We Were Self-Taught

We Were Self-Taught

"You value the first-place reward that much?" Prince Qu didn't commit either way, merely teasing him with a smile.

"I don't need the first-place reward. I'm just not convinced, and I have my doubts." Wen Liang wasn't intimidated by Prince Qu. He would soon become an inner disciple of True Martial Academy. Once he graduated, he would enjoy a lofty status; perhaps he would even stay in the Northwest Empire. By then, Prince Qu would have to bow when he saw him.

Prince Qu seemed to have expected Wen Liang to think this way. He smiled faintly. "If you want to compete with him, that's not out of the question. But before you do, I should show you some footage. After you've watched it, you can decide whether you still want to compete." As he spoke, Prince Qu led Wen Liang over to the strange mirror.

Prince Qu's men had already arranged everything. The mirror replayed footage from the assessment. The moment Wen Liang saw Zhang He's composed figure, his expression changed. He was struck dumb. Zhang He's unhurried bearing and the force behind his strikes both showed that his cultivation was in no way inferior to Wen Liang's.

Wen Liang's face had gone a little pale. After watching the footage, he nodded silently and said bitterly, "I didn't expect Zhang He to be this strong. I lost fair and square. I was simply outmatched."

The strength Zhang He had revealed in the footage made Wen Liang recognize the gap between them.

"Don't grow arrogant in victory or lose heart in defeat. As long as you work harder than he does, you'll surpass him one day." Prince Qu smiled faintly.

Wen Liang nodded, determination flashing in his eyes. "I'll work even harder and surpass Zhang He!" A desire to fight suddenly flared in his heart. Zhang He had become the next enemy he intended to defeat. With his mind settled, Wen Liang didn't linger and left at once.

Prince Qu watched Wen Liang go and shook his head gently. "I hope he can turn humiliation into motivation. At the very least, he needs to calm down. The world is vast and full of wonders; not everyone is beneath you, young man." Prince Qu walked out at an unhurried pace. Zhang He and the others had been waiting outside for some time.

Outside, the Mengyin City Lord was talking with Zhang He and the others. When His Highness the Prince came out, the Mengyin City Lord immediately rose and bowed.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Zhang He bowed along with him.

"At ease." Prince Qu smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "You all performed very well today. Zhang He in particular came first in Mengyin City's Martial Child Assessment and will be granted Cold Gate status. Let me congratulate you in advance."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Zhang He remained neither servile nor overawed. His demeanor made Prince Qu's eyes brighten with mild surprise. This young man was no ordinary person!

Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui stood off to one side, uneasy. They had no idea why His Highness had summoned them.

"You two, don't be nervous. I'm not a tiger. I don't eat people." Seeing how tense Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui were, Prince Qu smiled kindly.

"You may not be a tiger, but you've got the presence of one." Fatty Tang immediately buttered him up.

"Haha, you certainly know how to talk. Your name is Tang Risong, right? Do you know why I summoned the two of you?" Prince Qu regarded Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui at his leisure.

Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui hesitated, then shook their heads.

"I watched you make your way through the assessment. I have to say, your fighting style was quite unusual." At Prince Qu's words, Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui tensed up. Had their fighting been too underhanded? Had His Highness watched in disgust and summoned them to reprimand them?

Prince Qu's next words made them both breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'm very interested in the martial arts you displayed as you fought your way through the trials. Is the set you use complete?" Prince Qu asked Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui warmly. In his eyes, both men were talents who could improve the army's hand-to-hand combat skills.

Fatty Tang and Wang Dachui exchanged a glance, seeming a little surprised. Fatty Tang hesitated, then answered honestly, "I don't know if it's a complete set. When we learned it, it was just a collection of scattered moves."

"Oh?" Prince Qu grew even more interested. "Who taught you? Those moves are quite seasoned. Did you learn them from a veteran?"

Fatty Tang shook his head and looked at Zhang He. "We learned them from Zhang He. He taught us all those moves."

"What?" Prince Qu was stunned. He turned in surprise to Zhang He, who stood beside them, his expression unchanged. That calm, composed bearing immediately gave Prince Qu a favorable impression of him.

"Zhang He, you taught them all these moves? Where did you learn them?" Prince Qu asked.

"They're just some moves I came up with in my spare time. I made them for fun; they're nothing impressive." Zhang He put on a modest front, but inwardly he thought, Sorry about this. Looks like I'm the founder of this set of military combat techniques now.

Prince Qu's eyes suddenly blazed with light. Zhang He's answer had shocked him; more than that, it was hard to believe. "You came up with them yourself?" Anyone who could create a martial art was a master. The moves were simple, but could a boy not yet eighteen really have devised them on his own?

If it was true, then the boy before him was a genius!

"Do you know the value of this fighting style?" Prince Qu drew a light breath to steady himself, then asked Zhang He quietly. He felt that if Zhang He really had created such a set of techniques, he must understand its worth.

Zhang He looked at Prince Qu. Though he was dressed like a scholar and seemed refined, his eyes shone with a piercing light. It was like a tiger staring down its prey, an imposing presence that bore down on those around him. Zhang He knew the man wasn't putting it on; it must have been something he had cultivated over many years.

Zhang He had seen that kind of presence before. A soldier's.

"An ordinary person without true energy could use these techniques to improve their odds when fighting an enemy stronger than themselves," Zhang He said gravely.

"Exactly! Ordinary people make up the vast majority of the world, while those who have cultivated true energy make up only a small minority. Even in the army, most soldiers are ordinary people. If they mastered these techniques, they would have a better chance in close combat with the enemy. That increased chance could save the lives of more ordinary soldiers!" Light blazed in Prince Qu's eyes.

"Your Highness, if you think these techniques are useful, I won't keep them to myself. I can hand over everything I've figured out and do my part for the Western Chu Kingdom." Seeing Prince Qu's attitude, Zhang He realized how highly he valued the military combat techniques. He wanted to bring these modern military fighting methods into the army and teach them to ordinary soldiers!

"Excellent! Excellent! You truly are loyal to the core!" Seeing Zhang He's attitude, Prince Qu was deeply pleased. A glint flashed in his eyes. "You came first in this Martial Child Assessment. By the rules, you'll receive Cold Gate status. This is your first step into the scholar-gentry class. If you can refine this set of techniques into a complete system, I can offer you certain benefits. For instance, I could grant you the right to keep a certain number of private troops. What do you think?"

The Mengyin City Lord, standing nearby, widened his eyes and sucked in a sharp breath. Good heavens! What was His Highness thinking? Granting a mere Cold Gate scholar the right to keep private troops? Only nobles were allowed that! The city lord couldn't help looking at Zhang He.

Cold Gate scholars had never been allowed to keep private troops in the history of the Western Chu Kingdom. If Zhang He became the first, it would mean that from then on, he could practically run rampant in Mengyin City!

Besides, Prince Qu's offer showed just how important Zhang He was to him. And wasn't keeping private troops, to a certain extent, a way to protect oneself?

"Thank you for your gracious gift, Your Highness. I'll certainly put together a complete set of techniques!" Zhang He immediately bowed to Prince Qu. The right to keep private troops! Once he became a Cold Gate scholar, it would be like having a protective talisman. Even the great noble families wouldn't dare provoke him!

"Haha, do your best. I have high hopes for you. By the way, the entrance selection assessment for True Martial Academy is coming up in a little while. You came first in Mengyin City, so you've already earned the right to take part. I hope you'll achieve an outstanding result and bring honor to the country!" Prince Qu smiled warmly. The more he looked at Zhang He, the more he liked him.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Just then, Zhao Wencai came in. As the head of Mengyin City's Martial Child Academy, he needed to witness this moment and pay his respects to His Highness.

When Prince Qu saw Zhao Wencai, his face lit up with a radiant smile. He praised him sincerely. "You've nurtured such outstanding martial children for the country. You've done an excellent job as dean. This is a blessing for the Western Chu Kingdom. I'll report this truthfully and request a reward for you. You've worked diligently in Mengyin City for so many years; I think it's about time you moved up to a higher post."

"Your Highness, actually... the three of us aren't martial children from the Martial Child Academy. Dean Zhao expelled us a month ago." Zhang He suddenly cut in. As he spoke, he glanced at Zhao Wencai.

Zhao Wencai's face went deathly pale. He bared his teeth in a dry smile. "Actually, well..."

Prince Qu was stunned, then immediately frowned. He realized something had to be going on. Such outstanding martial children had been expelled by the academy? The Martial Child Academy was a place the state had established to nurture talented young people. If it expelled a gifted student, it would surely leave a scar in that student's heart. They might even come to resent the country!

"Dean Zhao, what's going on?" Prince Qu's expression darkened.

Cold sweat broke out on Zhao Wencai's forehead. At that moment, he regretted it beyond words. Why had he expelled them in the first place? He'd brought all this trouble on himself today!