"Begin!"
Commander Li's voice boomed like thunder, his gaze flashing like lightning as it swept over the crowd. Everyone instinctively grew tense and uneasy.
After all, an hour had passed, yet their understanding of this fist technique remained hazy. Most still looked utterly lost and could not even execute the first move properly.
"How can martial artists fidget and fuss like bashful maidens? Either give up outright or show me everything you've got. Get moving!"
Under Commander Li's urging, the servants steeled themselves and began demonstrating the test fist technique.
Most performed it crookedly and clumsily, applying force all wrong. Some even mixed up the sequence of moves, suddenly freezing midway through their demonstrations, their faces flushing crimson with embarrassment.
Commander Li was not surprised.
Although the test fist technique was not difficult, most who came to the manor as servants were dirt-poor peasants. It would have been downright uncanny if watching him demonstrate it three times and pondering it for an hour had been enough for them to achieve anything worthwhile.
After just a few glances, Commander Li wrote off the vast majority of the servants. Rather than waste any more time, he focused only on the few "promising" servants who had passed the previous round's Bone Root test.
They were the ones he truly cared about.
Commander Li first turned his attention to Han Tang.
Han Tang was one of the two who had tested as having an average Bone Root in the previous round. Fair-skinned and clean-cut, with a scholarly air, he was now wholly absorbed in practicing his punches.
"Oh-"
Commander Li's eyes brightened slightly.
As Han Tang threw and withdrew his punches, his movements were still a little stiff, but a recognizable structure had begun to emerge. His footwork was also mostly on point. Most importantly, even his breathing had fallen into rhythm!
This boy seems to have quite a gift for comprehension. He's already on the verge of the beginner level-
Commander Li was somewhat surprised. He had not expected Han Tang to bring the test fist technique so close to the beginner level this quickly.
Commander Li could not have been more familiar with this test fist technique.
Mastering half of it within an hour indicated average comprehension. Completely mastering it and reaching the beginner level would indicate something close to superior comprehension.
And now Han Tang was already on the verge of the beginner level. Clearly, his comprehension was exceptional.
Good, very good. An average Bone Root and nearly superior comprehension. With proper nurturing, he'll certainly contribute to the manor in the future!
A smile appeared on Commander Li's face. He immediately took out a small booklet and wrote down Han Tang's name.
Hahaha! To think I'd find such a promising seedling among this batch of servants!
Having written down the name, Commander Li was in excellent spirits.
Next, he stopped watching Han Tang and shifted his gaze to a boy of medium build with a scar on his right cheek and a somewhat cold, sinister air.
This cold-looking boy was named Luo Shan, the other servant with an average Bone Root.
After watching for a moment, Commander Li was startled again.
How is this Luo Shan also showing signs of bringing the test fist technique to the beginner level?
Commander Li drew in a sharp breath, disbelief appearing on his rugged, stern face.
Under his scrutiny, Luo Shan's punches whipped up gusts like a prowling tiger. Every move carried a ruthless edge, especially those icy eyes of his, which made it seem as though he were truly fighting someone to the death.
Although his movements were also somewhat stiff, his overall execution was actually a shade better than Han Tang's!
What's going on with this batch of servants? There are hidden dragons and crouching tigers among them!
Commander Li took several deep breaths before calming himself. Picking up his brush, he added Luo Shan's name to the booklet.
Two martial talents discovered in one go! When I report this later, the manor lord might be pleased enough to grant me a reward. Hahaha!
The more Commander Li thought about it, the happier he became, his grin nearly stretching to his ears.
I wonder if there are any more surprises waiting!
Commander Li shifted his gaze away from Luo Shan and looked expectantly at the boys with a lower-middle Bone Root.
Although a lower-middle Bone Root was inferior to an average Bone Root, it was still worth nurturing. If their comprehension was outstanding enough, their future accomplishments might not necessarily fall short of those with an average Bone Root.
Unfortunately, these boys with lower-middle Bone Roots gave unremarkable, merely passable performances. Most had only grasped thirty percent of the technique.
Only the dark-skinned boy named Zhang Qiang threw punches that stirred up gusts like a prowling tiger, having grasped forty percent.
Another boy named Wang Xuan, tall and lean but bright-eyed and brimming with vitality, had also grasped nearly forty percent.
Wang Xuan was Xiao Liu, who shared a communal sleeping platform with Mo Yun. He was the sixth child in his family, hence his nickname, Xiao Liu.
Clearly, Zhang Qiang and Wang Xuan had made the most progress among the servants with lower-middle Bone Roots, so Commander Li wrote both their names in his booklet.
Only one spot left. Who should I give it to?
Commander Li's gaze moved back and forth among the remaining servants with lower-middle Bone Roots, and he began to hesitate.
To be honest, there was little difference in their understanding of the test fist technique. They had all grasped a little over twenty percent, but not quite thirty, and their Bone Root quality was identical. The final spot could go to any of them.
However, Commander Li felt that these candidates were rather marginal and not particularly worth nurturing.
I'll watch for another half a cup of tea's time and see whether anyone makes a breakthrough. If they're still like this afterward, I might as well leave the final spot empty.
Following the principle of accepting fewer rather than settling for inferior candidates, Commander Li would rather leave a spot vacant.
I've found two promising seedlings this time. Leaving one spot empty won't matter.
Collecting himself, Commander Li continued watching them.
Sensing Commander Li's gaze, the boys immediately grew nervous and put even more effort into demonstrating the test fist technique. At the same time, their minds raced as they recalled its various details, hoping to take their technique a step further.
Commander Li nodded in satisfaction at this.
Good. At least they have the desire to improve.
Just then, however, Commander Li caught sight of a figure at the edge of the group of boys with lower-middle Bone Roots, someone he had unconsciously overlooked all along.
It was a somewhat slender boy, slowly drawing back his fist.
His movements were small, yet flowed like drifting clouds and running water, completed in a single unbroken breath.
Commander Li's gaze froze instantly.
This is-
His eyes went round, his pupils abruptly contracting.
What the boy had just performed was precisely the test fist technique!
And it was not some stumbling demonstration, but a genuine, complete, fluid execution of the technique!
Each move followed the next without interruption, his force precise and his rhythm distinct. There was even the faintest hint of imposing power in his movements!
"Flowing clouds and running water, each move following the next without a break, with a presence all its own..."
Commander Li murmured to himself, his face filled with disbelief.
"This boy has actually brought the test fist technique to the beginner level?"
"How... how is this possible?"
"Excellent, excellent, excellent!"
His iron-tower frame suddenly shuddered as he cried out his approval three times.
The servants around him jumped at his reaction and turned to look, unsure what had happened.
Commander Li paid them no heed. Taking three steps in the space of two, he strode toward the boy.
Once he drew close enough to see the boy's face clearly, he froze.
"It's you?"
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