My Martial Arts Level Never Drops

Chapter 399: Chapter 189: Observing Fish

Qin Fang looked over. Her expression was a little hesitant, but she still rose to her feet. With a slight bow, she murmured, ”Greetings, Senior Brother Qin.”

It was none other than Su Nian of the Celestial Martial Lineage.

...Except, back then, she had been the senior sister.

Now, however, Qin Fang was the senior brother.

This made Qin Fang feel a bit awkward...

He didn’t know what to call her.

Su Nian seemed to notice the awkwardness in his eyes. She spoke quickly, ”Senior Brother Qin, you can just call me Junior Sister... It’s the rule of the Sect: the more accomplished one has seniority. Furthermore, you’re the Hall Master’s True Inheritance of the Guiyuan Lineage. It’s a hierarchy that cannot be disrespected.”

Qin Fang paused for a moment upon hearing this, then finally nodded.

In the end, however, he still didn’t say the words.

He glanced at Yun Guanyu, who seemed to be lost in thought beside them. After a moment’s hesitation, Qin Fang asked in a low voice, ”And Senior Brother Yun is...?”

Su Nian faltered for a moment and also glanced at Yun Guanyu. Finally, with a wry smile, she lowered her voice. ”Senior Brother Qin, do you remember what Master Fan said on the day we joined the Sect?”

Qin Fang frowned. ’Master Fan said quite a bit that day; I don’t know which part she means...’

Su Nian said bitterly, ”Master Fan was right... Cultivating in the Celestial Martial Lineage is truly perilous. Since we focus primarily on Divine Sense, the dangers of Breaking Through are also centered on our Divine Sense... In his younger days, when Senior Brother Yun was Breaking Through, his Divine Sense suffered a latent injury. As a result, his memory... developed some problems.”

”He forgets certain things very easily... He needs time, or for someone to remind him... before he can recall them...”

Upon hearing this, Qin Fang stared blankly...

This was...

’...Alzheimer’s disease?’

’Is cultivation in the Celestial Martial Lineage really this dangerous?’

’It turned a Martial Artist of who knows what level of the True Essence Realm into someone with dementia?’

”But it doesn’t affect him too much. He can still remember some very important things... It’s not complete amnesia... and there’s a chance he can recover... it’s just... a little difficult...”

Seeing the strange look on Qin Fang’s face, Su Nian grew inexplicably anxious and quickly tried to explain.

But as she spoke, her voice trailed off toward the end...

’...A Sect as massive as the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect hadn’t been able to cure him immediately.’

’One could only imagine just how difficult her ”a little difficult” truly was.’

Qin Fang wasn’t Yun Guanyu; his memory wasn’t that short. He clearly remembered what Su Nian had said when introducing Yun Guanyu that day—that he was the current Deputy Hall Master of the Celestial Martial Lineage!

’That means he’s also a Hall Master’s True Inheritance.’

’And a veteran one, at that.’

’He’s a core figure in the Sect.’

If the Sect had the means to cure him, Qin Fang was certain it wouldn’t have been stingy.

And yet...

Qin Fang’s gaze flickered.

He recalled Master Fan mentioning that the official Hall Master of the Celestial Martial Lineage had been ’severely injured with a single glance’ by Senior Sister Xueci’s master...

’...He found it a bit hard to imagine what being ’severely injured with a single glance’ even entailed.’

’...A death glare that could actually kill?’

’...Perhaps when I return next time, I really should find some Leaf Skills related to Divine Sense and do some research?’

’After all, I have my status panel. Breaking Through in a Leaf Skill shouldn’t pose any risk for me... right?’

”I see...”

In the end, that was all Qin Fang could say in response.

Su Nian looked awkward. With Qin Fang silent, she didn’t know what to say either. As the atmosphere grew tense, she blurted out, ”Oh, right! I’ve been hearing rumors around the Sect that Senior Brother is now the Scripture Lecturer for the Tempering Martial Hall? And you can even describe the specific method for Breaking Through to the Martial Arts Third Realm?”

Her eyes shining, she said, ”My Martial Arts Realm is only at the Second Realm. Though I have reached the True Essence Realm, I still want to attend your lecture next time I’m back in the Sect, Senior Brother Qin. I really need to brush up on my understanding of the Realms!”

Qin Fang raised an eyebrow, then smiled. ”Of course. But you’ll have to wait until I return.”

”Oh?” Su Nian paused, surprised. ”Are you going on a long journey, Senior Brother?”

Qin Fang nodded.

Su Nian subconsciously wanted to ask where he was going, but as she opened her mouth, she immediately realized it wasn’t her place to ask. She could only say, ”In that case, please be careful, Senior Brother...”

Qin Fang nodded.

”I remember now!”

Finally, Yun Guanyu, who had been standing to the side, seemed to recall something. He clapped his hands together and looked at Qin Fang in surprise. ”I heard you were the top candidate in this year’s Martial Arts Examination! Su Nian even told me to go find you and recruit you into the Celestial Martial Lineage... So, how about it? Are you interes—”

Before he could finish, Su Nian, her face flushed red with embarrassment, clapped a hand over his mouth. She then said awkwardly to Qin Fang, ”Senior Brother Qin, my apologies. Senior Brother Yun must have his timing mixed up... We had no intention of offending the Guiyuan Lineage...”

Qin Fang: ”...”

He shook his head with a wry smile, then clasped his hands in a salute toward Yun Guanyu. ”Thank you for the kind offer, Senior Brother Yun, but this junior brother has already pledged his loyalty. I am now with the Guiyuan Lineage... The reason I came today was to thank you for the favor of granting me a token previously.”

”Granting a token?”

Yun Guanyu raised an eyebrow, then his brow furrowed as he began to stroke his chin.

Seeing this, Qin Fang felt a wave of helplessness...

’Yun Guanyu, Yun Guanyu...’

’That name wasn’t chosen well at all.’

’Is his memory really like a fish’s—only seven seconds long?’

”Senior Brother Qin, please forgive him...”

Su Nian could only continue to apologize helplessly to Qin Fang.

Seeing this, Qin Fang felt just as helpless...

’This must be so exhausting for Su Nian.’

Now that he was a Hall Master’s True Inheritance, he naturally knew about the Celestial Martial Lineage’s current situation.

’Dwindling members’ doesn’t even begin to cover it.

’...They’ve fucking dwindled to nothing!’

’They’re practically on the verge of extinction!’

Right now, the entire Celestial Martial Lineage probably only had a handful of members left.

Within the entire Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect, it was hard to find a single Elder or True Essence Realm expert who belonged to the Celestial Martial Lineage...

With a soft sigh, Qin Fang said no more. He gave Yun Guanyu another salute, nodded to Su Nian, and in the next instant, his figure shot through the air and vanished from sight.

He left behind a helpless-looking Su Nian, who let out a long sigh.

And...

”I remember now!”

Yun Guanyu exclaimed, his eyes suddenly lighting up as he clapped his hands.

Speechless, Su Nian slapped her own smooth forehead...