Evaluation

When Wang Huan saw that it was this former lackey who had betrayed him, his smile faded, and he said without the slightest friendliness:

"What's it to you? Go practice your fistwork properly."

With that, he turned to return to the quiet room.

"My fistwork's progressing pretty quickly. I should be able to get started soon."

Chen Sanli's eyes rolled as he feigned surprise. "Oh? Could it be that you also know Brother Xu has broken through to the Second Meridian Realm? I was just about to tell you."

Wang Huan's body stiffened. He turned his head back with some difficulty. "Who did you say? Xu Yuan broke through to the Second Meridian Realm?"

"So Brother Wang didn't know yet?" Chen Sanli wore a deliberately surprised expression.

"Master Chen personally verified it. Brother Xu is the first martial artist in our training ground to break through in both fistwork and cultivation..."

Wang Huan could no longer hear what came after. He only felt the thoughts in his head instantly churn into a pot of paste, and he stumbled into the quiet room in a daze.

Chen Sanli watched his sorry appearance with great interest, feeling several degrees more satisfied.

The effects of Xu Yuan breaking through to the Second Meridian Realm were immediate, even more intense than when his fistwork had first reached the entry level.

The next day, he received even greater and more direct attention.

After breakfast, Zhao Qiusheng, a minor steward from the Personnel Hall and a dignified Third Meridian martial artist, actually came to see him in person.

"Good lad. You broke through in both fistwork and cultivation. If Old Chen hadn't told me, I probably still wouldn't know."

Zhao Qiusheng familiarly patted Xu Yuan's shoulder. Though he knew Xu Yuan had a decent temperament and was good at handling people, he had not thought highly of his aptitude. After all, Xu Yuan had taken over fifty days to become a martial artist.

Yet unexpectedly, in just one month, he had filled both requirements at once. Good heavens—give him a few more months, and wouldn't he become Third Meridian, just like Zhao Qiusheng?

With such aptitude and temperament, he was fine jade and good timber. On top of that, they had some personal ties. If Zhao Qiusheng did not invest in him now, he would have lived these several decades for nothing.

That was why he had come looking for him so early in the morning.

"I only luckily broke through yesterday. I was just thinking of visiting you in the next couple of days, but I feared you might be busy with official duties and did not wish to disturb you."

Xu Yuan cupped his hands. Feeling how much warmer Zhao Qiusheng's attitude was than before, as though he were a close elder of the family, he inwardly sighed. Sure enough, there is no such thing as goodwill for no reason in this world. Value and strength are the foundation of everything!

"I am busy with official duties, but if it's you, lad, I can still squeeze out some time."

Zhao Qiusheng smiled. Whether someone was disturbing him depended on who they were. When dealing with those who held no value for befriending, naturally he would claim to be busy and turn them away.

Then Zhao Qiusheng stopped beating around the bush and stated why he had come:

"I've found out what you wanted to know. Quan Xiong has some connection with a Steward Liu of our Shangyang Family. But now that you are already Second Meridian and have displayed considerable aptitude, they naturally will not dare trouble you again."

"I also specifically gave Steward Liu a reminder. Once Quan Xiong returns, he will likely take the initiative to seek reconciliation with you."

He understood the ways of the world well. Whatever one had done and whatever one had paid, one had to let the other party know, so that they would remember the favor.

Xu Yuan understood at once and promptly bowed in gratitude. "Many thanks to Steward Zhao for this matter. I've troubled you to put in so much thought."

"Ah, no need to be so distant... How about this? I'm probably a little older than your father. If you don't mind, call me Uncle Zhao."

"Alright, greetings, Uncle Zhao." Xu Yuan went along with it readily, though his movements remained proper and respectful.

Seeing this, Zhao Qiusheng was even more delighted. After exchanging a few more words, he departed.

Xu Yuan stood where he was, pondering. Since Zhao Qiusheng knew, Feng Xiao would probably learn of his breakthrough soon as well. He should go tell him, lest Feng Xiao think he had forgotten his roots.

Upon arriving at the outer courtyard, Xu Yuan took the initiative to share the news.

Sure enough, seeing that Xu Yuan had not forgotten his earlier promotion, Feng Xiao was greatly pleased, and his attitude changed from before.

In their previous conversations, Feng Xiao had more often carried the air of an elder guiding a junior. Today, perhaps because their cultivation levels were equal, he subconsciously regarded Xu Yuan as someone of the same standing and spoke to him as an equal.

Xu Yuan could not help sighing again that strength was the cornerstone of everything.

Like Zhao Qiusheng, after some pleasantries, Feng Xiao reminded Xu Yuan to come find him at the beginning of next month when it was time to choose assignments.

Clearly, he intended to do Xu Yuan another favor.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two days had passed. It was now the first day of the first month, the start of the new year.

Therefore, after the evaluations were completed in the morning, the holiday would begin in the afternoon.

The instructing martial master Chen Ze, along with two other Three-stripe Household Guards, three people in total, jointly presided over this evaluation.

Naturally, Xu Yuan and Zhou Yu, the two martial artists who had achieved breakthroughs in both fistwork and cultivation, were tested first.

The process was ordinary enough, though the Heavenly Net Mirror used for the test was worth mentioning.

They placed their hands upon a transparent mirror and circulated their blood and qi. Two patterns then lit up on the mirror—the Ren Meridian and the Governing Meridian, marking them as Second Meridian martial artists.

"Xu Yuan and Zhou Yu have broken through to the Second Meridian Realm and are promoted to Second Pattern Household Guards."

The evaluating martial master handed each of them a Jade Pendant bearing the character "Certificate." "With this item, you may go to the Personnel Hall to be promoted to Second Pattern Household Guards and collect the corresponding clothing and waist token. Starting this month, you will receive the monthly salary of a Second Pattern Household Guard."

Then he announced the most important reward. "These two have broken through in both fistwork and cultivation. They are rewarded with six months of self-selected assignments."

As soon as those words fell, the dozens of people in the martial training ground cast envious looks their way.

Among them, Huang Lihong's reaction was especially intense.

Her eyes widened, her face full of disbelief. "His aptitude is obviously so mediocre. Why has he managed to train both his fistwork and cultivation to completion?"

"He definitely cheated!"

Beside her, Sun Rong tugged at her arm and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense. Three martial masters personally confirmed it. How could there be any cheating? Be careful not to draw attention and invite trouble for nothing."

At that, Huang Lihong calmed down somewhat, but she still could not understand. "Didn't you say his aptitude was mediocre? Yet at this speed, among the dozens of people here, only a few can compare to him!"

Sun Rong looked toward Xu Yuan with a complicated expression, bitterness filling the corners of her mouth.

"He really did break through near the end of the month back then. Maybe it was because his blood and qi were depleted. After he recovered, his true talent finally revealed itself."

After saying that, Sun Rong fell silent. Her guts were nearly turning green with regret. It was also because her horizons had been too narrow at the time. Once she became a martial artist, her state of mind had changed.

She had believed that a barrier now stood between herself and Xu Yuan, and feared that he might cling to her over some matter in the future.

Looking at it now, her wishful thinking was laughable.

"If I had maintained a good relationship with him from then until now, who knows how much help it might have brought..." Sun Rong muttered.

Such a young martial master, coupled with such impressive comprehension—barring accidents, he was bound to rise straight through the clouds in the future.

Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret in this world. The moment she had chosen to abandon and distance herself from that relationship, the outcome had already been set in stone.

At the center of the grounds, the other three martial artists who had broken through to Second Meridian stepped forward for testing and received four months of self-selected assignments.

After that, Tian Yang, Gao Yuan, Chen Sanli, and six others, nine people in all, went up one after another and demonstrated entry-level Thunderclap Fist, receiving three months of self-selected assignments.

And then... there was nothing more.

Below the platform, Wang Huan lowered his head, his face burning crimson with shame. Yes, he had failed to break through to Second Meridian.

Two days earlier, he had still had hope of making the breakthrough. But after Xu Yuan's bout of provocation, his mind had become unsettled and restless. While practicing martial arts, his thoughts wandered like ghosts and spirits, making it hard to concentrate.

In the end, all his efforts had come to naught. Like everyone else, he could only wait for a random assignment.

Fortunately, he had asked around. Now that the war between the Shangyang Family and the Bai Family had only just begun, the assignments would not be terribly dangerous.

But they could not be called easy or carefree either. They certainly could not compare to the stability of self-selected assignments.