C19 He Was Extremely Fearful

Jiang Yuyan's expression faltered, a sense of disbelief washing over her.

Compelled by an irresistible urge, she reached out to touch her cheek. The self-assurance she had cultivated over a decade crumbled in an instant under Xu Ming's apathetic demeanor.

Jiang Yuyan clenched her teeth, yet found herself at a loss for a solution.

They had arrived in the forest as part of a large group. As the most sought-after beauty in Distance Calming City, adored and pursued by legions of men, she never had to worry about mundane necessities, let alone carry money. There were always eager suitors ready to foot her bills.

Having been the object of admiration and pursuit from a young age, her stunning beauty had always commanded attention. Yet here, it couldn't even secure her a meal!

The thought was almost laughable; no one in Distance Calming City would believe such a tale. There, a single word from Miss Jiang could drive men to financial ruin for a chance at her affection. A meal was trivial in comparison; should Miss Jiang choose to share a table or ask a favor, the chosen individual would be overjoyed.

Miss Jiang's confidence was in tatters, her beauty's power in question, all due to Xu Ming's nonchalant attitude. Meanwhile, Azhu and the other maidservants exchanged a look of scorn, simultaneously thinking, "She's playing hard to get~"

In the eyes of Azhu and Abi, their mistress's beauty was without equal. Countless suitors were dismissed with indifference. Yet, could this man's indifferent stance in the forest be stirring something new within her?

The maids knew all too well that curiosity wasn't exclusive to men; women, too, were intrigued by the opposite sex, particularly those who seemed aloof. For a woman accustomed to adoration, the challenge of the unattainable could spark a fierce desire to conquer.

"Our young lady might be falling for him, and he's nothing but a pauper. How could he possibly match our mistress? He thinks he can play hard to get? We'll see about that!"

With these thoughts, Azhu stepped forward, her voice dripping with hostility as she demanded, "Do you have any idea who our young miss is?"

"The young Miss Jiang Yuyan of the Jiang family is renowned throughout our empire, hailed as one of the four great beauties!"

Xu Ming nonchalantly wielded a dagger, deftly deboning and slicing the meat without even blinking.

"Knowing who our young miss is, you should realize how fortunate you are to receive such attention from her!"

Indeed, when had Miss Jiang ever shown such warmth to a man she had just met? Initiating conversation, choosing to sit beside him...

"I'm no fool."

Xu Ming picked up a slice of meat and popped it into his mouth, savoring it without further comment.

"Eating the Comfortable Beast, no Beast Soul acquired. Gene Points gained: 7."

"Eating the Comfortable Beast, no Gene Point acquired. Gene Points gained: 6."

"..."

"28 Gene Points. Just as I thought, the Gene Points earned are halved after the first consumption, and sometimes there are none at all the second time around."

Over the past six months, Xu Ming had learned that if he ate something from which he had already gained Gene Points, the points would be reduced by half or disappear entirely upon a second consumption.

Xu Ming vividly recalled that the Comfortable Beast, nearly at Rank One, had yielded ten Gene Points the first time he ate it—not an insignificant amount.

"It looks like I need to focus on making money. Without funds, I can't access quality resources."

Feeling a sense of urgency, Xu Ming knew that to advance his Blood Fiend Divine Arts, he had to constantly enhance his bloodline, which was essential for elevating his technique's level and progressing further.

Lost in thought, Xu Ming quickly finished off the Comfortable Beast meat he had prepared. He had consumed about a third of the entire creature.

The Comfortable Beast was quite plump, weighing no less than seventy to eighty kilograms. After discarding the bones and innards, the amount he had eaten was astonishingly large. This was linked to his practice of the Eight Extremes Fist, which involved drawing energy from food to replenish the body's needs.

As Xu Ming contentedly ate his meal, Jiang Yuyan, seated across from him, became thoroughly convinced that the man before her was either indifferent to her charms or simply not interested in women at all.

Throughout the entire meal, Xu Ming was solely fixated on his meat, seemingly lost in thought, and not once did he glance her way. Not a single look, not even a surreptitious peek. If he had, perhaps Jiang Yuyan wouldn't feel so disheartened. But the real issue was that he seemed to have been preoccupied with something troubling, his brow furrowed with worry and urgency, as if he was grappling with an insurmountable problem.

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

Suddenly, her stomach began to grumble in protest. She hadn't had a bite to eat since the night before, and hunger was setting in.

"He seems to value money so much; it must be a problem that only money can solve," Jiang Yuyan thought to herself, recalling Xu Ming's earlier words that everything here could be purchased with cash.

With a sense of resolve, she unfastened the valuable jade pendant from her waist and placed it on the table. "Young Master, this jade is quite valuable. Could it possibly be exchanged for the meat in the bowl?"

"Miss!" Azhu and Abi exclaimed in shock, and the guards looked on with faces full of outrage.

"That jade pendant was a gift from the Old Patriarch, signifying your status. Possessing it means your freedom cannot be curtailed by anyone, not even the current head of the Jiang family. Without it..."

Azhu and Abi were frantic, desperately trying to persuade her. But Jiang Yuyan nonchalantly gestured with her hand and fixed her gaze on Xu Ming, who had just snapped back to reality. "Young Master, I wonder if we might..."

The jade pendant on the table was exceptionally beautiful, its misty aura flowing subtly in the sunlight, clearly no ordinary piece and undoubtedly priceless.

Without a word, Xu Ming accepted the jade pendant and slid the porcelain bowl toward Jiang Yuyan. "This is merely for the Comfortable Beast meat. If you wish to stay here, you'll need to pay for both the house and the courtyard. Feel free to decide."

Everything required money!

Was this exploitation?

Jiang Yuyan's brow creased slightly, a hint of displeasure in her expression.

Azhu, even more incensed, pointed at Xu Ming, her body shaking with anger. "Have you become so blinded by greed?"

Xu Ming simply shrugged, neither confirming nor denying Azhu's observation. It seemed she had hit the nail on the head; Xu Ming had indeed become indifferent to wealth. He rose to his feet and made his way to the backyard, showing little interest in playing host to his servants.

After a session of practicing the Eight Extremes Fist in the backyard, Xu Ming took a moment to meditate on the cliff. Rising to his full height, he surveyed the modest dwelling and its grounds with a hint of reluctance in his eyes. "I'll be leaving for a while tomorrow."

Intent on enhancing his bloodline and advancing his martial techniques, Xu Ming had resolved to spend several months in the forest, planning to return for the Xu family's annual test at year's end.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the front courtyard, punctuated by an angry shout: "You damned rascal, daring to lay claim to my sister's jade pendant? You're courting death!"

"It seems they weren't the only ones here."

The noise from the front yard caused Xu Ming's brow to furrow. He had sensed that Jiang Yuyan would be trouble from the moment they met, which is why he had taken the gold coins and left immediately after rescuing her.

Somehow, Jiang Yuyan had tracked him down to his home. Xu Ming had steadfastly refused her entry into his yard, yet she had brazenly walked in on her own. Xu Ming had made it clear that everything here came with a price, all to avoid any entanglement with Jiang Yuyan.

Despite all his precautions, trouble had found its way to his doorstep. Worse yet, he was being confronted at his own home. The jade pendant was in Xu Ming's possession, rightfully acquired through a fair transaction.

"I should have known you high-born types would be so duplicitous, completely lacking in integrity!"

With a scowl, Xu Ming strode out forcefully. "Who's out here causing a scene? You're not welcome here, so I'll have to ask you to leave."

Reaching the front courtyard and seeing it filled with a crowd of at least twenty or thirty men and women, Xu Ming's frown deepened.

The man standing next to Jiang Yuyan caught his particular attention. Barely in his twenties and strikingly handsome, there was, however, a menacing look about him.

The individual who had been making a commotion was none other than Jiang Yuyan's brother, Jiang Yutong.

"A scion of the Jiang family!"

Xu Ming's eyes narrowed as he scanned the courtyard, taking in each person, which caused his pupils to constrict slightly.

Adorning Jiang Yutong's chest was a gleaming medal, palm-sized, emblazoned with the symbol of three sharp swords!

"Martial Artist Grade Three!"

A sense of foreboding settled in Xu Ming's heart as he took a longer look at Jiang Yutong.

This medal represented a symbol of strength and honor, awarded only to those who passed the Martial Artist Association's test. On the Martial God Continent, particularly below Martial Artist Grade Nine, it was exceedingly difficult to gauge one's level. Consequently, the Martial Artist Association had decreed that whether one was a family disciple or a sect disciple, upon commencing their cultivation, they could undertake the test. Passing the test not only confirmed their prowess but also earned them the esteemed medal from the Association.

Naturally, the test wasn't free. Each attempt cost three gold coins. In Xu Ming's memory, despite the presence of a Martial Artist Association in Four-direction City, it was rare for family disciples to seek testing and earn medals.

Such medals were a hallmark of the gifted. For those with lower Bloodline Grades and lesser strength than the Talent Disciples, the idea of spending money for what was essentially a mark of inferiority was almost unthinkable. Thus, Xu Ming had come to understand that only Talent Disciples, with the financial backing of their families, would pursue the Association's test and the medal that signified their status.

There were two types of medals: one with a white background and a black sword for martial artists below Martial Dao Grade Nine, and another with a red background and a white sword, exclusively for those at the Martial Artist Stage. Once a practitioner reached the Martial Disciple Stage, such medals ceased to exist.

"It's impressive that Jiang Yuyan's brother has already attained Martial Artist Grade Three. His aptitude is certainly above average."

Xu Ming shifted his attention away from Jiang Yutong. Of the nearly thirty individuals in the courtyard, the majority were below Martial Dao Grade Nine, with only a handful, about five, having reached the Martial Artist Stage. Among them was a young man, not particularly tall and roughly Jiang Yutong's age, with a red medal on his chest, proudly displaying five sharp swords.

The others sported either two red swords or a single one, insignias that Xu Ming found of little concern. However, he was particularly cautious around the young man who had achieved Martial Artist Grade Five.