Chapter 91

Food.

As the man flew toward me using lightness skills, I recalled the face of the man who called me Brother Liu, and the words he had spoken came to mind.

"Of course, thrusting is the best. Piercing the vital points of evildoers and taking their lives in one go is the best way to allow them to atone for their sins without suffering, isn't it?"

The man whose words were etched deeply in my mind.

The man who, in conversations among juniors, passionately spoke about the virtues of thrusting every day.

"So your name is...?"

"I am Baoyun (White Cloud). Brother Liu."

"Ah, right, Baoyun! Yes, that's the name. Brother Bai, how long has it been?"

"Since the Poison King's birthday party, it's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

Indeed, the man who had appeared using lightness skills was Baoyun, the oldest among the juniors I met at the Poison King's birthday party, a man in his mid-twenties and a die-hard thrusting enthusiast.

"Yes! Brother Bai was from the Dianzhang School, right? It's a relief to meet you here! There's been a misunderstanding..."

Although I don't particularly like the people from the Dianzhang School, I greeted him with a smile.

In such a situation, anyone who isn't an enemy would be welcome, but that's beside the point.

"Do you mean a misunderstanding?"

He asked, then looked at his disciples, who had been pressuring me, claiming I was from the Southern Beast Palace. They flinched and avoided Baoyun's gaze, clearly flustered to see that their senior brother seemed to know the person they had accused of being from the Southern Beast Palace.

'Anyway, I've never liked the Dianzhang School brats since my past life.'

Personally, I don't like the Dianzhang School. According to my knowledge of martial arts from my past life, these guys are really unromantic, and that's why I don't like them. For example, the Huashan School, known for their plum blossom obsession, has a romantic concept of infusing their swords with the shape and fragrance of plum blossoms. They can even say things like, "Am I still unable to make the flowers bloom?" without sounding out of place. How cool and ridiculous is that?

Similarly, the Zhongnan School has a somewhat middle-school-like concept of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, which involves capturing the essence of flowing clouds. They can say things like, "The path of capturing clouds in the sword is long..." and it fits perfectly.

The Wudang School is known for the balance of Taiji, and the Hainan School, as the name suggests, has concepts derived from the sea, such as waves. Other schools also have their own unique and somewhat ridiculous but cool romantic elements. However, the Dianzhang School is different. They feel like a bunch of national soup enthusiasts.

The reason I call them national soup enthusiasts is because they are extreme efficiency fanatics. Just like how someone might be called a national soup enthusiast for saying, "Why are you buying spaghetti? You can get two bowls of national soup for the price of one bowl of spaghetti!" the Dianzhang School is the same. Their favorite line, as shown in the conversation with Baoyun, is:

"Cutting? Even if someone's limbs are severed, they can still attack, but one thrust can cut off their breath."

This is a statement focused on the efficiency of dealing damage. Unlike other schools, the Dianzhang School is known for their extreme focus on efficient damage dealing, which is why they are famous for their thrusting techniques.

Thrusting, or stabbing, means to pierce. So, the Dianzhang School, despite being part of the righteous martial world, is a school that thinks about how to efficiently pierce people.

That's why I don't like them. Efficiency fanatics tend to make everything boring.

'Even if they're not serial killers, they lack romance!'

However, whether I like them or not, I need their help right now.

Baoyun's eight disciples, who had been fidgeting under his gaze, finally one of them cautiously asked Baoyun:

"Senior Brother Baoyun, do you know that lackey of the Southern Beast Palace?!"

His disciple, who knew Baoyun and was still talking about the Southern Beast Palace, was flustered.

Baoyun shook his head and replied:

"What Southern Beast Palace? The person you've been longing to meet, the one I told you about, is right here. 'Shi Long.'"

"Shi, Shi Long?!"

'Yes, brats. I am... damn, Shi, Shi Long!'

I felt like spitting blood from embarrassment, even just thinking about it. I lifted my chin, feeling the intense gaze on me.

Then, Baoyun's disciples, surprised by his words, shouted at me one after another:

"The person who cooked the toad at the Poison King's birthday party and chilled the hearts of many martial artists?!"

"The one who injured many experts at the Zhuge family's wedding?"

"The mysterious person who suddenly appeared in the martial world. Shi Long!"

"Shi Long, here?!"

'If you understand, then understand.'

-Tsk

As I clicked my tongue, Baoyun's voice was heard:

"However, ahem... Brother Liu, why are you saying there's a misunderstanding while hugging a woman in the middle of the street?"

Turning my head at his words, I saw my wife, her face red, turning away.

Thinking about it, I had been hugging her to stop her.

Looking at her hands, the eight railguns were already de-energized.

'Did I protect the martial world... again today?!'

I swept my hand over my chest, which had been racing, and moved away from my wife as I replied:

"This is... how should I put it... I was, yes! Maintaining the peace of the martial world?"

"Huh?!"

Baoyun looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if to say, "What nonsense is this?"

"Ah, anyway. There's... something like that."

It was to save the lives of Baoyun's disciples, but I couldn't tell them I was protecting their heads, so I made up an excuse. Baoyun, looking at my wife, whose face was still red, asked again:

"Brother Liu, who... ahem. Who is the person next to you?"

Realizing I hadn't introduced my wife in the confusion, I quickly introduced her to Baoyun:

"Ah, I haven't introduced my wife. This is my wife, Zhuge Qing."

"Ah! So you're Lady Zhuge? Nice to meet you, Lady Zhuge. I'm Baoyun from the Dianzhang School."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Zhuge Qing."

"Congratulations, Brother Liu. I heard about your wedding."

"Thank you, Brother Bai."

As I greeted him, I unexpectedly received congratulations on my marriage. Only then did Baoyun ask why I had been held by his disciples.

"By the way, Brother Liu, why were you with my disciples? What misunderstanding?"

"So, this is what happened... ...it turned out like this."

I had to explain for a while why we were misunderstood. He listened to my explanation and nodded, then asked:

"Ah, so you're going to the Yunnan jungle with the head of the Tang family's Poison Blood Gang, Fan Jin?"

"Yes, but then your disciples suddenly drew their swords..."

"Without confirming anything, they drew their swords?"

Baoyun glared at his disciples, who had drawn their swords without checking. They trembled like mice in front of a cat.

Then, Baoyun's roar echoed:

"What is this? Even with the presence of Head Fan, why did you draw your swords?!"

Even if there were some doubts, drawing swords among martial artists should be avoided. It could lead to a major incident, so they should be careful. Clearly, it was the fault of Baoyun's disciples for drawing their swords first.

"Brother Liu, I apologize. My disciples are still inexperienced... I will apologize to Head Fan as well. Among the fifth-generation disciples, many are still new to the school..."

Baoyun apologized first. His disciples seemed to be like a group of middle or high school students, so I accepted his apology.

"It's fine as long as the misunderstanding is cleared, Brother Bai."

Just as I thought everything was settled, one of Baoyun's disciples, who had flinched at his roar, tried to explain:

"But, from Shi Long's carriage, a, a dog came out..."

"A dog?"

"Yes, and when Shi Long gave the dog an order, the dog followed it well, which made us think..."

"The dog understood human commands?!"

Only then did Baoyun notice Dukgu, who was lying under the carriage and looking at us, and his face showed surprise.

"Brother Liu, this dog?"

"What do you mean, Brother Bai? Is it not allowed to bring a dog? I noticed your disciples were surprised by the dog earlier."

Indeed, after confirming the dog, the Dianzhang School disciples seemed to lose their composure. I asked if they had some kind of collective dog allergy, and Baoyun explained why the Dianzhang School was so sensitive to dogs.

"Brother Liu, have you heard of the New Blood Massacre twenty years ago?"

"I'm not a martial artist, but I've heard a bit. What about it?"

I had heard the general story from my father-in-law, so I answered that way, and he continued:

"