Head Down Like an Ox, Head Up Like a Tiger

With the matter of [Brewing the Essence Treasure] concluded, the servants returned to their usual routines.

Li Xian was still weeding, using the breaks between tasks to hone his fist technique.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency: 756/1000 Proficiency]

At this pace, three days might not be enough. Li Xian gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve.

He practiced his fists with even greater urgency!

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

[Proficiency: 872/1000 Proficiency]

Only one day remained.

At noon that day.

In the Servant Quarters, Li Xian made do with a simple meal of steamed buns and plain water. His gaze drifted as he surveyed his surroundings.

Seeing that neither Luo Fang nor Bi Hao was present, and that none of the other servants were watching him either—

"The time is ripe." Li Xian quietly slipped out. After putting several miles between himself and the others, he quickened his pace toward the guards' compound.

Lush greenery lined the road, and the scenery was pleasant. Now and then, he saw landscaped sights such as artificial hills and ponds.

It was a world apart from the Servant Quarters.

"I have to register at the very last moment. Luo Fang is crafty and vicious. If I register too early, he will surely find out and target me."

"Likewise... if I fail this guards' contest, my end will be utterly miserable. Luo Fang will never let me go! This is an all-or-nothing gamble!"

Li Xian clenched his fists, his palms damp with sweat, yet his steps showed neither panic nor haste.

"Why are you sneaking around? What are you here for?"

A man stretched out a hand to stop Li Xian. His eyes widened, his bearing intimidating.

This man was Qiao Dashou, one of One Accord Manor's guards.

Though both were household servants who had signed contracts of sale, guards and menial servants were worlds apart.

One only had to look at their food to see the difference.

A guard might not have much else, but he at least had meat at every meal and never lacked oil and fat in his belly.

"Big Brother, I'm here to register," Li Xian said respectfully.

"Register?"

Qiao Dashou looked arrogant as he gazed down at Li Xian, casually lecturing him:

"Your height is suitable enough, but you're skinny as a rake. You are clearly not cut out to be a guard. Go back. Don't waste your effort."

Li Xian frowned. The man's habit of looking down his nose at others made him deeply uncomfortable.

"You're still not leaving?"

Qiao Dashou sneered. He had kindly advised this lowly servant, yet the fool did not know what was good for him. "I've seen plenty like you."

"As a servant, you spend all day clinging to unrealistic fantasies. Who do you think I, Qiao Dashou, am? If I say you're not made of the right stuff, could I possibly be wrong?"

Li Xian said in a low voice, "Though I am a servant, I believe I have the right to decide whether to register. What you think of me is irrelevant."

He sidestepped Qiao Dashou and walked straight into the compound.

"You!"

Qiao Dashou was furious. "You've turned the heavens upside down! A mere servant dares speak to me like that."

He was about to teach Li Xian a lesson when he recalled Commander Pang's instructions: servants were not to be stopped from registering, and violators would be expelled.

Pang Long was sitting in the courtyard. Seeing a young servant approach, he asked, "Here to register?"

Li Xian nodded. "This lowly one is Li Xian, number twenty-seven of Servant Class Nine. I wish to register for the guards' contest."

"Fine."

Pang Long's gaze swept over him.

The youth wore tattered clothes, and his face was grimy. At first glance, he was no different from the other servants.

Yet upon closer inspection, there was a hidden edge in the boy's eyes, strikingly bright.

Interesting. For one who practices martial arts, spirit and vigor are especially important. Most of the servants who have registered lately have been furtive rats. This boy... is somewhat different.

What he did not know was that Luo Fang had been paying lip service while acting against orders, deliberately concealing news of the guards' contest.

He had only leaked the news to weak and sickly people. Even if such people registered, they possessed no competitive strength at all.

This also helped conceal the truth and kept Pang Long from growing suspicious.

"Write down your name and servant number here. Return here tomorrow morning."

"All right!"

Li Xian wrote down his information and turned to leave.

Pang Long picked up the sheet of paper, his brow lifting slightly. "Such vigorous, clear brushwork. Could this Li Xian have studied?"

In truth, Li Xian was no worse than anyone in the pursuit of learning. If speaking of talent, he would have been more than qualified to take the Great Martial Dynasty's civil examinations.

However... studying was expensive. His younger brother, Li Xiaofan, never forgot anything he saw and was gifted with exceptional intelligence. Li Xiaofan was better suited to the path of scholarship.

Before Father Li died, the family of three had made their living by hunting. One brother pursued letters and the other martial arts. Though they were not wealthy, their days had been full of hope.

That night.

Determination shone in Li Xian's eyes. After answering roll call in the Servant Quarters, he hid in an abandoned room he usually cleaned.

When the night deepened...

He emerged beneath the moonlight and cool breeze, practicing diligently, punch after punch.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

"The world is cruel. I, Li Xian, have but a lowly life."

"Yet I refuse to sink into the mire like this. Whether fortune or disaster awaits depends entirely on tomorrow."

"I...

will simply throw my life into every punch!"

As though blessed with sudden insight, he threw punch after punch, knowing neither exhaustion nor drowsiness. Sweat soaked his clothes, making him seem as though he stood in the rain.

Time flowed on...

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Wild Ox Fist — Remnant Form]

[Proficiency: 915/1000 Proficiency]

[Proficiency: 946/1000 Proficiency]

By then, the sky was beginning to brighten.

Li Xian was worn out in both body and spirit, drowsiness washing over him. He was supported solely by a single conviction.

He forced his eyes wide open, bloodshot veins filling them.

Every punch remained unhurried and unhurried. Like an old ox chewing grass—clearly starving, yet maintaining its own steady rhythm.

Though young, he possessed the composed bearing of an old hand.

[Proficiency: 976/1000 Proficiency]

By then, dawn had broken, and the bronze gong in the Servant Quarters sounded.

If Li Xian's guess was correct, the class leader was already counting heads.

Luo Fang had most likely discovered that he had not returned all night. Under One Accord Manor's rules, Luo Fang could even seize this chance to make trouble and have him put to death!

"If a man does not climb upward, what kind of man is he!"

"Rules exist to bully honest people."

Ignoring the sound of the bronze gong, he simply kept swinging his fists, again and again...

[Proficiency: 989/1000 Proficiency]

"Just a little more!"

Li Xian had already surpassed exhaustion.

"Number twenty-seven of Class Nine!"

"You've got some nerve, staying out all night!"

"Manager Luo said that if you show yourself immediately, he can still spare your life!"

"Where are you hiding? Come out at once!"

"I know you're nearby!"

The servants of Class Nine searched everywhere.

Luo Fang managed the servants through collective punishment. With Li Xian missing, the other servants of Class Nine were the most anxious.

Before long, they found the area around the abandoned room.

At the same time, Li Xian's entire body jolted.

[Proficiency Full]

[Wild Ox Fist — Remnant Form]

[Proficiency: 0/1500 Minor Accomplishment]

[Description: The wild ox is a crafty creature... It possesses the ox's honest simplicity without losing the fierce savagery of tigers and leopards. Head down, it is an ox; head up, it is a tiger. You have thrown tens of thousands of punches, and your strength has increased slightly.]

Within his Dantian, a warm current gathered without dispersing.

Heaven did not disappoint those who worked hard. After staying up through the night to practice his fists, he had finally gained something and caught up with his progress!

Li Xian climbed over the rear wall, evading the servants' search.

"As long as I successfully become a guard, I can avoid this calamity."

"Though I violated the servants' rules, Luo Fang is the sort who fears the strong and bullies the weak. He would never dare ask Pang Long to hand me over!"

Li Xian was by no means a reckless fool who charged ahead on a burst of hot blood.

He had his own calculations and considerations. He also knew how to lie low and endure humiliation for the sake of his goal.

At the guards' compound.

The guards' contest was about to begin. Pang Long sat at the front, with three guards standing on each side of him.

Bi Hao stood among the servants.

He too wore ordinary servant's cloth, yet he stood tall and straight, like a crane among chickens.

Pang Long's gaze swept across the crowd and paused on him for several breaths. Among this group, only this Bi Hao has a bit of bearing.

"The time is almost here. Who else has not—" Pang Long asked a guard beside him. Before he could finish, footsteps sounded.

Li Xian rushed into the compound, caught his breath, and said, "Commander Pang, I'm here."

"Mm. You're not late yet. Join the ranks," Pang Long said indifferently.

"Li Xian?! Why are you here too? Who told you to come?" Bi Hao recognized Li Xian. His eyes flew wide, shocked beyond measure.

Li Xian narrowed his eyes. "Brother Bi, I came of my own accord. You and I are competitors now. I hope you will show me some guidance when the time comes."

"Good boy! You hid it deeply enough—you knew about this too!"

Bi Hao's anger flared. Turning his head, he leaned close and whispered, "Do you deserve to call yourself my brother? Very well. It is truly interesting that you showed up here. You've got guts, daring to compete with me. Let's see if I don't play you to death!"

Li Xian could not be bothered to argue. His fists clenched tight.

A true man settled matters beneath his fists!