Liu Mo

Time slipped by until it reached high noon.

Outside the Guard Hall, a crowd of apprentices and servants on their lunch break had already gathered, packed tight, whispering and discussing among themselves.

In the center of the small courtyard, the ring for the assessment had been set up; it was simple, yet it exuded a certain murderous aura.

Jiang Feng's application for the guard assessment had long since spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the Medicine Hall.

He was already a well-known figure in the Medicine Hall, and the grudge between him and Wu Han was widely circulated, serving as a popular topic of conversation for many to chew over after their meals.

Yet, no one expected that this person, whom they had always treated as a joke, could now actually apply for the guard assessment.

How could this not be surprising? How could it not be puzzling?

Within the crowd, the group from the apprentice hall was arguing the most fiercely.

"Jiang Feng has hidden himself deep, hasn't he? How did he reach the seventh level of the Blood-Moving Realm in the blink of an eye? I never saw him having that kind of ability before."

"Hmph, I think it's mostly likely a mistake, a glitch in the testing. I don't believe Jiang Feng could be stronger than me. What is he, anyway? Does he even deserve to take the assessment?"

"Don't be so nasty. Jiang Feng has indeed been working very hard. When we were resting, he was the only one huddled in a corner, training his heart out. If you had even half his drive, you might be the one standing up there today."

"Don't you think this whole thing is suspicious? Can you really reach this level just by working hard? I don't believe it. I suspect Jiang Feng must be hiding some secret that no one knows about!"

"Hey, shouldn't we ask Zhao Sen about this? He's usually the closest to Jiang Feng; he must know some inside information."

Zhao Sen, who had been lost in thought while huddled in a corner, was caught off guard when his name was called, and he clearly froze for a moment.

He scratched his head and answered honestly:

"Ah? I... I don't know either. Even though I'm close to Jiang Feng, I'm not as close as you all think. He doesn't tell me everything."

Though he answered this way, he was more confused than anyone.

How did Jiang Feng reach the seventh level of the Blood-Moving Realm without a sound?

The other party had never mentioned a single word to him about his progress in cultivation.

Just then, a series of heavy footsteps approached from afar.

The crowd followed the sound toward the courtyard entrance and saw Xue Zhao walking in, followed by a man of extremely imposing stature.

The man was as sturdy as a thick stone wall, with a square head and hair shaved so short that only a layer of green stubble clung to his scalp.

His triangular eyes had more whites than pupils, and when he looked at people, he always carried a sense of condescending contempt and impatience.

This man was Tie Rong, the manager of the Guard Hall and the undisputed top combatant of the Benevolent Heart Medicine Hall. Last year, his martial path had broken through the Skin-Refining Realm, and he had officially stepped into the Bone-Forging Realm.

When the apprentices saw him appear, they fell silent one after another; the guards lowered their heads even further, wishing they could bury their eyes into their chests, terrified of meeting those triangular eyes.

The courtyard, which had been noisy just a moment ago, suddenly became so quiet that only the sound of the wind remained.

"Has that little brat arrived yet? Let me see what kind of person he is, to be giving you such a headache."

Tie Rong scanned the crowd in the courtyard and asked in a muffled, gruff voice.

Xue Zhao, wearing a face full of smiles, stepped forward to curry favor:

"Manager Tie, he hasn't arrived yet, but I reckon he'll be here soon. About that matter I mentioned to you... have you made the arrangements?"

Tie Rong let out a disdainful snort, sat down on the chair at the viewing platform with a heavy, imposing posture, and spoke in a nonchalant tone:

"It's just making sure he doesn't pass the assessment; what's difficult about that? If I felt like it, I could even have him leave the stage with broken hands and feet."

Xue Zhao was overjoyed upon hearing this and nodded repeatedly, bowing and scraping:

"The more miserable the better, of course! However, Shopkeeper Xie will likely come to watch as well, so please be a little discreet—don't lose too much face for Shopkeeper Xie."

Tie Rong's expression remained unmoved, as if he didn't hold Xie Shu in high regard either. He said indifferently:

"Don't worry. We're all working for Young Master Wu. Since you've come to me, it wouldn't be right not to help. However, you know the rules, don't you?"

Xue Zhao felt a pang of annoyance, but he still replied with a cheerful smile:

"Don't worry, the fifty taels of silver have already been sent to your residence. After it's done, I'll host a banquet at the Moon Gazing Pavilion and treat you to a proper drink."

Only then did Tie Rong nod with satisfaction, a trace of a smile finally tugging at the corner of his mouth:

"Hmm, that's more like it. Friendship is friendship, but business is business. Don't worry, I'll handle this beautifully and make sure your silver isn't wasted."

Xue Zhao's smile became even more sycophantic, though in his heart, he cursed this miser from head to toe.

Tie Rong's reputation for being money-hungry was known to everyone in the Medicine Hall. Anything you asked him to do had a set price, starting at thirty taels with no upper limit.

In Xue Zhao's eyes, Jiang Feng wasn't worth fifty taels of silver. If he weren't worried about potential retaliation later, he would never have spent this money.

At this moment, he heaped all his frustration onto Jiang Feng, waiting only to see the good show of that kid getting beaten to a pulp.

About a quarter of an hour later, Jiang Feng and Xie Shu walked into the courtyard one after the other.

Xie Shu's gaze swept through the crowd and immediately landed on Tie Rong, who was sitting in the seat of honor with an imposing air, and his expression faltered slightly.

Why is Tie Rong here? Isn't he the one who usually disdains participating in these kinds of assessments?

Although he had doubts in his heart, Xie Shu still walked forward with a smile, intending to exchange a few pleasantries.

Tie Rong waved his hand impatiently, not even bothering to lift his eyelids, and interrupted coldly:

"That's enough, Shopkeeper Xie. It's not our first day knowing each other, so spare me the useless chatter. Since the person is here, let's get started. I have things to do this afternoon and don't have time to waste here with you."

The smile on Xie Shu's face stiffened slightly, but he wasn't annoyed; he had long anticipated this behavior from Tie Rong.

He turned to Jiang Feng and whispered:

"Go on up, just do your best. With me here, nothing will go wrong."

Jiang Feng nodded and slowly stepped onto the ring.

Tie Rong's gaze remained fixed on Jiang Feng from start to finish, sizing him up, observing his physique, and watching his gait.

One could roughly judge the strength of a Blood-Moving Realm martial apprentice just by looking at those two things.

In his eyes, those with real strength were usually more robust than the average person, and their steps were heavier and steadier.

Yet the Jiang Feng before him was thin, and his steps were light and airy—neither of which qualified.

He even felt a flicker of doubt in his heart: Does this kid really have the seventh level of the Blood-Moving Realm?

After hesitating for a moment, he ultimately chose to trust Xue Zhao.

Xue Zhao had no reason to lie to him.

"Liu Mo, you go."

He gave a light command to the person behind him, "Mind your limits, don't make it too comfortable for him."

"Don't worry, Manager Tie."

Behind Tie Rong, a guard who was also tall and sturdy grinned upon hearing this, then strode toward Jiang Feng.