I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 88 Stealing a Home
"Ha ha--"

The old woman's maniacal laughter abruptly stopped, as if it had been abruptly cut off.

Chen Ming stood there for a while, but then heard no more sounds.

There are two possibilities: one is that the old woman was killed.

Secondly, that senior businessman muted the sound so that others wouldn't hear it.

Should I leave? Or should I leave?

After thinking for a moment, Chen Ming decided to do what he needed to do.

If Senior Shang wants to kill him to silence him, then there's no way he can escape. It's better to face it calmly.

So he spent another hour cleaning up the surrounding area, and then, as usual, he took the hoe, went back to the yard, and returned the hoe.

He glanced around the yard but didn't see the old woman.

Senior Shang sat under the tree as usual, holding a piece of wood carving in his hand, staring at it intently. He showed no reaction to his arrival.

I wonder if that old woman turned into fertilizer.

Chen Ming put down the hoe and left.

Once outside the gate, the family's carriage was already waiting there.

He got into the carriage and said to the driver, "To the farmhouse."

"Yes."

……

Zhuang Xiaotian lived in Zhuyufang, near Xiushui Street, not far away.

By the time the carriage arrived at the farmer's house, it was already dark.

Chen Ming knocked on the door, and Li, Zhuang Xiaotian's wife, opened it. They had gotten married two months ago. Li was quite beautiful, came from a wealthy merchant family, and was well-educated and courteous. Knowing that Chen Ming was a distinguished guest, she welcomed him inside.

"My husband has not returned yet, please wait a moment."

Just then, Zhuang Xiaotian returned and said happily, "What brings you here today? I saw your carriage at the door."

Chen Ming asked, "Why are you back so late?"

"Don't even mention it. Something big happened yesterday. I was woken up in the middle of the night to go on duty, and I only got back now."

As Zhuang Xiaotian spoke, he instructed his wife to prepare wine and meat, intending to have a good drink with Chen Ming.

Chen Ming had originally come to see him about something, but after hearing what he said, he became curious and asked, "What happened?"

After his wife left, Zhuang Xiaotian lowered his voice and said, "Last night, someone broke into the prison and kidnapped several prisoners."

"what?"

Chen Ming was taken aback; this was truly a serious matter. "Who could possibly kidnap someone right under Admiral Zhao's nose?"

The Governor's Mansion is not far from the Six Doors Office. With the speed of a third-rank expert, he can arrive in an instant after receiving the news.

Zhuang Xiaotian smiled wryly, "If the Admiral were here, who would dare to attempt a prison break? These past few days, the Admiral hasn't been in the city; he's gone to sea to negotiate with Lord Red Sea. This matter was originally extremely secretive, and very few people within the Six Doors know about it..."

Does that mean there's a mole within the organization?

Chen Ming seemed to be deep in thought.

As for Zhao Shouchang negotiating with the pirates, that's normal. More communication can avoid misunderstandings, and agreeing on mutually acceptable terms is beneficial for building a long-term relationship.

After reaching an agreement, they remained at peace.

Pirates could collect taxes at sea without having to risk their lives.

Zhao Shouchang no longer needs to worry about pirates causing trouble in Qingfeng City again, which can be described as a win-win situation.

However, if this matter were to get out, it would damage the court's reputation. Therefore, it was necessary to act in secrecy.

As a result, their home was robbed.

Chen Ming asked, "Who were the people who were kidnapped?"

This is the key.

Zhuang Xiaotian whispered, "Among them are two sorcerers from the Longevity Sect. They were supposed to be escorted to the capital in a few days, but now, I'm afraid our Admiral is in trouble."

"Was it done by the Eternal Life Cult?"

Zhuang Xiaotian chuckled, "The demons of the Longevity Sect are all selfish and self-serving. They've killed each other countless times. How could they possibly risk their lives to save others? There were two more people kidnapped this time. Can you guess who they are?"

Chen Ming said, "I have no idea, so don't keep me in suspense."

"He is Sand Sea Admiral, one of the five admirals under the Red Sea Lord."

It turned out to be the case.

Chen Ming suddenly realized.

He had almost forgotten about this person. Back then, Qingfeng City was turned upside down by several Flood Dragon Kings, and even the Gu family was almost wiped out. Lord Honghai sent two sea generals to help kill those Flood Dragon Kings.

As a result, they were betrayed by Yu Xiuming; one died and the other was captured.

To be honest, Yu Xiuming did something quite unethical, disregarding all the code of honor in the martial arts world.

So, don't blame them for doing this now.

Clearly, this prison break was most likely orchestrated by Hong Haijun. While negotiating with Zhao Shouchang, he sent men to flank and raid Zhao's base, rescuing not only his own men but also members of the Changsheng Sect. He dealt Zhao Shouchang a severe blow. If things don't go well, Zhao Shouchang could lose his position.

Chen Ming praised, "Excellent method."

Zhuang Xiaotian said, "This Lord Honghai is never one to suffer a loss. However, after causing such a scene, Qingfeng City is going to have a lot of trouble in the future."

Chen Ming said, "This is a major matter that we can't possibly concern ourselves with."

"Too."

At this moment, Li brought over some wine and dishes, put them down, and then left.

Chen Ming asked, "By the way, who was the other person who was kidnapped?"

“There was a guy named Fu Zhengyang who got arrested for a minor offense and was detained for a few months. I don’t know why they kidnapped him too.”

Fu Zhengyang?
Upon hearing this name, Chen Ming felt a chill run down his spine.

Isn't this the sixth-rank martial artist who disguised himself as a seventh-rank martial artist?

No wonder, he's probably involved in this prison break. Good heavens, he spent months lurking in jail just to break in?

However, this is none of his business.

Chen Ming finally got down to business, "I want you to help me investigate someone."

Zhuang Xiaotian sat up straight instinctively and asked, "Who is it?"

"Shang Jianfei, a native of Jiangzhou, should be around sixty years old if he is still alive. He is an outstanding person and was quite famous decades ago, so it shouldn't be difficult to find his information. Could you help me find out his detailed information?"

"Okay, this is not difficult."

Zhuang Xiaotian readily agreed.

……

It was quite late when Chen Ming left the dealer's house.

The wind was biting cold, and he felt a chill inexplicably as he sat in the car.

With such a major incident, the negotiations between the pirates and the government are bound to collapse. Of course, these pirates can stir up trouble at sea, but they are no match for the government on land.

No matter how powerful Lord Honghai is, he is only a second-rank cultivator, while the number of first-rank experts in the Great Jin Dynasty cannot be counted on two hands.

The question is, could these pirates be colluding with the sorcerers of the Longevity Cult?
This is the most terrible.

At that time, the people of the Longevity Cult will ambush martial artists everywhere, and then run to the sea to hide, making it difficult to wipe them out.

Even with his immense abilities, the King of Zhenhai took seven or eight years to subdue a single pirate king. Keep in mind that at that time, the King of Zhenhai had five experts of the third rank or higher under his command, and he himself was a first-rank cultivator.

But will the Seven Great Seas Merchant Guild allow another King of the Seas to emerge?
As Chen Ming pondered, his brows furrowed. He had a premonition that Qingfeng City would likely become increasingly chaotic in the coming years.

A thought struck him, and he opened the panel.

【Level: 39】

Current points: 15432

[Techniques: Iron Horse Stake (Fifth Level Perfection), Three Yang Body Forging Technique (Ninth Level 80000/100000)]

Martial Arts: Three Talents Fist (Mastery), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Mastery), Zhuang Family Flying Knife (Mastery), Swallow Return Sword Technique (Mastery)

"We're still 4,600 points short."

It will take about ten days to accumulate enough.

However, Chen Ming decided to accelerate his efforts and break through to the sixth rank as soon as possible to cope with the increasingly complex situation.

Starting tomorrow, I should visit those senior figures more often.

……

So, over the next two days, Chen Ming visited all the dozen or so seventh-rank "elders" who were willing to spar with him, and finally gathered more than four thousand experience points.

That evening, Chen Ming was preparing to go into seclusion to level up when Zhuang Xiaotian came to see him. He had no choice but to postpone his leveling up and go see him first.

"I've found out everything about the person you asked me to investigate. This Shang Jianfei is quite remarkable; he's a sword prodigy."

As soon as Zhuang Xiaotian entered, he picked up the tea on the table and drank it. His eyes lit up, and he said, "What kind of tea is this? It's sweet and refreshing, with an unforgettable aftertaste. It's truly excellent tea."

"Chunxiang, pack two ounces of Yunshan Maofeng tea for Brother Zhuang to take back later."

"Why is this so embarrassing?"

Zhuang Xiaotian said this with a broad smile on his face. The Six Doors offered good benefits, but his training was expensive, and he had also gotten married and bought property. His family wasn't wealthy and was indeed short of money.

Chen Ming could naturally see that he would always give him something good, not just money, but something that was both practical and considerate of Chen Ming's feelings. Where could you find a friend like that?

Chen Ming laughed and said, "These were all gifts from others, and I can't possibly finish them all. Good things should naturally be shared with friends, so don't be shy with me."

"Then I would be disrespectful."

Zhuang Xiaotian then recounted Shang Jianfei's life story, "This man came from an ordinary background. In his youth, he displayed extraordinary talent in swordsmanship. At the age of twenty, with a cultivation level of seventh rank, he killed a sixth-rank martial artist with his sword. He gained the appreciation of the Qinghe Sword Sect leader and was able to join the sect, becoming the leader's disciple... In just ten years, he achieved the third rank, thus becoming famous throughout the world and regarded as a potential sword saint..."

"Who would have thought that Shang Jianfei would suddenly disappear without a trace, until a few years later, when the Qinghe Sword Sect was wiped out overnight..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming's pupils contracted slightly.

PS: This is 200,000 words. Marking it here, please vote with monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)