Chapter 143 : Long Time No See
Chapter 143: Long Time No See
Chen Ming did not take a carriage. The coachman had come with him, but he didn’t know the way either. It was actually more convenient for him to walk alone.
Upon asking for directions, he found out the place was quite far.
He didn’t mind. It was a rare outing, and just the right opportunity to stroll through the city.
Although he had visited most of Jiangzhou the last time he went out, his mind had been solely on grinding experience points. He hadn’t had the leisure to enjoy the scenery and had just rushed through it all.
Now, he finally had time to appreciate the sights of this large city.
Chen Ming walked the entire morning and finally arrived at the street in question. After asking a few people, he found the place within a cobblestone-paved lane.
“Changqing Hall, this should be the place.”
He arrived at the entrance of a modest medical clinic, glanced at the somewhat weathered signboard above, and asked inside, “Excuse me, is Doctor Sun here?”
Just as he was about to step in, a man holding a longsword walked out. The sharp gaze swept over him with an invisible pressure.
Chen Ming instinctively stepped back, refraining from entering.
His heart tensed. This man was definitely an expert—most likely even stronger than him.
How could such an expert appear in this inconspicuous medical clinic?
He felt deeply puzzled.
This time, he had come at the request of Lord Wang.
Chen Ming’s eyes had previously been injured by Zhao Shouchang’s sword intent. It was Lord Wang who had treated him. Seeing that this Lord Wang was not only highly skilled in medicine but also noble in character, Chen Ming had made a point to befriend him.
Now that Lord Wang heard he was coming to Jiangzhou City, he asked him to deliver something to Doctor Sun at Changqing Hall.
Lord Wang said that Doctor Sun was like his teacher. All his medical skills were learned from Doctor Sun.
Chen Ming had initially assumed that Changqing Hall must be a renowned establishment, given that it had produced someone as outstanding as Lord Wang. But after asking around, he found it tucked in a humble neighborhood, and the clinic itself was quite small.
The swordsman blocked the entrance and said only two words: “Wait here.”
Chen Ming somewhat understood then—there was likely someone inside being treated, and this swordsman was their guard.
“No wonder they say Jiangzhou City is full of experts. Even a random bodyguard has Fourth Grade cultivation.”
As he pondered this, he heard footsteps from inside. A veiled woman stepped out. Though her face wasn’t visible, her figure and attire suggested she was quite young.
Chen Ming only glanced briefly before withdrawing his gaze and stepping aside. After the woman and the swordsman left, he entered the clinic.
“Excuse me, is Doctor Sun here?”
“Are you here for a prescription?”
An elderly man with white hair and beard walked out. Though clearly advanced in age, his spirit was vigorous, making Lord Wang seem even younger by comparison.
Chen Ming said, “You must be Doctor Sun. I’ve come at the request of Lord Wang—Wang Yimu—to deliver something to you.”
As he spoke, he handed over the bundle he had been carrying.
“So it’s that child.”
Doctor Sun’s expression softened a little as he accepted the bundle and set it aside casually.
“There’s also a letter.” Chen Ming took out the letter he had been carrying.
Doctor Sun motioned for him to sit and began to read the letter.
……
Outside on the street, in a seemingly ordinary carriage, the veiled woman who had just left Changqing Hall had been waiting for quite a while.
“That man hasn’t come out yet?”
The swordsman sitting beside the coachman replied, “No, Mistress.”
“So he wasn’t here for a prescription. Send someone to follow him. Find out who he is.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go back.”
Only then did the carriage slowly pull away.
……
Not long after, Doctor Sun finished reading the letter, put it away, looked back at Chen Ming, sized him up again, and asked, “You are Chen Ming?”
“This junior is.”
“Would you let this old man take your pulse?”
“Of course.”
Chen Ming rose and extended his hand.
Doctor Sun placed his fingers on his wrist, gently stroking his beard with the other hand.
After a moment, he withdrew his hand. “Little Wang mentioned in his letter that you’re quite interested in the medical arts.”
Chen Ming said, “Martial and medical arts are closely linked. Learning more about medicine is also beneficial to martial cultivation.”
“Sit here.”
Doctor Sun turned and went into a room. A short while later, he came back with a thick book.
“These are some of my insights into medicine. Take it.”
Chen Ming was taken aback and quickly said, “This—this is far too valuable. I can’t accept it.”
Doctor Sun pressed the book into his hands. “Take it. I have no disciples or descendants. If it stays with me, it’ll just get buried with me.”
“Then I thank you, senior.”
“You’re not leaving Qingfeng City too soon, are you? If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me.”
“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you, senior?”
“Most days, I hardly have anyone here. Think of it as keeping an old man company.”
“Then this junior shall respectfully accept your kind offer.”
……
When Chen Ming returned to Feng Siyuan’s place, he saw Zhou Weihao and Gu Yuantao.
“Well, you’ve arrived in Jiangzhou City and didn’t even come find us.”
As soon as they met, Zhou Weihao began complaining. “We’ve been waiting for you here forever.”
Chen Ming gave a brief explanation.
Zhou Weihao refused to let it go and finally declared, “Tonight at Tianxiang Tower, you’re treating.”
“Maybe next time. The Azure Cloud Ranking Competition is right around the corner…”
“Oh, come on. You really think you can win a spot? Don’t take this the wrong way, but do you even realize how many young experts have emerged across Jiangzhou in recent years?”
Zhou Weihao poured cold water on him. “The Five Talents of Jiangzhou from a few years ago are now all at Fourth Grade cultivation. That already takes up five spots. In recent years, several formidable figures have also emerged. Jiang Shihua from the Jiang Family, Li Yuqi from the Wushan Sect, Ji Qianxing from the Ji Family… all of them are peak Fifth Grade experts, and their strength is extraordinary.”
Beside him, Gu Yuantao also nodded slightly in agreement.
Both of them were Sixth Grade cultivators, a few years younger than Chen Ming. This time around, they stood no chance, and by the next round they would be overage. One could say they had perfectly missed such a grand event.
Being martial artists themselves, they understood even more clearly the gap between Chen Ming and Jiang Shihua, Li Yuqi, Ji Qianxing, and the others.
Only someone like Feng Siyuan, who had failed in martial cultivation, would be so blindly confident in Chen Ming.
In their eyes, Chen Ming’s talent was undoubtedly brilliant. If given one more year, he would definitely be a strong contender for the Azure Cloud Ranking. But now, he was still far from ready.
Though he had dominated in Qingfeng City and hadn’t encountered any real opponent, it was because Qingfeng City simply didn’t have any decent experts.
In the past two or three decades, the martial arts scene in Qingfeng City had declined terribly. Chen Ming’s battle record wasn’t all that convincing.
The ones he had defeated were all dead-ends, grassroots-level weaklings.
Now, those participating in the Azure Cloud Ranking competition were all top disciples from aristocratic families and renowned sects, practicing the most elite cultivation methods and martial techniques.
Their strength was already top-tier within the same realm.
No matter how powerful Chen Ming was, he had reached Fifth Grade far too recently. How could he compete with those who had been at Fifth Grade for two or three years?
In the end, Zhou Weihao said, “Being able to spar with the most outstanding experts of your generation will benefit your future greatly. As for winning or losing, there’s no need to dwell on it.”
He added, “So, you should still come with me to Tianxiang Tower tonight and see for yourself. I’m telling you, there’s a new courtesan this year who’s taken the stage, outshining all others. When I saw her last time, I was completely blown away—”
Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from the side. “Brother Zhou is talking about the peony of Tianxiang Tower, right? I’d like to go see her too.”
Zhou Weihao heard this voice and it was like his throat had been clutched. He glared furiously at Feng Siyuan beside him, then turned to look at Zhao Xiyan who had just entered from outside.
She was still dressed in male attire, holding a folding fan. Her personal maid followed behind her. At this moment, she was looking at Zhou Weihao with a teasing expression.
Zhou Weihao forced a laugh. “Isn’t this Young Master Zhao? Long time no see, you’re more elegant than ever. Ah, I just remembered something urgent at home, I’ll be off now.”
After saying that, he slipped away.
Gu Yuantao said nothing, cupped his hands, and also left.
Feng Siyuan originally wanted to say something, but when he saw Zhao Xiyan gazing longingly at Chen Ming, he tactfully kept his mouth shut and left quietly.
……
Chen Ming looked at Zhao Xiyan standing before him, appearing more mature and with a seemingly fuller chest. He felt slightly conflicted. “Long time no see.”
It really had been quite a while—almost three months.
Over two months ago, Zhao Shouchang had returned to Qingfeng City, but she had remained in Jiangzhou City. During that time, she had written him a few letters.
However, not seeing each other for so long did make things feel a bit distant.
Zhao Xiyan’s eyes turned slightly red. “Are you still angry that I followed my father to Jiangzhou City?”
Chen Ming said, “How could I be angry with you? Leaving at that time was the wisest choice. If you had stayed, Lord Inspector probably wouldn’t have let me go.”
The more understanding he sounded, the more Zhao Xiyan felt the growing distance between them—like an invisible wall stood between them, impossible to cross.
Everything had been getting better.
Since Chen Ming broke through to Fifth Grade, her father’s attitude had also changed. Though he hadn’t said it outright, he had tacitly approved and no longer opposed them.
“I stayed in Jiangzhou City because my father found me a teacher. I mentioned it in my letters to you. The letters I wrote—did you receive them?”
Chen Ming nodded. “I received all the letters you sent. I didn’t reply because I didn’t want to interrupt your training. Knowing you’re doing well in Jiangzhou City puts my mind at ease.”
At that moment, a servant came to report, “Young Master Chen, someone outside requests to see you.”
“Got it.”
Chen Ming looked up at the sky and said, “It’s getting late. You should head back, lest your teacher scolds you. I’ll visit you another day.”
After speaking, he turned and left, polite yet distant.
Zhao Xiyan watched his departing figure as tears streamed down her cheeks.
She didn’t understand—how did things come to this?