Chapter 169 : I'll Handle It
Chapter 169: I'll Handle It
Qiuxiang and Dongxiang were formerly the maids of Yu Haitang, so they probably wouldn’t lie to her.
Still, she didn’t believe it. This was a judgment based on common sense. As for Chen Ming’s strength, she had her own assessment.
There might be geniuses in this world who could battle across realms, but she had never seen one. Even if such a person appeared in Jiangzhou, it couldn’t possibly be Chen Ming.
She said coldly,"Impossible."
At that moment, Ji Qianxing stepped forward from behind her, grasped the saber hilt, and within his indifferent gaze appeared a trace of solemnity. With a somewhat hoarse voice, he said,"Let me see how you severed Lai Xiangran’s arm!"
Chen Ming felt a bit helpless. Honestly, no one ever believed the truth.
He reminded,"Be careful, Brother Ji."
Then he gripped the sword hilt, drew the sword, and gave a gentle swing.
Yu Haitang’s gaze contracted. She sensed an unusual fluctuation emanating from that once-familiar Mingfeng Sword.
"How is this possible?"
In the next instant, a visible red gleam flew out.
It was Sword Qi!
Yu Haitang was greatly shocked. Under the intense emotional turmoil, her True Qi instantly lost control, and her veiled hat was blown off, revealing her stunningly beautiful face, momentarily dazed from the shock.
Ji Qianxing, who was directly facing that Sword Qi, had his pupils contract. He could only manage to raise his longsword by an inch before—clang—a ringing sound followed. He was forced back four or five steps by that immense force.
He stopped, his sword hand trembling slightly, the web between his thumb and forefinger cracked, blood seeping out. Yet he didn’t seem to feel it at all, staring blankly at Chen Ming across from him.
Moments later, Ji Qianxing cupped his fist in salute."Thank you, Brother Chen, for your mercy!"
His tone was exceedingly complex.
This was also the first time he addressed Chen Ming as"Brother Chen".
Chen Ming earnestly said,"My apologies. In order to prove myself to the lady, I might have used a bit too much force. Brother Ji, I hope you don’t mind."
Ji Qianxing said nothing, quietly retreating to the side and hiding his right hand behind his back.
Yu Haitang stared blankly at the Mingfeng Sword in his hand, muttering,"How is this possible? How did you do it?"
She could see that the reason Chen Ming was able to unleash that Sword Qi, comparable to a Fourth Grade, was due to the power of that divine weapon.
But how was this possible?
The Mingfeng Sword was once her most beloved sword, one she couldn’t bear to part with. The sword spirit within it had already dissipated. It should have been incapable of displaying the might of a peerless divine weapon.
Yet that strike from Chen Ming had clearly restored some of the divine weapon’s power. Though faint, it was unmistakable—this divine weapon, in his hands, had become different.
Chen Ming explained,"By a twist of fate, it absorbed a strand of Sword Intent and underwent some peculiar changes. That’s how it ended up like this."
Sword Intent?
Yu Haitang fell silent.
For someone with only Fifth Grade cultivation to be able to unleash Sword Qi was already astonishing. But to also possess a strand of peerless Sword Intent? That was even more outrageous.
Even a Sword Intent from a First Grade expert would be useless to the Mingfeng Sword. It would require the Sword Intent of a Divine Repository Realm expert.
This brat had more secrets than she had imagined.
Yu Haitang suddenly shook her head."Sword Qi alone wouldn’t be enough for you to defeat Lai Xiangran."
Chen Ming thought to himself, how does she know so much about Lai Xiangran’s strength? He said aloud,"In the martial world, naturally one has a few trump cards."
Yu Haitang gave him a deep look, didn’t pursue the topic, and instead sat gracefully on the chair prepared for her."So, you brought me here because you’re worried the Sect Master of Heavenly Ultimate Sect will come for revenge?"
"The lady is indeed incredibly perceptive. You guessed it right."
"You needn’t worry about that. Though that Sect Master Liao is fiercely protective of his own, he wouldn’t dare step into Jiangzhou City. As long as you remain in the city, he can’t do anything to you."
The implication being, if he dared to leave Jiangzhou City, he would have to face the wrath of a Second Grade expert.
Chen Ming said,"I can’t stay in Jiangzhou City forever, can I?"
Yu Haitang retorted,"Why not?"
"I’ve been away from home for two months now. My family must be worried."
"You’re afraid Sect Master Liao might harm your family? You can rest assured. No matter what, he is still a sect master. Unless you killed both of his disciples, he wouldn’t go that far."
Chen Ming thought, who could guarantee such a thing?
Yu Haitang seemed to see through his thoughts and said,"When you reach Fourth Grade someday, I can settle this matter for you. Make sure Sect Master Liao won’t bother you again."
Such confidence—this was no ordinary bold claim.
A Second Grade expert, and she spoke of settling it just like that?
Naturally, Chen Ming didn’t question her and simply nodded. Then he suddenly asked,"I have an unreasonable request. I hope the lady can help."
In the past, Yu Haitang would have probably replied, “Since you know it’s unreasonable, don’t say it,” and sent him away. But now, she patiently asked,"What is it?"
"I’ve always enjoyed sparring with martial artists of similar strength, to experience the martial arts of different sects. The lady surely knows many Fourth Grade martial artists in Jiangzhou City. Would you be willing to introduce a few to spar with me?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Haitang realized it was a trivial matter and nodded."Sure, I’ll handle it."
"Then I thank the lady deeply."Chen Ming now looked at her with a different gaze.
Yu Haitang found this guy to be quite the martial arts fanatic. When she gifted him the divine weapon Mingfeng Sword earlier, he didn’t even seem this happy.
At that moment, the two maids saw their conversation was nearly done and came over with tea.
She took a sip, then suddenly waved her hand.
Ji Qianxing, who stood behind her, paused for a moment, then silently left the courtyard.
The two maids followed suit.
In the courtyard, only Chen Ming and Yu Haitang remained.
Yu Haitang set down her teacup and said,"Your cultivation has improved greatly. Have you already mastered the Primordial Wood True Art?"
Even with a divine weapon, an ordinary Fifth Grade martial artist wouldn’t be able to unleash Sword Qi. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so shocked.
At least, even when she was at the peak of Fifth Grade, having cultivated the Primordial Wood True Art, she couldn’t achieve that.
Chen Ming’s Primordial Fire True Art and her Primordial Wood True Art were of the same level.
If she couldn’t do it, there was no reason he could.
So there could only be one explanation—he had also cultivated the Primordial Wood True Art successfully. The two complemented each other, resulting in his drastic improvement in strength. He had already surpassed the vast majority of top-tier Fifth Grades in the world.
Such quality of True Qi was enough to rival the most supreme divine arts passed down by the top forces.
Chen Ming nodded and said,"During this one month of seclusion, I did gain some insights."
Yu Haitang, upon receiving a definite answer, couldn’t help but twitch her eyelid.
All along, she had absolute confidence in her own talent.
If it weren’t for Pan Zhiyuan stopping her, she would have confidently stepped into Third Grade last year. Looking across the land, those who could rival her were no more than a handful.
Over the past month, she had been comprehending the 《Primordial Fire True Art》 and did have some realizations, but her eagerness caused a few missteps in cultivation. As a result, her True Qi clashed internally. If not for her quick reaction, she would have already suffered qi deviation and become a cripple.
This also made her understand how dangerous it was to dual-cultivate the 《Primordial Fire True Art》.
And yet, within the same month, Chen Ming not only comprehended it but also succeeded in cultivating it, leading to a massive improvement in power, even managing to defeat a Fourth Grade while still at Fifth Grade.
What kind of monster was this?
In comparison, her previously proud talent and perception seemed clearly inferior.
Yu Haitang suppressed the vexing sense of defeat within her chest and said,"It just so happens that I have some doubts about merging True Qi. May I ask you for guidance?"
She candidly admitted her doubts and directly asked for his instruction. This kind of open-mindedness earned his appreciation.
At least she wasn’t the type who wanted both face and substance yet hesitated to speak.
"Of course."
He agreed straightforwardly.
No one understood better than him how difficult it was to merge these two arts. Theory was one thing, execution was entirely another.
He even suspected that the Eternal Life Emperor of those years had failed to merge all five arts, otherwise he wouldn’t have passed them down to five different people.
……
It wasn’t until nightfall that Yu Haitang reluctantly left. Clearly, she had gained much from the day.
In the following days, she came to Chen Ming’s residence daily to explore with him how to merge the two arts of the same origin.
Chen Ming taught her everything he knew without reservation.
After all, she had gifted him a divine weapon and promised to introduce Fourth Grade experts he could spar with. He owed her a favor—it was a good time to repay it.
In a flash, half a month had passed.
In the small courtyard where Chen Ming lived, the two sat together again, having an enjoyable discussion. Before they knew it, night had fallen.
"So that’s how it is!"
Yu Haitang suddenly sighed in realization, a gleam of joy in her eyes. Looking at Chen Ming, she smiled and said,"Chen Ming, thank you."
It was the first time Chen Ming had seen such a genuine smile bloom on her face. His heart stirred uncontrollably for a moment, and he swallowed before saying,"The lady gifted me a divine weapon and promised to help me. I’m merely returning the favor."
"Tomorrow, I’ll send someone to take you to meet a few Fourth Grade martial artists."
"Alright."
Chen Ming had waited half a month for this day, so he was naturally delighted.
Yu Haitang, seeing his joyful face, felt a strange sensation rise in her heart. It seemed that to this man, sparring with other Fourth Grade martial artists was more appealing than spending time with her.
"I’m leaving."
For some reason, the joy in her heart faded significantly. She rose to take her leave, putting on her veiled hat.
Chen Ming escorted her all the way to the door.
……
Outside the door, Ji Qianxing was already waiting. After Yu Haitang boarded the carriage, he cupped his fist toward Chen Ming, then sat beside the coachman and slowly departed.
After the carriage traveled a good distance, Yu Haitang’s voice suddenly came from inside the carriage.
"Starting tomorrow, I’ll be entering seclusion for a period."
"Yes."
After a while, she added,"Have someone watch that place."
"Yes."
"What’s the situation with Qin Changyuan?"
Just as Ji Qianxing was about to answer, a carriage suddenly rushed out from a nearby alley and blocked the path. He was about to act, but upon seeing the carriage clearly, he paused.
It was the Qin Family’s carriage!
The coachman reined in the galloping horses just in time to avoid a collision with the carriage in front.
The door of the opposing carriage was pushed open. Qin Changyuan stepped out like an enraged bull, his gaze filled with deep disappointment and hatred as he shouted sternly,"Erniang, why?!"
Inside the carriage, Yu Haitang calmly replied,"What madness is the Third Young Master raving about?"
Qin Changyuan gnashed his teeth and said,"What’s your relationship with that little bastard? Why do you go to his house every day? Tell me!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became, eventually bordering on madness."At first, I didn’t believe it when others told me. But today, I saw it with my own eyes… You—do you think you’ve treated me fairly?!"
At this moment, he resembled a husband who had caught his wife cheating, exploding in impotent rage.
In response came Yu Haitang’s voice, cold as ice."Who I associate with is none of your concern. Uncle Wan, go."
The coachman cracked his whip, and the horse moved forward again. The carriage blocking their way seemed to be pushed aside by an invisible force, clearing the path.
The carriage resumed its journey.
Behind them came Qin Changyuan’s frenzied roar,"I’ll kill him… I swear I’ll kill him…"
Ji Qianxing hesitated for a moment and asked,"Should we send someone to protect him?"
"No need."