Miracle

As thoughts surged and scattered, Lu Li suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"You needn't follow me. Go to Lantern Alley, the sixth house in from the entrance."

After considering his words, Lu Li said:

"Guarding the Lu Residence will be your duty from now on. The five of you will rotate shifts. After your days off, you may practice boxing in my courtyard. Old Li, the gatekeeper, is in charge of the gatehouse—be polite to him and have him arrange several rooms in the front courtyard for you as temporary lodging."

As soon as he finished speaking, the five men halted and bowed with clasped fists.

"We obey Banner Commander's orders!"

Lu Li thought for a moment, then added:

"Follow me and perform your duties faithfully. I will not treat you poorly."

"We are willing to follow Banner Commander unto death!"

"Go. In one year, the Fierce Wind Mountain-Splitting Saber ultimate art will be yours."

After the five men left, Lu Li remained where he was for a moment.

All five came from poor but clean backgrounds. If they showed no disloyalty in the future, perhaps they could be properly nurtured.

Lu Li reined in his wandering thoughts, turned around, and headed back toward the Road Division yamen.

He intended to pay Captain Hu a visit and see whether he could learn anything about the "miracle."

Road Division yamen, main hall.

"Captain, may I have a word with you in private?"

After bowing in salute, Lu Li stepped two paces closer and spoke softly:

"This subordinate has an important matter on which I seek your guidance. Might my lord clear up my doubts?"

"An important matter?"

Hu Wancheng set down the document in his hand. His eyes lifted slightly as he stared ahead. After a moment, he lowered his gaze and said:

"Go to my courtyard."

"Speak."

Hu Wancheng stood beside the courtyard well with his hands behind his back, facing away from Lu Li. No emotion could be heard in his voice.

Lu Li raised his eyes toward Hu Wancheng. After some consideration, he carefully said:

"Captain, in three days, this subordinate will represent Golden Gate Martial Academy in the Martial Examination."

Hearing this, Hu Wancheng did not respond. When he had seen Lu Li use the Hidden Blade secret art at the training grounds, he had already guessed as much.

"This subordinate wishes to know whether the Martial Examination and the yamen's annual assessment being brought forward are both because of the 'miracle'?"

"You want to know what the miracle is?" Hu Wancheng asked in return.

"This subordinate earnestly begs Captain to resolve my doubts!"

Hu Wancheng seemed to be weighing something.

After a long while.

"Can you promise me one thing?"

Lu Li's eyes shifted slightly, and his brows furrowed. He was somewhat surprised. Why was someone asking him to promise something again?

"Please speak, Captain."

"If you enter the Martial Lecture Hall in the future, help me obtain a saber manual."

Hu Wancheng paused, then explained:

"Rest assured, there is no scheme involved. It is merely a saber art, one that can be privately passed on. It is simply that only people of the Martial Lecture Hall have a chance to come into contact with it."

Lu Li's thoughts raced as he considered it briefly.

"Then I agree."

For the moment, he would agree. As for what saber art it was, that could be discussed when the time came.

If it truly was as Hu Wancheng claimed, he would keep his promise. If there were discrepancies, then sometimes one's bottom line could shift a little.

Seeing how readily Lu Li agreed, Hu Wancheng said nothing more. It had only been a casually placed chess piece anyway.

"The last miracle occurred thirty years ago in Golden Emperor City."

Hu Wancheng lifted his head to glance at the sky. His gaze was distant, as though it had pierced through the years and returned to thirty years ago.

"That year, I was barely past twenty. I had just entered the Road Division, nothing more than an inconspicuous squad leader."

Hu Wancheng sighed softly, his tone carrying a trace of wistful regret.

"That was also the year when Golden Emperor City witnessed a heavenly anomaly!"

"Stars fell upon martial moss, and green emerged from bluestone."

"Fine fragments of starlight descended from the heavens. Their faint glow fell to the ground, landing in the cracks between Golden Emperor City's bluestones. Once they took root, pale green martial moss, barely an inch high, grew forth."

"Starfall Martial Moss is a divine medicine capable of completing one's martial foundation. In the end, that green martial moss was obtained by a sixteen-year-old Martial Student of the Martial Lecture Hall. Starlight cleansed his heart, rendering his martial foundation flawless and without blemish. Star patterns grew upon his skin, and he reached the legendary Extreme Realm of ten rounds of Skin Tempering."

Lu Li's eyes narrowed slightly. So this miracle was a great opportunity seen only once every thirty years.

And it involved a divine medicine connected to the Extreme Realm of ten rounds of Skin Tempering?

"A blessing from heaven and earth, choosing a person and mending his roots!"

Hu Wancheng was filled with emotion and wistfulness.

Lu Li asked softly, "Where is this person... now?"

Hu Wancheng clasped his fists and shook them in formal salute. "He is the current master of the Martial Suppression Hall, Xie Guhe."

Lu Li was moved. The Martial Suppression Hall was the root of martial arts in the Great Yong Dynasty.

After Martial Students of the Martial Lecture Hall came martial disciples of the Martial Inheritance Academy. Above them were martial scions of the Martial Arena. Upon reaching the Martial Suppression Hall, one became a martial grandmaster, eligible to be enfeoffed as a marquis—also known as a Martial Marquis!

"According to the garrison commander, ten days from now, in Blackwater City, the sun and moon will hang together in the sky, and the wind will cease in ten thousand alleys!"

As those words fell, Lu Li's heart trembled.

Could the anomalies of heaven and earth actually be calculated in advance?

"At that time, the Martial Lecture Hall will choose nine new students to contend together for this great opportunity that comes once every thirty years!"

"It is said that this anomaly is of the wind aspect and resembles a stag. Dean Gao of the Martial Inheritance Academy came down this time precisely for this grand affair of Nine Sons Contending for the Stag."

Who heard that clearly!?

Lu Li staggered, blurting out instinctively:

"Nine Sons Contending for the Stag?"

"Di means stag," Hu Wancheng explained.

At this point, Lu Li's spirits lifted.

So this "miracle" was a divine medicine that could allow one to enter ten rounds of Skin Tempering.

And it was prepared for the new Martial Students of the Martial Lecture Hall?

This meant that he had to give his all in this Martial Examination. He could not afford to miss it. It concerned whether he could reach ten rounds of Skin Tempering and become an Extreme Realm martial artist.

As for how this miraculous anomaly came to be?

That was not something he could figure out at present. In any case, he was determined to seize this great opportunity.

If he missed it, he would have to wait another thirty years.

As thoughts surged and scattered, Lu Li's heart sank.

Yet he had only reached Fifth-Level Skin Tempering. The miracle would arrive in ten days, and by then, he could at most have one opportunity for enlightenment. How was he supposed to contend for it?

Judging by what he had achieved during his previous enlightenment, even if he gave it everything this time, he could at most break through to the seventh round of Skin Tempering.

Was heaven refusing to aid him?

Was it time? Was it fate?

A monstrous tide suddenly rose in Lu Li's heart. Could such a heaven-sent opportunity only be handed over to others with both hands?

At that moment, Hu Wancheng suddenly thought of a crucial question:

"How many rounds of Skin Tempering have you reached now?"

"Five," Lu Li answered instinctively.

"Only five!?"

Captain Hu's face was full of regret. What did he have to contend with, then?

After a while, Hu Wancheng suddenly raised his voice:

"What!? You have already reached Fifth-Level Skin Tempering?"

Hu Wancheng remembered that when Lu Li had first come to the Road Division a month ago, he possessed Lower Ninth Grade Root Bone and had not even reached Gate-Breaking.

In just over a month, Lu Li had reached Fifth-Level Skin Tempering?

Captain Hu was secretly shaken. Could his own Middle Fourth Grade Root Bone be fake?

It had taken him two years to reach the fifth round of Skin Tempering.

"That's right, five rounds of Skin Tempering."

Lu Li's head felt swollen as he paced back and forth through the courtyard with his hands behind his back.

It took Captain Hu quite a while to recover.

"You are a Banner Commander of my Road Division yamen. A Road Division man for one day, a Road Division soul for life. Tell me—what can I do to help you? Secret manuals, resources, silver..."

"Captain, do you know of any method that can quickly increase my rounds of Skin Tempering?"

Lu Li still had not recovered from the blow. Such a great opportunity lay right before his eyes, yet he could not obtain it. The anguish was beyond words.

Captain Hu pondered for a long time before slowly speaking:

"Now that you mention it, I really do have a way!"