Notes on Longevity

Chapter 226 His bandit-like demeanor is unappealing; a future master of the martial world.

"Young Master Lu"

The burly man looked at the scholar lying at his feet, blood gushing from his throat, dying silently. His words trembled incessantly. Compared to his previous arrogance, he was now like a lamb to the slaughter, waiting for Lu Ya to speak.

Lu Ya turned his gaze to the burly man and asked coldly, "Speak, what exactly happened?"

"I"

Faced with Lu Ya's cold questioning, the burly man was powerless to explain and could only stare at Zhao Yunchu beside him.

Lu Ya found the burly man's reaction quite normal, and figuring it would be pointless to ask him now. So Lu Ya turned to Zhao Yunchu and said, "Although I am now a retainer of your family, I am also a member of the martial world and cannot act without distinguishing right from wrong. So, what exactly caused the fight between you two?"

Lu Ya's words made Zhao Yunchu frown and not know where to begin. She looked around the crowd for a while and then spotted Brother Bei standing at the entrance of Yaxianglou because he was injured. She waved to him and called out, "Brother Bei."

Upon hearing the commotion, Bei Ge dragged his injured body through the crowd to stand before the group. He was about to bow when Lu Ya stopped him, saying, "No need for bowing. Tell me what happened."

Brother Bei glanced at the burly man and the scholar lying on the ground, then said, "We were sent upstairs to eat by Miss, but just as we entered, we made eye contact with this man, and then they attacked us."

Half an hour earlier, the group of guards who had just entered the building exchanged a glance with the burly man who was drinking and making merry. Then, the burly man, as if a beast had gone mad, smashed down the wine glass in his hand and shouted angrily at Brother Bei and his group: "What are you looking at!"

Bei Ge and his guards frowned and stopped in their tracks upon hearing the unprovoked roar. Although they were guards, they knew the saying in the martial arts world, "A bandit's demeanor is not to be trifled with." Just as Bei Ge was about to bow and apologize, the burly man took their stopping as a provocation. Instantly, tensions rose within the Ya Xiang Lou, and the burly man rushed forward without a word and punched Bei Ge.

As a bodyguard, it would be a laughing stock if he didn't have some skills. So, Brother Bei easily parried the burly man's punches. However, the burly man didn't seem surprised by this situation. Instead, he chuckled at Brother Bei and said, "Kid, you think this is a one-on-one fight?"

As soon as the burly man finished speaking, Brother Bei seemed to realize something. But when he tried to withdraw his hand to block the burly man's punch, he found it was too late. The relationship between the scholar and the burly man was so close that the scholar followed suit. The burly man made the first move, and the scholar followed closely behind. By the time Brother Bei reacted, the scholar was already in front of him.

The scholar thrust his palm horizontally, striking Brother Bei in the abdomen. His powerful internal energy surged forth like a raging sea, rushing into Brother Bei's body. The unbearable pain caused him to release his hands, which were fighting the burly man, in an attempt to cut off the scholar's palm strike. However, the burly man kicked him in the shoulder, leaving him no time to retaliate and forcing him to retreat step by step.

The other guards rushed to help, but the scholar and the strong man were clearly more skilled than the other two. In terms of experience, those who have been in the martial arts world for many years have different motives when they strike. So, the guards fell to the ground in less than three moves from the two.

Upon seeing this, Brother Bei quickly sent someone back to report the news.

"So that's it."

Upon hearing the whole story, Lu Ya nodded and said, "As the saying goes, banditry is not to be trifled with. In that respect, you are right."

Lu Ya's words puzzled Yang Chenghan, Zhao Yunchu, and the others. So Yang Chenghan asked, "Young Master Lu, they started the fight first, so how come they're in the right?"

Zhao Yunchu glanced at Yang Chenghan and asked in the same way, "Yes, Brother Lu. They were the ones who attacked first." Lu Ya smiled and said to the group of guards and martial arts practitioners in the Zhao residence, "Bandit spirit is not to be trifled with; this is the rule of the martial arts world. The so-called bandit spirit is not a fierce and evil aura, but rather a kind of momentum. The upright are filled with righteous spirit, looking down from a high position—this is the righteous momentum. Most of these people in the martial arts world are chivalrous heroes who will draw their swords to help those in need, and they are mostly young. The petty people are three parts perverse, six parts ghostly, and one part humane—this is the evil momentum. Most of these people are insignificant and worthless. Those who have bandit spirit are mostly those who cannot stand the actions of the world but cannot bear to see others suffer. However, these people mostly like to work alone, are both righteous and evil, and when they travel in the martial arts world, they believe in revenge, even if it means their own death, they will take someone's life."

"But they don't have any of those things you mentioned."

Zhao Yunchu was extremely anxious upon hearing Lu Ya's words, "Brother Lu, look at them, which one of them seems like that kind of person?"

"Hey, Yun Chu, let me finish." Lu Ya slapped Zhao Yun Chu on the head, then faced the martial arts practitioners and said, "Decades ago, there was a martial arts senior named Yang Tianqian who was called a demon. The reason was that he associated with demons and traveled with them. He also killed many martial arts practitioners because of demons. For a time, rumors spread that the demons ate people's souls and that Yang Tianqian was aiding and abetting evil. All the righteous sects wanted to kill him as soon as possible."

"However, upon hearing this news, those wandering martial artists who had risked their lives for Yang Tianqian gathered together. It is said that before that earth-shattering battle, there was a little-known massacre."

"Fifteen against three hundred, none of the fifteen were injured, while few of the three hundred survived. The phrase 'the bandits' were not to be underestimated' also spread after that."

"By now, all those who survived that massacre are long gone. Even those who know about it now keep quiet about it. Only the saying 'A place where wandering martial artists gather is quiet and taciturn' still circulates. Therefore, nowadays, wherever there are a large number of martial artists, everyone tries to avoid it."

"That's why I said they have a point."

"But, Young Master Lu..."

Hearing that Lu Ya's words favored Yang Chenghan and the others, the burly man was about to explain when Lu Ya drew his sword and slit his throat. The sword strike was as fast as lightning, leaving only the blade between the man's throats.

A brief uproar swept through the crowd. They stared fearfully and coldly at the burly man with an incredulous expression and Lu Ya with a calm demeanor, their fear growing ever stronger.

But then Lu Ya said, "You call him a demon, yet you use his name to act arrogantly and domineeringly. Don't you feel ashamed?"

"I'm only killing these two today as a warning to you. Don't think that just because you have this excuse, no one will dare to touch you."

"roll"

At Lu Ya's command, the remaining martial artists readily agreed. Just as they were about to leave, someone shouted, "They haven't paid yet!"

Then Lu Ya called him back: "Pay the money."

After Lu Ya finished speaking, it took half an hour for all the martial arts practitioners to leave Ya Xiang Lou. Finally, Lu Ya asked Qin Hua to take Brother Bei and the other guards of the Zhao residence back first, saying that he would accompany Zhao Yunchu and the others to tour Huangzhou City.

Qin Hua readily agreed, and then Lu Ya called down the people who had been standing on the roof. One of them said, "Young Master Lu is so impressive! No wonder you are destined to be the future master of the martial world!"

(End of this chapter)