I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 203 Quota
Chen Ming was silent for a moment, then asked, "Who is the young lady's beloved?"

Miss Xia, who was behind the wall, did not answer him and had already left.

He was hesitating whether to chase after them when, just then, the servant who had left earlier came over. "Young Master Gu, that's the inner quarters. It's inconvenient for you to go in. Please come this way."

Chen Ming had no choice but to follow the servant.

He was arranged to stay in a quiet courtyard, where the maid Xiaohe had prepared hot water for him to bathe.

While taking a bath, he asked, "Xiao He, do you know where Gu Yuyin lives?"

"know."

“Very good. Tomorrow morning, take me to see her.”

Chen Ming had been thinking about the "quota" issue, but unfortunately, Miss Xia didn't give him a chance to ask. For this kind of thing, he could only ask someone he trusted.

From Gu Xianyu's perspective, this cousin looked down on him and was always sarcastic and cynical. Given his personality, he probably wouldn't even seek her help, even if it meant death.

Chen Ming had a different view. After all, the two were cousins ​​from the same family, and there was no conflict of interest between them. In an unfamiliar place like Xia Zhou, they were people he could trust.

No matter what, Gu Yuyin would never collude with outsiders to harm him.

It's hard to say whether they're colluding with their own people.

……

The next morning, before dawn, Chen Ming left the Money Gang with his maid Xiao He.

As luck would have it, Gu Yuyin and the Wu siblings lived nearby, and they arrived shortly afterward.

Upon hearing the news, Wu Zhenhang personally rushed to the door to greet him, his eyes burning with enthusiasm, and said warmly, "Gu Qilang, you've finally arrived."

"I have met my cousin Wu."

Chen Ming greeted her politely, "I'm here to see Yu Yin."

In this era, in terms of blood relations, cousins ​​are definitely closer than maternal cousins, since cousins ​​cannot marry, while marriage between maternal cousins ​​is considered a double blessing.

This shows that the elders of both the Gu and Wu families had this idea to some extent. That's why they arranged for the two to travel together, although Wu Zhenhang's sister also came along to avoid suspicion. But it's obvious to anyone with eyes to see.

"She was with her younger sister."

Wu Zhenhang personally led him inside, and they chatted casually along the way. "Seventh Brother, you've really kept this a secret. Sister Yuyin said that you actually kept your breakthrough to the third rank a secret from everyone."

Chen Ming said frankly, "When living in a large family, it's naturally best to keep a low profile."

"If your father knew that you had broken through to the third rank, he definitely wouldn't have been willing to let you come to Xiazhou alone."

"Once you reach the third rank, you'll always need to go out and gain experience."

How can they be the same?
Wu Zhenhang thought to himself, if the Gu family knew that he had already reached the third rank, they would definitely send a strong member of the family to protect him secretly. A third rank at the age of twenty would at least be protected by a first-rank expert.

However, it's best not to be too blunt. Speaking too frankly with someone you don't know well is a major taboo.

Judging from Yu Yin's younger sister's assessment of this person, he is cautious and wary of the Gu family. Because of his background, his relationship with his brothers is also not very good…

These thoughts flashed through Wu Zhenhang's mind, but he felt that her evaluation was biased. He felt that Gu Qilang was quite honest.

……

"Seventh Brother, you've kept this from me for so long!"

Gu Yuyin and a young girl were walking out when they saw Chen Ming. She ran up to him, seemingly complaining but actually being coquettish, "You didn't even tell me you were already a third-rank official. I was worried for nothing yesterday."

Chen Ming laughed and said, "It is indeed Seventh Brother's fault."

Wu Zhenhang introduced her to him, "This is my younger sister, Wu Xiuyan."

He politely replied, "I've met Cousin Wu."

Wu Xiuyan curtsied and said somewhat shyly, "Greetings, Brother Gu Qi."

After exchanging some pleasantries, the Wu siblings arrived at the courtyard where Gu Yuyin lived, and then left.

Once only the two of them were left in the house, Gu Yuyin said with a bitter face, "Did Seventh Brother come here specifically to humiliate his sister?"

Chen Ming asked knowingly, "What makes you say that?"

"Ugh!"

Gu Yuyin sighed softly, "When I think back to the things I said to you before, I feel ashamed."

"We're all family, I know you meant no harm, so why would I, as your older brother, take it to heart?"

"..."

Gu Yuyin froze, almost losing her composure.

She looked at Seventh Brother with a look of complete unfamiliarity; it was truly unbelievable that he could say such a thing.

Is this really the Seventh Brother I know?
"Actually, the reason I came to see you so early is because I have something to ask you." Chen Ming didn't want to dwell on such trivial matters and got down to business.

"Seventh Brother, please speak," Gu Yuyin said, looking all ears.

“Last night, Xia Mudan came to see me. She asked me if I was here for that spot. Do you know what that spot is?”

Peony is the code name for that "flower of wealth and honor in the world" on the list of beauties.

Gu Yuyin was visibly surprised when she heard the word "spot". "She really said that?"

Seeing her reaction, Chen Ming seemed to really know what this spot was. "So what exactly is it?"

Gu Yuyin shook her head with a serious expression and said, "Actually, I don't know exactly what this quota is. I only know that it should be related to the breakthrough of a first-grade expert into the Divine Treasure Realm."

Hiss——

Chen Ming couldn't help but gasp. This was more troublesome than he had imagined; it was actually related to a first-grade expert breaking through to the Divine Treasure Realm.

If I remember correctly, Liang Zongcheng has been a first-rank official for quite some time now.

So, he's aiming to break through to the Divine Treasure Realm?

His so-called personal grudge with the Wan family was just to fight for this spot.

Many guesses flashed through Chen Ming's mind.

Then the problem is coming.

He asked, "How is this martial arts contest for marriage related to that quota?"

Gu Yuyin couldn't figure it out either, after all, her understanding of the quota was limited.

She cautioned, "Seventh Brother, perhaps we shouldn't go today. Those top-tier experts become ruthless in their pursuit of the Divine Realm, killing anyone who stands in their way. The Gu family is too far away after all."

Chen Ming looked at her and suddenly smiled, "The Gu family lives far away, but the Wu family lives nearby. I believe they will definitely be interested in this spot."

"You mean-"

Gu Yuyin was taken aback, having already guessed his thoughts.

Chen Ming said, "Let's call Brother Wu over."

The Wu family is no ordinary family, as they are able to form a marriage alliance with the Gu family. In this world, marriage between families of equal social standing is highly valued.

His idea was simple: bringing the Wu family over would be enough to guarantee his safety.

He's still a long way from reaching the Divine Realm, so he doesn't need to worry about it for the next year or two. Giving up this spot won't bother him.

Besides, with his current strength, even if he manages to snatch a spot, he can't keep it. It's better to give it to the Wu family and make a good relationship. In the future, when he's in Xiazhou, he'll have a powerful ally.

The premise is that the Wu family was unaware of this matter beforehand. ...

A short while later, Wu Zhenhang arrived and, upon hearing Chen Ming mention "that spot," nearly stood up in surprise, exclaiming, "You mean, this martial arts contest for marriage is actually related to that spot?"

Seeing his reaction, Chen Ming knew things were going well and nodded, saying, "That's what Miss Xia said."

Wu Zhenhang couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and paced back and forth in the room, his excitement barely concealed.

After a moment, he stopped, looked at Chen Ming, and asked a probing question, "Why did Qi Lang tell me this?"

Chen Ming frankly said, "After all, the Gu family is far away in the capital. By the time the news gets there, it will be too late."

Wu Zhenhang bowed deeply and said, "Whether this matter succeeds or fails, the entire Wu family will be indebted to Qilang."

Chen Ming laughed and said, "We're all relatives, you're being too polite."

Then Wu Zhenhang left, obviously to arrange for someone to send the message back home.

……

At the beginning of the Si hour, Chen Ming went with the Wu siblings to the Money Gang to participate in a martial arts contest to find a husband.

On the way, Wu Zhenhang walked side by side with Chen Ming and whispered, "If I'm not mistaken, the Money Gang has discovered a secret realm deep within the gold mine."

"A secret realm?" Chen Ming asked.

Wu Zhenhang glanced at him, feeling a pang of pity. As a core member of the Gu family, he didn't even know such common sense. This showed his predicament within the Gu family.

"It could be a cave dwelling left behind by an ancient powerful being, or it could be a grotto-heaven world. It is a world of its own, with varying sizes. People call such places secret realms."

"I see."

Chen Ming knew that this was a secret known only to aristocratic families and sects. "And what are those quotas?"

"The quota is the only way to enter the secret realm. The power to issue quotas naturally rests with the master of the secret realm. Miss Xia's question to you means that as long as you win the martial arts contest to find a husband, you can get a quota. Therefore, the answer is obvious: the leader of the Money Gang is the master of the secret realm."

Wu Zhenhang knew a lot of secrets, and by reasoning backward, he came to many conclusions. "I guess that Miss Xia deliberately revealed this matter to you."

Chen Ming was puzzled. "Why would she do that?"

The more people know about such a valuable spot, the more people will compete for it, making the situation even more chaotic.

"It's simple, just muddy the waters. The Money Gang is probably mired in trouble right now. Xia Shaowen hasn't reached the Divine Treasure Realm yet, and even if he becomes the master of the secret realm, it will be difficult for him to protect it. He might even face a fatal disaster. He had his daughter reveal this to you, which means he's revealing it to the Gu family. Once the Gu family gets involved, those who were originally eyeing the situation won't want to leave, so they'll have no choice but to win over Xia Shaowen."

As they were talking, the Money Gang arrived.

The two stopped talking about it.

There seemed to be more people watching the game today than yesterday.

Chen Ming's appearance attracted the attention of many people, and the crowd spontaneously parted to make way for him.

When Xia Shaowen appeared and announced the start of today's competition, a man in blue couldn't wait to step onto the stage, pointing his knife at Chen Ming, "Come on, you surnamed Gu. Let me experience your swordsmanship."

Without wasting words, Chen Ming leaped onto the stage and began his first battle of the day.

……

You have defeated a level 71 opponent and gained 3.3 experience points.

You have defeated a level 70 opponent and gained 3 experience points.

【…】

It was almost a repeat of yesterday; Chen Ming defeated several opponents in succession, reaping experience points.

The people below were initially cheering for Xia Zhou's third-ranked official, but after several people failed in succession, their voices became much quieter.

Chen Ming single-handedly defeated almost all of the strongest young talents in Xiazhou, which was a huge blow to morale.

When the fifth player of the day was also defeated, the people in the audience fell silent for a moment.

"Peerless Young Master!"

Suddenly, someone shouted something.

The scene erupted in cheers once again, with everyone shouting, "Yes, we still have Young Master Wushuang!" "Young Master Wushuang, we're counting on you!"

Chen Ming could understand this spontaneous and simple hometown sentiment. He looked at the figure standing out from the crowd below, waiting for him to go on stage.

The person Xia Mudan was referring to as her sweetheart was most likely this person.

So far, he has defeated ten third-rank warriors from Xia Prefecture, and Xia Mudan on the second floor hasn't reacted at all. There are probably only a few third-rank warriors left to fight.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the peerless young master finally moved, leaping onto the stage. His demeanor was extremely elegant, drawing tremendous applause.

The peerless young master looked at Chen Ming with eyes as bright as stars and said loudly, "Brother Gu has fought five battles in a row and is extremely exhausted. How about we wait for Brother Gu to rest for a day and fight again tomorrow?"

It must be said that this person's demeanor is truly admirable.

Chen Ming said, "Why wait until tomorrow? Let's fight three hours later."

"Alright," Young Master Wushuang agreed.

So, in front of everyone, he sat cross-legged on the arena and began to circulate his internal energy to recover his depleted true energy. He then opened the control panel.

【Level: 70】

Current points: 419896

[Techniques: Iron Horse Stake (Fifth Level Completed), Five Elements True Skill (Missing) (Seventh Level 187544/10000000)]

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 (Fourth Level 3277/400000), Heaven and Earth Lone Goose (First Level 700564/1000000)

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

In the past two days, he has gained a total of 320,000 experience points.

With such a prestigious title, this Peerless Young Master must possess extraordinary strength. He might not necessarily be able to defeat the first level of "The Lone Goose of Heaven and Earth".

So, he added 300,000 points to "The Lone Goose of Heaven and Earth" in one go, upgrading this sword technique to the second level.

Instantly, the panel displayed "Lone Goose in the Sky and Earth" (Second Layer 564/2000000).

At the same time, countless insights about this sword technique flooded his mind.

……

Three hours passed by in a blink of an eye.

When Chen Ming stood up from the ground, many people who had been waiting and were about to fall asleep immediately perked up, looking forward to the earth-shattering battle that was about to begin.

Everyone knew that if even the Peerless Young Master couldn't defeat the seventh son of the Gu family from the capital, then no one among the younger generation in Xiazhou could be his match.

Of all those present, the only ones who stood by Chen Ming's side were Gu Yuyin and the Wu siblings.

She asked with some concern, "Can Seventh Brother win?"

Wu Zhenhang remained silent. He had never seen the Peerless Young Master make a move and did not know the extent of his strength. However, given his renowned reputation, he was certainly no ordinary person.

Although Gu Xianyu was strong, he was not strong enough to overwhelm his peers.

He didn't have much confidence.

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(End of this chapter)