Good Seedling

A hook punch was easily knocked aside with a shoulder.

"Not good!"

Jiang Jingnian, who had never been in actual combat before, instinctively grew tense. Seeing the other man's palm stamp toward him, he reflexively hooked his guarding arm upward, trying to deflect it.

Yet the bald escort was a man who licked blood from the edge of a blade, with exceedingly rich combat experience.

Though the escort had not reached the realm where "not a feather could be added, not a fly could land," any sharp-eyed observer could see that this laboring youth was riddled with openings. A slight movement was enough to reveal what he would do next.

His palm abruptly sped up, completely ignoring the hooked hand, and heavily stamped Jiang Jingnian in the abdomen.

"That hurts... Huh? No."

"It seems I don't feel anything at all."

Jiang Jingnian had initially thought that even if the other party held back, he was still a Martial Master of the same level. If that palm landed solidly, he would surely suffer at least a minor injury.

Yet—

The abundant qi and blood in his abdomen naturally surged.

Not only was he uninjured, but he directly jolted the other man's palm away.

Meanwhile, his hooked hand swept upward and struck the other man's elbow joint, producing a dull collision.

The bald escort cried out in pain and gave a startled exclamation. Then he retreated several steps, immediately pulling away from Jiang Jingnian.

That exchange had taken place within only two breaths.

The crowd merely saw the bald escort's palm land squarely on Jiang Jingnian's abdomen.

Yet this laboring youth had not flown backward as expected. He had not even taken half a step back, remaining rooted where he stood. Instead, that somewhat crude hooked-hand technique had dealt the escort's elbow joint a heavy blow.

"How could this happen?"

"Escort Yu clearly hit him. How did it have no effect?"

"Did the escort go easy on him, or does this youth truly have skill?"

"That Iron Body Skill is rarely seen!"

It was not only the applicants who were struck dumb with shock.

Even the surrounding escorts and runners looked at one another, seeing confusion and astonishment in each other's eyes.

Old Yu was a veteran escort of the agency. Even with his strength suppressed and without using his Blood Core, what he displayed was still at the level of a Quasi-Martial Master.

Yet this wretched-looking youth had actually fought Old Yu to a standstill and even made him suffer a hidden loss.

"A Quasi-Martial Master who practices an Iron Body Skill?"

Only now did the bald escort truly begin sizing up the laboring youth before him. His gaze held a measure of uncertainty and alarm. "...Do you sincerely wish to join our escort agency?"

"Yes."

Seeing that the other man did not continue attacking, Jiang Jingnian lowered his fists as well. "So, have I passed the assessment?"

Before acting, he had considered hiding his abilities.

But he was a complete novice in real combat. If he concealed too much strength and deliberately put on a fake fight in the ring, an experienced escort like this man would certainly notice.

Besides, other experts from the escort agency were watching.

If he made it too fake, it would instead be overdone and backfire, making others think he had some ulterior motive.

So long as he did not directly use the Blood Core's power, using sixty or seventy percent of his strength would merely make him look like a martial artist with some talent.

As for why he did not go all out and reveal all his strength and value?

Naturally, it was because a prudent and seasoned person always left room for maneuver and kept a few cards close to the chest.

"Wait here. I need to ask Escort Chief Duan first."

The bald escort shook his head without saying more. Looking at the crowd still waiting below the ring to be assessed, he only felt that the matter was troublesome and did not know how to handle it.

After all—

The escort agency had never had a Quasi-Martial Master apply to become an apprentice or runner.

Moreover, there was something strange about this.

If the other party were a young master from an Aristocratic Clan, or even the child of a poor household, the appearance of an outstanding young man would not be unusual.

Yet this young man was merely a laborer whose clothes bore countless patches.

"Brother Duan, how should we arrange this kid?"

The bald escort turned around and looked toward Escort Chief Duan below the ring with an inquiring gaze.

He was a plain-looking, somewhat short middle-aged man in a black mandarin jacket. Standing amid the crowd, he seemed to possess no presence at all.

"Old Yu, continue assessing the others."

Escort Chief Duan showed a thoughtful expression, then beckoned to Jiang Jingnian on the ring. "Little brother, come down first and follow me to the discussion hall in the middle courtyard. I need to review your documents."

Hearing this, a trace of vigilance flashed deep in Jiang Jingnian's eyes. But after looking at the people around him, each wearing a different expression, he pondered for a moment before stepping down from the ring.

Keeping a certain distance, he followed Escort Chief Duan through the training ground in the front courtyard and past the eastern and western counting rooms, entering the discussion hall in the central courtyard.

Along the way, he secretly mapped out several escape routes in case some accident occurred.

Escort Chief Duan glanced at Jiang Jingnian, who stood at the entrance to the discussion hall, and smiled faintly. "Come in, little brother. No need to be so nervous. Our Tongda Escort Agency is a reputable establishment with a century-old name. Open and aboveboard, courageous and chivalrous—those are the foundations upon which our agency and its escorts live."

"Besides, if you do not give me your documents, how am I supposed to review them and process your paperwork?"

Only then did Jiang Jingnian slowly pull a stack of documents from his clothes, along with his work permit, and step forward to hand them to Escort Chief Duan.

"Little Chen, brew some Tieguanyin for our guest. Use the box my friend sent me last week, the one produced in Baobai Mountain. Right! Remember to scald the teapot three times before adding the tea leaves."

Holding the documents and reading them as he walked into the hall, Escort Chief Duan sat down in a broad, commanding posture beside the square table carved with auspicious clouds. Then he instructed a servant to boil water and make tea.

"Jiang Second Dog? That name... is quite amusing."

"Uh, I've already told my relatives that I intend to change it to Jiang Jingnian. But something happened to their household recently, so there hasn't been time."

"Relatives... Oh? These documents bear the signature and seal of the Qu Household. Little brother, are you from an Aristocratic Clan? Sit and tell me."

Escort Chief Duan carefully leafed through the documents, also glancing at the work permit issued by the Foreign Ministry of Industry.

The Qu Household was a century-old prominent family of Peace City.

Its history was even longer than that of the Tongda Escort Agency.

Though it had declined considerably by now, its foundation remained. It was not comparable to those ordinary poor households.

Yet this little brother, as a relative of the Qu Household—

Was actually working as a rickshaw puller.

No matter how he looked at it, it was strange.

Jiang Jingnian shook his head and took a seat nearby. "I am not from an Aristocratic Clan. I only have a distant relative in the Qu Household. I shamelessly begged them for help, and only then managed to gain a foothold in this vast Peace City."

He was not some long-tongued gossip.

Fifth Uncle's position in the Qu Household was extremely awkward. There was no need to tell outsiders too much.

"Is that so? But since you are related, and such a fine martial arts seedling besides, why did you not have that relative continue helping you enter a martial academy? If you entered one of those major schools, you could certainly seek a splendid future!"

A glint flashed through Escort Chief Duan's eyes as he continued questioning.

If he allowed this person to join the Tongda Escort Agency—

Then anything involving an Aristocratic Clan, even if it only brushed against one, could not be handled carelessly.

"He did help. But we went to several places, and none had any openings. After all, that relative of mine is only a scholar and not an important member of the Qu Household."

Jiang Jingnian answered truthfully.

Escort Chief Duan pondered for a moment, seemingly judging the truth of these words. But then he weighed the documents and work permit in his hands.

The documents should be genuine.

Especially the special seal of the Foreign Ministry of Industry—it could not be forged.

"Escort Chief Duan, the tea is ready."

At that moment, the young servant approached from nearby carrying tea. Holding the tea bowls with both hands, he presented them to Escort Chief Duan and Jiang Jingnian.

Escort Chief Duan nodded, dismissed the servant, then lifted a tea bowl and took a sip of hot tea.

After swallowing the scalding tea, he slowly exhaled a breath of heat and asked quietly, "Little Brother Jiang, you are about to advance to Martial Master, aren't you? Do you practice some kind of Iron Body Skill?"

"I happened upon an Iron Body Skill by chance. I should be close to advancing, I suppose. I've only been practicing blindly."

"...Could you lend me your arm? I merely want to massage it."

Escort Chief Duan did not ask further. The specific contents of a martial art were rather private, even taboo, to many martial artists.

This was because some cultivation arts, especially Iron Body Skills, concealed certain vulnerable weak points. Revealing one's exact martial art made it easy for others to target them in secret.

"Fine."

Jiang Jingnian rose to his feet and extended his arm without changing expression.

Yet just in case, he secretly remained ready to activate the Blood Core at any moment, covering his arm with surging qi and blood.

Escort Chief Duan stood up from his chair and walked directly over.

He placed a hand on the youth's arm and gently kneaded it twice, as though giving a massage.

Then he swiftly withdrew his hand. A slightly surprised expression appeared on his unremarkable face.

"Your bone structure is merely below average, yet your skin, membrane, and muscles are several times thicker than an ordinary person's. Your sinews are knotted and tough. This is an innate bodily gift!"

"Combined with the Iron Body Skill you practice, no wonder Old Yu's palm strike could not injure you."

Even Escort Chief Duan had failed to discern Jiang Jingnian's exact realm. He merely believed the youth was unusually gifted, born with skin, membrane, and muscles thicker than other people's, which gave him such astonishing defense.

This situation—

Made the initially nervous Jiang Jingnian relax somewhat.

It seemed the issue was not with Escort Chief Duan, but rather with his cultivation art, which had caused the other man's examination to go awry.

After all, he had not obtained his Taiji Vajra Art through normal means. He had advanced it by devouring and fusing special items, so perhaps it contained some mysterious profundity.

"A fine seedling, truly a fine seedling!"

"Those martial academies with no openings actually let a fine seedling like you slip through their fingers. What a pity, what a lamentable waste!"

Joy first appeared on Escort Chief Duan's face, but then he sighed. "Still, if you come to our escort agency, you are destined not to advance to any profound realm. We can provide cultivation guidance, as well as some basic food and secret medicines."

"But we cannot provide the resources needed afterward, nor are we as comprehensive as martial academies and schools. Many things can only be obtained outside by your own efforts."

"A martial arts seedling like you must think carefully before joining our escort agency."

Though escort agencies and martial academies overlapped in certain areas, their functions were entirely different.

One had to know that the concession districts had a Martial Restriction Order.

Martial academies and schools were backed by Aristocratic Clans and powerful elites. They were registered within the concessions and enjoyed all manner of legal resources allocated by the Foreign Ministry of Industry.

Those special resources were strictly controlled by the upper echelons. Ordinary independent martial artists simply could not obtain the provisions required to advance in realm.

As for escort agencies...

Though they too could legally register martial artists, their resources were limited. They received no preferential treatment or support by law and were, at most, comparable to small and medium-sized gangs.

Many things could only be bought through various channels. If money could not buy them, one might even need to take other risks to acquire them.

"I have naturally considered it carefully."

"No matter what, finding a position at the escort agency would be far better than continuing to pull a rickshaw."

Jiang Jingnian's gaze was grave as he looked at Escort Chief Duan before him, his expression firm.

Whether in terms of status or income, being a runner—or even an escort—at the agency was vastly superior to being a rickshaw puller. Joining the agency would be his first real step upward within these concession districts.