"By the way, I heard Wen Zehao's engagement was canceled, is it true?"
After finishing with the main business, Deng Ziyang asked about a major gossip. He heard it from a nearby servant in the morning and came specifically to ask Chen Ming about it.
His face brimmed with glee as he unapologetically showed his dislike for Wen Zehao.
Chen Ming nodded, "It's true."
"Hahaha..."
Deng Ziyang laughed heartily, "Heaven has eyes. I said there's no way he could hog all the good fortune."
Chen Ming asked curiously, "Did you have a falling out with him?"
"Not at all, I just purely dislike him."
Understood, it's just jealousy.
Deng Ziyang asked enthusiastically, "So why did Huo Qianqian suddenly decide not to marry him? Did she fall for someone else?"
"No clue. But causing such a big scene will likely be hard to resolve."
"Now there's a real spectacle to watch. Old Huo's age isn't young, who knows how many years he's got left. Now that Huo Qianqian and Wen Zehao's marriage is off, the happiest ones must be old Huo's disciples. Hey, just wait and see, when he passes away one day, those disciples will fight tooth and nail."
"With Huo Chengkun's cultivation, living another twenty years shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Chen Ming thought he was being a little too anxious.
Deng Ziyang chuckled, "That's something you might not know. Do you wonder why old Huo, with such cultivation, stays cooped up in Huo Mansion and never steps outside?"
A Sixth Grade expert resorts to running a martial hall, collecting so many apprentices. Doesn't that seem a bit lowly?"
Hmm?
Now that he mentioned it, it indeed seems a bit much.
In Qingfeng City, there are quite a few martial halls, but most of those hall masters have Seventh or Eighth Grade cultivation.
Sixth Grade, in the entire Great Jin Dynasty, would be considered a second-rate expert.
According to martial world conventions, Third Grade and above are first-class.
Sixth to Fourth Grade are second-class.
Ninth to Seventh Grade are third-class.
Those ungraded are bottom-tier.
In Qingfeng City, Sixth Grade is counted among the top experts.
Chen Ming said, "Brother Deng, stop keeping me in suspense."
Deng Ziyang lowered his voice, whispering by his ear, "I once heard the old man say this old Huo supposedly has some age-old internal injuries. Over the years, he's been buying various precious herbs to suppress these injuries. Who knows when the internal injuries might flare up and he could die?"
"What?"
Chen Ming was a bit shocked, unexpectedly stumbling upon an even juicier piece of gossip.
"This matter isn't a secret in Qingfeng City. This old Huo merely wants to find a successor to care for his granddaughter. But he's blind, actually taking a liking to someone like Wen Zehao, a prettified pillow. Failed in marriage, he likely became an enemy."
Deng Ziyang displayed a look of schadenfreude.
It was apparent how much resentment he had towards Huo Chengkun.
Chen Ming didn't quite know how to respond.
After all, he held no grudge against Huo Chengkun.
Currently, working at Huo Mansion, in a way Huo Chengkun was his boss, so it was best not to speak ill behind his back.
He lowered his head, tactically sipping water.
"By the way, does anyone at Huo Mansion know you've ranked?"
"I haven't told them."
"Truly curious what their reaction would be if they found out. Especially Zhang Mingyu, that guy always looked down on you."
Chen Ming smiled slightly.
He certainly wouldn't reveal his Ninth Grade rank just to shock Zhang Mingyu and the others a bit. It could easily make him lose his sparring job.
Undeniably, Deng Ziyang was indeed a friend worth having.
Deng Ziyang was likely also very curious how someone with average talent like him became a martial artist. Yet he asked nothing.
Such a person with boundaries is quite rare.
...
At nine o'clock, Chen Ming arrived at Huo Mansion on time to continue his sparring work.
As soon as he reached the training ground, Hong Mingquan and Zhang Mingyu were nowhere to be seen, while the students chatted in groups.
Upon seeing him, they immediately stood up, neatly aligned, and greeted in unison, "Greetings Senior Brother Chen."
The last time, they were also this lazy, and during sparring, Chen Ming beat them up. Now, they behaved well.
Seeing their decent attitude, Chen Ming decided not to push further.
He directed the novice students to practice Pile Skill. Intermediate students, those he named, were called to spar with him. All the students obediently complied.
In a flash, the morning passed.
Hong Mingquan and Zhang Mingyu never showed up, no telling where they went.
Chen Ming told the students to continue as directed, then left the Huo Mansion.
...
In the afternoon, Chen Ming and Deng Ziyang sat together discussing martial arts.
Initially, Guan Peng sat with a sullen face, barely speaking.
He was holding a grudge, eager to restore his honor.
However, as he listened, his expression began to change, eventually showing surprise.
This Chen Ming actually laid out the secrets of his saber technique.
He was an expert; once he heard, he knew this guy held nothing back.
Guan Peng fidgeted uneasily; was this something he could listen to?
They were about to fight later, listening to this felt almost like cheating.
However, Chen Ming's words kept drilling into his ears, possessing enormous allure. Upon hearing crucial points, his eyes gleamed with excitement.
So that's how it is!
Who would have thought it could be done this way?
Some long-held doubts of Guan Peng suddenly became clear. He wished he could test them immediately.
As he returned to reality, his gaze at Chen Ming became complicated.
This person was remarkably unselfish, willing to share such saber technique secrets with them.
Finally, Guan Peng couldn't help but speak, "Brother Chen, aren't you afraid of losing to me in the upcoming sparring after revealing your saber secrets?"
Chen Ming replied calmly, "If you're able to defeat me, I would be delighted. That way, I can pinpoint the deficiencies in my saber technique."
This statement made Guan Peng feel deeply ashamed; by comparison, he had been dwelling on losing a move yesterday. Their realms were vastly different.
Zhuang Xiaotian praised, "Brother Chen's generosity is truly admirable."
Deng Ziyang also felt he paled in comparison, wondering, if he were in Chen Ming's place, would he really reveal his saber secrets so freely, even to sworn brothers?
Chen Ming observed the reactions of the three, knowing his objective had been achieved.
Who wouldn't appreciate a friend willing to selflessly share knowledge and skill?
Seizing the moment, he said, "Let's begin, who's up first?"
"I'll go!"
The first to speak was surprisingly Deng Ziyang; he laughed, "Dear brothers shouldn't compete with me; I've known Senior Brother for so long and have never sparred with him."
With him having spoken, Guan Peng and Zhuang Xiaotian naturally had no reason to object and stepped aside.
Deng Ziyang wielded a sword, "My swordsmanship is called 'Chasing Wind,' something I stumbled upon by chance. It's quite exquisite, you better be careful, Senior Brother."
Chen Ming held the saber firmly, saying aloud, "Please instruct me!"
PS: I don't plan on starting a new book; this year I'm sticking with this one to the end. I'll start gathering drafts tomorrow.