Old Six

You defeated a level 24 enemy and gained 200 experience points.

After Chen Ming narrowly defeated Zhang Mingyu with a single move, this prompt appeared before his eyes. He cupped his fists and said, "Senior Brother's Five Elements Saber Technique truly differs greatly from what I figured out on my own."

Zhang Mingyu had lost beneath his saber, yet he was not dejected. Back at Fenglei Martial Hall, after witnessing Chen Ming's battle with Li Ankun, he had known that he was no match for this junior brother.

The only reason he had lasted seventy or eighty exchanges was entirely because Chen Ming had gone easy on him.

He knew that perfectly well.

Today's exchange had made him feel that he had gained a great deal.

Ever since his master had passed away, he had been left to figure things out alone this past year. His progress had been slow, and whenever he encountered difficult problems, there was no one he could ask.

Yet this spar with Chen Ming had instead untangled many of the knots in his heart.

This junior brother truly is a martial arts prodigy. I must spar with him more often in the future.

Zhang Mingyu thought to himself.

He said, "Junior Brother's saberplay is light, nimble, and elegant, more like the path of swordplay. If you used a sword instead, its power would surely rise another level."

Chen Ming was a little surprised. He really had been using the Swallow Returns Swordplay to wield the Five Elements Saber Technique. He had not expected Zhang Mingyu to see through it.

He smiled. "To be honest, Senior Brother, Fifth Senior Brother gave me the saber manual for this Five Elements Saber Technique. When I was figuring it out on my own, I kept thinking of how those people said that the Five Elements Saber Technique had originally been swordplay. So when practicing the saber, I was inevitably influenced by that."

That was the excuse he had made up. In truth, he had learned his Swallow Returns Swordplay from Zhong Shuyu.

She came to spar with him every few days. After enough times, he had learned this sword technique.

Zhang Mingyu suddenly understood. "So that's how it is."

This resolved one of his doubts. He had thought Little Junior Sister had passed down the saber technique, but it turned out to have been Fifth Junior Brother. No wonder Chen Ming took such good care of Fifth Junior Brother's widow and son.

"Senior Brother, I see that your Flowing Cloud Layered Waves is quite different from mine..."

After that, Chen Ming took the opportunity to "seek advice" from Zhang Mingyu.

In truth, he was using the opportunity to tell him the essential points of the Swallow Returns Swordplay.

This was called returning a peach for a plum. Today, Zhang Mingyu had brought everyone he could to support him. That kind of friendship was hard to come by.

The two talked for half an hour.

Zhang Mingyu's eyes grew brighter and brighter. Listening, he scratched at his mouth and fidgeted, his heart itching unbearably. He wished he could try it at once.

Over the past year, he too had constantly pondered how the Five Elements Saber Technique had originally been swordplay. But limited by his knowledge and experience, although he felt there were many unreasonable aspects to the Five Elements Saber Technique, he had no idea where to begin changing it.

Chen Ming's words cleaved through the fog in his heart at a stroke, unraveling many of his doubts.

As they talked, night quietly fell without them noticing.

Chen Ming was about to take his leave when he suddenly heard a grief-stricken, indignant voice from outside. "Third Senior Brother, how did Master die?"

Who was that?

He turned his head and saw a tall, dark-skinned man enter. Every inch of him exuded roughness and fierceness. His eyes were bloodshot, and Killing Intent pressed outward from his body.

This was...

Chen Ming found the man somewhat familiar, just as Zhang Mingyu exclaimed in surprise, "Old Six? Why have you come into the city?"

Old Six?

Could he be... Huo Chengkun's sixth disciple, Bi Haibo?

Hadn't he already died?

Chen Ming was greatly surprised.

When the original owner had been at Huo Manor, Bi Haibo had been an instructor. Not long after Chen Ming left Huo Manor, he heard that this man had encountered an enemy while away and been killed.

Judging from Zhang Mingyu's reaction, he knew Bi Haibo had not died. Then why had they spread word that he had faked his death?

Naturally, Chen Ming did not ask. He merely said, "Since Senior Brother has a guest here, I'll be leaving first."

"Wait."

Zhang Mingyu stopped him and instructed, "I hope you can keep the matter of seeing Sixth Junior Brother a secret."

"Alright."

Chen Ming agreed and left.

Chen Ming had no desire to delve into Bi Haibo's secret. In any case, it had nothing to do with him.

The next day, Chen Ming went to visit Four Seas Martial Hall.

At the banquet yesterday, he had hit it off best with the master of Four Seas Martial Hall, and they had arranged for him to visit.

The hall master, Shangguan Hong, received him personally. The two discussed martial arts and the Dao, feeling as though they had met too late.

Shangguan Hong was in his fifties and still in the prime of life. He called Chen Ming "little brother" at every turn, as though he could not wait to drag him off to become sworn brothers.

This made his several sons rather awkward. Even the youngest among them was older than Chen Ming, yet they could only pinch their noses and call him Martial Uncle.

A few days passed like this, then Chen Ming proposed sparring with Shangguan Hong.

Shangguan Hong was somewhat hesitant at first. In the martial world, one was bound to be burdened by empty fame. As the master of a martial hall, he absolutely could not lose to another.

Once he lost, who would still come to his martial hall to learn martial arts?

Chen Ming said it would merely be a private spar, not one to determine victory or defeat.

In other words, there would be only the two of them, no third party present, and they would not count the outcome.

Only then did Shangguan Hong agree.

Thus, that afternoon, the two fought in an empty courtyard.

This was the strongest opponent Chen Ming had encountered, even harder to deal with than Li Ankun. He had no choice but to use his trump cards before finally winning by a single move.

You defeated a level 29 enemy and gained 300 experience points.

Chen Ming cupped his fists. "Thank you, Brother Shangguan, for showing mercy. Let us call this battle a draw, shall we?"

Shangguan Hong sheathed his long saber and laughed at himself. "In the end, I am old. If I were five years younger, I would have sent the long saber in your hand flying on the forty-third move."

Then he paused. "But you did not reveal your true skill either. If you had held a sword, I likewise would not have been your match."

Worthy of being an old hand of the martial world—he had already seen that Chen Ming was using swordplay.

Chen Ming said, "Brother Shangguan's cultivation far surpasses mine. If you had not shown mercy, how could I have lasted beyond fifty exchanges?"

That was indeed the truth.

Shangguan Hong's expression immediately looked much better. If they had fought for their lives, he would certainly have won. It was only because they had agreed from the start to compare saber techniques that he had not used strength to crush him.

The two sat down again, drinking tea and chatting. "Brother Shangguan, your cultivation is only one step away from Seventh Rank, isn't it?"

Shangguan Hong shook his head. "Once one passes fifty, one's qi and blood begin to decline. Seventh Rank is beyond my hopes now."

Seventh Rank, the Qi Blood Realm. Once one reached that realm, the qi and blood throughout one's body would be like mercury. Even at eighty, one could still remain at the peak of physical strength.

Chen Ming comforted him. "From what I can see, Brother Shangguan's three sons are all extraordinarily talented. The second in particular has already reached Eighth Rank at barely twenty-five. He will surely have hope of reaching Seventh Rank in the future."

Those words struck straight into Shangguan Hong's heart. What he was proudest of was having three sons, all with outstanding aptitude. He had especially placed great hopes on his second son.

Still, he modestly said, "Compared with you, little brother, they are still far behind."

Chen Ming smiled. "I wonder how much of your true teaching your second son has inherited in his Breaking Wave Saber Technique."

Shangguan Hong said, "He has yet to truly fight anyone. I plan to let him go out and gain experience in a few years."

"If Brother Shangguan trusts me, I could help guide him a little."

"Oh?"

Shangguan Hong was somewhat tempted. Naturally, he knew that his second son was proud and arrogant and not entirely convinced by Chen Ming. If Chen Ming were willing to guide him, then first, he could blunt that arrogance; second, he could increase his practical combat experience.

"How could I trouble you, little brother?"

"It is no trouble. I have always loved martial arts by nature and enjoy sparring with others most of all."