Chapter 119: Wind and Rain Approaching

The news of Chen Ming emerging from seclusion quickly spread throughout the Chen Residence.

Chen Rui was the first to hear it.

He was just having breakfast, and upon hearing it, he dropped his bowl and ran out.

"Second Uncle is out of seclusion!"

Just past her fifth birthday, Chen Lirong let out an excited scream, jumped down from her chair, and followed behind her father with stumbling steps.

The nursemaid behind her, afraid she might fall, quickly chased after her, shouting, "Little Ancestor, slow down!"

Already nine years old, Chen Lide froze for a moment, then quickly shoved the meat from his bowl into his mouth before rushing off.

Only after everyone had left did Madam Wei suddenly come to her senses, "Quick… quick…", her face filled with excitement as she ran toward Erlang’s courtyard.

"Madam, be careful."

Two maids nearby hurried to support her.

……

"Big Brother."

When Chen Ming saw his big brother running over, he stepped forward with a smile and called out.

They hadn’t seen each other in three months. His big brother’s beard had grown longer, and he had put on some weight, making him look more imposing.

Chen Rui was also sizing up his younger brother. His hair had grown longer, and a short stubble had appeared around his lips, but other than that, nothing much had changed.

He didn’t say anything, only nodded.

It was just seclusion, nothing major.

Chen Ming asked, "Big Brother, while I was in seclusion, has everything been well at home?"

Chen Rui said, "Everything’s been fine."

"Second Uncle!"

At that moment, Chen Lirong ran over and leapt into Chen Ming’s arms, wrapping her arms around his neck, "You’re finally out of seclusion."

Chen Ming picked up his little niece and kissed her cheek, "Haven’t seen you for a few months, and you’ve gotten chubbier."

"It tickles——"

The little girl burst into giggles as his stubble poked her.

"Second Uncle!"

Chen Lide also came over, the meat in his mouth already swallowed. He tried his best to appear calm and composed.

Chen Ming reached over and patted his head, saying with satisfaction, "You’ve grown taller again."

At this moment, his sister-in-law also came over. She looked noticeably rounder and was being supported by two maids. When she saw him, her eyes turned red, "Erlang, you’re finally out of seclusion."

Chen Ming couldn’t help but chuckle, "Sister-in-law, what’s this all about? I only went into seclusion for a bit."

Suddenly, Chen Lirong in his arms shouted, "Mother has a baby in her belly. She was worried Second Uncle wouldn’t get to see the baby born…"

Chen Ming exclaimed with joy, "Is that true?"

Chen Rui nodded, "Yes, it’s been four months."

"That’s wonderful news!"

Chen Ming was very pleased.

In ancient times, the continuation of the bloodline was extremely important.

Now that the Chen family was becoming more and more prosperous, the more descendants the better.

Even ten or eight wouldn’t be too many.

Since Chen Ming was still unwilling to marry, his sister-in-law Madam Wei would just have to work a little harder and bear a few more.

……

Less than two hours later, Zhang Mingyu received the news and rushed over.

The first thing he asked upon seeing Chen Ming was, "Did you break through to Fifth Grade?"

Chen Ming smiled, "It’s not that easy."

Although he could break through at any moment now, the current situation in Qingfeng City was a bit chaotic.

Several groups of river-crossing dragons had arrived.

He decided to play it safe for now and avoid drawing too much attention.

Moreover, he planned to challenge all the Sixth Grade Martial Artists in Qingfeng City over the next few days and then reap a wave at the end.

Hearing this, Zhang Mingyu actually breathed a sigh of relief, "It’s just that your cultivation had been progressing too quickly before, I thought…"

The two had just sat down when Gu Yuantao also arrived. He looked over Chen Ming a few times and said, "You didn’t break through to Fifth Grade?"

Although it was a question, his tone was affirming.

Chen Ming and Zhang Mingyu exchanged a glance and couldn’t help but laugh.

He laughed and said, "How could it be that easy?"

Gu Yuantao didn’t know what they were laughing about, nor did he care. He simply said, "I want to spar with you again."

That was his true purpose for coming.

Chen Ming said, "Sure, but let’s have a cup of tea first."

He had just brewed some tea and poured three cups. He asked, "Where’s Brother Weihao?"

"In seclusion," Gu Yuantao replied, picking up a cup and taking a sip.

Suddenly, his gaze froze, and he stared at the tea for a few seconds.

"He broke through to Sixth Grade?"

"Yes." Gu Yuantao took another sip before setting down the cup.

Chen Ming grew a little worried. "You left him alone at the Gu Family?"

Gu Yuantao said, "One of his uncles arrived. He’s a Fourth Grade."

After a slight pause, he asked, "Where did you get this tea?"

Seeing his interest in the tea, Chen Ming waved Spring Fragrance over and asked, "Where did this tea come from?"

Spring Fragrance replied, "It was a gift from Young Master Zhao."

Young Master Zhao was naturally Zhao Xiyan.

Since she always dressed as a man when visiting, she was referred to as Young Master Zhao.

Chen Ming asked Gu Yuantao, "Is there something wrong with the tea?"

Gu Yuantao said lightly, "This is Blackbone Spirit Tea, one of the Nine Great Spirit Teas. Extremely rare, produced only on Black Jade Island overseas. It is a tribute tea."

Zhang Mingyu, beside them, looked in shock at the tea in his hand and exclaimed, "It’s actually the Blackbone Spirit Tea, worth its weight in gold! This is one of the rare treasures in the world that can enhance cultivation. Junior Brother, your friend actually gave you such a precious gift."

Chen Ming was also quite surprised. Seeing Spring Fragrance’s uneasy expression, he didn’t say much and waved her away.

He took a sip of the spirit tea.

As expected, it was sweet and refreshing, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

A cool sensation rose in his lower abdomen and quickly merged with his true qi, though the growth in true qi was almost imperceptible.

He smiled and said, "Good things should be shared with friends. If you like it, take some with you when you leave."

Zhang Mingyu quickly declined, "That won’t do, it’s too valuable. One should not accept rewards without merit."

Just then, someone else arrived. This time, it was Feng Siyuan. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he shouted, "Brother Chen, you’re finally out of seclusion! You have no idea how many big things happened while you were away... Huh, you have guests."

Chen Ming said, "Perfect timing, let me introduce you."

……

After introducing them, Chen Ming said, "I was just about to ask you, the founder of Dragon Tiger Sect—what’s his background?"

Feng Siyuan eagerly answered, "You’re asking the right person. His surname is Pang. He’s actually of the Qin Family bloodline, an illegitimate child of one of their elders. The Qin Family has long coveted the profits of maritime trade, but for certain reasons, they’ve never dared to set foot in Qingfeng City. This time, for some unknown reason, they dared to send Pang Shaoxuan to found a sect here. He’s not here with good intentions."

Chen Ming couldn’t help but feel enlightened.

The Qin Family was one of the three great aristocratic families of Jiangzhou.

Now that they were reaching into Qingfeng City, the Seven Great Maritime Traders naturally saw them as a serious threat.

But how did the Qin Family know that the restriction on Qingfeng City had been lifted?

Could it be that Senior Shang’s incident was related to the Qin Family?

A top-tier aristocratic family like the Qin Family would certainly have a First Grade Expert presiding. If anyone in Jiangzhou could threaten Senior Shang, the Qin Family would definitely be one.

Chen Ming asked again, "What about the Red Sea Gang?"

Feng Siyuan said, "Pan Chihai of the Red Sea Gang is an outer disciple of the Wushan Sect. Heh, though he’s called an outer disciple, he’s cultivating one of the three divine arts of the Wushan Sect, the 《Nine Dragons Trample the Sea》. Who doesn’t know what that means?"

Chen Ming nodded. The Wushan Sect was one of the four great sects of Jiangzhou, an ancient sect with a thousand-year heritage.

These top aristocratic families and sects were all sending people to Qingfeng City.

Clearly, they were drawn by the enormous profits of maritime trade and wanted a piece of the pie.

The Seven Great Maritime Traders wouldn’t hand over their interests so easily.

A clash was inevitable.

It was foreseeable that Qingfeng City would only grow more chaotic.

Feng Siyuan continued, "While you were in seclusion, one of Pan Chihai’s hall masters came to challenge you, clearly trying to make a name for himself by defeating you. They have sinister intentions. They want to crush the young experts of Qingfeng City and establish the Red Sea Gang’s invincible reputation."

Chen Ming laughed, "Then he picked the wrong opponent."

He changed the subject, "But I’m afraid the Red Sea Gang’s leader is quite protective. I don’t want to provoke him into action. I’ll avoid conflict for now."

"Would he dare?"

Feng Siyuan quickly said, "Don’t worry. Our Seven Great Trading Companies will never allow him to break the martial world’s rules and bully the young with the old."

Martial world rules only held sway when the powerful needed them.

Right now, in Qingfeng City, the Seven Great Trading Companies clearly needed to use those rules to restrain the Dragon Tiger Sect and Red Sea Gang. In short, it was all a game of power.

Chen Ming didn’t mind being used as a pawn—so long as the rewards were worth it. It all depended on how sincere the Seven Great Trading Companies were.

He had made his stance clear. Now it was up to Feng Siyuan to discuss the outcome with his father.

……

After nightfall, the guests departed.

Chen Ming sat in the courtyard, sipping tea, watching the tender green leaves newly sprouting from the parasol tree, savoring this long-lost tranquility.

"You didn’t break through to Fifth Grade?"

The sudden voice shattered the peaceful atmosphere.

Chen Ming didn’t turn around, merely smiled and asked in return, "Disappointed?"

He saw Zhao Xiyan in white robes, holding a folded fan, walk over from the gate and sit across from him, studying him with a puzzled expression. "Strange, I can’t quite see through your cultivation anymore. What technique are you cultivating?"

Her curiosity finally got the better of her.

Chen Ming didn’t hide it. "Have you heard of the 《Blazing Sun Divine Art》?"

Zhao Xiyan’s eyes first showed surprise, then realization. "So it’s that technique."

She didn’t ask how he obtained it.

After a moment of thought, she said, "This technique involves serious trouble. Don’t ever tell anyone. If someone asks, just say it came from me."

Chen Ming poured her a cup of tea and said, "Thank you for the Blackbone Spirit Tea. I really like it."

Zhao Xiyan’s expression softened, her eyes gleaming with joy. She said gently, "If you like it, I’ll bring you more when you run out."

He asked, "Why did you come back?"

"I heard that Father wiped out the Blood Demon Sect and even captured the Demon Heir. I figured Qingfeng City wouldn’t be dangerous anymore, so I bade farewell to Grandmother and returned to the frontlines."

In other words, Zhao Shouchang hadn’t summoned her back—she had insisted on returning to Qingfeng City of her own accord.

Chen Ming said nothing more and quietly refilled her cup.

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