Chapter 23: Making Connections
Guan Peng held the long saber in a reverse grip, letting the tip rest against the ground. He lowered his head, staring at the tear on his chest where his clothing had been slashed, and said hoarsely, “I’ve lost. Thank you for showing mercy.”
After speaking, he turned and walked away, clearly too ashamed to stay any longer.
“Second Brother.”
Deng Ziyang looked worried and wanted to chase after him, but was held back by Zhuang Xiaotian. “Big Brother, let him go. Let him cool off for a bit.”
“This... sigh.”
Deng Ziyang could only sigh.
Zhuang Xiaotian turned to look at Chen Ming, who still stood in the center of the courtyard, his gaze heavy with thought.
This man’s strength had certainly surprised him, but what left the deepest impression was that earlier, both he and Guan Peng had spoken to him with a dismissive tone, and yet the man remained composed, showing not the slightest hint of displeasure.
Such depth of character was what made him truly terrifying.
If it had been him, and he possessed such superb saber techniques, he would have erupted on the spot if anyone had dared to slight him.
He sighed with emotion. “Your senior brother is truly one who hides his capabilities well.”
Deng Ziyang smiled bitterly. “You may not believe me when I say this, but I truly had no idea he was this strong. Otherwise, I never would’ve kept it from you just now.”
...
【You have defeated an LV11 enemy. Gained 100 experience points.】
Chen Ming saw the notification pop up and was delighted—one hundred points!
He hadn’t expected that the man was actually a level higher than him.
“Looks like improving martial technique proficiency is the right path after all.”
Just as he was thinking this, he heard Deng Ziyang half-jokingly complain, “Senior Brother, you really kept me in the dark. When did you become a Ranked Martial Artist?”
Chen Ming smiled and explained, “Brother Deng, you wrongly accuse me. I only broke through half a month ago. I saw you today for the first time since then and hadn’t had a chance to mention it.”
With that explanation, it truly wasn’t his fault.
Only then did Deng Ziyang feel at ease and said, “Congratulations, Senior Brother. You’ve finally become a martial artist.”
Hearing the sincerity in his tone, Chen Ming responded earnestly, “Thank you.”
Zhuang Xiaotian took this opportunity to step forward and cupped his fists apologetically. “Earlier, I was blind to your ability and slighted you. I hope Brother Chen can forgive me.”
Chen Ming stepped up and helped him up. “Brother Zhuang, you’re too kind. I was the one who hid my strength. I should be the one apologizing. Come, I’ll drink as a penalty.”
“Brother Chen, it should be me who is punished.” Zhuang Xiaotian downed three cups in a row to show his sincerity.
Deng Ziyang chimed in, “I think you two just want to use this as an excuse to drink all my fine wine!”
With that, any lingering awkwardness between them dissipated.
The three sat back down and resumed drinking. The atmosphere changed; they now spoke of martial arts.
The more they chatted, the more they clicked. Even as night fell, none of them wanted to part ways.
Chen Ming originally intended to go home, but Deng Ziyang insisted on him staying, sending someone to inform the Chen family and hosting him for the night.
...
Night fell. In the backyard.
“This Eight Trigrams Saber Technique appears simple, but it contains many subtle variations. For example, this move, ‘Milky Way Reverses’...”
As Chen Ming spoke, he demonstrated with his saber.
Deng Ziyang and Zhuang Xiaotian sat attentively, watching him break down each variation and explain in great detail.
Deng Ziyang had studied the Eight Trigrams Saber Technique before and naturally gained much from this.
Zhuang Xiaotian hadn’t studied it, but through analogy, he gleaned many insights into problems he had encountered in combat, so he too listened intently.
This was why the two of them liked discussing martial arts with Chen Ming.
He genuinely taught them things.
Their conversation went on until late into the night.
Zhuang Xiaotian suddenly bowed to Chen Ming. “Thanks to Brother Chen’s guidance today, many doubts in my heart were resolved.”
“Please don’t.”
Chen Ming helped him up and said, “It was just an exchange, not really guidance. If Brother Zhuang doesn’t mind, let’s spar sometime. You’ll be joining the Six Doors eventually, and you’ll inevitably have to fight others. More combat experience can only help.”
Zhuang Xiaotian was deeply moved. “I would love that.”
Deng Ziyang added, “Count me in. It would be perfect if Second Brother could join us as well.”
Chen Ming immediately said, “It’s settled then. Tomorrow afternoon.”
He had invested all this effort in befriending Zhuang Xiaotian for this exact reason.
Now, he had finally achieved his goal.
A single win yielded a hundred experience points. If he could spar daily, even if he only earned a few dozen each time, it would be worth the effort.
...
Early morning. Before dawn.
Deng Ziyang came to the courtyard where Guan Peng lived and heard the sound of weapons slicing through the air inside—he was practicing his saber.
Since his defeat to Chen Ming yesterday, Guan Peng had been training nonstop, only stopping late at night.
Clearly, that loss had dealt a heavy blow to him.
Deng Ziyang stood outside for a while and waited until Guan Peng finished before pushing open the door. “Second Brother, good morning.”
Guan Peng was seated cross-legged on a stone bench with his broadsword resting across his legs. Upon hearing the voice, he opened his eyes and called, “Big Brother.”
Deng Ziyang tried to console him. “Victory and defeat are common in martial arts. Don’t take it too hard.”
“Thank you for your concern, Big Brother. That battle yesterday made me realize how lacking my saber skills are. Once I join the Six Doors, I might not even be able to hold my ground.”
Deng Ziyang saw that he wasn’t upset about losing to Chen Ming, and was finally relieved. He said, “Second Brother, training alone behind closed doors won’t get you far. Third Brother and I have arranged to spar with Senior Brother Chen this afternoon. Would you like to join us?”
A trace of hesitation crossed Guan Peng’s face. He recalled the shame of being defeated by Chen Ming the day before.
Back home, he had been a prodigy—none of his peers could rival him. Yesterday was the first time he’d lost to someone his age. The feeling was a devastating blow.
He didn’t want to experience that kind of humiliation a second time.
Guan Peng gritted his teeth and made a decision. “Count me in!”
Losing to Chen Ming had indeed been a crushing experience.
But it had also made him realize the shortcomings in his saber technique and shown him a direction for improvement. For him, that was a huge benefit.
Opportunities like this didn’t come often.
Deng Ziyang said happily, “That’s great.”
With more interactions, it would naturally help his Second Brother and Chen Ming resolve their misunderstandings and differences.
One was a sworn brother, and the other a respected senior brother—he hoped the two could get along well.
...
After leaving Guan Peng’s place, Deng Ziyang went to find Chen Ming.
Chen Ming had just woken up. He wasn’t practicing martial arts; instead, he sat leisurely in the courtyard, admiring the flowers.
“Senior Brother, what refined taste you have.”
“Good morning.”
Chen Ming smiled. “The scenery here is really lovely. Seeing such a view in the morning lifts one’s spirits.”
Deng Ziyang said, “With your current strength, Senior Brother, if you wish, it won’t be long before you can live in a place like this yourself.”
That wasn’t false.
For a Ninth Grade Martial Artist, making money wasn’t particularly difficult.
However, Chen Ming didn’t have much desire for wealth.
He didn’t want to spend too much effort chasing after money—he’d leave that to his elder brother.
He said, “There’s something I’d like to ask Brother Deng.”
“What is it?”
Chen Ming then recounted in detail how the constable from the Six Doors, Officer Wang, had come to his door, and finally asked, “I have no enmity with that man. Why would he come after me? If I hadn’t coincidentally just broken through to the Ninth Grade, I might not be dead, but I’d have been skinned alive.”
Deng Ziyang didn’t answer immediately. He tapped his fingers lightly on the stone table, deep in thought.
He wasn’t in a hurry. He picked up his cup and took a sip.
After a moment, Deng Ziyang said, “If I’m not mistaken, he wasn’t actually targeting you.”
“Then who?”
“Because you work as a sparring partner in the Huo Residence, but you’re not Huo Chengkun’s disciple. Using you as a scapegoat wouldn’t deeply offend Huo Chengkun, yet it would damage the reputation of the Huo Residence. That way, he achieves his goal of making a statement.”
With that explanation, Chen Ming generally understood, though he still had doubts. “What benefit does that bring him?”
“Because in the Six Doors, only through making achievements can one earn merit. With enough merit, one can gain access to the Six Doors’ martial vault and learn advanced martial arts.”
“For the sake of merit, never mind Huo Chengkun—even if it were the Gu Family, as long as there’s an opportunity, they’d dare to take a shot too.”