Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 151: Chapter 122: Another New Art from Dragon Eagle! High Tier Technique Achieved

"Master, you were looking for me?"

Wan Ze stepped onto the second floor and rounded the screen, only to find someone else sitting beside Situ Bai... Although the person’s back was to the door and their face was hidden, they inexplicably gave off a very quiet feeling.

Like a deep pool of water, silent and still, yet you could feel its presence.

Wan Ze rarely felt this way about someone.

But now, he couldn’t help but take a second look.

’Oh, it’s a man.’

"Xiaozhe, you’re just in time. Your sixth brother just got back from out of town. You two should get acquainted." Situ Bai set down his teacup and smiled warmly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out.

With that, he gestured to the person beside him. "Gao Qi, this is your junior brother, Wan Ze, my closed-door disciple."

Wan Ze followed his master’s gesture with his eyes.

The man stood and turned around.

He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, with well-defined features. But it was his eyes... a pair of eyes that Wan Ze noticed first.

They were beautiful.

As clear as a mountain stream.

’But is this really the gaze of a man?’ Wan Ze felt a little strange.

Gao Qi was also taken aback.

His gaze fixed on Wan Ze for a brief moment, a pause so short it was almost imperceptible.

But Wan Ze noticed it. He quickly looked back, only to find that this sixth brother was a complete stranger.

Gao Qi chuckled softly, a rare warmth in his voice. "Wan... Junior Brother, a pleasure to meet you."

"Brother Gao, a pleasure." Wan Ze nodded slightly.

He sensed the goodwill coming from his sixth brother and didn’t overthink it, assuming it was out of respect for their master.

All of his master’s disciples had been good to him.

"You young people should chat more. Look out for each other in the future." Situ Bai picked up his teacup again and took a sip, his gaze shifting between the two with the satisfied smile of an elder looking upon the younger generation.

Gao Qi agreed with a smile.

He turned to Wan Ze, his tone as casual as if making small talk. "I opened a bookstore in the east of the city. I’m usually there when I have nothing else to do. If you’re free, Junior Brother, feel free to drop by."

Wan Ze was taken aback for a moment. "...A bookstore?"

Situ Bai interjected from the side, his tone tinged with an amused sigh. "Your brother has never been one for waving around swords and spears, not even as a child. He has a very quiet temperament, so a bookstore suits him perfectly."

’Quiet?’

Wan Ze looked at Gao Qi.

Gao Qi was looking right back at him, those ever-clear eyes now seeming to hide something.

Seeing Wan Ze’s gaze, he smiled first.

Wan Ze snapped out of his daze and returned the smile. "I’ll definitely trouble you for a visit when I have the time, Brother."

...

Gao Qi had originally suggested they have lunch together.

Wan Ze was about to agree when Gao Qi’s communicator rang.

He glanced down at it, and his expression changed slightly.

"Master, Junior Brother." Gao Qi looked up with an apologetic smile. "Something’s come up. I have to go take care of it."

He looked at Wan Ze, his tone sincere. "Today’s really not a good time. Another day... another day, I’ll treat you to a welcome meal, Junior Brother."

"You’re too kind, Brother," Wan Ze said. "Business comes first."

Gao Qi nodded, bowed slightly to Situ Bai, and turned to leave.

Wan Ze watched his back disappear down the stairwell.

He was lost in thought.

He remembered Lei Ming mentioning this sixth brother... When Lei Ming spoke of him, his tone was tinged with scorn, as if he was reluctant to say much.

Wan Ze hadn’t paid it much mind at the time. Lei Ming had a sharp tongue and rarely had a good word for anyone.

But having met him today, he didn’t feel there was anything wrong with him.

He was a man of few words, to be sure, but that was acceptable.

It was just those eyes.

Wan Ze recalled the brief pause when Gao Qi had looked at him earlier.

And the... something in those eyes.

He couldn’t put his finger on it.

He just felt that those eyes were deep, far deeper than they should be for someone who "disliked waving around swords and spears."

...

On the second floor of the rear courtyard was a small meditation room. The furnishings were simple: a low table, a couch, and a large calligraphic character for "Martial" hanging on the wall.

Situ Bai sat on the edge of the couch while Wan Ze stood in the center of the room, having just finished a set of the Iron Mountain Fist.

"The Power is sufficient, but your force pathways are still a bit lacking." Situ Bai stroked his beard, offering his critique. "When you punch, your shoulders need to sink more. The Strength must rise from the ground, pass through the waist and back; you can’t just swing your arms. Your third form just now..."

He trailed off, suddenly stopping mid-sentence.

His brow furrowed slightly. His gaze fell back on Wan Ze, scanning him up and down. He paused, then narrowed his eyes. "You brat... were you holding back again?"

Standing there, Wan Ze broke into a clean, pure smile. "As expected, I can’t hide anything from you, Master."

Situ Bai stared for a moment, then found himself at a loss for whether to laugh or cry.

He pointed at Wan Ze, opening his mouth as if to say something, but then decided it was pointless. Finally, he just shook his head and chided with a laugh, "You rascal, still keeping secrets from me?"

How could he not know by now that Wan Ze had intentionally performed the fist set poorly?

But even as he said it, a hint of gratification appeared in his eyes.

Wan Ze wasn’t like Lei Ming and Zhai Jia. Those two were thoughtless, each more reckless and straightforward than the last, wearing every emotion on their sleeves.

This child, Wan Ze... he was deep. So deep that sometimes even Situ couldn’t understand him.

But for a martial artist, being deep wasn’t a bad thing.

Situ Bai softened his tone and said, "I was originally planning to teach you another Martial Skill once your Qi and Blood Tempering was more or less complete. I never expected... that you would have already reached Refining Viscera without a word."

Wan Ze’s heart jolted.

He had intentionally controlled his Power and concealed his Qi. He had used thirty percent of his strength at most for that fist set.

But he still hadn’t been able to fool his master’s eyes.

’Is this the insight of someone at Refining Force Great Perfection?’

He looked at the gray-haired, seemingly ordinary old man before him, and a wave of sincere admiration washed over him.

His master usually kept a low profile, just staying here on the second floor of the rear courtyard, drinking tea, practicing his fists, and occasionally giving his disciples some pointers.

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