hua Liuque didn't like Lu Yanfeng, he shouldn't interfere. At most, he could help Lu Yanfeng realize his mistakes and learn to talk to Hua Liuque like a normal person. That would be sufficient.

"Not only is he afraid of you, but he also thinks you invited him here to retaliate," Zhang Xiaoyuan couldn't hold back what he wanted to say, "Elder Lu, your 'love letter' reads more like a challenge. How could Hua Liuque possibly talk to you nicely?"

Lu Yanfeng was taken aback, then he realized and said, "I have never written... cough, I might have written too many challenge letters..."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

"If you're not good at speaking, then don't speak," Zhang Xiaoyuan emphasized, "There are countless ways to express your feelings if you want to."

Being straightforward like Eldest Senior Brother was great. He rarely spoke, probably because speaking straightforwardly often led to trouble.

With Lu Yanfeng as a comparison, Zhang Xiaoyuan suddenly felt that Eldest Senior Brother's blunt way of speaking wasn't as bad as he thought.

Lu Yanfeng didn't understand. "But..."

"Less talk, less mistake. It's better not to speak at all," Zhang Xiaoyuan, fearing Lu Yanfeng might misunderstand him again, explained deliberately, "If you must speak, if you truly care for him, just tell him directly."

Just expressing affection, was it really that difficult to say out loud?

Lu Yanfeng was genuinely troubled. "But I know he only sees me as his martial uncle."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "From what I know, he might actually consider you as an enemy."

Lu Yanfeng: "......"

"Forcing something won't be sweet. Besides, Hua Liuque clearly prefers beautiful big sisters," Zhang Xiaoyuan muttered under his breath. "If you want to express your feelings, he might not accept it."

Lu Yanfeng paused for a moment, nodded, and said, "Thank you, I understand."

He still wanted to go ahead and complete what he had planned for today, inviting Hua Liuque out.

Zhang Xiaoyuan followed Lu Yanfeng back. Upon seeing Hua Liuque, whose expression had returned to normal, it was evident that Lu Yanfeng's presence made him jittery and nervous.

Lu Yanfeng called out to him, "Little Que'er."

Terrified, Hua Liuque nodded. "I'm here, Junior Martial Uncle, I'm here."

Lu Yanfeng remained silent for a long time, hesitating several times, perhaps realizing his difficulty in speaking. In the end, he just sighed, suppressing many words he wanted to say.

"I have something for you," he casually mentioned, "Look after it once I'm gone."

Hua Liuque, frightened, reached out to receive the small box Lu Yanfeng handed him, nodding repeatedly. "Rest assured, Junior Martial Uncle, I won't open it before you leave!"

Lu Yanfeng stared at his fearful expression, realizing that Zhang Xiaoyuan was right.

Hua Liuque was genuinely afraid of him.

......

Zhang Xiaoyuan had already pulled Lu Zhaoming slightly away to avoid disturbing their conversation.

Curious, Lu Zhaoming asked, "What did you talk about?"

Zhang Xiaoyuan felt that, with Eldest Senior Brother, he needed to be straightforward. He plainly stated, "Lu Yanfeng likes Hua Liuque."

Lu Zhaoming subconsciously echoed, "Lu Yanfeng likes... what?"

His eyes widened slightly. On his face was a shocked expression almost as intense as the day he found out Pei Wuluan and Mo Wentian were a couple.

Zhang Xiaoyuan nodded. "It's true."

Lu Zhaoming remained stunned for a while before regaining his composure. "This kind of thing... is it common in the martial arts world?"

Combining the context, Zhang Xiaoyuan thought Lu Zhaoming was referring to relationships between men.

Recalling Lin Yi and Liesel's conversation he overheard by the pond, he nodded and said, "Certainly common."

Lu Zhaoming: "But... among fellow disciples, master-disciple relationships, martial uncle-nephew, and even between the righteous and the dark paths..."

Zhang Xiaoyuan remembered Hua Liuque often saying that being together day and night with fellow disciples made it more likely for feelings to develop. So, he nodded again. "Among fellow disciples, it's even more common."

Lu Zhaoming: "......"

It felt like another part of his martial arts world had crumbled a bit.

161

This time, Lu Yanfeng finally didn't say much.

He handed the small box to Hua Liuque, intending to inquire about Hua Liuque's leg injury again, but he didn't dare to speak. In the end, he could only sigh and say, "I'm leaving."

Trembling, Hua Liuque couldn't help but ask one more question, "Junior Martial Uncle, i-is your leg okay?"

Lu Yanfeng: "......"

Hua Liuque: "I'm well aware that Eldest Senior Brother isn't careful with his strength. He didn't do it on purpose..."

Lu Yanfeng: "......"

Watching Lu Yanfeng's expression, Hua Liuque didn't know what Lu Yanfeng was thinking. He initially wanted to defend Lu Zhaoming, so that Lu Yanfeng wouldn't hold a grudge against him besides hating himself. But since Lu Yanfeng didn't respond, he found himself at a loss for words. Awkwardly smiling, he waved along with Lu Yanfeng. "Goodbye, Junior Martial Uncle."

In his heart, however, he thought that Eldest Senior Brother was done for. Lu Yanfeng, holding a grudge but not speaking, must have already harbored resentment against Eldest Senior Brother.

He watched Lu Yanfeng leave, finally letting out a sigh of relief, feeling like he had come back to life.

......

Zhang Xiaoyuan hurriedly ran over to Hua Liuque.

Zhang Xiaoyuan was very pleased with Lu Yanfeng's behavior. At least this conversation was normal, and he didn't make Hua Liuque afraid again.

He glanced at the box in Hua Liuque's hand, feeling quite curious.

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "Aren't you going to open it and see?"

Hua Liuque looked serious. "I think there might be concealed weapons inside. The moment I open it, I'll probably die a miserable death under his retaliation."

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "......"

Zhang Xiaoyuan: "How about letting Eldest Senior Brother open it for you?"

Lu Zhaoming stood on the side, looking vacant, motionless.

Hua Liuque: "Good idea."

He handed the box to Lu Zhaoming, who surprisingly accepted it. However, it took him quite a while to slowly come back to his senses and understand what they wanted him to do. He then leisurely opened the box.

Contrary to Hua Liuque's imagination, there were no concealed weapons or strange poisonous smoke.

It was just an ordinary box, lined with crimson silk, containing a broken jade pendant.

The jade pendant was in a sorry state, covered in numerous cracks. It seemed like someone had painstakingly tried to mend it with glue, but the craftsmanship was poor, resulting in a crooked and distorted appearance that made it hard to discern its original shape.

Hua Liuque was taken aback.

Zhang Xiaoyuan frowned. "What is this?"

Why is this person even peculiar in giving gifts!

"This is the sect jade pendant of Scatterred Blossom Palace," Hua Liuque murmured in a low voice, pausing for a long time before uttering the next words, "...it's my sect jade pendant."