I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 99 Doesn't Suit My Temperament

Throughout the day, Chen Ming had lost count of how many martial artists he had "defeated." He was numb; no matter whether they were ninth-rank, eighth-rank, or seventh-rank, none of them could withstand a single palm strike from him.

Later on, he became too lazy to even read the pop-up notifications and simply ignored them.

Finally, as evening approached and darkness was about to fall, there were still many people queuing outside. Many of them had come with their luggage, afraid of missing the registration deadline.

Gu Junrong and Wang Mingkai had to plead with them and repeatedly assure them that they could continue registering the next day before they finally managed to get rid of these people.

Today's registration process has finally come to an end.

"Everyone has worked hard."

Chen Ming addressed all the staff present.

"It's not hard."

"Second Young Master is too kind."

"It should be..."

"..."

The dozen or so people present all said this sincerely. This second young master was truly generous and did not treat them badly at all. Not only was hot tea served, but also exquisite snacks.

Lunch was ordered directly from Zuixianlou Restaurant and was very lavish.

It's just guarding the gate and maintaining order; it's not a particularly strenuous job.

At some point, everyone started calling Chen Ming "Second Young Master." Since some people called him that, others followed suit, as it sounded affectionate.

……

On the way back, Chen Ming opened the panel and saw that the points column had increased by more than 30,000 points.

In other words, there are as many as seven or eight hundred people who have signed up today.

However, only about a hundred people were able to qualify, making the elimination rate even higher than in the previous days.

"I didn't expect that there would be so many martial artists in Jiangzhou alone. They are all martial artists, and at least they are at the ninth rank."

Gu Junrong's sighing voice came from outside.

Wang Mingkai said, "Hey, this is truly an eye-opener. I'm afraid all the ninth-rank martial artists in Jiangzhou have come."

"I noticed that some of the people looked familiar. They must have come a few days ago, but didn't get the qualification. They were unwilling to give up, so they came back to register."

"More than that? More than a dozen people come every day, and we can't get rid of them. They're shameless."

Gu Junrong said, "Actually, I can understand. This is a third-grade expert taking on a disciple. How can they be willing to give up now?"

"What can I do even if I'm unwilling? The conditions were set by the two seniors themselves, not by my senior brother. What's the point of coming again and again?"

As Chen Ming listened to their conversation, he suddenly recalled the sensation that had caused when the news first spread in Qingfeng City.

His front door was almost trampled flat.

Almost all of Huo Men's disciples came to him, wanting to sign up for the competition.

Whether they knew him or not, even the seventh-rank martial artist he had recently offended and who had come knocking on his door shamelessly came forward to ask for a spot for his nephews and disciples.

Overnight, Chen Ming became the most sought-after person in Qingfeng City.

The allure of a Rank 3 expert taking on disciples was far more exaggerated than he had imagined for lower-level martial artists. The entire Qingfeng City was ablaze with excitement.

In Qingfeng City, almost all martial artists under the age of forty came to sign up.

These people clearly didn't meet the requirements; their presence was pointless. Chen Ming immediately eliminated anyone over thirty.

As a result, the person shaved off his beard and came back to register the next day with a fake name, thinking that Chen Ming wouldn't be able to tell, which made Chen Ming both amused and exasperated.

There are more than just one or two people like this; we encounter them every day.

Chen Ming shook his head, no longer listening to their conversation, thinking to himself that it was time to improve his strength.

So, he opened the panel.

【Level: 40】

Current points: 117564

[Exercises: Iron Horse Stake (Fifth Level Perfection), Three Yang Body Forging Exercise (Ninth Level Perfection), Six Yang Qi Nourishing Exercise (First Level 6999/100000)]

Martial Arts Skills: Three Talents Fist (Mastery), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Mastery), Zhuang Family Flying Knife (Mastery), Swallow Return Sword Technique (Mastery), Vermilion Bird Sword Technique (Beginner 50032/100000)

Looking at the more than 110,000 experience points, he felt a slight surge of excitement. With these experience points, his strength would increase significantly, finally giving him the confidence to face other sixth-rank martial artists.

"Add swordsmanship first!"

Chen Ming was previously invincible among those of the same realm, with few enemies, thanks to his extremely proficient martial arts skills.

Now, naturally, the priority is to add it to martial arts skills.

He directly added 50,000 points to the "Vermilion Bird Sword Technique".

Suddenly, his mind went blank, and countless insights flooded his mind.

After a long time.

Chen Ming opened his eyes again and saw that the "Vermilion Bird Sword Technique" column had changed to "Proficiency 32/200000".

Unsurprisingly, reaching the mastery level requires 200,000 experience points.

Without hesitation, he took out another 30,000 points and added them to the "Six Yang Nourishing Qi Gong".

Suddenly, a terrifying heat surged through my body...

When Chen Ming returned home, he had fully digested the increased strength. His family was waiting for him to have dinner together.

His carriage arrived at the door before the food was served. By the time he sat down, all the dishes were already served, still steaming hot.

The mustache on the eldest brother Chen Rui's lip had become thicker, and he looked much older. Even his spirit and energy were different from before, with more composure and authority.

The eldest sister-in-law, Madam Wei, was different; she looked radiant and seemed to have become several years younger.

Thanks to Chen Ming, she has now become a celebrity in the Xiushui Street women's circle. Many people come to see her every day. For the first time, she has experienced being the center of attention and the best part of social circles.

When she married into the Chen family, she never dreamed that she would have such a wonderful life.

After dinner, Chen Rui called Chen Ming to his study, clearly having something to say.

After the two brothers sat down, Chen Rui said, "Today, an old customer invited me to dinner. When I arrived, I saw Manager Qian from Sihai Trading Company there as well. He said that from now on, Sihai Trading Company will purchase all its medicinal herbs from Chunhetang. Although he didn't mention any conditions, I know that he wants to win you over. So, whether or not to do this business depends on you."

Chen Ming laughed and said, "Go ahead and do it. Why not make money if you can?"

Chen Rui immediately replied, "Okay."

"However, don't get too close to the Four Seas Merchants."

"Well, I see."

Hearing this, Chen Rui knew where to draw the line.

Chen Ming thought the matter was over and was about to leave when he saw that his elder brother seemed to have something else to say. He asked curiously, "Is there anything else?"

Chen Rui hesitated for a moment, but decided to ask for clarification, "Erlang, everyone is saying that Senior Golden Knife has decided to take you as his disciple, is that true?"

Chen Ming said, "This is a rumor, it's not true."

He had naturally heard this rumor from others, which was normal; in Qingfeng City, among the younger generation, he was the undisputed number one. Only Gu Yuantao could rival him.

Gu Yuantao also broke through to the sixth rank a little over a month ago and is currently in seclusion.

To others, with no formal teacher, it seemed like a sure thing that he would become a disciple of Li Donglin, the Golden Knife.
Chen Rui asked in confusion, "With your talent, Erlang, if you wanted to become his disciple, Senior Golden Knife would certainly not refuse. Why are you unwilling to become his disciple?"

He couldn't understand this at all.

Li Donglin, the Golden Saber, is a third-rank expert, a renowned figure in the entire Jiangzhou region. Becoming his disciple not only provides a powerful backer but also guidance from a master, accelerating one's cultivation.

Why is Erlang unwilling to do something that is clearly so beneficial?
Chen Ming couldn't directly say that this person wasn't worthy of being his master, so he could only find a reason: "This person's swordsmanship is incompatible with mine."

With such a high-sounding reason presented, Chen Rui couldn't persuade him any further.

More importantly, he believed that his brother must have his own reasons for doing things.

……

As Chen Ming stepped into the courtyard, he suddenly sensed something and looked up to see an old man emerge from the corner of the wall. The old man bowed to him and said politely, "Brother Chen, how have you been?"

"Senior Gao?"

He recognized the man at a glance; he was Gao Mingchuan, a sixth-rank martial artist who had been famous in the city for many years.

This man used to be a bodyguard, a seasoned veteran who traveled far and wide in his youth. He has lived in Qingfeng City for over twenty years.

Chen Ming had visited him several times before, but apart from the first time he met him, the man claimed to be ill and refused to see him on the next three visits.

She was clearly avoiding him.

Now this person looks energetic and has bright eyes; he doesn't look sick at all.

Gao Mingchuan chuckled and said, "I dare not accept the title of senior. I am only a few years older than you, brother. If you think highly of me, you can call me brother. You can just call me Lao Gao."

He adopted a very humble attitude.

It's really tough on him, considering he's over eighty years old and has to lower himself in front of a younger person.

Chen Ming asked him, "It's so late, Mr. Gao, what brings you here?"
"I dare not offer any advice. I only heard that you came to see me a few times, but unfortunately, my old injury flared up recently, and the younger members of my family actually stopped you from entering. I just learned about this, so I came here specifically to apologize to you."

"Mr. Gao, you flatter me."

Chen Ming said something indifferently.

Seeing that he was unmoved, Gao Mingchuan gritted his teeth and said, "I heard that you like to spar with others. If you don't mind my old bones, I'll spar with you for a few moves."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming exclaimed with delight, "Is that really true? Brother, you're truly willing to spar with me?"

Seeing that his expression changed faster than flipping through a book, Gao Mingchuan knew that he was just waiting for him to say that. He cursed inwardly, but for the sake of his most beloved grandson, he could only brazenly say, "I've heard that your swordsmanship is extremely superb, and I've long wanted to see it for myself."

After he finished speaking, he immediately added, "By the way, I have another request to make."

Chen Ming said with a smile, "Brother, please speak freely."

“I have a grandson who is quite talented. He is twenty-five years old this year and has already reached the peak of the seventh rank. He greatly admires Senior Golden Knife Li and is eager to become his disciple. However, for some reason, he cannot get the qualification to apply. I would like to ask you for help, brother.”

This was the real reason why Gao Mingchuan came to back down.

Chen Ming patted his chest and said, "Is that so? Don't worry, brother, your business is my business. Your grandson is my... junior. As long as he meets the requirements, I will definitely help him get this qualification."

"In that case, thank you very much, brother." Gao Mingchuan said, seeing that the terms had been agreed upon. "There's no time like the present. How about we spar a few moves right here?"

"Just to my liking."

As Chen Ming spoke, he went into the house and took out a steel sword.

Gao Mingchuan was puzzled when he saw that the man had taken a sword. This man was famous for his swordsmanship; what did it mean that he had brought out a sword today?
Seeing the puzzled look on his face, Chen Ming smiled slightly and explained, "I suddenly felt that swordsmanship was not suitable for my temperament, so I abandoned the sword and learned the sword."

"..."

P.S.: The update is a little late and there are almost a thousand more words than usual. I hope you all don't mind.
(End of this chapter)