Each Their Own Choice

Seeing that he did not seem to be faking it, everyone grew interested.

"What is it?"

"Yuan, hurry up and tell us. Don't keep us hanging—I thought you were putting on an opera over there."

"Yeah, hurry up!"

Gao Yuan recalled what he had heard and said that Martial Student recruitment would expand next month, while the Laborers' side would remain unchanged.

As for the martial artist assessment: reaching the Second Meridian Realm and gaining an initial grasp of Thunderclap Fist would earn them six months to choose their own assignment; a breakthrough in cultivation would earn four months, improvement in martial skills three months. If they achieved neither, they would be assigned work at random.

"Really?!" Wang Huan was so shocked by the news that he sat upright at once.

The others were equally uncertain, all staring at Gao Yuan with grave expressions.

Gao Yuan cleared his throat and slowly said, "They said Martial Student recruitment will expand next month. That means the pressure from the Bai Family is pretty severe, and the Shangyang Family urgently needs people to fill the gaps... On the other hand, that makes this martial artist assessment extremely important."

Everyone immediately caught the implication. If they failed to secure an assignment of their choice, they might be sent to the front lines to fight the Bai Family's people, putting themselves in danger.

"This..."

Xu Yuan and Tian Yang exchanged surprised looks. They had thought everyone basically knew about this already.

It seemed Master Feng hadn't mentioned it when he helped Wang Huan move his luggage... Seeing Wang Huan's bewildered face, Xu Yuan thought.

What he did not know was that when Feng Xiao had helped Wang Huan move his luggage, he had sensed the change in Wang Huan's attitude. He could not even be bothered to mention it, and left after setting down the things.

Li Shan, Chen Sanli, and the others were even less likely to know.

As for Qin Yang and the other man, they probably were not especially valued by the martial instructors among the Martial Students either.

"Brother Wang, what do you think?" Chen Sanli was the first to ask Wang Huan, Master Feng's most "favored" one.

After considering it carefully, Wang Huan said, "If we want the best result in next month's assessment, both our standing practice and martial skills must improve. That's simply too difficult."

"So if we're not confident, we should at least focus on one. Anything is better than being randomly assigned in the end."

"That makes sense. So which one are you planning to choose, Brother Wang?"

"I'm still considering it." Wang Huan looked conflicted. He had become a martial artist in forty days, and his talent had been judged above average. Clearly, he had greater advantages in bodily vitality and blood.

But after becoming a martial artist, tempering one's vitality and blood consumed a great deal of silver. The monthly stipend he received was not even enough for one month of training. When the time came, his family would probably have to bleed heavily again.

Martial skills, by comparison, were much more straightforward. They might test one's comprehension greatly, but as long as one could eat their fill and occasionally take some precious medicine, it would be more or less enough.

So he was considering whether to spend more money to continue tempering his cultivation, or devote himself to cultivating Thunderclap Fist.

"What about you, Sanli?" Wang Huan asked in return.

"As for me, my family is poor. We can't afford that much medicine. I'll probably have to wait until the pay from my assignment comes before I can break through in cultivation. What about Brother Li?" Chen Sanli gave a bitter smile. He was clearly planning to focus exclusively on martial skills.

"Same as you." Li Shan sighed. His family had some means, but they could not guarantee that he would break through next month. So cultivating martial skills was still more cost-effective.

"Brother Qin?"

"I'm fine with either." Qin Yang clearly did not have his heart in this. His thoughts were likely still tangled around the dan-role performer from that opera troupe.

Xu Yuan was not surprised by this. Gao Yuan's analysis had been very clear, but even before the college entrance examinations in his previous life, were there not plenty of people who slept when they should sleep and played when they should play?

"Brother Xiao?"

"Martial skills, definitely." Xiao Sheng did not hesitate much.

"What about you, Brother Yuan?"

"I still need to take another look." Gao Yuan's answer was vague.

"Brother Xu?"

"I haven't decided yet." Xu Yuan shook his head. Though he was already planning to pursue both, he did not want to say so, lest people wonder where his money came from and breed needless jealousy.

"Brother Tian?"

"Martial skills, I guess." Seeing even Wang Huan hesitate, Tian Yang did not think he could necessarily break through to the Second Meridian Realm either. Besides, his family did not have that much money.

After asking everyone in turn, Chen Sanli saw that most had made the same choice as him and could not help letting out a breath of relief.

Following the main force meant that even if something truly went wrong in the end, he would not be the only one in trouble.

Amid such discussions, the night grew ever deeper.

Lying in bed with their pillows propped high, everyone thought about the direction of their future.

Some tossed and turned all night, while others fell asleep the instant their heads touched the pillow.

A thousand people wore a thousand faces; with different circumstances, their choices naturally differed as well.

The next morning, at the beginning of December.

The eight people in the dormitory received notice and arrived at the training ground early after eating.

At that moment, several dozen people had already gathered on the field in twos and threes, men and women alike. Their clamor wove into a single din, like a marketplace.

It was still around the Hour of the Snake.

A martial instructor in his forties hurried over. His skin was fair, his face round, and three horizontal stripes were embroidered on his shoulder.

He was, remarkably, a Three-stripe Household Guard.

After counting the sixty people present and confirming that all had arrived, his expression eased somewhat. He then spoke in a ringing voice:

"My name is Chen Ze. For the next month, I will teach you the martial skill Thunderclap Fist."

"You are all martial artists now, so I do not wish to waste words. There will be an assessment at the end of this month. It will greatly affect your future assignment choices. I believe some of you already know..."

After explaining all the procedures, Chen Ze paused before beginning his explanation of the martial skill:

"We martial artists temper our vitality and blood for one reason: to strengthen the body, break through blocked meridians, and accumulate more vitality and blood."

"The second is to nurture strength. Once you can control that strength and strike it outside your body, it can inflict considerable damage. The strength you possess now is called Manifest Strength."

"Master Chen, does that mean there are other levels of strength?" A sharp-looking martial artist raised his hand and asked.

Chen Ze lifted his eyes and swept them over him. His fierce gaze forced the man to lower his head sheepishly before Chen Ze finally spoke.

"Of course there are other forms of strength after Manifest Strength. They are called Hidden Strength. But that can only be mastered after reaching the Sixth Meridian. You?"

After saying that, he sneered twice and did not continue.

"Enough. Back to Thunderclap Fist. This fist technique emphasizes fierce power and lightning speed, close-quarters combat... It is divided into four levels. At the entry level, strength can leave the body by one inch. One need only have reached the First Meridian at minimum."

As Chen Ze spoke, he had someone bring over a wooden board and place it before him.

Then he curled his five fingers into a fist and threw a fierce punch. The tip of his fist abruptly stopped within a foot of the board, yet the strength that burst forth blasted a large hole through its center from afar.

Everyone present saw it clearly and drew sharp breaths.

Upon seeing this, Xu Yuan suddenly recalled the night Tian Yang had been attacked. Zhao Qiusheng's palm had not touched Liu Hong, yet Liu Hong's head had caved in.

Now that I think about it, it was probably strength unleashed a foot beyond the body.