I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 134 Wanted Order

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the woman in red had left the courtyard, and Zhuang Xiaotian was now sitting in that seat.

He was wearing a black uniform and looked excited. He had just been on duty when he heard that Luo Hao of the Red Sea Gang was going to cause trouble for Chen Ming, so he rushed over immediately.

On the way, they encountered the Crimson Sea Gang members fleeing in disarray. They then learned that Chen Ming had not only defeated Luo Hao but had also broken through to the fifth rank.

"You've actually reached the fifth rank!"

Zhuang Xiaotian still felt like he was in a dream, looking at Chen Ming sitting in front of him with a strong sense of unreality.

He still remembered a few years ago when he and Guan Peng visited Deng Ziyang's home and met Chen Ming for the first time. At that time, Chen Ming had just broken through to the ninth rank.

The scene of them practicing together is still vivid in my mind, as if it were yesterday.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Ming had reached the fifth rank.

This is a fifth-rank official!

In the entire Qingfeng City, there were only a handful of martial artists of this level—of course, that was a few years ago.

Now, with the arrival of powerful figures like the Dragon Tiger Gate and the Crimson Sea Gang, many experts have emerged in Qingfeng City. Even so, fifth-rank experts have a place in Qingfeng City.

The key point is that Chen Ming is still so young, a fifth-rank official at the age of twenty-four. Who would dare to underestimate him?

Speaking of which, Zhuang Xiaotian was almost fired last time because of Deng Ziyang. In the end, he was able to stay because of Chen Ming and gained the favor of his direct superior, and his status is now incomparable to what it was before.

According to rumors circulating within the Six Doors, Chen Ming and Commandant Du had an unusual relationship.

He had a very good relationship with Chen Ming, and it was precisely because of this relationship that his superior treated him differently.

Now, Chen Ming's cultivation has advanced further, breaking through to the fifth rank. His status in the Six Doors will likely rise accordingly.

Zhuang Xiaotian suddenly realized that meeting Chen Ming might be the greatest opportunity of his life.

He recalled that afternoon four years ago when he, Deng Ziyang, and Guan Peng became sworn brothers; Chen Ming was also present at that time.

If Chen Ming had been brought along to become sworn brothers back then, perhaps many things would have been different...

Just then, Chen Ming's voice rang in his ear, "Is Guan Peng coming back soon?"

Zhuang Xiaotian snapped out of his thoughts and nodded, "Judging by the time, it should be within the next few days."

After Guan Peng joined Sihai Trading Company, he would go to sea at a fixed time every year, and he could calculate the approximate time of his return to Hong Kong.

Chen Ming then asked, "What about Brother Deng? Is there any news about him?"

"I heard some news a few days ago."

Zhuang Xiaotian subconsciously lowered his voice, "It is said that half a month ago, my elder brother appeared in Yujie County, accompanied by a demon prince from the Blood Demon Sect. They clashed with several experts from the Six Doors, resulting in a fierce battle in which both sides were severely injured. In the end, they were intercepted by a man named Mad Blade. My elder brother and that demon prince both fell into his hands, and their whereabouts have been unknown ever since."

The Six Doors' information channels are very efficient. Only ten days have passed, and even someone of Zhuang Xiaotian's level has heard about this.

Chen Ming asked, "Who is this Mad Blade?"

Zhuang Xiaotian shook his head and said, "This person suddenly appeared a few months ago, challenging experts everywhere. He must be a martial arts fanatic. To this day, no one knows his background or sect, only that his surname is Wang. He acts arrogantly and injured a captain of the Six Doors. He is now on the wanted list with a six-star bounty. I wonder how many bounty hunters have been drawn to him."

A six-star wanted poster? They really think highly of him.

Chen Ming knew that it must be that blue-clad captain surnamed Duan who raised the reward; it seemed that he had really offended him badly last time.

The Six Doors have two types of wanted posters: one with only a bounty, such as the four pirates he killed. Generally speaking, low-ranking martial artists only have bounties.

There is another type of wanted poster, which rewards a kind of merit, measured in "stars". With this merit, you can exchange it at the Six Doors for many things that cannot be bought with money, such as martial arts techniques, elixirs, and weapons.

Ordinary gold and silver hold little appeal for martial artists of the sixth rank or higher. Bounty hunters at this level are only willing to take the risk for the sake of gaining merit.

It must be said that the person who designed this "merit" system back then was a genius. With this, they could mobilize a huge group of martial artists in the civilian population.

Generally speaking, it only takes four stars to issue a warrant for the arrest of a sixth-rank martial artist. A fifth-rank martial artist requires five stars, while a fourth-rank martial artist requires six stars.

Mad Blade is only a sixth-rank cultivator, yet his bounty is as high as six stars. This will surely attract many sixth-rank, fifth-rank, and even fourth-rank bounty hunters.

Once Mad Blade shows his face, he will be relentlessly pursued.

"From now on, this pseudonym can no longer be used."

Chen Ming pondered, then thought of Deng Ziyang, wondering if his strength had improved after obtaining that divine skill. He also wondered if his attempt to abduct the bride in Yujie City had gone smoothly.

……

The news that Chen Ming had broken through to the fifth rank quickly spread throughout the city, overshadowing Qi Yanxiong's death and becoming the hottest news at the moment.

The topic was being discussed everywhere, from the streets to the alleys.

Soon, Feng Siyuan, Zhang Mingyu, Gu Yuantao, and Zhou Weihao, who had just emerged from seclusion, arrived at the Chen residence to congratulate Chen Ming.

Not only them, but also many people, both acquaintances and strangers, flocked to the Chen family's residence. For a time, the Chen mansion's main gate was bustling with activity.

People came in droves to give gifts, and even some of the seven major merchant families that had never had any dealings with the Chen family sent gifts to congratulate them.

This signifies that the Chen family has truly entered the upper echelons of Qingfeng City and gained the recognition of the seven major merchants.

The servants at the Chen residence were extremely busy, entertaining guests, collecting gifts, and registering these gifts...

The busiest person was naturally the butler. He had never seen such a scene before, and he was both excited and nervous, his throat practically hoarse from shouting.

Even so, every servant's face was beaming with joy. They didn't feel tired at all; instead, they were all radiant with pride.

Finally, evening arrived, and all the visiting guests left.

"Sir, these are invitations from Sihai Trading Company and Guanglong Trading Company, among others. Whether you should attend the banquet or not, we would appreciate your decision, Second Master..."

"Sir, we received too many gifts today, and the storeroom is overflowing..."

"uncle……"

As Chen Rui listened to the butler's hoarse voice reporting on various matters, he fell into a state of blissful vexation.

Finally, after the butler finished reporting, he reminded him, "Sir, this courtyard is a bit small now. If you want to hold a banquet, I'm afraid there won't be enough space."

Those who bring gifts today will definitely have to reciprocate with gifts later.

If the Chen family were to host any banquet, they would definitely have to invite these people in return, as there were so many that they couldn't even fit all the tables.

Holding a stack of invitations, Chen Rui couldn't help but smile wryly. This new house hadn't even been lived in for two years, and it was already not enough.

He originally thought he would live here for many years.

The only reason to blame Erlang is that he improved too quickly.

If we were to move, we'd have to buy a bigger house than this one, which would cost a lot of money, and such a house wouldn't be easy to find...

Chen Rui felt that the burden on his shoulders had become much heavier.

These trivial matters are best left unattended; Erlang will handle them.

……

Chen Rui took the invitation and went to find Chen Ming. He found Feng Siyuan and the others still in the courtyard, drinking together.

"Brother, come over and have a drink with me."

Upon seeing him, Feng Siyuan said happily.

Zhang Mingyu and Zhou Weihao also called out "Big Brother".

Chen Rui knew these people were no ordinary individuals; they respected him because he was Chen Ming's elder brother. He smiled and said, "You all drink, I need to speak with Erlang about something. These are the invitations that arrived today. Erlang, please take a look and see who's attending."

"I'll have to ask my older brother to make a trip and have someone deliver it."

As Chen Ming spoke, he casually flipped through the invitations and was surprised to find that not only the seven major merchants, but even the Dragon Tiger Gate had sent an invitation.

He was a little curious, so he opened it and saw that the signature was Zhu Tianquan, the eldest disciple of the Dragon Tiger Sect.

Feng Siyuan leaned over for a look, and his expression immediately became somewhat strange. "Brother Chen, I advise you not to go."

Chen Ming asked curiously, "Why?"

"Brother Chen, you may not know this, but Zhu Tianquan has a younger sister who is almost thirty and still unmarried. As her brother, he is naturally very anxious. Since he came to Qingfeng City, he has been searching everywhere for a handsome young man to find a suitable husband for his sister. However, he has not yet found one who meets his expectations."

Feng Siyuan said somewhat mischievously, "With your character and qualities, Brother Chen, if someone takes a liking to you, you won't be able to escape. You might even be forced into the bridal chamber that very night and become the groom."

"Is it really that bad?" Chen Ming suspected that he had a grudge against the Dragon Tiger Sect, which was why he was making such a fuss about their eldest disciple.

Zhang Mingyu said, "Young Master Feng is right, Junior Brother, you'd better be careful."

Hearing him say that, Feng Siyuan couldn't help but laugh, "Did Zhu Tianquan also come to see you?"

Zhang Mingyu gave a wry smile and nodded.

That day, Zhu Tianquan suddenly came to visit, but after seeing him, he simply shook his head and left without saying a word, leaving him completely baffled.

It was only later that I found out that this person was looking for a husband for his sister, but his standards were too high and he hadn't found anyone he liked yet.

The group chatted and laughed until very late before finally leaving, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

……

As night deepened, Chen Ming, dressed in black and carrying a spare longsword, scaled the courtyard wall and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

(End of this chapter)