I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 118 Changes in Qingfeng City
Seven or eight days later, Chen Ming had entered the territory of Qingfeng County. At this time, he had changed his appearance again, dressing as a merchant. On the road, there were quite a few merchants like him who were preparing to go to Qingfeng County to purchase goods, and he did not attract any attention at all.

We are only one day away from Qingfeng City.

At noon, Chen Ming squatted beside a teahouse by the official road, eating dry rations with a bowl of hot tea along with several other merchants.

They are taking a break.

The teahouse was full of people chatting about all sorts of things.

"...Qingfeng City is a bustling commercial hub, and in many ways it is no less prosperous than Jiangzhou City. However, it has one major drawback: there are no martial arts sects, and there are few masters. It is difficult for the younger generation in a family to find a way to learn martial arts."

"Haha, Brother Wang, that's all ancient history. Two months ago, a third-rank expert came to Qingfeng City, intending to establish a sect here called the Dragon Tiger Sect. Last month, another powerful expert came and founded the Crimson Sea Gang."

"Is there such a thing?"

"It's absolutely true. The Dragon Tiger Sect has announced that they're preparing to recruit disciples, and all the young people in Qingfeng City are eager to try. The Crimson Sea Gang has also recruited quite a few people, and they've wiped out all the smaller gangs with overwhelming force..."

"..."

As Chen Ming listened to their discussion, his brows furrowed.

I never imagined that so many things would happen in Qingfeng City during the two months I was away.

What concerned him most was the third-rank expert who came to Qingfeng City to establish a sect.

Senior Shang once swore an oath that he would not allow any other third-rank official to set foot in Qingfeng City. Zhao Shouchang was already an exception, and now, another third-rank official has arrived.

It seems that Senior Shang is not involved in this matter.

Could something really have happened?
Chen Ming couldn't help but feel a little worried.

Just then, a sentence caught his attention: "Brother, have you ever met a young man named Ding Guangnan? He's in his early twenties. He came to Qingfeng City more than a year ago..."

Ding Guangnan?
Chen Ming was surprised. He had almost forgotten about this, but he didn't expect to hear it mentioned again today.

He turned his head and saw that the person asking the question was a middle-aged man who looked somewhat unkempt, carrying luggage on his back, with a long sword hanging at his waist and a gourd hanging on the other side.

You can smell the alcohol from a distance.

He glanced at it only once before looking away.

He is now just a traveling merchant from out of town.

"No." "Never heard of it." "..."

Those who were asked the question all said they had never heard of this person.

The middle-aged man was quite persistent, asking everyone in the teahouse, but no one knew the answer. Finally, he left the teahouse and headed towards Qingfeng City.

He didn't ask Chen Ming or the other merchants squatting by the roadside. These people were obviously from out of town, so there was no need to ask.

Chen Ming watched his desolate figure disappear into the distance and couldn't help but sigh.

This person must be Ding Guangnan's elder. When he arrives in Qingfeng City and learns of the tragedy that Ding Guangnan suffered, I wonder how heartbroken he will be.

Although a year has passed, the incident caused quite a stir at the time, and many people surely still remember it. This middle-aged man will soon learn the truth after arriving in Qingfeng City.

……

"A-Tu, let's go."

After eating his dry rations, a middle-aged man called out to Chen Ming.

He clapped his hands, got up, and followed at the very back.

This middle-aged man's surname was Luo, and everyone called him Lao Luo. He claimed to be in the spice business. He was a warm-hearted person. A few days ago, seeing Chen Ming alone, he took the initiative to come over and chat, and even invited him to come along.

At first, Chen Ming thought it was a swindler, but after spending a few days with him, he found that Lao Luo was a kind-hearted person. When he learned that it was his first time doing business, he took extra care of him and taught him a lot of things, such as the precautions for navigating the business world and a lot of business tips.

These are all pieces of advice based on experience, and such guidance is invaluable for a young person just starting out. It can help them avoid many detours.

Therefore, Chen Ming had a very good impression of Lao Luo.

Before I knew it, it was getting dark.

Chen Ming followed Lao Luo and the others to a small town near Qingfeng City, where they stayed at an inn and the cheapest dormitory-style room.

For these traveling merchants, saving money is the priority.

“My son is a few years younger than you and he is learning martial arts from a boxing master.”

It was still early. After dinner, Lao Luo and Chen Ming squatted under the eaves chatting. "I don't expect him to become anything special. It would be enough if he could learn some martial arts. He can use it to defend himself when we go out to do business together. These days, the world is not peaceful."

Chen Ming listened from the side, rarely speaking. His current persona is that of a quiet and reserved individual.

As they were talking, they suddenly heard arguing outside.

Many people ran out to watch the commotion, but Lao Luo advised, "When you're out and about, avoid getting into trouble. If you see something exciting, don't go over there. Otherwise, you might cause trouble."

Chen Ming naturally nodded.

After a while, the commotion outside grew louder, as if a fight had broken out.

After a while, it finally quieted down.

When the people who went out to see the commotion returned, they said that a few young women had come and wanted some superior rooms, but all the superior rooms were already full. So the women went to negotiate with the people who were staying in the superior rooms, and they got into a fight over it.

Those who went out to watch the commotion were all marveling at how beautiful and domineering those martial arts women were, and how badly they had beaten the man.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming wondered if they were from the Xiaoshui Sect.
When he heard about young women from the martial arts world, the first thing that came to his mind was the Xiaoshui Sect.

Of course, the conflicts among these江湖人士 (jianghu figures) are too far removed from the lives of these merchants; they are merely topics of conversation during their leisure time.

...The next day at noon, they finally arrived in Qingfeng City.

Old Luo was heading to the east of the city, where there was the largest spice market in Jiangzhou. Before parting, he said, "A-Tu, I will stay in the city for a month or two. If you encounter any difficulties, you can come to the Jiang Clan Association in the east of the city to find me. At least you will have a bowl of rice to eat."

"it is good."

Chen Ming nodded, turned around, and walked into the crowd.

After a short while, he turned left and right and entered an empty alley. A moment later, he appeared in a different outfit and walked out from the other side of the alley.

No one noticed that a young man named "Runtu" had disappeared forever in this alley.

After changing his identity, Chen Ming swaggered to Zuixianlou, intending to have a good meal.

During these three months, he was traveling most of the time and didn't care much about his food. He relied on dry food for carbohydrates and mainly ate dried meat for protein.

Today I can finally have a good meal.

He booked a private room, ordered a large table of delicious dishes, and savored them one by one.

Halfway through his meal, he suddenly heard arguing outside. At first, he didn't pay much attention, but the argument grew louder and louder, drilling into his ears.

"...So much for being the top expert of the younger generation, he's nothing but a coward. Even when our sect leader personally issued a challenge, he didn't dare to accept. It's laughable."

Another voice exclaimed excitedly, "He went into seclusion three months ago, who in the entire Qingfeng City doesn't know that? Your hall master deliberately chose this time to challenge him, what a clever plan..."

Huh?
As Chen Ming listened, he sensed that something was amiss.

The top expert of the younger generation has gone into seclusion for another three months...

Is this... referring to me?
"What seclusion? I think he's chickened out and doesn't dare to accept the challenge."

"Bullshit... Back then, when Lord Chen Erlang killed a seventh-rank patrol officer in the street, what was there for him to be afraid of?"

"..."

They're really talking about me!
Chen Ming thought to himself that quite a lot had actually happened during his "seclusion".

I wonder what level of cultivation that leader of the Red Sea Gang has?
The person who dared to challenge him must be a sixth-rank official.

He listened to the arguing outside while enjoying his food.

After he had finished eating, the two groups outside had finished arguing and left.

Chen Ming was somewhat surprised that despite the argument, the two sides hadn't actually started fighting.

……

It wasn't until late at night that Chen Ming finally managed to sneak back home by climbing over the wall in the dark.

Although the situation in Qingfeng City has changed dramatically in the past three months, with many powerful figures arriving and causing a great deal of trouble, it seems that it has had little impact on the Chen family.

The house is still the same as it was when he left.

Chen Ming quietly arrived at his courtyard and saw Chunxiang guarding the gate.

"Who?"

Chunxiang was very alert. She noticed a dark figure appearing in the darkness and immediately picked up a short knife.

"it's me."

Chen Ming walked over.

When Chunxiang heard the voice, her body trembled. When she saw the face clearly, her tears welled up but not enough. She covered her mouth tightly, afraid that she would cry out.

Seeing her like this, Chen Ming knew that she had been under a lot of pressure over the past three months. Feeling a pang of pity, he went over and patted her head, saying, "You've had a tough time."

Chunxiang cried even harder, but shook her head desperately. After a while, she said in a tearful voice, "Young Master, you've finally returned..."

Chen Ming asked, "Where's Xia Xiang?"

“She’s asleep inside… We take turns keeping watch, I’ll go wake her.”

"Forget it, let her sleep." Chen Ming pulled her down to sit and said, "Come on, tell me what happened during the three months I was gone."

Chunxiang had not yet calmed down from her excitement and was at a loss for words upon hearing this.

Chen Ming poured her a glass of water and said, "I heard that someone challenged me to a duel last month?"

Chunxiang accepted it somewhat nervously, and upon hearing his words, she was taken aback, "You already know?"

"Yes, I heard it on the way back. Did the Red Sea Gang make things difficult for my brother?"

"They were going to force their way in, but luckily Miss Zhao arrived in time and stopped them, otherwise..."

"Miss Zhao?"

Chen Mingqi asked, "Is it the Miss Zhao who came before? She's back?"

"Yes, she returned a month after you went into seclusion. Upon learning that you were in seclusion, she did not disturb you again, but only instructed her maid to inform her after you came out of seclusion."

Chen Ming said, "Then we really need to find an opportunity to thank her properly."

If she hadn't stopped him, his fake seclusion would have been exposed, which might have aroused suspicion from those with ulterior motives, leading them to associate him with Mad Blade.

P.S.: I had something to do this morning, so there will only be two updates today.

(End of this chapter)