I Only Know How to Bully Noobs

Chapter 76: Come to Kill You

On the rooftop, Zhao Yan’er saw that Chen Ming had effortlessly killed the former Seventh Grade Patrol Envoy Sun Shicai. Her delicate face showed both surprise and delight. "As expected of the one I had my eye on. His saber technique is truly remarkable."

Even Sun Shicai, who had clawed his way up from the bottom, was no match for him.

This man must be a born saberman, gifted with an astounding combat talent.

Such a person, once grown, would undoubtedly become renowned in his region.

If she could win him over, he would be of great use in the future.

Beside her, Zhao Xian’er remarked softly,"Just now, you still looked down on him, saying he wasn’t a match for that Sun Shicai... Ow——"

His head took another knock from behind. He pouted and dared not speak further.

After giving this talk-back brother of hers a light scolding, Zhao Yan’er began pondering how she might win over Chen Ming.

After a while, Zhao Xian’er couldn’t help but speak again,"Sister, are you thinking about how to recruit this man?"

She ignored him.

Zhao Xian’er continued,"To win someone’s heart, it boils down to two points: either respect and courtesy, or catering to their preferences. Look at that Miss Xiao, always polite to everyone, making people feel like a spring breeze. But precisely because of that, those with true talent will never be used by her."

Zhao Yan’er, intrigued, asked,"Why is that?"

"The more talented someone is, the more pride they carry. If you treat them the same as you would some mediocrity, to them, it’s an insult. You have to treat them differently."

Zhao Yan’er was somewhat surprised, now looking at this brother of hers with new eyes.

Then, she saw him wearing a smug face."Do you think what I said makes sense?"

She replied blandly,"The umbrella is crooked."

"Oh."

Zhao Xian’er obediently held the umbrella straight.

……

…………

In front of the Governor’s Residence, many disciples from the Huo family rushed over upon hearing the news and joined the line to pay respects before the memorial tablets of Huo Chengkun and the others.

Suddenly, someone shouted angrily,"Hu Yongxing, you lackey of Sun Shicai, you dare come pay respects to Master?!"

In an instant, emotions flared. They grabbed Hu Yongxing, ready to execute him on the spot as a tribute to their master.

Hu Yongxing was so terrified his soul almost left his body. He cried out in panic,"How was I to know that bastard Sun was a treacherous master-killer... I... I have something important to report. That bastard is planning to harm Senior Brother Chen’s family..."

Upon hearing this, no one dared to delay.

They quickly brought him before Chen Ming.

Now, Chen Ming’s prestige had already surpassed Zhang Mingyu’s.

No one dared call him “Junior Brother” anymore.

When Hu Yongxing saw Chen Ming, he confessed in full detail how Sun Shicai had ordered him last night to find people to frame Spring Harmony Hall.

Immediately, everyone burst into curses.

That Sun Shicai was truly despicable and sinister. To use such a scheme to target Senior Brother Chen’s family—truly vile.

Chen Ming felt relieved.

Fortunately, he had acted decisively today.

Otherwise, his elder brother would have been in danger, possibly ending up imprisoned.

When dealing with enemies, one truly could not show the slightest mercy.

Otherwise, it would only harm oneself.

"Senior Brother Chen, I only humored that bastard. I never intended to harm your family... I was deceived by that dog. Had I known he was capable of such heinous deeds, I would never have followed him..."

Hu Yongxing knelt on the ground, sobbing with snot and tears.

Chen Ming spoke,"Everyone, hear me. Sun Shicai’s crime of killing his master must never be made known. Those who followed him were unaware of the truth. Since that villain has already paid with his life, let us not implicate the others. After all, we are from the same sect. We must give them a chance to change."

Zhang Mingyu was the first to step forward in agreement."Junior Brother is right. We’re from the same sect. From now on, we must unite, share honor and disgrace, advance and retreat together. We mustn’t turn on each other."

With these two leaders having spoken, naturally no one else raised objections.

Hu Yongxing was naturally full of gratitude.

After a while, the crowd dispersed.

Still worried about his elder brother, Chen Ming decided to visit the medicine shop.

……

"Ah Ming, what brings you here?"

Inside Spring Harmony Hall, there were many customers.

Chen Rui, who was busy at the counter, saw his younger brother arrive and immediately handed off his work to a shop assistant, leading him to the back hall to talk.

Seeing everything was in order, Chen Ming felt at ease and said,"I was just passing by and thought I’d drop in. Business looks good."

"Who doesn’t know now? Spring Harmony Hall has produced a Chen Erlang Jun, a young Seventh Grade Martial Artist. The bigger your name grows, the better our business."

"That’s thanks to your good management, big brother."

The two brothers exchanged compliments.

Chen Rui then spoke of serious matters."Actually, I wanted to discuss something. We’ve recently taken on a few big orders. The volume is too large, and the warehouse space isn’t enough. We might need to rent two more units."

Chen Ming replied,"For business matters, you’re in charge. No need to ask me. I don’t understand any of this."

He wasn’t the type to meddle in everything or hunger for power.

So long as his elder brother managed the medicine shop well, he was happy to stay out of it.

But Chen Rui had his own principles."This is a large expenditure. Of course I should discuss it with you."

"Alright, I agree."Chen Ming didn’t mind and turned the topic,"Has Zhengrentang caused any more trouble recently?"

Chen Rui laughed."They wouldn’t dare. Last time they gave me a warning, and two days later, you broke through to Seventh Grade. Then their boss invited me to a meal, apologized, and even said they’d nominate Spring Harmony Hall for a board position in the medical guild later this year."

As he spoke, his eyes grew moist."If Father were still alive and saw how accomplished you’ve become, Ah Ming, how happy he would be."

Becoming a guild board member meant the medicine shop now held substantial status in the industry.

And all of this was thanks to Chen Ming.

It perfectly illustrated the saying: when one man achieves enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

A family that produced a martial arts prodigy could rise up the social ladder as a whole.

Over the past two years, Chen Ming’s strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.

The Chen family’s wealth and social standing had also soared by several ranks—reaching heights Chen Rui had never dared dream of before.

……

Chen Ming sat for a while.

Seeing there was nothing else, he left. Staying would only interfere with the shop’s business.

Just as he got on the carriage, he saw Zhuang Xiaotian, dressed in black official robes, running over and jumping onto the carriage with him.

"I heard you killed Sun Shicai at the gates of the Governor’s Residence?"

Zhuang Xiaotian’s eyes held both shock and admiration."I was on patrol today when I heard the news. I could hardly believe it. Among the Patrol Envoys, Sun Shicai’s saber technique was top-tier. It’s said he had fully refined his Qi and Blood, just one step away from Sixth Grade, and yet you actually killed him..."

He sighed in awe.

Seeing that Chen Ming merely smiled without replying, he suddenly let out a sigh."Remember two years ago, the four of us sat down discussing martial arts and philosophy. Yet in less than two years, you’ve left us all in the dust."

Chen Ming asked,"Any news of Brother Deng?"

Zhuang Xiaotian shook his head."I asked around, but there’s been no word at all."

"What about Brother Guan?"

"A few days ago, he went out to sea again."

Speaking of their two sworn brothers, Zhuang Xiaotian couldn’t help but sigh again.

After a moment, he recalled something and said,"Oh right, last night something big happened outside the city. I fear Qingfeng City won’t be peaceful for long. You’d best be careful and avoid leaving the city for now."

Chen Ming asked in curiosity,"What happened?"

Zhuang Xiaotian lowered his voice."I heard that those noble sons from prestigious families who came for the Martial Gathering have been leaving one after another in recent days. Not long after leaving the city, they were ambushed and killed. Apparently, several have already gone missing."

Chen Ming’s expression turned serious."Is the information reliable?"

Zhuang Xiaotian nodded but didn’t reveal the source.

If true, this was an earth-shaking matter.

Those sons from powerful families who came for the Martial Gathering were all regional elites from various counties of Jiangzhou. Who dared to attack them?

Even the most lawless pirates wouldn’t senselessly provoke so many powerful enemies, would they?

He asked,"Who did it?"

Zhuang Xiaotian leaned in and whispered, so only Chen Ming could hear,"Some suspect that the Cult of Eternal Life has resurfaced."

Cult of Eternal Life?

Chen Ming was slightly taken aback.

That name, he’d only seen in history books.

According to the records, whenever chaos befell the land, the Cult of Eternal Life would rise to stir trouble.

The last mention of this cult was three hundred years ago, during the previous dynasty, when a tyrant plunged the land into misery.

The Cult of Eternal Life rose in the ensuing chaos, eventually contributing to the dynasty’s downfall.

Once the new dynasty was established, the Cult was swept into the dustbin of history, never again appearing in the annals.

To people now, the name was ancient and obscure.

Even in folklore, tales about them were rare.

Chen Ming’s heart grew heavier. If the Cult of Eternal Life truly returned, did that mean the world was heading toward turmoil again?

"Is this certain?"

Zhuang Xiaotian replied,"Who can say? That’s just what some people suspect."

Chen Ming asked,"What kind of group is this Cult of Eternal Life exactly?"

"I actually looked into some records. This cult originated in the Eternal Life Immortal Dynasty from eight thousand years ago. Legend says the Eternal Life Emperor, in pursuit of immortality, built the Eternal Life Palace and gathered many exceptional talents. Later, the emperor was struck down by heavenly punishment, and the Immortal Dynasty collapsed. But the Eternal Life Palace survived and became the Cult of Eternal Life, continuing the quest for immortality."

"Those in the Cult of Eternal Life would stop at nothing in their pursuit, committing heinous acts that outraged both men and gods. They were universally condemned. Over time, they became known as a demonic cult. Every time they resurfaced, they were treated as enemies of the realm. But the cult’s foundations run deep. Every time they were wiped out, they would linger on, only to resurface centuries later."

Zhuang Xiaotian said with regret,"Unfortunately, that’s all the information the Six Doors Authority has. More detailed records are likely restricted to those of higher ranks."

Chen Ming felt a headache coming on.

The Eternal Life Immortal Dynasty and the Eternal Life Emperor were already figures of legend.

Though recorded in the history books, they were indistinguishable from myth.

No one could tell if they were real or not.

According to the records, the Eternal Life Emperor lived for a thousand years before perishing under divine punishment.

If that were true, wouldn’t this be a world of cultivation?

Yet besides that emperor, no other figure had ever been known to live that long.

There were occasional mentions of monsters who lived for several hundred years, but they too eventually died and returned to dust.

……

When the carriage reached the gates of the Chen Residence, Zhuang Xiaotian got off and continued his patrol.

Chen Ming entered the house alone and went straight to his small courtyard.

Pushing open the courtyard door, he suddenly halted his steps.

Without entering the house, he sat at the stone table in the courtyard.

He said to Chunxiang and Xiaxiang,"I’m entertaining guests tonight. You two, personally go out now—one to the Drunken Immortal Tower to buy a jar of Hundred Flowers Wine, and the other to Orchid Pavilion to buy ten boxes of pastries."

"Yes."

Chunxiang and Xiaxiang left immediately.

After they were gone, Chen Ming called out toward the house,"Friends inside, no need to hide anymore. Come on out."

A few seconds later, a chilling, snake-like voice came from inside,"How did you discover us?"

Chen Ming grasped the hilt of his saber and said,"The stench of the sea on you is too strong. I could smell it from several zhang away. You must be guests from the sea. May I ask what business you have with me?"

The door burst open with a bang, and three masked figures stepped out. The leader spoke coldly,"We’ve come to kill you!"