The Culprit

Wang Ji's mind stirred, and he could once again sense those thoughts and insights. When he stopped thinking about them, they no longer affected him. That was pretty great!

Wang Ji went over An Qin's "insights into footwork." They contained everything An Qin had learned—from first taking up footwork, to gradually mastering it, to reaching the pinnacle, and finally creating his own manual and perfecting it.

From the basics, to subtlety, and then perfection, there were even faint traces of a deeper understanding of its essence! Was this an A-grade manual? Or an S-grade one? Even if it wasn't S-grade, it was among the very best of the A-grade manuals!

If he followed these insights in his training, he'd reach perfection in his footwork in no time!

These insights were far more precious than a manual! They could be absorbed directly into his consciousness! They were far more effective than even the best teacher giving one-on-one lessons day and night. In terms of value, they were probably worth more than several billion!

With these insights, plus the fact that Wang Ji's basic footwork had already reached its limit, entering the subtle realm would be easy. Perhaps he could do it in just a few days.

While Wang Ji was enjoying some rare peace and quiet at home, he suddenly received a call from Jiang Nian.

"Xiao Ji, they found the culprits who attacked you on the eve of your Warrior Assessment!" Jiang Nian said.

When Wang Ji arrived at the Limit Martial Hall, Jiang Nian poured him a cup of tea and said, "Actually, we found the culprits a long time ago!"

"Hm?" Wang Ji looked puzzled.

Jiang Nian smiled. "The Limit Martial Hall has more influence than you can imagine! Catching a few culprits was easy. We caught the driver who hit you and the two men who attacked you with crossbows on the third day. But we wanted to find out who was behind them, so we deliberately dragged things out. Do you know who was behind it?"

Wang Ji frowned. "It should be Liu Biao or someone in his family! I can't think of anyone else who'd do this to me."

Jiang Nian nodded. "That's right! But Liu Biao's father, Liu Zhendong, is a veteran martial artist who's been famous for years. He's a Beginner Warlord. He has some influence. We can all guess it was him, but after all this time, there's still no concrete evidence. You know how it is. Neither the government nor the dojos can act without evidence."

Wang Ji nodded.

Jiang Nian continued, "Besides, Liu Zhendong is a martial artist with the HR Alliance. Our Limit Martial Hall is stronger than the HR Alliance, but they're no pushover either. Without solid evidence, and with the HR Alliance backing him, it looks like we can't take this any further."

"So that's the end of the case. This afternoon, the Tribunal will sentence the three culprits who were directly involved. Do you want to go watch?"

Wang Ji shook his head. "What's there to see? They're just three minor underlings."

Jiang Nian nodded. "Fair enough. But the verdict's already been decided! No matter how good their lawyers are or how much they try to argue, the outcome's the same. The Limit Martial Hall has already reached an agreement with the Tribunal: life imprisonment, with no possibility of parole!"

Wang Ji finally smiled a little. "Our dojo really knows how to throw its weight around!"

Jiang Nian laughed. "You think that's all? Not even close! Even without concrete evidence, the HR Alliance can't just get off scot-free! The HR Alliance will provide you with a full set of Series 5 Equipment for free! It's worth thirty million!"

Wang Ji was surprised. "That's a nice bonus!"

Jiang Nian said, "You hadn't passed the Quasi-Warrior Assessment at the time. Otherwise, they'd have had to pay much more. This time, they got off easy."

"Thanks, Uncle Jiang. This is already plenty."

Wang Ji thought for a moment, then asked, "Uncle Jiang, do I have to wait until August 1 to take the Quasi-Warrior practical assessment?"

Jiang Nian replied, "There are two practical assessments a year. That's usually how it works. And people from more than just our Limit Martial Hall take part—the military, the Two Great Dojos, other organizations, people from all walks of life... They all take the same assessment. Why do you ask? Can't wait?"

Wang Ji smiled. "Yeah. There are four months between passing the Quasi-Warrior Assessment and taking the practical assessment!"

Jiang Nian laughed and chided him. "You should count yourself lucky. Those who have less time between assessments are the ones who should be worried! Do you know that only two-thirds pass each year? And the casualty rate isn't low, either. A few more months of practicing your blade techniques and footwork will greatly improve your chances."

"Is there any other way to get out of the city and train beforehand?" Wang Ji asked.

Jiang Nian said anxiously, "Don't even think about it! Going outside the city and into the Wilderness Zone isn't a game. Even after you pass the practical assessment, I'll have to find you an experienced team to look after you. The Wilderness Zone is more than ten times as dangerous as the practical assessment!"

With no other choice, Wang Ji had to drop the subject.

He'd ask around another time. Without a new instance, Wang Ji's progress had slowed noticeably. He could wait two months if he had to. Still, there was no harm in learning more.

The Training Ground instance had disappeared after he cleared it. Wang Ji felt strangely empty without it.

When he got home, just as expected, an official verdict arrived before long. A large alloy crate was delivered along with it.

Inside was a complete set of Series 5 Equipment. The HR Alliance was loaded; when they said a full set, they meant a full set. It wasn't just a Series 5 Blood Shadow Battle Blade, shield, and combat suit. The backpack and outdoor watch were included too, and those were Series 5 as well.

Wang Ji couldn't help putting it all on in the basement training room. A striking, handsome young man appeared in the mirror. The jungle-camouflage combat suit and backpack looked so cool!

Wang Ji swung the Grade 5 Blood Shadow Blade. It felt pretty good in his hands. Still wearing the gear, he began practicing with it. After a while, he finally got used to it.

Thinking about going outside the city, Wang Ji couldn't help searching: How to leave the city

A long list of results appeared.

Actually, leaving the city wasn't especially difficult. Yangzhou City had a population of twenty million. It wasn't as if everyone was forbidden from going outside, nor could only martial artists leave the city.

Of the eight satellite cities affiliated with Jiangnan Base City, Yangzhou City was one. It wasn't merely an affiliated city; it also served as a guard and a line of defense. It was part of Jiangnan Base City's outer defenses.

Beyond that were more than a thousand forward military forts, as well as military bases situated in the Wilderness Zone.

The best-known military base was Modu Military Base, which guarded the estuary.

The forward military forts and satellite cities formed a ring of defenses around the region stretching between them and Jiangnan Base City. This area, spanning tens of thousands of square kilometers, produced food for the two hundred million people in the Base City.

So it was impossible that everyone was barred from leaving the Base City. After all, how many martial artists were there? Who would grow the crops beyond the city walls? Who would mine the ore at the outer mines? They couldn't expect martial artists to do it all.

Ordinary people could leave the city too. They just had to register and apply, then sign some agreements acknowledging the dangers and accepting responsibility for their own lives.

Saturday morning, Wang Ji boarded a train bound for Military Base No. 8. Besides housing a division tasked with defending the Base City, Military Base No. 8 was also a place where many martial artists came to resupply and rest. It was a small fortress city.