Chapter 147: Chapter 143: Long Time No See

Chen Ming didn’t take the carriage. The coachman was with him, and he also didn’t know the way. It was more convenient for him to walk alone.

Upon asking for directions, he found the place was quite far.

He didn’t mind; it was a rare opportunity to go out, perfect for taking a stroll around the city.

Last time he went out, even though he had traveled through most of Jiangzhou, he was so focused on gaining experience points that he didn’t have the heart to enjoy the scenery, merely passing through.

Now he finally had the leisure to admire the scenery of this big city properly.

Chen Ming walked the entire morning and finally arrived at that street. After asking a few people, he found the place on a street paved with blue stone slabs.

"Evergreen Hall, it should be here."

He came to the entrance of a small medical hall, glanced at the somewhat ancient plaque above, and asked inside, "Excuse me, is Doctor Sun here?"

He was about to enter when he saw a man holding a long sword step out. The sharp gaze swept over him, carrying an invisible pressure.

Chen Ming instinctively retracted his foot, not stepping inside.

His heart tightened; this man was absolutely a master, likely stronger than him.

How could such a master appear in this unimposing medical hall?

He was very puzzled.

This time, he was entrusted by Doctor Wang to come.

Chen Ming’s eyes were previously injured by Zhao Shouchang’s Sword Intent, and it was Doctor Wang who treated them. Seeing that Doctor Wang not only had high medical skills but also noble medical ethics, he deliberately befriended him.

This time, Doctor Wang heard he was coming to Jiangzhou City and asked him to deliver some items to Doctor Sun at Evergreen Hall.

Doctor Wang said that this Doctor Sun was considered his teacher, and his entire medical skill was learned from Doctor Sun.

Chen Ming initially thought this Evergreen Hall should be well-known, given it could teach someone as outstanding as Doctor Wang. But after asking around, he found it was in a rather inconspicuous street in a civilian area, and the medical hall was very small.

The swordsman blocked the entrance and only said two words, "Wait here."

Chen Ming somewhat understood; someone inside was probably receiving treatment, and this swordsman was the patient’s guard.

"No wonder Jiangzhou City indeed has masters everywhere. Even a random guard has a fourth-grade cultivation."

He thought in his heart and then heard footsteps from inside; a woman wearing a veil walked out. Although he couldn’t see her face, her figure and attire suggested she was quite young.

Chen Ming glanced once and then withdrew his gaze, stepping aside. Only after the woman and swordsman left, he entered the medical hall.

"Excuse me, is Doctor Sun here?"

"Are you here for medicine?"

An elder with white hair and beard came out. Although he looked very old, he was alert, making Doctor Wang appear younger.

Chen Ming said, "You must be Doctor Sun. It’s Doctor Wang Yimu who sent me here to bring you something."

With that, he passed the bundle on his back over.

"Ah, it’s that child."

Doctor Sun’s expression softened a bit. He took the bundle and casually placed it aside.

"There is also a letter." Chen Ming took out the letter he had brought with him.

Doctor Sun asked him to sit down, then opened the envelope to read.

...

Outside on the street, a seemingly ordinary carriage was parked, with the veiled woman who had just left Evergreen Hall waiting for a while.

"Has that person not come out yet?"

The swordsman sitting next to the coachman replied, "No, Master."

"He wasn’t here for medicine. Send someone to watch him and find out his background."

"Yes."

"Head back."

The carriage then slowly drove away.

...

After a while, Doctor Sun finished reading the letter, kept it away, looked at Chen Ming again, and surveyed him twice before asking, "Are you Chen Ming?"

"Yes, Sir."

"May I check your pulse?"

"Certainly."

Chen Ming stood up, approached, and extended his hand.

Doctor Sun placed his fingers on his wrist while gently stroking his beard with the other hand.

After a moment, he released his hand, "Little Wang mentioned in the letter that you have a keen interest in the medical field."

Chen Ming said, "Medicine and martial arts are inseparable. Learning more about medicine is beneficial to Martial Dao."

"Stay here for a moment."

Doctor Sun turned inside, and after a while, brought out a thick book, saying, "This is some of my insights on medicine; I’ll give it to you."

Chen Ming was startled and quickly said, "This—it’s too precious, I can’t accept it."

Doctor Sun pushed the book into his hands, "Take it. I have no disciples, no descendants. If it stays here with me, it will only be buried with me."

"Thank you, senior."

"You probably won’t be returning to Qingfeng City so soon. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can come and ask me."

"Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you, senior?"

"Usually, there aren’t many people here, so you can come and keep me company."

"In that case, I’ll humbly accept your offer."

...

When Chen Ming returned to Feng Siyuan’s place, he met Zhou Weihao and Gu Yuantao.

"Hey, you came to Jiangzhou City and didn’t come to find us."

As soon as they met, Zhou Weihao complained, "We’ve been waiting for you here for half a day."

Chen Ming explained a few things.

Zhou Weihao was relentless and finally said, "You’re treating us at the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion tonight."

"Next time, the Cyan Cloud Ranking competition is about to start..."

"Come on, do you really think you can make a ranking? Don’t think I’m looking down on you, but do you know how many young experts have emerged in Jiangzhou in recent years?"

Zhou Weihao poured cold water on him, "A few years ago, the Jiangzhou Five Horses were all at the fourth rank cultivation. That’s five spots taken. In recent years, several formidable figures have emerged like Jiang Shihua from the Jiang Family, Li Yuqi from the Wushan Sect, and Ji Qianxing from the Ji Family... All these are experts at the pinnacle of the fifth rank, their strength is extraordinary."

Beside him, Gu Yuantao also nodded slightly in agreement.

Both of them were at the sixth rank cultivation, a few years younger than Chen Ming. They had no hope this time; they’d be overaged by the next. You could say they perfectly missed this grand event.

They were martial artists, so they better understood Chen Ming’s gap with Jiang Shihua, Li Yuqi, and Ji Qianxing.

Only someone like Feng Siyuan, who had failed in martial arts, would blindly have confidence in Chen Ming.

In their view, Chen Ming’s talent was certainly exceptional. Given another year, he’d definitely be a strong contender for the Cyan Cloud Ranking. But right now, he was far from it.

Look at him dominating in Qingfeng City, never having met a worthy opponent. That’s because there weren’t any decent experts in Qingfeng City.

These past two or three decades, the Martial Dao in Qingfeng City had fallen too much. Chen Ming’s achievements weren’t very convincing.

Those he’d defeated before were just weaklings stuck with no path forward, coming from humble backgrounds.

Now, those participating in the Cyan Cloud Ranking competition were all the best disciples from aristocratic families and sects, practicing top-notch cultivation techniques and martial arts.

Their strength was amongst the elites within the same realm.

No matter how strong Chen Ming was, the time he’d spent breaking through to the fifth rank was too short. How could he compete with those who’d been at the fifth rank for two or three years?

Finally, Zhou Weihao said, "Being able to spar with the most outstanding experts of your generation will greatly benefit your future. As for winning or losing, it’s not necessary to dwell on it."

He added, "So, you should still come with me to the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion tonight. Let me tell you, this year, a new courtesan has emerged, surpassing all others in beauty. When I saw her last time, I thought she was simply a celestial being—"

Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from the side, "Brother Zhou is talking about the courtesan Mudan from the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion, right? I also want to see her for myself."

Hearing this voice, Zhou Weihao’s throat seemed to be choked by something. He glared angrily at Feng Siyuan beside him, then turned to look at Zhao Xiyan, who was walking in from outside.

She was still dressed as a man, holding a folding fan, with her personal maid following behind. At this moment, she was looking at Zhou Weihao with an enigmatic smile.

Zhou Weihao laughed awkwardly, "Isn’t this Young Master Zhao? Long time no see, you’re even more charming than before. By the way, I remembered I have something urgent at home, so I’ll take my leave first."

Saying that, he slipped away.

Gu Yuantao said nothing, cupped his hands, and left too.

Feng Siyuan also wanted to say something, but seeing Zhao Xiyan gazing intently at Chen Ming, he wisely zipped his lips and left directly.

...

Chen Ming looked at Zhao Xiyan, standing in front of him, appearing more mature, her chest seemingly more ample. He felt slightly complicated, "Long time no see."

Indeed, it had been quite a while, nearly three months.

More than two months ago, Zhao Shouchang had returned to Qingfeng City, but she stayed in Jiangzhou City. During this time, she had written him a few letters.

However, not seeing each other for so long did make things a bit distant.

Zhao Xiyan’s eyes were a bit red, "Are you still mad at me for coming to Jiangzhou City with my father?"

Chen Ming said, "How could I be mad at you? Leaving at that time was the wisest choice. Had you stayed, Lord Admiral probably wouldn’t have let me go."

The more understanding he was, the more Zhao Xiyan felt the distance between them, as if an invisible wall stood in her way, preventing her from getting closer.

Everything seemed to be getting better.

Since Chen Ming broke through to the fifth rank, her father’s attitude had also changed. Although he hadn’t said it outright, he had tacitly agreed and wouldn’t obstruct her anymore.

"I stayed in Jiangzhou City because my father found me a master. I mentioned it in my letters. Did you receive the letters I wrote to you?"

Chen Ming nodded, "I received all the letters you sent. I was worried about delaying your practice, so I didn’t write back. Knowing you’re doing well in Jiangzhou City makes me relieved."

At this time, a servant came to report, "Young Master Chen, someone is seeking to meet you outside."

"I understand."

Chen Ming glanced at the sky and said, "It’s getting late, you should go back. Don’t let your master scold you. I’ll visit you another day."

After saying that, he left, polite yet distant.

Zhao Xiyan watched his back, tears streaming down her face.

She couldn’t understand how things turned out this way.

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