Have You Met My Brother?[Comprehensive Martial Arts + Sword Three] Chapter 13

Chapter 13 The Elder in Green Robes, Yan Bugui: Hmm?

Yan Bugui was scrutinizing the elder in green robes before him. The man was tall and thin, yet vigorous and spirited. Although his face was etched with the marks of time, one could still discern the handsome and refined features of his youth. More importantly, the elder simply stood there, exuding an aura of profound stability—a masterly presence similar to that of his Sect Leader and Senior Fang Qian of Penglai!

Even though he knew nothing of the Central Plains martial arts world or the identity of the elder in green robes, the fact that the man had appeared silently before him, with Yan Bugui previously almost completely unaware, was enough to make him realize the disparity in their strength.

“Greetings, Senior Huang.” Chu Liuxiang was not the type of person who spoke of “long-held admiration” and “respect” while maintaining a frivolous or disrespectful attitude—at least not now. He reacted quickly, bowing slightly and cupping his hands toward the newcomer. Yan Bugui, following the example of “Brother Chu,” mirrored the gesture.

“I have indeed seen you.”

Huang Yaoshi first glanced at Chu Liuxiang, his tone betraying no emotion. Before the slightly stunned Chu Liuxiang could respond further, he looked at Yan Bugui. “Sometimes, you really can’t fight old age. Talent emerges in every generation of the martial world. A martial artist like you seems to have sprung from a stone. This old man has lived for so many years, priding himself on knowing everything under heaven, yet I have never heard of you.”

Does that mean… Yan Bugui tentatively asked, “Has senior seen this junior in action before?”

Huang Yaoshi seemed to let out a faint chuckle, a strange glint flashing in his eyes. “You saved my granddaughter once. I will now answer one of your questions. We are even.”

Yan Bugui was surprised. “Has senior been following the second Miss Guo these past few days?”

“It was merely a coincidence, and not ‘all the time.'” Huang Yaoshi disdained explaining himself to others. He had indeed happened to see his eldest granddaughter traveling with her two younger siblings, but he hadn’t revealed himself immediately. Unexpectedly, he then saw his youngest granddaughter, Guo Xiang, playfully leave a note and run away. She truly resembled his Wen Heng in appearance, but her personality was just like his Rong’er.

On a whim, he decided to follow her to see how many more surprises this little granddaughter could bring him. The more he observed, the more he admired her. In the meantime, he didn’t forget to send a message to his daughter and son-in-law, lest they worry too much when they learned of their second daughter’s departure from the eldest daughter.

It was in this unexpected way that Yan Bugui entered his sight. When Chen San and the others tried to deceive Guo Xiang, he watched everything. He knew his granddaughter hadn’t fully believed them, but she was still young and retained some innocence. However, given the martial arts she displayed, as long as she wasn’t too careless, those fellows wouldn’t be her match. He was more interested in seeing how his granddaughter would handle the situation.

Who knew that a meddlesome swordsman would pass by and cut down the other scoundrels in a few swift moves? His strikes were too clean, which was somewhat disappointing. Hmph, but the swordsman himself was more interesting than those fellows. His attacks aimed straight for the kill, seemingly devoid of the unnecessary kindness of sparing others when possible. Furthermore, the style of his martial arts was something he had never seen before.

He had roamed the martial world for decades. Even if he couldn’t claim to know all the martial arts under heaven, he had witnessed at least eighty percent of them. Yet, he was certain that this swordsman’s skill was not among them. Given this young man’s ability, if he had been active in the martial world, it would be impossible for there to be no news of him.

With the swordsman accompanying his granddaughter, and their destination being Junshan, where his daughter and son-in-law were, he quietly left afterward. He sought out an old friend to investigate the swordsman’s background, but even after the friend arrived, they found nothing.

Thinking of this, Huang Yaoshi sized up the young swordsman before him and said, “There’s no need to dwell on these trivial matters. I didn’t come here to listen to you address me as ‘senior’ and ‘junior.’ Young man, do you dare exchange a few moves with this old man?”

Hearing this, Yan Bugui countered, “If this junior refuses, will senior truly give up?”

“Excellent! Excellent!” Huang Yaoshi’s words did not sound angry, nor did they contain much amusement, making it difficult to guess his true thoughts. “Since you call me ‘senior,’ I will let you make the first move!”

Yan Bugui had faced many eccentric senior experts before. Hearing the elder in green robes speak this way, he did not refuse this “sparring match” which amounted to “bullying the younger.” He simply spoke at his own pace, “We cannot fully utilize our skills here, Senior. Let us find a more suitable place.” With that, he leaped out of the window and used his movement technique to fly toward the outskirts of the city.

Chu Liuxiang watched the elder follow the youth closely. He helplessly picked up the small money pouch Guo Xiang had left behind, paid the bill out of his own pocket, and then quickly chased after the direction the two had disappeared. Unfortunately, he was still a little late.

By the time he arrived at the scene, Huang Yaoshi was nowhere to be seen. Only Yan Bugui remained in the forest. But seeing the tree trunks haphazardly felled around them and the deep knife marks left on the ground, he knew that everything had not yet happened, but rather, everything had already ended.

Chu Liuxiang observed the swordsman for any injuries while asking, “Senior Huang has left?”

Yan Bugui sheathed his saber and nodded. “Senior returned toward the city just a step ahead of you.”

Chu Liuxiang asked again, “You don’t seem to have been put through much trouble?”

“Senior was merely delighted to find a worthy opponent,” Yan Bugui admitted. The elder in green robes was a master far superior to him in strength. He couldn’t find the opponent’s weakness in a short time. Furthermore, the initiative was not his, forcing him to passively respond to the opponent’s unfamiliar moves and techniques, inevitably exposing his own foundation.

However, he was already accustomed to such things. When his Sect Leader guided him in the past, his performance was even more inadequate. Not everyone was as gifted as Mo Ming, the Master of the Deep Sight Saber, who could find the Sect Leader’s flaws. And even Mo Ming took many years to do so.

Of course, Yan Bugui didn’t particularly care about having his techniques figured out. He clearly distinguished between killing and sparring. If it was the former, he usually only needed one decisive move. If it was the latter, it was about adapting to the situation. It was naturally better to use fewer moves, but if it required dozens or hundreds of moves, that was fine too.

Every engagement was an opportunity for self-improvement. Before Chu Liuxiang arrived, he had been reviewing the process of exchanging blows with the elder in green robes. The opponent wanted to see his skills, and why wouldn’t he want to witness the power of a strong figure in the Central Plains martial world?

The “Senior Huang” was indeed knowledgeable. Even using his full strength, Yan Bugui only managed to force out some of the opponent’s palm techniques, sword techniques, and the already exposed hidden weapon skills. The clever transitions between many of the moves were refreshing. If his Brother Xie were here, perhaps with the numerous ingenious techniques accumulated by Penglai over the years, they might even be able to figure out the foundation of the elder in green robes?

Yan Bugui did not dwell on this. He curiously asked Chu Liuxiang, “What level of expert is that ‘Eastern Heretic’ senior in the Central Plains martial world? He is ‘East,’ so are there ‘South,’ ‘West,’ and ‘North’?”

Chu Liuxiang now basically believed that Yan Bugui genuinely did not understand the situation in the Central Plains martial world. He did not hide anything and replied:

“The title ‘Eastern Heretic’ for Senior Huang is a long story, related to the two ‘Mount Hua Sword Tournaments.’ Young Hero Yan can learn about it slowly later. In short, Senior Huang is one of the rare, top-tier martial arts grandmasters in the martial world. The ‘Southern Emperor,’ Master Yideng, is equally famous and still alive. However, there are many other senior experts in the martial world who did not participate in the ‘Mount Hua Sword Tournament’ but whose strength is in no way inferior.”

As soon as Chu Liuxiang said this, Yan Bugui knew that there must be no shortage of experts in the Central Plains. If they were to talk about it, it would probably take days, and Chu Liuxiang seemed to have other things to do, so he immediately said:

“In that case, I will slowly inquire about it as I travel the martial world in the future. Brother Chu, you seem to have important matters to attend to, so I won’t delay your time. You have shown kindness to me. If you ever need my assistance, please do not hesitate to speak plainly.”

“I…” Chu Liuxiang was about to politely decline, but then he remembered that the swordsman’s observational skills seemed quite sharp, and he was quick-witted. He intended to secretly investigate Lady Ren’s residence tonight to look for more potential clues. Having an extra helper might open up new avenues of thought, so he changed his mind mid-sentence. “There is one matter that might require Young Hero Yan’s keen eye. Follow me.”

Hearing this, Yan Bugui did not ask what the matter was, nor did he concern himself with the cause and effect, and immediately followed Chu Liuxiang. Before long, they arrived one after the other near a steep and rugged mountain peak. Around them, some Beggar Clan disciples held torches, their eyes wide as they patrolled the area. Chu Liuxiang silently made a “follow me” gesture, quietly leading Yan Bugui toward a narrow mountain path.

The mountain was secluded, with only the sound of flowing water reaching their ears, lending a touch of vitality so it didn’t feel completely dead. Under the hazy night sky, the intermittent mountain mist failed to completely disperse the drifting fog, draping the peak in threads of eeriness and mystery. If an ordinary person were to walk alone on the mountain path, they might be unable to stop their imagination from running wild.

However, Yan Bugui and Chu Liuxiang were either fearless of ghosts and spirits or simply did not believe in them. Both possessed a certain degree of night vision. Even relying only on the faint light of the tinder they carried, their steps remained steady. The loose stones, tree roots, and other debris along the way did not cause them any trouble.

Having been led once by Nangong Ling and memorizing the route completely, Chu Liuxiang successfully brought Yan Bugui to the previously visited thatched hut. After listening quietly for a moment, he confirmed that there were likely no other Beggar Clan disciples lingering inside or nearby.

Chu Liuxiang breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Yan Bugui to explain, “Young Hero Yan, this place is where… a respected couple once lived in seclusion. However, the husband suddenly passed away, and his widow seems to have been abruptly abducted from this location. I came here with a friend during the day, but unfortunately, we didn’t find much. Since this case is truly baffling, I came again to check for anything we missed.”

Yan Bugui nodded with an expression that said, “I understand,” and walked with Chu Liuxiang past the bamboo fence and into the thatched hut. He took another tinder that Chu Liuxiang had brought and meticulously observed the traces inside the room. The furnishings were as simple and rustic as the exterior, but everything was extremely messy, as if ransacked by thugs.

It was clear that many people had visited here, and the current state was significantly different from its original appearance. The swordsman checked the rouge and powder in the dressing table, and finding nothing, put them back exactly as they were. After a thorough search and investigation, the two met again. After comparing notes, both shook their heads. It seemed they would have to return empty-handed this time.

Chu Liuxiang didn’t show much disappointment and even managed a smile. “Never mind. I was only trying my luck anyway. Young Hero Yan, let’s head down the mountain. I’ll treat you to a late-night snack.”

Yan Bugui, who was only there to assist, naturally had no objection and returned the way they came with Chu Liuxiang. However, halfway down the path, in the secluded trail and the rustling woods, a swift and fierce flash of saber light suddenly slashed down toward Chu Liuxiang’s head!