Sword Sovereign of the Celestial Emperor-Chapter 145, The Boy in Red

In such a situation, many forces engage in the resale of ship tokens at the Life and Death Gorge. However, most of these tokens are counterfeit and not recognized by the Black Water Sect.

Some martial artists new to the Jianghu might succumb to the lure of low prices, but in the end, they will only have themselves to blame when they cannot board the ships.

The martial artist with the thievish brows and rat eyes curled his lip, left Chu Ming’s side, and obsequiously whispered a few words to another target.

This target was a rugged-looking man with long, graying sideburns, a black mole at the corner of his mouth, and a Mad Saber strapped to his back. At the martial artist’s words, his eyes lit up.

The two immediately conducted the transaction. Chu Ming saw it all but did nothing to stop it. Everyone must pay for their actions, and it was clear that this rugged martial artist was new to the Jianghu.

Lightly moving his feet, Chu Ming walked through the crowd. On the main street, the martial artists’ levels varied widely, but overall, they were higher than the average in the Great Yan Kingdom.

He casually found an inn to stay in. The Black Water Sect’s large ship travels between the two countries once every three days, so most of the martial artists here were waiting quietly.

"Waiter, how many days until the Black Water Sect’s ships arrive?"

Sitting in the inn’s main hall, Chu Ming asked calmly, while his gaze swept over the martial artists at the tables in the hall.

"Young hero, there are still two days until the Black Water Sect’s ships depart!"

The waiter quickly whispered.

"Very well, bring me some of your signature dishes and some wine!"

Chu Ming nodded slightly, speaking calmly while glancing at the man wearing a black bamboo hat by the table near the inn’s right corner.

As soon as he entered, Chu Ming had felt a subtle sense of danger. In this inn, he could see through everyone, except for the man in the black bamboo hat. This man sat there, continuously drinking tea, seemingly aware of Chu Ming’s gaze but only glancing briefly before ignoring it.

"He’s a strange one. He’s been sitting there for a day, just drinking tea without any other actions. The boss can’t drive him out!"

The waiter, following Chu Ming’s gaze, whispered about the man with the black bamboo hat.

"Here’s something for you."

Chu Ming took out a piece of silver from his pocket, tossing it into the waiter’s hand. Overjoyed, the waiter left discreetly.

"The Black Water Sect certainly lives up to being one of the two sects in the Celestial River Kingdom. Just the comings and goings of martial artists at the Life and Death Gorge bring them immense profit."

At a nearby table, two martial artists whispered to each other.

"That’s nothing. A few days ago, I heard that Black Ink, the core disciple of the Black Water Sect, was directly taken into the Inner Sect by the Celestial Realm, and his rise has been meteoric since then!"

"Heh, after all, he’s a genius who comprehended Sword Intent. Naturally, the Celestial Realm wouldn’t pass that up!"

"Sigh, in recent years, the Celestial River Kingdom has produced many geniuses, and their martial strength is subtly suppressing the Great Yan Kingdom. I predict there’ll be war in a few years."

"Although the Great Yan Kingdom also has many geniuses and boasts the Five Major Geniuses, they would barely rank in the top ten in the Celestial River Kingdom!"

"You and I, if we were in the Great Yan Kingdom, could likely earn the title of top-notch geniuses."

Though they spoke softly, everyone in the inn, who were mostly martial artists and far from ordinary folk, heard every word.

"Shut up! The geniuses of the Great Yan Kingdom are not for the likes of you two to discuss!"

Suddenly, an angry shout echoed in the inn, startling everyone. Even Chu Ming looked up toward the sound.

Not far from the two, by the window, a teenager in red glared at them, his face pale but his features sharp and energetic. His eyes, piercing with sword force, marked him as a Ninth Layer Transcendence Realm fighter, quite a skilled youth.

"Heh, what’s wrong with talking about the geniuses of the Great Yan Kingdom? If you’re upset, let’s have a duel!"

The two martial artists stood up, their black robes billowing. On their chests, a hideous skull emblem marked their affiliation, exuding a sinister aura.

"Damn, they’re members of the Skull Society!"

"Run! Blood will surely be shed here!"

"....."

Seeing the emblem on the two men’s chests, the other martial artists’ faces turned pale. They hurriedly settled their tabs and left, not daring to linger.

In an instant, only five people remained in the inn’s main hall: the two Skull Society members, Chu Ming, the red-clad teenager, and the mysterious man in the black bamboo hat.

"Kid, you’re not leaving?"

One of the Skull Society youths, enjoying others’ fearful reactions, frowned slightly upon seeing Chu Ming unmoved and unperturbed.

"No need!" Chu Ming said calmly, continuing to drink his wine as if oblivious to the two men.

"Young hero, you should run! The Skull Society is the largest force nearby and is under the Black Water Sect’s protection. If you don’t run now, it’ll be too late!"

The waiter hurried out from the back, attempting to warn Chu Ming, then turned to flee.

"Busybody!"

The Skull Society member closest to Chu Ming roared in anger. With a wave of his hand, a black spiritual energy bullet formed, surging with countless wind waves, aiming to kill the waiter.

Swish!

Plop!

Chu Ming pushed his wine cup, spilling the wine. The liquid transformed into a water sword, piercing through the air and shattering the black spiritual energy bullet with its sharp edge.

"I’ll deal with you later!"

The Skull Society member, seeing his attack thwarted, turned livid but noted that his companion was in a losing fight against the red-clad teenager and needed assistance.

Chu Ming remained silent, as the waiter fled the inn in panic, disappearing down the street.

Boom!

The red-clad teenager wielded a long saber, its blade emitting faint blood-colored light, exuding a sense of boundless slaughter.

Each strike was vicious and relentless, forcing the Skull Society member to defend desperately.

Thump!

The Skull Society member kicked the saber blade away, then swiftly steadied himself, his body quivering. His companion immediately joined him, and with a glance at each other, they attacked together, their momentum extraordinary.

The two Skull Society members, one using palms, the other using legs, generated shock waves that sent the surrounding air rippling, repeatedly kicking through the air.

Their strength was considerable, both being Ninth Layer Transcendence Realm martial artists at the peak of their power. The red-clad teenager, even more formidable, could rank among the Core Disciples if in the Cyan Yang Sect.

Bang bang bang.....

The red-clad teenager’s saber technique was remarkable. Each slash followed another, the movements as fleeting as fallen petals, the saber light erratic and elusive. Amidst the dark night and flowing streams, only the cold glint could barely be seen.