Resolving Post-Battle Doubts

Wang Daoling sat on the ground, watching Wang Yue being surrounded by the crowd in the arena. His face showed no disappointment; instead, he let out a long sigh of relief. The pressure that had been weighing on his heart for a long time vanished completely at the moment of his defeat.

Ever since the news spread within the clan that the Dragon Transformation Sect was opening its doors to disciples, the most frequent words he heard were the earnest instructions from elders and relatives: "Daoling, you are the most talented child in our Wang Clan. You must be able to join the Dragon Transformation Sect."

"With you, our Wang Clan's status in the county town will surely become more stable."

At first, he felt it was the clan's recognition of him. However, as he understood more about the Wang Clan's situation and the power dynamics of the Spirit Seeking Prefecture, this "recognition" gradually turned into a heavy shackle. He couldn't help but wonder, if he failed to join the Dragon Transformation Sect, would those expectant gazes turn into disappointment? Would the elders of the clan feel that he had failed to live up to the clan's cultivation?

He was only seventeen this year, an age that should be for carefree exuberance, yet he carried the expectations of his entire family. This pressure made him unable to breathe, and he often felt restless even when practicing his punches.

It wasn't until he was defeated by Wang Yue just now that he realized it was a good thing for someone more outstanding to have a greater opportunity to join the Dragon Transformation Sect.

"I lost, and it doesn't seem that scary," Wang Daoling muttered to himself, a relaxed smile appearing on his lips. He stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and walked away from the crowd.

The cheers and applause from the training ground gradually subsided. The disciples dispersed in twos and threes. Some were still excitedly discussing the match, while others gathered around Xu Li, inquiring about Wang Yue's past in the back courtyard.

Wang Yue walked out of the crowd, politely declining the invitations from several disciples to "go for a celebratory drink." He first returned to his room to pack his personal belongings. According to Wang Shuo's arrangement, starting today, he would move into Wang Shuo's residence to live, making it convenient for him to receive guidance.

Carrying his bag towards Wang Shuo's residence, he passed by a small alley on the west side of the Martial Academy and saw a familiar figure leaning quietly against the wall. Moonlight shone upon him, outlining a lonely yet liberated silhouette. It was Wang Daoling.

Hearing footsteps, Wang Daoling looked up. Seeing it was Wang Yue, a flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes. He opened his mouth and asked, "You must know about the Dragon Transformation Sect recruiting disciples, right?"

Wang Yue nodded and walked to his side, placing his bag on the ground and leaning against the wall. "Master Wang has already told me. The assessment will be on January 1st next year at the Spirit Seeking Prefecture's city. As long as you are under twenty years old, you have a chance."

"There are opportunities, but the entrance assessment will definitely be very strict," Wang Daoling said with a slight smile, his tone carrying a hint of emotion. "In the past, the Dragon Transformation Sect not only considered age, root bone talent, and aptitude when recruiting disciples, but also their family's wealth."

He paused, then turned to look at Wang Yue, his eyes sincere. "Congratulations, you have now become the number one among the younger generation of our Wang Clan."

Wang Yue was a little surprised. He had clearly defeated Wang Daoling to take this "number one" position, yet Wang Daoling not only showed no resentment but also came to congratulate him. This magnanimity was truly rare.

Wang Yue remained silent for a moment, not responding.

Wang Daoling didn't mind and continued, "You might not know this, but in the past, the Dragon Transformation Sect only accepted children under ten years old. They said that disciples of this age had unstable dispositions, making them easier to cultivate and to identify with the sect."

His voice lowered slightly, carrying an almost imperceptible seriousness. "Haven't you ever wondered why the Dragon Transformation Sect suddenly changed this rule that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years, and is now accepting disciples under twenty?"

Wang Yue's heart stirred. He hadn't considered this question before. Now that Wang Daoling brought it up, he felt there was indeed something peculiar. A great sect with a history of hundreds of years would not change its disciple recruitment rules without reason.

"Why?" Wang Yue asked.

Wang Daoling looked up at the night sky, his eyes becoming deep. "I happened to hear it from my father. The Spirit Seeking Prefecture where we are now was actually the territory of the Zhao Kingdom three hundred years ago. Later, it was forcibly opened up by the major sects of Great Chang in cooperation with the imperial court and incorporated into the territory of Great Chang."

"In recent years, there have been frequent disturbances from the Zhao Kingdom's side, and border friction is increasing. The elders in the clan are all saying that a major war might break out between the two countries at any time. Of course, it's also possible that it's just a rumor and they won't actually fight."

Wang Yue's heart trembled. He only knew that the Zhao Kingdom and Great Chang were enemy nations, but he never expected the Spirit Seeking Prefecture to have such a history. Even more so, he never expected that the Dragon Transformation Sect's change in recruitment rules might be related to the situation between the two countries!

"You mean, the Dragon Transformation Sect is expanding its recruitment of disciples to prepare for a potential major war?" Wang Yue pressed. If that were the case, then next year's recruitment assessment would likely be more brutal than imagined. The sect needed disciples who could be quickly trained and sent to the battlefield, not "raw jade" that required long-term refinement.

Wang Daoling did not answer directly, but simply said, "Who knows? But whatever the reason, we have to give our all in next year's assessment. For us, joining the Dragon Transformation Sect is the only opportunity to break free from the county town and head towards a broader world."

He straightened up, patted Wang Yue on the shoulder, and said, "I'll be going now. We'll both try to join the sect in the prefectural city next year."

With that, he turned and walked into the night outside the alley, his steps much lighter than when he arrived, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Wang Yue watched his retreating figure disappear into the night, then lowered his head in thought. The disturbances in the Zhao Kingdom, the sect's expansion, the potential war – these pieces of information gradually pieced together a grander picture in his mind, also giving him a sense of urgency regarding the Dragon Transformation Sect's assessment next year.

Wang Yue, carrying his bag, stood in the small alley for a moment, contemplating. He committed the information about the Zhao Kingdom's disturbances and the sect's expansion to memory before picking up his bag again and quickly heading towards Wang Shuo's residence.

Wang Shuo's residence was located at the innermost part of the Martial Academy, a separate courtyard with a small garden. It was much more spacious than the rooms of ordinary disciples. Several old locust trees were planted in the courtyard, and moonlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

He pushed open the door, and the courtyard was quiet. Wang Shuo seemed to still be inside.

Wang Yue tiptoed into the east wing room, which Wang Shuo had specially prepared for him. Although the room was not large, it was clean and tidy, with a bed, desk, and cabinet, all complete. It was much more comfortable than his previous room.

He placed his bag on the bed and began to unpack: night-traveling clothes, Black Cloud Fist gauntlets, and the Good Victory Saber were put in their places.

Just as he finished organizing, footsteps were heard from outside the courtyard. Wang Yue walked out of the room and happened to see Wang Shuo coming from outside, holding a tray. On the tray were two bowls of steaming hot rice porridge and a plate of pickles.

"Finished packing?" Wang Shuo saw him and smiled, placing the tray on the stone table in the courtyard. "I just heard you won the match and figured you hadn't eaten yet, so I went to the kitchen to get you something."

Wang Yue walked to the stone table and sat down. Looking at the rice porridge in the bowl, his heart warmed. "Thank you, Master."

"Eat first, then we'll talk," Wang Shuo waved his hand and picked up a bowl of rice porridge to drink.

They ate the rice porridge quickly in silence.

Wang Shuo put down his bowl, took out his pipe, and slowly filled it with tobacco, lit it, and exhaled a smoke ring before smiling and saying, "You're quite something, kid. You even defeated Wang Daoling. You're now the number one among the younger generation of our Wang Clan. Tell me, what are your thoughts?"

Hearing this, Wang Yue put down his bowl, rubbed the back of his head, and chuckled. Instead of saying polite phrases like "I won't disappoint expectations" or "I'll continue to work hard," he put on a greedy expression: "My thoughts are... if I could have a bowl of Blood Nourishing Soup every day, that would be even better."

Ever since he entered the Martial Academy, he had been thinking about the Blood Nourishing Soup. Wang Shuo had only promised "a bowl every three days" before. Now that he had become the number one among the younger generation and had taken Wang Shuo as his master, he naturally had to seize the opportunity to "haggle."

Wang Shuo couldn't help but laugh and scold, "You kid, you've become the number one among the younger generation, and you're still so fixated on Blood Nourishing Soup. You have no ambition!"

Wang Yue shrunk his neck, not daring to retort. The Blood Nourishing Soup was crucial for him to improve his Qi and Blood, so it wasn't "no ambition."

Unexpectedly, Wang Shuo smiled and changed the subject. "However, since you were able to defeat Wang Daoling, you've brought me honor. A bowl a day it is, as long as you can digest it."

"Ah?" Wang Yue was stunned, thinking he had misheard. He widened his eyes and looked at Wang Shuo, "You... you really agreed?"

He had only said it casually, not expecting Wang Shuo to actually agree. After all, the medicinal ingredients for a bowl of Blood Nourishing Soup were not cheap. A bowl a day meant thirty bowls a month, which was a considerable expense for the clan.

One person's share was equivalent to the quota of thirty ordinary disciples in the Martial Academy.

Wang Shuo flicked the ash from his pipe, his eyes carrying a hint of anticipation. "I, this old man, don't have many great achievements in my life. My greatest wish is to see our Wang Clan produce a disciple who can join a great sect. You are the most talented child I've ever seen. Don't let this old man's hopes go unfulfilled."

Hearing this, the smile on Wang Yue's face instantly vanished. He stood up, bowed deeply to Wang Shuo, his eyes firm and his voice resolute. "Master, rest assured. In next year's Dragon Transformation Sect assessment, this disciple will definitely give his all and certainly join the Dragon Transformation Sect. I will not disappoint you!"

He not only wanted to join the Dragon Transformation Sect but also to establish a firm foothold within the sect, learn profound martial arts, and see how vast the "boundless world" truly was, and how strong those "heavenly prodigies" were!

Wang Shuo looked at his determined eyes and nodded with satisfaction. He then cautioned, "However, don't be too eager for quick success. While Blood Nourishing Soup is good, it cannot be consumed in excess. Cultivation should also be gradual. Don't damage your foundation in pursuit of speed, understand?"

"This disciple understands!" Wang Yue solemnly replied.

Under the moonlight, an old man and a young man sat by the stone table, one slowly smoking his pipe, the other with bright eyes planning for the future. The atmosphere in the courtyard was warm and full of hope.