I Only Stomp on Weaklings

"Madam, as you can see, my friend here has severed meridians, and I am protecting her heart meridian to keep her alive. I really can’t spare my hands."

Chen Ming explained with a bitter smile.

Before Madam Yu arrived, she had heard a general situation from Old Sun. A woman had a similar condition to Eniang’s, having forcefully intervened during a breakthrough to the Third Grade, causing her Gang Yuan to run rampant, nearly tearing apart her meridians, leaving her with barely a breath.

As she rushed over just now, she heard Chen Ming’s conversation with that Third Grade individual. Knowing their relationship, she felt a sense of doom.

Since the severely injured woman was his lover, he would naturally prioritize saving her.

From his words, one could see that this young man is loyal and righteous, unwilling to abandon his lover even in danger. It seemed threats and inducements would be ineffective.

Madam Yu’s expression changed, and she looked at the white-dressed woman sitting on the bed, seeing her pale face and lips without a trace of blood, exuding a sense of death.

She recalled Old Sun’s words about Chen Ming visiting him clutching this woman three days ago.

The fact he could keep her alive till now showed he indeed possessed skills.

Madam Yu took a deep breath, as if making a certain decision, "Young Master Chen, today I will take charge and betroth my niece to you. That old thing is the betrothal gift."

"..."

Chen Ming opened his mouth, looking dumbfounded at Madam Yu, who stood at the door loudly declaring this.

This isn’t right, he was just trying to negotiate a few terms. Yet she completely disregarded the protocol and wants to betroth Yu Haitang to him, what was she thinking?

She must have heard what he said and knew he had a lover yet still forcibly wanted to marry her niece off to him. This logic indeed shocked him.

On the bed, Su Zhining, who had originally closed her eyes, couldn’t help but open them, looking at the beautiful woman standing at the door. Her lips moved a little, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Yu Haitang, in Madam Yu’s arms, was also momentarily stunned, wanting to refute it, but when she opened her mouth, she found herself unable to speak.

"You have already accepted the gift, which signifies your agreement to this marriage. You must marry my niece, so you can’t neglect her injury."

Madam Yu gently pushed her niece, who seemed to be held by an invisible force, and ended up sitting beside Su Zhining on the bed.

"I only have one dear niece, you must treat her well. If anything happens to her, I won’t spare you."

After saying this, she turned and walked away, the door closing with a creak.

Leaving the three people in the room feeling somewhat helpless.

Chen Ming looked at Yu Haitang, who was also glancing at him with some warning in her eyes, "Don’t take my aunt’s words seriously."

"Rest assured, Miss, you are like a divine beauty, I dare not overstep," Chen Ming immediately expressed, "Madam Yu spoke like this just to ensure I remain diligent and impartial."

Madam Yu’s words were quite clear.

If anyone gets hurt, all three shall survive.

If Yu Haitang dies, the other two must accompany her in burial.

Madam Yu and her niece were equally domineering, making refusal impossible. However, her methods weren’t as blunt.

If she had threatened directly, it might have made things even more strained with harder ones. This seemingly mischievous move actually broke the deadlock, allowing advance or retreat.

These words could be true or false, depending on whether the person is saved or not.

Yu Haitang’s expression eased slightly, she asked, "To what extent have you cultivated your ’Profound Wood True Skill’?"

Chen Ming did not answer but slowly extended his hand to press on her back.

Yu Haitang only felt an extremely familiar yet distinctly different true qi flow into her body, continuously, eventually stopping at the deepest part of her body, sealing a gap.

She was surprised and exclaimed, "You’ve reached Fourth Grade?"

"Yes."

Chen Ming didn’t want to speak; at this moment, both of his hands were pressing on the two women’s back, making it impossible for him to read even. The true qi had to be divided into two strands, doubling the consumption.

Whether he could persist until their recovery was still an unknown.

The only good news was, with Madam Yu present, there was no worry about enemies coming to kill them.

Yu Haitang turned sideways to face him, a position allowing her to be closer to Su Zhining.

She looked at Chen Ming with scrutiny, "Do you know that Fifth Grade is a painstaking art, from Fifth to Fourth Grade, there’s almost no bottleneck. As long as you reach Fifth Grade and have enough time, you can certainly step into Fourth Grade."

"So what?"

This basic knowledge he still understood.

The reason he thought of adding experience points to ’Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens’ to achieve leapfrog challenge, fighting Fourth Grade with Fifth Grade, was precisely because of this.

Because there are very few ’veterans’ in Fifth Grade, almost none. Most Fifth Grade cultivators are in seclusion, grinding their true qi to strive for an early breakthrough to Fourth Grade.

He couldn’t even find anyone to spar with.

Yu Haitang said, "For this reason, at Fifth Grade, there is almost no shortcut. The more advanced the cultivation technique, the longer it takes at Fifth Grade. No matter your talent, even if cultivating something as peerless as ’Profound Fire True Skill’, you absolutely cannot step into Fourth Grade in a matter of months."

Her expression was serious, almost revealing a demand for a confession about his secrets.

Chen Ming felt like scratching his head, but knowing the consequences of letting go, he had to suppress this thought.

He said, "Speaking of which, I have to thank the young lady. A few days ago, while researching ’Profound Wood True Skill’, I suddenly achieved an insight and thoroughly integrated the two cultivation techniques, the two true qis interactively transforming, achieving a natural breakthrough into Fourth Grade."

"..."

Yu Haitang’s eye twitched slightly as Chen Ming’s words reminded her of the scene when she was in a trance.

Actually, it went smoothly at first, producing a strand of profound fire true qi within her body. However, when this true qi grew to a certain extent, the two qis clashed, causing her true qi to rampage, almost making her explode on the spot.

No one understood better than her how difficult it was to merge these two true qis.

In his mouth, it was as if it was an effortless, natural consequence.

She tasted that feeling of defeat once again, crushed by another’s superior skill in what she was most proud of—aptitude and insight...

Yu Haitang didn’t know what kind of transformation the fusion of True Qi would bring, so naturally, she couldn’t determine if he was lying.

She could only take it as truth for now.

...

At the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion, still within the courtyard, Qin Changyuan was holding a courtesan and drinking when that coachman burst in, whispering a few words into his ear.

"What? He died too?"

Qin Changyuan was both shocked and angry; he had found a Third Grade urgently this time, and only managed to persuade one by offering a Divine Weapon.

The result was yet another failure!

How could he not be furious?

"How could this happen?"

"It was Lady Yu who intervened," the coachman whispered, "Apparently, Miss Yu went astray during her cultivation, and her life is hanging by a thread. Many miracle doctors were found powerless. For reasons unknown, Lady Yu took Miss Yu to find Chen Ming, and they happened to encounter someone, eliminating him on sight."

"What?"

Qin Changyuan was greatly shocked, "Went astray during cultivation? Is she badly injured?"

"I’ve heard her life is nearing its end."

"Why didn’t you say so earlier!"

Qin Changyuan was suddenly enraged, striking with a slap.

The coachman was knocked away but quickly got up again, blocking Qin Changyuan’s path, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, he said, "Young master, it’s best not to go."

"Get out of the way."

Qin Changyuan made a move to strike.

"Miss Yu is currently at Chen Ming’s house. It’s said that Lady Yu has already betrothed her to Chen Ming."

Qin Changyuan felt as if struck by lightning, suddenly grabbing his collar, eyes bloodshot, face twisted in anger, "What did you say?"

"I said, Lady Yu has already betrothed Miss Yu to Chen Ming, allowing her to be with her beloved in her last moments..."

"No—"

Qin Changyuan hurled the coachman away, with such force that the courtyard wall crumbled.

"I don’t believe it!"

He rushed outside, his speed gradually slowing, and he stopped before even leaving the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion, appearing lost and muttering to himself, "Why?"

Alas, he would never get an answer.

...

Knock, knock.

Qiuxiang knocked on the door outside.

"Enter."

Chen Ming lazily said.

Qiuxiang pushed the door open and stepped inside, holding a tray, "This is the Thousand-year-old Blood Ginseng Soup sent by Lady Yu. And a bottle of the finest Jade Dragon Pills for you, young master."

As expected from the Sect Leader’s Wife of Cangyue Sect, the Thousand-year-old Blood Ginseng is something money can’t buy. And the Jade Dragon Pills are the finest elixirs used for replenishing Qi.

This is uniquely refined by the Cangyue Sect using a Secret Technique, there is no other place. Who knows how many precious materials were used in the refining, the Cangyue Sect doesn’t even have enough for themselves, let alone selling it.

Lady Yu sent an entire bottle.

Chen Ming considered himself to be benefiting from Yu Haitang’s favor.

He said, "Give me a Jade Dragon Pill to taste first."

Qiuxiang stepped forward, uncorked the bottle, and poured out a snow-white elixir pill; instantly a fragrant scent filled the air. Just the smell of it lifted one’s spirit.

She fed the pill into Chen Ming’s mouth.

The elixir pill melted instantly upon entry, soon generating a wisp of heat in the Dantian, quickly transforming into the purest True Qi, circulating through the meridians, and then turning into strands of True Qi, blending into the Sea of Qi, replenishing the consumed True Qi.

As time passed, the replenishing of True Qi accelerated.

"Lady Yu said that one Jade Dragon Pill is enough for a day. There are five pills here, and once finished, more will be delivered."

"Hmm."

Chen Ming thought, Lady Yu truly spared no effort to save her niece.

Qiuxiang asked further, "Ladies, this Blood Ginseng Soup must be drunk hot; would you need the handmaiden to feed you?"

"No need," Yu Haitang replied.

"No, thank you," Su Zhining also declined.

Chen Ming said, "Bring some food over, I’m hungry."

"Yes, young master."