Dinner

"Swish!" "Swish!" "Swish!"

Three Shadow Cats appeared from three directions, their emerald eyes locked onto Feng Qingmo.

"Meow-awoo~"

With a feline roar, all three Shadow Cats lunged simultaneously. The speed of the Shadow Cats was far superior to that of the Unicorn Boar.

Feng Qingmo retreated, crouched, and raised his sword!

Dodging the pounce of two cats, he thrust the tip of his sword into the open maw of the third, piercing straight through to its skull.

With a casual flick, he tossed the carcass aside. He swung his longsword, striking the side of the head of another cat as it lunged again. The immense force caused the creature's skull to crack instantly; with a wet thud, the entire body was slammed against the wall and slid slowly to the ground.

The third Shadow Cat was struck with terror. It slammed on the brakes mid-lunge, turned around, and tried to flee.

Feng Qingmo pushed off the ground, his speed surging instantly. In a few steps, he caught up to the cat. As it turned its head to reveal a look of shock, he drove the tip of his sword in from beneath its ear.

After cutting off the left ears of the three Shadow Cats, Feng Qingmo couldn't help but shake his head.

Although my sword technique and footwork have a solid foundation, I am still a long way from mastery and reaching the micro-level. Fortunately, I've adapted to the killing quite quickly... Four ears should be enough to pass the assessment; I'll focus on honing my footwork and sword technique from here on out...

At 6:30 in the morning, the gates of the small town opened.

The martial artists who had completed their assessment walked out in twos and threes. Some were unscathed, some were in a wretched state, some were covered in blood, and others were deathly pale...

"Eight ears, not bad!" The martial artist in charge of the assessment praised Feng Qingmo, seeing that he was completely unharmed.

Having spent the whole night training, he had naturally killed more than eight monsters, but after cutting off eight left ears, passing the assessment was no longer an issue, so he hadn't bothered to collect the rest.

Even so, his results were enough to rank in the top ten among this batch of Quasi-Martial Artists.

After returning his equipment, he boarded the train back to the main city.

By evening, Feng Qingmo stepped through his front door to be greeted by a table full of steaming, delicious dishes.

"Mo'er is back! Go wash your hands and get ready to eat!"

Zuo Huifen said this while her eyes carefully scanned Feng Qingmo. Only after seeing that his gait was normal and he was completely unscathed did she quietly heave a sigh of relief.

Feng Qingmo keenly sensed his mother's gaze and couldn't help but smile. "Mom, you know what your son is capable of. The actual combat assessment was just a breeze for me..."

"Where do you get all these cheeky remarks..." She complained, though she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes.

Feng Jiansong came down from the training room upstairs, and the family of three began to eat dinner around the table.

"I checked for you just now," Feng Jiansong said while serving soup. "Your martial artist account has been generated. After dinner, log into 'Huaxia Home' with your own account; the startup funds promised by the military should have already arrived..."

"Understood."

"People from Huashan will be here in a few days," Feng Jiansong suddenly sighed softly. "To take you to the Huashan Training Camp..."

Feng Qingmo fell silent. This past month had been the most relaxing time of his two lives. His parents' love made him cherish every moment, and for a split second, he even felt the urge to refuse Huashan.

Having never been away from their son since he was a child, Zuo Huifen felt even more reluctant as she looked at the silent Feng Qingmo, but she forced a smile and comforted him: "Mo'er, a man's ambition lies in the four corners of the world. You've grown up; it's time to go out and make your own way..."

"Your mother is right," Feng Jiansong said, gently patting Feng Qingmo's shoulder with his left hand. "A fledgling eagle must eventually spread its wings and fly high..."

Feng Qingmo smiled brightly. "I understand. I've been prepared for a long time; it's just that the thought of leaving you both makes me feel a bit reluctant..."

"The great ancient writer Su Shi once wrote a poem for his newborn son, the last two lines of which are: 'I only wish my child to be foolish and dull, and to reach high office without disaster or hardship!'"

Feng Jiansong tightened his grip on Feng Qingmo's shoulder. "I've changed it slightly: 'I only wish my child to be foolish and dull, and to reach the rank of War God without disaster or hardship!'"

"Mo'er," Feng Jiansong looked into his son's eyes. "Your mother and I couldn't give you a perfectly healthy body. I only wish that you live a life free of disaster and hardship, and that you become a War God as soon as possible to help our country wipe out the monster plague!"

"Don't worry, Mom and Dad!" Feng Qingmo raised his glass. "Not only will I become a War God, but I will also buy you the Water of Life and give you a younger brother or sister soon..."

The three glasses clinked together with a 'ding'.

"Mo'er," Feng Jiansong said with a smile after putting down his glass. "I was upstairs earlier, checked your account, and transferred three hundred million to you. This is the savings your mother and I have accumulated over all these years..."

He waved his hand to stop Feng Qingmo from speaking. "You have only just begun your path as a martial artist. Whether it's weapons, combat suits, or secret manuals, you will need a large amount of funds. Rest assured, your mother and I still have some backup savings... We are waiting for you to become a War God and buy us the Water of Life!"

"Mo'er," Zuo Huifen added, "You've just become a martial artist, and this is exactly when you need money. Your father and I haven't entered the Wilderness Zone to hunt monsters for years, and we don't need to update our weapons or combat suits, so we have no use for the money. Use it as you need; if it's not enough, we'll find a way..."

Feeling the heavy weight of his parents' love, Feng Qingmo felt a warmth in his heart. "Thank you, Mom and Dad!"

"Alright, eat up," Zuo Huifen laughed, placing a large piece of meat into his bowl.

"Mo'er, have you decided which secret manual you want to buy?" Feng Jiansong asked.

"Not yet," Feng Qingmo shook his head. "I've been practicing basic sword techniques, so I'll definitely buy a sword-related manual, along with footwork and guidance techniques..."

"Hmm, our military Mall also carries the 'Nine-Layer Thunder Blade' by Thor, the world's second-strongest, and 'World Destroyer' by Hong, the world's strongest. These are two manuals known as the ultimate," Feng Jiansong said with a look of longing. "It is said that the 'Nine-Layer Thunder Blade' forged Thor's world-leading physique and speed..."

"It's a pity that the 'Nine-Layer Thunder Blade' is a blade technique, and 'World Destroyer' is a spear technique," he said with some regret. "Neither of them is a sword technique..."

"Blades, spears, and swords are the most common weapons anyway," Feng Qingmo said while eating. "There must be plenty of advanced sword techniques on the Mall..."

He swallowed his food, looked up, and said with high spirits: "Hong's 'World Destroyer' and Thor's 'Nine-Layer Thunder Blade' were both created by them. Perhaps one day, I can create my own ultimate sword technique too..."

"Well said!" Zuo Huifen encouraged him with a smile. "That's the kind of ambition you should have. Mo'er, Mom believes in you!"

"Ambition is good," Feng Jiansong said seriously, "but you must also keep your feet on the ground and take it one step at a time. Your sword technique and footwork are still in the basic stages; don't be overly ambitious. If your foundation isn't solid, you'll take detours later on..."

"I understand," Feng Qingmo nodded. "Besides, there will definitely be teachers at the Huashan Training Camp, and perhaps I'll even have the chance to receive guidance from Chief Jia or other existences that have surpassed the War God level..."