Training Aptitude

"What are you thinking about? Don't tell me you got scared out of your wits."

Jiang Yan's shoulder stung where he'd been slapped. He turned around and saw Lu Yi standing close by, watching him calmly.

"A little..." Jiang Yan lowered his head and spoke softly. He'd grown used to seeing life and death these past few days, but this was the first time he'd indirectly felt the presence of Baleful Intent.

His heart was indeed unsettled.

"We were lucky, all things considered. A piece of Refined Iron turned up in the mine yesterday, and Assistant Gang Leader Chen was just about to take it away to make a weapon. As luck would have it, he ran into this Fierce Sha that had sneaked in and killed it on the spot." Lu Yi gave him a simple explanation.

He spoke as if it were nothing more than a trivial matter.

He didn't elaborate further, instead bringing up something else. "You've got time to be scared of that? You'd be better off worrying about tomorrow's aptitude test. If you don't have the aptitude, your life is over."

With that, Lu Yi shook his head, turned around, and loudly called out, directing everyone back to work.

Jiang Yan worked the entire day before finally dragging his exhausted body back with Ren Tao. Along the way, there were plenty of others from the Corpse Carrying Squad, too. Their faces were weary, and they couldn't hide the worry in their eyes.

Mining in the worksite was grueling. Year after year, day after day, the miners dug and toiled, and illness and all sorts of accidents were commonplace.

The Corpse Carrying Squad Jiang Yan belonged to dealt with corpses every day. One careless moment could leave them infected with all sorts of strange illnesses, beyond the reach of medicine. It wasn't exactly a good job.

Life here was oppressive and dreary, with no hope in sight. But newcomers to the mine still had one chance to escape this hardship.

To replenish its ranks, the Dahe Gang gathered everyone who had arrived at the mining area in the past six months and tested them for aptitude in martial arts. Those who had it could join the Dahe Gang, gain access to martial arts manuals, and cultivate the martial path.

For the miners who spent their days toiling away, this opportunity was nothing short of a leap into the heavens, from hell to paradise.

So everyone who came to the mining area to make a living hoped, in addition to working hard to earn enough money to get by, that they would have the aptitude for martial arts, join the Dahe Gang, cultivate the martial path, and become someone above the rest.

Even Ren Tao, who was usually quite the chatterbox, wore a bitter expression and fell quiet. When they returned to the rest area, no one felt like talking. They ate in a hurry, then went to bed.

Early the next morning, Lu Yi called out loudly, gathering the newcomers who had arrived in the past six months. He led everyone along a tunnel in one direction.

After they'd walked for a while, the sound of drums suddenly came from far away. Hearing it, Lu Yi urged everyone to pick up the pace.

By the time Jiang Yan's squad reached a cavern so vast it seemed boundless, quite a crowd had already gathered. No one dared raise their voice. Only the soft rustle of hushed whispers filled the air, and a solemn atmosphere hung over the place.

After a while, a group of Dahe Gang disciples in black martial outfits entered, escorting two middle-aged men.

The squad leaders, including Lu Yi, bowed in greeting. The cavern fell silent at once.

Jiang Yan bowed slightly as well, but raised his head just a little. He saw the two men walk straight to a stone platform, where a piece of Azure Jade, about half a person tall, stood.

One of the two, a dark-faced middle-aged man, took an exquisite box from his robes. From inside, he pulled out a yellow talisman, two fingers long and four fingers wide, marked with winding, twisted Red Tadpole Script.

The dark-faced man picked up the yellow talisman and gently pressed it against the jade. The paper talisman began to glow faintly red, and fine red lines, thin as hairs, spread out from it.

Jiang Yan stared in a daze. Though he'd been in this world for over a month and knew it was home to strange phenomena and martial artists, and though he'd even seen someone possessed by Baleful Intent and killed the previous day, he still found it hard to believe that a tiny talisman could be so miraculous.

He drew a deep breath and did his best to stay calm.

Countless tiny red lines continued to sprout from the talisman and spread. Before long, they had completely covered the jade. Its original color was no longer visible, and a fine but vivid red glow shone from it, bathing the stone platform in brilliant light.

With a pop, the yellow talisman flared up and turned to ash.

The dark-faced man examined it closely, then called the squad leaders up onto the platform and gave them some instructions.

They were too far away, and Jiang Yan couldn't make out what they were saying.

Before long, Lu Yi came back and quietly told them, "In a moment, just walk up onto the platform and press your palm against it."

"Don't we need to draw blood?" Jiang Yan murmured under his breath.

"Draw blood?" Jiang Yan had spoken very softly, but Lu Yi still heard him. "The Spirit Testing Talisman is only a First-Rank Talisman. It can only test whether someone has the aptitude to practice martial arts."

Jiang Yan struck him as a little different from the others in his squad. He didn't seem as downtrodden as they did. That alone made Lu Yi willing to offer him a word or two of advice.

Whenever someone caught his eye, he would look out for them to some degree. The Dahe Gang wasn't a monolith, either. A small favor that cost him nothing could show some goodwill, and if someone in his squad had the aptitude to practice martial arts, he could easily bring them into his own circle.

"Spirit Testing Talisman, First-Rank Talisman..." Jiang Yan said nothing, but silently committed the two terms to memory.

As they spoke, someone had already stepped onto the platform to be tested.

Jiang Yan noticed that when some people pressed their hands against the jade, it showed no reaction. For a few others, the red glow on the jade grew brighter.

"When the red glow brightens, it means they have the aptitude for martial arts."

Seeing everyone staring intently, Lu Yi added one more explanation.

He didn't really need to say it; everyone had already guessed. Those with the aptitude for martial arts were told to stand behind the group of Dahe Gang disciples.

Time passed slowly, and at last it was the turn of Lu Yi's squad. One by one, they stepped onto the platform and pressed their hands against the jade.

Ren Tao stood in front of Jiang Yan. He turned around, wearing a smile uglier than a grimace. "Jiang Yan..." His body trembled a little. He was clearly terrified.

"Let's switch places. I..." He fell silent before he could finish.

Jiang Yan said nothing, only shifting his feet. No one laughed at Ren Tao. Everyone knew the result at this moment could even determine their future.

Jiang Yan was far from calm himself. He had no idea how things would turn out. But he had the Martial Arts Modifier ability. Even if he really lacked the aptitude, surely he could just add points and force his way through. He thought this to himself.

There was no time to think further. He stepped onto the platform and pressed his hand against the jade. A scorching current surged in through his palm, as if he'd pressed it against a red-hot iron block. He tried to lift his hand, only to find it held fast to the jade by a powerful pull.

The scorching current coursed through his body, then gathered into a single stream and flowed back into the jade, like a river emptying into the sea.

Suddenly, the jade flashed red.

"All right, you can step down. Next."

The dark-faced man told Ren Tao to take the test, then pointed Jiang Yan toward the Dahe Gang disciples, indicating that he had the aptitude for martial arts and should wait over there.

As he stepped down from the platform, it felt as though a huge stone had fallen from his heart. He felt somewhat relieved. Jiang Yan looked around and saw a whole cast of humanity: some were crestfallen, some numb, some delighted, some jealous.

"Jiang Yan, wait for me!"

Ren Tao's cheerful voice rang out behind him. It seemed he had the aptitude for martial arts too. Jiang Yan's lips curled into a smile as he congratulated Ren Tao.

When the two of them drew closer, they heard the others who had the aptitude for martial arts talking as well. A somewhat shrill voice rang out. "You don't think having the aptitude for martial arts makes us better than everyone else, do you? Dream on!"

At that, Jiang Yan's gaze sharpened.