Flying Dagger Mastery

Huo Chengkun was truly dead!

After escorting Deng Ziyang back to his family's carriage, Chen Ming went to the Huo Manor. There, he found the grief-stricken gatekeeper and asked what had happened. The gatekeeper said Huo Chengkun had fallen suddenly ill the night before—several doctors were called in, but none could save him.

He had passed away during the night.

Sudden illness?

Who would believe that?

A Sixth Rank martial artist, dead from a sudden illness?

That was only fooling themselves.

And so Huo Chengkun was gone just like that...

Chen Ming's mood was complicated.

Since crossing over, he had met Huo Chengkun three times in total. Truth be told, he owed him thanks for allowing him to stay on as a sparring partner.

Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have become a martial artist so quickly.

Chen Ming didn't go inside. He simply left.

He wasn't Huo Chengkun's disciple, after all. As an outsider, it wouldn't be appropriate to enter at a time like this.

As he left the Huo Manor, it suddenly began to rain. The cold raindrops struck his face, carrying a biting chill.

"Finally done!"

Three days later, in the courtyard at dawn.

Chen Ming flung two flying daggers. Thud, thud—they embedded themselves into the center of a wooden board over ten meters away. A flash of insight rose within him, and he opened his status panel.

Level: 10

Current Points: 4401

Cultivation Methods: Iron Horse Stance (Fifth Layer, Perfected), Three Yang Body Forging Art (First Layer, 4/1000)

Martial Skills: Three Powers Fist (Mastery, 55/500+), Bagua Saber Technique (Grandmaster), Zhuang Family Flying Daggers (Beginner, 1/500)

On the panel, a new martial skill had appeared: Zhuang Family Flying Daggers.

It made sense that Zhuang Xiaotian's flying dagger technique was named "Zhuang Family Flying Daggers."

Even at Beginner level, it required five hundred experience points—five times more than Bagua Saber Technique. That meant this skill was of a higher grade.

"Young master is amazing."

"Young master, you've mastered it!"

Beside him, two thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girls clapped and cheered. They trotted over, pulled the daggers from the wooden board, and ran back to place them on the table beside him.

These two girls were the maids his sister-in-law had bought for him. They were dark-skinned and thin, but quick with their hands and cheerful by nature.

Apparently, they were daughters of farmers from the countryside. Last year, during the famine, their families had borrowed from loan sharks and couldn't repay, so they were sold to a human trafficker to settle the debt.

The wealthy households in town had already picked through them first. No one wanted these two, so they were sold cheap.

Wei Shi saw that although the girls were thin, they had considerable strength and worked hard. She felt she had gotten a bargain and was quite pleased with herself.

To her, beauty didn't matter—being able to work was what made a good maid.

When Chen Ming first saw them, any fantasy of having beautiful attendants by his side, adding fragrance to the ink, was thoroughly shattered.

He gave them names: one he called Chunxiang, and the other Xiaxiang.

"Add points!"

Without hesitation, Chen Ming added five hundred points.

Zhuang Family Flying Daggers (Proficient, 1/1000)

Instantly, a flood of insights into flying dagger techniques poured into his mind.

At the same time, his hands tingled faintly, and subtle changes began occurring in his nerves.

It felt as though he had already trained for years.

"Again."

He added another thousand points.

Zhuang Family Flying Daggers (Mastery, 1/2000)

Once more, a surge of memories and understanding rushed into his head.

At this level, he could wield intermediate techniques with ease. He even had some grasp of advanced techniques.

"But it's still not enough!"

Chen Ming gritted his teeth and added another two thousand points.

Zhuang Family Flying Daggers (Grandmaster)!

Current points: 901

Cultivation arts: "Iron Horse Stance" (Fifth Layer, perfected), "Three Yang Body Forging Art" (First Layer, 4/1000)

Martial skills: "Three Powers Fist" (Proficient, 55/500+), Bagua Saber Technique (Mastered), Zhuang Family Flying Daggers (Mastered)

"Young Master, what's wrong?"

Chunxiang saw Chen Ming suddenly close his eyes and stop moving. She was a bit scared and called out softly. When he still didn't respond, she panicked, at a loss, and started crying. "It's over, this young master's been killed by us too... Let's run..."

"Don't talk nonsense..."

Xiaxiang was also flustered, but she kept her composure better and reached out to check Chen Ming's breath. That check nearly made her cry too. "It's over, it's over, he really has no breath..."

Just then, Chen Ming suddenly opened his eyes. Seeing the two little maids crying their eyes out, he couldn't help but laugh.

"A ghost--"

The two maids nearly wet themselves. They shrieked and tried to run.

"Hahaha..."

Only when they heard Chen Ming's loud laughter did they realize what had happened. They pouted, "Young Master, you actually scared us..."

"Young Master, you nearly scared us to death..."

Chen Ming casually picked up two flying daggers. Without even looking, he flung them backward. The two daggers collided midair, then ricocheted off, each striking the bullseye of a wooden target.

This technique was called Chasing Stars and Moon. It could mislead an enemy, making it impossible to defend against.

After mastering the Zhuang Family Flying Daggers, he was no longer bound by the methods Zhuang Xiaotian had taught him. He could combine them freely, with no fixed forms.

Chen Ming said, "What did you mean just now by 'killed by us too'?"

Chunxiang's face stiffened.

Xiaxiang stammered, "You... Young Master, we were just... rambling. Please don't take it to heart..."

Chen Ming said flatly, "Otherwise, should I go ask the slave trader?"

Chunxiang and Xiaxiang's faces went pale. Unable to bear the pressure, they confessed.

It turned out they weren't unwanted. They were just unlucky. After being bought, the masters they served soon died violent deaths.

The two were naturally branded as jinxes, bad luck. So they were returned to the slave trader.

"Young Master, please don't send us away... That slave trader said if we get returned again, he'll sell us to a brothel..."

"We don't want to go to a brothel..."

"Please... We'll work for free..."

"Yes, just give us food to eat..."

"Please don't drive us away..."

Chen Ming saw the two girls kneeling on the ground, begging with snot and tears. He felt a pang of pity and said, "Alright, get up."

"Young Master..."

Two grimy little faces lifted up, tears streaking their cheeks.

He couldn't muster a shred of tender feeling. If they were pretty maids, this would be a scene of pear blossoms in the rain.

Forget it. He couldn't afford pretty maids yet anyway.

They were dark, sure, but they worked efficiently.

"I'll see how you do."

Chen Ming didn't give a definitive answer.

The two maids were already endlessly grateful, kowtowing.

"Alright, kowtowing like that—are you trying to shorten my life?"

He pulled them up and warned, "Don't let anyone else know about this. Otherwise, if my sister-in-law finds out and wants to send you away, I won't be able to keep you."

The two maids nodded like chicks pecking at rice.

"Alright, prepare a set of clothes for me. I'm going out."

Today was Huo Chengkun's funeral.

Chen Ming had studied martial arts at Huo Manor, so of course he had to go.

He wore black clothes and took a carriage to the gates of Huo Manor. The place was especially lively today.

Huo Chengkun had been here for over a decade. He had over a hundred Disciples-in-Name alone, plus friends from his lifetime.

People like Chen Ming, who weren't formal Disciples-in-Name but had still trained at Huo Manor, were even more numerous. So a huge crowd had gathered.

Chen Ming entered Huo Manor. From their attire, he could tell their relationship with Huo Chengkun.

Those in mourning clothes and hemp were his direct disciples and his granddaughter, Huo Qianqian.

Those with white cloth wrapped around their arms were Disciples-in-Name.

The rest were those of an even more distant connection.

Chen Ming finally ran into an acquaintance, Hong Mingquan.

"You're here."

Hong Mingquan's expression was somewhat numb, but when he saw him, a glimmer of light finally returned to his dull eyes.

"Fifth Senior Brother."

Chen Ming called out, then said sorrowfully, "How could it be so sudden? Old Huo... what exactly happened that day?"

He only asked this question after noticing no one was paying attention.

Hong Mingquan shook his head, avoiding the topic, and simply said, "Tonight, can you come over? I have a favor to ask."