After a while, the carriage stopped, and Chen Ming said, "I’ll be back soon, at most the time it takes for a single incense stick to burn."

Su Zhining lifted her eyelids to glance at him and nodded slightly, indicating she understood. As soon as he got off the carriage, she closed her eyes again.

A moment later, her brow suddenly furrowed slightly.

She had mastered a Secret Technique called "Earth Listening"; by using this technique, she could clearly hear sounds within ten miles, even as a mosquito flew by.

She closed her eyes just now to utilize this Secret Technique. It wasn’t because she intentionally wanted to pry into Chen Ming’s privacy, as she had no interest in this man’s secrets.

Instead, she did so to ensure his safety.

As a result, she heard Chen Ming forcibly wanting to spar with the host of this house, and judging by the voices, the other party was quite elderly.

Su Zhining could sense that Chen Ming was cultivating a Pure Yang Technique. Last night, when Chen Ming channeled his True Qi, he appeared like a large furnace in her eyes.

The technique he cultivated was undoubtedly remarkable, yet now he was going to challenge an old man, wasn’t that bullying?

The old man dared not refuse and had to agree, after more than ten moves, he admitted defeat.

Then, she heard Chen Ming bidding farewell, but he did not make things difficult for him.

Before long, Chen Ming returned to the carriage, and it was apparent that he was in a rather good mood, instructing the driver to proceed to the next place.

Su Zhining suddenly said, "Do you need to bully the weak to keep your spirits up?"

"??"

Chen Ming was taken aback and couldn’t help but wonder, had she secretly followed him?

He said, "You are a disciple of a major sect, how could you understand the difficulties of those of us with grassroots origins? I want to gather the essence of many schools, yet Sword and Saber Manuals won’t fall from the sky, so what should I do? I can only spar with others to observe different Martial Arts. Unfortunately, some people rigidly adhere to the old ways, unwilling to let their family martial arts be passed on, not realizing that by being so stagnant, future generations will be lesser than the previous ones."

"He did not want to spar with you, forcing him was wrong."

Chen Ming looked at her and curiously asked, "Is this the fairness in the mind of your Celestial Dao Alliance?"

Su Zhining faced him and solemnly said, "Yes. So, don’t do that next time."

Chen Ming praised, "As expected of the current leader of the righteous path, I admire you."

He then continued, "I recently encountered a difficult matter and would like to seek your advice."

Su Zhining said, "Speak."

"One time, as I passed through a village, I discovered a villain who poisoned the entire village. Everyone must consume the antidote within the time it takes to burn a single incense stick to survive. Afterward, this villain wrapped the antidote in oiled paper and let a villager swallow it, meaning only by cutting open his stomach could the antidote be retrieved. The antidote package was too large, cutting open his stomach would surely kill him."

After Chen Ming finished speaking, he looked at her with a profound gaze and asked, "Would you say, should I cut open the villager’s stomach, killing him to save the entire village, or avoid killing and watch dozens of villagers die from poison?"

Su Zhining’s delicate eyebrows knit tightly together, her originally clear and bright eyes filled with contradiction and dilemma, she remained silent for a long time.

Chen Ming watched her struggle with enjoyment.

This is the classic trolley problem, an ethical dilemma. It’s the perfect issue to challenge someone like her with a saintly demeanor.

...

It wasn’t until Chen Ming finished challenging three Six-grade martial artists that Su Zhining finally remembered to ask him. Her eyebrows still knit together, she somewhat urgently asked, "What did you do at the time?"

Chen Ming smiled and said, "I did nothing, because I made up the story."

"What?"

A hint of daze flashed in Su Zhining’s eyes.

Chen Ming put away his smile and said, "Although the story is false, such things will definitely happen, and you will certainly encounter them in the future."

A hint of anger flashed in Su Zhining’s eyes; her brow furrowed, even her jade-like white ears turned red, as if she was ready to hit him.

At this moment, she was no longer the ethereal fairy ignorant of worldly affairs, embodying a bit of human nature.

However, she ultimately didn’t make a move, and after a while, she adjusted and returned to her former demeanor.

It must be said that her emotions were quite stable.

Seeing the appropriate limit, Chen Ming refrained from provoking her further.

Throughout this day, Chen Ming challenged all martial artists within Qingfeng City without much background or support, and most of these people dared not refuse.

A few bold ones, Chen Ming greeted them politely first and resorted to force if they refused. He didn’t need to maintain face, directly knocking them down, collecting Experience Points, and leaving.

As his strength grew stronger, he no longer did things with timidity like before. As a Martial Artist, if you don’t dare impose yourself a bit on those weaker than you, then you deserve to be looked down on.

...

When dusk approached, Chen Ming returned home. As he dismounted the carriage, he glanced at Su Zhining and saw her sitting there, motionless, with no intention of getting off.

If it were another woman, he would have thought she was angry. However, this person is the super-stable disciple of the Celestial Dao Alliance, she probably isn’t so petty.

She simply didn’t want to go inside with him.

Doorman Old Li saw him and hurried up to report, "Second Master, someone is waiting for you, they said they’re here to deliver something and insist on handing it to you personally."

"Oh?"

Chen Ming was somewhat intrigued and went to meet the young man, who looked like a clerk from some store, young yet having a rather stable temperament.

The young man said neither arrogantly nor submissively, "Second Master Chen, this is sent by my master, who instructed me to deliver it personally upon seeing the token."

Token?

Chen Ming’s heart stirred, he took out a token with "Yuan" written on one side and asked, "Is it this?"

Upon seeing the token, the young man’s expression became solemn, he respectfully bowed and handed over the wooden box, "Please take it. I bid farewell."

Having said that, he left.

Chen Ming put away the token and opened the box, finding it contained some books, the cover of the top book read "Seven-Star Swordsmanship."

"Could it be..."

No way?

He flipped through it, finding "Falling Leaves Saber Technique", "Divine Phantom", "Jade-Breaking Skill"...

Inside were all Cultivation Manuals, and they weren’t ordinary; they were second-rate Martial Arts. Inside there were Saber Techniques, Swordsmanship, Fist Techniques, Body Techniques, etc.

Thirteen books in total.

"Hiss—"

For the first time, Chen Ming felt what it meant to be truly wealthy.

These are treasures that money cannot buy.

Thinking back, Guan Peng signed a contract of servitude for the Four Seas Group, just to obtain a third-rate Cultivation Technique.

Like those ten-plus Six-grade martial artists from today, who spent half their lives, yet mostly only obtained a second-rate Cultivation Technique, and that’s the most ordinary kind.

These thirteen manuals, each one taken out is enough to make many Seven-grade martial artists sell their lives to him.

What a grand gesture!

Chen Ming felt quite sentimental, but to be fair, these Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills didn’t hold great personal value to him.

Skills like these are valued for quality over quantity. Mastering ten martial arts won’t compare to mastering one sword technique.

As a player with skill points, why would he need to gather the essence of many schools? That’s just an excuse.

If he trained in these Martial Arts, it would be a waste of time and precious Experience Points.

Of course, it’s not completely useless. He could pass them on to those around him, like the two maids, Wu Bofu, and Liu Zhongda. Or to guards like Gu Junrong, etc.

With these manuals, give it ten or twenty years, and the Chen Mansion will become a massive power.

...

After dinner, Chen Ming sat in his room browsing a manual and suddenly heard Su Zhining’s voice, "With these Cultivation Techniques, you no longer need to seek out sparring partners."

These Cultivation Techniques were indeed sent by her.

Chen Ming didn’t agree with her, and said, "Cultivation Techniques are dead, people are alive. Only by fighting with others can you perceive how those sword techniques and saber moves are. However, I can promise you that I won’t approach those old men for sparring anymore."

Since he took the benefit, he had to meet the requirements. He couldn’t take advantage and then brag.

Anyway, he would soon break through to the Fifth-grade, so naturally, there was no need to seek out those Sixth-grade ones.

Su Zhining didn’t speak again, Chen Ming thought she had already left, who knew she suddenly asked, "If that story were true, what would you do?"

He smiled inwardly, she was still entangled with the "trolley problem."

He said, "According to the tenet of your Celestial Dao Alliance, naturally you’d kill one to save those other dozens. Does this even need to be asked?"

Su Zhining sighed softly, "But, that person is also innocent."

Ps: Third update, seeking monthly votes.