I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 35 One year later
In the autumn of the ninth year of Jinghe in the Great Jin Dynasty.

The weather was fine and clear that day, a rare treat.

Early in the morning, Lu Zhihao, who had just left the brothel, sat in the carriage, still drunk and feeling a bit stuffy, so he opened the carriage window to let in some fresh air.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped in front of a memorial archway.

Lu Zhihao asked, somewhat annoyed, "Why aren't we leaving?"

The coachman said, "Young master, we can't get through here."

"What's going on?"

He peeked out and saw a group of people gathered in the alley ahead, with lanterns and decorations hanging at the entrance, as if there was some happy occasion.

The words "Chen Mansion" can be faintly seen on the plaque.

He asked, "Whose family is celebrating a happy occasion?"

The servant boy standing nearby volunteered, "I'll go ask."

Then I got off the bus.

After a while, the servant returned with a strange expression and said, "Young master, do you still remember that Chen Ming?"

Chen Ming?

Upon hearing this name, a deep resentment flashed in Lu Zhihao's eyes, and he said through gritted teeth, "Of course I remember. If it weren't for him, how could I have been kicked out of Jinyuansheng? And how could I have been locked up by the old man for half a year?"

Last year, he was the top manager at Jinyuansheng. Thanks to his brother-in-law's connections, he secured a lucrative position and was living a very comfortable and successful life.

As a result, a hothead suddenly appeared and actually went to the old man to report him, accusing him of embezzling and enriching himself!

Lu Zhihao felt a burning hatred whenever he thought about it.

Where did he see greed?
At Jinyuansheng, all the managers operate this way; it's an unwritten rule. Doesn't the old man know this? He can only turn a blind eye.

Unfortunately, he ran into a stubborn person who didn't know the times.

Once the unwritten rules are brought into the open, the old man will naturally not let them off easily, and will take the opportunity to make an example of them.

He became that chicken.

Not only was he dismissed from his job, but he was also confined for six months. After that, no matter how much he begged his brother-in-law, he was unable to return to Jinyuansheng.

He originally intended to punish that hothead severely and then kill him to vent his anger.

To everyone's surprise, the old shopkeeper spoke up for the young man, and his brother-in-law didn't want things to escalate and lose face, so the matter was dropped.

As a result, not long after, it was heard that the boy had become a ninth-rank martial artist and had even climbed into the Huo family's favor.

Afterwards, his sister tried to deal with the boy's brother, but failed. Instead, she was scolded by her brother-in-law and ordered not to make any further moves.

Lu Zhihao became increasingly frustrated, and in anger, he kicked the servant, saying, "Why did you bring him up so early in the morning? It's bad luck."

The servant rubbed the spot where he had been kicked and said with a wry smile, "It wasn't that I meant to bring him up. The road ahead is blocked because it's their housewarming celebration."

"What did you say?"

Lu Zhihao was stunned. He felt an inexplicable anger rising in his heart.

This is Xiushui Street, and houses here are not cheap. The Chen family was already quite down on their luck a year ago. They emptied their pockets to get Chen Ming out of jail.

How did they turn things around in just one year?

Seeing one's enemy prosper is more painful than killing him.

Just then, murmurs arose outside: "Whose family is this? They've brought so many guests."

"I heard they're two brothers surnamed Chen, owners of a pharmacy, the Chunhetang on Xiangshui Street..."

"Chunhetang, of course I know it. Their cold medicine is quite effective. Oh, it's from them."

"I heard that a year ago, Chunhetang was almost bankrupt. But then Chen Erlang suddenly had a breakthrough and became a rank-one martial artist. The Chen family turned their fortunes around overnight, acquiring such a large mansion in just one year..."

"So it's that second son of the Chen family. I heard he's a disciple of Master Huo, not even twenty years old, handsome and dashing, and still unmarried..."

"..."

Hearing the young women and wives by the roadside praising Chen Ming, Lu Zhihao felt even more distressed. Unable to bear it any longer, he ordered, "Driver, let's take a detour."

The driver said helplessly, "Young master, the road behind us is completely blocked. We can't move anytime soon."

When Lu Zhihao turned around, he saw several carriages parked behind him, blocking the way completely, making it impossible for him to turn around.

He was furious, and could only angrily close the car window.

A constant stream of chatter could be heard from outside.

"...Sigh, it's still better to become a martial artist. If my son could achieve that, I'd be willing to shorten my lifespan by ten years." "I heard that the second son of the Chen family has taken in many children, specializing in providing them with martial arts instruction. The tuition is much lower than that of a martial arts school. Why don't you let your son give it a try?"

"real or fake?"

"Of course it's true. Look, those little boys in blue clothes are his disciples. They look so energetic."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhihao suddenly had an idea. He rolled down the car window again and looked towards the Chen residence.

Sure enough, a group of children, all around ten years old, dressed in matching uniforms, lined up in two neat rows, congratulating the Chen family on their housewarming.

The group of ten-year-old children, with serious expressions and perfectly synchronized movements, naturally exuded an aura of authority that stunned the onlookers.

Lu Zhihao was somewhat alarmed; this kid had actually trained a group of children to this extent.

People would believe it if you said it was a military formation!

At the same time, a smile appeared on his face, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Seeing that his mood had suddenly improved, the servant beside him quickly asked, "Young master, why are you laughing?"

“I laugh at this kid for not knowing the rules and bringing about his own destruction.”

Lu Zhihao laughed heartily, saying with schadenfreude, "In Qingfeng City, it's not easy to take on so many disciples."

The servant was a little confused. "Is there someone in charge of taking on apprentices?"

Lu Zhihao was in a great mood and patiently explained, "If you take on three or five apprentices, no one will bother you. But if you take on twenty or thirty at once, someone will start to interfere. Just wait, there'll be a good show to watch soon."

The servant reminded him, "Young master, don't forget. The young master forbade you to deal with this Chen Er."

"He brought this on himself, what does it have to do with me?"

……

…………

Chen Mansion.

While it was bustling outside, Chen Ming was entertaining distinguished guests in the backyard: Deng Ziyang, Guan Peng, and Zhuang Xiaotian.

Ten months later, Deng Ziyang and Zhuang Xiaotian successfully passed the martial arts examination and entered the Six Doors to work, and were assigned to a small county town.

Their terms of office had just ended, and the two of them returned to report on their work. Coincidentally, they happened to run into him moving house, so they came together to offer their congratulations.

As for Guan Peng, he was rather unlucky; he failed the political review and was eliminated.

It's said that his grandfather's generation were bandits and were wanted by the Six Doors (a powerful government agency). Unfortunately, the Six Doors discovered them.

The four were overjoyed to be reunited.

Chen Ming could clearly see the changes in the three of them. Deng Ziyang and Zhuang Xiaotian were naturally in high spirits. They had ended their original one-year internship ahead of schedule and were about to be officially hired.

Once you're officially appointed, you'll be a ninth-rank official!

In contrast, Guan Peng has gotten tanned and speaks less.

It was mainly the three of them talking, while he was the only one listening and rarely offered any opinions.

Chen Ming sighed inwardly, thinking that everyone has their own destiny.

Deng Ziyang noticed Guan Peng's silence and asked him, "Second brother, what are your plans for the future?"

Guan Peng picked up a cup from the table and said, "I have joined Wanlong Trading Company and will soon be setting sail overseas."

All three of them were taken aback.

"What, you're going out to sea?"

"Are you going to die?"

"That's too dangerous."

Guan Peng looked at the three people's reactions and a smile appeared on his face, a smile with an inexplicable meaning. "Although the sea is rough, the profits are equally rich. Wanlong Trading Company has promised me that as long as I am willing to go to sea, they will teach me the Wan family's 'Azure Wave Skill'. If I don't take a chance, I will not be satisfied."

"You don't need to try to persuade me. My mind is made up. I've come here to say goodbye. You are my brothers and my best friends, so wish me a safe journey."

As he spoke, he picked up the wine glass in front of him.

Chen Ming and the other two were speechless for a moment, then raised their glasses and drank with him.

For a moment, a tragic atmosphere filled the room of four.

Seeing their reaction, Guan Peng said, "What are you doing? It's like I'm going to my death. Don't worry, I care about my life more than you do, I won't die easily."

(End of this chapter)