I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 254 Trading
"Sect Leader Yuan actually recognizes her?"

Chen Ming noticed the scrutinizing look in Yu Haitang's eyes and his heart skipped a beat. She was incredibly perceptive. He showed just the right amount of surprise on his face. "Does Miss Yu know this Miss Huo?"

"Of course I recognize them."

Seeing her reaction, Yu Haitang's scrutinizing gaze vanished, and she smiled, "Junior Sister Huo is my husband's junior sister, so she can also be considered my junior sister. Junior Sister doesn't look too well, has something happened?"

Chen Ming said, "What a coincidence that we have such a connection. On my way here, I saw Miss Huo being interrogated by people from her sect and the White Feather Sect. In desperation, she tried to commit suicide by drawing her sword. I couldn't bear to see it, so I saved her."

"This is happening!"

Yu Haitang was furious. "I think the Xiaoshui Sect is tired of living, daring to treat Junior Sister Huo like this. Luckily you're alright, otherwise, I would have wiped out the entire Xiaoshui Sword Sect."

Huo Qianqian quickly said, "Miss Yu, please calm down. Senior has already punished them. After all, they are fellow disciples, so I hope Miss Yu will not make things difficult for them."

“You’re just too kind-hearted, that’s why they dare to bully you so recklessly. When your husband was alive, they held you in high esteem. Now that he’s gone, they turn their backs on you and trample you into the mud. These sycophants should all be killed to save us trouble.”

When Huo Qianqian heard her speak of murder without any emotion, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Knowing that she was capable of doing what she said, she quickly said, "Please, Miss Yu, for the sake of Senior Brother Chen, don't hold a grudge against the Xiaoshui Sect."

As she spoke, she bowed deeply.

A mischievous smile flashed in Yu Haitang's eyes as she said, "If you call me 'sister-in-law,' I promise you I won't make things difficult for them."

Huo Qianqian was stunned, her mouth slightly open, but she couldn't bring herself to call her "sister-in-law".

"What, you still don't want to acknowledge me as your sister-in-law? Never mind." Yu Haitang shook her head and chuckled. "Speaking of which, it was my negligence that caused you to suffer. You were forced into this situation because of Li Jinchuan, weren't you?"

Huo Qianqian lowered her head and simply nodded.

Yu Haitang said, "Li Jinchuan is right next door. Do you want to go see him?"

"What? You saved Junior Brother Li?"

Huo Qianqian was both surprised and delighted.

She didn't have many relatives left to begin with, and in Jiangzhou City, the only person she had any connection with was Li Jinchuan. So, she was naturally happy to learn that he was safe and sound.

“He is someone my husband values. How could I let him be captured by those people from the White Feather Sect? What, do you think a selfish and vicious woman like me would offend a sect just to save someone?”

Huo Qianqian felt somewhat embarrassed by what she said. "Miss Yu, you flatter me. I'll go check on Junior Brother Li."

After saying that, he fled as if he were escaping.

Chen Ming watched from the side, shaking his head inwardly. Huo Qianqian was no match for Yu Haitang, whether in terms of strength or verbal sparring.

Only the two of them remained in the room.

Yu Haitang said, "Thank you, Sect Leader Yuan, for saving her."

"Easy to do."

He didn't continue the topic and got down to business, saying, "I've come here today because I have a favor to ask of you."

"Oh?"

Yu Haitang stared at him with her beautiful eyes and teased, "Oh? Headmaster Yuan, as the head of Jin Yutang, with so many talented people under your command, actually makes a request to a housewife like me. Isn't that a bit childish?"

Chen Ming cut to the chase, saying, "Miss Yu should know perfectly well what's going on with me as the sect leader. I won't beat around the bush with you; I want to ask you to help me kill someone."

Yu Haitang chuckled, "You don't mean for me to go with you to kill Sun Chuxian, do you? How could a mere third-rank official like me be a match for him?"

"It's not him, it's someone else. Their strength is probably even greater than Sun Chuxian's."

"Could it be that Rank 1 expert who chased after you and Jiang Xiao Jiu that day?"

"Exactly."

“That’s a first-rank purple-robed official from the Six Doors.” Yu Haitang looked at him as if he were crazy.

It's important to know that Pan Zhiyuan, the top official in Jiangzhou, is a first-rank official in purple robes. This person's rank is equivalent to Pan Zhiyuan's; even if he's not a high-ranking official in a prefecture, he's still a high-ranking member of the Six Doors (a government agency).

Even if the two of them could actually kill this person, the consequence would be being placed on the Six Doors' wanted list, which might attract the attention of the super-grade red-clothed old monster.

This isn't how you die.

Chen Ming said, "Don't worry, since I dared to kill him, I'm naturally not afraid of the Six Doors' pursuit. To be honest, this man made a big mistake during a mission not long ago, killing four third-rank gold-robed officials. He even tried to kill me to silence me. Soon, he will be dismissed and investigated. Killing him will allow me to go to Xia Prefecture to collect a reward."

After listening, Yu Haitang remained noncommittal and said lazily, "What good would it do me to kill him?"

"Whatever Miss Yu wants, as long as I have it, I will offer it to you with both hands."

"What if I want Master Yuan's Taiyue Sword?"

"can!"

Without any hesitation, Chen Ming tossed the "Taiyue Sword" over.

Yu Haitang instinctively caught it, her gaze momentarily stunned, and for the first time, she lost her composure in front of him.

Her gaze fell on the "Taiyue Sword" as a cover, and she said, "You're quite generous. You just give away peerless divine weapons like that."

After saying that, he threw the "Taiyue Sword" back and shook his head, saying, "What use is a peerless divine weapon that has already recognized its master to me?"

Generally speaking, a peerless weapon will only have one master at a time, unless the master dies, in which case it will recognize another master.

To some extent, the spirit of a peerless divine weapon is intertwined with its master.

Yu Haitang's expression turned serious as she said, "Since you're so sincere, it would be rather pretentious of me to refuse. Forget about the Taiyue Sword; as long as you can help me obtain one thing, I'll do you that favor." "Alright."

"You didn't even ask what I wanted to get? You just agreed so readily?"

“Miss Yu can speak now.”

"It's nothing special. It's just a piece of yellow soil that Jin Tai stole from a reclusive family back then. It's currently hidden under the main hall where Headmaster Yuan usually lives."

"..."

Chen Ming said in a somewhat strange tone, "So, I still have to go back to Jin Yutang?"

Yu Haitang nodded, "It's best to hurry, or Sun Chuxian will probably be back. Just lift the sandalwood board you usually sit on, and you'll see a keyhole. The Taiyue Sword is the key to open the underground passage."

The more Chen Ming listened, the more suspicious she became. Not only did she know Sun Chuxian's whereabouts, she even knew exactly where he usually sat.

She actually planted a spy in Jin Yutang, and the rank was definitely not low.

Yu Haitang said, "When you hand that thing over to me, I will go with you to kill that first-rank purple-robed official from the Six Doors."

"Okay, it's a deal."

"It's a word."

……

Before leaving, Chen Ming went next door and told Huo Qianqian to stay there for the night and come back to see her the next day.

I glanced at Li Jinchuan; he was badly injured, but thankfully not fatally. With Doctor Sun treating him, he should be fine.

Chen Ming then left with peace of mind.

When he returned to Jin Yutang, he couldn't help but feel emotional. He thought he would never come back here again, but he didn't expect that he would have to come back after only a few hours.

Before Sun Chuxian returned, he entered the main hall and ordered everyone not to approach, and closed all the doors and windows tightly.

Then, they moved the wooden board they usually sat on.

Chen Mingcai then discovered that the ground was cast from a single piece of iron, and there was a round plug on the ground. After removing the plug, a hole was exposed.

He took out the "Taiyue Sword" and inserted it, scabbard and all, and it fit perfectly.

With a forceful twist, a mechanical click was heard. A crack appeared in the ground, widening rapidly until a dark passage appeared, with a staircase winding downwards, its depth unknown.

Chen Ming walked down the stairs, and the further down he went, the more concentrated the earth-attribute elemental energy became.

"So, the grand hall above was used to isolate the Yuan energy underground."

Only then did he realize the purpose of that grand hall.

In reality, the underground is where Kim Tae-soo usually practices his skills.

"The treasure that Tang Yaoyang mentioned is most likely the same thing that Yu Haitang was talking about."

Thinking about this, Chen Ming suddenly had a thought: Could Tang Yaoyang be Yu Haitang's spy in Jin Yutang?

It's really possible.

As he thought to himself, he finally reached the bottom, which was a huge stone chamber. Dozens of luminous pearls were embedded in the walls and ceiling, illuminating the entire space.

It looks like it was carved out of a single, massive rock.

Where is that patch of yellow soil?

Chen Ming's gaze swept across the stone chamber, finally settling on the stone platform at the very center.

That place has the most concentrated earth elemental energy. It's almost as concentrated as the fire elemental energy deep within the earth's veins in the Fire Elemental Secret Realm.

For those who have practiced the "Mysterious Earth True Skill," this is a sacred place for training.

"It seems that the yellow soil, like the golden flame, is one of the keys guarded by the Earth Element family and used to unlock the Tomb of Immortality."

No one knows what Jin Tai went through back then, how he obtained the "Mysterious Earth True Skill", or how he obtained this piece of yellow soil.

With Kim Tae-il's death, all those past events vanished like smoke.

"Now that golden flame is almost completely consumed, all that's left is that wisp in my dantian. I don't know if it can still be used as a key."

If the Tomb of Immortality can never be opened again, then he has done a good deed, hasn't he?

After all, once the Tomb of Immortality is revealed, it won't be long before the Immortality Sect gains another demon lord who wreaks havoc on the world.

As Chen Ming pondered, he arrived at the stone platform. It must have been where Jin Tai usually practiced his skills, as the surface of the stone was worn smooth.

He reached out to move the stone platform.

If he's not mistaken, that patch of yellow soil is right under this stone platform.

The moment his hand touched the stone platform, a small yellow snake suddenly emerged from beneath it and bit his wrist.

P.S.: I'm asking for monthly votes at midnight.

(End of this chapter)