Martial Arts Sects

Wu Yongfeng shook his head. "Dragon ascension through the Martial Examination is an important way for martial arts sects to select disciples. Do you think it matters? You all know an ungrateful man like Lu Ren can't be trusted. Do you think the Gu Family patriarch is a fool?"

At that, none of them had anything to say.

Their goal was only minor accomplishment of qi gathering. Those with ambition dared to dream of great accomplishment of qi gathering, while the Gu Family had its sights set on a martial arts sect. They were on entirely different levels, so how could their thinking be the same?

The family did not care whether Lu Ren would betray them in the future. All that mattered was that he could help their eldest young master during the Martial Examination's dragon ascension.

"Do you know anything about martial arts sects?"

Xu Yang asked. So the dragon ascension of the Martial Examination meant ascending into a martial arts sect.

Wu Yongfeng, Qiu Wenjie, and the others all shook their heads.

"They say the martial arts taught in Qingyuan County's martial arts halls are incomplete, reaching marrow cleansing at most. Only by entering a martial arts sect can you obtain complete cultivation methods and pursue the pinnacle of martial arts. Unfortunately, I'm already out of the running," Zhang Hong said with a sigh.

With his talent and cultivation resources, he could not possibly reach great accomplishment of qi gathering within two or three years.

Like Xu Yang, he had a C-grade lower bone root.

"I'll take part in the Martial Examination's dragon ascension. I'll go see the sights of a martial arts sect on your behalf." Zhang Yong clenched his fists.

Wu Yongfeng's eyes lit up at that. "Junior Brother Zhang Yong, have you already reached minor accomplishment of qi gathering?"

Zhang Yong nodded lightly. "I was lucky enough to break through last night. I've reached minor accomplishment of qi gathering."

Wu Yongfeng was delighted. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Zhang Yong! It looks like one of us is going to become a Martial Licentiate."

Qiu Wenjie and Zhang Hong stepped forward to congratulate him as well.

Xu Yang also went over to congratulate Zhang Yong, hardly surprised that he had reached minor accomplishment of qi gathering.

Among the ten in their cohort, Zhang Yong's bone root was second only to Lu Ren's. When it came to cultivation, Xu Yang and Lu Ren could only be called hardworking. Zhang Yong alone trained as though his life depended on it.

Moreover, after he succeeded in qi gathering, unlike Zhang Hong, whom nobody bothered with, Zhang Yong's C-grade upper bone root had caught a small lineage's attention. They had recruited him as a son-in-law through marriage and provided money to support his martial training.

With no shortage of resources, it was perfectly normal for Zhang Yong to reach minor accomplishment of qi gathering a few days after Xu Yang. At this rate, he really might reach great accomplishment of qi gathering before the Martial Examination's dragon ascension.

"It's a shame you won't bend your back. Otherwise, you and I could have continued competing during the Martial Examination's dragon ascension." Zhang Yong looked at Xu Yang with mixed feelings.

He had finally surpassed Xu Yang for the first time, but only because he had bowed to money. It brought him no joy.

Xu Yang shook his head without explaining.

Seeing this, Zhang Hong changed the subject. "The Huang Family announced today that they're selecting promising talent to nurture again. If you have any suitable young relatives, you can tell them to go to the Huang Family tomorrow for a bone-root examination..."

Sure enough, once he mentioned the Huang Family, everyone's attention immediately shifted. Even some of the fellow disciples nearby gathered around to ask about it.

"This is utterly absurd! If it didn't work out, then it didn't work out. Why stoop to something so despicable?"

After hearing what Huang Ling'er had done, Huang Jin immediately came looking for her.

"Fifth Uncle, isn't this all your fault? I disagreed from the start, but you insisted I win him over through marriage.

"Now that mud-legged peasant has rejected me and the Huang Family. If I didn't do this, what would happen to my reputation once word got out? Where would the Huang Family's prestige be? People would laugh at us-even a mud-legged peasant looks down on us!"

Huang Ling'er did not think she had done anything wrong. She was only salvaging the Huang Family's reputation.

Huang Jin fell silent. He had not been the one insisting on a marriage alliance. Huang Ping had demanded that Xu Yang marry a woman of the Huang Family before he would fund him.

"I did fail to think this through, but only a few of us knew about it. If we said nothing, who would know anything like this had happened?

"Now you've made it known to everyone. If Xu Yang reveals the truth, the Huang Family's reputation will truly be ruined."

"Fifth Uncle, can you guarantee Xu Yang wouldn't tell anyone?"

Huang Ling'er sneered. "Let him explain. Let's see whether people believe our Huang Family or that mud-legged peasant."

She was certain that even if Xu Yang came forward to clear his name, nobody would believe him.

Huang Jin shook his head. "By mistreating him like this, we've destroyed what little goodwill remained between us."

Huang Ling'er looked disdainful. "A mere C-grade lower bone root-what use is his goodwill? After rejecting our Huang Family, he'll struggle to reach even great accomplishment of qi gathering in this lifetime."

Huang Jin felt weary at heart. He had always thought highly of Xu Yang, so even after the arrangement fell through, he had done his utmost to preserve the little goodwill between Xu Yang and the Huang Family. Yet Huang Ling'er's actions had severed that bond completely and might even have bred resentment.

With the Huang Family already in such a state, instead of trying to make friends, she was turning friends into enemies. He had no idea what Huang Ling'er was thinking.

"Enough, Fifth Brother!"

Huang Ping waved a hand. "Don't mention Xu Yang again. Consider this his repayment for the training our Huang Family provided. How are your arrangements for selecting talent coming along?"

Huang Jin sighed and cupped his hands. "I've already ordered people to spread the news everywhere. I've even sent people to the villages outside the city."

Huang Ping nodded in satisfaction and waved Huang Jin away.

The heavy snow stopped the next day, but the thick accumulation already rose above their knees. Several roofs in White Stone Ward had collapsed under its weight. Fortunately, no lives had been lost.

After getting up, Xu Yang cleared the snow from his roof again before heading up the mountain to cut firewood.

He used to buy it, but now nobody dared venture into the mountains, so he had to cut it himself.

It was his own fault for getting too absorbed in martial training and failing to prepare in advance.

The snow rose above his knees all along the way. Even a qi gathering Martial Artist like him found walking strenuous.

"This is going to cause trouble!" Xu Yang sighed.

He could not remember snow this heavy in the past seven or eight years. If it continued for another few days, people would starve even if they did not freeze to death.

When he had bought grain in the city yesterday, prices had already risen.

People facing a struggle for survival were capable of anything.

Even the Three Harmonies Gang, for all its constant exploitation, did not dare drive everyone beyond the point of survival.

Returning with firewood balanced on his shoulders, Xu Yang spotted a crowd gathered outside his home from a distance and immediately quickened his pace.

Fortunately, nothing had happened, nor had they come to borrow money or grain. A group of young people from White Stone Ward had heard about the Huang Family's selection and come to ask him whether it was true.

He had not expected the Huang Family to make such a big push this time. They had even sent people to White Stone Ward to spread the word despite the heavy wind and snow.

In the crowd, he saw Zhang Daniu and He Laosan. Even these two men, who loathed martial training, had come.

"Brother A Yang, is this really true?"

The speaker was a younger cousin from Xu Yang's own lineage, named Xu

Zheng.

Xu Yang nodded. "The news is true. As long as your bone root meets the standard after the examination, the Huang Family will send you to a martial arts hall to train. That's how I was selected back then."

Hearing that Xu Yang had become a Martial Artist this way, the young men flushed with excitement.

If Xu Yang could rise above the crowd through this opportunity, why couldn't they?

"A Yang, please take them to the Huang Family, then."

His uncle, Xu Daxin, spoke excitedly. He was Xu Zheng's father.

Xu Yang thought for a moment. "I happen to be going into the city anyway, so I can show them the way to the Huang Family. But the snow is deep and walking will be difficult. If anyone can't keep going along the way, I won't look after him."

"If they can't even walk to the city, how could useless fools like that hope to practice martial arts?" Xu Daxin said.

It was little more than lifting a hand, and Xu Yang did not mind helping these peers gain a chance to change their fate. He immediately led the group toward the city.