Chapter 54: The New Admiral
That night, Zhong Shuyu’s fever finally subsided.
Near dawn, she regained consciousness.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw a dark-skinned maid dozing off beside the bed.
“You…”
She tried to speak, but her throat was terribly hoarse.
The drowsing Chunxiang was startled awake. When she saw Zhong Shuyu had opened her eyes, she said joyfully, “You’re finally awake! Here, don’t talk yet, drink some water to soothe your throat.”
As she spoke, she helped her sit up and carefully fed her water in small sips.
After a few sips, Zhong Shuyu’s throat wasn’t as hoarse. She asked, “Who are you? Where is this place?”
Her voice remained extremely weak.
Chunxiang didn’t answer and instead said, “Lie down first. I’ll go get the young master.”
After gently laying her back down, she quickly ran out.
After a while, Zhong Shuyu saw the dark-skinned maid return with a man—it was Chen Ming.
Her gaze turned complex. “You saved me?”
Chen Ming said, “We’re technically fellow disciples. Naturally, I wouldn’t stand by and watch you die.”
Something in his words must have struck a nerve, because she suddenly grew furious. “Who asked you to save me?”
Chunxiang, standing to the side, couldn’t hold back anymore. “You’re really unreasonable. Do you know how much trouble the young master got into to save you? The Six Doors even searched our place. To mask the scent of blood, he cut himself and bled a lot. Not only do you not thank him, but you even lash out at your savior. Is this how you treat the one who saved your life?”
Her words left Zhong Shuyu speechless.
She lowered her head in silence.
Chen Ming waved his hand, signaling Chunxiang to stop. “I won’t ask why the Six Doors were after you. Just rest here and recover. Once you’ve healed and the heat dies down, you can leave.”
With that, he turned and left.
Chunxiang gave her a glare before following him out.
After a while, another dark-skinned maid came in to take care of her.
…
Zhong Shuyu stayed for more than half a month. Her injuries had mostly healed, and one night, she sneaked away while the dark-skinned maid wasn’t paying attention.
Along the way, she was extremely cautious, making several detours to ensure no one was following her.
Only after confirming her trail was clean did she find a place to hide.
At daybreak, she exited the city gates.
After walking a good distance, she turned around to look back at the bustling city behind her, emotions churning within her.
He had truly saved her out of pure intent. He never asked a single question about why the Six Doors were pursuing her. He never probed into her secrets.
Now that she looked back, there seemed to be no hidden agenda or ulterior motive.
“There are actually such foolish people in this world.”
Zhong Shuyu let out a faint sigh, as if she had made up her mind about something. She turned her head and continued forward.
Reaching a beach, she boarded a small fishing boat and slowly rowed into the depths of the sea.
…
……
“Young Master, I’m sorry. I couldn’t keep an eye on her. She ran off.”
At the Chen Residence, Xiaxiang lowered her head, looking remorseful.
Chen Ming smiled and said, “Good. I’m relieved.”
Chunxiang was still upset. “That woman really has no manners. She left without a word. Not even a thank you.”
Chen Ming said, “Enough, don’t bring her up again.”
“Yes,” the two maids responded.
“All right, you two can go now.”
Chen Ming dismissed them.
No matter what secret Zhong Shuyu carried, he wasn’t interested.
Any secret that even a Fourth Grade expert like Yu Xiuming coveted couldn’t be a good thing—it was likely to bring disaster.
Now that she was finally gone, Chen Ming truly felt a sense of relief.
In his eyes, once one’s cultivation reached a certain level, obtaining martial arts manuals or divine weapons wouldn’t be a problem.
For instance, now that he had reached the peak of Fourth Level and possessed a matching master-level sword technique, if something like this happened again, then it would mean the item was fated for him.
At the same level, who could compete with him?
…
After that, Qingfeng City gradually returned to its usual bustle and prosperity, as if the recent turmoil had never occurred.
Chen Ming also became increasingly low-key.
Every day, aside from teaching the children, he either went to spar with Headmaster Liu and Shangguan Hong or made new acquaintances.
Life was simple yet fulfilling.
Time passed day by day.
The harsh winter quickly gave way to spring, and before long, half a year had flown by, ushering in early summer.
This day was no ordinary day for Qingfeng City.
The city finally welcomed its new master—a Third Grade Admiral from the Six Doors.
The previous one had only been a temporary placeholder in Qingfeng City, and with the official admiral arriving, he would soon depart.
That day, at the Ten-Li Pavilion outside the city gate, nearly every notable figure from both officialdom and the business world was present under the blazing sun to welcome the arrival of this Third Grade powerhouse. It was as if they were welcoming their new lord.
Chen Ming was not among the welcoming party at the city gate. He did not yet have that kind of qualification.
He was at Deng Ziyang’s residence, hosting a banquet to welcome Guan Peng, who had just returned from the sea.
Zhuang Xiaotian was also present. As before, the four of them sat around the same table.
Eight months had passed since they last met, and each of them had changed quite a bit.
Zhuang Xiaotian looked Guan Peng up and down, then suddenly said, “Second Brother, you’ve gotten darker. Your aura’s different now too. Don’t tell me you’ve broken through to Eighth Grade?”
Guan Peng wasn’t just tanned—he was also much steadier than before. Hearing this, he said, “Third Brother, sharp eyes. I just broke through, and you spotted it right away.”
Zhuang Xiaotian sighed. “Congratulations, Second Brother, on getting what you wanted. You’re ahead of Big Brother and me now.”
Guan Peng smiled. “The sea really is a great place to train. Life out there is dull, and aside from practicing martial arts, there’s nothing else to do. No distractions. Before I knew it, I’d made the breakthrough. It surprised even me.”
“Congratulations.”
Since sitting down, Deng Ziyang had only said that one word.
Once the most talkative among them, he had grown quiet and withdrawn, silently drinking by himself.
Watching from the side, Chen Ming felt the biggest change among the three wasn’t their cultivation—but that they had all grown more pretentious.
A more polite word might be “mature.”
Deng Ziyang had been deeply affected by his father’s death and had become obsessed with training.
Ever since being transferred back to Qingfeng City, he had been constantly seeking Chen Ming out to spar.
Zhuang Xiaotian, having been in the Six Doors for so long, had become more tactful and smooth.
Despite appearing to have changed the most on the surface, Guan Peng was actually the one who had changed the least. What he had just said sounded like a lament, but in truth, it was bragging.
He was still that sensitive and proud young man—just less obvious about it now.
As the four chatted, the topic naturally shifted to the newly appointed Six Doors Admiral.
“I heard this Lord Zhao has quite the legendary background. He was a genius prodigy—became a top-ranked civil scholar before turning twenty. Later, while working as a local official, he couldn’t tolerate the arrogance of the Six Doors’ commanding officer. In a fit of anger, he gave up literature for martial arts. Within a few short years, he passed the military exam. In under ten years, he climbed all the way to Third Grade. His talent is rarely seen in this world.”
“Many say that if Lord Zhao had started training in martial arts from a young age, he might have achieved even more—perhaps even become a First Grade expert of Great Jin.”
Chen Ming, also intrigued by Qingfeng City’s new top official, asked, “What’s Lord Zhao like, personality-wise?”
Zhuang Xiaotian replied, “He has a good reputation as an official. His conduct is more like a civil servant—unlike the other brash and aggressive Six Doors powerhouses.”
“And apparently, Lord Zhao loves nurturing younger talents. Everywhere he goes, he hosts martial arts tournaments. For outstanding young martial artists, he never holds back on rewards—some even get personal guidance from him.”
Guan Peng’s interest was piqued. “Can anyone participate in these tournaments?”
Zhuang Xiaotian shook his head. “No. You need to be at least Seventh Grade. Lord Zhao’s rank is too high, so the tournaments he organizes are of a higher standard. Otherwise, you and Brother Chen could go and showcase your skills.”
His tone carried a hint of regret.
Seventh Grade, huh?
A thoughtful look appeared in Chen Ming’s eyes.