First Round

Liu Yan covered her mouth. The image of the young hunter who had bought chicks—the thin, quiet man with a shy young wife—overlapped with the warrior before her, drawing a powerful bow into a full moon. Her heart shook, and it felt as though a lifetime had passed.

Xiao Li's expression remained unchanged. Only his hands clasped behind his back tightened slightly, his knuckles soundlessly clenching. A sharp glint passed through the depths of his eyes. He didn't want there to be another Li He...

On the other side, the wrinkles on Xu Dian's face relaxed, blossoming into an undisguised smile of delight.

Cui Hao's display showed not only strength but also a steady, artful control, far exceeding Xu Dian's lowest expectations.

"Good! Good!" Qian Zhendong clapped his hands in praise, his tone complicated. "Brother Xu, your school is full of hidden talents! It looks like next year's martial examination will see two stars shine side by side!"

If a martial school could send two Martial Xiucai to the examination, its reputation would soar.

He Fulin looked at Xu Dian with a complicated expression. His tone was sour, yet probing. "Brother Xu, that wasn't very sporting of you! Besides Xiao Li, you were hiding another unpolished gem? You kept us in the dark!"

Xu Dian stroked his beard, his smile fading slightly as he explained, "You're being too kind, Brother He. When this boy first joined, his innate constitution was indeed below average. He had only perseverance going for him. After two months of grueling effort, he barely crossed the threshold into ordinary martial arts before the deadline."

"His performance today is all thanks to his own diligence, and perhaps... a bit of luck."

At his words, the envy in Qian and He's eyes indeed faded somewhat.

Below-average constitution... That was an invisible ceiling.

The further one advanced in martial arts, the greater the influence one's constitution had on breaking through major bottlenecks, especially the chasm between Clear Force and Dark Force.

Someone with a below-average constitution was almost certain to get stuck before Dark Force. Clear Force might well be the end of the road for him.

And for martial schools like theirs, what was truly scarce had never been ordinary martial artists or even Clear Force practitioners. It was promising students with the potential to glimpse Dark Force, who might one day become the school's true pillars and shining names.

Having thought it through, the delight in Xu Dian's heart quickly settled, and he returned to his usual composed self.

At the examination grounds.

Whoosh—Bam!

Cui Hao released his fingers. The bowstring, stretched to its limit, sprang back with terrifying force, letting out a sharp whistle and a dull thud. The entire bow shuddered violently.

Once was enough.

A single draw of a four-stone bow carried far more weight than multiple draws of a three-stone bow.

That alone had already put him firmly ahead of Xiao Li in the rankings.

But the perfectly timed "pause" when he drew the bow had cleverly blurred the extent of his strength. He neither seemed shockingly powerful nor sacrificed his decisive advantage.

Buzzing chatter rose around the edge of the grounds. Cui Hao had left the crowd astonished.

In the distance, a sharp glint flashed in Zhu Gui's eyes. He quickly pulled his niece, Hu Zhi, over and asked in a low voice, "Zhi'er, tell me honestly. What level of cultivation has Cui Hao reached?"

"Great Achievement in ordinary martial arts," Hu Zhi answered truthfully.

"Great Achievement in ordinary martial arts, and he can draw a four-stone bow..." Zhu Gui stroked his goatee, rapidly calculating. "He's still young. If he's willing to spend heavily on medicinal baths to temper his body, he might reach perfection, or even take a shot at Clear Force..."

Thinking of this, Zhu Gui lowered his voice and said to Hu Zhi, "Your cousin has just reached marriageable age and isn't betrothed. Go ask Cui Hao if he'd be willing to marry into the Zhu family. If he agrees, my family will cover all his martial arts expenses!"

Hu Zhi stared at him in astonishment. "Uncle, didn't you say you had to bring home a Literary Xiucai to marry into the family and uphold its reputation?"

"A Martial Xiucai is a Xiucai too!" Zhu Gui glared. "Go on! If this works out, I'll handle your father! If it doesn't... I can't promise I won't let slip what you've been doing with that three taels of silver a month you call your 'private stash.'"

Thinking of her father, who valued copper coins more than his own life and never let the key leave his side, Hu Zhi felt her scalp prickle. She could only nod helplessly. "...I'll try."

The examination continued.

Cui Hao wasn't the only standout in the four-stone bow section. Several more people stepped forward to try, two of whom were particularly impressive.

One was an elite from the Four Seas Martial School. At Perfection in ordinary martial arts, he drew the bow once with steady control.

The other was the young master of the Shao family in Qingyuan City. Born with tremendous strength, he roared as he drew the four-stone bow to its full draw three times in a row, stirring an uproar across the grounds and stealing the spotlight for a time.

Cui Hao watched quietly from below the platform, already weighing things up.

Fewer than ten people outperformed me. The first round is in the bag. In the second round, the sparring matches will be a problem only if I run into one of those top contenders or some reckless desperado who doesn't care if he lives or dies. If I perform normally, passing the preliminary examination shouldn't be difficult.

His gaze swept toward the Clear Force candidates.

Sun Cheng had just drawn the six-stone bow to its full draw three times. It was a good performance, but among the powerful Clear Force candidates, it only counted as above average. Without a standout showing in the second round, he might not make it into the top ranks.

At noon, the drums sounded again, and the first round of strength testing came to an end.

The crowd began to disperse. Cui Hao had just squeezed his way out when a middle-aged man in fitted martial clothes, with a warm and capable smile, stopped him.

The man cupped his hands. "Young Master Cui, I'm Zhou Er, a courier at the Farseeing Escort Agency. Your strength is astonishing, and your future looks bright! Would you be interested in joining our agency as a nominal escort? The monthly salary is eight taels, and we'll also provide three packets of Qi and Blood Powder!"

Wang Nian was only at the Initial Stage of ordinary martial arts. He earned two taels a month as a guard for the Zhang family, without even receiving medicinal powder.

The difference in treatment made the value of strength and potential plain to see.

Cui Hao's heart stirred. The terms were indeed generous. He returned the man's salute and replied politely, without committing himself. "Brother Zhou, I appreciate the offer. This is an important matter. Give me a few days to consider it, and I'll get back to you."

"Of course!" Zhou Er's smile didn't fade. "You can come find me at the Farseeing Escort Agency in the western part of the city anytime, Brother Cui! I'll await your good news!"

As soon as Zhou Er left, several more stewards who looked like they worked for wealthy merchants pressed forward. They spoke earnestly and offered tempting terms, all hoping to provide support in exchange for a nominal position, investing in a future Martial Xiucai.

Cui Hao maintained a modest yet distant smile, politely declining each offer. His words were tactful, leaving no one offended, yet allowing no opening for further persuasion.

Compared to these offers, the three taels a month from the Hu Family Flower Shop seemed modest, but came with few demands. That made it more genuine and safer.

"Cui Hao!"

A familiar woman's voice came from behind him. Cui Hao turned around. It was Hu Zhi.

"Manager Hu." Cui Hao cupped his hands.

"Good performance," Hu Zhi said, stepping closer. She glanced over his face, then lowered her voice. "My uncle wants you to marry his daughter. You don't have to humor me. If you don't want to, just turn him down."

"Zhi'er! Why are you taking their side?" Zhu Gui appeared from who knew where and glared at his niece before turning to Cui Hao with a broad smile. He cupped his hands. "Young Brother Cui, I'm Zhu Gui, owner of the Yuntong Pawnshop."

"Your performance on the platform was truly impressive! I have a young daughter, gentle by nature, who just came of age and isn't betrothed. If you don't mind, I'd be delighted to have you marry into my family and will do everything I can to support your martial training! What do you say?"

Cui Hao kept his courteous smile and cupped his hands. "I'm grateful for your kind offer, Master Zhu. But I already have a family, and I couldn't presume to keep your daughter from a suitable match."

"You already have a family?" Zhu Gui's smile stiffened. Under the laws of Da'an, one couldn't divorce a wife without cause, and the law protected the position of the principal wife. All his careful calculations had come to nothing. Unable to hide his disappointment, he murmured, "What a pity, what a pity..."

Shaking his head, he turned and walked away, looking rather dejected.

Once her uncle had gone some distance, Hu Zhi seemed to breathe easier. Her tone grew lighter. "Cui Hao, a lot of people are saying you're sure to place well now."

Cui Hao cupped his hands again. "I'm grateful for your kind words, Manager Hu, and for your support."

"Unfortunately, the cost of training supplies has been rising lately. Both Qi and Blood Powder and Qi and Blood Pills have gotten quite a bit more expensive." Hu Zhi changed the subject, a trace of helplessness on her face. "I... can't give you more than the three taels a month I've allotted."

"You're too kind, Manager Hu." Cui Hao cupped his hands. "Three taels is already precious to me."

Hu Zhi nodded lightly and left ahead of him.

Hu Zhi had barely left when Sun Cheng, who had been waiting nearby, strode over and punched Cui Hao in the shoulder with considerable force. He laughed. "You rascal, Cui Hao! You were hiding your strength pretty well! Even I had no idea! A four-stone bow! That was something!"

"Junior Brother Cui," Xu Liqing said as she approached, undisguised admiration in her eyes. "You certainly gave us a huge surprise today."

"You flatter me, Senior Sister Xu." Cui Hao cupped his hands, not a trace of pride on his face. "I was just in decent shape today, and my strength came easily."

"Your shape?" Xu Liqing shook her head, her tone certain. "Great Achievement in ordinary martial arts and drawing a four-stone bow—'being in shape' can't explain that away. If you hold steady in this afternoon's combat round, you're certain to get a place among the resource recipients."

Just as she finished speaking, a voice tinged with three parts amusement and seven parts deliberate friendliness cut in. "Junior Sister Xu is right. It looks like the Hongzhan Martial School will have another promising talent at next year's martial examination. That's truly cause for celebration."

The newcomer wore a brocade martial outfit. Handsome and smiling, he was Fang Hai, the young master of the Fang Martial School.

His family's Wind and Cloud Palm was quite renowned among the younger generation in Qingyuan City.

Xu Liqing's expression instantly turned cold, as if a layer of frost had settled over it. She looked away and didn't respond.