I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 257 Using yourself as bait
"Qingfeng City is indeed a bustling commercial hub with an open atmosphere, quite different from other places."

At noon, an uncle and nephew walked on the streets of Qingfeng City, watching the passing merchants, the shouts of vendors, and some young men and women even holding hands in the street.

This is hard to imagine in the capital.

The young man, without looking to the side, asked, "Master, why are you so sure that Seventh Brother will come here?"

"Guess."

These two were none other than the uncle and nephew from the Gu family, Gu Haochuan and Gu Zhengshan.

Gu Zhengshan humbly asked for guidance, saying, "I hope you can give me some pointers, Master."

He knew he had little experience in the martial arts world, and this trip with his master was a good opportunity for him to gain experience.

Seeing his eagerness to learn, Gu Haochuan was quite pleased and said, "Do you still remember where Du Rusong last appeared?"

"Outside Jiangzhou City, he was chasing two women. He was eventually stopped by the woman beside Princess Mingyu."

Why do you think Du Rusong chased after those two women?

"To silence them?"

More than half a month has passed since the incident, and the Six Doors of Xiazhou have already investigated what happened in Huanshou Mountain.

The deaths of four third-rank officials in gold robes, the disappearance of the eldest son of the Gu family, and the whereabouts of Du Rusong, a first-rank official, are all devastating losses for Xia Prefecture.

Du Rusong, who later appeared once, was naturally suspected of serious dereliction of duty. Moreover, his failure to return to the Six Doors to report back suggested that he had defected.

The imperial court was furious, for this was a first-rank official! Within the Six Doors (a government agency), that was already considered high-ranking.

Therefore, the imperial court acted very quickly, issuing arrest warrants to all prefectures, ordering that if the person was found, he should be arrested and brought to justice immediately.

Gu Haochuan said, "He has already defected, so why is he not hiding but risking showing himself? He must have a reason to kill them. And this reason is very likely related to his dereliction of duty."

With Du Rusong's strength, capturing Xie Jianqiu would not have been difficult, but in the end, he lost four third-rank subordinates, a second-rank subordinate, and his missing nephew.

Where was this person at the time, and why did he stand by and watch his subordinates be killed?
There must be very few things in the world that could make this person betray the Six Doors.

The answer is already obvious.

Gu Zhengshan exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be, for a spot to enter the secret realm?"

"Maybe so. Who knows? In any case, as long as we follow those two women, we'll naturally find Du Rusong. Then we'll know where Xiao Qi is."

Gu Zhengshan nodded and said, "That Jiang family girl is weak, so the secret is most likely with that woman surnamed Yuan."

"This Yuan Ziyi is no ordinary person. At such a young age, she has already reached the second rank, obtained the inheritance of a senior in the Divine Treasure Realm, gained the recognition of a peerless divine weapon as her master, and became the leader of a sect. She was still able to escape unscathed from that dangerous place. She is truly remarkable."

Gu Haochuan praised Yuan Ziyi highly, "It's a pity that none of the younger generation in our Gu family are worthy of her. Otherwise, if we could marry her, perhaps we could win a spot in the Immortal Abode at the palace banquet. In that case, why would our Gu family not prosper?"

Gu Zhengshan said in surprise, "Master values ​​this woman highly. However, how easy is it to win a spot in the Immortal Abode? Those monsters who are younger than me, although they are only at the second rank, all have the combat strength of a first rank. As for those three at the first rank, needless to say. There are only five spots in the Immortal Abode."

Gu Haochuan knew this was impossible, and shook his head, saying, "I hope Xiao Qi is safe and sound. Among your generation, only Xiao Qi has a chance to break through to the second rank at the palace banquet five years from now, and compete for that sliver of hope."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, Second Brother has acted too recklessly. Even if he dislikes this son, he shouldn't have demoted him to Xia Prefecture. Now Xiao Qi's fate is unknown."

"Perhaps it was this demotion that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, allowing him to break through to the third rank. This is his destiny."

"That guy surnamed Du had better not hurt Xiao Qi, otherwise, hmph!"

"Master, that's the Chen family's place. According to our scouts, the woman surnamed Yuan went to the Chen family."

"Okay, let's find a place to stay nearby. It's best not to run into that Yu Haitang; she's seen me before."

"it is good."

……

At the Chen residence, during a banquet.

Chen Ming finally met his elder brother Chen Rui and his sister-in-law Wei.

The eldest brother looked more composed and had a more imposing presence. As Chunhetang's business grew bigger and bigger, his entire demeanor changed.

My sister-in-law, Madam Wei, has also acquired some of the airs of a noblewoman in her every move.

It just goes to show that wealth and status really do nourish people.

It's clear from their lifestyle that the Chen family is no longer what it used to be.

A large part of the reason for this is Yu Haitang. If it weren't for her, the Chen family wouldn't be where they are today; his elder brother and sister-in-law might already be in prison.

After all, he was suspected of being possessed by the Undying Demon Lord and joining the Longevity Cult, which would bring disaster upon his entire family. The punishment of collective guilt is no joke.

My nephew, Chen Lide, is already a teenager. He has grown quite a bit taller, almost reaching my shoulder. He has a layer of dark downy hair on his lips, some pimples on his face, and a sharp look in his eyes.

Niece Chen Lirong had grown up a bit. Standing next to her mother, her bright black eyes were fixed on Chen Ming when she suddenly exclaimed, "Mom, that older sister looks just like Uncle!"

Wei quickly said, "Don't talk nonsense. This is Sect Leader Yuan. Children speak without thinking. Please don't take offense, Sect Leader Yuan."

I just heard the introduction, and this extremely beautiful young woman is actually the head of Jin Yutang.

She was no longer the ignorant woman she once was; she already knew about all the major and minor powers in Jiangzhou.

Jin Yutang is the most prestigious sect in Jiangzhou. The Chen family absolutely cannot afford to offend them; they only came to the Chen residence out of respect for their younger brother and sister-in-law.

"It's alright," Chen Ming said gently, taking out a few items from his pocket and saying, "These little things are for the younger generation as a small gift."

Chen Lide acquired a short sword. Upon drawing it, he noticed its chilling aura and clearly took a great liking to it.

Chen Lirong received a porcelain doll, which was incredibly lifelike. The moment she saw it, she couldn't take her eyes off it and held it tightly in her arms.

My nephew Chen Lizhi, who is less than four months old, also received a gold lock.

Madam Wei quickly replied, "How can that be?"

At this moment, Yu Haitang chimed in, "This is a token of Master Yuan's appreciation; please accept it."

Wei thanked him repeatedly, "Thank you very much, Sect Leader Yuan."

She was then invited to the head seat, and everyone took their seats.

Tonight is a family dinner.

Chen Ming not only met his elder brother and sister-in-law, nephews and nieces, but also Wu Bofu, Liu Zhongda, Hong Zilin and others.

Seeing that they were all safe and sound, he finally felt relieved.

……

That night, Chen Ming stayed at home.

The next morning, he left Qingfeng City alone.

He knew that as long as he left places like Qingfeng City and Jiangzhou City, Du Rusong would definitely come.

Du Rusong probably guessed that his going out alone was likely a trap. But he would still show up because he had no other choice.

If Du Rusong cannot obtain that token in a short period of time, become the master of the secret realm, and enter the Divine Treasure Realm, he will be caught in an endless pursuit.

The Six Doors have a zero-tolerance policy towards traitors, especially those at the First Rank Purple Robe level. The bounties for traitors are exceptionally high to attract bounty hunters.

There are few skilled bounty hunters, but there are still a few of them who are of the highest rank. These people do not want to be bound by the Six Doors and would rather be free and unfettered swordsmen.

Normally, bounty hunters have no chance of obtaining a spot in the Six Doors.

Unless, of course, a traitor like Du Rusong appears.

Never underestimate these people's sense of smell. Unless Du Rusong flees far away and leaves the Great Jin, he will be found sooner or later.

Then it will be an endless pursuit.

Unless he can break through to the Divine Treasure Realm, when he returns to the Six Doors, as long as he "explains clearly", the Six Doors will naturally gladly accept him.

The death of several third-rank officials is a huge mistake for a first-rank official. But for a super-rank official like Red Robe, it's nothing.

Therefore, Chen Ming was certain that Du Rusong would make a move.

He traveled south and arrived in Gu County, hundreds of miles away, in less than a day. Since he had come back to Jiangzhou, he took the opportunity to settle an old matter.

That evening, he stood on a hillside, gazing at Gu County City not far away, and suddenly exclaimed, "Lord Du has arrived!"

Without further ado, he was met with a sword gleaming with blood.

He had witnessed this sword strike outside Jiangzhou City.

That time, if it weren't for the intervention of the Divine Realm expert beside Princess Mingyu, he would have been seriously injured, if not killed.

But things are different now!

Chen Ming had already drawn the "Taiyue Sword" in his hand, which shone with a soft yellow light as it faced the divine weapon.

With a loud bang.

He was blasted away, flying more than ten feet away before the force dissipated.

Du Rusong's strength is indeed greater than that of the Second Elder of Jin Yutang; he is probably already at the peak of the first rank.

"Good boy!"

Opposite them, Du Rusong's tall figure appeared, his face filled with disbelief. "In less than a month, you've actually broken through to the second rank! And you can even withstand my sword strike. Just who are you?"

This kid, didn't he just break through to the third rank not long ago?
It only took a month or two, how could he have broken through to the second rank so quickly?

What speed is this?

Back then, it took him a full five years to hone his divine sense from the third rank to the second rank. This kid actually did it in less than two months.

How can this be?

Could I have mistaken her for someone else? Is this woman really not Gu Xianyu?

This completely subverted his cognition.

Chen Ming said calmly, "You're only asking about my identity now? Too late. That day outside Jiangzhou City, you chased after me without asking a single question. I will avenge this grudge today."

PS: I can't add any more chapters, so two chapters will be released.

(End of this chapter)