The Measure of One's Character

"Reporting to the steward, I was the one responsible."

Xu Yuan stepped forward and gave him a proper salute.

"Oh? Another official martial artist. Not bad." Zhao Qiusheng turned to look at him, his expression easing slightly as he made no effort to conceal his favoritism.

At those words, the other Laborers around them suddenly raised their heads, their eyes filled with astonishment, as though they could scarcely believe it.

After all, in their eyes, although Xu Yuan worked hard, his aptitude had always been exceedingly mediocre. He had trained for so long without a single sign of progress.

He had never revealed the slightest hint of his advancement in ordinary days, likely because he feared losing face.

Yet who would have thought that Xu Yuan, who never flaunted his abilities, had also become an official martial artist?!

Thinking back on it now, they realized that Xu Yuan had been disciplined and diligent from his very first day, calm as still water. Even beneath the strange looks of others, he had never been affected in the slightest.

His diligence and low-key conduct left them utterly speechless and ashamed beyond measure!

Xu Yuan's gaze remained calm, untouched by those complicated looks. "I was fortunate enough to break through tonight. I was planning to tell Master Feng tomorrow."

"Mm, Xu Yuan, was it? This is not the time for talk. When you move to the training compound tomorrow, come find me at the registration office. Just give them my name, Zhao Qiusheng."

With that, Zhao Qiusheng turned and left without sparing Tian Yang so much as a glance.

"Brother Xu, thank you so much this time!" Tian Yang had finally caught his breath and spoke with a face full of gratitude.

He was almost dying of regret. He had been about to become a martial artist and turn his life around, yet because of his big mouth, he had nearly lost his life and seen everything come to nothing!

Just last month, he had told his family that he would definitely become a martial artist. If he failed in the end and sent nothing back but a corpse...

Tian Yang did not even dare imagine such a scene!

"It's fine as long as you're all right." Xu Yuan waved a hand. Seeing the complicated looks from the Laborers around him, he opened his mouth as though he wished to say something.

He coughed, then spoke first. "All right, that's enough for tonight. Everyone still has work to do tomorrow."

Then he returned to his bed, pulled up the blanket, lay down, and closed his eyes.

"You, sleep over on my side."

Tian Yang moved his own blanket over and quietly spoke to the Laborer sleeping beside Xu Yuan.

Tian Yang had already held a high position in the dormitory, and now that he had become a martial artist, that Laborer naturally did not dare refuse in the slightest.

Xu Yuan saw it all but did not particularly care.

Because of Liu Hong, he had already become somewhat vigilant. Even if someone wanted to harm him, he would be able to react swiftly.

Lying beside him, Tian Yang finally felt a little safer. Yet he did not fall asleep, his eyes sweeping over the surroundings from time to time.

That harrowing ordeal had left no small aftereffect on him.

Most of the others had not fallen asleep either. Tonight, they had first witnessed Liu Hong attempt to kill Tian Yang, only to be executed on the spot. Then Xu Yuan, whom they had never thought much of, had unexpectedly broken through to become an official martial artist.

Such a string of shocks left their minds churning, and they tossed and turned through the night.

The next day.

Having formed the habit, Xu Yuan rose as usual with the others, washed up, and ate breakfast.

Tian Yang had originally intended to laze in bed, but seeing virtue in another and striving to match it, he got up with them as well.

When they arrived in the courtyard, Xu Yuan felt the frequent looks cast his way. Unlike the mockery and amusement from before, these gazes now held nothing but admiration and respect.

Naturally, word of last night's events had spread through the courtyard. Everyone knew what had happened, and when they connected the events before and after, they could not help but feel a measure of respect for Xu Yuan.

Some Laborers with poor aptitude even took him as a role model, becoming more low-key and diligent in their martial training.

Xu Yuan remained indifferent to all this. With his head lowered, he continued doing chores and split apart a massive round log.

After witnessing Zhao Qiusheng's strength, he had long since put away that trace of self-satisfaction. He had indeed stepped into an entirely new world now.

But the road ahead was still very long.

At this moment, Chen Sanli also came over. He was older than most of the Laborers present, and a mercenary air that could not be concealed clung to his entire body.

Whenever he began flattering someone, he could truly brighten their mood by several degrees.

One did not strike a smiling face. Xu Yuan neither treated him differently nor deliberately neglected him.

His attitude remained as it always had been: polite and distant.

By the hour of the Snake.

Feng Xiao strode in. At the sight of him, the Laborers swiftly finished what they were doing and consciously lined up.

Then, they all looked directly toward Xu Yuan and Tian Yang at the side.

"Master Feng, we've broken through."

Xu Yuan and Tian Yang both raised their hands, then picked up the wooden boards before them and pressed them down as proof.

"Oh?"

Feng Xiao was immediately both startled and delighted. Two people had actually broken through to become official martial artists at the same time!

A full two taels of silver had fallen right into his hands!

Moreover, compared with Wang Huan, Li Shan, and the others, Xu Yuan was a completely unexpected surprise.

As for Tian Yang, that fellow was lazy and lax. He could have broken through long ago, yet had dragged things out until now. There was nothing worth saying about him.

Furthermore, Feng Xiao had previously told them that the time it took to break through the First Meridian Realm would greatly affect the Lineage's assessment of their aptitude.

As for whether they had taken those words to heart, he could not be bothered to care.

After his delight faded, Feng Xiao suddenly noticed that when he had entered earlier, Xu Yuan had still been silently chopping firewood and working.

For a Laborer, breaking through to become a martial artist is no different from ascending to the heavens in a single step. Yet this boy can still remain so cautious and patient. His mind is truly meticulous!

Thinking this, he could not help giving Xu Yuan a deep look.

Though his aptitude is somewhat lacking, with such character, he may yet achieve something in the future.

After pondering it for a moment, Feng Xiao's smile grew even brighter. Of course, the news that two people had broken through together accounted for the greater part of it.

Then, amid the envious gazes of the Laborers, he returned to the dormitory to help the two move their belongings.

Once they reached the dormitory, Xu Yuan naturally could not truly allow him to pack things up. He picked up his own luggage, and when they reached the door, he even had Feng Xiao go ahead first.

That respectful attitude undoubtedly pleased Feng Xiao greatly. Inwardly, he praised the boy for keeping his feet on the ground and handling matters with tact.

Tian Yang had pondered for most of the night. Recalling every detail of Xu Yuan's conduct thus far, he deeply marveled at how thorough and seasoned the other man was in his dealings.

At this moment, he too followed suit, treating Feng Xiao with cautious respect, without letting his thoughts drift upward in the slightest.

With Feng Xiao's wealth of experience, he naturally saw the difference between the two. One was deliberately currying favor, while the other acted from the heart, without the slightest false sentiment, entirely natural and unforced.

Compared to him, Wang Huan falls far short.

When Feng Xiao had helped Wang Huan move his luggage back then, Wang Huan had stood to the side and made a show of reaching for it. Yet after Feng Xiao offered one polite remark, he had stopped insisting.

Feng Xiao could see that though Wang Huan appeared utterly respectful toward him, his heart was brimming with arrogance. Perhaps he believed that he would soon break through to the Second Meridian Realm?

In short, he could not even perform the bare courtesies properly, leaving others feeling neither settled nor comfortable.

By contrast, on Xu Yuan's first day, he had been scolded by Feng Xiao until he was drenched in verbal abuse, yet his expression had not changed. Now, after experiencing such great rises and falls, he could still preserve that original heart. That was truly rare and precious.

Let's see how he performs in the Second Meridian Realm.

When facing someone like Xu Yuan, Feng Xiao was willing to offer a measure of goodwill. But if he were to invest and place his bets, he would still need to clearly see what Xu Yuan's aptitude was like.

If his talent proved inadequate, it would be difficult for him to travel far on the Martial Path. In this world, he would ultimately lack the right to speak, and there would be nothing more to discuss.