Changing Fate?

Outside Crouching Tiger Manor, Mo Yiyi gazed at Mo Yun, her face full of reluctance to part, her fingers clutching the hem of his clothes.

"Sis, go home. I'll come see you when I get a day off."

Mo Yiyi drew a deep breath, pressed a tael of silver pieces into Mo Yun's hand, and turned away, her eyes reddening.

Feeling the heavy weight in his palm, Mo Yun waved toward the direction in which the Mo Lineage's carriage had vanished. Only then did he turn and walk toward the gates of Crouching Tiger Manor.

One tael of silver-that was what his sister earned in a year washing and starching other people's clothes.

Time flowed by, and half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

The moon shone bright amid scattered stars. After a day of hard labor and a quick wash, Mo Yun returned to the communal sleeping platform and lay flat on his back.

Over the past half month, he had grown accustomed to the rhythm of life as a menial at Crouching Tiger Manor.

But something puzzled him. Although the manor's menials had plenty to do, the workload remained within reasonable limits. And while their everyday meals rarely included meat, they could at least eat their fill.

Generally speaking, anyone who was not exceptionally frail should have been able to handle that workload. It certainly should not have worked them to death.

It seems the rumors about menial service at Crouching Tiger Manor being dangerous, with frequent deaths and injuries, aren't because of the heavy labor. There must be some other secret...

Mo Yun shook his head and stopped dwelling on it.

He steadied his mind and focused on his wrist by the moonlight spilling through the window.

At that moment, a sheen flowed through the black portion, which had filled to just under a third of the whole.

The white portion remained utterly empty, with no progress whatsoever.

In fact, on his second day at Crouching Tiger Manor, the black portion had filled completely once, and the pale blue virtual panel in his mind had changed as well.

[Physique: 3, vitality: 2, defense: 2, spiritual power: 0]

[Special abilities: none]

[Available points: black 1, white 0]

Yes, once the Black Seal was complete, an available points field had appeared.

Mo Yun had one black point.

Unfortunately, even after half a month, Mo Yun still had not figured out how to use those Available Points.

"Where's my plus sign? There should be a plus sign, right? Who hid my plus sign?"

"How am I supposed to do the whole 'Deep Blue, add points' thing without a plus sign?"

Mo Yun stared speechlessly at the dark roof beams.

"Tomorrow is the assessment for the new menials. It'll determine whether we qualify to learn Mountain Manor's martial arts."

His Bone Root was average. Under normal circumstances, his chances of qualifying to learn Mountain Manor's martial arts were slim.

He had originally hoped to allocate points once the Black Seal was complete. Whether he improved his physique or vitality, either might change his Bone Root and thus alter his current circumstances.

Unfortunately...

"Forget it. One step at a time. The panel must let me allocate points. Maybe I'm just missing some trigger."

Shaking his head, Mo Yun stopped thinking about it, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes to rest.

Early the next morning, Mo Yun arrived on time at the Servants' Court training ground.

Quite a few people were already there, talking quietly in twos and threes.

"Ah, I wonder if I'll qualify to practice martial arts. If I can learn Mountain Manor's martial arts, even just a move or two, my future will surely be completely different."

"Exactly. I heard the Village Master is a retired heroic fighter, a true martial artist who made a fearsome name for himself in the martial world. Even the lords of the inner city have to show him respect. If we could catch his eye..."

"You're dreaming of a feast of fart. Martial arts take money; books are for the poor. With our status, we'll learn a few basic punches and kicks at most, just enough to strengthen our bodies. We can't afford what it takes to truly achieve anything."

"You can't put it that way. As long as we qualify, there's hope. What if I have extraordinary talent?"

"Heh, Little Six, it's barely dawn and you're already dreaming again?"

At the mention of extraordinary talent, Mo Yun glanced at the Black-and-White Seal on his wrist, visible only to him.

Just then, someone called out in a low voice.

"Commander Li is here!"

At the same time, a man who looked to be in his thirties approached slowly. Clad in black armor, he had a sharp gaze and a mountainlike build that radiated oppressive force.

Commander Li swept his gaze over the menials on the training ground and said coldly:

"I'll spare you the unnecessary talk. The martial arts qualification assessment begins now. Anyone who hasn't arrived will be considered to have forfeited."

"There are nearly two hundred of you, all menials recruited by Mountain Manor over the past three months."

Commander Li's deep, powerful voice rolled like muffled thunder. "Whether you fled famine or were sold here by your families, once you enter Crouching Tiger Manor, you have one foot in the martial world!"

"In these times, human lives are worth no more than weeds. With your backgrounds, if you don't want to be beaten and killed at someone's whim like stray dogs, your only way out is martial arts!"

At the words "martial arts," flames rose in the eyes of many of the youths, and hope filled their faces.

Commander Li took in their reactions and continued, "As usual, today we will assess your qualifications to practice martial arts. But let me make the unpleasant truth clear first: the manor's resources are limited. Not everyone can pursue the Martial Dao. There are only five places available this time."

At those words, the crowd immediately stirred.

"Two hundred people competing for five places?"

"That's far too few, isn't it?"

"It's over. I definitely won't make it..."

Despair spread through the crowd.

"Silence!"

Commander Li's explosive shout instantly drowned out all the noise. "What are you making such a racket for? Those who aren't selected can spend a few years working diligently as menials. If you perform well, you may yet get a second chance!"

"Now, quiet! Form a single line!"

Under the guards' scolding, the menials quickly formed a long line.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Commander Li declared, "This assessment considers two main factors."

"Bone Root and comprehension. We'll take them one at a time. We begin with the Bone Root test. Step forward and give your name."

The first to step forward was a burly youth with a pockmarked face.

"My name's Wang Lin. Everyone calls me Iron Pillar," the youth said nervously.

Expressionless, Commander Li thrust out a large hand and clamped onto the youth's shoulder blade like an iron vise. He then felt his way down the spine, stopping at the lower back.

Iron Pillar grimaced in pain but dared not move.

Then Commander Li exerted a little force, and a strand of Force Energy, barely visible to the naked eye, emerged from his fingers and entered Iron Pillar's body.

"Hiss!" Iron Pillar let out a muffled cry. His entire body jerked as though shocked by electricity, then went rigid.

"Low-grade Bone Root. Failed. Next!" Commander Li waved Iron Pillar away.

"Low-grade Bone Root. Failed."

"Low-grade Bone Root. Failed."

"Hidden ailment, atrophied meridians. Failed."

One hopeful youth after another stepped forward, only to retreat with faces ashen as death.

Commander Li had long since grown accustomed to this.

Great Zhou was founded on martial strength. Any family with a child who has even a little talent will smash their pots and sell their iron to send them to a martial school, or even a Martial Dao sect in the inner city. They won't come to Crouching Tiger Manor to sign themselves into servitude.

He did not expect to find a Martial Dao genius among the menials. Discovering a few with lower-middle-grade Bone Roots would count as good luck.

Although a lower-middle-grade Bone Root was still quite ordinary, it at least made them worth training. After they practiced martial arts for a while, they would most likely be able to join Mountain Manor's guards and bolster its strength.

As he thought, Commander Li continued the testing in an orderly fashion.

When he reached the fifty-sixth person, his eyes brightened slightly.

This was a dark-skinned youth with a firm, compact build.

"Solid bones, capable of allowing a trace of Force Energy to circulate without dispersing. Lower-middle-grade Bone Root. Stand over there."

The dark-skinned youth was overjoyed, trembling all over with excitement. He bowed three times to Commander Li before running to the designated spot.

After the first came a second.

As the testing proceeded, Commander Li spent most of his time shaking his head, but he did pick out a few promising seedlings.

By the time more than half had been tested, three people had been selected.

Two had lower-middle-grade Bone Roots, while the third had a middle-grade Bone Root.

The one with a middle-grade Bone Root was a youth with a somewhat scholarly air. He seemed to have received a few years of schooling, and his eyes were bright.

"Next."

Before he knew it, Mo Yun had reached the head of the line.

He drew a deep breath, calmed his slightly racing heart, and stepped forward.

"Turn around," Commander Li said flatly.

Mo Yun turned as instructed.

A warm, rough hand pressed against his back. Immediately afterward, a thread of heat burrowed into him along his spine.

"Hiss-"

Mo Yun grimaced in pain. He could clearly feel that current of heat rampaging through his body, as though probing every inch of his flesh and bones.

His body instinctively tensed. Moments later, warmth spread throughout him, as though his body were trying to trap that current of heat.

At this, a flicker of surprise crossed Commander Li's eyes.