Chapter 179: Chapter 170: Lightweight Skill

Qin Changyuan vented for a while, and after the carriage had disappeared from sight, he finally stopped shouting. Panting heavily, his eyes were bloodshot, and his face was filled with murderous intent, "Let’s go, I want to personally butcher that bastard!"

The carriage driver, a middle-aged man, calmly said, "Young Master, think thrice."

Qin Changyuan was enraged, "Even you dare to defy me?"

The driver said, "A month ago, Han Xiangcheng from the Celestial Extreme Sect went to challenge that Chen Ming, and was defeated with one sword strike, suffering internal injuries. That night, his senior brother Lai Xiangran wanted to seek justice for him, but the next day it was announced he had gone into seclusion. There’s a rumor saying he was defeated by Chen Ming’s sword and even had an arm severed—"

As he spoke, he shook his head, "This rumor is too bizarre to believe. The most likely scenario is that there is a strong protector beside this Chen Ming. To kill him would require at least a Third Grade expert to have certainty."

In other words, with Qin Changyuan’s strength, the likelihood of killing him was low, and it would only result in humiliation.

Qin Changyuan was not a reckless man. Having listened to the driver’s analysis, he finally calmed down, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and suddenly snatched the whip from the driver’s hand, whipping him a few times.

The driver didn’t dodge, forcibly withstanding a few lashes, leaving his skin split open and flesh exposed.

"Hmph!"

Qin Changyuan coldly said, "This is the consequence of defying me."

Then he tossed the whip back and sat back in the carriage, ordering, "Go to the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion."

The driver silently controlled the carriage, turning it in the direction of the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion.

...

"Qin Changyuan is from a branch of the Qin Family, born into poverty. At fifteen, he showed extraordinary talent and was granted recognition by the clan leader, becoming part of the Qin Family’s main line."

Qiuxiang was explaining Qin Changyuan’s background to Chen Ming, "Although Qin Changyuan is a distinguished figure of this generation in the Qin Family, in reality, he cannot utilize the Qin Family’s power. As long as you don’t harm him fatally, the Qin Family won’t send formidable experts after you."

Then, she added, "However, he is now, after all, part of the main line of the Qin Family with high talent. Many in the city are willing to associate with him, so some minor force may potentially send a Third Grade expert to trouble you on his behalf. It’s something to guard against."

Third Grade, minor force?

Chen Ming found it hard to associate these terms together.

You should know, in Qingfeng City, for a long period, there wasn’t even a single Third Grade expert.

It can only be said that Jiangzhou City is overflowing with experts. To say Third Grades are as numerous as dogs might be an exaggeration, but in Jiangzhou City, they indeed hold little weight.

Chen Ming asked, "Do you think Miss Yu would send a Third Grade expert to protect me?"

Qiuxiang and Dongxiang both hesitated for a moment, then shook their heads.

He asked, "What do you think she’s thinking?"

The two of them followed Yu Haitang for several years and had some understanding of her.

Dongxiang cautiously replied, "She... probably also wants to take this opportunity to see if you have any other hidden cards."

"What if I don’t? What if I just die like this?"

Qiuxiang and Dongxiang both looked troubled, hesitating to speak.

Chen Ming understood that if he died, she probably wouldn’t care much.

True, even when it came to her maids who had followed her for years, she could leave them without hesitation. How could she care about an outsider like him?

Well, it seems he still has to rely on himself.

The mysterious red-clothed woman had already left.

It was uncertain whether Evergreen Hall’s Old Sun could be relied upon.

Chen Ming felt somewhat depressed; this feeling of having to rely on others for protection was truly terrible.

If he really encountered a Third Grade enemy, he would have to immediately break through to Fourth Grade and give it a go.

Thinking of this, he silently recited in his heart.

[Level: 55]

[Current Points: 624000]

[Cultivation Technique: "Iron Horse Stance" (Fifth Level Perfection), "Five Elements True Skill (Missing)" (Fifth Level 990000/1500000)]

[Martial Skill: "Three Talents Fist" (Accomplished), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Accomplished), Zhuang’s Flying Knife (Accomplished), Swallow Returning Sword Technique (Accomplished), "Vermilion Bird Swordsmanship" (Accomplished), "Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens" (First Level 20463/100000)]

[Secret Technique: "Disguise Technique" (Accomplished)]

Throughout this month, he maintained a pace of adding two thousand points per day to "Five Elements True Skill".

Chen Ming looked at the content on the panel, contemplating as he did so.

When he saw "Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens", he couldn’t help but recall the words of that mysterious red-clothed woman.

This lightweight skill, he would spend some time practicing it regularly, increasing its proficiency by several thousand points. It was better than nothing, one could say.

He pondered seriously for a moment, making a decision in his heart.

"Add points."

He directly added eighty thousand experience points to the "Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens" lightweight skill.

[Level: 55]

[Current Points: 544000]

[Cultivation Technique: "Iron Horse Stance" (Fifth Level Perfection), "Five Elements True Skill (Missing)" (Fifth Level 990000/1500000)]

[Martial Skill: "Three Talents Fist" (Accomplished), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Accomplished), Zhuang’s Flying Knife (Accomplished), Swallow Returning Sword Technique (Accomplished), "Vermilion Bird Swordsmanship" (Accomplished), "Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens" (Second Level 463/200000)]

[Secret Technique: "Disguise Technique" (Accomplished)]

...

As the points were added, Chen Ming felt a mysterious change occurring within his body.

Some meridians and acupoints were broadened and became more resilient, and his mind was filled with more skills and experiences related to lightweight skills.

This change lasted for more than ten seconds.

"My speed now has increased by almost fifty percent compared to before."

He was delighted by this effect; it was an instantaneous burst of speed. For long-distance travel, the increase was around twenty to thirty percent.

This was already quite astonishing.

"This Lightweight Skill is indeed extraordinary."

A Lightweight Skill that requires 100,000 Experience Points just for the First Level is naturally remarkable.

If a month ago his Lightweight Skill had reached this level, he wouldn’t have needed to use Sword Intent to defeat Lai Xiangran.

...

After nightfall, Chen Ming was alone in his room reading, with the Mingfeng Sword placed nearby within easy reach.

The night was silent.

Occasionally, the barking of dogs could be heard from outside, along with the chirping of insects in the courtyard.

A night breeze blew in, bringing a refreshing coolness.

Chen Ming suddenly felt something in his heart, raised his head, and called out, "Miss Su?"

A white silhouette appeared outside the window.

He pushed the window open and saw Su Zhining standing under the eaves, dressed in white as pure as snow, still wearing a veil, revealing only her brows and eyes, which shone like the stars.

Chen Ming exclaimed with joy, "It’s really you. Where have you been all this time? I thought something had happened to you."

Whether it was an illusion or not, the brightness in those sparkling eyes seemed to soften as she spoke softly, "Recovering from an injury."

"Have your injuries healed?"

"Yes."

"That’s great."

His joy was heartfelt, knowing that with her around, there was a sense of security.

Although she hadn’t reached the Third Grade, her status as a disciple of the Celestial Dao Alliance was enough to make others wary.

As for her Heart Demon, it wasn’t too big of a problem. With his current strength, even if he couldn’t win, he should be able to escape.

Su Zhining looked at the sincere joy on his face and instinctively averted her eyes, asking, "How did you discover me?"

Chen Ming picked up the Mingfeng Sword and said, "It told me."

Su Zhining looked at this Divine Weapon, surprised to find that it was different from before, no longer lifeless but exuding spirituality.

She glanced inside the room, her eyes turning cold, "Who are those two women inside?"

Chen Ming sighed and said, "Two pitiable women who made a small mistake, had their legs broken by their former master, and were condemned to a farm as slaves. I couldn’t bear to leave them after learning of their plight, so I brought them back..."

Su Zhining looked at him, as if trying to see through him, "Now, are they your maids?"

Under her gaze, Chen Ming felt a bit uneasy and asked, "Is there anything inappropriate?"

Since acquiring the Heart Demon, Su Zhining indeed seemed a bit odd; before, she never cared about the people at his side.

She quickly averted her gaze and didn’t pursue the topic further, "Before our first duel, you said if you won, I should agree to one of your requests."

Oh?

It’s been so long; why suddenly bring this up?

Chen Ming cautiously said, "Seems like there was such a thing."

Su Zhining replied, "Go ahead, your request."

Unexpectedly coming to fulfill the promise, it seemed the shadow of her defeat had disappeared.

Chen Ming said, "It was just a joke. You don’t need to take it to heart."

In the past, he would have directly stated it. Now, considering her Heart Demon, it was better to be cautious and avoid provoking her.

Su Zhining fixed her gaze on his eyes and said, "You once said you wanted to see my true face, didn’t you?" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Before he could answer, she reached up and removed the white veil from her face.

For a moment, Chen Ming felt his heart skip a beat; the face before him matched all his fantasies of a fairy as depicted in martial arts novels.

A cold, sacred yet mysterious aura.

Bright, deep eyes without any impurities.

And a kind of ethereal fairy aura emanating from her...

Chen Ming finally understood why she made it to the Absolute Beauty List, while Miss Mudan, though of the same sect, fell short in appearance and temperament.

"My master forbids me from showing my true face in the martial arts world, saying people are easily bewitched by beauty, which hinders my cultivation."

Su Zhining gazed into Chen Ming’s eyes, speaking with a voice as refreshing and gentle as a breeze from a deep ice spring, intoxicatingly soothing.

Chen Ming agreed, "Your master is right. In the martial arts world, the things that cause the most trouble are Divine Skill manuals and peerless beauties. In fact, you shouldn’t have shown me your true face either."

Su Zhining said, "My master also said that after a year of experience, I could take off this veil. To me, it’s another form of cultivation."

Chen Ming thought of the peculiar Cultivation Technique of the Celestial Dao Alliance and understood her master’s meaning.

However, she hadn’t been out long when her master ended up trapped in Prince Zhenhai’s Mansion, leaving him no time to teach her much.

During this time, she had always been by his side, staying hidden in the shadows, not interacting much with others.

If she were to really take off the veil, could she handle it?