I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 185: Thousand Miles of Sound Transmission
Madam Yu didn't give Chen Ming a chance to refuse. After speaking, she gave Yu Haitang a few more instructions and then left.

He asked Yu Haitang with a puzzled look, "Why does your aunt insist on marrying you to me? With your qualifications, you could easily marry a prince."

Yu Haitang said softly, "You should have heard that when I was born, a sage predicted my fate and I was given the blessing of a Seven-Star Begonia, right?"

"Just for this?"

Yu Haitang could tell from his expression that he had no idea of ​​the significance of that demigod.

She said in a calm tone, "As far back as I can remember, any man who gets too close to me will soon meet with misfortune."

Chen Ming immediately became curious, "What kind of misfortune? Is it death? How close does it have to be to be considered close? How long does it have to last before it triggers?"

A barrage of questions left Yu Haitang stunned. She stared at him blankly, "Aren't you...aren't you afraid?"

"Of course I'm scared," Chen Ming said seriously. "That's why I need to figure out how this misfortune was triggered, and I really want to find a way to avoid it."

Curses like these are the hardest to defend against; it would be a lie to say you're not afraid.

He then remembered something else, "By the way, Ji Qianxing is always with you, how come he's alright?"

Yu Haitang sneered, "Because he never comes within three feet of me. As for you, it's already surprising that you're still alive. Auntie probably thinks you're tough, which is why she insists you marry me."

Upon reflection, Chen Ming realized it was true. Every time he saw Ji Qianxing, he always kept a certain distance from her. He had initially thought it was out of respect, but he hadn't realized it was for this reason.

Even her former personal maids wouldn't get too close to her.

As for him, if it weren't for the system, he would have died from exhaustion of his inner energy long ago. Even if he didn't die, with Yu Haitang dead, he would still be doomed.

This curse is really something.

Chen Ming then asked, "How long will it take to have an effect? ​​A quarter of an hour? Or just a moment?"

He asked a few more questions, but Yu Haitang turned away and ignored him.

I sensed she was a little angry, and I don't know what I said that offended her.

Then, Chen Ming called Qiu Xiang over and instructed her, "Go and invite Hong Zilin over."

"Yes."

……

Hong Zilin had been going to the Chen residence frequently these past few days, as he was somewhat worried about him.

In the vast Chen mansion, the master knew nothing of martial arts, the guard Gu Junrong was just a guard, the two most powerful men, Wu and Liu, were ignorant of worldly affairs, and Chunxiang and Xiaxiang were both women...

It's still only him who has to worry about this.

When Hong Zilin received the report and saw a pretty maid, he immediately recognized her as someone from next door and cautiously asked, "What brings you here, young lady?"

The maid said, "My young master has invited you to come."

This was exactly what Hong Zilin wanted; it was a perfect opportunity to probe the other party's background, so he readily agreed.

He asked someone to check, and all he knew was that the family next door was also surnamed Chen and came from Jiangzhou City. As for the origin of their names, he knew nothing. Moreover, after moving in, they never left the mansion, which made them seem extremely mysterious.

In comparison, the grandfather and grandson next door seemed much more normal.

A moment later, Hong Zilin followed the pretty maid into the neighbor's house. He asked, "May I ask how this lady is addressed?"

"My maid Qiuxiang."

He laughed and said, "What a coincidence, I know two older sisters whose names are very similar to yours, Chunxiang and Xiaxiang."

"Really?" Qiu Xiang covered her mouth and smiled.

Taking the opportunity, Hong Zilin asked, "May I ask what brings your young master here?"

"You'll know when you see my young master—we've arrived."

Qiu Xiang arrived at a courtyard in the back residence and announced through the door, "Young master, the person has arrived."

A voice came from inside the room, "Okay, you can go down now."

Hong Zilin's first reaction was that the voice sounded so familiar, and then he heard a familiar greeting, "Zilin, what are you still standing there for? Come in."

Hong Zilin was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Uncle-Master?"

He stepped forward and pushed open the door, and sure enough, he saw his martial uncle Chen Ming sitting inside. He was extremely excited, "It really is you! Martial uncle, why didn't you come home after you came back?"

After the excitement came doubt.

After asking the question, he felt something was off; there were other people in the room.

Chen Ming sat by a curtain, his left hand reaching inside. There was clearly someone sitting next to him. Although only a figure could be vaguely seen, Hong Zilin could tell it was a woman.

He was confused. "Uncle-Master, what's wrong...?"

Chen Ming said, "This is a long story, I'll explain it to you later. I called you here because I have something for you to do."

Hong Zilin also realized the seriousness of the matter and suppressed his doubts, "Uncle-Master, please give your instructions."

Chen Ming began to give instructions, "I will give you a letter. Give it to my older brother when you get back..."

……

The letter was simple: he had consulted a fortune teller in Jiangzhou City. The fortune teller said the ancestral graves needed to be renovated this year, and his eldest brother and his family would all be present.

Sure enough, early the next morning, Chen Rui took his whole family out of Qingfeng City and back to his hometown.

Just outside the city gate, they encountered a group of constables from the Six Doors. They traveled with them and escorted them all the way back to their hometown.

……

At the same time, Chen Ming also sent Qiu Xiang with the token to Shang'an Trading Company.

Then, a middle-aged woman returned with Qiu Xiang. Upon seeing Su Zhining's appearance, a palpable killing intent flashed in her eyes. "Who hurt her?" This killing intent sent a chill down Chen Ming's spine. He explained, "It's a long story..."

Then, the middle-aged woman's cold gaze swept over him, and he felt a chill run down his spine. "A third-rank expert tried to kill me. She forced a breakthrough, causing her internal energy to explode and her meridians to break."

Just from his brief description, the woman knew how dangerous the situation must have been, and said with some emotion, "How could she have survived such severe injuries?"

Although the "Awakening of Insects Technique" is an extraordinary secret method, it also has limitations. If all the meridians in the body are severed, it naturally cannot be used.

Logically speaking, she should have been beyond saving.

Chen Ming said, "This junior has no time to attend to other matters, so I had no choice but to call you here, senior. Please take good care of her."

The middle-aged woman gave him a deep look, said nothing more, and left with Su Zhining.

After Su Zhining was also taken away, only Chen Ming and Yu Haitang remained in the room.

He said, "Since you know so many secrets, you should know very well what I'm about to face. You don't seem worried at all?"

Yu Haitang said lazily, "What's the use of being in a hurry?"

He said, "I can't hold on much longer."

"Don't you have some kind of 'Blood Burning Technique'?"

He sighed and said, "To tell you the truth, I have already overdrawn my lifespan. I have less than ten years left to live, and I can no longer use this secret technique."

"Do you think I believe it?"

"If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do—"

Just then, a rumbling sound, like a thunderclap, rang out from the sky. Then, the voice grew clearer and clearer, "Chen—Ming—come—quickly—!"

"This is--"

Chen Ming raised his head.

A hint of excitement flashed in Yu Haitang's eyes, "This is the technique of transmitting sound over a thousand miles, which can only be used by those at the Divine Treasure Realm."

He took a deep breath and said, "Yes, Senior Shang. I have to go."

Yu Haitang looked at him and said calmly, "If you let go now, I will die."

Chen Ming said, "You should know how dangerous that place is."

Yu Haitang said, "The longer you delay, the more dangerous it will be for your family and friends. They will do everything they can to find you. If they can't find you, they will look for your family and your friends..."

Chen Ming knew she was right; Senior Shang's shout had put him in the spotlight.

Without further ado, he said, "Excuse me," then picked up Yu Haitang in his arms, grabbed the "Mingfeng Sword" with his other hand, and climbed out of the window.

"Master Chen!"

Behind me, I heard Mr. Wang's voice.

Chen Ming did not answer. He used the "Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens" technique and flew across the rooftop with an extremely elegant posture. His speed was so fast that he left Mr. Wang behind him out of sight in the blink of an eye.

……

Yu Haitang wrapped her arms around Chen Ming's neck, her bright and deep eyes gazing at his face, a complex expression flashing in them.

At first, she didn't believe in such nonsense as the "Blood Burning Technique." The idea of ​​instantly restoring depleted inner energy and returning to peak condition at the cost of ten years of lifespan sounded too good to be true.

It was only at this moment that she was shocked to discover that Chen Ming's cultivation was so profound, not at all like someone who had just broken through to the fourth rank.

His cultivation of internal energy is no less than hers.

This made Yu Haitang's heart tremble.

Chen Ming had just broken through to the fourth rank, and after that, he had been busy healing Su Zhining and her injuries, leaving him no time to cultivate. Why then did his cultivation level continue to surge during this period?

This is simply unreasonable.

It should be noted that it took her three years to break through to the fourth rank before she cultivated her Qi to the peak of the fourth rank.

Chen Ming only spent half a month.

There's only one possibility: what he said before was true.

The true function of the "Burning Blood Technique" is to exchange lifespan for cultivation level!

No wonder his cultivation level has advanced by leaps and bounds.

No wonder he seems to never encounter any bottlenecks...

In an instant, Yu Haitang understood many things.

"Chen Ming"

A thunderous sound echoed through the sky once more, immense and awe-inspiring. It drew countless people into the streets, searching for the source of the sound.

Some knowledgeable martial artists realized what was happening and rushed toward the source of the sound.

Along the way, Chen Ming encountered many martial artists, almost all of whom were at least fourth-rank.

Those of the fourth rank, like him, darted across the rooftops.

Those of the third rank and above could fly as if riding the wind, their feet never touching the ground.

Before long, the Zhenhai Prince's Mansion came into view, and many people stopped outside the mansion, seemingly blocked by something.

P.S.: This is 500,000 words. Just making a note of it. Requesting monthly votes.

(End of this chapter)