Chapter 154: Chapter 150: Gift of Congratulations

"Good lad!"

Chen Ming and Feng Siyuan hadn’t even stepped out of the door when Zhou Weihao rushed over, excitedly punching him in the chest, "When did you practice such formidable swordsmanship? You’ve won five matches in a row!"

Chen Ming’s performance was astounding and beyond his expectations.

In his mind, he instinctively felt that Chen Ming’s skills couldn’t match those geniuses from established families.

First, he had broken through to the fifth rank too quickly.

Second, he had no master, which was a significant drawback. Having a master and not having one, can that be the same?

So, when Zhou Weihao saw Chen Ming displaying his might on the stage, winning five opponents consecutively, he was genuinely dumbfounded.

Improvement in cultivation was one thing; he had long known that Chen Ming was cultivating a Pure Yang Technique, a Supreme Divine Skill, incomparable to ordinary techniques.

But how could Chen Ming’s swordsmanship be so advanced?

He was previously recognized as a saber prodigy and only switched to swordsmanship after reaching the sixth rank. In just over a year, he had honed his swordsmanship to such a level.

Is this reasonable?

Chen Ming laughed and said, "It was lucky to win."

Zhou Weihao couldn’t stand his modesty, snorting, "Don’t be so humble. Winning one match might be luck, but winning five shows your strength. This is your problem, acting coy, not straightforward at all."

At this moment, Gu Yuantao spoke up, "Today I finally witnessed the true power of this swordsmanship. What is this swordsmanship?"

Chen Ming did not hide it from them and responded frankly, "Vermilion Bird Swordsmanship, passed on by a senior."

This acknowledged that someone was indeed teaching him martial arts.

Zhou Weihao laughed, "I knew it; you must have had a great encounter."

Actually, even if Chen Ming didn’t say it, they could guess that he probably had a master behind him.

Gu Yuantao pondered for a moment but couldn’t recall hearing of this swordsmanship.

Zhou Weihao boastfully said, "Let’s have a big drink today."

As the four spoke, seeing most people had left, they finally walked towards the exit.

"Big Brother Chen."

As soon as they stepped out of the gate, Jiang Yingxue, dressed in men’s clothing, ran over. Her fair cheeks blushed, and her eyes twinkled with dim autumn waves, "You’re amazing, winning all five matches."

"Congratulations to you too, for winning two matches."

As Chen Ming spoke, he noticed on a carriage not far away, Jiang Shihua’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and his gaze seemed murderous.

He said, "Go on, your brother is waiting for you."

"Oh."

Jiang Yingxue reluctantly replied, "See you tomorrow then."

...

"The person you said you were waiting for earlier, is it him?"

On the carriage, Jiang Shihua glared at his sister with a steely face, "Do you know—"

Jiang Yingxue impatiently interrupted him, "I know. He is Sister Yan’s sweetheart."

The phrase "sweetheart" stung Jiang Shihua’s heart. He was furious, "From now on, you’re forbidden to have any interaction with him!"

Jiang Yingxue wasn’t afraid of him at all, she said with a half-smile, "If you dare, say that to Sister Yan."

"You—"

...

On the other side, Feng Siyuan said in surprise, "So she’s Jiang Shihua’s sister?"

"I heard a long time ago about the Jiang Family’s Ninth Sister, whose aptitude surpasses Jiang Shihua’s. Seeing her today, it’s indeed true." Zhou Weihao sighed emotionally.

In such a leading family, geniuses emerge endlessly. This Jiang Ninth Sister is not yet twenty, and she’s already fifth rank, even participating in the Cyan Cloud Ranking competition.

Five years from now, she’ll likely have stepped into the fourth rank, with a great chance to top the list.

This talent is truly despairingly strong.

Zhou Weihao, thinking of this, glanced at Chen Ming again, who was also an anomaly.

"It’s a pity that he started too late. If he had been a few years earlier, he could fight for the first place in the Cyan Cloud Ranking too."

The Cyan Cloud Ranking is not just an empty title. Those finally ranked can choose a cultivation technique or martial skill on the second floor of the World’s First Pavilion.

Zhou Weihao jokingly said, "It seems this Jiang Ninth Sister has unusual feelings for you. If I remember correctly, she’s a relative of Miss Zhao?"

Feng Siyuan nodded, "By calculation, Miss Zhao is her cousin. It might be because of this relation that she’s particularly friendly to you."

At this time, Gu Yuantao suddenly said, "Be careful of Jiang Shihua. Rumor has it he once had a marriage agreement with Miss Zhao."

"Thank you, Brother Gu, for the reminder."

Chen Ming had already sensed Jiang Shihua’s hostility. If they were to meet onstage, the other side would definitely not show mercy.

The four of them shared a carriage back to the Feng Family, and while they didn’t drink, the conversation quickly turned to each family’s renowned skills.

Chen Ming was not secretive, sharing the moves and characteristics of the five opponents he encountered today with Zhou Weihao and Gu Yuantao.

Feng Siyuan was not interested in this and soon slipped away.

As the conversation was getting lively, the steward of Feng Mansion suddenly brought over a woman.

Chen Ming recognized her at a glance; she was a maid beside Yu Haitang a few days ago, dressed in a yellow gown, with charming looks surpassing many noble ladies.

"My mistress heard that Young Master Chen excelled in the martial arts contest today, winning five consecutive matches. She sent a sword as a congratulatory gift."

The maid respectfully offered the Treasure Sword with both hands.

The three of them saw at a glance that the sword’s scabbard was made from rare Cold Pool Crocodile Skin, with a pigeon-egg-sized sapphire inlaid at the hilt, clearly not an ordinary item.

Chen Ming said, "I cannot accept without earning. I appreciate your mistress’s goodwill, but this Treasure Sword is too precious for me to take. Please return it."

The maid in the yellow gown knelt down with a thud, pleading, "Please, Young Master, accept it. Otherwise, I won’t be able to explain to my mistress upon my return."

Zhou Weihao and Gu Yuantao, seeing her on the verge of tears, couldn’t help feeling a bit sympathetic.

Chen Ming sighed, "Young lady, are you willing to harm me?"

Hearing this, not only Zhou Weihao and Gu Yuantao were taken aback, but even the kneeling maid was stunned, "Why does Young Master say this?"

Chen Ming replied, "If I accept this sword out of pity for you, to spare you punishment upon return, I will owe your mistress a favor. In the future, I will have to help her whenever needed, getting entangled in endless troubles. By pleading with me like this, aren’t you harming me?"

The maid in the yellow gown opened her mouth but finally said, "I had no such intention."

"In that case, please return."

Having no choice, the maid in the yellow gown got up and left.

Once she left, Zhou Weihao teased a bit, "Brother Chen, you truly have a heart of stone, being able to let such a delicate maid return to face punishment."

Chen Ming merely smiled.

Zhou Weihao curiously asked, "Speaking of which, who is the one with such generosity, gifting a Treasure Sword?"

Chen Ming replied, "I’m not sure. Seeing that she’s of mysterious background, I prefer not to get too involved."

He didn’t reveal Yu Haitang’s identity and continued the previous topic without mentioning it further.

...

The next morning, Chen Ming and Feng Siyuan went to the World’s First Pavilion. The streets outside remained crowded with people. Although they couldn’t enter to see the matches, their enthusiasm was undaunted.

Staying outside, they could obtain firsthand information.

Some people were loudly shouting the names of those they supported, cheering them on.

In this era, of course, there were no such things as fans. Most of these people were gamblers who had placed bets.

Chen Ming even heard a few scattered cheers for himself and couldn’t help but tell Feng Siyuan beside him, "It seems my odds are quite high."

Those daring to bet on his victory were no ordinary people, hoping to win big with a small bet.

Feng Siyuan said, "I looked into it. Your odds of reaching the Cyan Cloud Ranking are 1 to 29. Before yesterday, it was even higher—1 to 100."

It was 1 to 100 because the casino capped it at 100.

Chen Ming asked, "Did you place a bet?"

Feng Siyuan smiled and said, "Hehe, I placed a thousand taels. It directly lowered your odds to 50. Whether I can make a profit depends on you now."

Chen Ming patted his shoulder and walked into the entrance of the World’s First Pavilion.

To support him with real gold and silver, Feng Siyuan was indeed a true friend.

Upon entering, aside from Zhou Weihao and the others, he also saw Li Jinchuan, who also came with his fellow students today.

The two merely exchanged glances from afar, nodding as a greeting since it was too crowded everywhere, making it inconvenient to go over.

Soon, the short and chubby Master Zhu from yesterday came out with a group of people from the main hall, announcing the start of today’s martial arts contest.

In the first round, the seven seed contestants got up first.

From Chen Ming’s perspective, the forty-nine contestants could be divided into three levels of strength. These seed contestants, along with Luo Xu and a few others, had the potential to vie for places on the Cyan Cloud Ranking.

Next were those at level 59, whose Martial Skills were slightly inferior to those above. There were about ten of them.

The remaining twenty or so were the weakest, similar to the three opponents he encountered yesterday, and Jiang Yingxue, who was also at this level.

In the first round, two matches between seed contestants were exceptionally fierce, as if they were lifelong enemies, fighting passionately with breathtaking skill.

Once they decided the winner, many sighed regretfully.

One of them lost three matches in total, making him unlikely to qualify for the Cyan Cloud Ranking.

In the second round, it was Chen Ming’s turn. This time, his opponent was not weak, belonging to the second tier, with quite outstanding Saber Technique.

He maintained a steady approach, and after more than fifty moves, narrowly won by a single stroke.

PS: Please vote for me this month.