Registering for the Trial

"Sit down, sit down. Try this tiger meat. I only boiled it, so it doesn't taste as good as the dishes at a restaurant, but it's far more nourishing." Yang Jing served the tiger meat and set out the side dishes he had bought from a restaurant. Steam rose from the freshly cooked rice.

Yang Lao San and his son were reserved at first, but Yang Jing put on no airs, and they soon relaxed considerably.

They each tried a piece of tiger meat. Its rich, savory flavor surged straight to the crowns of their heads, and they took several more hearty bites.

But this was fierce beast meat, after all. Compared with ordinary livestock meat, it was far richer and more powerfully nourishing. After only a few bites, sweat beaded on their foreheads and their faces flushed crimson. Unable to swallow another mouthful, they could only eat some vegetables to ease the effects.

Yang An was more composed than the two of them. Although this was clearly his first time eating tiger meat as well, he ate steadily, perhaps because he did not consider himself an outsider and felt less restrained.

He picked up several pieces of meat, then shoveled down half a bowl of rice before saying quietly, "It tastes much better than the coarse rice back home."

Yang Jing smiled. "Brother An, there'll be plenty for you to eat from now on. First, we'll build up your body so you can train."

After the meal, Yang Jing pressed some leftover braised pork knuckle on Yang Lao San and his son, then saw them to the door.

Yang Lao San left with profuse thanks. Before departing, he kept assuring Yang Jing that everything in the village was fine. Although there were some displaced people around, no trouble had broken out.

Returning to the courtyard, Yang Jing saw that Yang An had already begun clearing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen.

Yang Jing called for him to stop, had him pick up his bundle, and led him toward a side room. "Brother An, this room's been cleaned, and the bedding has just been aired in the sun. Stay here for now. Rest this afternoon. When I get back tonight, I'll take you around town, then teach you martial arts."

Yang An gave an honest, broad grin. He looked at the clean bed in the side room, then at the old pagoda tree with its lush branches in the courtyard, and nodded firmly. "All right. I'll do as you say."

After putting down his luggage and arranging his bedding, Yang An went back to cleaning the kitchen and sweeping the courtyard.

Yang Jing lay on his bed for a short nap. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled patterns across the floor.

The room was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of cicadas outside and the sounds of Yang An tidying up, lending everything a warm sense of security.

Over the next few days, Yang Jing's life became much more comfortable.

He left the household's many little chores to Yang An, saving himself a great deal of time.

In the evenings, while practicing his own martial arts, Yang Jing also made time to guide Yang An in training the Surging Wave Leg.

The Mountain Collapse Fist was the core martial art of the Sun Clan Martial Arts School. Apart from its master, Sun Yong, no one was permitted to teach it to outsiders. Doing so was a grave taboo.

However, Yang Jing had already attained considerable proficiency in the Surging Wave Leg. With his Mountain Collapse Fist at the hidden strength stage, he could draw connections between the two arts and view things from a commanding height. Guiding Yang An, who had only just begun practicing the Surging Wave Leg, was effortless.

While teaching Yang An, Yang Jing discovered that his older cousin not only possessed the root bone needed for martial training, but apparently had better aptitude than he did. Although Yang An also had low-grade root bone, he had a chance of breaking through to bright strength.

This gave Yang Jing some hope for Yang An. He knew he would not remain in Yuhe County forever. Sooner or later, he would leave, and when that day came, someone would be there to look after his family.

In the blink of an eye, another three days passed.

It was early morning at the Sun Clan Martial Arts School in Chengping Ward.

Yang Jing had just finished a round of Mountain Collapse Fist, a thin sheen of sweat covering his forehead. He was about to switch to the Surging Wave Leg when he saw Sun Ningxiang emerge from the Inner Courtyard.

She wore a moon-white ruqun and carried a register, paper, and a brush. Standing before the Moon Gate, she called out in a clear voice, "Senior and junior brothers who wish to take part in the Parade Ground Trial, if you don't have time to register at the County Office, you can leave your details with me. I'll compile them and submit them together."

Naturally, participating in the Parade Ground Trial required registration. Only those who had broken through to bright strength and passed the Imperial Court's official examination could successfully register.

But that was how Rogue Cultivators registered for the Parade Ground Trial.

The city's major martial arts schools had been established for years, and their ties with the authorities were deeply intertwined and close. With a school's endorsement, disciples could skip the Imperial Court's examination and register as a group.

In fact, most martial artists participating in the Parade Ground Trial came from the major martial arts schools, followed by the scions of prominent lineages. Rogue Cultivators came last.

In times like these, without the backing of resources or guidance from renowned teachers, Rogue Cultivators walked the hardest road. They also had the fewest people who broke through to bright strength.

Hearing Sun Ningxiang's call, the bright strength disciples in the Front Courtyard gathered around her to register.

The few hidden strength disciples were in no hurry, continuing to bury themselves in training.

The bright strength disciples only hoped to perform a little better in the Parade Ground Trial. They had never imagined making it onto the Parade Ground Trial Ranking.

The hidden strength disciples were different. Each had a fierce determination burning inside, eager to make a push.

In terms of sheer tenacity, Zhao Wenzheng, Qi Yun, and the others had shown themselves no less driven than Yang Jing over the past few days.

Lin Yue was also practicing the Mountain Collapse Fist, his punches whistling through the air, though his gaze occasionally flicked toward Sun Ningxiang at the Moon Gate.

Sun Ningxiang lowered her head, brush in hand, carefully recording the disciples' information.

Sunlight fell on the tips of her jet-black hair, giving them a soft luster.

Soon, all the bright strength disciples had finished registering.

Yang Jing noticed that none of the other hidden strength disciples had moved, as though whoever registered first would be admitting they were weaker than the rest.

Yang Jing did not indulge in that contest. He walked over to Sun Ningxiang, sat at the small square table temporarily set up there, picked up the brush, and wrote his name, age, and place of origin-Yang Family Village in Wazi Township-in the register.

"Junior Brother Yang, you ought to practice your handwriting when you have time." Sun Ningxiang took the register. As she looked up at him, her eyes suddenly curved into a smile, revealing two shallow dimples. "Do your best at the Parade Ground Trial. Put on a good performance. I have faith in you!"

Her smile was bright and pure, like a strand of summer breeze. Something stirred inexplicably in Yang Jing's heart, as though something had gently bumped against it.

Although he had broken through to hidden strength and was preparing to enter the Parade Ground Trial, no one thought highly of his chances. Even Fourth Senior Brother Liu Maolin, with whom he was close, his fellow disciples, and his master all believed he could not fight his way through the field.

Yet at this moment, someone had suddenly said she had faith in him.

It's probably just a polite remark. Yang Jing paused before finding his voice again. With a light chuckle and a small nod, he said, "Thank you, Senior Sister."

With that, he returned to the wooden post where he usually practiced his fists, drew a deep breath, and suppressed that strange flutter in his heart.

As Fist Wind stirred the air once more, he deliberately gathered his thoughts and refocused on coordinating his fist techniques with his internal energy.

The Parade Ground Trial was approaching. He would not allow any distracting thoughts to affect his condition.

Sun Ningxiang watched his back as he resumed his focused practice, the smile lingering on her lips. Then she turned to greet Xu Hong, who had just come over to register.

Lin Yue was the last disciple to register.

Now, no one else would come over to interrupt, and he could exchange a few more words with Sun Ningxiang.

At noon, with the sun blazing overhead, Yang Jing finished practicing, wiped the sweat from his neck with a cloth, picked up his cloth bag from the corner, and left the martial arts school.

He did not go straight home. With Brother An there, the meal should already be ready and waiting for him, but before returning, he needed to pick up some medicinal herbs.

Yang Jing headed directly to the Liu Family Medical Hall.

Relying solely on fierce beast meat for nourishment could no longer meet his training needs, unless he had an ample supply of spirit fish to eat. But spirit fish were too expensive. Even the Liu Family Medical Hall only gave him five a month, nowhere near enough.

Under these circumstances, to keep his progress on the Martial Path from slowing, Yang Jing could only use every means available to replenish himself. Medicinal nourishment was an important part of that.

Yang Jing currently possessed a root of aged ginseng several decades old. Its nourishing effects were too powerful, however, so each time he used only a few slices, simmering them together with various other nourishing herbs.

As he walked, Yang Jing willed the System Panel to appear before his eyes. It clearly displayed the progress of his two martial arts, Mountain Collapse Fist and Surging Wave Leg-

[Mountain Collapse Fist, major achievement (61/1000)]

[Surging Wave Leg, minor achievement (93/500)]

Compared with the Mountain Collapse Fist, his progress in the Surging Wave Leg was much faster.

There were two reasons for this. First, Yang Jing had enjoyed ample nourishment from food and medicine lately. More importantly, he had already reached hidden strength in the Mountain Collapse Fist. Returning to practice the Surging Wave Leg naturally brought rapid progress.

Yang Jing also considered that if he obtained other martial arts in the future, he could practice them in the same way.

With these thoughts in mind, Yang Jing soon arrived at the Liu Family Medical Hall.

People came and went inside, and the fragrance of medicinal herbs filled the air.

Knowing the place well, he greeted the assistants dispensing medicine and the physicians seeing patients without breaking stride, then entered the medicinal herb storeroom in the rear courtyard.

Under their previous agreement, Yang Jing could select medicinal herbs at cost each month, up to a total of fifty taels of silver.

He never took more than he needed or collected his entire allowance at once. He always selected according to his needs, taking some this time and choosing different varieties the next. This kept the herbs from spoiling in his hands through improper storage and allowed him to test which ones worked better.

The total cost of all the herbs he took remained within the fifty-tael limit.

Besides, he was not short of money for the moment. If he found an expensive herb he really wanted, he could buy it himself, and the Medical Hall would still charge him only its cost price.

Rows of shelves filled the storeroom, with every kind of medicinal herb neatly arranged by category.

Yang Jing went to the section containing nourishing herbs and began choosing carefully.

He intended to add a few more herbs to use with the ginseng slices, making the nourishing effects richer.

He selected angelica and fo-ti, then added some goji berries and polygonatum. Estimating their combined cost at just over ten taels, he had the Medical Hall's accountant tally it up, then carefully wrapped them in oiled paper and tied them into a bundle.

Carrying the herbs, Yang Jing was just about to leave the storeroom when he heard voices in the courtyard. One was very familiar-it was unmistakably Fourth Senior Brother Liu Maolin.

Yang Jing paused. Thinking he could greet him before leaving, he lifted the door curtain and stepped toward the courtyard.

He had only emerged halfway when he saw two people standing there.

Liu Maolin had his back to him and was talking to the person opposite him with a degree of familiarity.

The other person turned out to be a beautiful woman with delicate features. She wore an understated, lake-blue dress, and her hair was arranged in an impeccably neat bun. Her face carried a quiet composure. Though she wore no makeup, she possessed a gentle, graceful charm of her own.

Yang Jing's steps faltered in surprise.

He had visited the Liu Family Medical Hall many times, but had never seen this woman before.

Could she be Senior Brother's new concubine? I've met that concubine before, and I don't think she looked like this, Yang Jing thought.

"Junior Brother? You're here." Hearing the movement, Liu Maolin turned and saw Yang Jing. He immediately smiled and beckoned. "Come meet her. This is Miss Jin Lian."

The woman followed Liu Maolin's gaze. When her eyes settled on Yang Jing, she gave him a politely appraising look and a slight nod, her expression calm.

Yang Jing had been thinking of slipping away quietly, but now that both had noticed him, leaving was no longer an option.

He smiled faintly, walked up to them, and cupped his hands in a courteous greeting. "Greetings, Miss Pan."

The woman was briefly taken aback, then said gently, "My surname is Jin, not Pan."

Her voice was soft, and she showed no sign of taking offense.

"Ah, it's Jin as in golden light, and Lian as in lotus," Liu Maolin explained from beside her. He laughed. "Miss Jin has a lovely name, doesn't she?"

Only then did Yang Jing realize his mistake. A trace of apology appeared on his face. "That was presumptuous of me. Greetings, Miss Jin."

When he had heard Liu Maolin call her "Miss Jin Lian," he had instinctively associated it with that familiar name and overlooked the distinction.

Smiling, Liu Maolin patted Yang Jing's shoulder and told Miss Jin Lian, "This is my junior brother from the same school, a hidden strength expert at our martial arts school. I mentioned him to you before. He's levelheaded and very reliable."

Understanding dawned on Miss Jin Lian's face. Her gaze toward Yang Jing became more respectful, and much of her earlier distance faded. With a courteous smile, she bent her knees in a slight curtsy. "So you're Young Hero Yang. Forgive my lack of courtesy."

Yang Jing nodded politely.

Indeed, when out in the world, respect was something one had to earn for oneself.

Only after Liu Maolin mentioned that he was a hidden strength martial artist did the woman offer him a smile.

After a brief pause, Miss Jin Lian said with a smile, "If you have some free time, Young Hero Yang, do visit the Lu Family. I'll be sure to entertain you properly."

Yang Jing froze slightly, feeling puzzled.

If this woman's surname was Jin, why was she inviting him to the Lu Family?

Then he recalled the way she had referred to herself as a married woman and glanced at her married woman's bun. He began to understand. The Lu Family might be her husband's family.

Though many thoughts passed through Yang Jing's mind, his hands did not lag behind. He promptly cupped them and replied politely, "Thank you for your kind invitation, Miss Jin. If the opportunity arises, I'll certainly trouble you with a visit."

Miss Jin Lian smiled and nodded, then exchanged a few more words with Liu Maolin. She gave them both a slight curtsy and prepared to take her leave.

"We'll see you out."

Liu Maolin spoke with a smile.

Yang Jing nodded as well.

Miss Jin Lian smiled and did not object.

Talking as they went, the three left the Medical Hall's courtyard, passed through the main hall, and arrived outside the entrance.

"Young Master Liu, Young Hero Yang, I'll be staying in Yuhe County for a while. When you have time, you're welcome to visit me for tea at the Lu Residence or the Exotic Beast Pavilion."

After saying this, Miss Jin Lian boarded the carriage by the roadside. The curtain fell, hiding her graceful figure from view.