Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

"Go and take a look. I'd really like to meet their older brother."

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The martial arts school wasn't far from where Isaac and his friends were; it only took about ten minutes to walk there.

I opened the main door and went inside; the interior was fairly well-maintained.

A huge open space, with various knives, spears, clubs and sticks displayed on shelves around it. A row of wooden dummy stands was placed on both sides of the open space, and the character '武' (martial arts) was written in large characters on the wall in the middle.

The martial arts school was already occupied.

A group of students in training uniforms surrounded the area, while in the center of the open space, a burly man in dojo attire was fighting with one of the students who looked rather thin.

"drink!"

The burly man grabbed the student by the collar and slammed him to the ground.

The student who was thrown to the ground lost consciousness due to the impact, his head lolling to the side.

"Oh, the fight has already started."

"As expected of the eldest brother!" Kujo Kazuya exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the scene before him.

The burly man seemed to have noticed the situation and walked towards Isaac and the others.

"Ichimi? And Ruri? What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, brother," Liuli said softly, "Yimi knew you were here and insisted on coming to see you."

“As the eldest daughter, you should keep an eye on your younger brother and prevent him from running around,” the burly man said, frowning. “This is a foreign land, and there may be dangers.”

"I'm very sorry, I'll be more careful," said Ruri Kujo, her head bowed.

"Hmm... it's good that you didn't come." The burly man, who had been frowning, suddenly relaxed, smiled, and patted Yi Mi's shoulder. "You're the third son in the family, don't always be so timid. It's good for you to come here and broaden your horizons."

As he spoke, he turned his head and saw Isaac and the others.

Who are these people?

"Oh, they are..."

"Hello, Mr. Kujo."

Isaac smiled, stepped forward, and extended his hand.

“I just met Mr. Kazuya Hisashi and Ms. Ruri Hisashi. My name is Isaac.”

"Ah."

The burly man didn't pay any attention and simply shook hands with Isaac.

But when he tried to pull his hand back, he found that Isaac had grabbed his wrist.

"Sir, you must be the Japanese businessman who does foreign trade with the Asahi family."

"So what if it is?"

The burly man impatiently pulled his hand back.

“As a businessman, your hands seem rather rough. Even if you practice judo every day, you shouldn’t have so many calluses on your hands,” Isaac laughed. “You probably also study kendo.”

"That's true."

The burly man had slightly overestimated Isaac, not expecting that such a detail would be noticed.

Isaac continued, "And if it's just from practicing kendo, the calluses are a bit too thick, plus there are abrasions on the web of his right hand, and the muscles on his index finger are obviously well-developed..."

What are you trying to say?

Isaac smiled and glanced at the person in front of him.

"Does being a businessman require practicing shooting?"

"!"

Isaac's startling words startled the burly man, who instinctively covered his right hand.

Bang!

The martial arts school door, which had been closed, was suddenly pushed open forcefully.

A dark-haired woman dressed in silk walked in. She glanced around with her sharp eyes and finally focused her attention on the burly man.

"I heard someone came to challenge us, it's you, right!"

Everyone turned their heads and saw the dashing woman in front of them.

Isaac felt that the woman in front of him looked familiar, almost exactly like Lan Fang from another world.

So he tentatively called out:

"Lanfang?"

"Huh? Ah! Junior brother, you're back!"

As soon as Lanfang saw Isaac Lima walk up, she playfully patted him on the shoulder.

"You came back without even telling me. Did you neglect your martial arts after going to England?"

"We were bombed by the Germans, and we've basically forgotten everything."

"...You're going to get scolded to death by your master sooner or later. Never mind, we'll catch up later."

After Lanfang finished speaking, her smile vanished, and she stood in front of the burly man with a serious expression, confronting him head-on.

"So you're the one who came here to challenge us, right?"

Chapter 1049: Spectating the Battle

"You're the one who came here to challenge us, aren't you?"

"Don't put it so harshly, this is just an exchange and learning session," the burly man said. "Besides, the teaching quality of your martial arts school is just average, and the students are all quite weak."

He knows a little Chinese, though his accent is a bit heavy.

His words were tantamount to offending all the trainees present, and they all glared at him angrily.

But there was nothing we could do; we simply couldn't beat them.

"What did you say!?"

Lanfang clenched her fists, her eyes filled with rage.

"I don't want to repeat myself, where is your master?"

"My master has something to do and has to go out today."

"I see." The burly man chuckled, scratching the back of his head with disdain. "Well, he's lucky. The reputation of his martial arts school has been preserved."

"You bastard..."

Lan Fang frowned and walked directly past the burly man to the center of the open space.

"If you're so eager to fight, I'll fight with you."

"Forget it, I don't lay a hand on women."

Can I assume you're being cowardly?

"cut."

The burly man shook his head, walked up to Lanfang, and assumed a starting stance.

"I really don't think a woman like you should be in a temple. I advise you to call a doctor as soon as possible, because I won't show any mercy after this."

"Who asked you to show mercy?"

When the students saw their senior sister arrive, they all gathered around, eager to watch the duel between the two.

Isaac pushed through the crowd and walked up to Lanfang, whispering, "Lanfang, I don't think you're a match for him. Although he looks like a brute, his strength is passable."

"Your way of speaking is getting weirder and weirder. Also, you should call me senior sister in the martial arts school."

"Why don't you come down here, and I'll take care of him for you?"

Lan Fang was somewhat surprised to hear this, but then smiled and gently flicked Isaac's forehead.

"My foolish junior brother, if you want to take my place, then train harder, strong enough to defeat me."

"...Why do I get so angry when I hear that?"

Isaac sighed and walked back to where he had been watching the game.

Ah Zheng hurriedly came to Isaac's side and deliberately lowered his voice to say, "Don't worry, young master, Miss Lan's martial arts skills are among the best in the martial arts school. Normally, several adults together wouldn't be a match for her."

“An ordinary adult is no match for her, but the Japanese man in front of her is no normal person.”

Isaac frowned as he looked at the burly man who was moving with ease in the open space.

This person is the elder brother of Kujo Kazuya and Kujo Ruri. His apparent identity is a businessman who came to China to do business, but judging from Isaac's observation just now, this is not the case.

His physical strength must have come from long-term training; the excessive muscle in his index finger is likely due to frequent shooting practice; even his slightly sharp gaze reveals a lot.

He is a professional soldier.

“Ah Sheng.”

"What is it, young master?"

"Be careful when doing business with these Japanese devils; if possible, cut off all ties."

"what?"

Ah Sheng was slightly taken aback, but quickly understood.

"You mean they...are connected to the Japanese military?"

"It's highly likely, but we need to investigate the specifics."

At this point, Isaac turned around and glanced at Hisashi Kazuya and Hisashi Ruri, who were watching the burly man on the stage.

"If necessary, keep their whole family here."

"what?"

……

In the center of the open space, looking at the menacing burly man, Lan Fang slowly extended her hand. She changed both fists into palms and stretched them forward from the center line of her chest, with her right hand in front, elbow slightly bent, and fingertips pointing slightly upward.