Chapter 364

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Chapter 364: My Second Brother Is Unbeatable

The lady in white, Bai Qingsi, led the way with Qiao Mu towards the deep alley outside of the city.

As they walked further down the road, Qiao Mu started to feel a sense of familiarity…

When they turned the corner of the alley, they heard voices up ahead.

"Big Wawa, you’re heading home early today? I just brewed two pots of wine and was about to leave the city to pay respects to Qiao Family’s father and son. Would you like to join me? " A familiar voice sounded.

Qiao Mu looked up and saw a middle-aged man with slightly white temples standing at the end of the alley.

This middle-aged man didn’t look very attractive, he seemed like a slightly overweight old farmer, with a slightly protruding belly and a big yellow tooth showing when he talked….

"Is this your dad?" Qiao Mu was surprised.

At that moment, Qiao Mu suddenly remembered something.

Back then, he had a follower named Old Huang, who had taught him the "Iron Crotch Skill" that the veteran Earth Sword Immortal was envious of….

His actual last name was not Huang, but Bai.

Normally, others should call him Old Bai.

But this person had a poor image, always putting on a smiling face when meeting people, yet his yellow tooth stood out prominently.

The name "Old Huang" didn’t mean he was surnamed Huang, but it was because he was surnamed Bai and also had a visible big yellow tooth. The villagers found it odd to call him Old Bai, so they gave him a nickname – Old Huang….

Actually, this is just teasing about his big yellow teeth.

"Yes, that’s my father." Bai Qingsi blushed slightly. Despite her age and reputation in Yan City, a famous female warrior, she felt embarrassed when her father still called her "big baby" at home.

"It’s okay." Qiao Mu’s gaze shifted slightly as he followed Bai Qingsi towards Old Huang. Old Huang was also slightly surprised and looked at Qiao Mu’s face.

"Yeah, it does look alike… " he grinned, showing his crooked yellow teeth, looking a bit ugly.

……………………………………………………………………….

A small dirt hill outside the city.

Old Huang stood in front of a tombstone, pouring a jug of yellow wine onto the ground, letting the wine seep into the soil and dampen the ground beneath the tombstone.

The tombstone read "Qiao family Qiao Mu’s grave" on it.

As Old Huang poured the wine, he rambled on:

"This grave, chosen by Qiao Lin himself at the beginning, is for him serving as an elder brother, to organize the funeral for his younger brother…"

"As for their father, Qiao Sen, after killing Yan City Lord Guo Yan, he disappeared without a trace, some say he died, some say he went back to overseas Hero Island, but he remains missing…"

Suddenly, he realized and chuckled:

"Indeed, why am I telling you all this, after all, you are the elder of the Qiao family, you understand these matters better than I do."

Qiao Mu remained silent, just staring quietly at the gravestone in front of him.

The wild grass on the hill outside the city grew fast, within a few months it could grow three feet high around the grave.

Although the grave in front of him was simple, just a small mound of earth and a stone tombstone, the grass around the grave was neatly trimmed, the soil at the grave was also leveled, clearly indicating that someone had recently put effort into cleaning it up.

Death is like a light extinguished, those who have visited graves know that paying respects at the grave is a laborious task, requiring some money to buy incense, paper money, candles, cooked food, and physically removing weeds and soil…

Let alone Qiao Mu, this outsider without blood ties.

Even parents, after many years of separation, some people may gradually stop visiting the graves, or even forget where they are, becoming filial sons and grandsons who worship at the wrong graves.

There are many wild graves among the mountains, but not all filial sons and grandsons visit them.

"From the looks of it, do you come to pay respect regularly?" Qiao Mu asked in surprise.

He didn’t mind this, after all, he was still alive and well. Whether others visited his grave or not, he didn’t think it mattered.

"It’s only been two years, isn’t that so? What’s two years? In the beginning, lives were lost." Old Huang sighed as he stood in front of the tombstone.

"Don’t laugh at me, at my age, Old Huang, I’ve had people shield me from danger, clear the way for me, even a military leader… Can I not remember him for the rest of my life?"

"When someone reaches middle age, they’re only meant to work hard like a dog, earn a bit of money to support their families, how could there be a leader who shielded me from danger back then? Do you agree?"

Qiao Mu remained silent.

After many years apart, although he still felt familiar, his identity was no longer the centurion "Qiao Mu".

When old friends meet, they naturally feel close, but there is also a sense of awkwardness and unfamiliarity.

He didn’t know what to say now that he was considered an elder of the Qiao family.

Suddenly, a long wolf howl came from the cliff below the mountain.

"There are wolves so close to Yan City?" Qiao Mu was surprised.

Old Huang remained calm.

"It’s probably the big wolf from the valley below, don’t worry."

He took a few steps and walked to the edge of the cliff to look down.

Below the cliff, a wolf the size of a person was looking up, howling towards the top of the cliff.

But halfway through the howl, the wolf noticed Qiao Mu and Old Huang standing on the edge of the cliff.

The big wolf did not hide or dodge, it stared silently at Qiao Mu and the others, wagging its tail as it circled at the bottom of the valley, seeming quite excited.

"This big wolf is quite strange, with such a large size, almost as big as a person, but it doesn’t harm anyone, just comes to this valley every few days." Old Huang casually remarked:

"The storyteller of Tide Listening Building says this big wolf is spiritual, in a past life it was a lovesick scholar… The scholar’s lover fell off a cliff to her death, so he reincarnated as a wolf, constantly praying below the cliffs…"

Speaking of this, the big wolf circling restlessly at the bottom of the valley made a movement, it knelt down towards the cliff, continuing to look up at the sky, its front paws together in a human-like praying posture.

"Yes, just like this."

"Indeed a very touching story, it made me cry." Qiao Mu choked up a bit:

"The storyteller of Tide Listening Building must be part of the Fantastic Faction in the building."

He stood at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the big wolf below.

This big wolf was so huge, exceeding the size of ordinary wild animals, it might have already turned into a monster.

It must be said that this big wolf is quite smart, maybe even a bit magical, but doesn’t seem very clever.

"Could it be still thanking the heavens for their gifts here?"

Qiao Mu shook his head and ignored the silly wolf.

Wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner in front of the grave, while several cups of yellow wine sat on the burner, with the scent of wine mixing with the smoke in the air.

Qiao Mu stared at the long incense burning quietly in front of the grave, while continuing to chat with Old Huang at his own grave.

Old Huang had indeed become a bit more prosperous compared to two years ago, with a slightly bulging belly and a bit of shine on his face.

After bandit Wang Songhe became the Lord of Yan City, he took good care of the military veterans, including Old Huang.

Old Huang was originally unemployed in the military and only became a regular soldier in his middle age, with average martial arts skills, boasting only one special move called the Iron Crotch Skill.

When Wang Songhe heard that Old Huang had boldly gone to drink the "Hero Courage Soup" in front of Childe Guo, he was amazed and promoted Old Huang to be the leader of the guards in the Lord’s mansion.

In the Lord’s mansion, how come you ended up as the new Lord’s companion?" Qiao Mu was a bit surprised.

"That’s right." Old Huang patted his chest, feeling proud as well.

Old Huang’s martial arts were quite ordinary, with a small stature and a plain appearance like a typical farmer.

But what set him apart was his gratitude, loyalty, and courage to stand up for what is right… which was why Wang Songhe promoted him.

"Since you are by the Lord Wang’s side, I have a few questions to ask.." Qiao Mu said seriously:

"Actually, Lord Wang has some sort of connection with my Qiao family descendants, some deep bond you might say."

A deep bond, referring to the time when Wang Songhe helped him through a life-threatening situation.

"The truth is, I came to Yan City this time after hearing some negative rumors about Lord Wang, saying he has joined hands with the Xuantian Sect from the Nan Province Immortal Gate and become the leader of the rebel forces in Nan Province, the South King."

Qiao Mu briefly discussed the events that had taken place.

Old Huang was unlikely to become Wang Songhe’s trusted helper, as he was an outsider.

Wang Songhe was not an ordinary city lord, he was the leader of a bandit group with his own power and followers, like a powerful dragon.

The head of the guards had so much responsibility and usually was a trusted aide, so Qiao Mu asked this question.

"Speaking of Lord Wang…" Old Huang hesitated for a moment and said:

"Lord Wang is definitely not aligned with evil, but he is a cultivator on the path to immortality. It’s not easy to strengthen his power."

"If he doesn’t join the Immortal Gate, how can he advance his skills and break through to higher levels?"

After the decline of spiritual energy, most small and medium Immortal Gates disappeared, even half of the Nine Immortal Gates at the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths vanished.

Only a very few people with extraordinary talents had hope to break through.

Wang Songhe was originally a solo cultivator, and although he had good potential for immortality cultivation, after reaching the Foundation Building stage, he had no further breakthrough.

"Are you saying that Wang Songhe turned to Immortal Gate in search of a breakthrough and willingly became the South King?" Qiao Mu questioned.

"Not exactly," Old Huang quickly shook his head.

"Lord Wang is a determined man, he joined Immortal Gate with his own intentions in mind."

"In my opinion… it’s mostly for show, pretending, right?"

"After all, Immortal Gate is powerful, which commoner in Jiu Province could stand up to them?"

Deep in thought, Qiao Mu continued chatting with Old Huang, trying to uncover the background of this South King.

Ever since Emperor Yonghe died, chaos has erupted all over Jiu Province.

The South King is supported by Immortal Gate’s Xuantian Sect in the area, with impressive skills of his own. Although not a match for Feather King Qing Li in battle prowess, with Xuantian Sect backing him, he is unmatched in Nan Province.

The current Southern King, Wang Songhe, has already taken over half of Nan Province.

As Qiao Mu expected, Southern King Wang Songhe was not in Yan City a long time ago.

He gave the position of city lord to a trusted bandit, and Southern King himself is likely around Heyang City leading military campaigns.

While they were engrossed in their conversation, a clear female voice was heard nearby.

"Dad, the incense in front of the grave has burned out," said a woman named Bai Qingsi.

Bai Qingsi used to be a lively and energetic person.

But when she saw the renowned Qiao Family Qiao Pianxin, she became much quieter and obedient, even refraining from speaking out when honoring Qiao Mu alongside the elders.

Old Huang walked up to put away the yellow wine in front of the grave, but Qiao Mu waved him off.

"How about we have a drink?"

"Here?" Old Huang was surprised, glancing at the tombstone.

"What’s wrong with that?" Qiao Mu asked casually.

"The Qiao family members are fearless of death and do not have so many taboos."

"Moreover…if you have something to say, you can say it directly to Qiao Mu here in this grave."

Old Huang was slightly moved and stopped in his tracks.

The two of them found a smooth patch of grass in front of Qiao Mu’s grave and sat down casually on the ground.

Old Huang poured wine while Qiao Mu held a glass, gazing at his own grave, suddenly feeling a bit out of place:

Initially, he had bid himself farewell at his funeral, and now, two years later, he was sitting in front of his grave chatting and drinking with an old friend, which was quite eerie.

"Senior Qiao, I really need to apologize to you." Bai Qingsi approached and asked:

"Recently, in Yan City, there has been a fraud claiming to be a Qiao family member, proclaiming to be the grandmaster of Hua strength, Qiao Jinyin, and even holding a fat cat."

"During these days, many people have been cheated of their money in Yan City area…. Aren’t you angry?"

"Why be angry? This person is heading towards death, not far from their end," Qiao Mu said casually.

What a joke, pretending to be someone else, pretending to be a member of the Qiao family to deceive people?

Have you ever thought about the enemies that the Qiao family has made in the past… Once the reputation of martial arts grandmaster Qiao Jinyin of the Hua strength sect spreads a bit more, it will likely attract enemies trying to test him.

The Qiao family is in big trouble, with his own personal rating at most a ‘C’: good at cheating for money, but not so good at spending it.

So he doesn’t really care about these so-called scammers.

What he does care about is another person.

"Your daughter Bai Qingsi is indeed a promising martial arts talent, isn’t she very young?" Qiao Mu praised, finishing his drink.

When Old Huang heard this, his face almost split into a big grin, showing his trademark yellow teeth.

"I’m only seventeen this year."

Seventeen years old, rank 5?

Qiao Mu fell silent for a moment, feeling a little sour.

In fact, the world is never short of talented people, but the most intelligent talents often follow the trend, basically go with the flow, and cultivate to become immortal…

But in the path of mortal martial arts… there are actually many shortcomings.

They say that a person’s martial arts peak usually occurs in their twenties, thirties, where their physical abilities and combat strength have reached their peak, like Earth Sword Immortal.

Martial Saint was slightly inferior, but also a top martial artist, already a senior official of the court in middle age, a first-ranked martial artist.

Some who have cultivated superior internal energy can maintain their peak until their forties, fifties.

However, as they go further, their skills and internal strength will continue to rise, but their vitality often decline.

Bai Qingsi, who is only seventeen years old now, obviously has not yet reached the peak of his personal martial arts skills, but his future is promising.

Qiao Mu has actually seen many martial artists with such outstanding talents before.

The world has never been fair. Some people, at a young age of teens or twenties, have already mastered skills that ordinary people may not achieve even after a lifetime of hard training.

When it comes to these talented individuals, Qiao Mu expresses….

It doesn’t matter, he will unleash his full potential and swiftly surpass from behind.

By the end of his journey, he had become a leading figure in contemporary martial arts, a living legend of martial arts.

"He indeed is a promising talent," Qiao Mu remarked.

"If interested, you can come to Peach Blossom Villa for martial arts discussions. Such promising talents should not be wasted."

Old Huang and his daughter Bai Qingsi glanced at each other, both feeling a sudden shock.

The reputation of Peach Blossom Villa, and the Qiao family’s reputation, made them feel very honored when they were given special attention.

Qiao Mu noticed this reaction but remained calm.

In fact, two years ago in the outside world, he and Bai Qingsi, who is Old Huang’s daughter, were actually considered to be the same age.

If we say that Bai Qingsi became the top hero in Yan City in two years, then in that same two-year time, he transformed from the top hero in Yan City to a contemporary martial arts legend…

Time was on Qiao Mu’s side, and the gap between them was likely to keep growing.

Even the most talented individuals had to show respect to Qiao Mu, the legendary figure in martial arts.

Extending an olive branch made Bai Qingsi and her father very joyful and hopeful.

Old Huang seemed very happy. He drank a few big cups of alcohol at the gravesite, and soon his face turned red, indicating he was a bit drunk.

"Senior Qiao really has good taste," Old Huang chuckled.

"My daughter has always been strong-willed and determined since she was little."

"Our family’s Iron Crotch Skill has traditionally been passed down to males, but she, as a child, refused to accept this, arguing why should only males be allowed to practice it, why can’t females? Who said females are inferior to males? She insisted on practicing the Iron Crotch Skill."

Qiao Mu was immediately shocked.

Impressive, almost made him want to give a thumbs up.

"Is this for real?" he asked in astonishment.

"Of course not," Old Huang shook his head, but then changed the subject:

"But she is quite audacious, she stole my secret manual, practiced in secret, you tell me, isn’t she determined?"

"’Father?!’" Bai Qingsi widened her eyes in disbelief:

"You must have had too much to drink."

No, can you explain this?

"Does it matter how much you drink?" Old Huang chuckled.

"Did you practice or not?"

Bai Qingsi was too embarrassed to speak.

"Speaking of which, there’s one thing I don’t understand," Old Huang took another sip of wine, pondered for a moment, and asked:

"Da Wa, did you successfully master your Iron Crotch Skill in the end?"

Bai Qingsi, "….."

She ignored the drunken ramblings of Old Huang, apologized to Qiao Mu beside her, and leaped up gracefully, performing several somersaults to disappear.

At Qiao Mu’s grave, only Qiao Mu and Old Huang remained.

When he saw Bai Qingsi leave, Old Huang stopped talking nonsense.

He picked up the jug of yellow wine, stood up, walked slowly to Qiao Mu’s grave, and poured the wine from the jug into his mouth.

His hazy drunken eyes seemed to be looking at the grave, but also at the figure next to it that vaguely resembled "Qiao Pianxin."

"Boss, I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?"

Old Huang turned his head, looked in the direction where his daughter Bai Qingsi had left, and chuckled softly:

"My ‘second brother’, unbeatable in the world!"