Chapter 453 Lu Ming, You Have Changed.
In the burial ground.
An Mingdong turned red as he stiffened like a statue.
“Old An.
“What’s the matter?”
Puzzled, Meng s.h.i.+san looked at An Mingdong.
“The energy…”
An Mingdong trembled. “The energy is gone!”
“How is that possible?”
Meng s.h.i.+san was speechless. There was an endless amount of energy here. Normally, it should be enough for everyone to cultivate for several rounds. Why would there be no…
With that…
He froze as he walked past…
d.a.m.n!
Where is the energy?!
“What is happening?”
Upon knowing that there was no energy, all the Swordsmen came over in anger. The energy here was sufficient for them to increase their abilities. Why would there be nothing left?
“Impossible!”
Meng s.h.i.+san was puzzled. “When I cultivated just now, there was a lot of energy. Old An, what have you done?”
An Mingdong looked dumbstruck.
What did he mean by that?
He had barely cultivated!
That was right…
He recovered his senses right away.
Lu Ming!
It must be due to that scoundrel!
After Lu Ming increased his ability, there was no energy left!
This was too much!
He left nothing for him!
He was only a 16-year-old teenager. He was unlike his wife who was about 50 years old and had strong desires! Why did he drain all the energy?!
Hence…
He glared at Lu Ming. “What have you done?”
“Huh?”
Lu Ming looked bewildered.
“Senior An, what you are saying is too much …”
A young Swordsman took the initiative to come out to side with him. “Lu Ming does not belong to the Swordsman a.s.sociation. He is only a five-star, and there is no need to enhance his energy. He merely increased by 1000 points! All of you should know that 1000 points in the five-star stage does not consume a lot of energy! You have no right to blame Lu Ming!
“Besides…”
The young Swordsman was puzzled. “I feel that you have been targeting Lu Ming right from the start. I can’t stand that you bullied an honest man!”
“Exactly!”
The Swordsmen muttered.
All of them could tell that Lu Ming did nothing! They were no fools! Why did he take issue with Lu Ming?!
Lu Ming was too honest!
He did not rest despite creating cards for several days!
It was too much to bully an honest man!
“I…”
An Mingdong looked exasperated.
“Old An.”
Meng s.h.i.+san sighed. “We must be fair. Lu Ming worked hard to help us, we must not kick someone to the curb when they’ve outlived their usefulness… However, I believe the energy drain has nothing to do with you. There must be some changes here. This land is unlike other legacy sites. We must be careful.
“In that case…
“If there are other such benefits, you can go first.”
Meng s.h.i.+san patted An Mingdong on the shoulder.
An Mingdong’s expression darkened.
How did things turn out like this?!
However…
The Swordsmen investigated and there was indeed no more energy. It might be like what Meng s.h.i.+san had said, something had changed.
After a long while…
The group of Swordsmen set off again.
“Thank you.”
Lu Ming expressed his grat.i.tude to the first young Swordsman who spoke up for him.
“It’s okay.”
The young Swordsman winked at him. “Since you helped all of us to increase our abilities, it is natural that we help you! An Mingdong is flaunting his seniority. I haven’t been able to stand him for a long time.
“Oh, by the way, I have forgotten to introduce myself. I am Xiaowu.
“Hehe.
“I’ve wanted to get to know you for a long time.”
Xiaowu smiled.
“Huh?”
Lu Ming was shocked.
“Do you know me?”
“I don’t know you, but I know your sister.”
Xiaowu sounded proud of himself.
“Oh?”
Lu Ming felt energized.
His sister’s acquaintance was actually here?!
“Look over here.”
Xiaowu secretly pulled Lu Ming to the edge of the group and lifted his s.h.i.+rt…
Lu Ming hurried to turn away. “I-is this appropriate?”
d.a.m.n!
He was a pure young man, he had not been through any of this! Then again, he thought that everyone in the Swordsman a.s.sociation was straight, why would there be someone like…
“There is nothing inappropriate about this.”
Xiaowu cast him an odd glance. “This is a medal of honor!”
“Huh?”
Lu Ming finally turned around.
There was a long scar on Xiaowu’s belly.
It was very deep.
It was very hideous.
“This is…”
Lu Ming was shocked.
“Humph!”
Xiaowu puffed his chest proudly. “This is done by your sister!”
Lu Ming was speechless.
Xiao-Xiaojian who was watching the fun was speechless.
“My sister has challenged you?”
Lu Ming gained some understanding.
“Yes.”
Xiaowu was very proud. “Do you know why I am the youngest among the group today? Because I am a genius! I am qualified to be challenged by your sister!”
“Huh?”
Lu Ming was dumbstruck.
He was qualified to be challenged by his sister!?
“Hey.
“Let me tell you.”
There was a look of exultation on Xiaowu’s face. “What kind of person is your sister? She is a super genius! One must be very powerful to be qualified to be challenged by her!
“And me…
“Among everyone who was challenged by your sister, I am the youngest!”
Xiaowu was proud of himself.
Lu Ming was speechless.
d.a.m.n!
He did not know his sister was that formidable?!
He did not know that it was a benchmark to be challenged by his sister!
” An Mingdong…
“Have you seen him?”
Xiaowu laughed. “This guy is no longer young. He was around the last time when your sister came to challenge us. He thought that she was there to challenge him as he was the most experienced cultivator. It is said that he even changed into new clothes and had a shower. He made sure that he was in the right state to accept the challenge!
“But, what happened?!
“Your sister did not even glance at him and she challenged me!”
Lu Ming was silent.
He suddenly understood why An Mingdong was targeting him.
Tsk.
What a pitiful fellow.
“The fight…”
Xiaowu was captivated by the memory of it. “Although I was defeated in three seconds, it was still a very refres.h.i.+ng fight!
“It was a glorious defeat!!!” Xiaowu said proudly.
Lu Ming was silent.
Goodness!
The child was out of his mind…
It was no wonder he sided with him. He was a fan of his sister! Judging from the scar, it was very serious! Yet he was so happy to suffer such a serious injury!
However, he found it odd.
If it only lasted three seconds… Why did his sister challenge him?!
It was not even two minutes!
“Did it only last for three seconds?”
Lu Ming asked.
“Yes.”
Xiaowu was very certain. “I used the swordplay that I created. It is called Nine Yang Swordplay. I was inspired by the rotary blades of a soy milk machine. I am very proud of it. It is a pity Miss Lu Yan saw through my swordplay in two seconds and she defeated me.”
Lu Ming was speechless.
Wait a minute.
She looked at it for two seconds…
That was to say in the fight that lasted three seconds, the introduction took up two seconds?!
c.r.a.p!
Was his sister that powerful?!
“So…
“I have a burning question.”
Xiaowu was embarra.s.sed. “Can you ask your sister why she chose me?”
Lu Ming pondered deeply for a moment.
To be honest, he was curious as well.
Hence…
He switched on his communication device and messaged Lu Yan.
“Thank you.”
Xiaowu was grateful.
He had once messaged Lu Yan asking whether she was free. Three months later, she replied “Yes” and there was no more news of her…
He heard that Lu Yan seldom used her communication device.
That was true.
Geniuses like her would spend everyday cultivating.
“In that case…
“Let me give you my contact details.”
Xiaowu said, “After we leave the legacy site, please let me know when she answers you.”
While he was speaking…
Lu Ming’s communication device vibrated madly and someone by the name of “Sister” sent a series of messages to him. It seemed to be Lu Yan…
Xiaowu was dazed.
Was Miss Lu Yan that familiar with communication devices?!
“Oh…”
Lu Ming looked at his sister’s reply.
“An Mingdong might be powerful, but his swordplay is too conservative. Most of it was used by the entire a.s.sociation. One can see through it in one glance and it was especially easy to deal with during combat. The person named Xiaowu might have been weaker but he created his own swordplay. It was very special. I took two seconds to see through it—Lu Yan.”
So, that was what happened.
Lu Ming was filled with emotions.
He could hardly see what parts were special about it and she took two seconds to see through them. It was unbearable …
His older sister, she was indeed ruthless!
He explained this to Xiaowu and he was pleased by the answer.
“I will work hard!” Xiaowu said proudly.
He was extremely happy.
His idol gave him recognition for creating his own swordplay!
It was a coincidence that he was obsessed with blending juices recently. He had developed the second move of the Nine Yang Swordplay based on his Nine Yang blender… Next time he would last more than two seconds!
Lu Ming was speechless.
He had set such a low target for himself!
“Don’t worry.
“Now that we are here, I will protect you.”
Xiaowu patted his chest. “Although I could not defeat An Mingdong, I can delay him. If he creates trouble for you, you must tell me.
“This guy is too old.
“It is said that after this, he is preparing to break through to seven-star. If he fails… in the future, it will be unnecessary for him to partic.i.p.ate in any activities.
“You don’t have to worry about him.”
Xiaowu was full of disdain.
“What if he succeeds?”
Lu Ming pondered deeply.
“That is a one in a million chance.”
Xiaowu sneered. “If he succeeds, I will do a headstand and swallow a huge sword.”
Lu Ming was speechless.
Alright.
All Swordsmen indeed had their own skills…
It seemed that even if the Swordsman a.s.sociation closed down, the Swordsmen would have no problem performing on the streets.
After a long while, the two of them returned to the group.
On the way, they were attacked by monsters.
However, this area was fully developed. All the powerful monsters were killed by the big shots. The remaining monsters were only ordinary monsters. They posed no problem to them.
It was a smooth journey.
“Are you okay?”
Meng s.h.i.+san asked Lu Ming out of concern.
Lu Ming worked hard in creating cards for them and he had not had a good rest for the past two days, yet he had become the scapegoat… As the leader, he had to show his concern.
“I am alright.”
Lu Ming smiled.
“Do tell us if there are any problems.”
“Okay.”
Lu Ming nodded.
Hence…
Meng s.h.i.+san continued to lead the team forward.
Lu Ming looked at the map. They were not too far from the second unusual place. Hence, he continued to idle around as usual.
At this very moment…
Buzz—
His wristband vibrated.
Eh?
Lu Ming took a look. It was actually a message from Xiaobai!!!
What happened to the Sword Card Master a.s.sociation?
Lu Ming’s heart jumped a beat.
He checked the communication device right away. “Master, do you remember that the reporter who interviewed you last time started a column?— Li Haoran.”
Oh?
Lu Ming’s eyes lit up.
Column!
He remembered.
As the president of an influencer a.s.sociation, it was natural that people were very curious about Lu Ming, especially the few times when he was surrounded by reporters!
Afterward, a community wanted to interview Lu Ming and they created a column for him.
Lu Ming thought about it and agreed to it. After all, he was obliged to advertise the Sword Card Master a.s.sociation. He could make use of his popularity to publicize it.
However…
Time pa.s.sed and he forgot about it…
He did not expect that…
It was ready now!
“Where is it?”
Lu Ming asked.
“Eh?!
“Master, aren’t you at the legacy site?”
Li Haoran was astonished.
Cough.
Lu Ming coughed. “There is internet here.”
“Oh.”
Li Haoran sent the information regarding the column to Lu Ming.
“This is a community called Weibo.
“The ID is [Gorgeous -90°c]. There is a customized column for you. There is also the finalized cover,” Li Haoran replied.
“Okay.”
Lu Ming noted down the details.
Weibo…
Gorgeous -90°c…
Well…
He went online to take a look and two seconds later his expression froze. d.a.m.n it! Was that the cover of the column?!
On the cover:
An idiot with a center-part was dressed in an old fur coat, there was a cross around his neck, and in the background were some worthless special effects… [1.The cover was taken from the cover of volume one of a traditional Chinese book.]
Of course, the person held a very ugly card in his hands.
What the h.e.l.l is this?
Lu Ming had a murderous thought in his mind.
“Scoundrel!
“How can I be so ugly?!”
Xiao-Xiaojian was furious.
It could clearly see that the handsome card appeared twice on the cover.
The first time, it was in Lu Ming’s hands. It was a model the size of a cell phone. Its background was dyed red and there was a very ugly lightning icon in the center.
There was nothing more.
Red with yellow.
A graphic designer would vomit blood.
The second time it was in the headlines. There was a card in the middle of the word, “Card Creator”. There was not even lightning on the card. There was only the word “card”.
The main point was…
There were three stars underneath.
Xiao-Xiaojian was so angry that its bangs turned green.
It was an ancient Excalibur. Why did it become a lowly three-star card?!!
“Destroy them!
“Destroy them!”
Xiao-Xiaojian shouted.
Lu Ming was silent.
He looked at Xiao-Xiaojian and he felt much better.
Look.
Although he looked ugly and old-fas.h.i.+oned, he looked like the non-mainstream w.a.n.g Leehom[1]. He was slightly better than Xiao-Xiaojian!
“Master!”
Li Haoran sent another message. “The reporter asked whether it is okay? If it is okay, we will finalize the cover.”
“You can ask Xiaobai,” Lu Ming said calmly.
“Uh—”
Li Haoran sounded embarra.s.sed. “I have asked Senior Sister Xiaobai…”
“What did Xiaobai say?”
Lu Ming was curious.
“Uh…”
Li Haoran paused. “Senior Sister Xiaobai said that the picture did not even reflect a ten thousandth of your looks. She wants to destroy the company…”
“This is Xiaobai, indeed!”
Lu Ming was pleased.
Li Haoran felt aggrieved. He was his disciple as well.
However, he was the standing president after all. Although he wanted to destroy the company, he had to leave the decision to his master.
“That column…”
Li Haoran asked cautiously.
“Reject it!
“In the future, only release something after getting Xiaobai’s approval!”
Lu Ming said in a cold voice.
“Understood.”
Li Haoran nodded slightly.
Hence…
Lu Ming switched off the communication device.
“That’s it?!”
Xiao-Xiaojian was furious. “Lu Ming, how can you tolerate this?! I suspect that the company has evil intentions. It is trying to insult and tarnish our reputation. We must destroy them!
“Destroy them!
“Destroy them!”
Xiao-Xiaojian shouted.
“Get lost!”
Lu Ming said unhappily.
It was just a cover… It was only a little ugly…
“A little ugly?!”
Xiao-Xiaojian could not believe it.
Had he ever seen such an ugly card?!
No way!
It was downright ugly!
It was an insult to its looks. In the future, how was it supposed to face Xiao-Xiaobai?!! In the future, how was it supposed to face Xiao-Xiaoshé that was green from head to bottom!!
“Lu Ming, you have changed.
“You are no longer the Lu Ming who killed the entire family of your enemies who insulted you.
“You d.a.m.n…”
Xiao-Xiaojian kept nagging.
Lu Ming became sullen.
Bam!
He gave the card a tight slap.
It was shoved back into the card bag.
Serves it right for being too talkative!
…
[1] A Chinese-American singer-songwriter, actor, producer, and film director.