Hidden Trouble

The night passed without incident.

The next day, Jiang Chen rose early as usual and patiently worked at grinding down the barrier.

In the blink of an eye, it was almost the end of Si Hour.

"About time."

Jiang Chen got up and left his room, heading to the Thousand Fragrance Pavilion for the banquet.

"Jiang Chen!"

Just after he left the Inner Courtyard, a figure blocked his path.

"Zhao Xiaoyue?"

The person who had come was Zhao Xiaoyue, who had been waiting around since yesterday.

"Qingzhu wants to see you."

Zhao Xiaoyue looked Jiang Chen up and down. Only when she saw the Inner Courtyard Token at his waist did she believe that he had truly become an Inner Courtyard disciple.

"I don't have time."

Jiang Chen couldn't be bothered with her.

"You..."

Watching Jiang Chen stride away without hesitation, Zhao Xiaoyue froze.

She truly hadn't expected that even after Wang Qingzhu had lowered herself and invited him, Jiang Chen would still reject her so decisively, completely unmoved.

Could it be that he had truly given up all hope?

"Oh, right."

At that moment, Jiang Chen stopped.

"Tell Wang Qingzhu to pay me back for everything I gave her before, in cash."

Just as Zhao Xiaoyue thought Jiang Chen might have changed his mind, he tossed out those words and strode out of the Outer Courtyard.

"Looks like Jiang Chen really has given up..."

Watching Jiang Chen's figure disappear, Zhao Xiaoyue murmured softly.

Wang Qingzhu had miscalculated.

The Jiang Chen of today was no longer the humble, ingratiating Jiang Chen of the past.

Even if Wang Qingzhu completely lowered herself, Jiang Chen probably wouldn't turn back.

The Thousand Fragrance Pavilion.

"Junior Brother Jiang."

In the restaurant's main hall, Sun Wu and the others had arrived early and waved to Jiang Chen.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I got held up on the way."

Jiang Chen hurried over and apologized.

"We just got here too."

Sun Wu and the others smiled, then went together to a private room on the third floor.

"Waiter, bring out the food."

Sun Wu called out, and a waiter promptly brought over fine wine and delicacies.

"Today's gathering is for two reasons: first, to congratulate Junior Brother Jiang on advancing to the Inner Courtyard; second, to talk about the Martial Exam at the end of the year."

After several rounds of drinks, Sun Wu spoke up.

"Senior Brother Sun, have you heard any inside information about the Martial Exam?"

At that, Zhou Yu and the other three all looked over, quite interested.

Jiang Chen also set down his wine cup and looked at Sun Wu curiously.

"According to reliable information, there'll be major changes to this year's Martial Exam combat segment. They might have us fight real battles to the death."

Sun Wu lowered his voice.

In previous years, the Martial Exam had two segments.

The first tested cultivation strength; the second consisted of sparring matches determined by drawing lots.

The scores from both were combined.

Participants were ranked by score.

Those at the top made the list; those at the bottom were eliminated.

This year, however, the lot-drawn sparring segment might be scrapped.

"Real battles to the death?"

"What do you mean? They'll make us fight each other for real?"

"That's absurd. Blades and swords have no eyes. What if someone gets hurt or maimed?"

"The Upper Sect has only just taken over the Prefecture City. They wouldn't go that far..."

The four men's expressions changed. They felt the information couldn't be accurate.

"This isn't just a baseless rumor. You'd better be prepared."

Sun Wu warned them.

"Looks like the situation in Anning Prefecture isn't very stable."

Jiang Chen remained calm. He was inclined to believe Sun Wu's information.

His father had once told him that after the Upper Sect took over Anning Prefecture, it would establish City Guards throughout the region.

And what was the City Guard's duty?

To suppress unrest throughout the region!

And if they intended to quell unrest, they couldn't recruit a bunch of pretty boys.

Bloodshed.

Killing.

That was the bare minimum.

For Jiang Chen, this was naturally a good thing.

When it came to experience in real combat, he could crush his peers.

At the year-end Martial Exam, he had a very good chance of earning a high ranking.

As for first place...

With Tang Mu, who had Superior Bone Aptitude, competing, there probably wouldn't be a place for anyone else.

"Junior Brother Jiang, if you want to make a name for yourself in the Martial Exam, you'll need to enter the True Martial Realm as quickly as possible. Better yet, break through to the True Martial Second Layer!"

Then Sun Wu spoke to Jiang Chen.

In previous years, simply entering the True Martial Realm would have been enough to secure a decent ranking.

But this year was different.

As far as he knew, the major powers in the Prefecture City had been devoting all their efforts to cultivating the younger generation for quite some time.

As a result, this year's Martial Exam would be a stage for those in the True Martial Second Layer.

Those in the True Martial First Layer would be reduced to the green leaves that set off the blossoms.

"True Martial Second Layer?!"

At those words, Zhou Yu and the other three exchanged complicated looks.

There were only five months left until the year-end Martial Exam.

And Sun Wu actually thought Jiang Chen could reach the True Martial Second Layer?

Wasn't he putting a little too much faith in Jiang Chen?

Even with Medium Bone Aptitude, let alone Ordinary Bone Aptitude, no one could break through repeatedly and reach the True Martial Second Layer in just a few short months.

The difficulty of cultivating in the True Martial Realm was nothing like that of the three Blood Qi stages.

"Understood."

Jiang Chen nodded. Since Sun Wu had said this, he must have gotten the information from a reliable source.

This year's Martial Exam was bound to be extraordinarily fierce!

If he wanted to stand out, he really would need to raise his strength as much as possible.

"We should head back to the martial hall."

Around the Wei Hour, the six of them finished eating and drinking, then went downstairs and headed back to the martial hall.

"Hmm?"

As Jiang Chen left the Thousand Fragrance Pavilion, he suddenly sensed something.

Someone was watching them!

Who was it?

The Azure Dragon Gang?

Or some other faction?

"The Three Qi and Blood Gates are still too weak."

Jiang Chen stayed alert, and his desire to grow stronger burned more fiercely than ever.

The Blood Qi Realm was only the entryway to martial arts. It was enough to deal with ordinary people, but if he encountered a true expert, he might not even be able to protect himself.

Until he broke through to the True Martial Realm, he couldn't recklessly leave the martial hall!

"That's... the Jiang Clan boy!"

By a window in a private room on the third floor of the Thousand Fragrance Pavilion, a hook-nosed man watched Jiang Chen and the others leave, his gaze icy.

To be precise, he was watching Jiang Chen.

"White Ape Martial Hall... Old Lin, are you still investigating the cause of the Seventh Young Master's death?"

A burly man came to the window too, recognizing where Jiang Chen and the others were from.

The White Ape Martial Hall's training uniforms were so well known in the East District that no one could mistake them.

"He's become an Inner Courtyard disciple of the White Ape Martial Hall?"

The hook-nosed man didn't answer. His eyes narrowed as his gaze flickered.

Ever since Zheng Hao's death, the Zheng Clan had been quietly reaching out to martial hall disciples.

That was because Zheng Chengfeng suspected that martial hall disciples had killed Zheng Hao and the others.

Unfortunately, despite repeated investigations, they hadn't found the slightest clue.

He had been ready to give up and return to report to Zheng Chengfeng.

But unexpectedly, he had run into Jiang Chen at the Thousand Fragrance Pavilion.

He had naturally investigated Jiang Chen too.

After all, Jiang Chen had often hung around with Zheng Hao and the others in the past.

But once he learned that Jiang Chen had been at the martial hall for more than half a year and still hadn't mastered the Standing Post Technique, he had immediately ruled him out as a suspect.

Someone who hadn't even condensed Blood Qi couldn't possibly have killed Zheng Hao.

Who would have thought that, seeing him today, Jiang Chen had become an Inner Courtyard disciple of the White Ape Martial Hall?

According to the White Ape Martial Hall's rules, becoming an Inner Courtyard disciple required reaching the Three Qi and Blood Gates.

In other words, his earlier intelligence had been wrong.

Jiang Chen had already reached the Second Qi and Blood Gate long ago; he had simply been hiding his strength.

Then could Jiang Chen have had something to do with the deaths of Zheng Hao and the others?

"This matter has to be reported to the family head."

The hook-nosed man immediately made arrangements.

He would return to the Zheng Clan to report, while the others went to investigate Jiang Chen. He had a strong feeling that Jiang Chen was definitely connected to Zheng Hao's death.