The Assessment Begins

There won't be any problem with the assessment in seven days, Lin Qing thought.

He examined his physique for a while longer and found that it had not changed much.

When he had advanced from Beginner to Proficient, his build had grown noticeably sturdier. This time, the change was slight.

But that was only natural. If his body changed drastically with every minor advance, wouldn't every martial arts master end up a giant?

The night passed without incident.

The next day, Lin Qing went to Shen Lian's room and told her he had reached Minor Mastery.

Shen Lian had said that if he reached Minor Mastery, she would reward him handsomely.

Sure enough, surprise and approval flashed in Shen Lian's beautiful eyes when she heard the news.

"Not bad, not bad. Who'd have thought I'd be lucky enough to stumble across a martial arts prodigy like you?"

As she spoke, she went into the inner room and brought back a bottle of tonic. This time, it was a small green bottle.

"Here. I keep my word. This is a bottle of Blood-Strengthening Pills—eight pills in all, worth one tael each. They're a grade above Qi Replenishing Pills."

"Thank you, my lady." Lin Qing took the bottle and left.

In a teahouse near Changping Street.

Jiang Baihe and Han Tai sat across from each other, each holding a cup of warm tea.

"Brother Han, you still haven't caught the culprit?" Jiang Baihe asked with a frown.

"No. Rong Futong is completely ruined. Repeated questioning hasn't turned up much. All we know is that the man is strong and has an exceptionally skilled Locust Stone technique. Those two clues led me to a suspect, but..." Han Tai paused.

"Who?" Jiang Baihe raised an eyebrow.

"There's a hunter on Changping Street named Li Ping. He's achieved Major Mastery in the Locust Stone technique, he's a Martial Artist, and he likes standing up for people. He fits the culprit perfectly. But his talent for martial arts is extraordinary, and the master of the Mount Tai Martial Arts School thinks highly of him. I can't simply throw him in jail," Han Tai said gravely.

"The Mount Tai Martial Arts School is the largest in the city. We really can't use force." Jiang Baihe took a sip of hot tea.

"That's not to say Li Ping is definitely the culprit. Rong Futong was hated by people and dogs alike. Plenty of people wanted him dead," Han Tai added.

"Damn it!" Jiang Baihe slammed his palm onto the table and ground his teeth. "What wretched beast ruined Rong Futong? You and I will lose a fortune every year!"

"Brother Jiang, if Rong Futong is finished, can't we find someone else?" Han Tai asked.

"Finding another black-hearted cur like Rong Futong would be harder than climbing to heaven." Jiang Baihe's heart bled at the thought. "And Rong Futong had more than two hundred taels of silver. He'd already agreed to bring it to us, but someone got there first. More than two hundred taels! We have to get it back!"

Han Tai did not prize money as dearly as Jiang Baihe and remained fairly composed.

"Don't worry, Brother Jiang. I'll pursue this to the end."

Elsewhere.

At the Mount Tai Martial Arts School.

A short, stout man with a thin mustache was guiding Li Ping through a fist technique.

By the time Li Ping finished the sequence, sweat covered his forehead. He had to stop and rest.

The man suddenly asked, "Li Ping, tell me the truth. Were you the one who killed Rong Futong? Jiang Baihe came asking again today, and I sent him away."

Li Ping shook his head. "Master, I had nothing to do with it. But Rong Futong deserved to die. I don't know which hero did it, but it's a joy to hear!"

"Even if it was you, it wouldn't matter. With me here, no one would dare touch you without evidence as solid as a mountain," the man said in a low voice. He was Bai Yue, master of the Mount Tai Martial Arts School.

"Thank you, Master."

Several days passed in a blink.

The day of the Night Patrol Office assessment finally arrived. The atmosphere in the Artisans' Office courtyard was tenser than ever.

Lin Qing's breakfast that morning was lavish: seven or eight steamed buns, three eggs, a grilled fish, and a bowl of nourishing qi soup.

He wolfed it down, heedless of his manners, shoveling everything into his mouth.

"Eat. Have as much as you want, but make sure you do well today," Shen Lian said beside him.

"Rest assured, my lady. I'm completely confident," Lin Qing said.

"The assessment has two parts: a test of strength and a test of skill. I'm not worried about you." Shen Lian nodded slightly.

Before long, he had cleared the entire table. Lin Qing stood.

"My lady, I'm off to the Martial Arts Arena."

A short while later.

Lin Qing arrived at the Martial Arts Arena. With a glance, he spotted three large rosewood chairs at the front of the grounds.

The assistants stood in small groups, talking in hushed voices.

When Lin Qing arrived, Han Juetong was chatting with another wealthy young master nearby. His eyes suddenly narrowed, and his face darkened.

Jiang Baihe had said Lin Qing would withdraw from the assessment. What was going on?

He was about to go over and ask when Gao Feng shouted from a short distance away.

"Assemble!"

"Official Pang, Lady Shen, and Lady Yu have arrived!"

Everyone immediately formed a square, their expressions solemn as they looked toward the entrance of the Martial Arts Arena.

Clatter!

A large group entered. At its head were three people, two men and a woman, who walked straight to the rosewood chairs at the front of the arena and sat down.

"Greetings, my lords!"

Everyone shouted in unison.

Standing among the crowd, Lin Qing studied the three of them.

In the center sat an amiable-looking older man in a blue-green jacket, his hair streaked with gray. He bore some resemblance to Shen Lian. His name was Shen Cheng, Shen Lian's second uncle and the Office Chief of the Netherworld Pacification Bureau.

To his left was a tall woman in a scarlet robe, with a tattoo shaped like a blood-red spider on her left shoulder. She was Yu Muqing, Office Chief of the Yin-Yang Bureau.

To his right was Pang Tong, Office Chief of the Night Patrol Office. Lin Qing's eyes happened to meet his, and his heart jolted. What terrifying eyes those were—like a jackal's. A coward would probably burst into tears at the sight of them.

Pang Tong truly is a fearsome man, Lin Qing thought.

Suddenly, Lin Qing sensed a cold gaze coming from ahead. He looked over and found Jiang Baihe standing behind the three chiefs with a group of Constable Chiefs.

Jiang Baihe was no longer smiling. Only spite remained on his face.

You little bastard. You dared lie to me. If you pass the assessment today, I'll give you credit. If you fail, I'll make sure you see what I'm capable of, Jiang Baihe cursed inwardly.

Lin Qing kept his expression unchanged and ignored Jiang Baihe outright.

"My lords, everyone is here." Wearing a fawning smile, Gao Feng addressed Shen Cheng and the other two with utmost respect.

"Then let's begin," Shen Cheng said. He was the oldest and most senior of the three, and held the highest standing among them.

"Yes."

Gao Feng turned back and cleared his throat. "The Soul-Calming Office has three divisions: the Night Patrol Office, which patrols after dark and suppresses Evil Spirits; the Netherworld Pacification Bureau, which investigates and judges cases involving Evil Spirits and Martial Artists; and the Yin-Yang Bureau, which organizes records and gathers intelligence. The three people before you are the chiefs of those divisions.

"Today's assessment will be fair and impartial. Strength comes first. The three Office Chiefs and eight Constable Chiefs will serve as judges. There are two rounds in total.

"The first round tests strength. Before you stand nine great cauldrons, each weighing a thousand catties. Lift one three feet off the ground and hold it there for three breaths to pass.

"The second round tests skill. Those who pass the first round will take turns demonstrating the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake before the three chiefs. Those who have reached the highest level of mastery will be admitted as Constables. The assessment begins in fifteen minutes."