After Chen Ming left, Mudan returned to her room, draped in a light veil, watching the direction he went, and then closed the door.

Since she knew he possessed the Sword Intent of a strong Divine Treasure Realm cultivator, she naturally had to give way.

She returned to her room, looking at Su Zhining, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, now returned to normal but clearly still very weak, wondering what she was thinking.

...

Chen Ming returned directly to the Feng Mansion. Upon inquiry, he found out that Feng Siyuan had not returned, probably staying overnight at the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion.

Such an old hand in the pleasure venues, he would certainly stay overnight at a place like a brothel.

Chen Ming returned to his small courtyard, fondling the "Sword Jade" in his bosom, recalling tonight’s experiences, feeling it was particularly bizarre.

The courtesan of the brothel turned out to be a disciple of the Celestial Dao Alliance.

The most core Cultivation Technique of the Celestial Dao Alliance actually had such a huge hidden danger.

Su Zhining, after losing to him twice, actually developed a Heart Demon and almost died.

And the Lingxi Jade, sharing dreams, Sword Intent cutting off Heart Demons...

Chen Ming sensed it, the Sword Intent within the Sword Jade was still there, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness."

This Sword Intent is his greatest talisman, it was his reliance for daring to come to Jiangzhou City and participate in the Cyan Cloud Ranking competition, to meet Yu Haitang, and to accept Pan Dingqian’s invitation.

If it were used up, he would certainly be heartbroken.

Chen Ming sat cross-legged on the bed, placing the Sword Jade against his brow, continuing to comprehend the Sword Intent within.

...

In a blink, it was the early morning of the next day.

After freshening up, Chen Ming went next door to check on the two new maids. After a day and night of recuperation, their visible condition had improved, and there was a hint of color on their faces.

These two maids practiced martial arts, and although they only had Ninth Grade cultivation, their physiques were rather robust, allowing for a faster recovery.

"Greetings, young master." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

They were already awake, and upon seeing him enter, they immediately sat up to pay their respects.

Hearing their delicate voices made Chen Ming’s mood much better, he chuckled, "No need for formalities, just lie down. How are you feeling?"

"Thanks to your kindness, young master, this servant feels much better."

"Also, congratulations to the young master on ranking sixth on the Cyan Cloud Ranking, becoming famous throughout Jiangzhou."

Chen Ming laughed, "You already know?"

Qiuxiang said, "The whole mansion was abuzz with it yesterday."

"Alright, you rest up."

Just as Chen Ming was about to leave, Dongxiang suddenly said, "Young master should be cautious of someone."

He asked, "Who?"

"Qin Changyuan."

The name was somewhat unexpected to him, curiously he asked, "Why?"

Dongxiang said, "This person, ever since meeting the young lady once, has been deeply infatuated with her. He is narrow-minded, and if he knows the young lady looks at you differently, he would be so jealous he might do something irrational."

Chen Ming recalled Qin Changyuan’s demeanor from last night, knowing what she said was true.

"Actually, I met this person last night; it seems he doesn’t get along with Pan Dingqian."

At this point, Qiuxiang spoke, "The Qin Family is the largest aristocratic family in Jiangzhou, setting an example for local forces. Regardless of who becomes the Governor of Jiangzhou, the Qin Family will not get along with them."

This explanation made Chen Ming understand.

The court established the Six Gates to suppress local aristocratic families and sect forces.

The people from Six Gates are bound to clash with aristocratic families and sects for their KPI; conflicts between the two sides are the norm.

Places like Qingfeng City, where the Martial Dao has withered and local aristocratic families and sects are completely suppressed by Six Gates, are extraordinarily rare.

In Jiangzhou, there are possibly seven forces stronger than First Grade. The Governors of Six Gates are generally of First Grade; expecting them to suppress local forces is a fantasy.

That’s why Qin Changyuan dared to be so arrogant in front of Pan Dingqian. It’s to show the people of Jiangzhou that the Qin Family is not afraid of that Governor from Six Gates.

Chen Ming nodded and said, "I see. You both take good care of yourselves."

...

As Chen Ming just stepped out of the courtyard, he saw the steward from the Feng Family waiting outside.

"Young master, someone has come looking for you and is waiting in the hall."

"Alright, I’ll go there now."

He reached the outer parlor and saw a beautiful young girl dressed in a light red dress.

The girl was dressed like a maid, and upon seeing him, she made a courtesy and said, "Young master, my master invites you."

He asked, "Who is your master?"

The girl handed over a name card.

Chen Ming took a look and indeed found it was Yu Haitang, saying, "Miss, please lead the way."

He was actually quite curious about the secret of the Fiery Sun Divine Skill she mentioned a few days ago.

The maid led him out of the Feng Mansion, where a carriage was waiting outside.

After getting on the carriage, Chen Ming asked, "What should I call you, miss?"

"You can call this servant Mei’Er, young master."

The style of this name clearly matched with Lan’Er and Zhu’Er. Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum – there should be a Ju’Er as well.

Previously, Chen Ming heard Jiang Yingxue talk about Yu Haitang’s background, how she nearly got killed by her own family and had to flee to Jiangzhou with her aunt.

It sounded quite tragic, yet she managed to sustain such excellent maids and even win over talented young men like Ji Qianxing. Right from the start, she wielded a divine weapon like the Mingfeng Sword.

Moreover, judging from her tone, she seemed to have ways to learn extraordinary cultivation techniques.

Simply relying on that aunt who became the Sect Leader’s Wife of the Cangyue Sect shouldn’t be enough to achieve these, right?

In any case, this woman is very mysterious.

...

This time, Chen Ming was taken to a secluded residence, where he met Yu Haitang, dressed in an emerald green long dress, in a delicate garden.

Behind her stood another maid in yellow, who should be Ju’Er.

This was their third meeting, and when Chen Ming saw her, his heart unknowingly skipped two beats, as if every encounter left him amazed by her.

He consciously compared her to the courtesan he met last night, feeling that she was slightly superior.

"Sit."

Yu Haitang, unaware that he was comparing her to a courtesan, invited him to sit down, and the maid behind her promptly served tea.

"Your strength is much greater than I anticipated."

Yu Haitang examined him with great interest, "Even Qianxing couldn’t match you. You truly surprised me."

Chen Ming modestly replied, "Miss, you flatter me."

Yu Haitang said, "Qianxing mentioned that his brother Ji Baichuan, at your level of cultivation, couldn’t match your swordsmanship. With such talent, it’s a pity if you don’t join the Nine Extremes Sword Sect."

He said, "You didn’t bring me here just to say this, right, miss?"

"What do you wish to know?"

"What does the miss know? In relation to the Profound Fire True Skill."

Yu Haitang suddenly asked an unrelated question, "Do you know the Emperor of Eternal Life?"

Chen Ming’s gaze became somewhat skeptical, "Are you saying this cultivation technique is related to the Emperor of Eternal Life?"

This was a bit far-fetched, right?

The Emperor of Eternal Life was the only immortal explicitly recorded in official history.

Although the Fiery Sun Divine Skill was quite formidable, connecting it to the Emperor of Eternal Life seemed unlikely to him.

Yu Haitang continued, "You must have heard of the rumors about the Nine Tombs of the Emperor of Eternal Life. So far, a total of five tombs have emerged. What many don’t know is that within the fifth tomb lies a clue to the sixth tomb, specifically pointing to today’s Jiangzhou region."

Chen Ming didn’t interrupt her and quietly listened.

"Do you know when the fifth tomb emerged?"

He shook his head.

Yu Haitang said, "It was over five hundred years ago. At that time, to claim this tomb, the former royal family dispatched almost all its powerful figures. Although they succeeded in obtaining the treasures, the heavy losses inflicted sowed the seeds for the empire’s downfall."

"Now, five hundred years have passed. Various sects and families have sent people to Jiangzhou, searching for many years to no avail."

"However, I was rather lucky. At ten, my uncle gave me a present, the Profound Wood True Skill. A few years later, one night, a mysterious warrior abducted me, inadvertently revealing a secret to me."

Yu Haitang paused here, "It turns out this mysterious warrior’s surname is Mu, coming from a reclusive family that has guarded a place for generations. It is indeed related to the Emperor of Eternal Life."

"Legend has it their ancestor was a close guard of the Emperor of Eternal Life. This ancestor and four other close guards each protected a key. When these five keys come together, they can unlock the Emperor of Eternal Life’s tomb."

"These five families each received a cultivation technique from the Emperor of Eternal Life, the Profound Wood True Skill, Profound Fire True Skill, Mystic Water True Skill, Profound Metal True Skill, and Profound Earth True Skill."

Listening to this, Chen Ming was unsure of how to express his disbelief.

The Emperor of Eternal Life was a figure from eight thousand years ago. Eight thousand years would span hundreds of generations. Could they truly adhere to ancestral orders and loyally guard the key?

It’s likely they would’ve taken the key, allied with the four other families, and attempted to open the Emperor of Eternal Life’s tomb by now. The legend inside supposedly contains secrets to immortality. Who wouldn’t be tempted?

Yu Haitang continued, "Among those families, one encountered a mishap, leading to the family’s extinction. Subsequently, the cultivation technique leaked, and its name became the Fiery Sun Divine Skill. The person who mastered this skill caught the attention of the Sea Suppression King, who recruited him as a subordinate."

Chen Ming thought, finally getting to the main point.

"However, this person only learned an incomplete version of the Fiery Sun Divine Skill, missing the cultivation technique above the Third Grade. The Sea Suppression King dispatched personnel to help him find the rest. The Sea Suppression King was no ordinary figure. Not only did he find the complete technique, but he also discovered the secret the family guarded..."

Hearing this, Chen Ming couldn’t help but think.

If that’s true, perhaps the Sea Suppression King’s death was related to the Emperor of Eternal Life’s tomb?

That could make sense; only a secret of that magnitude could cause a prince to die under mysterious circumstances.

Yu Haitang continued, "Unfortunately, he trusted the wrong person, leading to his demise. Twenty years have passed, and now you appear, carrying the Profound Fire True Skill. Naturally, those who know the old stories of the Sea Suppression King will be drawn to you."