A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 15 Assessment (II)

Xiao Zongting actually began to praise Duan Rong, which was unexpected to everyone, and their expressions froze on their faces.

Duan Rong stood up and Xiao Zongting walked over.

He stretched out his hands to pinch his shoulders, elbows and waist, nodded slightly, then turned to Zhao Mu and said, "The two over there can go now."

Zhao Mu heard this and walked up to Zhang Zheng and Li Chong and said, "You two were not selected. Let's go."

Although they were mentally prepared, both of them looked unhappy when Zhao Mu made the announcement.

Kong Bin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Zheng's face changed, he stood up and walked out of the yard.

Li Chong was stunned, like a puppet without a soul, sitting on the ground...

But no one present noticed him...

Xiao Zongting suddenly said to Duan Rong and Kong Bin who were standing there, "Go to the side yard and fetch two buckets of water from the well."

Duan Rong and Kong Bin didn't know what Xiao Zongting's intention was for a moment, but they didn't dare to ask, so they picked up the wooden barrel from the woodshed and went to the well in the next courtyard to fetch water.

"You go too, find two sacks and soak them in cold water for me." Xiao Zongting turned his head and looked at Zhao Mu beside him and ordered.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mu immediately went to the woodshed to find two sacks and left the yard.

After a while, the three of them returned to the woodshed and stood in front of Xiao Zongting.

"You two, take off your clothes!" Xiao Zongting looked at Duan Rong and Kong Bin and said coldly.

"Ah... take it off..." Duan Rong and Kong Bin both thought they had heard it wrong.

"What? Take off your clothes? I don't understand!" Xiao Zongting looked angry.

Duan Rong and Kong Bin immediately took off their clothes.

Duan Rong and Kong Bin were both wearing the uniform brown shorts worn by menial disciples. Now they had taken off their clothes, leaving only a pair of thigh-length shorts, and stood with their arms folded like quails.

Although it is early March, the weather in Qingzhou is still a bit chilly. Especially this morning, when the breeze blows, the chill still penetrates into the bones.

Even though they were two young men, they still shivered when they stood there shirtless...

Xiao Zongting took advantage of the two men's unpreparedness, picked up the two buckets of water they brought, and poured them over their heads.

The well water in the March morning was bone-chillingly cold. When it was poured over their heads, both of them jumped up with a cry, trembling all over. They immediately squatted down with their shoulders twitching.

When the cold water was poured over his head, Duan Rong felt as if the top of his head was lifted. Goose bumps appeared all over his body, and his teeth chattered non-stop as if possessed.

"Stand up, stand straight!" Xiao Zongting roared like an angry old lion.

Duan Rong and Kong Bin stood up while cursing Xiao Zongting's perversion.

As the cold wind blew through the yard, their lips had turned purple and their snot was dripping like icicles.

Xiao Zongting glanced at Zhao Mu and said, "Put the soaked sacks on them!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mu draped the wet sack, which was soaked in cold water and was already dripping with water, over the shoulders of the two men.

Both of them hunched their shoulders and hid...

"This is an assessment. If you don't want to be an apprentice, get out now and don't embarrass me here!" Xiao Zongting cursed with his eyes wide open.

Duan Rong and Kong Bin had no choice but to let Zhao Mu put the wet bag on their shoulders. They immediately felt a strong cold air on their backs, invading their flesh and bones.

"You two start standing in a round pile now. Those who can dry the sacks in an hour will pass. Those who can't, get out!"

"Ah..." The two were stunned when they heard this. They never thought that they could stand in this way.

After Xiao Zongting finished speaking, he turned around and went to the stone steps at the entrance of the courtyard, sat down against the wall, and stuffed tobacco foam into his pipe.

Zhao Mu immediately lit the branches with a flint and set Xiao Zongting on fire.

When Xiao Zongting took his first puff of tobacco, Duan Rong and Kong Bin had already started standing still.

After all, this is an assessment. If you fail, you will have to go back to be a menial disciple.

No one dares to neglect.

Just now I was cursing Xiao Zongting in my heart for being a pervert, but now that I know it is an assessment project, I even stopped cursing.

They both started, naked, wearing only shorts, and stood up in the round pole, but their whole bodies were still shaking...

The two men just stood there shivering, with their legs bent and their hands clasped in front of their chests. They were all wet and covered in sacks. If you didn't know, you would think this was some kind of performance art.

But after only one stick of incense, white mist began to rise from Duan Rong's head. Kong Bin stopped shivering and his pale face returned to normal.

The standing posture had an effect. The coldness in the body slowly dissipated and gradually became warmer.

But the cold energy in the back was too heavy and the heat could not be dissipated... Duan Rong stood with his eyes closed while thinking.

Duan Rong found that he actually understood what Xiao Zongting meant.

Just like in your previous life, if you learn a subject well, you will even be able to understand the test setter’s intentions in the exam room.

Let them go through the routine first, and then try it out.

This is to test their ability to understand martial arts moves, and whether they can combine the way they exert force with the moves and routines well. This is to test your ability to understand the methods of fighting.

Now, he and Kong Bin are asked to stand naked to see whether their bones, blood and qi can develop strength.

If you can dry the wet sacks, it means that the effect of standing still is good.

Good effects mean high consumption, and high consumption can generate strength.

One is the root bones, qi and blood, the other is the ability to comprehension.

You must pass both to become an apprentice, neither is indispensable.

As I said, strength and skill are like the two wings of a bird and the two wheels of a car, neither of which can be neglected.

The two stood there for a full hour. After the well water on their bodies dried up, it turned into sweat again...

An hour later, steam was rising from both of their bodies. Xiao Zongting took a final puff of the tobacco, and the pipe glowed for a moment before going out.

Xiao Zongting leaned against the wall, squinting his eyes in enjoyment, smoke slowly dissipating from his nostrils. After a long time, he opened his eyes and glanced at the two of them with bright eyes.

Xiao Zongting sat up, knocked the ashes from his pipe onto the steps, stood up, and walked behind Duan Rong and Kong Bin.

Xiao Zongting stopped behind Kong Bin and reached out to touch the sack on Kong Bin. Although the sack was dry, it was still obviously slightly damp.

Xiao Zongting wrinkled his nose and snorted, "Just barely passing."

When Kong Bin heard these words, he felt as if he had been pardoned. He passed the test.

Xiao Zongting came behind Duan Rong, reached out and touched the sack on Duan Rong's body, smiled and said: "Yes, it's dry now."

Xiao Zongting walked up to Zhao Mu with his hands behind his back and said, "These two are fine. You can arrange accommodation for them later and bring them to my courtyard."

"Yes, Mr. Xiao." Zhao Mu replied respectfully.

"Not bad teaching." Xiao Zongting said lightly, then walked out, his eyes vaguely sweeping over Duan Rong.

Zhao Mu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly became delighted.

With Xiao Zongting's good teaching, it is almost certain that he will be converted from an intern to a full-time employee this year.

Zhao Mu looked at Duan Rong with joy and thought: This kid seems to be talented. Even Old Xiao likes him.

When I was promoted to an apprentice, Mr. Xiao always had a sour face. People can't be compared.

"I'll give you two half an incense stick of time! Go back and pack your things, and tell your respective managers, and then come back here. I'll take you to the middle courtyard."

Duan Rong and Kong Bin were both overjoyed and turned around to leave the courtyard.

"Put on your clothes, both of you! If you go out like this, the guards will kill you!"

When Zhao Mu reminded them, they remembered that they were still shirtless.

The two people, who had been quite at odds with each other, smiled at each other, then picked up their clothes and put them on as they walked.

Half an incense stick of time was a bit tight, especially for Duan Rong, as the stable was quite far from the firewood room.

I also have to go to the dormitory to pack up and go to the stable to inform old man Sun. Time is running out!

As soon as Duan Rong left the courtyard, he ran away.

Kong Bin's usually cold face was filled with a happy smile. As soon as he left the courtyard, Zhang Zheng came over and asked, "Brother Bin, were you selected?"

Kong Bin nodded.

"Brother Bin, I knew you could do it." Zhang Zheng shouted, clenching his fists.

Kong Bin patted Zhang Zheng on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Zhang Zheng, we are brothers for life. What's mine is yours."

Zhang Zheng nodded and asked, "Did Duan Rong also get selected?"

A hint of solemnity flashed across Kong Bin's joyful face. Not only was Duan Rong selected, but Elder Xiao's evaluation of him was obviously much higher than his own.

"Well, he was selected too."

"This guy is also a character. He was inconspicuous at first, but suddenly rose to prominence when the assessment was approaching. Moreover, we drugged him, and he saw through our plan." Zhang Zheng paused and said, "Brother Bin, I think it is better to make friends with such a person than to make him an enemy."

Kong Bin sighed, a trace of contemplation flashed across his eyes, and said, "Let's talk about him later."

(End of this chapter)