Freedom!

"W-what level of Tiger-Crouching Fist is this...?"

Watching the aura Mo Yun unleashed, the tall, thin man could hardly believe his eyes.

He had never even imagined such power.

Qin Hu stood nearby, his gaze fixed on Mo Yun's every movement, a flicker of shock in his eyes.

With his discerning eye, he could naturally recognize the true worth of Mo Yun's Tiger-Crouching Fist.

This was absolutely beyond the beginner level!

This was Tiger-Crouching Fist at minor mastery, perhaps even brushing against the threshold of major mastery!

Because this fellow had actually grasped a trace of the tiger's roar intent!

Moreover, Qin Hu could sense that although the force energy within Mo Yun was not particularly abundant, it was exceptionally condensed, with tremendous explosive power!

"Mid-stage bright force, and he's grasped a trace of intent in Tiger-Crouching Fist?!" Qin Hu was utterly astonished. "How old is this kid? What a monstrous talent..."

What he did not know was that Mo Yun's Tiger-Crouching Fist had only just reached minor mastery. Its impressive power came entirely from the trace of intent he had comprehended in Tiger's Roar in the Mountains.

After completing the Tiger-Crouching Fist routine, Mo Yun withdrew his fists and stood upright, his breathing steady and his expression unchanged.

The entire courtyard fell silent.

Only after a moment did Qin Hu recover, giving Mo Yun a long, searching look.

"Excellent!" he declared emphatically, his voice filled with undisguised appreciation.

"Minor mastery in Tiger-Crouching Fist, force energy wielded with the perfection of a furnace flame, and a trace of fist intent grasped. Nine points!"

Nine points!

The crowd erupted.

Nine out of ten! This was the highest score so far!

It was two points higher than the burly young man's seven!

"Brother, you're incredible!" Liu Zhuang's eyes widened as he stared at Mo Yun as though he were a monster.

The burly young man looked at Mo Yun, a trace of bewilderment flashing through his eyes before swiftly turning into fighting spirit.

He murmured, "Looks like I've got a worthy opponent in this examination..."

Mo Yun ignored their gazes, cupped his fist in salute, and stepped aside.

He appeared calm, but inwardly he was delighted.

The Tiger's Roar in the Mountains intent illustration worked!

"The second round is over," Qin Hu announced. "Rest for one incense stick's worth of time, then we'll begin the third round: actual combat!"

"For the third round, you'll draw lots to determine your opponents. Your scores will depend on your performance. Anyone who draws a bye will be given an opponent of similar strength at the end!"

"Does everyone understand?"

"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.

Mo Yun found a corner to sit in and closed his eyes to rest.

The combat examination was where their true abilities would be revealed.

I wonder who I'll draw... Mo Yun silently considered.

He was not worried about losing. With his mid-stage bright force cultivation and the combat strength of Tiger-Crouching Fist at minor mastery, there should be no one here who could threaten him.

What worried him was drawing someone weaker, like Liu Zhuang. If he held back too much, his score might suffer; if he struck too hard, he might injure his opponent. He would not be able to display his full strength.

Forget it. I'll see how things go.

An incense stick's worth of time soon passed.

Qin Hu walked to the center of the courtyard, holding a bamboo tube containing several bamboo slips.

"Draw lots. You'll fight in pairs. Anyone with a bye advances directly."

Everyone stepped forward in turn to draw.

Mo Yun reached into the bamboo tube and pulled out a slip.

A number was written on it-three.

"Number three." Mo Yun glanced around. "Who else has three?"

"I do," a voice came from beside him.

Mo Yun turned and saw the tall, thin man.

The tall, thin man looked back at him, a trace of gravity flashing through his eyes before his expression settled again.

"Please enlighten me," he said, cupping his fist.

"Please enlighten me," Mo Yun returned the salute.

Qin Hu began announcing the order of the bouts.

"First bout, number one against number one."

The two men walked to the center of the courtyard and took their stances.

At Qin Hu's command, they immediately began fighting.

Fists and feet flew, their blood qi surging.

Though neither had particularly high cultivation, they traded blows in a fierce, evenly matched fight.

In the end, a sturdy young man proved a cut above his opponent, driving him back with a punch and claiming victory.

Qin Hu nodded and gave their scores.

"Both performed well. Seven points in combat for the winner, five for the loser."

The second bout followed.

The burly young man stepped forward, facing a small, thin menial servant.

The outcome was never in doubt. The burly young man defeated his opponent in just three moves, securing a clean, decisive victory.

"Eight points for the winner's combat performance, five for the loser's," Qin Hu judged.

"Third bout, number three against number three."

Mo Yun and the tall, thin man rose together and walked to the center of the courtyard.

They stood facing each other, one zhang apart.

"Begin," Qin Hu commanded.

The tall, thin man struck first!

Pushing off the ground, he lunged like a hunting leopard, his right fist whistling through the air straight toward Mo Yun's face!

The punch was swift and urgent, clearly intended to catch Mo Yun off guard.

But Mo Yun was already prepared.

Rather than retreating, he advanced, turning sideways to evade the punch while sinking his shoulder and dropping his elbow, gathering power in his right fist-

Fierce Tiger Leaves the Mountain!

His fist thundered out with unstoppable momentum, driving straight toward the tall, thin man's chest!

The tall, thin man's expression changed, and he hastily switched moves to block.

Bam!

Fist met palm. The tall, thin man felt an enormous force slam into him, sending him staggering back several steps, his arm numb!

Such immense strength! The tall, thin man was shocked.

He had assumed that despite Mo Yun's formidable fist technique, his youth and seemingly unremarkable build might leave him lacking in strength.

He had never expected that punch to be so much stronger than he had anticipated!

"Again!"

Gritting his teeth, the tall, thin man lunged forward once more.

This time, he avoided a direct clash, using nimble footwork to circle Mo Yun and search for an opening.

Mo Yun stood his ground, steady as Mount Tai.

He easily neutralized the tall, thin man's several probing attacks.

At last, the tall, thin man spotted an opening, abruptly accelerated, and hurled a punch at Mo Yun's back!

Without even looking back, Mo Yun shifted slightly to one side and evaded the blow.

Then-

He turned and punched!

Black Tiger Rips Out the Heart!

The punch was so swift and fierce that the tall, thin man had no time to react before it struck him squarely in the chest!

Bam!

With a muffled grunt, the tall, thin man flew backward and crashed to the ground.

He struggled to get up, but a sharp pain gripped his chest, leaving him unable to muster any strength.

"That's enough," Qin Hu's voice rang out.

Mo Yun withdrew his fist and stood upright, then extended a hand toward the tall, thin man on the ground.

"Thank you for the bout."

The tall, thin man froze briefly, then grasped Mo Yun's hand and pulled himself to his feet.

"Thank you for holding back," he said with a bitter smile.

He knew perfectly well that Mo Yun had restrained the force of that last punch. Otherwise, with its power, he would have suffered at least several broken ribs.

"You're strong," Mo Yun said earnestly.

The tall, thin man shook his head with a bitter smile. "A loss is a loss. You don't need to comfort me."

Mo Yun shook his head. "Unfortunately, you faced me."

The tall, thin man said, "..."

Qin Hu walked over and glanced at Mo Yun, a trace of satisfaction flashing through his eyes.

"Nine points for the winner's combat performance, six for the loser's."

Nine points again!

The crowd erupted once more.

Mo Yun cupped his fist in salute and stepped aside.

Liu Zhuang came over, his face full of admiration. "Brother, you're incredible! That tall, thin fellow is a veteran who took the examination last year, and you knocked him flat in just a few moves!"

Mo Yun smiled without saying anything.

Soon, all the bouts were over.

Qin Hu tallied everyone's scores and loudly announced the final results.

"First place, Mo Yun. Nine points in fist technique, nine in combat, eighteen total."

"Second place, Zhao Gang. Seven points in fist technique, eight in combat, fifteen total."

"Third place, Zhou Ping. Six points in fist technique, seven in combat, thirteen total."

"..."

"The top five will join the Guard Team. Those eliminated, go back and keep working hard!"

Qin Hu's gaze swept across the crowd before settling on Mo Yun, and a rare smile appeared on his face.

"Mo Yun, well done. Report to the Guard Team tomorrow at the hour of the dragon."

Mo Yun cupped his fist in salute. "Yes!"

He let out a long breath of stale air, his heart finally at ease.

He had passed the Guard Examination at last.

Starting tomorrow, he would no longer be a menial servant.

From now on, he would be free of slave status and regain his freedom!

The day after tomorrow is my day off again. I'll go home then and tell my sister the good news!