"Chen Xun, come help me. This rock's too heavy for me to move alone."
"Coming."
Chen Xun hurried over to lend a hand, and together they moved the rock.
"Thanks, Qingshan."
"No problem."
Chen Xun smiled, returned to his post, and continued sweeping the ground.
As he swept, he could faintly hear shouts from the training ground next door. Envy and longing crept into his eyes.
"I wonder when I'll get to learn the martial arts of this world."
In truth, Chen Xun was not from this world.
More precisely, he had regained the memories of his previous life.
Three months ago, while fleeing famine, Chen Xun had fainted from hunger.
When he woke, the memories of his previous life had returned. Drawing on wilderness survival skills he remembered, he had finally brought his only sister to Cloudflow County, where they now lived.
The rest of their family had been swept away in a flood.
After arriving in Cloudflow County, Chen Xun had thought he could use the knowledge and skills from his memories to make a name for himself and earn a vast fortune.
Instead, he had barely earned a little money before a local gang targeted him. They took not only every coin he had, but his techniques as well.
With nowhere else to turn, Chen Xun had sold himself into service with the Li Family and become a low-ranking servant.
He had signed away ten years of his life for a wage of one tael of silver a month.
That decision had also made the gang wary enough to stop pressing him so hard.
Otherwise, Chen Xun might have met an even worse fate.
By the time his thoughts returned to the present, Chen Xun had finished clearing the rubbish from his assigned area.
As a low-ranking servant of the Li Family, he started work at eight each morning and finished at five in the afternoon. Between chopping firewood, carrying water, and cleaning, he was busy all day.
His one consolation was that the Li Family fed him. He got two meals a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with enough to fill his stomach and even some oil in the food.
In the two months since he had sold himself into the Li Family's service, Chen Xun had not spent a single coin of his two taels of wages on himself. It had all gone toward rent and medicine.
His younger sister, Chen Qingqing, had fallen ill the previous month. Her illness had drained his savings and left him in debt.
With interest that turned nine borrowed into thirteen owed, Chen Xun estimated it would take at least half a year to repay the money.
At the thought, Chen Xun sighed.
"Damn Wild Wolf Gang."
The Wild Wolf Gang was the gang that had taken his money.
If he ever had the chance, Chen Xun would wipe out the Wild Wolf Gang.
Unfortunately, he had nowhere near the strength to do that now.
Just as he put away his cleaning tools and prepared to leave, someone called out to him.
"Qingshan, good news! The estate's announced that it's choosing ten servants to learn martial arts so they can serve the estate better."
"Really?" Chen Xun asked, his face lighting up.
"Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you?"
The man who had brought the news was just as excited. He had a chance too.
"Come on, follow me."
Several others were called over along the way. The five of them arrived at an open space in the outer courtyard, their hearts pounding with both excitement and unease.
Dozens of people were already there, all servants of the Li Estate.
More kept arriving.
Only when the crowd had grown to nearly a hundred did a Li Family steward hurry over with several attendants.
"Greetings, Third Steward."
The assembled servants bowed one after another, none daring to show disrespect.
The Li Family had three chief stewards: the Head Steward, the Second Steward, and the Third Steward.
The Third Steward oversaw the servants of the Li Estate, controlling their promotions, rewards, and punishments. They all feared him.
Surrounded by the crowd like the moon among stars, the Third Steward stroked his meticulously groomed goatee with satisfaction.
"Good. Is everyone here?"
He asked the question casually.
"Everyone's here, Third Steward."
A young man stepped out of the crowd.
Chen Xun recognized him as one of the estate's senior servants.
"Good, then."
The Third Steward nodded, then made a point of introducing the old man beside him.
"This is Old Huang, an Attendant of the Li Estate. He's come especially to examine your bones."
"If your Root Bone meets the standard, you'll be chosen to learn martial arts."
The servants' eyes lit up, and they called out together, "Greetings, Old Huang."
Old Huang remained impassive, taking no notice.
He had seen scenes like this several times over the past few years.
"All right. Let's begin the examinations."
With a sweep of the Third Steward's hand, the bone examinations that would decide the servants' fates began.
"Lower Ding Grade Root Bone. Unqualified."
After feeling the first person's limbs, Old Huang reached his verdict almost at once.
"What? Old Huang, perhaps you didn't examine me long enough. Could you try again?"
The first servant could not believe it. His face crumpled as he pleaded.
Old Huang's expression remained indifferent.
Beside him, the Third Steward frowned, displeasure crossing his face. "Get out of the way. Don't waste time."
"But—"
The man tried to argue, but the Third Steward kicked him away.
"You wretch. Unqualified means unqualified. There are no buts."
"You're fined a month's wages."
Sitting on the ground with blood at the corner of his mouth, the servant looked unwilling and full of regret.
After that warning—killing the chicken to frighten the monkeys—no one else dared speak out of turn, whether they qualified or not. They held themselves stiffly and moved with care.
"Middle Ding Grade. Unqualified."
"Upper Ding Grade. Unqualified."
"Grade C, Middle Tier. Qualified."
After more than a dozen people were rejected, someone finally qualified.
The man let out an excited shout. Then he saw the Third Steward's face darken, clamped his mouth shut, and carefully took his place behind Old Huang.
The other servants looked at him with envy.
In the crowd, Chen Xun was envious too, but his stomach tightened with nerves.
I wonder if my aptitude will qualify.
From the conversations around him, he had learned that martial aptitude came in four grades: Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding.
Each grade was further divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers.
The lowest aptitude was Lower Ding Grade, that of the most ordinary mortal. The highest was Upper Jia Grade, a peerless talent found in fewer than one person in ten thousand.
Generally, only someone with Grade C aptitude would receive training and have a chance to become a Martial Artist.
Someone with Yi Grade aptitude could already be called a martial arts prodigy.
"Lower Yi Grade. Qualified."
There was a distinct note of excitement in Old Huang's voice.
Standing before him was a boy with an ordinary face and an almost guileless look.
He was the one Old Huang had said possessed Lower Yi Grade aptitude.
"Excellent. I didn't expect anyone with Yi Grade aptitude this time."
The Third Steward strode up to the boy, delight written across his face.
"What's your name?"
The Third Steward's tone had become noticeably kinder.
"This humble servant is called Liu Feng."
Liu Feng answered softly, flattered by the attention.
"Haha, good. Liu Feng, is it? I'll remember you."
Laughing, the Third Steward drew Liu Feng aside to talk.
The others watched enviously.
Even those who had qualified could not keep envy from their eyes.
The bone examinations continued, and soon it was Chen Xun's turn.
By then, nearly ten people stood behind Old Huang, with Liu Feng at the front.
Chen Xun stood before Old Huang. A pair of rough hands, thick with raised veins, clamped around his arm like iron pincers, then gripped his thigh.
Pain shot through him, but he did not dare cry out. Someone earlier had been unable to bear it and made a sound, only to be disqualified on the spot.
"Lower Bing Grade. Qualified."
Old Huang's words fell on Chen Xun's ears like music from heaven, and his face lit up.
"Thank you, Old Huang."
After hurrying to thank him, Chen Xun stepped behind Old Huang, becoming the tenth person to qualify.
"That's enough. You ten, come with me."
At that moment, the Third Steward called a halt to the examinations and prepared to lead Chen Xun and the other nine away.
"Third Steward, we haven't been examined yet!"
Those still waiting spoke up anxiously.
"You can wait for the next opportunity."
The Third Steward's reply was indifferent.
Training a Martial Artist took considerable resources. Having the aptitude did not mean they would let you learn martial arts.
You could learn only if there was a place available.
Now that all the places were filled, the Third Steward was taking the chosen servants away. If he examined everyone and more people qualified than could be trained, those left out would surely seize on it to cause trouble. It had happened before.
So, after saying his piece, the Third Steward prepared to leave.
But just then, two people hurried over.
"Third Steward, have you finished already?"
"I have. What is it, Steward Li Yuan? Is something the matter?"
"Ah, I took this boy out with me. When we got back, I heard the estate had opened ten places for martial arts training, so we rushed over as fast as we could. I didn't expect us to be too late."
As Steward Li Yuan spoke, he moved closer to the Third Steward. Their sleeves brushed, and in the next instant, a banknote passed discreetly between them.
The Third Steward took it and rubbed it between his fingers. Once he knew its value, a smile spread across his face.
"Not too late. Not too late."
"Old Huang, please examine this boy's bones as well."
The Third Steward pointed to the boy Steward Li Yuan had brought.
"Very well."
Old Huang did not refuse. Without another word, he began examining the boy's bones.
"Grade C, Middle Tier. Qualified."
The boy's face immediately brightened.
"Father, see?"
He turned to his father, Li Yuan.
Li Yuan looked toward the Third Steward.
The Third Steward nodded to Li Yuan, then turned to the group behind him. Pointing at the person at the very back, he said, "You there, the last one. What's-your-name?"
"Reporting to the Third Steward, my name is Zhang—"
Before the servant could finish, the Third Steward cut him off.
"I don't need to know your name. I called you to tell you that you may leave."
Then, ignoring Chen Xun's stunned expression, he turned back to Li Yuan's son with a kindly smile. "My dear nephew Li Peng, you may take your place."
"Thank you, Third Steward."
Li Peng broke into a delighted smile. He strode over to Chen Xun and shoved him aside.
"Move. This place is mine now."
Li Peng grinned smugly at Chen Xun. Seeing the loss on Chen Xun's face made him happier still.
The others had naturally noticed what happened. Some looked at Chen Xun with pity; others took pleasure in his misfortune.
Driven out of the group, Chen Xun stood there in a daze.
If he had never had a chance, that would have been one thing. But the opportunity had been right before his eyes, and he could only watch it vanish.
Even with the memories of two lifetimes, Chen Xun found it hard to accept.
As he watched the group walk away, his chest felt tight.
"Don't lose heart. There'll be other chances."
A servant who knew Chen Xun came over to comfort him.
Chen Xun managed a bitter smile. "I know."
Just as they were about to leave, the Third Steward unexpectedly returned.
"We've just been notified. Two more spots have been added."
At those words, Chen Xun's eyes, dim a moment ago, lit up.
The third steward did not disappoint him. He pointed at Chen Xun and said, "You're one of them."
"The rest of you who haven't had your bones examined, line up. There's still one spot left."
The dozen or so people still awaiting examination grew excited at once.
They even started fighting over the first place in line.
Only after the third steward cursed them out did they finally queue up properly, one by one.
"Grade C, Middle Tier. Qualified."
The second spot went to a friend Chen Xun knew well, a man named Sun An.
Sun An beamed at Chen Xun. "I got picked too."
The two then followed the third steward to the Li Family's Small Martial Arena.
The Li Family's outer compound had two martial arenas, one large and one small.
The ten people chosen earlier were already waiting there.
Chen Xun and Sun An's arrival surprised them. Evidently, they had not heard about the two spots added at the last minute.
"Third Steward, who are they?"
Li Peng could not help asking.
"The household added two spots at the last minute."
The third steward looked rather serious as he spoke.
"All right, wait here. One of our Li Family Attendants will be here shortly to teach you martial arts."
"You have one month. If you can't cultivate Blood Qi by then, you can go right back to being menial servants."
"Is that clear?"
The third steward raised his voice.
"Clear!"
Everyone answered at once, their voices ringing out. The third steward nodded in satisfaction.
As soon as the third steward left, they gathered in small groups to talk.
Liu Feng, whose aptitude was Lower Yi Grade, was the most popular. Everyone crowded around him.
Chen Xun did not join them. Instead, he stared fixedly at a stone lock.
To everyone else, the stone lock looked utterly ordinary. To him, it glowed white.
"What's going on?"
He walked over and touched the stone lock.
At once, information appeared in his mind.
[Hunyuan Stance Stone Lock (White)] [Trait: Primordial Unity Stance Training Bonus (Gray)] [Trait: Primordial Unity Stance · Mastery (White)] [A stone lock used for years by novice martial arts apprentices to practice their stances. Carved from a single block of greenstone, it was made through rough grinding and shaping, cutting a groove for the grip, and calibrating its weight. Evenly weighted and moderate in size, with a steady center of gravity that pulled at the hands, it could weigh down the shoulders and hips and stabilize the lower body when held during stance practice. It helped beginners grasp Unified Force throughout their bodies and sense the Blood Qi within, making it a common beginner's tool for building a firm foundation in Primordial Unity Stance.]
The moment that information appeared, Chen Xun felt a space open up inside him.
It seemed that with a mere thought, he could draw the stone lock into it.
Is this... my cheat ability!?
Chen Xun's eyes widened, and delight surged through him.