I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 164 I never expected him to be such a romantic.

hum-

As Chen Ming pondered his next plan, the Mingfeng Sword in his hand began to vibrate on its own once more.

"Is someone spying again? Haven't the people outside left yet?"

He quickly noticed that the sword's cry was different from the previous one, with a significant difference in frequency and sound.

It doesn't seem like a warning.

It's more like... a longing?
Chen Ming carefully sensed it and vaguely perceived the emotion transmitted by the Mingfeng Sword, but it was extremely weak, so weak that he doubted whether it was his imagination.

What is it yearning for?

Suddenly, he sensed the presence of another emotion—a lingering, tender, and melancholic love.

Could it be...

Chen Ming took out the "sword jade" from his pocket, held it in his hand, and felt the sword intent within it more clearly.

buzz-

Suddenly, the "Phoenix Cry Sword" vibrated more violently, and that longing became even clearer.

"It really is because of this sword intent."

He thought to himself, and suddenly a pang of sorrow welled up in his heart, a strong sense of longing rising within him. He missed his ex-girlfriends, recalling the sweet and wonderful times when they first got together, and the heart-wrenching pain of their breakups...

These overwhelming memories overwhelmed him, making it difficult for him to extricate himself.

At the same time, the "Mingfeng Sword" in his hand vibrated even more violently, and its clear and melodious sword sound resounded throughout the entire courtyard.

The commotion quickly alerted the others.

Qiu Xiang and Dong Xiang, who lived closest to the house, were the first to arrive. When they heard the sword chanting growing louder inside, they felt a chill run down their spines, as if needles were pricking their brows, and they had a sense of impending doom.

"Master——"

The two women exclaimed in surprise and tried to rush into the house, but after taking only a few steps, they suddenly couldn't move.

"Don't go in."

An old man appeared in the courtyard at some point. His hair and beard were jet black, but his face was deeply wrinkled, indicating that he was quite old. He was the same man who had come to Jiangzhou City with Feng Siyuan.

The two maids realized they had encountered a powerful expert and cried out excitedly, "Senior, the young master is still inside! Quickly, save him..."

The old man didn't move, but stared at the small house with a solemn expression. "Don't worry, he'll be fine."

He was somewhat surprised: the divine weapon's spirit had clearly been extinguished, so how could it have been revived?
"wrong--"

"This is the sword intent of a Divine Realm expert..."

That's it!

After a while, the shocked old man probably guessed that the spirit of the divine weapon had not been completely extinguished, because Chen Ming's true energy was extremely compatible with the sword, and it was nourished and revived.

He happened to possess the sword intent of a Divine Realm expert, so he actively absorbed and fused with it.

"Good boy!"

After the old man understood the young man's concerns, a storm of emotions surged within him. He had underestimated this young man.

To accomplish all this, there is a prerequisite: Chen Ming must comprehend the true meaning of that sword intent. Only then can the divine weapon use him as a medium to introduce that sword intent into the sword and thus merge with it.

Only when held in its master's hand are the divine weapon and its master one, and neither will be harmed by the backlash of the sword intent.

Otherwise, forcibly absorbing that sword intent would only result in the complete annihilation of the last bit of one's primordial spirit by the sword intent.

It is astonishing that a fifth-rank martial artist could comprehend the sword intent of a Divine Treasure Realm expert!
If I told anyone, I doubt anyone would believe me.

"Old Huang, what's going on?"

At this moment, Feng Siyuan also heard the commotion and rushed over, asking anxiously, "Did that bastard from the Qin family send someone to assassinate Chen Ming?"

Old Huang shook his head and said, "No. He made the commotion himself."

He didn't explain; the young master was incapable of martial arts, and even if he did, the young man wouldn't understand.

"Could it be—" Feng Siyuan thought of a possibility and said in shock, "He has broken through to the fourth rank?"

"No."

Feng Siyuan was taken aback. "Could it be a third-rank official?"

"..."

Old Huang was speechless. What a character! A third-rank? How could he even think of that?

After a while, the sword's cry finally subsided.

Everyone present felt a surge of sadness welling up in their hearts, and a sense of desolation pervaded the atmosphere.

Those who are younger and less experienced don't feel anything yet.

Feng Siyuan was already in tears, remembering his lovers and the vows they made under the moonlit flowers, and his heart was breaking.

A deep sense of nostalgia appeared in Old Huang's eyes. After a moment, he sighed and said with emotion, "I never imagined that this young man would be such a romantic."

Only a passionate soul could comprehend the tender, affectionate essence of swordplay.

Just then, the door creaked open.

Chen Ming stepped forward and said, "I apologize for disturbing everyone's peaceful slumber. I just had some insights into swordsmanship practice, but there was no enemy present."

Old Huang gave him a deep look, along with the divine weapon in his hand, and said, "It's good that you're alright, young master, get some rest." Then he left.

Feng Siyuan wanted to say something, but he felt dejected and left directly.

The other guards and others who had arrived also dispersed.

Only the two maids remained in the courtyard, their eyes still red.

Seeing their genuine emotions, Chen Ming was also touched and said, "I'm fine, go back to sleep." The two pretty maids bowed silently and turned to return to their quarters.

Chen Ming returned to the room, closed the door, and looked at the "Mingfeng Sword" in his hand with a complicated expression.

The good news is that the divine weapon's spirit has been revived, making it even more powerful. Now, he is quite confident in facing a fourth-rank opponent.

The bad news is that the Kenjaku was destroyed, and the sword intent within it was absorbed by the "Mingfeng Sword".

It's hard to say whether it resulted in a loss or a gain.

Chen Ming recalled his encounter with the Peony Maiden from Tianxiang Pavilion, where he didn't even have a chance to take out his sword jade. Therefore, even that sword jade wasn't very useful against experts of the third rank or higher.

Now that the Kendama is gone, his combat power has increased significantly, so he's definitely gained something.

"I don't know if I can beat a fourth-ranked opponent now."

He was itching to find a fourth-rank expert to test his skills.

The first person that comes to mind is Su Zhining.

"Forget it."

He immediately dismissed the idea. Su Zhining's strength was definitely top-tier even among fourth-rank cultivators; the chances of winning against her were slim.

Let's borrow a fourth-rank official from Feng Siyuan.

With that thought in mind, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began to recover his depleted internal energy.

Just now, when the "Singing Phoenix Sword" merged with that sword intent, it almost drained his true energy.

This divine weapon is indeed incredibly powerful. However, it also consumes a lot of power. It's like a 10-kilowatt battery trying to power the "Phoenix Sword's" thousand-kilowatt motor. The battery is completely depleted in a flash.

……

When it's almost dawn.

Chen Ming opened his eyes and felt that his true energy had almost recovered. He thought to himself, "Fortunately, the charging speed is not slow."

He meditated for about two and a half hours, which is equivalent to about five hours. Compared to others, that's quite fast.

"Next time, it would be best to prepare some pills that can be used to replenish your energy."

In this world, there are very few pills that can directly enhance one's cultivation level; they are all extremely rare and precious. However, there are some pills that can help restore one's vital energy.

At this moment, Qiu Xiang and Dong Xiang came in carrying basins to help him wash up.

He suddenly thought of Chunxiang and Xiaxiang at home, and then of his older brother and sister-in-law. He had been away for almost two months and wondered how they were doing.
"Is the young master worried about Qin Changyuan's matter?"

Suddenly, Dongxiang asked in a low voice.

"Ok?"

Chen Ming's thoughts were pulled back, and he asked in confusion, "What's wrong with him?"

Dongxiang then realized she had misunderstood, lowered her head, and looked like she had made a mistake. "It was my fault for speaking out of turn. Please punish me, young master."

Seeing her panicked expression, Chen Ming put on a stern face and said, "Hold out your hand."

Dongxiang timidly stretched out her two hands.

Two snaps.

Chen Ming reached out and gently patted her palms twice, saying, "Alright, tell me, what did Qin Changyuan do while I was in seclusion?"

Dongxiang froze, then subconsciously looked up at him. Seeing that he remained calm and showed no intention of pursuing the matter, she lowered her head and hid her hands behind her back.

Qiu Xiang was also taken aback for a moment. Seeing Dong Xiang's reaction, she quickly helped to explain, "It is said that for the past month, Qin Changyuan has been going to Tianxiang Tower every day hoping to see Miss Peony, but he hasn't even seen her. Later, rumors spread that Miss Peony's heart is already with you, and she will no longer entertain anyone else..."

what?
Chen Ming was stunned, then gasped, realizing the seriousness of the situation.

A beauty of Peony's looks and temperament is so captivating that it's hard to find another like her in the world. She's a disciple of the Heavenly Alliance, a powerhouse of at least the third rank.

One can imagine how many people in Jiangzhou City would be completely captivated by her.

In the past, everyone had a chance.

Now, she's shutting herself away from everyone, and everyone thinks her heart belongs only to Chen Ming. Wouldn't that incur public wrath?
What a bastard.

Do you know that this could kill people?
Chen Ming cursed Mudan in his heart. If he had actually gained something from it, he would accept it. But the problem was, he didn't.

Chun Chun took the blame for a huge mistake.

I haven't even settled the score with him for the last time I schemed against him, and now I'm plotting against him again.

Just wait for me!

Chen Ming asked through gritted teeth, "And then?"

Qiu Xiang whispered, "Then, Qin Changyuan announced that he would deal with the young master."

"Then why doesn't he come to us?"

"Rumor has it that the Qin family also holds some shares in Guanglong Trading Company, so Qin Changyuan has to give the Feng family some face. He deliberately spread the word to put some pressure on the Feng family."

Chen Ming looked at her with some surprise. She seemed to know too much. "How do you know all this?"

At this moment, Dongxiang explained, "Zhu... Qiuxiang has had a photographic memory since she was a child. She read a lot of information over there and memorized it all."

Chen Ming laughed and said, "Then I've really struck gold."

Dongxiang said with some worry, "Young master, Qin Changyuan has always been narrow-minded and vindictive. Even if you stay at the Feng family's house, he will never let it go."

Chen Ming said, "In that case, let's go."

"Go? Where?"

"Of course they moved away."

P.S.: This is to make up for yesterday's chapter.

(End of this chapter)