Huo Chengkun is truly dead!
After sending Deng Ziyang back to his family's carriage, Chen Ming went to the Huo Mansion. He found the gatekeeper, whose face was filled with grief, and asked about it. The gatekeeper said that it happened last night due to a sudden illness. Several doctors were called in overnight, but they couldn't save him.
He passed away during the night.
A sudden illness?
Who would believe such a thing when it's said?
A sixth-grade martial artist, dying from a sudden illness?
It's a lie only to deceive oneself.
Huo Chengkun just died like that...
Chen Ming felt a bit complicated.
After transmigrating, he had seen Huo Chengkun a total of three times. To be honest, he had to thank him for allowing him to stay here as sparring practice.
Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have become a martial artist so quickly.
Chen Ming didn't go inside; he left just like that.
He wasn't Huo Chengkun's disciple. As an outsider, it wasn't appropriate to go inside at this time.
As he left the Huo Mansion, it suddenly started raining. The cold rain hit his face, bringing a chilling coolness.
...
"Finally succeeded!"
Three days later, in the morning, in the courtyard.
Chen Ming threw two flying knives. With two thuds, they landed in the bullseye of a wooden board over ten meters away. He felt an insight and opened the panel to take a look.
[Level: 10]
[Current Points: 4401]
[Cultivation Technique: "Iron Horse Stance" (Fifth Level Perfection), "Three Yang Body Refining Skill" (First Level 4/1000)]
[Martial Skill: "Three Talents Fist" (Proficient 55/500+), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Accomplished), Zhuang's Flying Knife (Beginner 1/500)]
On the panel, a new martial skill appeared, "Zhuang's Flying Knife."
Zhuang Xiaotian taught him the flying knife technique, and naming it "Zhuang's Flying Knife" seemed quite reasonable.
To reach the beginner level requires five hundred experience points, five times higher than the Eight Trigrams Saber Technique, indicating the higher level of this martial skill.
"Master is really amazing."
"Master, you've mastered it."
Beside him, two young girls around thirteen or fourteen clapped and cheered. They ran over to retrieve the flying knives from the wooden board and placed them on the table next to him.
These two girls were maids bought for him by his sister-in-law. They were dark and skinny, but they were quick with their hands and feet, and had a cheerful personality.
They were said to be daughters of a rural farming family. Due to last year's famine, they borrowed a high-interest loan, couldn't repay it, and were sold to traffickers to settle the debt.
The town's wealthy families had already chosen once, and since no one wanted them, they were sold cheaply.
Mrs. Wei saw that although they were thin, they were quite strong and diligent, feeling she got a bargain, and was quite pleased.
For her, appearance didn't matter as much; being able to work was what made a good maid.
When Chen Ming saw them, his dream of having a beautiful maid to keep him company was shattered.
He named them Chunxiang and Xiaxiang.
"Add points!"
Without hesitation, Chen Ming added five hundred points.
Zhuang's Flying Knife (Skillful 1/1000)
Instantly, a great many insights about the flying knife technique flooded his mind.
At the same time, both his hands felt a slight numbness as his nerves started undergoing some subtle changes.
It felt as though he had been practicing for several years.
"Again."
Another thousand points were added.
Zhuang's Flying Knife (Proficient 1/2000)
Immediately, more memories and insights surged into his mind.
At this level, he could easily grasp mid-level techniques. He also had some grasp of high-level techniques.
"But it's still not enough!"
Gritting his teeth, Chen Ming added another two thousand points.
Zhuang's Flying Knife (Accomplished)!
[Level: 10]
[Current Points: 901]
[Cultivation Technique: "Iron Horse Stance" (Fifth Level Perfection), "Three Yang Body Refining Skill" (First Level 4/1000)]
[Martial Skills: "Three Talents Fist" (Proficient 55/500+), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Accomplished), Zhuang's Flying Knife (Accomplished)]
...
"Master, what's wrong?"
Chunxiang noticed Chen Ming suddenly closed his eyes and stopped moving and felt scared, calling out softly. But when he still didn't respond, she was immediately flustered and began to cry, "It's over. We've killed another young master... We should hurry up and escape..."
"Don't talk nonsense..."
Xiaxiang was also a bit panicked, but more calmly reached out to check Chen Ming's breath. This check almost made her cry too, "Oh no, he really has no breath..."
Right then, Chen Ming suddenly opened his eyes, looking at the two little maids crying hysterically, and couldn't help but laugh.
"Resurrected from the dead—"
The two maids almost fainted from fright and screamed to run away.
"Hahaha..."
Only until they heard Chen Ming's hearty laughter did they react, and with a scold, "Master, how could you scare us..."
"Master, you almost scared us to death..."
Chen Ming casually picked up two flying knives and, without looking, threw them backward. The two flying knives collided in mid-air, bounced off each other, and shot into the bullseyes of two separate wooden boards.
This move was called "Chasing Stars and Catching the Moon," allowing enemies to make erroneous judgments, leaving them defenseless.
After mastering Zhuang's Flying Knife, he was no longer bound by the way Zhuang Xiaotian taught him. He could freely combine the techniques without fixed patterns.
Chen Ming asked, "What did you mean by saying 'killed another,' just now?"
Chunxiang's face stiffened.
Xiaxiang stammered, "Master... we were just... speaking nonsense; don't take it to heart..."
Chen Ming said lightly, "Or else, should I ask the human trafficker about it?"
Chunxiang and Xiaxiang's faces turned pale, finally unable to bear it, they confessed.
Turns out, they weren't unwanted; they were just unlucky. After being purchased by someone, the master they served soon met a violent death.
The two of them were naturally deemed unlucky stars, inauspicious. Consequently, they were returned to the trafficker.
"Master, please don't send us away... The trafficker said if we're returned again, he'll sell us into a brothel..."
"We don't want to go to a brothel..."
"We beg you... We don't need a salary..."
"Yes, as long as we can have food..."
"Please don't send us away..."
Seeing the two young girls kneeling on the ground, crying and pleading, Chen Ming felt a bit sorry and said, "Alright, stand up."
"Master..."
Two dark little faces lifted, tears stained their cheeks.
He couldn't muster any sympathy; if it were a pretty maid, it would have been a tear-jerker scene.
Forget it, he couldn't afford beautiful maids for now.
They might be dark, but they were quite efficient at work.
"Let's see how you perform."
Chen Ming didn't make any definitive statements.
The two maids were endlessly grateful, kowtowing.
"Enough, with this kind of kowtowing, are you trying to shorten my lifespan?"
He helped them up and reminded them, "Don't let anyone else know about this. If my sister-in-law finds out and sends you away, I won't be able to keep you."
The two maids nodded like chickens pecking at rice.
"Alright, prepare an outfit for me. I need to go out."
...
Today was Huo Chengkun's funeral.
Chen Ming, having learned martial arts at the Huo Mansion, naturally had to attend.
He wore black clothes, rode in a carriage, and arrived outside the Huo Mansion, which was particularly lively today.
Huo Chengkun had been here for decades, with over a hundred registered disciples and friends from when he was alive.
There were many people like Chen Ming, who, although not a registered disciple, had learned martial arts at the Huo Mansion. So there were many attendees.
Entering the Huo Mansion, Chen Ming judged people's relationships with Huo Chengkun based on their clothing.
Those wearing mourning clothes were direct disciples and his granddaughter, Huo Qianqian.
Those with white bands on their arms were registered disciples.
The remaining were those with more distant relationships.
Finally, Chen Ming met a familiar face, Hong Mingquan.
"You're here."
Hong Mingquan looked somewhat numb, but his dull eyes finally brightened slightly upon seeing him.
"Fifth Senior Brother."
Chen Ming greeted him, feeling a bit sad, and said, "How could it happen so suddenly? What really happened to Elder Huo that day?"
Seeing that no one else was paying attention, he asked this question.
Hong Mingquan shook his head, avoiding the topic, and just said, "Tonight, could you come by? I have a request."