Pirates

Over the next month, Chen Ming visited all twelve martial halls and discovered that open-minded people like Shangguan Hong were few and far between. Most were old diehards; no matter what he said, they refused to spar with him.

He was helpless, but he could not force the issue.

If he truly forced it, he would be smashing their signboards.

There was a saying: cutting off someone's source of livelihood was like killing their parents. If he really smashed their signboards, he would be making a mortal enemy.

If he had been alone, he naturally would have had no scruples. But he had an elder brother and elder sister-in-law at home, as well as an adorable nephew and niece. He could not simply disregard their safety.

Therefore, he was unwilling to resort to excessive measures. If someone did not want to spar with him, he did not press the matter.

Only three martial halls were willing to spar with him: the Shangguan father and son from Four Seas Martial Hall, Hall Master Li from Chaoyang Martial Hall, and the obscure Wu Martial Hall.

Every day, Chen Ming rotated among those three martial halls, sparring with them and discussing martial arts. Occasionally, he also sought out Zhang Mingyu for a spar.

After repeatedly defeating people whose levels were higher than his, he received one hundred experience points each time. Together with the thirty-odd students he "taught," he could gain over one hundred and sixty points in a day.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

The weather grew colder by the day. Before he knew it, autumn was drawing to a close, and the bitter winter was approaching.

That morning, after Chen Ming finished teaching the group of students, he was about to leave.

"Senior Brother Chen."

Someone suddenly called out to him.

Among these students, only one person called him Senior Brother: Li Jinchuan, who had once studied martial arts at Huo Manor. He was also the only one over fourteen.

After Huo Chengkun died, the youths studying martial arts at Huo Manor had all left. Not long afterward, Li Jinchuan suddenly came to Chen Ming's door and said that he wanted to study martial arts with him.

Chen Ming did not refuse. By now, they had been studying together for nearly a year.

Li Jinchuan had progressed rapidly. In less than a year, he had gone from LV3 to LV8. Although he had built a foundation at Huo Manor, such progress was still alarmingly fast.

Of course, Chen Ming had no intention of prying into his secrets.

He asked, "Is something the matter?"

Li Jinchuan said respectfully, "An elder of my family wishes to visit Senior Brother. I wonder which day would be convenient for you?"

Chen Ming thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow afternoon."

"Sorry to trouble you."

Li Jinchuan left after saying that.

Chen Ming had just finished breakfast and was about to head out when a servant came to report, "Second Young Master, an official from the Six Doors wishes to see you."

Someone from the Six Doors?

He was somewhat puzzled. He had been law-abiding lately, so what did someone from the Six Doors want with him?

"Show him in."

Before long, the man was brought in. He was an old acquaintance—the Ninth Rank constable Wang Yangming from last time.

The moment he entered, he clasped his hands in greeting. "I heard that Second Young Master Chen has broken through to the Eighth Rank. Congratulations."

"You are too courteous, Lord Wang." Chen Ming returned the greeting and asked, "May I ask what important matter brings Lord Wang here?"

"Second Young Master Chen need not be nervous. There are merely a few matters I wished to ask Young Master Chen about."

Upon hearing that, Chen Ming invited him to sit. A servant brought them tea.

Wang Yangming said, "Does Young Master know that the city has not been very peaceful lately?"

"Oh?"

Chen Ming asked in confusion, "I had not heard of that."

"Have you heard about the major incident that recently occurred in the East Sea?"

"Does my lord mean the clash between two bands of pirates? I have heard a little about it. Those two groups of pirates have been fighting for nearly ten years, haven't they?"

Wang Yangming said, "This time is different. Zheng Kou was killed by Red Kou, and a Pirate King has emerged in the East Sea once more. The heavens are about to change."

Chen Ming did not interrupt. He knew there had to be more to it.

Sure enough, Wang Yangming continued, "After Zheng Kou died, his remaining men either surrendered or fled. Recently, some of them came to Qingfeng City. Pirates have always been lawless, treating murder and robbery as commonplace. No one knows what crimes these people may commit in Qingfeng City. That is why I came today: I hope Young Master Chen will keep an eye out for unfamiliar people nearby. If you spot anyone suspicious, you may send someone to notify me at the Six Doors."

Chen Ming said solemnly, "Chen will not shrink from this duty."

Wang Yangming took out a stack of portraits and said, "These are portraits of pirates wanted over the past few years. Take a look. It would be best if you could remember them. If you encounter any of them, notify me at once."

Chen Ming accepted the portraits and began examining them one by one.

Since it concerned the security of the city, he looked very carefully.

When he saw one of the portraits, however, his hand paused.

The man in the portrait looked strangely familiar, bearing an extreme resemblance to someone he had met not long ago.

Chen Ming's expression remained unchanged as he continued looking. After he had finished the rest of the portraits, he returned them to Wang Yangming.

As though asking casually, Wang Yangming said, "Young Master Chen, do you know Bi Haibo, Old Huo's sixth disciple?"

"Of course I remember him. When I studied martial arts at Huo Manor, he was my instructor. He taught me for four years. What a pity—he died in the prime of life. I never expected the day I left Huo Manor to be our final parting."

"Strangely enough, someone recently saw a man on the street who looked exactly like Bi Haibo, who died years ago."

"Is that so?"

"Perhaps some people simply look alike. If Young Master Chen saw that man, you should be able to tell whether he was Bi Haibo, no?"

"Not necessarily. I have not seen Senior Brother Bi for many years."

Wang Yangming sat for a while longer. Seeing that he could not probe anything out, he finally took his leave.

Chen Ming saw him out through the front gate and thought, I knew he had not come looking for me without reason.

He had not expected Bi Haibo to become a pirate.

Thinking back, Bi Haibo truly had the look of someone who made a living at sea—tanned dark, with rough skin.

"No wonder Huo Chengkun told everyone that he was dead. His personal disciple had gone off to become a pirate; if word got out, he would lose all face. He might even be implicated."

No wonder Zhang Mingyu had been so nervous when Bi Haibo appeared that day. He had even asked Chen Ming to keep it secret.

Most likely, Huo Chengkun's disciples all knew about it.

This episode did not affect Chen Ming. He still followed his plan and prepared to go to Wu Martial Hall to spar with Hall Master Liu.

Just as he was about to leave, he saw Old Li, the gatekeeper, shoving a servant-looking fellow out the door and cursing, "Come to this door again, and I'll break your legs."

As he spoke, he spat on the ground.

Chen Ming's face darkened. He walked over and asked in a low voice, "Old Li, what is going on?"

Outside the gate, a servant-looking man had fallen to the ground, his face full of grievance. He still held a red invitation in his hand.

When Old Li saw him, he hurriedly explained, "Second Young Master, he is from the Zhang Family. He said their young lady is getting married next month and came to deliver an invitation. This old servant simply could not swallow my anger, so I scolded him a few times. Yet he actually dared to talk back..."

The Zhang Family?

Seeing the grief and indignation on Old Li's face, Chen Ming was stunned for a moment before recalling which Zhang Family this was.

They were the family of the original owner's former fiancée—the family that had swiftly and unilaterally called off the engagement after he was thrown into prison.

His heart remained utterly still, because all of that had happened before he transmigrated. It did not feel real to him.

However, his elder brother had always harbored a grudge over the matter and was furious at the Zhang Family's heartlessness and ingratitude.

Now that the Zhang Family's daughter was getting married, they actually dared to come and deliver an invitation. Were they not asking to be cursed?

Chen Ming reminded him, "No matter how angry you are, you cannot curse people. Anyone who does not know better will think we are bullying them."

"Forgive me, Young Master." Old Li hurriedly admitted his mistake.

He still felt somewhat wronged. This matter was hardly honorable for the Chen Family either, and they could not exactly shout it aloud for the whole street to hear. That would only disgrace the Second Young Master.

As they spoke, Chen Ming suddenly heard a roar. "How dare someone from the Zhang Family come to our door? You are courting death..."

When he turned around, he saw his usually gentle and virtuous elder sister-in-law charging out in a rage, holding a broom upside down, looking ready to fight someone to the death.

"Se... Second Brother..."

Wei Shi suddenly saw Chen Ming standing at the gate. She hurriedly lowered her head and hid the broom behind her back, so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into the ground.

Chen Ming barely managed not to laugh out loud.

He truly had not expected Elder Sister-in-Law to have such a fierce side.