I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 123 Summation
"But that person was innocent too, and shouldn't have died."

When Su Zhining said those words, her eyes were clear and serious.

At that moment, Chen Ming felt as if she were glowing, radiating the light of humanity. For a fleeting instant, he even felt a little ashamed of himself.

In this world where martial prowess reigns supreme and class hierarchy is rigid, it's truly a rare sight to find such a wild, saintly figure.

He became even more interested in the Heavenly Alliance. What kind of organization was this sect that claimed to act on behalf of Heaven, yet was able to surpass the other eight sects and become the number one sect in the world?
Chen Ming said, “Actually, it’s not that there’s no way to have the best of both worlds. If your cultivation level is high enough, you can help those villagers detoxify without needing the antidote. Or, you can retrieve the antidote without harming the innocent villager. So, if you don’t want to be caught in a dilemma like this in the future, you should work hard to cultivate and strive to break through to the first rank as soon as possible… or even above the first rank. As long as your cultivation level is high enough, there is no problem in the world that cannot be solved.”

Su Zhining's eyes gradually brightened, her clothes moved without wind, and an astonishing aura emanated from her.

what's the situation?
Chen Ming was stunned. He had only made a casual remark; was there really any need to get so worked up?

He felt a wall of air pushing towards him, and it only stopped when he retreated to the window.

By this time, he could also see that Su Zhining seemed to be undergoing some kind of strange change.

"Could it be that he's about to break through?"

Chen Ming couldn't help but swallow. If he remembered correctly, she was a fourth-grade, and if she broke through again, she would be a third-grade!

Although Su Zhining wore a veil the whole time, you could tell from her eyes and other details that she was very young, at most in her twenties.

A third-rank official in his twenties...

That was absolutely terrifying!
As Chen Ming was pondering this, the invisible barrier of energy surrounding Su Zhining vanished, her clothes fluttered up and then fell back down. Something seemed to have appeared in her clear eyes.

He asked, "You've broken through?"

Su Zhining suddenly bowed deeply to him and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Chen."

Chen Ming returned the greeting blankly, "Miss Su, you're too kind."

I didn't say anything...

However, it's still noticeable that her overall demeanor has changed; how to describe it? She's become more "ethereal."

So, have you actually broken through yet?

Unfortunately, Su Zhining didn't give him a chance to ask any more questions and turned to leave.

"I think should not be."

Chen Ming thought to himself, normally speaking, going from the fourth rank to the third rank is a completely new transformation, and it's impossible to break through so easily.

This wasn't as big a commotion as when he broke through to the sixth rank.

……

The next day, Chen Ming did not go out but stayed at home, studying a book called "The Illusion of Gods and Forms".

What he lacks now is a light-body technique.

If he had learned a skill of lightness and agility a month ago, he wouldn't have been chased by Xiao Qianhao to the point where he had to jump into the river to escape.

He sat in the courtyard, basking in the warm spring sunshine, sipping Black Bone Spirit Tea, eating various exquisite snacks, and holding a book in his hand, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

The only drawback is the lack of a beautiful woman to keep him company.

If Su Zhining could sit beside him and make him tea, that would be wonderful.

Chen Ming felt a little regretful.

Actually, Zhao Xiyan could do it too, but she definitely wouldn't agree.

Zhao Xiyan is the type of woman who is in charge of the household. Don't be fooled by how good she is to him and how willing she is to lower herself in front of him; her inner self is very stable.

If she were asked to do something like serving tea or water, she would only feel that Chen Ming was humiliating her, since that's something only concubines would do.

She's suited to be a wife, a virtuous and capable assistant; I believe she can manage the household affairs very well...

Chen Ming's thoughts began to wander, and once they started, they couldn't be stopped.

Then, a hurried footstep came from outside.

He recognized Chunxiang's footsteps. She was usually calm and composed, but now she was running so fast. Something must have happened.

So he casually asked, "What's up?"

Chunxiang walked in, looking somewhat hesitant.

Seeing her like this, Chen Ming became even more curious. He closed the book "Divine Form and Illusion" and laughed, "What, is there something you can't tell me?"

Hearing this, Chunxiang panicked and quickly explained, "Of course not, it's...it's Old Manager Zheng who's here. He told us not to tell you..."

Manager Zheng?
Who is it?

Chen Ming found the name somewhat unfamiliar and it took him two seconds to dredge up the person's memory from the corner of his mind.

It's that old manager of Jinyuansheng.

He had almost forgotten the grudges between the original owner and Jin Yuansheng, having focused solely on gaining experience points and increasing his strength over the past few years. He hadn't even sought revenge against Jin Yuansheng.

Four years have passed in the blink of an eye. Chen Ming stroked his chin and asked, "Did he come to plead for the Qi family?"

Chunxiang had been observing his expression, worried that he would be angry, but seeing that he didn't seem to care, she was finally relieved and said, "Yes, but as soon as he mentioned the Qi family, the master served tea and asked him to leave."

Chen Ming expressed his understanding.

After all, the Qi family almost ruined the original owner of this body; in fact, the original owner did die in prison. Then he transmigrated...

Therefore, it's not an exaggeration for Chen Rui, the eldest brother, to hold a grudge.

Although Old Manager Zheng had a past relationship with his family, that's another matter.

Old Manager Zheng and his grandfather were from the same village and grew up together. Their fates, however, were very different. One stayed in the village to be a farmer, while the other went to the city to work as a shop assistant.

Back then, his father was able to come to Qingfeng City thanks to the help of Manager Zheng, who was a great benefactor to the Chen family.

The two families have maintained contact over the years.

Afterwards, the original owner failed to master the martial arts, and his father, perhaps considering the need to mitigate the risks, asked Manager Zheng to help him become a shop assistant at Jinyuansheng.

To be fair, Manager Zheng took good care of the original owner. The original owner worked for a few years and was able to become a junior manager. Manager Zheng must have put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.

However, gratitude is gratitude. If Old Manager Zheng wants to plead for the Qi family, he shouldn't blame Chen Rui for not giving him face.

Chen Ming knew that his elder brother Chen Rui was holding a grudge. After all, the original owner hadn't done anything wrong and had been devoted to Jin Yuansheng, yet he ended up like this.

Qi Jiaming knew the original owner was innocent, but he still threw him into prison. If his elder brother hadn't used all his savings to pull strings, he probably would have been tortured to death in prison.

How can such a grudge be forgotten so easily?
At this moment, Xia Xiang said, "Young Master, I heard that Manager Zheng came here once before."

Chen Ming nodded, knowing that his rapid advancement in cultivation had made the Qi family of Jin Yuansheng hesitant, which was why they sent Old Manager Zheng over to try and mend their relationship.

He asked, "Where is Old Man Zheng now?"

Chunxiang said, "They've already left."

Chen Ming's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "Let's go, have someone prepare a carriage."

Chunxiang asked curiously, "Lunch is almost here, where is Young Master going?"

"Don't worry about it."

……

The carriage had not gone far from the gate of the Chen residence when it suddenly stopped.

"Second Master, someone has stopped the carriage," the coachman said. "It's a rather elderly man."

Just then, a somewhat aged voice was heard say, "Is that Erlang in the carriage? I am Zheng Shi."

Chen Ming opened the car door and said with a surprised expression, "Oh, it's Old Zheng! Come on, get in the car and let's talk."

The coachman, recognizing the old man, jumped down and helped him onto the carriage.

Zheng Shi is in his sixties, but he looks quite old. His hair is completely white, and he walks with some difficulty.

It is said that few people live to seventy, and Zheng Shi has never practiced martial arts, so he cannot compare with martial artists.

Chen Ming said, "It's been a long time since I've seen Old Zheng. I haven't been able to visit him in the past few years. It's my fault."

Zheng Shi hurriedly said, "Second Brother, you're too kind. You've been practicing diligently these past few years, and your cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds. If your father were alive, he would be very pleased."

Chen Ming asked, "Did Mr. Zheng come all the way to my house specifically for this?"

Zheng Shi sighed, a bitter look appearing on his wrinkled face. "To my shame, I couldn't help much with what happened four years ago. You ended up in jail. I feel so guilty towards your grandfather and your father..."

As he spoke, he choked up, and tears streamed down his cloudy old eyes.

Chen Ming advised, "Old Zheng, you're being too kind. This was the Qi family's doing, what does it have to do with you? If it weren't for your intercession afterwards, I wouldn't have been able to release them so quickly. I've always remembered this kindness."

"Erlang, listen to my advice. They say it's better to resolve conflicts than to resolve them. The Qi family is wealthy and powerful, and they have other backers; they're not so easy to mess with. Now the Qi family is willing to..."

"Mr. Zheng!"

Chen Ming interrupted him, saying, "You know me. I've always been clear about right and wrong. If the Qi family really wants to make peace, then they should put the heads of Lu Zhihao, Qi Xingdong, the maid who framed me, and his concubines in front of me. Then this matter will be wiped clean."

"This……"

Upon hearing such harsh conditions, Old Zheng was at a loss for words.

Qi Xingdong was the eldest son of the Qi family. No matter how much the Qi family feared Chen Ming, they would never kill their own eldest son.

He realized that Chen Erlang actually had no intention of reconciling with the Qi family.

In the end, he said nothing, only letting out a sigh, "Ah—"

PS: First update, please vote with monthly tickets.

(End of this chapter)