Surging Waves

Night hung heavy. The Cheng Family hall was brightly lit, yet it could not dispel the oppression filling the room.

Cheng Huan sat upright in the seat of honor. The tea in her hand had long gone cold, and a thin layer of tea stain had congealed along the rim.

Her brows were tightly furrowed, her fingers unconsciously tapping against the sandalwood armrest.

Several Cheng Family disciples below stood or sat, each looking more grim than the last.

"Creak!"

The doors were flung open, and Cheng Ming hurried inside. Gasping for breath, he asked, "Sister, how is it? What did those merchants say?"

Weariness filled Cheng Huan's eyes. She slowly set down the cold teacup. "Li's Trading House and Ink Fragrance Studio have already chosen the Ning Family's ships."

At this, Cheng Ming flew into a rage. "That pack of ungrateful white-eyed wolves! The Cheng Family never treated them poorly. Whenever their merchant ships were in danger, when did we not protect them with everything we had? And now they dare betray us from within!"

The wharf business was the Cheng Family's lifeblood, and Niangniang Temple Wharf in particular was a hub painstakingly carved, repaired, and managed over generations from barren mudflats and reed marshes.

Now, relying on its connections with the Canal Transport Office, the Wu Family had forced its way in.

Not only had they slashed freight charges to half of the Cheng Family's rates, they had also spread vicious rumors everywhere that "the Cheng Family's ships are old and rotten, liable to sink and lose their cargo," prying away the small and medium merchants who had depended on the Cheng Family.

"Under heaven, all bustling comes for profit; under heaven, all scurrying goes for profit."

Cheng Huan let out a deep sigh. "Seeking gain and avoiding harm is human nature. We cannot blame them."

A young Cheng Family disciple could no longer hold himself back. He sprang to his feet, his face blazing with indignation. "Family Head! Niangniang Temple Wharf is the heart's blood of generations of our Cheng Family. It is the foundation of our roots! How can we allow shit-stirrers like the Wu Family to lay a finger on it? We must drive them out!"

"Drive them out? How?"

Cheng Huan's gaze swept across the room, carrying a trace of helplessness. "Lord Liu of the Canal Transport Office has made it clear. This matter will be settled according to wharf rules: a 'fist match' will determine ownership."

She paused, then said heavily, "If I am not mistaken, the Wu Family's anchor this time will surely be Mountain Breaker Hand Tian Yaozong."

The moment that name was spoken, suppressed gasps and whispers rose throughout the hall.

"This man's vicious reputation is known far and wide. He is no good sort!"

"At the Floating Houses gambling house two years ago, he beat Liu Hao, that Hidden Strength expert of the Liu Family, to death alive. Afterward, the Liu Family did not even dare make a sound."

"They say he has already reached the peak of Hidden Strength. The twenty-seven forms of his Mountain Breaker Hand are unmatched in their ferocity. He once fought three Hidden Strength experts alone without falling into the disadvantage."

The anger on Cheng Ming's face was instantly replaced by gravity, with even a hint of bitterness showing through.

His voice was low. "Tian Yaozong is in the prime of his life, his Qi and Blood at its peak, and his Mountain Breaker Hand has been honed to perfection. Forget now—even if I were ten years younger, with my sinews and bones uninjured, I would stand no chance against him."

A flash of regret crossed his eyes. "If Jiang Yang had not been injured, perhaps he could have held him off for a while."

At the mention of Jiang Yang, everyone present could not help but sigh with regret.

Jiang Yang had once been a martial talent the Cheng Family had supported with all its strength and placed great hopes upon. Born from Hongyun Martial Arts School, he had reached Hidden Strength at a young age. After five years of bitter cultivation, he had been expected to strike for a higher realm and become the true pillar holding up the Cheng Family.

Unfortunately, during his previous attempt to break through into Transformation Force, he had failed and suffered an Internal Force backlash. Gravely injured and coughing blood, he remained bedridden to this day, no different from an invalid.

Cheng Huan's fingers unconsciously traced over the register of people sponsored by the Cheng Family. Her gaze moved across it, trying to seize a sliver of hope from between the lines, only for it to end in a barely audible sigh.

Third Master Cheng, Cheng Huan's uncle, sat nearby with white hair and beard. He spoke in a hoarse voice. "Tian Yaozong has reached the peak of Hidden Strength. His foundation is deep, his experience seasoned, and his Mountain Breaker Hand is both fierce and tricky. Among those of the same realm, very few can reliably defeat him by a margin."

His clouded old eyes swept over the crowd. "A Transformation Force expert, however, could defeat him with certainty."

A Transformation Force expert!

Those four words were like a boulder cast into stagnant water, plunging the hall into dead silence.

To hire a Transformation Force expert for a fist match?

The price alone made their hearts clench just thinking about it.

What was needed was not merely a mountain of silver, but a favor as vast as the sky.

"Forget it."

Cheng Huan closed her eyes. When she opened them again, only exhaustion remained in them. "Send word to the Wu Family. We will yield half of Niangniang Temple Wharf, in the hope that our two families may 'make wealth through harmony' from now on."

She spoke those final four words with exceptional difficulty.

Cheng Ming sighed. "It can only be this way."

Giving up half the wharf would surely deal a severe blow to the Cheng Family's future business and badly damage their vitality.

But if they disregarded everything and fought the Wu Family, that mad dog, to the bitter end, they would likely both be wounded, only to be carved up clean by other forces watching like tigers eyeing prey.

The next day, at South River Wharf, inside the River Bureau roll-call room.

After Chen Qing finished the routine roll call, he was about to head to Zhou Academy to practice his fists when he ran into Cheng Ming at the door, his brows tightly furrowed and his mind weighed down with worries.

Chen Qing asked, "Boss, is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing."

Seeing Chen Qing, Cheng Ming forced a smile. "Nothing major. Just some trivial family troubles. Are you heading back to Zhou Academy?"

Chen Qing nodded. "Yes. The Martial Arts Examination is approaching, so I'm going back to practice my fists and kicks more. Sharpening the spear before battle—even if it does not make it fast, it will still make it shine."

"Right, right! The Martial Arts Examination is important!"

As if only now remembering it, Cheng Ming nodded repeatedly. His tone carried the comfort of someone who had been through it himself. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Participation is what matters. Building experience is good too."

He paused, a trace of apology appearing on his face. "Oh, right, A Qing. This month's sponsorship may be delayed by a few days."

Chen Qing gave a hearty smile. "Boss, you're being too serious. It's no matter."

He could see that Cheng Ming was utterly exhausted in body and mind, so it was not convenient to ask more. He cupped his fists in salute, then turned and strode away from the River Bureau.

Before long, Chen Qing arrived at Zhou Academy.

Everything at Zhou Academy was as usual. Some practiced stance work, while others trained palm techniques.

By midday, there were always people who began to slack off, gathering in twos and threes beneath the shade of trees to chat. Laziness was a human nature difficult to overcome.

"I heard this year's Martial Arts Examination is harder than previous years."

"When has it ever been easy? A thousand troops and ten thousand horses squeeze through those fifty slots. Most are merely there to keep the Crown Prince company while he studies."

"I wonder whether anyone from Zhou Academy will pass with high honors this year."

"Senior Brother Qin Lie is exceptionally gifted and has already reached Hidden Strength. He has the greatest hope! If he can improve a little more during these final days, his chances will be even greater."

"The River God Festival is only a few days away. Are the senior brothers going to stroll around it together? There is only this one bustle of excitement each year."

Chen Qing had just finished a set of Tongbei Fist. Wiping the hot sweat from his forehead with a cloth towel, he walked to the edge of the training ground to rest awhile.

Sun Shun strolled over and casually asked, "Junior Brother Chen, you're entering this year's Martial Arts Examination, right?"

Chen Qing nodded. "I am. Building up some experience is good too."

"Exactly. Knowledge gained from experience is capital."

Sun Shun agreed deeply. His gaze drifted toward Qin Lie in the distance, and his tone carried a note of feeling. "Junior Brother Qin is extraordinarily talented. Now that he has attained Hidden Strength, what he lacks is genuine experience in life-and-death combat."

Chen Qing followed his gaze and glanced over. "How exactly is the Martial Arts Examination conducted? With Junior Brother Qin's current cultivation, what are his chances of passing as a Martial Scholar with high honors?"

Sun Shun withdrew his gaze, a complicated expression of "hard to say" appearing on his face. "The Martial Arts Examination selects men with courage and Strength as its foremost priority, strategy second. The process itself is not overly complicated. There are mainly two tests: one is 'Strength and Vitality,' the other 'Skill and Courage.'"

"To test 'Strength and Vitality,' they mainly look at archery among the stone bow, saber, and riding disciplines. The examination grounds will provide ten hard bows of different stone weights, ranging from one stone to five. Only when one draws the bow until it is full as the moon is true mighty strength revealed. This tests the foundation of one's sinews, bones, and Qi and Blood."

"As for 'Skill and Courage,' it tests one's actual ability in combat and killing. The exact method differs every year, entirely depending on the chief examiner's whims. It may be tournament matches, passing through trials and breaking formations, or even entering the mountains to hunt beasts... In short, it is perilous and unpredictable."

"Finally, the scores from these two assessments are combined. Only the top fifty may earn the title of Martial Scholar." Sun Shun sighed, his tone grave. "But one's ranking depends not only on one's own abilities—it also depends on how many people compete in the same field. From what I have heard, there will only be more martial candidates registering this year than last."

Chen Qing asked, "How many were there last year?"

Sun Shun smiled bitterly. "Seven hundred and thirteen at Bright Strength, one hundred and fifty-two at Hidden Strength. Many fail year after year and take the examination year after year, so the numbers fluctuate each year. The year you fail to pass is the hardest year to pass."

Chen Qing's brows drew together slightly at this.

During this period before the Martial Arts Examination, I need to improve my strength as much as possible.

After all, reaching Hidden Strength does not mean I can rest easy with my head on a high pillow.

Just then, a commotion broke out on the other side of the academy.

"Hmm!? What happened?"

Seeing this, Sun Shun quickly walked over.