A Stunning Display of Skill

"The first group: Zheng Xin, Chen Hua, Wang Gong, Lin Qing..."

A quarter of an hour later, Gao Feng called out nine names in one booming breath.

Lin Qing stepped forward and stopped before the fourth great cauldron. He reached out with both hands, braced himself beneath it, and exerted his strength with a low shout.

"Rise!"

The cauldron lifted into the air. After three breaths, he slowly set it back down. His expression never changed; it had taken little effort.

Yang Feng's gaze stayed on Lin Qing. Of everyone here, Lin Qing had impressed him the most, and he had the highest hopes for him.

Beside him, Jiang Baihe ground his back teeth together. Lin Qing's participation had thrown his plans into disarray.

Han Juetong had only reached Proficiency. If Lin Qing displayed Minor Mastery, his selection would be all but certain. Jiang Baihe could protect Han Juetong's place only if the two were close in ability.

I just hope the boy knows how things work. Han Juetong's silver is already in my pocket, and I'm not about to spit it back out, Jiang Baihe thought.

The first group finished lifting the cauldrons. Six advanced, and three were eliminated.

A thousand jin was a threshold. Anyone who could lift that weight had at least begun to grasp the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake.

Those eliminated in the first round either had never intended to train seriously, or lacked the aptitude to master it no matter how much time they were given.

Group after group stepped forward. Before long, the last candidate had lifted his cauldron.

Of the hundred or so candidates, nearly thirty percent were eliminated. Most had realized partway through that they had no hope and simply given up.

"The second round tests technique. When your name is called, step forward and demonstrate the Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake."

"First, Zheng Xin!"

A tall, slender young man emerged from the crowd and walked straight up to the three leaders to begin his demonstration.

After only three moves, Pang Tong frowned. "His form is dreadful. He hasn't reached Proficiency. No need to watch any more."

"Step down. Next, Yu Sanshui!" Gao Feng called.

The Eight Strikes of the Spirit Snake was a basic training method every constable of the Soul-Calming Office had to master. The three leaders had long since reached Perfect Mastery, so a couple of moves were enough for them to judge anyone's level.

"Yu Sanshui, eliminated!"

"Wang Tiezhu, eliminated!"

Young men took the floor one after another, and almost all were eliminated. Most lacked the skill. Others lacked composure: under the three leaders' imposing presence, their minds went blank and their legs could barely hold them up.

"Han Juetong, Proficiency!"

After four eliminations in a row, the first qualified candidate finally appeared.

Jiang Baihe gave a slight nod. Han Juetong's performance was steady. His plan was already more than halfway to success.

Once the assessments were over, if no one had reached Minor Mastery, they would choose from those at Proficiency. As an instructor, Jiang Baihe had considerable say and could ensure Han Juetong was selected.

Lin Qing is the only wild card. He'd better not ruin this for me, Jiang Baihe thought.

The assessments continued. Six more young men demonstrated Proficiency, four of them wealthy sons of Inner City families.

They did not have to work, and their families supplied them with resources. Naturally, they had an easier time making progress than children from poor households.

It was nearly over when Lin Qing finally heard his name.

He stepped forward and saw Jiang Baihe watching him with a dark expression, staring as though he meant to pressure Lin Qing into losing his composure.

But Lin Qing's heart was as still as water. Having lived two lives, he was far more resilient than an ordinary young man.

"Begin!"

At Gao Feng's booming command, Lin Qing drew a breath and punched. He twisted his waist and turned his hips, then whipped out his right leg like a lash. It swept through the air like a spirit snake's tail, leaving a sharp crack in its wake.

That single move made Pang Tong and the others, who had grown drowsy, sit up and take notice.

Everyone else had opened with Spirit Snake Emerges from Its Hole. Lin Qing had begun with Spirit Snake Sweeps Its Tail, breaking the established sequence. That was a sign he had reached Minor Mastery.

Proficiency meant performing the entire set of moves smoothly. Minor Mastery meant taking it apart and rearranging it at will while keeping each movement precise and every transition fluid. That was far harder.

Lin Qing's performance from then on was flawless. He leaped and landed, shifted and turned, striking with fists and feet alike. His form was precise, his movements natural and fluid, with a beauty all their own.

"Good!" Shen Cheng was the first to praise him. "Minor Mastery! I never expected to find such a promising talent among this year's hired hands."

Pang Tong also nodded slightly. "Not bad. His form is precise, and his moves flow naturally into one another. That is indeed Minor Mastery."

Yu Muqing, a cold-natured man, offered two words: "Not bad."

"Stop!" Shen Cheng called, rising from his chair.

Lin Qing immediately stopped and slowly breathed out.

Shen Cheng walked up and squeezed Lin Qing's shoulder. "Strong bones and sinews. What's your name?"

"Lin Qing."

"Mm. From a poor family, yet you reached Minor Mastery in half a year. Your talent is clearly extraordinary. Shen Lian mentioned you to me before and said you had remarkable composure, too. Very good, very good." Shen Cheng nodded repeatedly.

"Thank you, sir." Lin Qing bowed. He had heard that Shen Cheng was getting on in years. Though he had the most seniority, he rarely involved himself in affairs and was simply waiting to retire. He was a mild-tempered man.

Shen Cheng turned back and teased with a smile, "Yang Feng, you've found yourself a fine prospect this year."

Yang Feng answered loudly, "Rest assured, sir. I'll do everything I can to teach him and help him pass the Reexamination next year, when he'll leap the Dragon Gate!"

Standing beside them, Jiang Baihe ground his back teeth together. He drew a deep breath, then abruptly smiled. "Sir, I'm afraid a talent like this won't get the training he deserves on the Corpse Collection Team. Why not let him join me? The Night Patrol Team faces some danger, but its casualty rate is lower than the Evil-Exorcism Team's. It's the perfect place to cultivate talent."

Hearing this, Lin Qing saw just how shameless the old bastard was. If he truly ended up under Jiang Baihe, there would be no future for him.

Pang Tong rose as well. "Jiang Baihe has a point. There's little danger on the Corpse Collection Team. Lin Qing would be better off with him."

Shen Cheng shook his head. "Rules are rules. We can't change them on a whim. Since Lin Qing wants to join the Corpse Collection Team, why force him elsewhere?"

Lin Qing breathed a sigh of relief and silently added an entry to the account he kept against Pang Tong.

Shen Lian had told him that Pang Tong and Jiang Baihe belonged to the same faction, backed by the Han Family. Shen Cheng belonged to another, backed by Chief Commissioner Cheng. There was much more going on beneath the surface.

Pang Tong said nothing further. Shen Cheng had the stronger argument, and with so many people watching, Pang Tong could not break the rules.

"Then it's settled." Shen Cheng sat back down.

Lin Qing relaxed and returned to the crowd. The other young men's gazes naturally converged on him, some envious, some admiring, and some jealous.

Lin Qing acted as if he noticed nothing. He focused only on himself. Praise and disgrace from others were passing clouds; his own strength was the only thing worth his attention.

Before long, the last candidate finished his assessment, and Gao Feng announced the results on the spot.

"Starting today, Lin Qing will become a constable of the Corpse Collection Team. Xu Chengfeng, Liu Ziping, Chen Hua, and Wang Chong will become constables of the Evil-Exorcism Team. Chen Ziqiang, Deng Yunfeng, and Gao Taiqing will become constables of the Night Patrol Team."

"Those named, remain where you are. Everyone else, dismissed!"

With those words, the weight on Lin Qing's heart finally lifted.

Across the Martial Arts Arena, those selected were overjoyed, while most of those passed over looked disappointed. There would be another selection next year, but there might not be so many openings at once.

Han Juetong's face was full of resentment. He stared at Lin Qing as though he wanted to devour him.