Is It Any Use?

Jiang Tian pulled the door bolt open. Four familiar faces stood outside.

Three men and one woman.

The memories in his mind stirred to life. All four had been friends he'd made back when his predecessor was studying.

Li Goudan and Xiao Ce, like Jiang Tian, came from ordinary families.

Xiao Ce's family was worse off, though. His father had died when he was twelve or thirteen, and his mother was frail and sickly, bedridden year-round.

Word panels hung above these two as well.

[Gifted Intelligence (green)]

[Mediocre Aptitude (white)]

Of the remaining pair, the woman was named Wang Xiaolan.

Her looks were nothing special, but her figure was striking. Her chest was so full, it looked as though she had two big steamed buns stuffed under her clothes. In these lean times, you could search all of Blackwater County and barely find a few girls with such a voluptuous build.

Now, when Wang Xiaolan met Jiang Tian's gaze, her eyes darted away. She looked like she'd done something shameful and couldn't face him.

A green word panel hung above her head.

Jiang Tian understood perfectly. There seemed to have been something ambiguous between his predecessor and Wang Xiaolan. Mostly, she had admired his predecessor; he, in turn, hadn't been all that fond of her.

He'd simply gotten used to having Wang Xiaolan cling to his side.

But from the looks of things, something must have changed.

He didn't care.

Those were his predecessor's feelings, and had nothing to do with him, Jiang Tian.

The man was named Zhang Qingfeng. His family were merchants, and he wore a brand-new padded coat made of cloth that clearly wasn't cheap.

A faint smile played on his face as he stood among the group, looking as if he'd come to enjoy a good show.

The moment Jiang Tian saw that smile, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his hands clenched unconsciously at his sides.

A white word panel hung above Zhang Qingfeng's head.

[Crooked Mind (white)]

Sure enough, the panel fit Zhang Qingfeng, too.

Of the four, Zhang Qingfeng had had the worst relationship with Jiang Tian's predecessor.

It was simple: Zhang Qingfeng had never been able to outdo him in his studies, and jealousy had been eating away at him for years.

Jiang Tian remembered it clearly. His predecessor had gone to that Poetry Gathering because this fellow had invited him.

Zhang Qingfeng knew exactly who was hosting the gathering. He also knew his predecessor was a straight-talking bookworm. He'd done it on purpose.

Jiang Tian filed that debt away, but kept his expression neutral as he greeted them all with a smile.

The four of them had earned him a total of 220 word points.

"Brother Tian, how's your recovery going?" Xiao Ce scratched his head and looked Jiang Tian up and down, surprise in his eyes.

"You seem... different from before."

The others nodded along.

They were all puzzled.

Hadn't Jiang Tian suffered a serious injury just recently? How had he not only recovered, but changed so much? His shoulders looked broader, he seemed taller, and he was clearly more robust than before. He no longer looked like the frail scholar he used to be.

Concern showed on all their faces.

But to Jiang Tian, Zhang Qingfeng's concern looked fake as hell.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xiao Ce finally explained why they had come.

He scratched his head, his expression complicated, and seemed to have something on the tip of his tongue. He took several deep breaths before speaking. "Brother Tian, the civil service exams are about to open for registration, aren't they? I'm afraid I won't be able to go with you."

"What happened?" Jiang Tian asked.

Among the four, Xiao Ce's scholarship had been second only to his predecessor's. In some areas, he'd even been a little stronger.

"Brother Tian, you know what my family's like." Xiao Ce managed a faint smile, but beneath it lay an ocean of bitterness and pain.

"My mother's condition has gotten worse lately, and she can't be left alone... I'm planning to find work in the city for a while."

Jiang Tian didn't say much. He simply reached out and gave Xiao Ce a firm pat on the shoulder.

At that, Li Goudan spoke up, too.

"Brother Tian..." He scratched the back of his head, embarrassment showing on his honest face.

"I'm not as good at studying as you and Brother Ce. Even if I took the exams, I'd just be there to make up the numbers. I talked it over with my father, and we decided I should learn carpentry."

"Carpentry?" Jiang Tian nodded and said earnestly, "Learn it well. Master a good trade, and you'll never have to worry about making a living."

"Brother Tian..."

Wang Xiaolan's voice was very soft. Her gaze kept darting away from Jiang Tian's eyes, and she twisted her hands together in front of her, looking like she didn't know how to begin.

Just then, Zhang Qingfeng suddenly reached out and took Wang Xiaolan's hand.

He first scolded her, "What's this? You're not going to tell Brother Tian about such wonderful news? How long were you planning to keep it from him? Brother Tian will surely give us his blessing."

He placed a heavy emphasis on the words "give us his blessing."

Then he turned to Jiang Tian, smiling, a barely concealed taunt in his eyes. "Brother Tian, you'll give us your blessing, won't you?"

The courtyard fell silent.

No one spoke. The four of them breathed in and out, their breaths clearly audible. Only the roosters crowed, rising and falling in the alley.

Jiang Tian's expression stayed blank. He narrowed his eyes, and a faint glimmer flickered behind his lids.

Wang Xiaolan had admired his predecessor. The two of them had often sat together discussing their books... But Jiang Tian felt nothing for her.

Wang Xiaolan's family was poor. They probably couldn't afford to support her through the civil service exams. She'd likely gone with Zhang Qingfeng because he'd promised her something.

Each getting what they wanted.

Li Goudan broke the silence.

"By the way, Brother Tian, how are your preparations going?" he asked with an awkward laugh, trying to change the subject.

"I don't plan to keep taking the civil service exams." Jiang Tian shook his head, his voice as calm as if he were talking about someone else.

"I plan to study martial arts."

The four of them froze.

They stared wide-eyed, as if they'd heard something unbelievable. They looked as though they'd seen the sun rise in the west.

"Study martial arts?" Xiao Ce furrowed his brow, his expression grave.

"Brother Tian, studying martial arts depends not only on your root bone and comprehension, it also takes a lot of silver... Have you really thought this through?"

Poor scholars, rich martial artists.

To train in martial arts, you needed to pay a hefty fee to your master. After that, you had to eat meat at every meal and take nourishing supplements every day. Some precious herbs and pills cost as much as an ordinary family's entire year of food.

Countless people plunged in with dreams of making something of themselves. Most ended up with nothing to show for it. The Martial Arts Hall would kick them out, and they'd lose their family savings along the way, with not even enough capital left to learn a trade or start a small business.

Even the few who managed to learn a thing or two usually ended up guarding the homes of the wealthy, living at the mercy of their employers.

And when they grew older and their vital energy declined, things took another turn.

The lucky ones found a kind employer and were able to live out their days in peace. The unlucky ones...

"Brother Tian, this isn't a good choice!" Li Goudan said anxiously, his expression grave as he rubbed his hands together.

"You're so good at your studies. Why not keep taking the civil service exams?"

"I've made up my mind." Jiang Tian shook his head.

Seeing how firm he was, Xiao Ce and Li Goudan exchanged a glance and stopped trying to persuade him.

"Ha!"

Zhang Qingfeng popped up again, grinning with undisguised smugness. "Little Tian, studying martial arts is fine, too! Our family recently found a new trade route. Once you've made something of yourself in martial arts, come find me, and I'll give you a generous salary."

He paused, then changed tack, his voice turning airy and dismissive. "Still, I think you'd be better off taking the civil service exams. What kind of future can martial arts offer? What good is it? In the end, you'll still be a lackey for officials—"

Jiang Tian moved.

His expression calm, he strode toward Zhang Qingfeng and asked, "What good is it?"

"Exactly, what good—"

Zhang Qingfeng's words cut off abruptly.

"Ah—!!!"

A scream tore through the morning alley.

Zhang Qingfeng doubled over like a shrimp. His nose was crooked, and two bright streams of blood poured from his nostrils, running over his lips and dripping onto the front of his brand-new padded coat, where they soaked two dark stains into the fabric.

He stumbled backward several steps, both hands covering his nose. Tears, snot, and blood smeared his face as he sucked in sharp breaths from the pain.

Jiang Tian lowered his fist, his expression still calm.

He lowered his eyelids and looked at Zhang Qingfeng, crouched on the ground and howling. His voice was mild as he spoke two words:

"Any use?"