Chapter 105: Farewell Talk

When the carriage stopped at the gate of the Chen Residence, the woman in white said,"Tomorrow morning, I will come to find you."

"Miss Su, please wait a moment."

Chen Ming called out to her. Facing her deep gaze, he said sincerely,"What if people from the Blood Demon Sect attack my family during the night? What then?"

The woman in white said faintly,"The first rule of our sect: separation between men and women. Unless absolutely necessary, one must keep a distance from men. Master said, men in this world are mostly lustful and often act upon their desires at the sight of beauty. If a man invites me to spend the night at his home, he surely harbors ill intent and can be killed."

After speaking, she got off the carriage.

"……"

Chen Ming was stunned by the killing intent she had just emitted. It was only after she walked away that he came to his senses.

Well, this was what you’d call the opposite of what he intended.

He had originally wanted to get closer to her, but instead, she misunderstood him.

Heaven could testify—he really had no improper thoughts toward her.

Chen Ming couldn’t help but sigh. He always felt that her master harbored deep malice toward men.

This way of teaching could easily drive someone into a split personality.

On one hand, she acted like a saint, caring about the life and death of unrelated people.

On the other, she saw every man who approached her as harboring ill intent—wasn’t this a split?

……

That night, the Chen Residence remained calm as usual.

Nothing happened.

After dawn, just as Chen Ming left through the main gate in a carriage, the woman in white got on board.

She was still dressed in pristine white, spotless.

However, he noticed that a Level of frost had formed on the longsword she carried on her back.

His heart stirred. Had she been guarding near his house the entire night?

Then how did her clothes stay so clean? Not even a speck of dust or a single drop of water could be seen.

Chen Ming pondered this question all the way.

In the end, he thought of two possibilities.

One, the material of her clothing was special. Two, she had continuously protected herself with true qi.

Along the way, the woman in white remained silent just like the day before.

It seemed this was her usual manner of conduct.

Disciples from prestigious sects were truly different—no need to concern themselves with social etiquette.

Heaven's Path Alliance was currently the foremost among the nine great sects of the world, the most renowned, and the most surrounded by legends.

It was said that the founding patriarch of Heaven's Path Alliance was the blood brother of the Great Jin Dynasty's founding emperor.

This was because the founding emperor trusted Heaven's Path Alliance too much.

How much trust, exactly?

The founding emperor had once issued a decree granting disciples of Heaven's Path Alliance the authority to kill officials first and report later—it was simply outrageous.

It meant all members of Heaven's Path Alliance were imperial envoys.

Precisely because of this story, even after several hundred years, Heaven's Path Alliance still held a lofty prestige in the hearts of many commoners.

But the tales about Heaven's Path Alliance were too numerous and too exaggerated, leaving him unsure of which were true and which were false.

Now, with a disciple of Heaven's Path Alliance sitting right beside him, Chen Ming actually wanted to ask her—but… thinking of the killing intent in her eyes last night, he decided against it.

Better not to cause another misunderstanding.

……

The final day of registration ended without incident.

By the time the last person signed up, it was already completely dark.

Chen Ming, considerate of those who had lined up, insisted on waiting until everyone had registered before announcing the end.

At this moment, his mood was one of both satisfaction and slight reluctance.

After two months of preparation, he had finally harvested a massive wave of experience points—his strength would advance significantly again. But opportunities like this wouldn’t come around again any time soon.

He opened the panel and took a look.

【Level: 42】

【Current Points: 148765】

【Cultivation Methods: 《Iron Horse Stance》 (Fifth Level Perfected), 《Three Suns Body Tempering》 (Ninth Level Perfected), 《Six Suns Qi Nurturing》 (First Level 79652/100000)】

【Martial Skills: 《Three Talents Fist》 (Mastered), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Mastered), Zhuang’s Flying Knife (Mastered), Swallow Returns Sword Technique (Mastered), 《Vermilion Bird Sword Technique》 (Proficient 191321/200000)】

In the past two days, he had gained more than eighty-eight thousand experience points.

If it hadn’t been for that special situation the day before yesterday, he would have gradually distributed the points over the course of a month or two, making his strength increase appear smoother and more reasonable.

By now, night had completely fallen, and the city gates were shut. Without special circumstances, the city guards would not open the gates.

This group could only spend the night outside the city.

Because Chen Ming had just been ambushed the day before yesterday, everyone was still somewhat tense.

……

"Miss Su, I deliberately delayed until this late to ensure we stayed outside the city. That way, if there are any Blood Demon Sect members lurking in the dark, they definitely wouldn’t miss such a chance."

Chen Ming specially explained to the woman in white,"After tomorrow, I won’t be leaving the city again, so your protection will no longer be needed."

The woman in white nodded, saying nothing.

Chen Ming also stepped out of the carriage and closed the door again.

That night, many people couldn’t sleep until dawn.

In the end, nothing happened.

At daybreak, under Chen Ming’s lead, everyone returned to Qingfeng City.

Upon entering the gate, they each went back to their own homes.

When the carriage reached the Chen Residence, the woman in white also got off.

Without saying a word, she floated away.

She was the most elite sect disciple Chen Ming had come into contact with so far.

He had to admit, she was indeed different from ordinary disciples of prestigious sects. Though she wasn’t fond of small talk, she truly lacked any arrogance.

That she would lower herself to come protect a nameless figure like him—this alone was something most people could not do.

Even more admirable was that she had stood guard outside his house for a whole night.

In this worldly and murky world, such a person could indeed be called a refreshing stream.

……

The end of registration marked the official beginning of the disciple selection assembly.

Such an important event was unheard of for the people of Qingfeng City. Many flocked over to join the excitement, wanting to see what this disciple selection was really about.

In no time, the event site was packed with people. Onlookers surrounded the riverbank so densely not even water could pass.

Because of the crowd, nearly all of the Six Doors Authority mobilized to the riverside to maintain order.

The one responsible for this assembly was a clerk from Guanglong Trading Company.

Feng Siyuan had the charter written by Chen Ming in hand and had prepared a plan in advance, so everything proceeded without chaos—every detail arranged smoothly.

Feng Youdao, worried about his son, came by to take a look. Seeing his son handle everything so competently, he couldn’t help but praise,"This Chen Erlang really is a rare talent."

As a father, he was naturally clear on his own son’s level.

Initially, Feng Youdao didn’t think this so-called martial assembly could be pulled off. Yet not only did it happen, it stirred up such a grand spectacle—far beyond his expectations.

Naturally, he now regarded Chen Ming, the mastermind behind it all, with newfound respect.

However, Feng Youdao was also puzzled. Chen Ming had racked his brain and gone out of his way, even leveraging personal favors to persuade Zhao Shouchang, and after finally pulling off such a grand event, he simply withdrew once it began.

What was he aiming for?

He gave so much yet received nothing in return. It was as if he did it just to help Guanglong Trading Company. Even a father wouldn’t help his own son like this with no thought of return, right?

It was truly baffling.

Feng Youdao looked at his son’s high-spirited demeanor but didn’t voice the doubts in his heart.

So-called disciple selection assembly, in truth, was just a martial contest.

Since ancient times, there had never been a definitive best in literature, but in martial arts, there could only be one.

No matter what kind of competition it was, there would always be people dissatisfied. So the fairest method—was to fight.

Whoever won would become the disciple of a Third Grade Expert.

Simple, direct, and something the general public loved to see.

……

Outside the city, it was lively. Inside the city, things seemed quieter.

There were far fewer people on the streets.

At the Chen Residence, in the rear courtyard.

Chen Ming sat alone, reading in the courtyard, enjoying a rare moment of leisure. Chunxiang and Xiaxiang had been sent to the city outskirts to watch the excitement.

Suddenly, his ears twitched. He looked up and saw a figure appear in the courtyard. Without surprise on his face, he called out,"Brother Deng."

The visitor was none other than Deng Ziyang.

Seeing Chen Ming’s calm expression, Deng Ziyang asked,"You guessed I’d come?"

"Just had a feeling." Chen Ming, as usual, picked up the gurgling kettle, brewed a cup of tea, and placed it across the table.

He said,"Thank you for the warning, Brother Deng. Otherwise, I might already be dead."

Deng Ziyang, just like before, sat on the stool across from him, took a sip of tea, and a faint smile tugged at his lips."I thought you’d tell the Six Doors Authority about it."

Chen Ming said solemnly,"You risked your life to warn me. How could I repay kindness with betrayal?"

"Hahaha……" Deng Ziyang laughed heartily,"You really haven’t changed at all—still the same Chen Shixiong I knew."

Chen Ming refilled his cup and said,"In my heart, you’re still the Brother Deng who waited for me outside the Huo Residence three years ago!"

A trace of sadness appeared on Deng Ziyang’s face. "Shixiong, I’m leaving. This time, I may never return."

Chen Ming lifted his tea with seriousness."I hope Brother Deng has a smooth journey and everything goes well."

Deng Ziyang’s lips moved slightly, but in the end, he only said,"Take care of yourself."

With that, he finished his tea, stood up, and left.

Chen Ming watched his figure disappear through the moon gate of the courtyard, feeling a bit melancholic.

Deng Ziyang was the closest friend he had made since crossing over.

Now they were parting ways.

Who knew if there would ever be another chance to meet again?

In his heart, he silently thought,"It’s better not to meet again in the future."

If they did, they might be enemies rather than friends.

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