======Cultivation Arsenal ======
#Weapon Arts
1) Basic Swordsmanship [Progress: 160.1 / 1000]
#Cultivation Arts
1) Crimson Fire Arts [Comprehension: 40%]
#System Items
NIL
============ END ===========
Seeing that his comprehension was still stuck at the same percentage, Yi Chen took a deep breath while pursing his lips.
âItâs alright...you got this. Itâs just a plateau. It will go away eventually,â Yi Chen said to himself to control his disappointment.
Turning towards Qin Yao, he said, "Letâs start cleaning then."
"Aye Aye!" Qin Yao, who had grown used to this, responded with a chuckle and went to the storage room to get the brooms.
Soon, the two of them began clearing the dried leaves from the courtyard.
Gathering the leaves to one corner, they set it on fire and were about to start cleaning the inside of the residence when they heard a loud knocking sound from the residenceâs gate.
Knock! Knock!
âJust who could it be?â Both of them frowned as it was unusual for them to get any visitors. However, before they could dwell on it any longer, a voice came from outside.
"Brother Chen! Are you there?!" The person called from outside while knocking on the gate once again. His voice seemed to be laced with a hint of hurry.
"Just who?" Yi Chen frowned when he heard his name being called.
He rarely got out of the residence nowadays, so apart from Qin Yao, there really wasnât anyone who would be looking for him.
His eyes momentarily met Qin Yaoâs. He, too, had a confused expression on his face, not knowing who the other party could be.
Hearing another set of knocks, he immediately rushed towards the gate, fearing that if he kept knocking, then he might just break the main gate.
Suddenly, he thought with a hint of worry, âCould it be that Young Master Li? I thought that he was frightened enough, but could it be that heâs back to get his revenge?â
With these thoughts in his mind, Yi Chen slightly pushed open the gate. Tilting his head towards the narrow opening, he discreetly tried to check who the other party was.
âIf heâs here for trouble, then Iâll immediately lock the gate. He wonât dare to break the Ninth Elderâs gate now, would he?â Yi Chen thought in his mind as his gaze finally fell on the person who had been knocking on the door.
âOh?â
It turns out he was worrying for nothing.
A familiar face with a hint of nervousness laced on it appeared in his eyes the next moment.
Seeing him, Yi Chen scrunched his forehead a little and finally remembered what the other partyâs name was, "Brother Liang? So, itâs you. Whatâs the reason for your sudden visit?"
He was the external disciple who had dropped Yi Chen off at the Ninth Elderâs residence on the day he had arrived here.
"B-Brother Chen!" Brother Liang exclaimed with nervousness and said the next moment, "The Zh- Zh...h-has"
"What are you even saying? Speak properly." Yi Chen couldnât help but frown, seeing how Brother Liang was unable to even frame a word properly.
âJust whatâs wrong with him?â he thought to himself.
It was only after hearing Yi Chenâs words that Brother Liang took a deep breath and explained while glancing towards his right side.
"S-Someone from the Zhou Clan has come to visit you..."
Seeing the direction in which Brother Liang was looking, Yi Chen further pushed open the gate and finally saw the person Brother Liang had directed his words towards.
"Guard Bai?" Yi Chen called the next moment.
"Greetings, Young Master Chen," Guard Bai greeted with a bow the next moment.
Seeing this, Brother Liangâs eyes widened in surprise.
âSo I was worried for nothing,â Brother Liang sighed internally when he saw this scene.
When Guard Bai had approached him at the gate earlier and inquired about Yi Chen while showing him the Zhou familyâs crest, he was scared shitless, thinking that Yi Chen had somehow offended the Zhou clan.
Now that his misunderstanding was cleared, he felt a lot calmer and at the same time, curiosity and admiration towards Yi Chen rose in his mind.
âHow did Brother Chen come in contact with the Zhou Clan? I thought he was new in the city...â
While Brother Liangâs mind was being filled with these thoughts, Yi Chen responded to Guard Baiâs greetings and asked, "For what reason did Guard Bai come to visit me?"
To this question, Guard Bai didnât respond immediately and instead turned towards Brother Liang first, "Thank you for your help, Junior, you may take your leave now."
"Yes, Senior,"
Understanding that the other party didnât want him to hear their conversation, Brother Liang soon bowed and left for the gates.
It was only then that he turned back towards Yi Chen and stated, "Itâs because the Young Miss wanted to see you."
"Why all of a sudden? Is there a reason?" Yi Chen asked curiously when he heard him.
"There is. However, Young Miss would brief you about it later, so Iâll not touch upon it lest she throws a tantrum," Guard Bai explained apologetically.
Being well aware of this side of Zhou Mei, Yi Chen smirked when he heard Guard Baiâs response and nodded, "So thatâs how it is. Give me a minute. Iâll finish the things here first."
"Yes." Guard Bai nodded as he saw Yi Chen entering the residence.
"Iâll need to go out for a while to visit a friend, so..." Before Yi Chen could finish, Qin Yao responded.
"Itâs alright, Brother Chen. Leave the rest to me." Qin Yao jokingly saluted while still carrying the broom in his other hand.
Seeing this, Yi Chen couldnât help but chuckle and said, "Thanks. Iâll be going then."
With that said, he soon exited the residence and started walking towards the clanâs gates with Guard Bai.
"Why didnât you just come in a carriage, Guard Bai?" Yi Chen asked curiously.
"I did. Itâs parked outside the clanâs gates right now since the Young Miss didnât want to create an unnecessary scene."
"Oh? Zhou Mei has come along with you? I thought that we would be going to the Zhou Clan to meet her," Yi Chen stated in surprise.
Knowing that there had been attempts to kill her, he was a little surprised to see that she was allowed to leave the clanâs premises.
"Yes, sheâs waiting in the carriage right now," Guard Bai nodded and explained, "It was only after Young Missâs repeated pleadings that the Master and Madam allowed her to venture out of the clan."
"Ah, so thatâs how it is," Yi Chen nodded in understanding, while thinking, âIf they had allowed it, then they would have also made arrangements for her security.â
Shifting his gaze towards Guard Baiâs legs, he said the next moment, "Itâs good to see that your legs are fine now. From the way youâre walking right now, no one would be able to tell that your legs were broken,"
"Haha, itâs all thanks to the master who brought in an expert to heal my bones. Thanks to that, I was able to return to work in just a couple of days," Guard Bai answered with a smile.
The conversation then flowed to a few random topics before they finally exited the clanâs gates.
A few meters away from the clanâs gate, a well-crafted carriage was standing in a secluded area.
Walking forward, Guard Bai opened the door of the carriage and said while gesturing Yi Chen inside, "Young Master, please."
Yi Chen nodded and entered the carriage the next moment.
Inside, instead of Zhou Mei, his gaze first fell on a middle-aged woman who was sitting next to her.
She was dressed in plain white robes and exuded a sharp aura which made one feel as if they had a blade pressing on their neck.
Glancing through the information on her status panel, he soon realised that she was a special guard who had been assigned to Zhou Mei for her safety.
The woman was a Ninth Level Qi Absorption Stage Expert. When Yi Chen entered the carriage, she glanced towards him momentarily, once and striking him off as a potential threat, closed her eyes again.
Meanwhile, Zhou Mei jumped up from her seat the very next moment and rushed towards him.
"Brother Chen!" She tightly wrapped her arms around his stomach and, with her head tilted upwards, said with a cheery smile, "I missed you a lot!"
"Hello, Little Mei," Yi Chen responded back with a smile and asked while gently rubbing her head, "Whatâs with this reaction? Youâre acting as if we are meeting after ages."
To this, Zhou Mei answered while pouting in anger, "Thatâs how long it felt to me, Brother Chen! I thought you would come to visit me in a few days, but you never did. Brother Chen is really selfish..."
"Silly girl," He flicked his index finger on her forehead, the next instant making her take a few steps back in pain.
Not minding her aggrieved expression, he said, "Thatâs because I had a lot of things to do. Moreover..."
Yi Chen finally asked the question he had been curious about the very next moment, "Whatâs the reason for your sudden visit? You surely donât want me to believe that you just came here to visit me because you were missing me, right?"
"Of course, thatâs the main reason," Zhou Mei declared shamelessly. However, under Yi Chenâs emotionless stare, she finally gave in after a couple of seconds and continued, "...However, apart from that, there are another two reasons for my visit."