Bright Aspirations

Lately, the County Office had been assigning noticeably more jobs to Blue Martial Arts Hall.

But most of them were ordinary tasks.

Repairing roads, delivering medicine, escorting caravans, or helping villages drive beasts that had wandered into the fields away.

As for jobs that truly involved the depths of the mountains and forests, they were not meant for disciples who had only recently joined the hall.

That day, Instructor Li took more than a dozen disciples to a village west of town.

Several wild beasts had recently kept breaking into the fields, trampling quite a lot of crops.

After arriving, Instructor Li examined the tracks along the ridges between the fields. He then had several senior disciples spread out while the rest followed along to drive the beasts away.

It sounded like a simple job, but it was rather troublesome in practice.

Once those beasts had plunged into the crops, they darted east and west.

Zhao Chuan chased them with a wooden stick for half the day, panting heavily from exhaustion.

"These things are way too fast!"

Zhou Ye passed by from the side.

"Your legs aren't fast enough."

"You do it!"

Zhao Chuan shoved the wooden stick into his hand.

Zhou Ye took it and walked two steps forward.

"Watch closely."

Just as he was about to give chase, Chen Mo beside him was already laughing.

"Neither of you should be talking about the other."

The moment Zhao Chuan heard that, his spirits immediately rose.

"Chen Mo, what do you mean?"

"I don't mean anything."

"Then what are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing because you chased a wild boar around for three laps just now, and in the end it only got into the ditch by itself."

Several disciples nearby immediately burst out laughing.

Zhao Chuan's face reddened.

"I was deliberately driving it there!"

"Right."

Chen Mo nodded.

"You drove it quite far."

"..."

Fuming, Zhao Chuan raised his hand to hit him.

"That's enough."

Instructor Li called out from afar.

"Finish the job before you start fooling around."

"Got it!"

Zhao Chuan hurriedly withdrew his hand.

After nearly half an hour of scrambling about, the beasts were finally driven into the distant woods.

The village's crops had been saved at last.

The villagers let out sighs of relief, while several children gathered nearby to watch the excitement.

A child of seven or eight stared at the wooden stick in Zhao Chuan's hand and asked curiously,

"Big brother, are you from a martial arts hall?"

At once, Zhao Chuan straightened up.

"Yes."

"Can you do martial arts?"

"Of course I can."

"Can you smash rocks?"

Zhao Chuan paused.

"Well..."

Chen Mo beside him could no longer hold back his laughter.

"He can't yet."

Zhao Chuan glared at him.

"Can you?"

"I can't either."

"Then what are you laughing at?"

"You answered too quickly just now."

The children immediately dissolved into laughter.

Zhao Ming stood nearby, smiling as he watched the scene.

Several village adults came over to thank them. They had even drawn well water from their homes for them to drink.

"Thank you for your hard work, young masters."

Zhao Ming took the coarse porcelain bowl and quickly said,

"It was no trouble. It was simply our duty."

The farmer smiled.

"It may be your duty, but you've done us an enormous favor."

"If you hadn't come, who knows how much more of the crops would have been ruined."

The smile on Zhao Ming's face grew noticeably brighter.

"You're too kind."

Once everyone had left the village, Zhao Chuan immediately sidled over.

"Zhao Ming, your smile just now was really nice."

Zhao Ming snapped irritably,

"Get lost."

"Don't be like that."

Zhao Chuan followed beside him with a grin.

"I saw you just now. When they praised you, your back straightened right up."

"Did it?"

"It did."

Zhou Ye added from the side,

"Straighter than usual."

The group laughed again.

Zhao Ming did not get angry either.

"What? They thanked us. Shouldn't I be happy?"

"You should."

Zhao Chuan nodded.

"It's just that the way you spoke just now, you looked like the hall master."

Zhao Ming kicked him.

"Cut the nonsense."

By the time they returned to the martial arts hall, the mealtime had already passed.

There was still plenty of food left in the dining hall, and the outer court disciples sat together in twos and threes.

The outing had gone smoothly today, so everyone was in good spirits.

After only a few bites, Zhao Ming began recounting what had happened in the village.

"I'm telling you, the way those children looked at us today was practically the same as how they looked at the senior disciples."

Zhao Chuan laughed.

"Do you think you're already an expert?"

"To hell with you."

Zhao Ming picked up a piece of meat.

"I'm just saying that practicing martial arts is useful."

"Look, if we really master our skills in the future, take on official jobs, and help the county handle matters, the common folk will have to treat us politely too."

A youth asked,

"Are official jobs more dangerous than the work we do now?"

"Of course."

Zhao Ming said,

"But danger is danger—they pay more, too."

"Who told you that?"

"My father mentioned it once when he was drinking with someone."

Zhao Chuan became interested.

"How much per month?"

Zhao Ming thought about it.

"How would I know?"

"You don't know, yet you're talking so enthusiastically?"

"I'm talking about the future."

Zhao Ming glared at him.

"Once we train for a few years and build a solid foundation, we'll definitely be able to take them on."

A youth who had paid tuition to enter the hall said,

"Then I want to take them on too, in the future."

"Me too."

"Stop dreaming for now."

Zhou Ye lowered his head and ate.

"You haven't even passed the Quarterly Assessment yet."

Zhao Chuan immediately retorted,

"What does the Quarterly Assessment have to do with taking on jobs?"

"Of course it does."

Zhou Ye raised his head.

"If you can't even make the top ten, what gives you the right to talk about the future?"

Zhao Chuan was instantly speechless.

The others immediately laughed.

"Zhao Chuan, don't you say every day that you'll definitely make the top ten this time?"

"I can make it."

"What rank are you now?"

"..."

Zhao Chuan coughed.

"Rankings can't show everything."

Zhou Ye asked,

"Then what do they show?"

"They show... I haven't performed well yet."

The moment he said that, the table erupted into even louder laughter.

Even Wang Lie, who was usually a man of few words, tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Zhao Chuan remained unconvinced.

"What are you laughing at? I'll definitely catch up this time."

Zhao Ming patted his shoulder.

"Enough, stop bragging. Finish eating and get training."

"You aren't training?"

"Of course I am."

As Zhao Ming spoke, he looked at Wang Lie again.

"Wang Lie, what about you?"

Wang Lie lowered his head and ate.

"Practice boxing."

"The Quarterly Assessment?"

"I'm taking it too."

"You don't have any other plans?"

Wang Lie thought for a moment.

"There is."

Zhao Ming's interest was piqued.

"What?"

"I want to have a match with you."

The dining table fell silent at once.

Zhao Chuan froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"See? I told you! Wang Lie has nothing in his head except fighting!"

Wang Lie frowned.

"It's a spar."

"Same thing."

Zhao Ming, however, did not respond.

He looked Wang Lie over twice, then said seriously:

"After the Quarterly Assessment."

"Alright."

Wang Lie nodded.

Chen Mo sat beside them, listening, unable to stop himself from laughing.

"You two really are..."

"What?"

Zhao Ming looked over.

"Nothing."

Chen Mo shook his head.

"I just think the two of you are more full of energy than the other."

"You're the same."

Zhao Chuan immediately chimed in.

"Stop pretending."

"What am I pretending?"

"You've been training harder than anyone every day lately."

Chen Mo smiled.

"If I don't train, am I supposed to wait for you all to take every spot in the top ten?"

"That makes sense."

Zhao Ming nodded.

"There are only so many portions of Advanced Body-Strengthening Medicinal Powder. Everyone wants one."

At that, the atmosphere around the table grew a little more serious.

The Quarterly Assessment was drawing closer and closer.

Though everyone talked about the future, what truly lay before them was still this examination.

For many disciples from ordinary families, Advanced Body-Strengthening Medicinal Powder was indeed highly enticing.

Chen Mo was no exception.

He said nothing more, merely lowered his head and finished every grain of rice in his bowl.

That afternoon, the training ground was livelier than usual.

Some practiced their fists, some trained their legs, and others competed before wooden dummies to see who could strike louder.

Zhao Chuan had just finished a set of punches and shook out his hands.

"I feel like I'm in especially good form today."

Zhou Ye glanced at him.

"Do it again."

"Why?"

"Your footwork was messy just now."

"Where was it messy?"

"The third step."

Zhao Chuan did not believe him.

"You remember that clearly?"

"Because you mess it up every time."

"..."

Laughter broke out around them again.

Zhao Ming was not idle either.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned, and continued practicing his punches.

Standing before a wooden dummy, Chen Mo drew a deep breath and assumed his stance.

Seventy-Three Forms Basic Fist.

One punch.

Then another.

His fists landed on the wooden dummy with dull, powerful thuds.

He did not think about taking on an official job in the future, nor did he pay attention to what Zhao Ming and the others were talking about.

Right now, the Quarterly Assessment was the most tangible thing.

If he wanted to enter the top ten, he had to keep training.

Train until his body remembered, until he no longer had to think when throwing a punch.

After finishing a set, Chen Mo stopped to catch his breath.

Zhao Chuan passed by him.

"Chen Mo, want to train again tonight?"

Chen Mo wiped away his sweat.

"I will."

"Then I will too."

From behind them, Zhou Ye said:

"You two should finish today's required number of punches first."

Zhao Chuan turned back.

"Got it!"

Across the training ground, the young men's voices rose and fell in waves.

Some desperately practiced their fists for the Quarterly Assessment, some discussed what jobs they could take in the future, and some had already begun arranging their next spar.

Just as always, it was bustling with life.

Chen Mo lowered his head and glanced at his palm, then walked back to the wooden dummy.

"One more time."

Bang!

The sound of his fist rang out once more.