The man appeared out of nowhere.
Everyone saw only a gray blur flash past. A gust of wind swept across their faces, and then the man was standing before Lu Cheng.
A black cloth cap covered his head. He wore a white cross-collar cotton jacket beneath a gray robe with narrow sleeves, and a dark silver belt with an eagle-head buckle cinched tightly around his waist.
His eyebrows were neat and sharply defined, their peaks rising like mountains. His eyes were not large, but his gaze was bright and alert.
His nose was straight, the bridge broad. His jawline was square and distinct, his features rugged, and his stance steady.
Even through his clothes, Lu Cheng could see the man's powerful build. Combined with his nearly two-meter height, he was an imposing figure.
As soon as the man appeared, he addressed Lu Cheng:
"Good analysis. But the Qi Refining Realm is far from the highest realm. As far as martial arts go, it's only the beginning."
His voice was not loud, but it was deep and forceful, perfectly suited to his appearance.
Then he continued, "What's your name? Are you here to become a disciple?"
The man had appeared from inside the escort agency. He wore an eagle-head belt buckle and was dressed and aged just so. His identity was obvious!
Lu Cheng bowed respectfully.
"Disciple Lu Cheng, sixteen years old, from Cold Willow Town. I've long admired martial arts, and have heard of the Long Wind Escort Agency and the three masters by reputation. I've come today to ask to become your disciple. I beg you to accept me."
The man nodded. "Good." Then he asked, "You look like you've studied. Are you proficient in the classics and arithmetic?"
Lu Cheng replied, "This disciple has studied since childhood, but is rather dull-witted. I've only passed the county-level examination for licentiates, so I wouldn't dare claim to be proficient."
"Oh?" The man was initially surprised, then asked curiously, "The hardships of martial arts far exceed those of study, and there's no guarantee of reward. You're young, and already a licentiate. Passing the higher examination shouldn't be difficult. Why not continue your studies, rather than come here to practice martial arts?"
Lu Cheng's gaze was firm.
"Studying for the civil examinations ultimately means relying on the court's power. It might bring temporary security, but it's not enough to rely on for a lifetime."
"Since I was born into this world, I don't ask for a prosperous life. I only ask that, while I still live, I won't be bullied by the ways of the world. I'll rely on my own fists and feet to uphold the proud world in my heart."
"Hahaha, well said!" The man's eyes shone with approval as he praised him in a ringing voice. "A man born between heaven and earth should indeed be like that!"
"But intelligence and ambition alone aren't enough for the martial path. My name is Feng Zhan, and I'm the Long Wind Escort Agency's Third Chief Escort. Come with me. We'll measure your tendons and weigh your bones!"
With that, he turned and walked into the agency.
He was taking Lu Cheng straight inside, letting him cut the line.
Nobody around them dared show any displeasure. They could only watch enviously as Lu Cheng followed the man inside.
By now, everyone knew that Lu Cheng had caught the masters' eye.
As long as the test showed his constitution wasn't too poor, he was sure to have a place at the agency in the future.
Fatty had initially been startled by Feng Zhan's sudden appearance.
But when he saw that Feng Zhan wasn't going to give him trouble and was even letting Lu Cheng cut the line, he was thrilled. He hurriedly tugged along the young man and woman beside him and followed.
Someone who was unhappy called out to stop them, but Fatty shot back, "We came together!"
Seeing that Feng Zhan at the front showed no reaction, everyone else kept quiet.
The three young men who had clashed with the four of them earlier were now feeling uneasy, but in the end, none of them left.
The Long Wind Escort Agency's entrance was modest, but the grounds inside were vast.
Unlike the northern and southern architecture of Lu Cheng's previous life, this compound was broad and rugged in style.
There were no ornamental walls, covered corridors, or decorated gates.
After passing the gate and the row of servants' quarters, they came to a broad square paved with blue bricks, large enough for a hundred people to stand around with room to spare.
Two long rows of side rooms flanked the square, stretching all the way to a tall hall at the northern end.
A line of assorted weapons and training equipment stood before the eastern side rooms. A well sat in the northwest, and a broad patch of Plum Blossom Stances, varying in height, thickness, and spacing, occupied the south.
Several tables, desks, and chairs stood in the square. At the center were three grand armchairs. The one on the far eastern side was empty, while the other two were occupied by men about Feng Zhan's age.
The man in the middle chair had a square face and a broad mouth, a complexion like dark-red dates, and thick eyebrows slanting into his temples. His gaze was deep, and he sat with solemn poise. At a glance, he seemed fearsome without even trying.
The man on the western side was lean, with a wisp of goatee under his chin and fine eyebrows and eyes. He lounged casually to one side, smiling as he watched Lu Cheng and the other three approach. He didn't seem imposing at all.
In the center of the square stood a round, bluish, translucent stone platform, three feet across and more than half a foot high.
Its upper surface was as smooth as a mirror. Six concentric grooves were etched into it, and its sides were covered in complex symbols Lu Cheng couldn't understand.
A mass of white mist churned within its center.
There were also two head-sized stone spheres made of the same material as the platform, one on either side of it.
A line of disciples stretched from the entrance along the eastern side of the square.
On the western side, someone sat behind a table with brushes, ink, and books laid out on it.
Behind the table stood or sat sixty or seventy young men and women, all carrying bundles.
Lu Cheng looked them over, but couldn't tell which one was the so-called Di Hao.
Feng Zhan led the four of them inside and straight to the front of the line.
He told them to wait by the stone platform, then walked around it and took the eastern grand chair. Leaning his head to one side, he spoke quietly with the other two men.
To Lu Cheng's surprise, the stone platform was not far from the three men. He could see Feng Zhan's mouth moving, but he couldn't hear a single sound.
It was as if an invisible barrier separated the three of them from everyone else.
The display left Lu Cheng astonished.
According to Thin Bamboo Pole, the three masters of the Long Wind Escort Agency had only just entered the Body Refining Realm.
As Lu Cheng understood it, since it was called Body Refining, it should still be within the limits of mortal flesh.
But now it seemed that was far from the case.
Both the way Feng Zhan had appeared earlier and the way he was speaking now far exceeded Lu Cheng's imagination.
The man on the western side stroked his beard as he listened, his gaze fixed on Lu Cheng the whole time.
The man in the middle remained expressionless. Only after Feng Zhan finished speaking did he nod.
Then Feng Zhan addressed Lu Cheng.
"This platform contains a formation that can test a martial artist's aptitude. Stand in the center and follow each of my instructions."
Now the man was speaking normally, and his voice reached Lu Cheng without a problem.
Lu Cheng put the matter out of his mind and stepped onto the platform as Feng Zhan had instructed.
"Quiet your mind and focus your thoughts on your dantian."
Lu Cheng followed Feng Zhan's instructions. Before long, he felt warmth rise from the platform beneath his feet.
The heat rushed up through his legs, passed through his chest and abdomen, and flowed into his limbs. It circled his body once, then returned along the same path.
The instant the heat vanished, Lu Cheng suddenly felt his body grow heavy.
Then the mass of swirling white mist within the platform began to spread rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, the mist had reached the first groove.
It didn't pause, but continued spreading at the same astonishing speed, swiftly passing the second groove.
Its pace showed no sign of slowing.
All day, only the fellow called Di Hao had shown the same result.
At the sight, delight flashed through the eyes of Feng Zhan and the two other men.
Three formations had been built into the stone platform.
The first was called "Bone Weighing."
As the name suggested, it weighed and tested the examinee's innate bones.
How far the mist spread inside the platform depended on the weight of the examinee's innate bones.
The mist was surging outward so fiercely that Lu Cheng's innate bones were clearly no ordinary thing.
Nearly everyone around them held their breath, staring without blinking at the mist inside the platform.
Everyone had the same thought:
Just how far would this young man, brought in to cut the line by a chief escort himself, get?
Before you continue