Lu Ming was just about to head out when he noticed the sky had darkened. The last sliver of the setting sun had vanished; night had already fallen.
"It's too late today. I'll go find Master Wei tomorrow!"
Lu Ming's mind stirred, and he immediately grew puzzled. Why hadn't dinner been served yet today?
He had not heard the Public Kitchen's clapper sound.
Public Kitchen.
"Why aren't you hurrying? All three of you are Organ-Tempering Realm experts. Why are you so slow and clumsy?"
Inside the kitchen, Xu Shou and the other two Directors from the Military Service Bureau were scrambling to prepare the meal.
Some were stir-frying dishes, some were cleaning ingredients, while others bustled about carrying things and lending a hand.
Wei Jinlin stood to one side, frowning as he berated them.
Xu Shou and the other two exchanged glances, all wearing bitter smiles.
They had once been lofty figures, Directors served by everyone in their respective Military Service Bureaus.
Who would have thought that after coming here, they would become cooks—and even guards?
"Who told us to need something from him? Cooking is one thing, but Senior Brother Wei wants all of our individual budgets. That's far too ruthless."
Their gazes met, each wearing a different expression.
Xu Shou shook his head.
"Senior Brother Wei is powerful and his methods extraordinary, surpassing even demons. Without Senior Brother Wei here, the martial geniuses of several nearby counties would all be food for the Earth Dragon Beast.
"We can only let ourselves suffer for the time being!"
The three sighed, only to hear Wei Jinlin shout from behind them,
"Dinner time has already passed. Do you want all those disciples to come admire the elegance of you cooking? Hurry up and move!"
Xu Shou shuddered and hurried his hands and feet, feeling helpless and stifled inside.
"I'm an elderly man with injuries!"
The next day, Lu Ming stepped out full of vigor and energy.
He had originally planned to tell Wei Jinlin as soon as he entered the Grand Martial Arts Arena that he had already trained the Cloud-Piercing Finger to Minor Completion.
Yet when he arrived at the Grand Martial Arts Arena, he saw many people standing atop the high platform.
Wei Jinlin naturally stood at the front, with Xu Shou and the other three Directors from the Military Service Bureaus of other counties behind him.
Several more people stood behind the four of them.
Three of them were none other than the influential figures who had once come to apologize to Wei Jinlin: the heads of the Zhao Family, Chen Family, and Shen Family, the city's three great Lineages.
Not only that, he saw Zhu Lie, the master of Blazing Flame Martial Hall, and even Qin Zhonghai, the deputy Pavilion Master of Heavenly Secret Pavilion.
One man in particular was treated with considerable reverence by Zhu Lie and the others, his status faintly on par with Qin Zhonghai's.
He was a middle-aged man with a somewhat refined air. Divine light flickered in his eyes, and his bearing was extraordinary.
"That man is Zhou Zhen, the discarded disciple of the Lingyun Sect!"
"Shh! Watch your mouth! He calls himself a discarded disciple of the Lingyun Sect. How dare you call him that? Haven't you heard that he has the authority to recruit disciples for the Lingyun Sect? Clearly, he still has countless threads tying him to the Lingyun Sect."
"Why have all the major figures in the city gathered here today? I'm a little nervous. It feels like something big is about to happen."
"Probably because of the demons again! The demons wreaked havoc in the county city yesterday. No one can sit still anymore."
The moment Lu Ming saw Qin Zhonghai, he stepped forward to pay his respects.
"Greetings, Pavilion Master Qin."
Qin Zhonghai gave a slight nod. "Go on. Today is the contest for the Red Tokens. Give it everything you have. If you perform well, even if you fail to seize a Red Token, you may still receive an opportunity."
An opportunity?
Lu Ming's heart stirred. It seemed something significant truly would happen today.
Lu Ming answered in acknowledgment, then turned and withdrew.
Many unfamiliar faces had appeared in the crowd. Numerous disciples from Black Mountain County, Black Water County, and Cloud Peak County had gathered here as well.
Lu Ming spotted Chen Ping, the one responsible for Zhao Zhiqiu's death. He stood quietly and rather low-key at the front of the Black Mountain County disciples, unlike the others who were whispering among themselves.
"Silence!"
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Wei Jinlin shouted from the high platform. At once, all the clamor in the Grand Martial Arts Arena vanished, and everyone looked over in silence.
"Today is the day to contend for the Red Tokens."
The moment Wei Jinlin said this, many disciples who had not known about it changed expression.
"Why are we competing for the Red Tokens today? Doesn't that mean I have no chance?"
"I feel like I'm about to break through to Major Completion in Flesh Refining! I'm only a few days short!"
"It's unfair. We haven't even trained for a full month..."
Many who had believed they had a chance at obtaining a Red Token suddenly learned that there was no more time. Their faces filled with unwillingness as they clenched their fists tightly.
On the high platform, Xu Shou and the other three Directors from the Military Service Bureau wore faintly bitter smiles.
Xu Shou could not help sighing. "Senior Brother is too cunning. Our disciples only arrived yesterday. They haven't even had time to train in the Iron Stake Area, and now they must contend for the Red Tokens."
Wei Jinlin's expression did not change. Of course I'm looking after the disciples of my own county. Am I supposed to look after disciples from other counties instead?
If no one had previously possessed the strength to obtain a Red Token, the earlier event would not have been a minor test, but a major test.
By waiting until now and giving the disciples from other counties a chance to compete, he had already done all that duty and goodwill demanded.
He continued,
"The top three from the previous minor test—Chen Feng, Feng Qingzhu, and Lu Ming.
"And fourth-place Liu Yiyi, fifth-place Zhao Zhiqiu... Zhao Zhiqiu is dead, so forget about him.
"The four of you will each take a column alone. Everyone else will form groups of four and start from one column of Iron Stakes. Arrange yourselves now... Good. Begin!"
At Wei Jinlin's command, more than two hundred disciples from the four Military Service Bureaus set out from all directions, charging toward the Iron-Scaled Python Demon's corpse at the center of the Iron Stake Area.
Chen Feng, Feng Qingzhu, Lu Ming, and Liu Yiyi each occupied a column alone. Unaffected by anyone else, they instantly surged ahead and temporarily claimed the top four positions.
Xu Shou's mouth twitched. "I understand that Senior Brother wants to look after the disciples of his own county. Taking a column alone means no interference and an early advantage.
"But Chen Feng, Feng Qingzhu, and Lu Ming were the top three in the minor test, so that is one thing. Why did he slip in Liu Yiyi, who only has Flesh Refining cultivation?
"Besides, that person is clearly a man, yet he's called Liu Yiyi. That's quite strange."
Wei Jinlin gave him an indifferent look. "The one with Flesh Refining cultivation is Lu Ming. Liu Yiyi is a woman, and she recently broke through to Major Completion in Flesh Refining."
Xu Shou said in surprise, "Lu Ming has Flesh Refining cultivation... and he placed among the top three in the previous minor test? Heh heh, heh heh!"
He laughed a few times and said no more, though his expression relaxed considerably.
The other two Directors from the Military Service Bureau exchanged glances and could not help smiling as well.
It seemed the disciples of the Red Cloud County Military Service Bureau were not much this year. In the minor test a few days ago, they could not even gather three disciples at Major Completion in Flesh Refining, allowing Lu Ming, with his mere Flesh Refining cultivation, to seize one of the top three spots.
If that was the case, then Wei Jinlin could favor them all he wanted.
With Lu Ming's Flesh Refining cultivation, he definitely could not seize a Red Token. At most, they would lose three Red Tokens, leaving four for them to fight over. It was not as though they would return empty-handed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Within the Iron Stake Area, more than two hundred disciples charged through the trial at once. The sounds of Iron Stakes being struck layered over one another and merged into a roaring din.
Many disciples at Major Completion in Skin Refining had only passed a few stakes before the noise rattled them until they nearly coughed blood. Unable to display their usual strength, they retreated dejectedly.
Gradually, several distinct tiers formed within the Iron Stake Area.
At the forefront, the first tier consisted of Chen Feng, Feng Qingzhu, Liu Yiyi, and the others.
Many eliminated disciples watched the situation on the field and whispered among themselves.
"Chen Feng and Lu Ming each have a column to themselves, yet others have still caught up to them. There are so many geniuses among the Military Service Bureau disciples from the other counties!"
"Not really. It only looks like a lot because the three Military Service Bureaus are combined."
"Exactly. Black Mountain County only has Chen Ping and Wu Yong in the first tier. Black Water County has Ma Sandao and Niu Dali. Cloud Peak County... Altogether, there are fewer than ten."
At that moment, amid the attention of all, Lu Ming had passed the twenty-fifth stake. The Godly Movement momentum he had accumulated made him feel as though he were riding the wind, and he moved with extreme ease.
A sharp light flashed in his eyes. It was about time. By this point, everyone else found each step harder, while he was only becoming more relaxed.
As long as he exerted a little more force, he could immediately replace Chen Feng and take first place.
His gaze fell upon the Iron-Scaled Python Demon's corpse not far away. The demon was three or four zhang tall, with seven Red Tokens embedded throughout its body.
Wei Jinlin had never said that each person could only take one Red Token. As long as he could withstand the pressure, he could take as many Red Tokens as he wanted!
Just as he was preparing to exert his strength, Chen Feng, who occupied the adjacent row of Iron Stakes to his front left, suddenly turned and gave a meaningful look before casting Lu Ming a sinister glance.
The next moment, the disciple occupying the row of Iron Stakes to Lu Ming's right, along with the disciple on the adjacent row, abruptly darted forward and blocked Lu Ming's path!
Lu Ming raised his eyes and swept his gaze over the two. "The Shen Family's genius, Shen Mo, and Black Mountain County's genius, Wu Yong!"
At that moment, Lu Ming's path was blocked. Chen Feng on his left was also itching to make a move, faintly coordinating with the two as they swore to stop Lu Ming from seizing a Red Token.
Three great geniuses blocked Lu Ming's path!
Before you continue