I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 102 Protection (Two-in-One)

Looking at the unconscious Jin Jianxiong, Chen Ming couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Were they too weak, or was he too strong?

So far, he has fought against three sixth-rank opponents. Before he could even unleash his swordsmanship, one of them surrendered, one fell down, and the other turned and fled.

Something's not right here.

Chen Ming couldn't help but recall what Zhou Weihao had told him about the classification of martial arts techniques earlier, and he muttered to himself, "Could it be that the difference between a peerless divine skill and a third-rate skill is really this great?"

On second thought, the fact that Gao Mingchuan, Jin Jianxiong, and Cao Jiahui hadn't broken through to the fifth rank at their age was likely due to limitations in their cultivation techniques.

The worst cultivation technique Zhou Weihao mentioned was third-rate, but that doesn't mean there aren't worse ones. The techniques the three of them practiced were probably substandard, not even reaching the fourth rank.

Chen Ming quickly figured out the key point.

The true energy of a peerless divine skill is not only a physical attack, but also carries magical damage. Those inferior skills don't even have magic resistance in their true energy, so they can't withstand it once they start fighting him.

So, essentially, it's because these three sixth-rank officials are too weak.

If he had encountered even a sixth-rank official from a prominent family, things wouldn't have been so disastrous.

"It seems that I can no longer hide the fact that I possess unparalleled martial arts skills."

Chen Ming thought to himself.

Of course, this kind of thing can't be kept secret forever. Unless he never fights anyone.

Besides, given his extraordinary rate of progress, even the dumbest person could guess that he must have a secret.

This is also why he was unwilling to go to Jiangzhou City.

At this moment, Chen Rui learned that the fight was over and rushed over. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his younger brother standing there unharmed.

He didn't ask why the fight broke out; he was thinking about how to clean up the mess.

He asked, "What should we do with this person?"

Chen Ming thought for a moment and said, "Send two people to take him back. His home is..."

Chen Rui suddenly dismissed everyone around him, pulled his younger brother aside, and whispered, "Won't there be any problems if we just let him go like this? Should we..."

He made a gesture of chopping down with his hand.

Chen Ming was surprised; he never expected his older brother to say such a thing. He couldn't help but stare at him for a while, his feelings somewhat complicated.

On the one hand, I am very pleased with his growth.

On the other hand, seeing that her usually kind and benevolent older brother had also become cold and ruthless, she felt somewhat sad.

He said, "There's no need. It's just a friendly spar. There's no deep-seated hatred between us."

After saying this, he clearly saw Jin Jianxiong's tense body relax while he was "unconscious," but he didn't expose him.

When Chen Rui heard him say that, he nodded and went to call someone over.

……

This was just a minor incident and didn't have much impact on Chen Ming. After seeing the person off, he went back to eating and reading as usual.

Until the moon was high in the sky, Chen Ming told Chunxiang and Xiaxiang to go and rest first, and then sat alone by the window reading a book called "Travels in the East Sea".

This book describes the customs and culture of many island nations in the East China Sea.

He was engrossed in watching when suddenly his ears twitched, and he asked alertly, "Who's there?"

"it's me."

Outside the courtyard, a figure flipped over and entered; the voice sounded very familiar.

Chen Ming recognized him immediately and asked in surprise, "Brother Deng?"

It was Deng Ziyang.

He opened the door and let Deng Ziyang in, asking in surprise, "Why didn't you come in through the main door?"

Climbing over the wall in the dead of night is very reckless. Deng Ziyang is not the kind of person who would do such a thing; there must be a reason.

Deng Ziyang looked a bit different tonight; he had a cold expression and was dressed in night clothes, clearly not wanting to be recognized.

He asked a strange question, "Brother Chen, do you trust me?"

Chen Ming also became serious and said decisively, "I believe you."

"That's good. Someone is plotting against you recently. Be careful when you go out these days. Don't ask where the information came from; I'll tell you when the time is right."

After Deng Ziyang finished speaking in one breath, he subconsciously glanced around and lowered his voice again, "Don't tell anyone about why I came to see you tonight. I have to go."

And then, he left.

Chen Ming neither stopped him nor asked any further questions. His expression, however, became somewhat grave.

In fact, ever since Deng Ziyang resigned from the Six Doors and said he was going to make his way in the world, Chen Ming noticed that he had changed a lot. He seemed to have many secrets and had become much more silent.

However, Chen Ming didn't ask, just as Deng Ziyang had never inquired about his secret before.

He could sense that Deng Ziyang was intentionally or unintentionally distancing himself from him, as if some barrier had formed between them, and they were no longer as close as before.

He had experienced this in his previous life. Even the best of friends from middle school would gradually lose contact and drift apart once they went to university.

Until tonight, Deng Ziyang secretly sneaked into his house and warned him that someone wanted to harm him. He also realized that Deng Ziyang's deliberate distancing might just be to avoid implicating him.

Chen Ming sat by the window, pondering for a long time, and never picked up the unfinished book on the table again, until the oil lamp went out on its own.

Finally, he opened the panel and added all the experience points to the Vermilion Bird Sword Technique.

Since we know there is danger, we should improve our strength first.

【Level: 41】

Current points: 0

[Exercises: Iron Horse Stake (Fifth Level Perfection), Three Yang Body Forging Exercise (Ninth Level Perfection), Six Yang Qi Nourishing Exercise (First Level 36999/100000)]

[Martial Arts Skills: Three Talents Fist (Mastery), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Mastery), Zhuang Family Flying Knife (Mastery), Swallow Return Sword Technique (Mastery), Vermilion Bird Sword Technique (Proficient 91321/200000)]

……

The next morning, when Chen Ming went out, he said to the coachman, "Go to the Six Doors."

Wang Mingkai, who was traveling with them, couldn't keep a secret and asked directly, "Senior brother, what are we going to the Six Doors for?"

"Find a bodyguard."

"bodyguard?"

Wang Mingkai looked puzzled, but since Chen Ming didn't say anything more, he didn't press the matter.

Before long, the Six Doors arrived.

The carriage stopped outside, and Chen Ming walked over alone, took out a token, and said to the yamen runner on duty outside, "I am Chen Ming, and I request an audience with Commandant Du."

Upon seeing the blue token, which belonged to the Commandant, the yamen runner dared not delay and hurriedly went inside to report.

A moment later, the constable came out, bowing and scraping, "Lord Du invites you in."

"Good work."

Chen Ming thanked the constable politely and followed him inside.

Soon, they arrived at a building with the words "Yingyue Hall" written on it. The door was open, and four yamen runners dressed in black stood on either side, holding stern rods.

The constable reported, "Lord Du, Chen Ming has arrived."

From inside the room came a dignified female voice, "Let him in."

"Yes."

The bailiff gestured for Chen Ming to come in.

Chen Ming straightened his clothes before entering the Yingyue Hall. Following the sound, he went to the back hall and saw a woman sitting in the center, wearing a blue official robe that represented the fifth rank. She exuded an aura of power and her eyes were like knives.

"You're Chen Ming?"

The woman's words were like thunder, her voice booming in Chen Ming's ears.

He forced himself to endure the discomfort and bowed, saying, "Chen Ming greets Lord Du."

Du Caiyue snorted, "Why don't you bow to me now that you've seen me?"

Chen Ming felt an icy aura emanating from the fifth-rank captain, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet and the biting cold to pierce his skin like needles.

Depend on!
Is this a show of force?
"Didn't Zhao Xiyan say that Du Caiyue is one of her people? As long as you take the token to see her, you can get her to do two things for you..."

Chen Ming cursed inwardly, his internal energy circulating automatically, instantly transforming into a chilling sensation that seeped into his body. He then said, "The Great Ancestor once said, Martial artists do not bow to officials!"

"Humph!"

With a cold snort, the chill in the surroundings suddenly disappeared.

Du Caiyue toyed with the blue token in her hand, her face expressionless. "Xiyan really values ​​you, she even gave you this token."

Although her words didn't reveal any emotion, Chen Ming could sense that she was actually quite unhappy and didn't know what to say for a moment.

The main issue is that we don't know what kind of relationship she has with Zhao Xiyan, so it's best to say as little as possible.

Seeing that he was speechless, Du Caiyue actually found him more pleasing to the eye.

What she hates most are those who are glib and boastful.

Her tone softened, and she said, "Speak, what do you want me to do for you by bringing this sword token?"

Chen Ming bowed and said, "I would like to ask that you accompany me for the next few days to protect me."

There was a click.

The token in Du Caiyue's hand fell to the floor. She stared blankly for a moment before responding, "What did you say?"

"I would like to ask you to accompany me for the next few days and protect me. Just three days will suffice."

Chen Ming repeated what he had just said.

"You are so brave!"

Du Caiyue's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and she slammed her hand on the table, almost breaking it.

Chen Ming said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Xi Yan once said that as long as my requests do not violate morality or the Six Doors' prohibitions, Lord Du will not refuse them. I wonder if that still stands?"

"..."

Du Caiyue's chest heaved rapidly, her eyes filled with almost tangible killing intent. She forced out a single word through gritted teeth, "Get lost!"

As Chen Ming walked out of the Six Doors government office, he couldn't help but sigh, "It's still not working."

It seems that having a fifth-rank captain as his personal bodyguard is a bit of a pipe dream.

However, this was the only expert he had a chance to hire.

This blue token was solemnly handed to him by Zhao Xiyan before she left. Now it seems its use is limited.

"What should we do now?"

Chen Ming hesitated.

He believed that Deng Ziyang's arrival to warn him meant he was a very dangerous person looking to deal with him. If he really left the city, his life could be in danger.

But now, he had spent two months creating this opportunity, and with only three days left, he was really unwilling to give it up.

In these three days, he can gain at least 200,000 experience points!
If you miss this opportunity, it will probably take you a year to get 200,000 points...

Chen Ming struggled for a moment, then suddenly sighed, "Mingkai, go and inform Young Master Feng, just say—" He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly felt a chill behind him. He instinctively turned around and saw Du Caiyue standing behind him with a blank expression.

He was startled, "Lord Du... Lord Du?"

Du Caiyue changed into casual clothes, her gaze icy. "Didn't you tell me to protect you? Aren't you leaving?"

Chen Ming was overjoyed and bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Lord Du."

"No need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Xiyan. You'd better not let her down, otherwise—" Du Caiyue snorted and didn't finish her sentence.

Chen Ming felt a chill somewhere, swallowed hard, and said, "Please get in the car, sir."

Du Caiyue got into the carriage, sat there, closed her eyes to rest, her expression was cold, and she seemed to refuse to communicate.

Chen Ming naturally wouldn't disturb her.

With her by my side to protect me, I can go and harvest experience points with peace of mind.

……

Upon arriving at the registration area, Du Caiyue followed Chen Ming and sat down to the side, closing her eyes and remaining motionless, ignoring everything happening around her.

Chen Ming knew she was practicing martial arts; he could vaguely sense the immense true energy within her body, and she was as cold as an iceberg.

He had already experienced this at the Six Doors earlier. This Lord Du's true energy attribute was icy cold, which was incompatible with his own true energy.

The cultivation technique she practiced was clearly extremely advanced. Judging from her age, she was only in her early thirties, yet she already possessed a fourth-grade cultivation level, demonstrating remarkable talent.

Zhao Xiyan once said that this Lord Du is expected to reach the third rank within ten years. At that time, he will be able to govern a region.

In any faction, high-level combat power is scarce. Even within the Six Doors, there's no obstacle to a third-rank expert's advancement. As long as one's cultivation reaches the third rank, one can obtain a third-rank official position.

When the time comes, they will be assigned to a prefecture, becoming the highest-ranking official in that prefecture. They will govern the region and hold the power of life and death.

Soon, people flocked in to sign up.

Chen Ming had no time to think further and began reaping experience points. Although each person only gained forty points, there were many of them.

More people came to register today than yesterday.

Before long, he heard a familiar name, "Gao Chenghao." It was Gao Mingchuan's grandson. This man was quite strong, at level 34, and provided him with 400 experience points.

In the afternoon, Jin Jianxiong and Cao Jiahui's sons also arrived.

Chen Ming kept his promise and allowed them to pass, giving them all number plates.

……

Before you know it, the day has passed, and it's getting dark.

Du Caiyue sat there all day without moving an inch, without eating or drinking anything, like a rock. Chen Ming was quite impressed by her perseverance.

Anyway, he can't do it.

Only when it was over and Chen Ming called her to leave did she open her eyes, stand up, and return to the carriage with him.

After the carriage had been traveling for a while, Du Caiyue suddenly spoke up, "What is the point of you doing this?"

This statement shows that although she was practicing her martial arts, she was still paying attention to Chen Ming.

Chen Ming smiled and said, "To you, sir, this matter may be meaningless. But to me, it is of extraordinary significance."

Du Caiyue looked at him with a cold gaze, waiting for his explanation.

Chen Ming pushed open the car window, looked at the trees rushing past outside, and slowly said, "You may not know, but when I first started learning martial arts, I couldn't grasp the essentials. My teacher at the time was Sun Shicai, who thought I was mediocre and stopped teaching me. As a result, I wasted several years."

"It wasn't until I was twenty that I returned to the Huo family mansion to spar with the students who had just started learning martial arts. By sparring with different people, I gradually came to understand the mysteries of martial arts and made some progress in my cultivation."

"I think there are many other martial arts practitioners like me in this world. So, I did my best to take in many young people and spend time helping them to learn martial arts."

“What I do now is the same. I hope that those who are talented and persevering but lack cultivation will not be buried. I hope they can find a wise teacher. That’s all.”

Du Caiyue sneered, "Do you think they'll be grateful for what you're doing? If they really become disciples of those two third-rank masters, they'll definitely trample you under their feet in the future."

Chen Ming said calmly, "If your initial intention in doing something is to gain gratitude, then don't do it. What does it matter to them if I help them?"

These words made Du Caiyue give him a deep look. The cold smile on her face finally disappeared, and she became serious. "I will definitely advise Yan'er to stay far away from you. A person like you is either a truly compassionate and sincere gentleman, or a treacherous villain who pretends to be loyal."

"..."

Women in their thirties are indeed not easy to fool; it's a waste of breath to talk to them.

Chen Ming was just making up an excuse to cover up the fact that he had a system, but he didn't expect to receive such a evaluation.

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw Du Caiyue's eyes flash with a sharp light, giving him a warning look.

What do you mean?
Although Chen Ming was puzzled, he cooperated and remained silent.

It's so quiet all around!

Even the wind stopped.

His heart tightened, realizing something, and he warned, "Mingkai, be careful!"

Just then, accompanied by two shrill neighs of horses, the carriage tumbled over.

Chen Ming reacted quickly, smashing the car window and landing on the ground. He saw seven or eight men in black emerge from the surrounding woods and surround him.

These men in black had their faces covered, revealing only a pair of bright red eyes.

One of them said in a hoarse voice, "This person was specifically requested by the Demon Prince. Remember, capture him alive."

Demon Child?

What is that?
Chen Ming gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his face solemn, and joined Wang Mingkai, who had just dismounted.

"You must have mistaken me for someone else. I, Chen, have no grudge against any of you. Why would you ambush me here?"

As he spoke, he added all the experience points he had just gained that day to his cultivation technique.

The total is a little over four thousand.

【Level: 42】

Current points: 0

[Exercises: Iron Horse Stake (Fifth Level Perfection), Three Yang Body Forging Exercise (Ninth Level Perfection), Six Yang Qi Nourishing Exercise (First Level 79652/100000)]

[Martial Arts Skills: Three Talents Fist (Mastery), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Mastery), Zhuang Family Flying Knife (Mastery), Swallow Return Sword Technique (Mastery), Vermilion Bird Sword Technique (Proficient 91321/200000)]

Chen Ming felt as if magma was exploding inside his body, causing him to tremble uncontrollably and his skin to turn visibly red.

The man just now said in a sinister tone, "When you get to hell, go ask Yama, the King of Hell. Now, make your move!"

The eight men in black present immediately pounced on the two.

"They're all Rank 6!"

Chen Ming's heart sank. Just by looking at the eight people's movements, he could tell their cultivation level.

They actually sent eight sixth-rank officials to deal with him; they think too highly of him!

At this moment, he no longer thought about Du Caiyue, who was still hiding in the car. Facing eight enemies, he couldn't afford to be distracted.

The only thing he could trust was the sword in his hand!
In the blink of an eye, the two fastest enemies had already closed in, and he could even see the madness and hunger hidden in their blood-red eyes.

They were like two wolves that had gone mad with hunger.

At this moment, Chen Ming's surging true energy had not yet completely subsided. He forcibly gathered his true energy, swept his longsword horizontally, and used the move "Flowing Fire Startles the Sky" to kill the two people at the front.

when!
The longsword deflected one of the men's swords, then plunged into the other man's chest.

At the same time, he was also slashed on the shoulder.

"what!"

A scream of agony came from the side.

He died on the spot in just one encounter.

Chen Ming hardened his heart and focused all his attention on what was in front of him.

You have killed a level 40 enemy and gained 20000 experience points.

"add a bit!"

He didn't have time to check how many experience points he had, and immediately added them to the "Vermilion Bird Sword Technique".

The points were added up, and my mind went blank.

Chen Mingqiang roused himself and swung his sword again, using the move "Blazing Soul Binding Dragon" to block the swords thrust by the third and fourth people. He then delivered a swift and vicious groin kick.

Bang.

This kick was infused with his full inner energy, sending the second person flying.

You have killed a level 40 enemy and gained 20000 experience points.

Kill with one blow!
At the same time, the fifth person arrived, and he was slashed in the back, the pain searing.

"Add more!"

Chen Ming roared and added the experience points he had just gained to the Vermilion Bird Sword Technique.

For a moment, he felt his head was being overwhelmed by the sudden surge of swordplay insights.

His eyes turned bloodshot, and he looked like a madman.

P.S.: I had to go out this morning. After lunch, I wrote 5,600 words, combining them into one chapter. Please vote with monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)