I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 140 Yunniang
Zhou Weihao and Gu Yuantao planned to set off for Jiangzhou City in two days and wanted to invite Chen Ming to go with them.

Even someone as uninterested as Gu Yuantao wouldn't want to miss such a grand event as the re-establishment of the Qingyun Ranking at the World's Number One Restaurant.

Chen Ming could only politely decline.

He still has many things to take care of and can't leave yet.

So he made an appointment with the two of them to meet in Jiangzhou City two months later.

……

In the following days, Ding Guangsheng turned Qingfeng City upside down. First, he destroyed the shops of the Sihai Trading Company in the city, then the warehouses in various places, and finally the fleet.

Previously, the people of the Four Seas Trading Company remained entrenched in their positions until their merchant ships were destroyed. Finally, they could no longer sit still and sent out several powerful individuals to fight.

That day, it is said that the battle was so fierce that the sky darkened, the sun and moon were obscured, and even the nearby mountains were leveled.

Of course, these are all things I heard from others, and there are bound to be exaggerations involved.

As for the outcome of that battle, opinions vary.

Some say that Ding Guangsheng was beheaded on the spot.

Some say that after Ding Guangsheng won, he took the head off Manager Qian, avenged his great grudge, and then left.

Some say that both sides suffered heavy losses.

Anyway, Ding Guangsheng never appeared again after that battle.

The Four Seas Trading Company was also severely damaged by this battle, and it would take at least ten years to recover. The main reason was that most of its merchant ships were destroyed, which was a devastating blow.

Sihai Trading Company did indeed get a new manager.

Chen Ming later specifically asked the woman in red who won that battle, but she didn't answer directly. She only said, "From now on, Qingfeng City will only have six major merchants."

He didn't press for details, but could only deduce from this statement that the Sihai Trading Company had probably suffered a blow to its foundation.

As time went by, the storm stirred up by Ding Guangsheng gradually subsided.

Just two weeks after that great battle.

"It's finally done!"

In the courtyard, Chen Ming leaped down from the roof and landed lightly on the ground. Looking at the new martial arts skill on the panel, he felt a surge of joy.

【Level: 50】

Current points: 200000

[Techniques: Iron Horse Stake (Fifth Level Perfection), Two Elements True Skill (Fifth Level 101879/1500000)]

[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 (Mastery 21667/500000), Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens (First Level 1/100000)]

[Secret Technique: The Art of Disguise (Mastery)]

This light-body skill, called "Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens," was given to him by the woman in red. It is a more exquisite light-body skill than "Divine Movement and Illusion."

Moreover, it was indeed much easier for him to learn; he mastered the basics in less than ten days.

It seems the woman in red was right; this lightness skill is very compatible with his martial arts.

However, this lightness skill does not display proficiency, but rather, like other martial arts techniques, it is divided into different levels.

Should we add it?

After his initial joy, Chen Ming felt a pang of reluctance upon seeing that he only had 200,000 experience points left.

Since breaking through to the fifth rank, aside from the time he killed the pirates, he hasn't gained much. He's going to participate in the "Number One Pavilion Under Heaven" competition, so he'll definitely prioritize adding experience points to his cultivation techniques and swordsmanship to increase his combat power.

At this moment, Chunxiang came in and reported, "Young Master, Shang'an Trading Company has sent a letter."

"Bring it here quickly."

Chen Ming's eyes lit up. He took the letter and read it quickly, a look of excitement flashing across his face. "It's finally here. Have someone prepare the horses; I need to go out for a bit."

……

Shang'an Trading Company, as one of the seven major trading companies, has a very good reputation in Qingfeng City, and is considered a breath of fresh air among the seven major trading companies.

Chen Ming rode in a carriage, led by the messenger, and arrived at a secluded alley, where they stopped in front of a door.

"Second Young Master, the person you requested is inside. Please come in."

The young man was neither servile nor arrogant. Anyone sent by Shang'an Trading Company to contact him was certainly no ordinary employee.

Chen Ming followed behind him and stepped into the courtyard, which looked quite old.

Once inside, he saw five people, some standing and some sitting, who had all stopped what they were doing and looked at him with varying expressions: some were dissatisfied, some were wary, and some were scrutinizing him...

The young shop assistant explained, "These five are all fifth-rank guards of the merchant guild, and they just returned from overseas yesterday."

"Hmm, very good." Chen Ming looked at the five people in front of him, quite satisfied.

Last time, when he took the Heavenly Dao Alliance's token to Shang'an Trading Company and borrowed two fourth-rank retainers to deal with the Qi family, he made a request to them: to arrange for some fifth-rank martial artists to spar with him.

Almost a month has passed, and he urged them several times along the way. Now, he has finally arranged for five people.

Judging from Shang'an Trading Company's sluggish response, they were reluctant, but dared not disobey orders.

With the token in hand, it's only natural to make the most of it.

You have the right to use it and it will become invalid upon expiration.

Chen Ming looked at the five people, his gaze becoming fervent, and said, "All five of you are my seniors. Please do not hesitate to teach me. Who would like to go first?"

"I come!"

A tall, slender woman emerged. She had short hair, a rarity for this era, and her skin was tanned to a wheat color. She wore all black, which accentuated her stunning figure.

She was about thirty years old, and her eyes revealed a wildness.

Chen Ming had seen some female martial artists before, but he had never seen one as fierce as her before.

The woman didn't even give her name before making her move, clearly not taking him seriously.

Moreover, she made a killing move right away, clearly intending to embarrass him on the spot.

As a fifth-rank official who fought her way up from the bottom, she had a natural hostility towards young masters born with a silver spoon in their mouths.

In her opinion, for Manager Gong to personally order the five of them to come and "spar" with this young master, they must be the sons of some important figure behind the business.

It's no wonder she thought that way; she spends most of her time overseas and only comes back occasionally, so she's never heard of Chen Ming.

She wasn't the only one who thought this way; the others shared the same idea.

……

"Well done!"

Chen Ming felt immense pressure as he faced the woman's knife.

This strike was a simplified version of a complex move, seemingly ordinary, yet it sealed off all his escape routes. The skill in this swordsmanship far surpassed that of "Wan Laosan".

This was also the first opponent he encountered who made him feel pressured after breaking through to the fifth rank.

"Fire streaks across the sky!"
Chen Ming chose to take the hit head-on.

With a clang.

A terrifying burst of energy erupted, the intense heat causing the four onlookers to gasp for breath. Their gazes sharpened, and their previous nonchalance vanished.

This kid actually possesses such intense true energy; he's definitely a formidable opponent.

As for the young man, he had already slipped away.

A battle between fifth-rank martial artists is not something you can just casually observe; if you're not strong enough, you can easily get caught in the crossfire.

The two combatants simultaneously took a few steps back.

have equal shares!

The four spectators, seeing only a fleeting blush on the woman's face, knew she had suffered a hidden loss.

"Come again!"

The woman gave a sharp shout and attacked again with her knife.

However, this time she was noticeably more cautious, displaying her true skills. She wielded her curved sword with unpredictable agility, appearing in front of her one moment and behind the next.

Chen Ming countered each move with deadly precision, wielding his longsword flawlessly.

The other four people gradually became serious, watching the fight between the two without blinking, and even cheering when they saw something exciting.

Such a spectacular battle is not something you see every day.

In the blink of an eye, the two had already exchanged forty or fifty moves.

Suddenly, the woman flashed away from the battle, saying with displeasure, "I'm not fighting anymore, it's pointless. Who asked you to let me win? Do you think I, Yunniang, am someone who can't accept defeat?"

You have defeated a Level 55 enemy and gained 9000 experience point.

Upon seeing the notification, Chen Ming cupped his hands and said, "It was my fault. Your swordsmanship is exquisite, and I wanted to see more of your moves, which is why I resorted to this tactic."

Seeing his words, Yunniang's anger turned to joy. "You have good taste. My sword technique is a fusion of martial arts from several overseas island nations, created entirely on my own. If you want to learn, I can teach you."

Chen Ming's goodwill towards her increased greatly; such a magnanimous heart truly made her an extraordinary woman.

(End of this chapter)