I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 170 Qinggong
After venting his anger, Qin Changyuan finally stopped yelling once the carriage had disappeared from sight. He was panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot, and his face full of murderous intent. "Let's go, I'm going to kill that bastard myself!"

The coachman, a middle-aged man, calmly said, "Young master, please reconsider."

Qin Changyuan flew into a rage, "Even you dare to defy this young master?"

The coachman said, "A month ago, Han Xiangcheng of the Tianji Sect went to challenge Chen Ming, but was defeated with a single sword strike and suffered internal injuries. That night, his senior brother Lai Xiangran wanted to seek justice for him, but he announced his seclusion the next day. Rumor has it that he was defeated by Chen Ming's sword and even had his arm severed—"

As he spoke, he shook his head again, "This rumor is too far-fetched and not credible. The most likely explanation is that Chen Ming is protected by a powerful figure, and to kill him, one would need at least a third-rank expert to be confident of success."

The implication is that, given Qin Changyuan's strength, he is unlikely to be able to kill the other person and will only end up humiliating himself.

Qin Changyuan was not a reckless man. After hearing the coachman's analysis, he finally calmed down. His eyes flashed with cold light, and he suddenly snatched the whip from the coachman's hand and lashed the coachman several times.

The driver did not dodge and took several lashes, leaving his skin torn and bleeding.

"Humph!"

Qin Changyuan said coldly, "This is what happens when you dare to talk back."

He then threw the whip back, sat back in the carriage, and ordered, "Go to Tianxiang Tower."

The coachman silently steered the carriage in a different direction, heading towards Tianxiang Tower.

……

"Qin Changyuan was born into a collateral branch of the Qin family. He was poor from a young age, but at the age of fifteen, he showed extraordinary talent. Only then did he receive the clan leader's favor and become a direct descendant of the Qin family."

Qiu Xiang was telling Chen Ming about Qin Changyuan, "Although Qin Changyuan is the best of the Qin family this generation, he is actually unable to use the Qin family's power. As long as you don't harm him, the Qin family won't send any powerful experts to deal with you."

She then added, "However, he is now a direct descendant of the Qin family and possesses exceptional talent. Many people in the city are willing to befriend him, and it's possible that some minor power might send a third-rank official to cause you trouble for his sake. We must be on guard."

Rank 3, a minor power?

Chen Ming finds it difficult to put these two words together.

It should be noted that for a long time, Qingfeng City did not have even one rank three official.

It's fair to say there are just too many experts in Jiangzhou City. Saying that third-rank experts are as common as dogs would be an exaggeration, but in Jiangzhou City, they certainly don't have much prestige.

Chen Ming asked, "Do you think Miss Yu will send a third-rank expert to protect me?"

Qiu Xiang and Dong Xiang both hesitated for a moment, then shook their heads.

He asked, "What do you think she's thinking?"

The two of them had followed Yu Haitang for several years and had a certain understanding of her.

Dongxiang replied cautiously, "She... probably also wants to use this opportunity to test if you have any other trump cards up your sleeve."

"What if I don't have it? What if I just die like that?"

Qiu Xiang and Dong Xiang both looked troubled, hesitant to speak.

Chen Ming understood; he figured she wouldn't care too much if he died.

That's right. She could just throw away her personal maid who had been with her for many years, so why would she care about an outsider like him?

Well, it seems I still have to rely on myself.

The woman in red has already left.

I don't know if Old Master Sun from Changqing Hall is reliable or not.

Chen Ming was a little depressed; this feeling of having to rely on others for protection was really awful.

If he really encounters a third-rank enemy, he will have no choice but to immediately break through to the fourth rank and give it his all.

Thinking of this, he silently recited it to himself.

【Level: 55】

Current points: 624000

[Techniques: Iron Horse Stake (Fifth Level Completed), Five Elements True Skill (Missing) (Fifth Level 990000/1500000)]

[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), Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens (First Level 20463/100000)]

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

For the past month, he has maintained a rate of adding 2,000 points per day to the "Five Elements True Skill".

Chen Ming looked at the contents of the panel, pondering as he went.

When he saw "Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens", he couldn't help but think of the words of the mysterious woman in red.

He would spend some time practicing this lightness skill, and his proficiency had increased by several thousand points, but it was better than nothing.

He thought about it carefully for a while and made a decision.

"Add some points."

He directly added 80,000 experience points to the "Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens" light-body skill.

【Level: 55】

Current points: 544000

[Techniques: Iron Horse Stake (Fifth Level Completed), Five Elements True Skill (Missing) (Fifth Level 990000/1500000)]

[Martial Arts: Three Talents Fist (Mastery), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Mastery), Zhuang Family Flying Knife (Mastery), Swallow Return Sword Technique (Mastery), Vermilion Bird Sword Technique (Mastery), Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens (Second Level 463/200000)]

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

……

As the points increased, Chen Ming felt some strange changes occur in his body.

Some of his meridians and acupoints were widened and made more resilient, and his mind gained many more techniques and experiences in light-body skills. This change lasted for more than ten seconds.

"My speed has increased by nearly 50% compared to before."

He was pleasantly surprised by the effect; it was an instantaneous burst of speed. For long-distance travel, it increased speed by about 20-30%.

That's already quite amazing.

"This lightness skill is indeed extraordinary."

The first level requires 100,000 experience points in lightness skill, which is naturally extraordinary.

If his lightness skill had been at this level a month ago, he wouldn't have needed to use his sword intent to defeat Lai Xiangran.

……

After nightfall, Chen Ming was reading alone in his room, with the "Mingfeng Sword" placed beside him, within easy reach.

The night was silent.

The only sounds were the occasional bark of a dog outside and the chirping of insects in the yard.

A night breeze blew by, bringing a refreshing coolness.

Chen Ming suddenly sensed something, looked up and called out, "Miss Su?"

A white figure appeared outside the window.

He pushed open the window and looked at Su Zhining, who was standing under the eaves, dressed in white, still wearing a veil, only revealing her eyebrows and eyes, which shone like stars.

Chen Ming exclaimed in surprise, "It really is you! Where have you been all this time? I thought something had happened to you."

Whether it was my imagination or not, the light in those bright eyes softened, and she said softly, "I'm recuperating."

"Has your injury healed?"

"Ah."

"That's great."

His joy was genuine; with her there, his safety was assured.

Although she is not even a third-rank official, her status as a disciple of the Heavenly Dao Alliance makes others have to be somewhat wary of her.

As for her inner demons, that's not a major problem. With his current strength, even if he can't defeat them, he should be able to escape.

Seeing the genuine joy on his face, Su Zhining subconsciously looked away and asked, "How did you find out about me?"

Chen Ming picked up the Mingfeng Sword and said, "It's what told me that."

Su Zhining looked at the divine weapon and was surprised to find that it was different from the last time. It was no longer lifeless, but had become more spiritual.

She looked into the house, a hint of coldness in her eyes. "Who are those two women inside?"

Chen Ming sighed, "Two poor souls, they made a small mistake and their former master broke their legs and demoted them to slavery on the farm. When I learned of their plight, I couldn't bear it, so I brought them back..."

Su Zhining looked at him, as if trying to see right through him, "Now, they are your maids?"

Chen Ming felt a chill run down his spine under her gaze and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

After developing inner demons, Su Zhining did indeed become somewhat strange. Before, she never cared about the people around her.

She quickly looked away and didn't continue the topic. "Before our first sparring match, you said that if you won, I would grant you a request."

Huh?
Why did she suddenly bring this up after all this time?
Chen Ming said cautiously, "It seems there is such a thing."

Su Zhining said, "Speak, what are your demands?"

She actually took the initiative to fulfill her promise; it seems the shadow of her defeat at her own hands has been lifted.

Chen Ming said, "It was just a joke. You don't need to take it to heart, young lady."

In the past, he would have brought it up directly. Now, however, she has inner demons, so it's better to be careful and not provoke her.

Su Zhining stared into his eyes and said, "You said before that you wanted to see my true face, right?"

Before he could answer, she had already reached out and removed the white veil from her face.

For a fleeting moment, Chen Ming felt as if his heart had been struck by something. The face before him perfectly matched all his fantasies about the fairies described in martial arts novels.

That cool, pure, and mysterious aura.

Those bright, deep, and pure eyes.

And there's that ethereal, otherworldly aura emanating from him...

Chen Ming finally understood why she was on the list of beauties, and not the peony girl. Although they were from the same sect, there was still a difference in their looks and temperament.

“My master forbids me from traveling the world with my true face. He says that people in the world are easily blinded by beauty, which would hinder my cultivation.”

Su Zhining gazed at Chen Ming, her voice as clear and gentle as a breeze blowing from an icy spring, captivating all who heard it.

Chen Ming agreed wholeheartedly, “Your master is right. In the martial arts world, the two things most likely to cause trouble are divine martial arts manuals and stunningly beautiful women. Actually, you shouldn’t have shown it to me in the first place.”

Su Zhining said, "My master also said that after a year of training, I can take off this veil. For me, this is another kind of cultivation."

Chen Ming thought of the bizarre cultivation technique of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and understood what her master meant.

However, not long after she came out, her master was trapped in the Zhenhai Prince's Mansion and didn't have time to teach her anything.

During this time, she stayed by his side, but remained hidden in the shadows, rarely interacting with others.

If she really takes off her veil, will she be able to handle it?

(End of this chapter)