Testing Their Techniques

Several things tangled together in Chen Mo's mind.

First, there was the confrontation between Black Tiger Hall and the Hansha Gang after Huang E's death.

Then there was what he had pried out of the black-clad assassin who had tried to kill him: the Hansha Gang's deputy leader obeyed Zhao Huayuan's orders.

Next, Black Tiger Hall had recently been snatching people for live sacrifices.

Finally, the day before, Zhang Cai had accidentally overheard a conversation between the head of Black Tiger Hall and Zhao Huayuan.

Chen Mo had a suspicion. Perhaps Zhao Huayuan was the leader of the Hansha Gang.

Huang E's death alone wasn't enough to make two gangs fight. Rather, Black Tiger Hall had asked the Hansha Gang to help with something, and the latter had refused, sparking the conflict between them.

The day before, Zhao Huayuan had been forced by their show of strength to agree to Black Tiger Hall's demands. As for what they wanted, perhaps it had something to do with the live sacrifices.

Chen Mo had long been puzzled. Live sacrifices meant losing laborers, which offered Black Tiger Hall no benefit.

He privately suspected that Black Tiger Hall had some other aim.

But as long as it didn't affect his participation in the Martial Examination, it had nothing to do with him.

"I understand, A-Cai. The schemes of those big shots are still far beyond my reach."

Chen Mo spoke calmly.

Zhang Cai nodded as if he understood. "That's true enough. Just be careful."

Chen Mo nodded in agreement, took leave of the two, and returned to the Wu Family's Blacksmith Room to continue refining Mountain and Water Cultivation.

He was immersed in it until dusk.

He calmed his breath and focused his mind, bringing up the illusory interface for Mountain and Water Cultivation:

[Thousand Hammer Refinement, Mountain and Water Cultivation]

[Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique: A basic stance technique; it trains the legs below and fist power above]

[Comprehension: 72/100 (Minor Mastery)]

[Fuhu Fist: The fist contains a tiger's roar and carries an imposing force within]

[Comprehension: 82/100 (Minor Mastery)]

[Luo Smoke Steps: Smoke rose with every step, leaving no trace behind]

[Comprehension: 24/50 (Minor Mastery)]

He had now begun practicing the fifth form of Fuhu Fist, Snake Coiling Hand, and the sixth form, Swallow Return Strike.

The former was tricky and strange, its punches winding and turning like a snake, making it especially good at slipping past an enemy's defenses.

The latter was actually a set of backfist strikes. It turned retreat into attack, feigning a withdrawal while pressing forward in truth, leaving enemies behind him unable to guard against it.

The addition of these two moves had undoubtedly raised Chen Mo's combat strength by a notch.

He was secretly glad.

Without Mountain and Water Cultivation, given his original aptitude, he would never have grasped the subtleties hidden in the Fuhu Fist manual.

By now, even Yin Tianqing couldn't claim to understand every move and form of Fuhu Fist better than Chen Mo.

Besides, Chen Mo had yet to reach minor mastery. What would it look like when he eventually achieved great mastery?

Chen Mo drew back his thoughts, which had begun to drift away.

He focused on the present.

Only by reaching the peak of Ming Jin as soon as possible—or even breaking through to Dark Jin—would he have any hope in the Martial Examination, where experts would gather.

Time flew by, and another fifteen days passed.

During that time, Chen Mo escorted the Wu Family's merchant caravan twice. Neither trip ran into trouble, and his standing with the caravan continued to rise.

The Blacksmith Room ran out of iron billets several times, but Wu Zhiai immediately ordered more to be brought in each time, never letting Chen Mo lose a moment.

At Tianqing Martial Hall, Luo Heng had suffered a crack in his confidence after losing to Chen Mo. He never recovered, and left the hall two days ago. Perhaps he would never have another chance at Dark Jin.

One morning, the dew had yet to dry.

Chen Mo finished ten rounds of the Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique, exhaled a breath of stale air, and his eyes shone.

After half a month of practicing the stances, not only had his realm completely stabilized at the late stage of Ming Jin, he had also faintly touched the threshold of its peak.

After breakfast, he headed to Tianqing Martial Hall.

As soon as he stepped inside, he heard some news from Li Xuan:

"Tomorrow, several factions in Black River Town are holding a match to warm up for the upcoming Martial Examination."

They held one of these every year.

It was a way to train in actual combat and get to know one another. From a glimpse of the whole, they could form a rough idea of how strong this year's opponents would be.

Just then...

Yin Tianqing stepped out of the inner room. His sharp gaze swept across the hall, and his voice rang out like spring thunder. "You three, come in one at a time and spar with me. I want to test your skills."

With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and headed into the inner room, saying as he went, "Yue Lun, you first."

Yue Lun froze for a moment, then murmured softly, "We never had this before..."

Chen Mo remained calm. He knew this meant Yin Tianqing didn't have much confidence in the three of them and wanted to give them some last-minute experience in actual combat.

Thinking this, he silently stepped beside the wooden stakes and focused on his stance practice.

Li Xuan, however, seemed a little uneasy. A nervous expression appeared on his face, and his eyes kept darting toward the inner room.

When he could no longer wait, he walked over to Chen Mo and asked, "Junior Brother Chen, how much strength do you think Master will use against us?"

Chen Mo stopped and shook his head.

Just as Li Xuan was about to speak again—

"Creak—"

The door to the inner room opened. Yue Lun emerged, panting. When he came over to Chen Mo and Li Xuan, he said, "Junior Brother Li, you're next. He's only testing your techniques, not your strength. It goes on until you lose."

Li Xuan understood, then looked surprised.

If it was only a test of technique, Yue Lun was one of the best among their fellow disciples at mastering the essentials of each move. Yet from the time he went in to the time he came out, less than half a tea break had passed...

He drew a deep breath and entered the inner room.

Chen Mo hadn't even finished half a set of the Dragon-Subduing Stake Technique before Li Xuan came out shaking his head, his expression rather grim.

"Junior Brother Chen, it's your turn. Master's test... is strict."

Chen Mo gave a slight nod, then went into the inner room and closed the door.

Several people who knew Chen Mo well—Ji Chang, Yin Shanshan, Yue Lun, Li Xuan, and the others—all turned their eyes toward him.

Yue Lun had lasted half a tea break, and Li Xuan about a quarter of one. As for Chen Mo...

He ought to be even quicker.

The difference between a Hua Jin expert and a Ming Jin martial artist in their understanding of techniques was nothing short of a gulf between heaven and earth!

Yet after waiting for a while, they still didn't see the slender figure emerge.

Half a tea break.

One tea break.

Two tea breaks.

"Junior Brother Chen..." Li Xuan furrowed his brow deeply. "Could Master be giving him one-on-one instruction?"

Yue Lun's expression tightened slightly. "If Master thinks Junior Brother Chen joined late and wants to teach him a few more things about the techniques, that would make sense."

Even Ji Chang and Yin Shanshan, who had seen Chen Mo perform many astonishing feats, couldn't make sense of it.

"That makes no sense!" Ji Chang shouted.

After about five tea breaks, the wooden door to the inner room finally swung open.

Yin Tianqing and Chen Mo emerged side by side, and the former seemed to have a faint smile on his face.

"Smack!"

Yin Tianqing's broad, heavy palm landed on Chen Mo's shoulder. "Not bad, kid. I still underestimated you. You actually made it so I couldn't beat you in fifty moves."

"Master was going easy on me," Chen Mo replied, bowing slightly.

The others were all shaken by his words.

Yin Tianqing's understanding of fist techniques ranked among the best in all of Anyang County. How could Chen Mo, a mere Ming Jin martial artist, have managed that?

Chen Mo happened to look up and saw that the gloom on Yin Tianqing's face seemed to have lifted somewhat.