Wen Liang

031 Wen Liang

Time flew by, and six days passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, before the sky had even brightened, the entire Mengyin City began to bustle with activity. The youths who were to participate in the Martial Child Assessment rose at the crack of dawn, their hearts filled with a mix of nervousness and excitement, all of them eager to test their mettle.

"Son, come and eat quickly! Mother made your favorite red-braised pork." A plump mother shouted loudly.

In the courtyard, a youth was there, continuously striking a wooden training dummy. Thump, thump, thump. The dummy trembled incessantly. Hearing his mother's voice, he stopped, grabbed a towel hanging nearby to wipe his face a few times, and tossed it onto the clothesline.

"Mother, eating such greasy food so early in the morning is bound to cause indigestion," the youth said with a grimace as he looked at the fragrant red-braised pork on the table. With the Martial Child Assessment today, he did not want any mishaps.

"Don't talk nonsense! What indigestion? This pork has been stewed until it's falling apart; it's the easiest thing to digest. You have the Martial Child Assessment today—if you don't eat some meat, how will you have the strength? Eat up!" The plump mother glared at him.

The youth scratched his head, resigned, and sat down to wolf down the fragrant red-braised pork.

"Father, don't worry. I will definitely achieve a great result in today's Martial Child Assessment and won't let you down," a youth wearing patched clothes said with a solemn expression.

"Go on, Father believes in you. Do your best. If your mother could see you from the afterlife, she would be smiling too," the dark-skinned middle-aged man said, extending a rough hand to pat his son's shoulder gently.

The youth nodded fiercely.

As the sun just began to rise, people from all directions began to converge on the plaza in Mengyin City. Every year, the Martial Child Assessment was held not at the Martial Child Academy, but here at the plaza. This annual event was a grand festival; the importance the people of Mengyin City placed on the Martial Child Assessment far exceeded that of the day of ancestor worship.

When Zhang He and Fatty Tang arrived at the plaza and saw the sea of black heads before them, they couldn't help but be startled.

"I used to watch others participate in the Martial Child Assessment just for the spectacle... Now that it's my turn, I finally feel the nerves," Fatty Tang said, patting his chest. He scanned his surroundings and suddenly grinned. "So many people—are they all here to witness the style of this peerless dark horse? Oh my, I'm truly embarrassed. Ladies, keep your eyes peeled and watch your big brother show off his heroic posture!"

Fatty Tang spoke with great arrogance.

Beside him, Wang Dachui said nothing, only clenching his fists tightly. Today, it is today—I must let you all see that I, Wang Dachui, am no mediocrity!

Seeing the vast crowd, Zhang He felt not a shadow of the tension that usually accompanied the Martial Child Assessment.

"Your strength is already among the best of all the Martial Children. There is no need to be nervous; just treat it with a normal heart. Especially you, Dachui—don't fret over gains and losses; just handle it calmly," Zhang He said to Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui. He looked around. "Let's go, let's head over to register and collect our number plates first."

To participate in the Martial Child Assessment, one had to register first and receive a number plate before being allowed to proceed.

A long queue had already formed at the registration desk.

Just as Zhang He and the others approached, someone in the line spotted them, and immediately, voices began to drip with sarcasm.

"Hey, isn't that Wang Dachui? Is he actually here to register for the Martial Child Assessment?"

"Even a salted fish has dreams; let's not look down on him. Although Dachui participating in the Martial Child Assessment feels like a toad lusting after swan meat, well... letting him try once so he can give up is a good thing. That way, he might know shame and then be brave, and like his lame father, become a qualified blacksmith, right?"

Wang Dachui's expression turned incredibly ugly, and he gripped his fists tight. These two didn't live far from his home; their family ran a grocery store and was quite well-off. The kitchen knives and such that Wang Dachui's father forged were all sold to their family. Usually, at the Martial Child Academy, these two felt they were a cut above Wang Dachui and would occasionally mock and ridicule him.

Originally, the gap between Wang Dachui's cultivation and theirs wasn't large. However, the final month was the most critical time before the assessment, and the Martial Child Academy would distribute large amounts of Body Tempering Liquid to help the students cultivate and strive for a breakthrough. Wang Dachui had been kicked out of the academy and received no liquid, while these two had relied on it to successfully break through to the Skin Tempering Realm.

Because of this, the two looked down on Wang Dachui even more. Seeing him arrive now, they couldn't help but speak out in mockery to highlight their own importance.

"Damn, whose dog leash wasn't tied properly? They let two mutts out!" Fatty Tang stepped forward, picked his nose, flicked his finger, and launched a glob of dark green snot at the two. "Damn it, I didn't eat enough for breakfast, and now you've got me riled up. I might as well slaughter you two for a dog meat hotpot."

The expressions of the two changed instantly.

"Fatty Tang, who are you calling a dog! I think your skin is itching and you're asking for a beating!" One of the youths, dressed in a well-fitted Martial Child uniform, glared and swung his fist, ready to rush forward. His companion, seeing that the situation was turning sour, immediately grabbed him. "Don't waste your breath on these two losers. If you start a private fight before the Martial Child Assessment and get reported, you'll be disqualified immediately."

The youth who was about to strike calmed down instantly. To be disqualified from the Martial Child Assessment because of two losers would be the height of stupidity!

He glared fiercely at Fatty Tang and said coldly, "You're lucky today. After the Martial Child Assessment is over, you'd better get lost quickly. If I see you then, just watch how I deal with you!"

"Oh my, my little heart is fluttering with fear. You scared me to death," Fatty Tang said with a mocking tone. "But then again, they say barking dogs don't bite. Since you two are so good at barking, you surely won't bite. What are you glaring at? If you have the guts, come over and bite me." Fatty Tang made a face, teasing the two.

The two men's faces turned livid. Damn it!

"Hey, look, isn't that Wen Liang?" Suddenly, the crowd surged. The Martial Children in line turned their heads sharply to look to one side.

Not far away, a carriage stopped, and a heroic youth in black robes stepped out. His skin was fair, his sword-like brows were high, and his eyes were like stars. His long black hair was neatly tied behind his head, and his thin lips gave him an air of clean, sharp heroism with every glance.

The moment he appeared, several wealthy Martial Children in the crowd immediately lit up and swarmed toward him.

"He was already in the Brute Force Realm years ago. I heard he's been out training all these years, seeking a breakthrough. Now that he's back, he must have broken through."

"Doesn't that mean his cultivation is now in the True Martial Realm! My god, to be in the True Martial Realm at such a young age—that is a true genius. Comparing people really is infuriating."

"Look at the aura he has when he walks; so majestic and imposing! Tsk tsk, I never expected to be able to participate in the same Martial Child Assessment as him. This is truly a supreme honor. When Wen Liang becomes a pillar of the nation in the future, I can tell my children that I was a classmate of Wen Liang."

Several infatuated girls looked at Wen Liang, their eyes shining.

"So handsome! Look, his eyes are so beautiful, just like black gemstones, sparkling. Ah, they give people such a soul-stirring feeling."

"I heard Wen Liang isn't even engaged yet. Heehee, if only Wen Liang were my boyfriend."

"If I could marry Wen Liang, I'd be content even as a concubine. He's just too handsome. If my future husband could have even half his style, I would thank the heavens."

Seeing Wen Liang over there, with his handsome appearance, Zhang He felt a sense of inferiority just looking at him. Moreover, the aura Wen Liang exuded was proud yet not overbearing; he maintained a faint smile whenever he spoke to others, making him seem like he was on an entirely different level compared to those other wealthy scions. Beside Wen Liang, those wealthy youths were dressed in finery and garishly adorned, looking more like loathsome nouveau riche.

Zhang He suddenly had a realization: "The Wen Clan, as a prestigious noble family, has a history spanning hundreds of years. Only someone like Wen Liang, emerging from such a background, can truly be called a scion of a noble house, whereas the likes of Zhao Feng can only be considered spoiled brats."

"Although I am handsome, I have to admit that this Wen Liang is truly devastatingly handsome," Fatty Tang said, dejected. "My girls all swooned the moment they saw him. Sigh, he's stolen all my thunder; it's truly infuriating."

Hearing Fatty Tang's words, Zhang He smiled slightly.

"Zhang He, this Wen Liang is your biggest competitor this time! How about it, do you have confidence?"

A clear, bell-like voice drifted over. Zhang He turned his head to see Lian Yunbi, dressed in a white martial apprentice uniform, appearing behind him with a beaming smile. They say that to look truly beautiful, one must wear white. Lian Yunbi already possessed a fiery figure, and now, clad in a well-tailored white martial apprentice uniform, she not only carried herself with the proud elegance of a plum blossom, but her curvaceous silhouette also gave one the urge to have a nosebleed. Wang Dachui managed to keep his composure, but the moment Fatty Tang saw Lian Yunbi, his mouth fell wide open, his eyes lit up, and he nearly drooled.

Zhang He smiled faintly: "If it were a contest of handsomeness, then I would have to concede defeat."

Pfft, Lian Yunbi covered her mouth and laughed. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at Zhang He and teased, "You really know how to talk. Looking at your confident expression, it's clear you don't even take Wen Liang seriously. I truly don't know where you get such immense confidence. You should know that Wen Liang has already broken through to the True Martial Realm. To possess True Martial Realm cultivation at such an age is absolutely one in a million throughout the entire Western Chu Kingdom."

Zhang He thought to himself, What an unfortunate coincidence, for I am also one of those one in a million.

"Yunbi, it's been a long time. How have you been?" A clear, bright voice rang out. Upon seeing Lian Yunbi, Wen Liang actually quickened his pace as he walked over. His handsome face bore a faint smile, giving him a radiant, shining presence. Any man standing before him could not help but feel a sense of inferiority. The ordinary commoner martial apprentices could only look at Wen Liang with eyes full of admiration.