Rankings

Tiger-Subduing Martial Hall.

Cheng Heng wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned his focus inward:

[Destiny: Heaven Rewards Diligence]

[Persevere without fail, and achievement is assured.]

[Vajra Art, Level Two: (1988/2000)]

[Tiger-Subduing Stance Art, Mastery (5782/7000): Practice ten times a day, achieve perfection in three years]

[Tiger-Subduing Fist Technique, Mastery (5786/7000): Practice ten times a day, achieve perfection in three years]

[Mountain-Cleaving Saber Technique (Perfected)]

[Martial Dao Space: Locked (Charge 93/100)]

More than a month had passed since the Martial Examination assessments ended. The final rankings would be confirmed within the next few days!

After calculating the proficiency of his stance art, Cheng Heng silently estimated that in another two months, he would break through to the Skill-Transforming Force realm.

Then, he would no longer need to fear Wu Yong so deeply. Once he broke through to the Hidden Force realm, he would have the strength to fight Wu Yong.

The Great Gan Dynasty's Martial Examination process generally took quite a long time, from the end of the examination to the announcement of rankings and then the sects' selections.

That was because Martial Peace Prefecture governed a total of seventy-seven counties like Gaoyang County.

Yet there were only seven sects!

After the rankings were announced, the court would naturally send tokens to the top ten candidates in Gaoyang County. Those qualified martial students would then carry the tokens to the prefectural city and take the entrance tests.

This entire process took more than half a year.

Just as Cheng Heng was deep in thought, Zhao Yanran approached him with an excited expression.

"Junior Brother Cheng, congratulations on passing the Martial Examination with high honors. You'll have to look after us more in the future!"

Her voice was not loud, but the many disciples in the martial hall heard every word clearly.

At once, all the disciples stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Cheng Heng.

"In this Martial Examination, Junior Brother Cheng Heng placed seventh, while Junior Brother Chen An placed tenth!"

"Our Tiger-Subduing Martial Hall produced two successful Martial Examination candidates at once!"

"Whoa!"

The entire Tiger-Subduing Martial Hall instantly erupted into an uproar!

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Cheng!"

"Congratulations! Congratulations!"

The many disciples surrounded Cheng Heng three layers deep inside and three layers deep outside. With a composed expression, Cheng Heng responded one by one to the congratulations around him!

Cheng Heng had long expected that his strength would certainly earn him a place in the top ten. Now that he ranked seventh, it was still within his expectations!

"Junior Brother Cheng!"

Chen An emerged from the inner courtyard with a broad smile and said to Cheng Heng, "Master wants the two of us to go over together!"

Cheng Heng nodded lightly, then extricated himself from the crowd and headed toward the inner courtyard.

Outside Gaoyang County's yamen, there was now a sea of people!

The crowd was packed tightly together, all craning their necks toward the ranking list posted at the yamen entrance.

Cheng Heng's neighbor, Zhang Xiaohu, was also among the crowd.

He had originally planned to sell some mountain goods he had gathered in the mountains in the Inner City today. But when he saw such liveliness before the county yamen, curiosity got the better of him, and he followed the crowd here.

Amid the chaotic shoving of the crowd, Zhang Xiaohu was unknowingly pushed right before the ranking list!

Zhang Xiaohu read through the names one by one, following their order, until his gaze finally stopped on the seventh-ranked name.

Cheng Heng!

"Brother... Brother Heng!"

"Brother Cheng passed the Martial Examination!"

"Brother Cheng passed the Martial Examination!"

Zhang Xiaohu shouted wildly, waving his arms about. Then, with every ounce of strength in his body, he squeezed out of the chaotic crowd and sprinted toward the Outer City.

Zhang Xiaohu raced along the muddy streets of the Outer City, shouting all the way:

"Brother Cheng passed the Martial Examination!"

"Brother Cheng passed the Martial Examination!"

His cries drew curious looks from the surrounding neighbors.

"Someone from our Outer City actually passed the Martial Examination with high honors!"

"This is heaven-shakingly good news!"

"A Cheng who practices martial arts... could it be Carpenter Cheng's family in the east?"

"There's only one Cheng family in the Outer City. Isn't his grandson studying martial arts at the Thunderclap Martial Academy in the Inner City?"

"Didn't Carpenter Cheng hold a banquet just last year and invite us all to celebrate his grandson learning martial arts?"

"Yes, yes, yes! It must be Carpenter Cheng's family. There's no mistake!"

"Why are you all standing around? Let's go to Carpenter Cheng's house to bring the good news and ask for lucky money! From now on, they'll be officials. If we want to find them again, we'll have to go to the Inner City!"

"Whoa!"

As if those words had set them ablaze, the neighbors instantly gathered together and rushed toward Carpenter Cheng's home.

For Outer City residents who had been exploited by gangs and officials year after year, their neighbor producing a successful Martial Examination candidate was news that shook heaven and earth!

The Cheng Family ancestral home.

Other than Cheng Qi, the three members of Old Master Cheng's family were all present.

Old Master Cheng, Second Uncle Cheng Fugui, and Second Aunt sat around the table, eating lunch.

Today's lunch was a lump of pickled vegetables and a coarse bran bun for each person. They had kept up such frugal days for nearly half a year!

When money had been even tighter, the family ate only one meal a day, using all their remaining silver to support Cheng Qi's martial training.

The three of them chewed listlessly, their faces heavy with worry.

Their family had endured this long only by clinging to the hope that Cheng Qi would excel in martial arts and pass the Martial Examination with high honors!

Suddenly, waves of noisy voices came from the doorway:

"Old Master Cheng! Old Master Cheng! Congratulations! Congratulations!"

The neighbors outside practically burst into the Cheng residence, shouting at the tops of their lungs.

The moment they entered, they impatiently cried out at the top of their voices.

Cheng Fugui was startled by the sight before him and asked blankly:

"Wh... what's going on?"

"What do you mean, what's going on? Your son—your son has become a successful Martial Examination candidate!"

"What! What did you say?"

The bun in Cheng Fugui's hand dropped to the floor. He looked as though he had been struck by lightning:

"Qi... Qi passed the Martial Examination?"

Old Master Cheng and Second Aunt beside him both flushed red, standing frozen in place in utter disbelief!

Boundless joy rushed into their minds, leaving all three of them at a complete loss!

Only after a long while did the three of them recover from that immense surprise.

By then, their little courtyard was packed to the brim with neighbors who had come upon hearing the news.

As though strength had come from nowhere, Old Master Cheng straightened his hunched back and said tremulously:

"Fugui, hurry, hurry! Take out the silver we've saved at home. Today, we'll hold a banquet and treat all our neighbors!"

"Our old Cheng family has finally produced someone with promise! Go, quickly!"

For more than a year, their family had tightened their belts and taken on considerable usury debts, pouring every last coin into raising Cheng Qi, this grandson.

Now, bitter days had finally given way to sweet. From now on, all that awaited them was a life of comfort!

Cheng Fugui hurried back inside in a fluster, preparing to fetch the silver.

Second Aunt's face was glowing as she joyfully greeted the neighbors and invited them to sit.

Just then, Zhang Xiaohu finally arrived at the entrance of the Cheng Family ancestral home, panting heavily. The moment he entered the courtyard, he cupped his hands toward Old Master Cheng.

"Congratulations, Old Master Cheng! Congratulations!"

Old Master Cheng's face glowed with delight as he waved lightly.

"Quickly call your parents over too. Come attend my Qi'er's celebration banquet together!"

Zhang Xiaohu froze at his words. "Cheng Qi's celebration banquet?"

Old Master Cheng paused slightly. "That's right. Today, my Cheng Qi passed the Martial Examination with high honors, so we're holding a celebration banquet!"

Zhang Xiaohu's expression turned complicated. "I didn't see Cheng Qi's name on the ranking list. I came to congratulate Brother Cheng Heng! Brother Cheng Heng passed the Martial Examination with high honors and placed seventh!"

Cheng Heng had passed the Martial Examination with high honors!

Not Cheng Qi?

At Zhang Xiaohu's words, the entire Cheng Family ancestral home fell silent, and the atmosphere began to congeal.

The expressions on the many neighbors' faces immediately changed. They all looked complicatedly at Old Master Cheng, Cheng Fugui, and Second Aunt!

The smile on Old Master Cheng's face vanished at once, replaced by an ashen expression.

Cheng Fugui stopped halfway through the step he had just taken out of the room, his face pale and speechless.

Second Aunt stood rooted to the spot. Her steps faltered, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Cheng Fugui crossed the distance in two steps and rushed before Zhang Xiaohu, gripping his arm tightly.

"Did you see it wrong? Was it Cheng Heng or Cheng Qi who passed the Martial Examination with high honors?"

Zhang Xiaohu was badly startled by Cheng Fugui's reaction. After steadying himself, he said:

"The one who passed the Martial Examination was Brother Cheng Heng. I went back and looked several times—it really was Cheng Heng!"

"Whoa!"

The noisy courtyard instantly fell silent!

The neighbors looked at one another. Their expressions shifted from joy to astonishment, and finally, the looks they gave Old Master Cheng's family changed from flattery to mockery.

All the neighbors knew that Old Master Cheng favored Second Uncle's family beyond measure, while he treated Cheng Heng entirely differently!

The two families had already completely severed ties!

Cheng Fugui's face immediately reddened to the extreme. Then he suddenly ran into the house, refusing to see anyone!

After Old Master Cheng slowly digested the news, his expression became incomparably bitter.

"Fate toys with people, fate toys with people... This truly is reaping what we have sown..."

Then, as though every bit of strength had been drained from his body, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted!