"I've endured a year of grueling training. At last, today has come."
"I'm going to become the Hammer Holder today. Nobody better try to take my place!"
"Hah, you lot think you can compete with me? Don't become the Hammer Holder only to find you can't even lift the hammer.
I can deadlift three hundred kilograms."
At that,
the younger generation couldn't help getting excited. They all rubbed their hands together, eager to get started.
They were clearly looking forward to the Strength Bearing Festival.
The Strength Bearing Festival
was a tradition unique to the Hu Clan's Ancestral Rite. The other traditions had more or less been discontinued as the times changed, but this one alone had been preserved. It had continued uninterrupted for hundreds of years.
The Strength Bearing Festival could be seen as a test of one's strength.
Those who performed well received a cash reward.
Becoming the Hammer Holder brought even greater benefits, as well as a series of forms of support.
Whether they started a business or pursued an official career, they would find success at every turn.
On top of that,
they might even get the chance to come into contact with that kind of power...
So, becoming the Hammer Holder brought unimaginable benefits.
For that very reason, the Hu family's young people were extremely eager to take part in the Strength Bearing Festival.
Hu Long's memories contained little information about it.
Perhaps his memories were incomplete, or perhaps his original self had been too untalented to achieve a good result.
As for Secret Martial Arts,
for reasons unknown,
the main family had no intention of publicizing them. As a result, many members of the Hu Family's branches only learned about Secret Martial Artists after they were selected.
However, after learning of the existence of Secret Martial Artists, Hu Long understood that this was a test—a test to determine whether one had the aptitude.
At that thought,
a peculiar glint appeared in his eyes.
Soon, everyone arrived at the open ground outside the ancestral hall.
A dozen or so stone locks of various sizes had been neatly arranged across the open space.
Different weights were carved into the surface of each stone lock, from left to right:
fifty pounds, one hundred pounds, one hundred and fifty pounds... Each one was fifty pounds heavier than the last.
These stone locks were the tools required for the Strength Bearing Festival.
"Anyone of the proper age who needs to take part, line up over here."
After the clan head, Hu Zhenkui, spoke,
everyone of the proper age stepped forward, except those with disabilities who were truly unable to participate.
"I'll give it a try too!"
Just then,
Hu Long spoke up.
His original self was only twenty-one, so he did meet the age requirement.
"No, you haven't fully recovered yet. What if you hurt yourself..."
Hearing Hu Long, He Yanling moved to refuse without a moment's hesitation.
"It's fine. I've pretty much recovered, and I feel perfectly well."
Hu Long smiled.
"That's right. If Xiao Long wants to give it a try, let him."
Hu Chengwen interjected.
He had naturally noticed the changes in Hu Long over this period.
For one thing, his body had grown much stronger.
Perhaps he really could be selected by the main family.
That was why he had called him back before the Ancestral Rite, and had taken the opportunity to speak with him and emphasize its importance.
It seemed that Hu Long really had taken his words to heart.
He Yanling, standing nearby, knew nothing about that.
They were outside now, and the head of the household had spoken. She had also seen how much stronger Hu Long looked these past few days.
Although He Yanling wasn't happy about it, she didn't argue further.
"Be careful. Don't push yourself. If you can't do it, give up."
After saying that, He Yanling glared at Hu Chengwen.
Hu Chengwen could only pretend not to notice.
"Go on. Do your best."
He said.
"Good luck!"
Hu Zhao raised her fist and gave Hu Long an encouraging gesture.
She wasn't taking part, not because she didn't want to.
She was already twenty-six, which was over the age limit for the Strength Bearing Festival.
At that,
Hu Long simply nodded without saying much.
Soon,
everyone who was participating had stepped forward.
There were 102 people in total.
There were both men and women among them.
The rules of the Strength Bearing Festival were simple. Participants weren't required to lift the stone locks over their heads, since that would be too difficult.
Besides, losing one's grip or running out of strength would be extremely dangerous. The slightest mistake could injure someone with a falling stone.
According to the records, there had been quite a few such incidents in the past.
As time went by,
the rules of the Ancestral Rite had been changed.
For safety's sake, participants now only had to lift a stone lock off the ground until it passed their knees, then hold it there for ten seconds to pass.
After that,
everyone lined up to lift a stone lock.
In addition, a one-hundred-pound stone lock earned a reward of one hundred thousand yuan, while a one-hundred-and-fifty-pound one earned a hundred and fifty thousand, and so on.
For every heavier stone lock they managed to lift, the cash reward went up by fifty thousand.
After all, not every member of the Hu Clan came from a family as wealthy as Hu Long's.
They couldn't afford to be indifferent to the money.
Besides, money was only a secondary benefit. It was said that lifting a heavier stone lock brought greater rewards.
As a result, nearly everyone gave it their all, hoping to lift a heavier stone lock.
The one-hundred-pound stone lock wasn't heavy. Almost everyone passed.
The next one, weighing one hundred and fifty pounds, was heavier, but holding it up for ten seconds wasn't difficult.
Aside from a few particularly skinny people who lacked strength, almost everyone could manage it.
After that came the two-hundred-pound, two-hundred-and-fifty-pound, and three-hundred-pound stone locks.
The heavier the stones became,
the fewer people could lift them.
Only thirteen people managed the three-hundred-pound stone lock.
Lifting a stone lock was different from deadlifting in a gym.
The two movements involved completely different points of force.
Perhaps someone who had trained for a long time at the gym could deadlift two hundred kilograms.
But lifting a three-hundred-pound stone lock was much harder.
That was why more people were eliminated at this stage than at any other.
The remaining members of the Hu Clan were almost all exceptionally strong, muscular people.
However, two of them stood out in particular.
One was a chubby little fellow, and the other was a young man with a crew cut.
Compared to the other members of the clan, both of them were smaller, even than the only woman among them.
And yet, both of them lifted the stone locks with remarkable ease.
"This year's crop is pretty good. More than ten people managed three hundred pounds. Sister Li, how heavy do you think the heaviest stone lock lifted today will be?"
Just then, in the crowd where the members of the Hu Clan's main family stood,
a dark-skinned man with thin lips spoke up.
As he spoke, he sized up the members of the Hu Clan, his eyes gleaming with interest.
Hu Li was a woman with thick arms and firm muscles. Her hair was tied in a bun, and her expression was cool and stern.
What drew the eye were the streaks of grayish-white patterning across the skin of her exposed arms.
Hearing him,
she folded her arms and glanced over the people lining up for the Strength Bearing Festival.
She merely shook her head.
"That's hard to say. But I heard a little fellow with extraordinary talent showed up this time. He might surprise us."
"I've heard about that little fellow too."
The dark-skinned man's gaze settled on the chubby little fellow in the crowd.
"With that kind of aptitude, he's probably already been selected. Today's Strength Bearing Festival is just a formality."
By the end, his voice held a hint of envy.
Although he was already a member of the main family and had entered a world beyond the reach of ordinary people,
he still couldn't compare with him.
People like that were true geniuses.
They started out ahead of him, and as long as they didn't die young, they could go even further.
At that thought, his eyes turned to Hu Li's back.
Her very existence was proof.
The heaviest stone lock she had lifted back then had weighed four hundred pounds, while Hu Li had lifted an eight-hundred-pound stone lock at the time.
In fact, she had joined the main family even more recently than he had, but her strength had already surpassed his by a long way.
That was proof of superior aptitude. It couldn't be made up for through hard work alone.
Just then, a soft exclamation came from the crowd.