Martial Arts Sects

Wu Yongfeng shook his head. "The Martial Exam Dragon Ascent is the primary pathway for martial sects to select disciples. Do you think it's important or not? You all know that a turncoat like Lu Ren is untrustworthy; do you really think the Gu Family patriarch is a fool?"

At this, the group fell silent.

Their own goal was merely Minor Success in Qi Gathering, and those with ambition dared only to dream of Great Success in Qi Gathering. The Gu Family, however, had their sights set on a martial sect; they were on an entirely different level, so their reasoning could not be compared.

The Gu Family didn't care if Lu Ren would betray them in the future; they only needed him to exert himself for the Gu Family's eldest young master during the Martial Exam Dragon Ascent.

"Do you all understand what a martial sect is?"

Xu Yang spoke up, realizing that the "Dragon Ascent" of the Martial Exam was, in fact, an ascent into a martial sect.

Wu Yongfeng, Qiu Wenjie, and the others all shook their heads.

"It is said that the martial arts taught in the martial halls of Qingyuan County are all incomplete, reaching at most the Marrow Cleansing stage. Only by entering a martial sect can one obtain complete techniques and pursue the peak of the martial path. It's a pity I've already been eliminated," Zhang Hong sighed.

Given his talent and cultivation resources, it would be impossible for him to reach Great Success in Qi Gathering within two or three years.

Like Xu Yang, he possessed only Grade C-Lower bone structure.

"I will participate in the Martial Exam Dragon Ascent. I will go and see the scenery of the martial sects on your behalf," Zhang Yong said, clenching his fists.

Hearing this, Wu Yongfeng's eyes lit up. "Junior Brother Zhang Yong, have you already reached Minor Success in Qi Gathering?"

Zhang Yong nodded gently. "I had the good fortune to break through last night. My Qi Gathering has reached minor success."

Wu Yongfeng was overjoyed. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Zhang Yong! It seems we are about to produce a Martial Scholar among us."

Immediately after, Qiu Wenjie and Zhang Hong also stepped forward to offer their congratulations.

Xu Yang also stepped forward to congratulate Zhang Yong, though he was not particularly surprised by Zhang Yong's progress.

Out of the ten people in their batch, Zhang Yong's bone structure was second only to Lu Ren's. In terms of cultivation, even he and Lu Ren could only be considered diligent, but Zhang Yong's training could be described as desperate.

Furthermore, after successfully gathering Qi, unlike Zhang Hong who was ignored by everyone, Zhang Yong's Grade C-Upper bone structure had caught the eye of a small family. Through a marriage alliance, he received financial support for his martial training.

With resources in abundance, it was only natural that Zhang Yong had reached minor success a few days later than him. At this rate, it was entirely possible for him to reach Great Success in Qi Gathering before the Martial Exam Dragon Ascent.

"It's a pity you were unwilling to bow your head, otherwise you and I could have continued to compete at the Martial Exam Dragon Ascent," Zhang Yong looked at Xu Yang with a hint of emotion.

He had finally surpassed Xu Yang for the first time, yet because it was the result of bowing to money, he felt no joy.

Xu Yang shook his head, offering no explanation.

Seeing this, Zhang Hong interjected, "The Huang Family announced today that they will once again select talented individuals to cultivate. If you have any suitable youths among your relatives, you can tell them to rush to the Huang Family tomorrow for bone-testing..."

Sure enough, once he mentioned the Huang Family, everyone's attention shifted instantly. Even the surrounding fellow disciples crowded around to ask questions.

"Simply preposterous! If a matter doesn't work out, it doesn't work out—why resort to such base tactics?"

Upon hearing what Huang Ling'er had done, Huang Jin immediately sought her out.

"Fifth Uncle, isn't this all your fault? I didn't want to do it in the first place, but you insisted I marry him to win him over. Now that this mud-legged peasant has rejected me and the Huang Family, if I don't act like this, what will happen to my reputation if word gets out? Where will the dignity of the Huang Family be? People will surely laugh at us, saying that even a mud-legged peasant looks down on the Huang Family."

Huang Ling'er did not feel she was in the wrong; she believed she was merely salvaging the Huang Family's reputation.

Huang Jin remained silent. It wasn't that he had insisted on the marriage, but that Huang Ping had refused to provide financial support unless Xu Yang married a woman from the Huang Family.

"This matter was indeed my lack of foresight, but only a few of us know about it. If we don't speak of it, who would ever know it happened? Now that you've made it known to the whole world, if Xu Yang tells the truth, the Huang Family's reputation will truly be ruined."

"Fifth Uncle, can you guarantee that Xu Yang won't speak out?"

Huang Ling'er sneered, "Let him try to explain. We'll see if people believe our Huang Family or that mud-legged peasant."

She was certain that even if Xu Yang stood up to clarify, no one would believe him.

Huang Jin shook his head. "By bullying him like this, the little bit of goodwill we had with him is gone."

Huang Ling'er wore an expression of disdain. "He's just a Grade C-Lower bone structure; what use is his goodwill? By rejecting our Huang Family, he'll be lucky to even reach Great Success in Qi Gathering in his lifetime."

Huang Jin felt weary. He had always thought highly of Xu Yang, so even when things didn't work out, he had tried his best to maintain the relationship between the Huang Family and Xu Yang. But Huang Ling'er's actions had completely severed those ties, and might even have turned him into a grudge-bearer.

With the Huang Family in its current state, instead of trying to make friends, they were turning friends into enemies. He couldn't fathom what was going through Huang Ling'er's mind.

"Enough, Fifth Brother!"

Huang Ping waved his hand. "Do not mention this Xu Yang again. Consider this his repayment for the cultivation resources our Huang Family provided him. How are your arrangements for the talent selection coming along?"

Huang Jin sighed, cupped his hands, and said, "I have already ordered people to spread the word everywhere, even sending men to the villages outside the city."

Huang Ping nodded in satisfaction and waved for Huang Jin to withdraw.

The heavy snow stopped the next day, but the accumulation was already knee-deep. Several roofs in White Stone Ward had collapsed under the weight, though fortunately, there were no casualties.

After waking up, Xu Yang cleared the snow from his roof once more before heading up the mountain to chop firewood.

In the past, he would have just bought it, but now, no one dared to venture up the mountain, so he had to do it himself.

He blamed his own obsession with martial training for failing to prepare in advance.

Along the way, the knee-deep snow made even walking feel strenuous, even for a martial artist who had achieved minor success in Qi Gathering.

"Something is going to go wrong!" Xu Yang sighed.

A heavy snowfall like this hadn't been seen in seven or eight years, according to his memory. If it continued for a few more days, people would either freeze to death or starve.

When he went to the city to buy grain yesterday, the prices had already risen.

People facing a survival crisis were capable of anything.

Even the Tri-Union Gang, as exploitative as they were, wouldn't dare push everyone to the point where they couldn't survive.

Carrying his firewood back, he saw a crowd gathered at his doorstep from afar and immediately quickened his pace.

Fortunately, nothing was wrong, and they weren't there to borrow money or grain; it was a group of young people from White Stone Ward who had heard about the Huang Family's recruitment and came to verify it with him.

He hadn't expected the Huang Family to make such a big move, sending people all the way to White Stone Ward to spread the word despite the heavy snow.

In the crowd, he spotted Zhang Daniu and He Laosan; even those two, who detested martial arts, had come.

"Brother Yang, is this true?"

The speaker was a cousin from his own clan named Xu Zheng.

Xu Yang nodded. "The news is true. As long as you meet the standards after the bone-structure assessment, the Huang Family will send you to a martial arts school. That is how I was selected back then."

Hearing that this was how Xu Yang became a martial artist, the young men flushed with excitement.

If Xu Yang could get ahead this way, why couldn't they?

"Yang, please take them to the Huang Family."

His uncle Xu Daxin said excitedly; he was Xu Zheng's father.

Xu Yang thought for a moment and said, "I happen to be heading to the city anyway, so I can guide them to the Huang Family. However, the snow is deep and travel is difficult; if anyone can't keep up on the road, I won't be responsible."

"If they can't even walk to the city, what kind of trash would think they're fit to practice martial arts?" Xu Daxin remarked.

It was a small favor, and Xu Yang didn't mind helping these peers get a chance to change their fates, so he immediately led the group toward the city.