[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-martial-saint-through-reading":3,"chapter-martial-saint-through-reading-martial-saint-through-reading-chapter-174":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Martial Saint through Reading",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},874571,1148,"Chapter 174: The Mysterious Black-Clad Man","martial-saint-through-reading-chapter-174",174,"\u003Cp>\"Brother Shen, I’ll explain to you later. First, help me gather these things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ming walked over to a person dressed in black, stripped off his clothes, and then searched him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yu looked at Chu Ming, took several deep breaths, and then came to his senses to help gather the items from these people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In no time, the two had collected quite a bit, including silver, silver notes, and cultivation techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ming picked up a letter, which he had previously taken from a guard. The contents were brief, indicating that the guard’s son was held hostage, forcing him to act tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the mastermind behind it, no specific information was found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, these people had no trace of blood stench or Blood Evil Qi, indicating they weren’t sent by the Blood Evil Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yu looked at the consistently calm Chu Ming and suddenly felt unfamiliar with him, but then found him familiar again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kid Chu Ming seemed to have always been like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yu recalled past events and began to realize that Chu Ming might be even more mysterious than he had perceived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least this ability to instantly kill a dozen martial artists was something he couldn’t have imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I guess it’s the Wan Family,\" Shen Yu could see that Chu Ming was searching for something: \"The Wan Family is a merchant, engaging in trade, with no honesty among traders, and holds a grudge against you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He actually had another guess, which involved those jealous of Chu Ming’s talent, or related to the Inspectorate, Governor’s Office in Jingyan County, or even that County Governor Baili Xinghua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in Shen Yu’s opinion, the latter shouldn’t collude with bandits like the Black Wind Stronghold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Family, huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ming’s gaze deepened as he donned a clean black garment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you going to do?\" Shen Yu asked, startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rescue someone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a swipe of his palm over his face, Chu Ming’s appearance changed instantly, then he covered his face with a black cloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He trusted Brother Shen enough to reveal his strength, but that didn’t mean others were trustworthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this a disguise technique?!\" Shen Yu was astonished as he watched the face change almost in a blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yu knew Chu Ming could disguise, but he had never seen nor heard of instant disguise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, it’s the disguise technique.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Sword Gourd Spirit] dispersed, leaving no trace, as Chu Ming walked to the side of a carriage, swiftly pulling the horse out of the pit, astonishing Shen Yu again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Shen, come up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yu complied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ming rode the steed, taking Shen Yu back to the location about a hundred meters away from where the fights with several refining organ experts occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of collision between gold and iron resounded from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chu Ming...\" Shen Yu hesitated before saying, \"Commander Meng and Ye Hong are in the Refining Organ Realm, Black Pockmarks and his men are too, you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know the strength of those whom Chu Ming had just killed and couldn’t gauge Chu Ming’s exact prowess, thus feeling worried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Shen Yu’s view, it would be remarkable for Chu Ming at his age to have cultivated to the Strong Bone Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rest assured.\" Chu Ming lightly tapped the tips of his toes, his body flashed, and he leapt onto a tree, \"Brother Shen, wait here for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already investigated the surroundings and confirmed there was no danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\" Shen Yu wanted to persuade further, but Chu Ming was already gone in a blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Zhen fought alone against two opponents; his realm wasn’t as advanced as Black Pockmarks’, so fatigue gradually set in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Ye Hong and Li Xingbai fought evenly, neither yielding to the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Time’s almost up, retreat!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Black Pockmarks roared and swung his axes, splitting through Meng Zhen, his large figure surprisingly agile as he retreated up the tree trunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Shuo and Li Xingbai followed closely behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t chase, go find Chu Ming and Old Shen quickly.\" Ye Hong wanted to pursue, but Meng Zhen called him back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as soon as he spoke, a corpse fell from a tall tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two fixed their eyes on it, pupils instantly constricting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corpse was the other Refining Organ expert who had teamed up with Black Pockmarks to assault Meng Zhen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just a few breaths, how could this person suddenly die?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the two were in doubt, another corpse plummeted down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Black Pockmarks’ voice, filled with terror, echoed from not far away: \"Who are you?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Zhen and Ye Hong were startled, hastily chasing after the sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a few steps later, they saw atop a tall tree, Black Pockmarks battling a masked individual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a battle; it was complete overpowering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This level of skill...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In awe, Meng Zhen watched as the black-clad person’s prowess equated to Commander Huo’s strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are there such experts in Xirong County?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t kill me, I’ll give you as much silver as you want.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black Pockmarks began to beg for mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a short moment, he was struck on the chest by a palm from the black-clad person, immediately spitting blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The impressive black-clad person struck again, causing Black Pockmarks to fall limply from the tree, crashing to the ground, raising a dust of leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ming stood up high, gazing downward, then vanished into the darkness after a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Zhen and Ye Hong chased after, but they soon completely lost the target and simultaneously found Chu Ming and Shen Yu mounted on a horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Chu, Old Shen, are you alright?\" Meng Zhen landed on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No issues.\" Shen Yu looked at Chu Ming with a slightly strange expression, speaking hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commander Meng, Lord Ye, Dahe Village...\" Chu Ming pointed to the nearby Dahe Village, still lit with blazing flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll go check.\" Ye Hong looked anxious and rushed to Dahe Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the three Refining Organ experts, including Black Pockmarks, slain by a mysterious masked individual, it was unlikely there’d be more such experts soon. Only then did Ye Hong dare to venture into Dahe Village to rescue people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s go see too.\" Meng Zhen tied the three Refining Organ experts’ corpses together, then dragged them along, guarding Chu Ming and Shen Yu as they entered Dahe Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Dahe Village showed no trace of the Black Wind Stronghold bandits, nor did Pan Cheng and the others who had entered the village before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buildings burned down, severed limbs, blood flowing like rivers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ming felt guilty, knowing these common people were caught up in the chaos because of him...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Approaching the village center, Ye Hong stood there angrily, with a few heads on stakes before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Cheng was dead, Xiahou Zhen was dead, five guards were dead—his trusted aides—dead here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No words, his chest burned with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Zhen walked over, patting his shoulder, speaking in a grave tone, \"Lord Ye, now is not the time for sorrow and anger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby, many surviving villagers huddled in corners in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From these survivors, it was clear that Black Wind Stronghold’s target wasn’t to loot Dahe Village, but to use Dahe Village as bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Hong arranged Pan Cheng and the others’ bodies, tightly gripping his weapon, staying silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Zhen sighed, quietly searching through Black Pockmarks and his associates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen countless scenes of such purgatory, with countless brothers from Tiger Armor Army fallen on battlefields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sorrow and rage were futile; what truly mattered was managing the aftermath and avenging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He extracted a bag of silver from Black Pockmarks and looked inside, confirming it held thirty thousand taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Ming could have easily grabbed this silver when he killed Black Pockmarks, but he didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Commander Meng, give this money to the villagers,\" Shen Yu said, his mood subdued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" Meng Zhen had the same intention.\u003C\u002Fp>",1329,"2026-06-03T05:21:42.578Z","2026-06-03T05:21:48.428Z",1,"novelbin.me","4889986f9389a8dd566c52bacb03885a6a3f4d65ea736be138612e7da2680f1d","martial-saint-through-reading-chapter-175","martial-saint-through-reading-chapter-173",238,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmartial-saint-through-reading-cover.jpg"]