The elderly man kept talking to the children without pause.
Lul Zijian watched anxiously from the side, urging, "Father, Uncle Chen is still in the mansion. Don't keep him waiting too long."
"Alright, let's go in then."
Lul Xiong seemed reluctant to stop.
But recalling that Chen Jichuan was still waiting inside, he glared at Lul Zijian and then led his grandson and great-grandson into the mansion.
"Mr. Lul."
"Master Lul."
The Chen and Lul families had always been on good terms.
The Chen Mansion's gatekeeper recognized Lul Xiong and Lul Zijian, so there was no need for an announcement. He led the entire family directly inside. Walking through the mansion, Lul Zijian leaned toward his sons and grandsons, whispering sternly, "Mr. Chen prefers peace and quiet. When you meet him later, do not make a fuss!"
"Understood."
Bai, Yu, and Jing replied simultaneously. Lul Bai and Lul Yu quietly reminded their own sons as well.
Actually, they were all quite nervous themselves.
The names of Lul Bai, Lul Yu, and Lul Jing, the three brothers, had all been chosen by the renowned figure "Southern Dynasty Chen." They used to see him frequently as children, but in recent years, they had scattered across different regions to manage their respective branches of "White Jade City," and encounters had become rare.
Moreover, this Master Chen had grown even more famous in recent years, challenging and defeating twenty-eight martial arts masters and revered elders across Lingnan without suffering a single loss.
He was hailed as the top martial artist of Lingnan's Green Forest.
Alongside the Northern "Scattering Flower Leg" Tan Jinxuan, he was revered as part of the legendary duo "South Chen and North Tan," enjoying immense recognition throughout the Great Yann Martial World. He also presided over the Lingnan-wide network of "White Jade City" establishments, reputedly wealthy enough to rival nations, earning him his moniker "Southern Dynasty Chen."
Such a figure.
Who wouldn't be trembling with nerves upon meeting him?
The Lul Bai brothers were no exception.
...
They walked through hallways and courtyards to reach the inner residence.
"Southern Dynasty Chen" had remained unmarried throughout his life, living on his own. Numerous aristocrats from Langning Mansion had proposed matches, but none had caught his eye.
Seven or eight years ago, Lul Yu had followed his father to the eastern Heshui Prefecture to open new markets.
He only returned once, four years ago.
It had been a long time since he had last seen this Master Chen.
Entering the inner courtyard.
The first thing they noticed was an impressive collection of training equipment.
There were rows of green bamboo tied with chains along the wall.
There were wooden stakes driven into the ground in chaotic arrangements.
There were stone drums.
There were stone mills.
There were stone locks.
There were iron plates.
And there were various sandbags.
It was an overwhelming sight.
But the most eye-catching was a tall structure with crossbeams crisscrossing the top, from which hung razor-sharp blades of different heights and lengths in three levels: top, middle, and bottom.
Counting them carefully.
There were eighteen blades in total.
And among them was a man.
He was in the middle, punching, kicking, elbowing, and dodging, causing the blades to swing back and forth unpredictably. His body maneuvered deftly within, darting and spinning, charging north and retreating south, leaping and bounding. Yet, not a single blade managed to touch him.
The sight truly made one shudder.
Lul Bai, Lul Yu, and the others were already slack-jawed in astonishment. Such skill! No wonder he could defeat all twenty-eight masters of Lingnan. If he could move so effortlessly through a forest of blades, opponents stood little chance against his hands, eyes, body, and steps—all honed to an art form.
It wasn't just them.
Even the young Lul Changshou and his younger brother were mesmerized, nearly clapping in admiration.
It seemed he noticed their arrival.
The man continued his movements with ease—punch, kick, hook, point, sweep, lift, swirl, pivot, hit, bump, hook, swing—all while evading the cold and gleaming blades as though swimming through water, and finally stepped out of the structure.
It turned out to be a robust and athletic middle-aged man.
His frame was lanky, and he had the appearance of someone merely in his early forties, even younger-looking than forty-six-year-old Lul Zijian.
Lul Yu recognized him.
This was none other than the famed old master of White Jade City, the illustrious "Southern Dynasty Chen"—
Chen Jichuan!
...
"You're all here."
"Sit."
Chen Jichuan ceased practicing the "Golden Blade Changing Palm Technique," stepped out of the training area, and motioned for Lul Xiong and Lul Zijian to take a seat.
"Master Chen."
"Uncle Chen."
The father and son sat down.
Chen Jichuan glanced at the three Lul brothers and nodded, saying, "Not bad, you've all grown up."
Lul Bai, Lul Yu, and Lul Jing hurriedly addressed him as "Master Chen." Lul Yu respectfully remarked, "Master Chen looks exactly the same as four years ago, not a trace of change."
The others nodded in agreement after hearing this.
Lul Xiong looked at Chen Jichuan and couldn't help but feel envious.
Counting back.
It had been forty-one years since he first met Chen Jichuan.
Back then, Chen Jichuan arrived in Langning Mansion and went to the Lul Family Martial Arts Hall to learn martial arts, appearing to be around thirty years old. Only after starting martial training and improving his health did they realize he had been merely eighteen at the time.
Even so, forty-one years had now passed, and he should be approaching sixty.
Yet most people would have begun to show the signs of aging long ago.
But as for him.
Saying he looks forty would still be an exaggeration.
Even if he claimed to be in his thirties, no one would doubt it.
He could run and leap, effortlessly carry stones weighing thousands of pounds, and his nimble movements earlier even surpassed those of mountain-dwelling monkeys.
No signs at all of the typical martial artist's decline in Qi-Blood and physical strength after fifty.
It was truly extraordinary.
Lul Xiong could only attribute this to Chen Jichuan's unparalleled medical proficiency.
"Martial arts strengthen the body."
"Back in the day, Mr. Lul ran the martial arts hall with notable renown. Now, it's inherited by Lul Rong. For your branch, when it was passed down to Zijian, there was still some effort to keep up appearances, practicing for two years. But by the time it reached Lul Bai and the others, they didn't even bother pretending."
Chen Jichuan looked at Lul Xiong and shook his head repeatedly.
The Lul Family had built its foundation on martial arts.
But in Lul Xiong's branch, this tradition had practically vanished. Thankfully, Lul Rong had taken up the mantle and ran the Lul Family Martial Arts Hall admirably.
"Having Lul Rong is enough," Lul Xiong laughed.
Turning to Chen Jichuan, he added, "Practicing martial arts is too grueling. Back then, if my father hadn't forced me, I wouldn't have wanted to train either. Master Chen brought me fortune and prosperity in this lifetime—I've accumulated a considerable family wealth. If the younger generations don't wish to endure the hardship, I can understand. Let them live as they please."