"Keep going?" Zhao An looked down at Zhao Ke, who was still sitting on the ground, his expression calm.
Zhao Ke got to his feet, his head still spinning a little. Half his face had already swollen red.
"You!"
He was so furious he couldn't get a word out. Ever since he'd become Chief Constable, he'd rarely been in such a humiliating position.
Especially since today he'd been shamed by his own younger brother, Zhao An, whom he'd always looked down on. His face turned ashen.
"Fine! You've gotten pretty capable. If the higher-ups come after you, let's see how you get out of this! Don't come crying to me for help then!"
Zhao Ke stormed off in a fury.
It wasn't that he didn't want to fight back. Zhao An's knife just now had genuinely frightened him.
The last vestige of his reason told him that continuing to fight would only bring further humiliation.
Watching Zhao Ke leave, Zhao An also began to weigh his options.
He'd driven off Zhao Ke, who'd been blinded by the sight of money, but the encounter had also served as a warning.
In the future, as he killed more people—even if they were all just heinous criminals with Red Names—he'd still be breaking the rules. There was no guarantee the authorities wouldn't set their sights on him and bring him serious trouble.
Today, only Zhao Ke, a minor Chief Constable, had come. Who knew what might happen next time?
"So I need an identity—one that lets me punish villains openly and lawfully without being convicted..." Zhao An sheathed his knife, turning the matter over in his mind.
Just being an ordinary nobody wasn't enough.
"Brother Zhao, after beating him like that, won't there be trouble later?" Li Gou'er had enjoyed the fight, but now he couldn't help worrying again.
After all, Zhao Ke had been wearing an official uniform. He was a man of the authorities.
He wasn't some ordinary person they could beat without a second thought.
If Zhao Ke flew into a rage later, forgot every scrap of goodwill between them, and brought constables and yamen runners to arrest Zhao An and the others, there'd be nothing they could do.
"If trouble comes, we'll fight our way out," Zhao An replied casually.
He had no real estate in Lianjiang City, nor any family to worry about. Right now, he was still living a worthless life; the whole world was open to him.
"Good! I only ask that you don't leave me and Chunzi behind when the time comes," Li Gou'er said through gritted teeth.
Zhao An nodded but said nothing. He wasn't thinking about escaping the city right now.
"Have they posted the county's public notice for this year yet? When does the Martial Examination begin?" Zhao An suddenly asked.
Li Gou'er was taken aback, not understanding. "In past years, the exams have opened across the various regions from April and continued through June. Lianjiang County usually holds its exam in early May, so the notice should already be out."
"Go take a look and find out the exact date of the Martial Examination," Zhao An said.
"Brother Zhao, are you planning to take the Martial Examination?" Li Gou'er asked, catching a hint of what he meant, though he wasn't sure.
"Mm." Zhao An didn't bother to hide it. He really did want to earn a title.
As long as he passed the county exam and made the list, he would receive the officially recognized title of Martial Student.
With that identity, the authorities would have to think twice before making a move against him.
And if he went a step further and passed the prefectural exam, earning the title of Martial Talent, then even without an official post, ordinary county officials would greet and entertain him with utmost courtesy.
That was because a Martial Talent could join the army at any time, if he wished, and get a post of some rank. He also had a better chance of passing the provincial exam.
Zhao An wasn't taking the Martial Examination to become an official or a general. He simply wanted to "punish evil and promote good" with a little more legitimacy.
"Brother Zhao, you're strong and sturdy, and you can take a beating and dish one out. But I remember the Martial Examination tests more than just martial prowess. You have to know how to write, too. You..."
He knew Zhao An had been studying literature and learning to read at the clinic lately, but most candidates had spent ten years poring over books, with teachers guiding them from childhood, learning bit by bit until they came into their own.
If someone like Zhao An, who was only cramming at the last minute, could pass, then the title would be far too easy to earn.
He thought his big brother was getting carried away, but didn't have the heart to say so outright.
Zhao An merely shot him a sideways glance. Li Gou'er immediately fell silent, then hurried out to read the posted notice and ask around about the Martial Examination.
He knew perfectly well that at his current level, taking the Martial Examination and making the list was nothing but wishful thinking.
But he had a Soul Slave. With that, anything was possible!
"What? A military strategy book?"
"I've only got medical books here. Where am I supposed to find a military strategy book for you?"
"What a pity." Zhao An browsed the shelves where the clinic kept its books.
"It's not a pity at all." Meng Wanyi sounded a little annoyed, thinking Zhao An had come just to cause trouble.
What clinic would keep military strategy books among its collection?
"Only some impoverished noble families in the Outer City District might have military strategy books passed down in their families." Meng Wanyi added, then suddenly noticed something off about Zhao An's gaze and immediately warned him, "Don't do anything reckless, or—or I won't teach you to read anymore."
"Don't worry. Taking something by force is wrong. I'm not some kind of devil, after all." Zhao An put the medical book in his hand back, then calmly picked out another old book with a yellowed cover.
"Good. I haven't wasted my time teaching you these past few days." Meng Wanyi nodded repeatedly, feeling inexplicably pleased.
She felt a real sense of accomplishment at having helped Zhao An turn over a new leaf.
Reading was good! Reading taught people to understand reason. The world had one less villain running amok and one more person who knew how to reason!
"By the way, what do you need a military strategy book for?" Meng Wanyi remembered to ask, puzzled.
"I want to take the Martial Examination."
"?"
For a moment, the air in the clinic's back room froze.
"We've known each other for so long, and I never knew you had such a sense of humor." Meng Wanyi suddenly pressed her lips together and laughed.
"..."
Zhao An looked at her quietly until the smile faded from Meng Wanyi's face.
"You're serious?"
"Mm."
"But you can't even recognize as many characters as an eight-year-old."
"...Don't worry about it."
Zhao An wasn't discouraged. He leafed through the ancient book in his hands.
With his current level of literacy, he could just about make out the general meaning.
As he read, Zhao An suddenly realized that the ancient book didn't just discuss medicine. Further on, it also recorded a certain technique of almost supernatural skill.
"What's this?" Zhao An asked, holding up the book.
"A lost finger technique." Meng Wanyi was sitting at the table, writing out a prescription. She didn't get up, only glanced over and replied.
"Lost..."
"Fifty years ago, there was a famous wandering martial artist called Old Man Xuanji. He created this finger technique."
"Then why is it described in a medical book?" Zhao An asked.
"They say this finger technique had all sorts of wondrous effects. One of them was the power to reverse life and death, allowing it to extend the life of someone on the brink of death. When the finger points, even the King of Hell's officials have to retreat. Tell me, isn't that incredible?"
"Incredible." Zhao An nodded.
"So there you have it. Some physicians admired this finger technique, so it made sense for them to describe it in a medical book. It's just a pity that a technique this remarkable can no longer be brought back into the world."
As she spoke, Meng Wanyi set down her brush, picked up the finished prescription, and blew on the still-wet ink.
As Zhao An listened, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him.
Martial arts techniques like this, recorded only in ancient books and long since lost, must once have existed in the real world.
Could he use a Virtue Fruit to wish one into existence?!
Before you continue