Is it useful?

Jiang Tian pulled back the door bolt, and four familiar faces stood outside.

Three men and one woman.

The memories in his mind were instantly activated; these four were all friends his predecessor had made while studying.

Li Goudan and Xiao Ce were both from ordinary families, just like Jiang Tian.

However, Xiao Ce's family situation was even worse; his father had passed away when he was twelve or thirteen, and his mother was frail and sickly, bedridden year-round.

Both of their heads were topped with trait panels.

[Gifted Intelligence (Green)]

[Mediocre Aptitude (White)]

As for the remaining two, the woman was named Wang Xiaolan.

Her appearance could only be described as average, but her figure was exceptionally eye-catching. Her chest was full and rounded, as if she had stuffed two large steamed buns inside. In these impoverished times, there were few girls in all of Blackwater County who could grow such a voluptuous frame.

At this moment, Wang Xiaolan met Jiang Tian's gaze, her eyes darting away as if she had done something shameful and couldn't face him.

A green trait hung above her head.

Jiang Tian understood clearly; there had been some vague, undefined ambiguity between his predecessor and Wang Xiaolan. It was mostly Wang Xiaolan who admired his predecessor, while his predecessor didn't actually like her all that much.

He had simply grown accustomed to her clinging to his side.

But looking at her now, it seemed something had changed.

He didn't care.

That was his predecessor's romance, and it had nothing to do with him, Jiang Tian.

The man was named Zhang Qingfeng. His family were merchants, and he wore a brand-new cotton-padded jacket; the fabric clearly wasn't cheap.

A faint, elusive smile hung on his face as he stood among the group, looking as if he had come to watch a good show.

The moment Jiang Tian saw that smiling face, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his hands, hanging at his sides, tightened involuntarily.

A white trait hung above Zhang Qingfeng's head.

[Crooked Mind (White)]

Sure enough, this trait matched Zhang Qingfeng perfectly.

Of the four, Zhang Qingfeng was the one with whom his predecessor had the worst relationship.

There was no other reason: Zhang Qingfeng couldn't out-study his predecessor, and he had always harbored resentment, his teeth itching with jealousy.

Jiang Tian remembered it clearly. The reason his predecessor had gone to that poetry gathering was because he had been invited by this brat.

Zhang Qingfeng knew exactly who the host of the poetry gathering was, and he knew even better his predecessor's straightforward, bookish nature; he had absolutely done it on purpose.

Jiang Tian kept this debt in mind, though he remained calm on the surface, smiling and greeting each of them in turn.

The four of them had contributed a total of 220 trait points to him.

"Brother Tian, how are you recovering?" Xiao Ce scratched his head, looking Jiang Tian up and down with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"You seem... different than before."

The others nodded in agreement.

They were all puzzled.

Hadn't Jiang Tian just suffered a serious injury a while ago? How was it that he hadn't just recovered, but seemed like a different person? His shoulders were broader, he was taller, and he looked much sturdier than before, completely shedding the image of the frail scholar he used to be.

Concern was etched on their faces.

However, in Jiang Tian's eyes, Zhang Qingfeng's concern was fake as could be.

After a few more pleasantries, Xiao Ce finally stated the purpose of their visit.

He scratched his head, his expression complex and hesitant. He took a few deep breaths before speaking: "Brother Tian, the imperial examination registration is about to start, isn't it? I'm afraid I won't be able to go with you."

"What's wrong?" Jiang Tian asked.

Among the four, Xiao Ce's scholarship was second only to his predecessor's, and in some aspects, he was even a cut above.

"Brother Tian, you know how things are at my place." Xiao Ce forced a smile, though deep in his eyes lay an inescapable, heavy sense of unwillingness and pain.

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

Jiang Tian didn't say much, simply reaching out to pat Xiao Ce heavily on the shoulder.

At this moment, Li Goudan spoke up as well.

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

"My studies aren't as good as yours or Brother Ce's. Even if I went to take the imperial exam, I'd just be making up the numbers. I talked it over with my dad, and we decided I should go learn the trade of carpentry."

"Carpentry?" Jiang Tian nodded and said earnestly, "Learn it well. Master a good craft, and you won't have to worry about the rest of your life."

"Brother Tian..."

Wang Xiaolan's voice was very soft. Her gaze darted away, not daring to look into Jiang Tian's eyes, and she twisted her hands in front of her, looking as if she had something to say but couldn't bring herself to speak.

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

He first spoke to Wang Xiaolan in a reproachful tone: "What is going on? Why didn't you plan to tell Brother Tian about such great news? How much longer were you going to hide it? Brother Tian will surely bless us."

He emphasized the word "bless" with extra weight.

Having said that, he turned his head to look at Jiang Tian, a smirk playing on his lips and undisguised provocation in his eyes: "Brother Tian, you will bless us, won't you?"

The courtyard fell silent instantly.

No one spoke; the breathing of the four people rose and fell, clearly audible, with only the intermittent crowing of roosters echoing through the alley.

Jiang Tian remained expressionless, his eyes narrowed, the pupils behind his eyelids flickering slightly.

This Wang Xiaolan had been very fond of his predecessor, and the two often huddled together to discuss things from books... but Jiang Tian had no feelings for her.

Wang Xiaolan's family was poor, and they likely couldn't afford to support her on the path of the imperial examinations. She must have followed Zhang Qingfeng because he had promised her something.

It was just a case of mutual benefit.

The silence was broken by Li Goudan.

"By the way, Brother Tian, how are your preparations going?" he asked with a dry laugh, changing the subject.

"I don't intend to continue with the imperial examinations." Jiang Tian shook his head, his tone as calm as if he were speaking about something unrelated to himself.

"I plan to study martial arts."

As soon as these words were spoken, the four of them froze in unison.

Each of them widened their eyes as if they had heard something incredible, their expressions looking as if they had seen the sun rise in the west.

"Study martial arts?" Xiao Ce frowned, his expression grave. "Brother Tian, studying martial arts requires not just natural talent and comprehension, but also a great deal of silver... have you really thought this through?"

Literature is for the poor, martial arts are for the rich.

To practice martial arts, one not only had to pay a hefty apprenticeship fee, but one also had to eat meat and consume supplements every single day; some precious medicinal herbs and pills cost enough for an ordinary family to live on for a year.

Countless people had plunged into it with dreams of "making a name for themselves," only for the vast majority to end up with nothing, getting kicked out of the Martial Arts Hall, having squandered their family fortune, and losing even the capital to learn a trade or start a small business.

Even for the tiny fraction who managed to learn something, wasn't the best outcome just to guard houses for the wealthy and eat based on their whims?

Once they grew older and their vitality waned, it was a different story entirely.

The lucky ones might meet a compassionate employer and spend their twilight years in peace; the unlucky ones...

"Brother Tian, this is not a good choice!" Li Goudan's face was solemn, and he wrung his hands in anxiety.

"Your scholarship is so good, why not continue with the imperial examinations?"

"My mind is made up." Jiang Tian shook his head.

Seeing his firm attitude, Xiao Ce and Li Goudan exchanged a glance and stopped trying to persuade him.

"Hah!"

Zhang Qingfeng popped up again, a smile on his face and an undisguised smugness in his tone: "Little Tian, studying martial arts is fine too! Our family recently discovered a new trade route; once you've achieved success in martial arts, come find me, and I'll offer you a generous salary."

He paused, then shifted his tone, his voice becoming airy: "However, I still think it's better for you to stick to the imperial examinations. What future is there in martial arts? What use is it? In the end, aren't you just going to be a servant for the officials—"

Jiang Tian moved.

He remained calm, lifted his foot, and walked toward Zhang Qingfeng, saying, "What use is it?"

"Yeah, what use—"

Zhang Qingfeng's words came to an abrupt halt.

"Ah—!!!"

A scream pierced the morning air of the alley.

Zhang Qingfeng doubled over like a shrimp, his nose bridge crooked to one side, and two streams of bright red blood gushed from his nostrils, flowing down his lips and dripping onto the front of his brand-new cotton jacket, soaking into two dark stains.

He stumbled back a few steps, clutching his nose with both hands, his face a mess of tears, snot, and blood, gasping in pain.

Jiang Tian retracted his fist, his expression still calm.

He lowered his eyelids, looking down at Zhang Qingfeng, who was howling on the ground, and spat out two words in a flat tone:

"Is it useful?"

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