Lifting a Thousand-Catty Cauldron! (Seeking Daily Reads)

"Little hero, would you like to try the Thousand-Catty Cauldron? No one has attempted it yet," the minor official on the side asked with a smile upon seeing him.

Shen Pan shook his head, turned, and stepped back.

He actually had a fair chance of lifting the cauldron, but he felt there was no need to force it just to show off.

His current results were already more than sufficient.

Not long after.

A man walked forward, performed the customary cupped-fist salute to the County Magistrate, walked straight past all the stone locks laid out on the ground, and stopped before the bronze cauldron.

Without wasting words, he grabbed the two legs of the cauldron with both hands and let out a loud shout, lifting it up with a surge of force!

The Thousand-Catty Cauldron was not only shaken but lifted directly above his head, sparking an uproar.

It was not every year that someone could lift the Thousand-Catty Cauldron during the county examination; this year, they had finally seen one.

"Number 327, Xu Hong, Thousand-Catty Cauldron, lifted above the head!" the official shouted at the top of his lungs, his emotions seemingly stirred as well.

One who can shoulder a cauldron is a true warrior!

"What do you think of this man?" Tao Heng asked again from his high seat.

"This man has four hundred units of Internal Breath, but unfortunately, he is older, and his future martial achievements will be limited. If he understands military strategy, he might be able to lead a troop and serve as a minor general," Tao Jinyi evaluated with an expressionless face.

In the eyes of outsiders, he was a marvel for lifting the Thousand-Catty Cauldron, but to someone with his level of skill, the cauldron was no different from a toy.

He valued the potential of these candidates more, and what heights they might reach in the future.

Hearing this, Tao Heng's eyelids drooped once again.

After another while, when the sun was directly overhead, Zhao An finally heard his name.

He didn't overthink it and walked straight to the bronze cauldron.

Since he had decided to participate in this martial examination, he had no interest in hiding his light. Having the strength but acting coy and reserved was simply not his nature.

"Are you going to lift the cauldron?" the official asked.

Zhao An did not answer; he simply raised his hands to grip the legs of the bronze cauldron, sat into a horse stance, and braced his shoulders. His waist arched like a great bow, and his lower body was as steady as a rock.

With a sudden burst of power, his body didn't sway, and his hands rose like fire burning toward the heavens. In the blink of an eye, he lifted the great cauldron above his head.

The great cauldron wobbled slightly at the top before settling into a steady hold.

This scene naturally triggered another commotion.

"Mas-Master, look!" Outside the Martial Arts Arena, a servant shouted with his mouth agape.

"What is it?" The master looked up, his expression also freezing in shock.

"Who... who is this..."

"Oh!" On the high platform, County Magistrate Tao Heng sat up straight, pointing at Zhao An with great interest.

"Jinyi, what about this one?"

"It is also lifting the cauldron, yet this lad did it with a single arm. Can such strength catch your eye?"

Tao Jinyi narrowed his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them, and nodded: "This lad has extraordinary strength. There are traces of hard-style training on his body, and his palms are thick; he must be proficient in fist and palm techniques. His arm strength is indeed very strong.

Coupled with the half-measure of Internal Breath he carries, lifting a thousand-catty object with one arm is not strange for him. The younger generation is to be feared; if this lad has good fortune, his martial achievements will be very high!"

"Since coming to Lianjiang County, this is the first time I've heard you praise someone like this," Tao Heng smiled, his eyes also sizing up Zhao An.

Not far away, Shen Pan watched Zhao An as if a Hegemon had returned to the world. He took a deep breath, his expression remaining resolute, not swayed by Zhao An's performance.

He knew full well how formidable Zhao An was, and he was clear that Zhao An was destined to shine brightly today.

He did not intend to compete with Zhao An in this county examination; his goal had always been singular: to pass the exam and let his mother live a better life.

Thud!

After holding it for a few breaths, Zhao An set the great cauldron down. Following the principle of handling things with care, the sound was not heavy.

This display of lifting the heavy as if it were light let many discerning people know that the young man before them still had strength in reserve!

"Number 793, Zhao An, Thousand-Catty Cauldron, lifted above the head with one arm!" The official finally shouted, ensuring everyone present remembered the name Zhao An.

"He truly is a little hegemon!"

"This lad is extraordinary. In all my years watching the county examinations, I have never seen anyone lift this great cauldron with one arm."

"This is too terrifying! If that fist lands, I fear a wall would collapse. If it hit a person, it would probably punch a giant hole right through them..."

"With strength like his, how can other candidates compare? He is surely our county's top martial scholar this year!"

"It's too early to say. Great strength doesn't mean he's equally strong in actual combat, not to mention there is still the military strategy exam to consider."

"..."

After Zhao An stepped back, the surrounding noise and discussion did not cease. Countless gazes remained fixed on him, and they no longer cared about the other candidates continuing the trials.

Once the stone-lifting event concluded, all candidates ate their own dry rations at noon, solving their meal simply on the spot.

In the afternoon, each candidate was allowed to choose a weapon to demonstrate their martial arts level while showing off their blade and spear skills.

The sub-categories included weapon mastery, unarmed combat, martial arts attainment, and archery.

Each item was evaluated by a specialist, with the best performance rated Grade A, good as Grade B, mediocre as Grade C, and poor as Grade D.

In addition to this, Martial Masters were subjected to an extra check of their Internal Breath levels to confirm the strength of their internal energy.

Compared to the simple and straightforward stone-lock lifting in the morning, the afternoon examinations were far more cumbersome, lasting from just after noon until nightfall before they finally concluded.

Zhao An naturally chose the blade as his weapon; after performing a Great Perfection stage Fierce Tiger Blade Art, his weapon mastery was undoubtedly rated Grade A, with his martial arts attainment also receiving a Grade A.

For the subsequent unarmed combat, Zhao An performed a Perfection stage Silver Snake Hand, which also earned him a Grade A.

Even in archery, his least proficient area, he still obtained a Grade A; after all, his so-called lack of proficiency was only in comparison to his other categories.

When viewed against all the other examinees, his performance was outstandingly excellent.

There was no helping it; with ample preparation and the assistance of a large number of Soul Slaves, it was difficult for him not to be well-rounded.

As for his Internal Breath, the density of his energy had now reached five hundred and fifty wisps, which naturally also earned him a Grade A!

It was late at night by the time all the examinees had finished their evaluations.

The first day of the examination thus came to an end.

Zhao An found a random corner to lean against and rest.

Whether for the literary or martial examinations, candidates were not allowed to leave the examination grounds during the County Magistrate's test; leaving was considered an automatic forfeiture.

Therefore, many people had brought not only two days' worth of rations but also straw mats, lying down with the sky as their blanket.

As for the County Magistrate, he had left quite early.

He not only had to oversee the martial examinations but also had to visit the literary side to make an appearance.

Of course, while the martial examinations were entertaining to watch, the literary ones were rather dull, so he had spent most of his time at the Martial Arts Arena.

The night passed without incident.

With officials and bailiffs patrolling, all the examinees rested obediently, and no one caused any trouble during the night.

The second day would continue with the policy essay session, followed by the final martial tournament!