Chapter 180

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Zhang Xiaohu was indeed burdened by heavy thoughts.

During his time in the Piaomiao Sect, his situation had been difficult. Many of the sect’s orthodox disciples looked down on him, thinking he had only joined through connections, treating him with indifference or even hostility. On the other hand, those who sought to curry favor with him constantly tried to establish relationships, which he found deeply irritating. Yet, even if he was disgusted, he had just joined the Piaomiao Sect. He didn’t know their backgrounds well and dared not offend anyone.

Thus, his days in the Piaomiao Sect were challenging, and shutting himself away behind closed doors became his only escape.

These interpersonal struggles, however, were only one part of Zhang Xiaohu’s burden. The real issue was his master, Wen Wenhai. After bringing Zhang Xiaohu into the Piaomiao Sect, Wen Wenhai had largely ignored him, leaving him to fend for himself. Though they initially met a few times, during which Wen Wenhai provided him with the [Wild Ox Strength] for Zhang Xiaohua, later interactions became scarce. Even when they did meet, Wen Wenhai never discussed martial arts training, leaving Zhang Xiaohu puzzled and unsure of his master’s intentions.

Time slowly passed like this.

Today, witnessing Zhang Xiaohua perform impressively on the martial stage, going toe-to-toe with Piaomiao Sect disciples, Zhang Xiaohu’s emotions were truly thrown into turmoil!

Zhang Xiaohu had always believed that he had better luck and talent than his younger brother, leading him to think he had a significant advantage in martial arts. But today, he realized how wrong he had been—terribly wrong. His younger brother had surged far ahead, leaving him behind in the dust. Zhang Xiaohu was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. To say it was jealousy, maybe he was a bit jealous, but after all, this was his younger brother. When Zhang Xiaohu saw his brother’s progress, the shock was mixed with a sense of helpless self-pity. Thinking of his own situation, his stagnant martial arts, he felt as if a heavy weight was suffocating him, as though an invisible hand had gripped his throat, making it impossible to breathe.

Zhang Xiaohu deeply disliked this feeling. To vent his frustration, he returned to his courtyard, shut the door, and threw himself into relentless practice, focusing on the Six Harmonies Fist, the martial art he was most familiar with. Only when he repetitively drilled the moves he had mastered could he find a shred of confidence to soothe his wounded heart.

And the reason for his distress, Zhang Xiaohu had to admit deep down, was not merely that his younger brother’s martial arts had surpassed his own. It was more because he felt from the bottom of his heart that his martial arts were too weak, his appearance too ordinary, and his background too humble. He had nothing that would catch that person’s eye. How could he ever hope to attract attention?

The more Zhang Xiaohu thought about this, the more bitter he felt. And the more bitter he felt, the harder he pushed himself. It wasn’t until Zhang Xiaohua knocked on his door that he finally stopped, dripping with sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of water!

Zhang Xiaohu’s reasoning was far-fetched, but it was also grounded in reality.

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t know how to respond.

If it had been ordinary martial arts, he would have taught his second brother without hesitation. But most of what he had learned—aside from the Big Divine Dipper Fist—was from the Piaomiao Sect, and Sect Master Ou had made it very clear that it was not to be passed on to others. The martial arts Zhang Xiaohua had relied on during the competitions included the Piaomiao Step, the Big Dipper Divine Fist, and the tremendous thousand-jin in his arms.

None of which could be replicated by Zhang Xiaohu. The Big Dipper Fist wasn’t even the key to his success, and it wasn’t something Zhang Xiaohu would want to learn—he preferred his own Six Harmonies Fist.

Zhang Xiaohua sighed, unsure of how to comfort his older brother.

Thinking about it, that makes sense. Zhang Xiaohua is just a teenager, how could he have much experience to offer his older second brother as advice?

So the two brothers sat in silence, sipping their tea.

Zhang Xiaohua really wanted to tell his brother about his progress in the martial arts competition, that he had advanced to the second round. But he knew that sharing this happy news now would only hurt Zhang Xiaohu’s pride, so he kept quiet.

As they drank their tea, Zhang Xiaohu suddenly noticed Zhang Xiaohua skillfully using his right hand to lift the cup. His heart skipped a beat, and he asked in a trembling voice: “Xiaohua, your right hand?”

Zhang Xiaohua paused, looking at his hand holding the cup. Realizing what Zhang Xiaohu meant, he smiled and said: “Second brother, oh right, I haven’t really come to see you much lately. I completely forgot to tell you—my hand basically healed last month. Look, it’s completely fine now.”

He moved his hand flexibly and added: “It’s fully recovered. I don’t feel any discomfort at all. In fact, today, I even exchanged punches with one of the Young Eagle Hall disciples, and there were no issues at all.”

Zhang Xiaohu was overjoyed upon hearing the news. The frustration he’d felt earlier had completely dissipated—whether it was due to venting through his martial arts practice or hearing that Zhang Xiaohua’s hand had recovered, he wasn’t sure. He repeatedly said, “Great,” feeling as though a huge weight had finally been lifted from his heart!

Back then, when the doctor at the Lutos Escort Agency’s medical clinic said Zhang Xiaohua’s right hand might be permanently crippled, he had always had a huge knot in his heart. He couldn’t imagine how devastated their parents would be upon hearing the news, or how he would face them. But now, everything was cleared away like smoke in the wind. Even the dark night sky seemed unexpectedly beautiful.

Suddenly, Zhang Xiaohu felt a twinge of guilt and said: “Xiaohua, your hand’s been healed for a month now, and I’m only just noticing. Sigh, it’s because your second brother hasn’t been taking good care of you.”

If they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, it would have been understandable that he hadn’t noticed. But Zhang Xiaohua had visited just a month earlier, and they’d spent the past couple of days together. Yet he hadn’t realized anything was different, and Zhang Xiaohu found it hard to forgive himself for that.

Zhang Xiaohua, however, waved his hand dismissively and said: “It’s nothing, Second Brother. I’m grown up now; I can take care of myself. You’re the one in a new environment, so you should focus on looking after yourself first. The way you looked just now was quite frightening! It’s so different from how you were when you were at the Lotus Escort Agency. I remember when you first learned the Six Harmonies Fist, you were so confident. You sparred with the other escorts using this martial technique and never lost a match. Why are you so discouraged now?”

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener took it to heart. Zhang Xiaohu felt a stirring in his heart—yes, back then, he had nothing. No master, no sect. Just someone teaching him the basics of the Six Harmonies Fist. Even then, he had practiced with such enthusiasm, mastering the form to the point where he could challenge stronger opponents. But what about now? He had already joined the Piaomiao Sect and found the master he’d dreamed of. Before him stretched a grand path to the heavens. Though his master hadn’t yet taught him anything, just the Piaomiao Sect’s deep foundation alone guaranteed that whatever he learned would be a hundred times more advanced than the Six Harmonies Fist or the crude internal techniques he had practiced on his own. Yet here he was, feeling sorry for himself and blaming the heavens for a bit of neglect. He hadn’t even noticed his own brother’s injury. Was this still the same Zhang Xiaohu?

Could someone with this kind of mindset truly cultivate profound martial arts?

Even if I were to cultivate to the highest level of martial arts, could I truly be happy like this?

Moreover, could someone who only thinks about themselves, neglecting others and making people feel cold and indifferent, ever win someone’s heart?

These continuous reflections caused Zhang Xiaohu’s expression to shift repeatedly. Finally, a smile appeared on his face. He had truly figured it out. Whether martial arts or power, they were just parts of life. Family and friendship were the true essence. If one were to view martial arts and power as the entirety of life, they would lose the joy of living. The true meaning of life lies in enjoying it, using martial arts and power as embellishments along the way. Whether praised or criticized by others, none of it should affect one’s open and broad heart. Only with such an attitude can one truly control their life.

Seeing the smile on Zhang Xiaohu’s face, Zhang Xiaohua was a little surprised and asked: “Second Brother, what good thing are you thinking about? Why do you look so happy?”

Zhang Xiaohu still smiled without saying a word and replied: “Nothing much. I was just thinking that now that your right hand is healed, the stone weighing on my heart has finally been lifted, and I don’t need to worry about you anymore. Ah, by the way, how did your matches go today? Don’t tell me it ended in three draws again.”

Zhang Xiaohua scratched his head awkwardly and said: “Could you have expected any other result, Second Brother?”

Zhang Xiaohu chuckled and asked: “So, are you not planning to return to Huanxi Villa tonight? Will you head back early tomorrow morning?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled mysteriously and said: “You’ve guessed wrong this time~”

“Oh?” Zhang Xiaohu was taken aback. He glanced at the sky and said: “It’s already late. It might not be appropriate for you to head back now.”

Zhang Xiaohua shook his head again.

Zhang Xiaohu was puzzled and asked: “Could it be that you’re planning to go back tomorrow evening?”

Zhang Xiaohua replied: “Guess again!”

Zhang Xiaohu wasn’t having it and said: “Say it or don’t, it doesn’t matter to me. This is where I live, so I don’t need to leave. If you’ve got what it takes, why don’t you stay here too?”

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled and said: “Do you really not know, or are you just pretending? Or maybe, you don’t believe that your dearest younger brother made it to the second round of the Martial Arts Competition?”

“The second round of the Martial Arts Competition?” Zhang Xiaohu’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “I really didn’t know. Are you serious? You made it to the second round? With your nine matches, nine draws?”

Zhang Xiaohua grinned sheepishly and said: “I don’t know how the others performed, but Group Leader Chang told me I was the last one to make it into the second round.”

Zhang Xiaohu excitedly said: “Even if you’re the last, you’re still one of the top performers in the Young Eagle Hall! Xiaohua, you’re really stronger than me now!”

These words were spoken sincerely, and they didn’t carry even a hint of the frustration that Zhang Xiaohu had felt earlier.

Zhang Xiaohua then told Zhang Xiaohu all the details that Group Leader Chang had explained about the second round of the Martial Arts Competition. After listening, Zhang Xiaohu thought for a moment before saying: “Xiaohua, I suspect that the second round won’t be as easy as the first. Not only are all the disciples entering the second round outstanding, but each one is more skilled than you. Moreover, with the time of two incense sticks burning, it will give them enough time to attack you with different moves and test your abilities. Don’t forget, which one of those disciples doesn’t have a special skill? It’s not like the first round where you only had the time of one incense stick. And this second round has no draws, only eliminations. It looks like your tactic of shrinking your head in the first round won’t work anymore.”

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t seem upset and said; “I’ve always admitted that I’m not as good as they are. Making it to the second round was just luck, but at least I get to stay in the Piaomiao Sect a little longer and spend more time with you. That’s good enough for me.”

Zhang Xiaohu set down his teacup and scoffed: “You just want to see how skilled the others are in the second round. Why drag me into it? If you really want to see me, you can come anytime. The gates of Piaomiao Manor won’t stop you as long as you have your Huanxi Villa waist token. It’s not like the Medicine Hall, where you need the Hall Master’s token!”

“Oh no!” Zhang Xiaohua suddenly slapped his forehead, as if remembering something.

“What is it?” Zhang Xiaohu asked, puzzled.

Zhang Xiaohua pulled out the token he had received from He Tianshu and explained: “I got this token from Captain He and was planning to bother him tonight. But after running into you like this, it’s too late to head over there now.”

“You still want to go to the Medicine Hall?” Zhang Xiaohu asked, puzzled. “There’s just a strong smell of herbs there. Nothing special. Why are you so eager to go?”

“I feel like I can sense more Qi in the Medicine Hal.,” Zhang Xiaohua said openly, without hiding anything.

“More Qi? In the Medicine Hall?” Zhang Xiaohu was even more confused. “Isn’t cultivating Qi the same no matter where you are, as long as it’s a quiet environment?”

Zhang Xiaohua scratched his head and replied: “Who knows? But I feel like each place is different.”

Zhang Xiaohu shook his head and said: “It’s probably your mindset that’s different!”

His words carried some wisdom, but Zhang Xiaohua hadn’t thought that deeply about it, because he had indeed sensed different levels of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi in various places.

Seeing that his younger brother wasn’t responding, Zhang Xiaohu thought he must be right. After all, he was young and Zhang Xiaohua had just started learning internal energy cultivation. How could he maintain a consistent state of mind all the time?

The two brothers chatted for a while longer before preparing to rest.

Zhang Xiaohu asked with concern: “Xiaohua, does your armpit still hurt?”

Zhang Xiaohua patted his body and said: “I’m fine. It healed long ago.”

Only then did Zhang Xiaohu relax.

When they went inside, Zhang Xiaohu initially thought they would sleep as they had the previous night, with their feet touching as they lay side by side. But Zhang Xiaohua, after thinking for a moment, said: “Second Brother, I think I’ll sleep in a different room tonight. I want to meditate and cultivate my qi. Is that alright?”

Zhang Xiaohu nodded cheerfully: “Sure, just don’t stay up too late. You’ve still got matches tomorrow.”

Zhang Xiaohua agreed and nodded.

Each went to their own room. Zhang Xiaohua sat cross-legged, his five hearts facing the sky, and began circulating his heart sutra to draw in Qi into his body. Once he expanded his awareness, he noticed that the Yuan Qi around Zhang Xiaohu’s residence was indeed not as abundant as that at the Medicine Hall, but still a bit richer than at Huanxi Villa’s herb fields. This confirmed Zhang Xiaohua’s earlier observation—each place had a different level of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi.

It was clear that the Yuan Qi at Piaomiao Manor was more concentrated than that at Huanxi Villa.

A night of cultivation passed quickly, and when daylight came again, Zhang Xiaohua checked the flow of True Qi within his meridians. As expected, there wasn’t any significant change, but this didn’t surprise him.

When he stepped outside, both brothers were in great spirits. Zhang Xiaohu had completely shaken off the dejection from the previous day, and it was as if he had become a different person altogether.

Zhang Xiaohua felt entirely relieved.

Zhang Xiaohua asked: “Second Brother, will you accompany me to the matches today?”

Zhang Xiaohu patted him on the shoulder and said: “Of course I will. Why wouldn’t I?”

Zhang Xiaohua smiled happily.

The two brothers arrived together at Young Eagle Hall. The number of stages on the square hadn’t decreased, and there were still plenty of disciples below them. However, many of the disciples wore excited smiles and were talking among themselves. Seeing the second round of matches, most of them didn’t feel much psychological pressure—it wasn’t like the first round, where the results determined whether they could advance.

Zhang Xiaohua and Zhang Xiaohu stood by the same arena where the earlier matches had taken place. Before long, Group Leader Chang walked over with a big smile, greeting the disciples around the arena. He then pulled out several tokens and handed them to those who had made it to the second round.

When Zhang Xiaohua received his token, he couldn’t help but freeze. Grabbing Group Leader Chang’s sleeve, he asked: “Group Leader Chang, is this a mistake? Why am I still number 250?”

Group Leader Chang looked at the somewhat unfortunate number and chuckled: “There’s no mistake. With your nine draws, you earned nine points. Out of the 250 disciples, you ranked last. If you don’t take this number, who will?”

Zhang Xiaohua looked helplessly at the token that had been with him for three days already. He rubbed it a few times on his clothes and tucked it back into his chest. Then he asked: “Group Leader Chang, where will my match take place? Will it still be on this arena?”

Group Leader Chang shook his head and said: “No, this second round is an elimination round. You won’t be fixed at one arena. Just listen for your number to be called. Wherever they tell you to go, that’s where you should head.”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded in understanding.

Not long after, the second round of matches began. Zhang Xiaohua, thinking that since his number was the last, his match would likely be at the end of the day, just like in the first round. However, as soon as the matches started, someone began calling out: “Number 250, Number 250, where are you?”

Seeing that Zhang Xiaohua didn’t respond, Zhang Xiaohu quickly raised his hand and shouted: “Over here!”

The person on the other side called out: “Hurry up to this arena, the match is about to start.”

Zhang Xiaohua quickly ran over and asked loudly: “Aren’t I the last number? Why is my match starting now?”

The Group Leader at the arena sneered and said: “This is an elimination round, not a round-robin. Matches are arranged based on numbers to prevent similarly skilled disciples from facing each other too soon. Disciples with weaker skills, like yourself, will face slightly stronger opponents first, so we can eliminate some early and leave the truly skilled ones to compete for the top ten spots later!”

“Oh, I see.” Zhang Xiaohua muttered, finally understanding. His score from the first round clearly showed he was the weakest, so what more could he say?

After the Group Leader finished speaking, he pointed to the arena and said to Zhang Xiaohua and the other disciple: “Step forward. I’ll light the incense, and the match will begin shortly.”

The other disciple, hearing this, took two steps forward and used his Qinggong, flying up onto the stage like a swift swallow.

Zhang Xiaohua, on the other hand, glanced left and right, as if searching for something.

The Group Leader glared at him and said: “Why aren’t you getting on the stage? Do you want me to throw you up there?”

Zhang Xiaohua’s heart filled with joy, and he laughed, saying: “That would be great! Please, Group Leader, throw me up there!”
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Orluros’s Vault of Secrets: Hello everyone, I have recently been made aware of an editing error that deleted some words if they were between <>, I checked all chapters and fixed those errors. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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