Seeing that a fight was about to break out, the crowd quickly scattered.

The excitement cannot be missed, but once these martial artists start fighting, they should run as far as possible.

"Sun Shicai!"

Suddenly, another voice rang out. This time, it was a woman.

Sun Shicai turned his head to look, his heart startled, "Is it you?"

He suddenly understood everything.

No wonder Huo Qianqian and the others dared to make trouble for him, no wonder Yu Xiuming abandoned him, no wonder...

He lost without injustice!

This direct disciple of the Xiaoshui Sect is not only highly skilled in swordsmanship but also exceptionally social, making friends widely, with countless noble young people fawning over her.

Not a simple character at all.

He never would have thought the mastermind was her!

"Why?"

Sun Shicai’s eyes were a little red, his voice like the howl of a wounded beast, "I’ve never wronged you. Why would you harm me like this?"

If it were only Zhang Mingyu and Chen Ming, he could easily handle them.

But with Xiao Zhuyun added, facing three opponents alone, he would surely have no chance today.

Xiao Zhuyun said coldly, "Blame yourself for taking what you shouldn’t have. Uncle Huo always carried our sect’s Uncle Tang’s relics, which contain our sect’s inheritance,"

Sun Shicai was stunned and exclaimed, "You mean... that ’Three Yin Body Refining Technique’?"

Xiao Zhuyun said, "Correct, it is indeed in your hands."

For a moment, Sun Shicai felt inexplicably anguished. Just for this body refining technique, which was useless to him, he ended up like this.

He said with resentment, "Why didn’t you say so earlier? I would have returned it to you directly."

Xiao Zhuyun said, "It’s not too late now. As long as you are willing to return it to me, I will no longer intervene in the grudges between you."

Sun Shicai, like grabbing a lifeline, asked, "Is this true?"

"Naturally."

"Alright, the technique is placed in the hidden compartment under the bed in my room. You can find it there yourself."

Xiao Zhuyun said icily, "You better not deceive me, or else, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, our sect will hunt you down."

Sun Shicai swore a poisonous oath, "If I lie, let me die a horrible death."

"Good."

After finishing, Xiao Zhuyun leaped to a nearby rooftop and disappeared in a few bounds.

...

Beside the Admiral’s Mansion, on the rooftop of a house.

Wearing a light purple long dress, Zhao Xiyan saw this and snorted suddenly, "I always saw that woman as pretentious, and indeed she is heartless and selfish. Just left them like that without a care."

Beside her stood a boy of fourteen or fifteen, with a fair and delicate appearance, holding an umbrella to shade Zhao Xiyan from the sun, reminding her, "Sister, didn’t you want to win over that guy named Chen Ming? He’s in danger now, should we help him?"

"Meddling with that woman from the Xiao family, that’s sheer ignorance."

Zhao Xiyan said angrily, "How are you holding the umbrella? The sun is shining on my face."

"Sorry."

Zhao Daxian hurriedly apologized and adjusted the umbrella.

He said softly, "Sister, if he dies, your Sword Manual would be given away for nothing." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Zhao Xiyan said unhappily, "As if I don’t know? It’s just that we can’t get involved in this matter."

Anyway, Sun Shicai is a seventh-grade Patrol Envoy of the Six Gates. His father’s actions of merely dismissing him expressed a clear attitude: this is a personal vendetta. The Six Gates will not interfere.

If she made a move, others would think it’s her father’s intention.

"Oh."

Zhao Daxian nodded as if he understood.

Zhao Xiyan looked at Chen Ming not far away, increasingly annoyed. To think he would associate with a woman like Xiao Zhuyun, he deserves his fate.

...

"Three Yin Body Refining?"

Chen Ming was surprised to hear the name of that Cultivation Technique. How come it sounds so similar to the "Three Yang Body Forging" he practices?

This thought flitted by briefly, and after Xiao Zhuyun left, Sun Shicai suddenly made a move towards him.

Burning Wind and Fierce Silk!

Upon striking, it was a killing move from the "Five Elements Saber Technique."

Before the blade reached him, Chen Ming could already feel the fierce killing intent rushing over.

Unlike any opponent he had faced before.

This was a real battle.

In comparison, all previous fights were mere skirmishes, just friendly exchanges.

A surge of heroism welled up in Chen Ming’s heart. Goosebumps sprung up all over his body; due to excitement, his blood was boiling. Drawing his long saber, it was a move called "Thick Virtue Carries Things."

Clang!

The two sabers collided fiercely in mid-air.

Chen Ming felt a numbness in his arm and took a step back, realizing that the opponent’s strength was much greater than his own.

It’s not advisable to fight head-on!

"Impossible!"

Contrastingly, Sun Shicai, despite putting all his effort into his strike, couldn’t knock the opponent’s saber away, leaving him astounded beyond measure.

Wasn’t he only breaking through to the peak of seventh grade a month ago?

Yet his strength was only slightly inferior to his own.

It’s because of the Cultivation Technique he’s practicing!

"Old ghost, why are you so biased!"

He couldn’t comprehend, wondering what about himself was not as good as Chen Ming, why Huo Chengkun was not willing to teach him such Divine Techniques, but gave them to the lowly Chen Ming instead?

"Why?"

Sun Shicai was nearly driven mad by jealousy, his eyes bloodshot, saber flashing quicker with each move, rushing to kill Chen Ming, murderous intent boiling over.

...

On the rooftop, Zhao Daxian watched the precarious situation of Chen Ming and reminded, "Sis, if you don’t make a move, he’s really going to die."

Smack!

Zhao Xiyan suddenly slapped the back of his head.

With a look of grievance, Zhao Daxian asked, "Why are you hitting me?"

Zhao Xiyan glanced at him sideways, "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to; you just want to get me scolded by dad."

"No way," Zhao Daxian lowered his head in guilt.

Zhao Xiyan ignored her scheming brother, focused on the battle below, and said, "This Sun Shicai truly is a figure who rose from the bottom. His Saber Technique is likely higher than Qin Jinlin’s."

"Sis, you used to call him Brother Qin, why now do you use his name directly?"

Zhao Xiyan couldn’t be bothered with him and continued, "Chen Ming’s Saber Technique is not bad, but still somewhat immature—huh?"

As she spoke, she suddenly exclaimed, only to see blood flash below.

All along suppressed, Chen Ming unexpectedly relied on an exquisitely brilliant Saber Technique to not only break Sun Shicai’s technique but also wounded his shoulder. Suddenly, the tide of the battle turned.

It was now Chen Ming pressing Sun Shicai.

"This—"

She watched, dumbfounded, completely surprised.

Zhao Daxian exclaimed, "Sis, even you misjudged this time."

...

Impossible!

Half of Sun Shicai’s body was stained red with blood, struggling to fend off Chen Ming’s familiar yet strange Saber Technique, looking utterly defeated, with none of his prior vigor.

He let out a sorrowful roar, "This is not the ’Five Elements Saber Technique’... Huo Chengkun, how biased you are... I refuse to accept!"

Slit!

Suddenly blood spurted, and his saber-wielding arm was cut off at the elbow, instantly pouring with blood.

In the next moment, his chest was pierced by the saber.

With his remaining hand, he tightly grasped the saber handle, eyes wide open, mouth agape, blood foam surging, as if trying to say something.

Chen Ming coldly regarded him, saying, "If you have any last words, tell them to Old Huo in the afterlife."

He pulled out the saber.

Sun Shicai immediately died, collapsing, unwilling to close his eyes.

[You killed an LV39 enemy, gained 5000 Experience Points.]

Five thousand points!

Chen Ming was taken aback at the number displayed on the prompt.

It turns out defeating and killing enemies yield different Experience Points.

...

Standing by, assisting Chen Ming from the sidelines, Zhang Mingyu saw Sun Shicai finally dead, walked forward with eyes reddened, drew his saber, and chopped off Sun Shicai’s head.

He placed the head before the memorial tablet of Huo Chengkun and the senior brothers and sisters.

He knelt down with a thud, crying out in anguish, "Master, Eldest Brother, Second Sister, Fifth Brother. Sun Shicai, this dog thief, has been executed, you can rest in peace!"

Huo Qianqian and more than ten Registered Disciples also knelt and wept.

Only Chen Ming remained standing; since he wasn’t Huo Chengkun’s disciple, he naturally didn’t kneel.

He couldn’t help but think of the orphan son of Fifth Brother Hong Mingquan, Hong Zilin. If that lad knew his father’s killer was dead, surely he’d be relieved.

Yet he also felt somewhat rueful.

Actually, there wasn’t any substantial animosity or conflict with Sun Shicai; the reason it escalated to life-or-death was entirely due to Sun Shicai’s mistaken belief that Huo Chengkun passed the sect’s legacy to him.

He suddenly understood the feeling of being involuntarily swept into things while living in the martial world.

No matter how much you avoid trouble, sometimes it finds you, impossible to dodge.

PS: Suddenly realized I have no drafts saved. Can only write from scratch, next Chapter by six in the afternoon. Please support with monthly votes.