Injuries

That day, Chen Qing practiced several rounds of boxing, and beads of sweat immediately rolled down from his temples.

He casually wiped them away and walked over to Sun Shun, his face carrying just the right amount of concern. "Senior Brother Sun, has Junior Brother Qin's condition improved at all?"

Sun Shun was wiping down the weapon rack. At those words, his hand paused, and he let out a heavy sigh. "He's awake, but his condition... sigh, it doesn't look promising."

His brows were tightly furrowed as he lowered his voice. "That Gao Sheng clearly went for the kill. It's already a blessing beyond measure that Junior Brother Qin managed to keep his life. Several of his major tendons... are severed! Forget making a full recovery—right now, even getting out of bed and walking is immensely difficult."

"It's... it's that serious?"

Chen Qing's face instantly filled with grief and disbelief. "Didn't Master say he would spare no expense to heal Junior Brother Qin?"

Zhou Liang had been deeply shaken by Qin Lie's severe injuries. His remorse and guilt had been plain for all to see, and he had indeed sworn to exhaust everything he had to save his beloved disciple.

A trace of bitterness surfaced at Sun Shun's lips. "That may be what he said, but rejoining severed tendons cannot be treated with ordinary medicines. It has to be a Spirit Fish of Great Medicine that's over twenty years old. How could such a rare treasure be worth merely a thousand gold?"

He shook his head, his tone as heavy as if a stone weighed upon it.

At the words "a thousand gold," Chen Qing's suspended heart quietly settled, though his face remained solemn.

Sun Shun seemed to be comforting himself, or perhaps speaking for Chen Qing's benefit, as he murmured, "Perhaps Junior Brother Qin is blessed by heaven. Maybe one day..."

Impossible, unless great medicine could grow from the soil!

Chen Qing sneered inwardly. He knew he would have to keep a closer eye on Qin Lie's "injuries."

"Senior Brother Chen! You passed! You placed high!"

A breathless, nearly broken shout rang out from the courtyard gate, instantly tearing apart the oppressive stillness within.

Every disciple froze mid-motion, their gazes shooting in unison toward the disciple bearing the news, who stood braced against the doorframe and gasping for breath.

The disciple's chest heaved violently, his face flushed red with wild joy as he looked at Chen Qing. "Thirty-ninth place! Senior Brother Chen ranked thirty-ninth! The official messengers... the official messengers have already sent people to your home with the good news! Senior Brother Chen, you passed the Martial Arts Examination!"

"Whoosh—!"

The entire Zhou Academy instantly boiled over! Though everyone had long expected it, now that the dust had settled, the impact of those words "Martial Scholar" was still beyond compare.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen!"

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Chen!"

"What tremendous news!"

Whether sincere or false, congratulations surged around Chen Qing like a tide.

From this moment on, Chen Qing's status was entirely different.

Sun Shun gave Chen Qing's shoulder a firm pat and laughed aloud. "Hahaha! Good! Junior Brother Chen, congratulations! From now on, you are a man with an official degree! You've brought glory to your family name!"

At the outer edge of the crowd, Zheng Ziqiao's expression instantly turned exceedingly ugly. A tremendous wave of regret surged through him, so intense it nearly turned his intestines green with remorse.

If only he had known Chen Qing possessed such potential...

Qi Wenhan and several other longtime disciples who had taken the examination for years without passing wore complicated expressions. Loss and envy mingled on their faces as they stood silently outside the clamor.

To them, the degree of Martial Scholar was already a cloud in the heavens, visible but forever beyond reach.

Chen Qing smiled as he dealt with the praise flooding in from every direction, but his mind remained clear as a mirror, alarm bells ringing without cease.

His ranking was much as he had anticipated. If he had gone all out in the second round, he might have ranked higher, but the storms and prying eyes that followed would also have been fiercer.

Flowing water does not vie to be first; it vies to flow without end.

His restraint now was for a longer, mightier surge ahead.

"Junior Brother Chen."

Zhou Yu's gentle voice sounded at just the right moment. A sincere smile graced her face. "Father asks that you come see him."

"Yes, Senior Sister."

Chen Qing composed himself and answered. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd—some eager, some complicated—he followed Zhou Yu steadily toward the rear courtyard.

At the same time, outside the Gaolin County Yamen.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Gongs sounded to clear the way. Several yamen runners dressed in bright red official uniforms emerged in single file from the County Yamen gates, their expressions solemn as they carried scrolls in their hands.

"The results are posted! The Martial Arts Examination results are posted!"

The shout was like cold water tossed into boiling oil, and the street before the yamen instantly erupted.

"Look! The results are up!"

"Move aside! Let me see!"

"Don't push! Stop pushing! You're stepping on my foot!"

Amid the chaotic crowd, Xiao Hai, who earned his living selling firewood at Firewood Fish Market, was carrying an empty shoulder pole home when the surging tide of people swept him along, shoving him helplessly before the posted list.

His father had once been a down-and-out teacher. After suffering a stroke, the family had fallen into poverty. Xiao Hai was honest and simple-minded, often bullied by others, and none too quick-witted, but he at least knew several hundred characters and could occasionally make a living writing letters for people.

Standing on tiptoe and squinting, he searched with difficulty through the densely packed names for a familiar one.

Suddenly, his gaze froze. He stared fixedly at a name on the list, blinked hard several times, and confirmed the registered hometown beneath it—Yazi Bay!

An overwhelming, indescribable ecstasy surged straight to the crown of his head!

"P-Passed! Old Master Chen's grandson placed high!!"

Xiao Hai let out a wild roar. Forgetting all about his firewood pole, he tossed it onto the ground and, like a crazed young calf, shoved through the crowd and sprinted toward Firewood Fish Market with every ounce of strength he had.

He had to be the first to tell Old Master Chen this earth-shakingly wonderful news.

He did not know how long he ran. His legs felt filled with lead, and his lungs burned like fire, but at last he charged headlong into the entrance of Firewood Fish Market.

Sister-in-law Lin, who was stitching shoe soles outside the clothing shop, was startled by his frantic, disheveled dash and called out, "Xiao Hai! Is your backside on fire? Why are you running so fast?"

Xiao Hai braced his hands on his knees and gulped down huge breaths, his chest heaving violently. Only after a long while did he barely manage to squeeze out two words: "P-Passed!"

Sister-in-law Lin's heart tightened, and she quickly rose to her feet. "What? Did your father suffer another stroke?"

"N-No!"

Xiao Hai waved his hands again and again. Finally catching his breath, his face broke into a smile so excited it looked almost twisted. His voice was hoarse, yet exceptionally loud. "It's Old Master Chen's grandson! The results are posted! H-He passed the Martial Arts Examination! He placed high!"

"What?!"

The shoe sole in Sister-in-law Lin's hand fell to the ground with a slap. Her eyes went round as she cried out in disbelief, "R-Really?! Old Master Chen's family produced a Martial Scholar?!"

She instinctively assumed it was Chen Heng, the youngest grandson Old Master Chen always said trained diligently in martial arts and had the greatest hope of bringing honor to the family.

Old He from the coffin shop reacted the fastest. He took one great stride out of his shop, his booming voice drowning out the noise of the street. "Quick! Don't just stand there! Hurry and bring the good news to the Old Chen Family! Old Master Chen, get ready to receive the announcement! Celebration money! And a cook—hire a cook at once! This flowing banquet absolutely cannot be delayed. This is the greatest honor Firewood Fish Market has ever seen!"

"Boom!"

Old He's words were like a spark tossed into a powder keg, and the entire Firewood Fish Market instantly boiled over!

"Quick, to the Old Chen Family!"

"This is incredible! The Old Chen Family has produced a scholar!"

"Heaven has opened its eyes! How many years has it been since Firewood Fish Market produced a Martial Scholar?"

"Chen Heng has made something of himself! He's brought honor to all us neighbors!"

"Chen Heng placed high!"

The joyous news spread like a wildfire sweeping across the plains, passing from one to ten, ten to a hundred, swiftly engulfing all of Firewood Fish Market.

For this district of impoverished residents, long exploited by gangs, the emergence of a Martial Scholar was no different from an auspicious sign descending from heaven.

It meant that from now on, the neighbors could all stand a little straighter. The Martial Scholar of Prosperity Street was a living example—even the gangs collecting protection money had to treat him with courtesy.

The excited crowd merged into a mighty flood, vast and surging, carrying irrepressible excitement and anticipation as it poured toward the Old Chen Family.

(Posted early. Please keep reading, and please send a vote. Many thanks!)