Chapter 52: Good Men Die Young
That day, Qingfeng City had fallen into utter chaos.
Even the people Chen Ming had sent out couldn't find any reliable information.
All they knew was that the streets were in disarray—some were preparing to flee, others were ready to loot amid the turmoil.
Every household kept their doors tightly shut.
Those who could stay indoors did not dare step outside.
That afternoon, a group of neighbors came knocking on the Chen family’s door, asking to see Chen Ming.
When they saw him, the elder leading the group said, “Second Young Master Chen, the world is in such disorder now, and the people are panicking. We've been neighbors for years—you must not sit by and do nothing. We would like to ask you to step forward and organize patrols to guard the streets against petty thieves.”
Chen Ming agreed on the spot. “This is something I naturally cannot refuse.”
So, he went door to door with the elder, calling together all the residents of that street.
After some discussion, they decided that each household would contribute one able-bodied man.
Thirty-two households meant thirty-two people.
Chen Ming gathered them together and gave them a simple training.
He taught them a simplified three-form saber technique.
Those who didn’t have sabers used sticks instead.
He personally demonstrated each move, then had each of them take turns attacking him.
“When two enemies meet on a narrow path, the brave one wins. If a real fight breaks out, you mustn't flinch. The one less afraid to die is more likely to survive... Show your momentum—imagine the one in front of you is your father’s killer!”
Pa!
“Too weak.”
【You defeated an LV0 enemy and gained 2 experience points】
Pa!
“Wrong angle.”
【You defeated an LV0 enemy and gained 2 experience points】
“...”
…
Just like that, Chen Ming harvested another sixty-four experience points.
Given the current situation, he had to put his beginner’s classes on hold for now.
At least he was getting some new income.
The neighbors trained earnestly—this was about protecting their families, so morale was high.
Of course, this group could only fend off opportunistic thugs. If they encountered real pirates, fighting back would just be courting death.
So, these patrols were mostly for early warning.
They carried bronze gongs, and if anything seemed off, they were to strike them immediately.
When that happened, Chen Ming would rush over to handle the situation.
Once everything was in place, Chen Ming returned home.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, Master Liu, who was basking in the sun on a rattan chair, said leisurely, “Your neighbors are truly fortunate—to have someone like you, a kind-hearted martial artist.”
Chen Ming couldn’t tell whether he was being praised or mocked, given the tone. “I’ve lived here since I was a child. The neighbors have always treated me well. With that bond, I couldn’t just stand by and watch.”
“Good men die young,” Master Liu remarked with a sigh, then closed his eyes again.
“Master, let’s have a spar.”
“This courtyard is too small. Not enough room to move.”
…
It wasn’t until the next day that Gu Junrong, who hadn’t returned all night, finally brought back some news.
“A lot of people died.”
When Gu Junrong spoke, his face was pale and his eyes unfocused. “There were corpses everywhere inside the Six Doors... Our boss sent me to Chief Steward Qian of Sihai Trading Company…”
“Yesterday afternoon, just before nightfall… Chief Steward Qian told us to go to the Six Doors… As soon as we entered, the stench of blood was overwhelming…”
Chen Ming saw that his speech was scattered, so he asked directly, “Who won?”
Gu Junrong shook his head. “I don’t know either… From what they said, it seems like both sides suffered heavy losses. On the pirates’ side, the White Flood King is dead. On our side, Mister Iron is dead too…”
“I heard Lord Commandant was severely wounded… The other two Patrol Envoys from the Six Doors also died, and more than half the black-clad officers were killed…”
“The other two Flood Kings were also seriously injured… Madam Sha chased after them…”
“Oh right, the Giant Tiger Gang’s Leader Deng also died. Someone said he was ambushed while trying to snatch something from the White Flood King’s body…”
Just from listening to Gu Junrong’s account, Chen Ming and Master Liu could already imagine how tragic the scene must have been.
Two fourth-grade experts were dead, and even the head of the Six Doors was gravely wounded.
Even the Giant Tiger Gang’s leader—an influential figure in the city—had perished.
If Deng Ziyang learned that his father was dead, how would he react?
Chen Ming felt the world was still far too dangerous.
After just one incident, even fourth- and fifth-grade experts could die so easily.
As for the lower-ranked martial artists, even more of them had died.
Most were killed while attempting to take advantage when the two Flood Kings were injured and trying to flee, overestimating themselves and getting struck down.
Among the dead were several of Gu Junrong’s fellow disciples.
“I also saw the bodies of Junior Brother Li, Senior Brother Wang, and Senior Brother Hou…” he said, his eyes reddening as he named the three.
Chen Ming didn’t know how to comfort him, so he simply patted his shoulder, signaling him to stay strong.
Those three had been staunch supporters of Sun Shicai.
Although they hadn’t gotten along well with Gu Junrong’s group before, they were still from the same sect.
Chen Ming analyzed, “Since the two Flood Kings were injured, they surely wouldn’t remain in the city. As for the ordinary pirates, they’re no threat. I believe Jiangzhou will hear of this soon and send someone to restore order. This storm should pass quickly.”
…
No matter who had died, life had to go on.
The next day, neighbors from two nearby streets voluntarily asked to join the patrol teams.
Chen Ming agreed, and the patrol force instantly expanded to a hundred men.
Every morning, Chen Ming gathered them together for hands-on combat training, reaping experience points.
Far from feeling bothered, the neighbors felt honored.
A ranked martial artist of the eighth grade teaching them personally and even sparring a bit—this was something they could boast about for half their lives.
Seven or eight days passed like this.
Once the major maritime traders freed up their forces, they systematically wiped out the remaining small groups of pirates.
Qingfeng City gradually returned to its usual order.
A few more days passed, and then, half a month after the battle, the governor of Jiangzhou finally sent people—led by a third-grade Golden-Robed Commander, accompanied by a group of experts from the Six Doors.
As soon as the news spread, the entire city erupted in celebration.
Some people even set off firecrackers.
At Chen Ming’s end, the patrol team disbanded, and everyone returned to their homes.
Gu Junrong and the others also took their families and went back to their own residences.
The Chen Residence finally regained some peace.
A few days later, they moved back into their new home.
…
After the turmoil subsided, the city quickly regained its previous prosperity.
With a third-grade powerhouse holding down the fort, everyone believed the pirates would no longer dare stir up trouble.
Over the following days, Chen Ming attended several funerals.
Out of the twelve martial schools, four had lost people.
He also had to attend the funerals of those from the Huo Sect.
Even Zhang Mingyu, who usually clashed with them, brought people to pay respects.
Strangely, Sun Shicai never appeared.
Though he had been injured, half a month of recovery should’ve been enough to at least attend the funerals.
Because of this, many who had stood on Sun Shicai’s side began to feel disappointed in him.
It was during these funerals that Chen Ming learned more details about the battle from that day.
“According to the three Flood Kings, they never obtained the Gu Family’s Ten Thousand Peaks True Art. This martial art was passed down orally within the Gu Family and never written down. Only the family head was allowed to learn it. Now, in this world, only Gu Yanchang knows the content of that technique…”
“They say Gu Yanchang has been unconscious ever since he was injured that day. Among the Gu Family’s direct bloodline, only one boy and one girl remain—just around ten years old…”
“If we had known this earlier, that day…”
Chen Ming simply listened silently to all the gossip and speculation.
That day, when he returned home from a funeral, he pushed open the door and saw someone lying on the ground—blood pooled around them.
“Who?”