The Martial Saint rose to power starting as a substitute bridegroom.

"Junior Brother Li, there are less than five days until the martial arts exam. Improving your practical combat skills is especially important now. There's a practical combat training course that we can take one more time before the exam. Would you be interested in going with us?" Lu Qing asked.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Lu, but it's not necessary." Li Yuan declined without hesitation.

The Qingniu Martial Arts Club was allocated four spots in a practical training course jointly organized by several martial arts academies, which were given to Yang Cheng, Lu Qing, Qi Xiuyuan, and Chen Ting respectively.

Qi Xiuyuan has been ostracized on both recent occasions.

If Li Yuan were to rashly join in at this moment, what would Qi Xiuyuan think?

Moreover, with the Book of Derivation in hand, why would I need any guidance from others?

Just practice, that's all.

"That's such a pity." Lu Qing sighed softly, as if she had already guessed his thoughts. "Actually, you don't need to care about the feelings of those irrelevant people. What do you care about Qi Xiuyuan and Chen Ting? In front of an absolute martial arts expert, these people are nothing but ants."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan was slightly startled.

That's true, but it just feels like something's missing... a human touch.

Lu Qing, have you forgotten your old little circle?

That's your "brother" who hangs out with you all the time.

"Junior Brother Li, from now on you will follow me," Lu Qing said suddenly after a moment of contemplation.

"What?" Li Yuan almost thought he had misheard.

"I will definitely pass the martial arts exam this year. If you follow me, you will never be shortchanged in terms of resources. Don't think that just because I have lost the Qian family, I can rely on other powerful families in the city, such as the Song, Shen, and Xie families. It will be a piece of cake for me to find someone to rely on. And your value will increase many times over because you are under my command."

An unnamed fire suddenly surged in Li Yuan's chest.

This is... asking me, Li Yuan, to be your underling?

Lu Qing sighed again and said frankly, "Junior Brother Li, we both come from poor backgrounds, unlike them."

What they had easily obtained since childhood, you and I have to risk our lives for.

The world is a completely different place in their eyes and in our eyes.

You are honest and hardworking, and you practice diligently, which I greatly admire.

But in this dog-eat-dog world, being honest and law-abiding has no future.

Your aptitude is what it is; you can't succeed by just burying yourself in hard work and going it alone.

Junior Brother Li, if you simply nod your head right now, I, Lu Qing, can become your benefactor.

"Sorry, I'm not interested."

Li Yuan couldn't listen anymore, so he left after saying a few words.

Lu Qing was left standing there, looking annoyed.

"stop!"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Yuan felt a gust of wind whistling through the air from behind, striking his left shoulder.

With anger on his face, Lu Qing suddenly rose up and his right claw shot out like lightning, creating a series of explosive sounds that tore through the air.

It uses the "Tiger Claw" style from the "Tiger Style Boxing" manual, and the moves are skillful and have reached a high level of mastery.

Li Yuan would not allow him to be so presumptuous. He quickly turned his body and delivered a fierce "Hungry Tiger Strikes the Heart" in a twist of his waist.

A muffled thud—the sound of fists clashing with palms—resonated in the courtyard.

With two thuds, the two of them stumbled back several steps before barely managing to regain their balance.

Lu Qing felt a tingling sensation in his palm, and the force he had just gathered was forcefully pushed back.

Li Yuan also felt a faint stinging pain in his finger bones, and his blood and qi surged involuntarily in his chest.

A hint of surprise flashed across Lu Qing's eyes.

He just broke through to the Dark Force realm, how could he be so strong?

Little did he know that Li Yuan possessed the Yuan Sha Gong at the minor completion level, and his strength alone had increased by nearly 50% out of thin air.

Lu Qing thought to himself, it seems I underestimated this person.

But then I thought, this is all he's gotten to.

With his inherent talent fixed, he barely managed to enter the realm of Dark Force through sheer luck. To advance further would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

With his own aptitude, breaking through the third level of Dark Force before the martial arts exam should not be a big problem.

At that time, what will he have to compare himself to?

Li Yuan was equally taken aback.

He hadn't expected that Lu Qing would actually have some real skill. He had used 70% of his strength in that punch, yet it only ended in a draw.

"Why aren't you two going back yet?" Yang Cheng came out from the inner hall.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qing's cold and stern face instantly transformed into a warm and gentle smile: "Senior Brother Yang, I'm currently sparring with Junior Brother Li and would like to offer some pointers on his moves."

"It's getting late, everyone should go home early." Yang Cheng didn't look at him.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Lu Qing immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and hurriedly left, without even glancing at Li Yuan again before departing.

"Are you alright?" Yang Cheng asked Li Yuan after carefully examining him.

Li Yuan shook his head: "It's alright."

It's hard to say who came out on top in that clash just now.

Yang Cheng subconsciously felt that Li Yuan would definitely be the one to suffer.

"Senior Brother Yang, I'm going back." Li Yuan said calmly, clasping his hands in a salute.

As soon as Li Yuan stepped out, he saw a servant waiting by the roadside.

"May I ask if you are Young Master Li Yuan?" the servant asked respectfully as he stepped forward. "My young lady requests your presence and is waiting for you in the teahouse ahead."

"Your young lady?" Li Yuan frowned slightly.

Thinking too much is pointless.

"lead the way."

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the two arrived at the teahouse.

"Young Master Li, please come in." Led by the servant, Li Yuan went up to the second floor and came to a private room.

Inside, Song Ziwei, the eldest daughter of the Song family, was sitting with another unfamiliar woman, waiting.

Upon seeing Li Yuan enter, Song Ziwei smiled slightly and said, "Wanyi, this is Li Yuan, whom I mentioned to you. Mr. Li, this is my good friend Xie Wanyi."

"I haven't had a chance to thank you in person since you saved me last time. Ziwei has prepared a few cups of tea as a token of her gratitude."

As she spoke, Song Ziwei had already poured Li Yuan a full cup of tea. The tea was clear and bright, with a delicate aroma.

"This is pre-Qingming Longjing tea. I asked the manager of this teahouse to make a special trip to pick it personally from a tea plantation by West Lake. Please enjoy this first cup, Mr. Li."

Song Ziwei's words were so polite that they surprised Li Yuan.

It seems that after that major incident, this spoiled young lady has toned down her temper quite a bit.

"You're too kind, Miss Song."

As if by some strange twist of fate, Li Yuan sat down as instructed.

He had already secretly prepared his excuses for leaving, but what was there to talk about with a high-and-mighty young lady like Song Ziwei?

But seeing that she had friends present, it wasn't appropriate to embarrass her in front of others.

Furthermore, since Song Ziwei's attitude was fairly sincere, Li Yuan reluctantly agreed.

"I heard that Young Master Li has broken through to the Dark Force realm, and I haven't had a chance to congratulate him in person yet." Song Ziwei said with a smile as she saw Li Yuan sit down.

"It was just a fluke." Li Yuan used the same old excuse.

"Is Young Master Li on temporary assignment in the patrol battalion?" Xie Wanyi, sitting opposite him, asked at this moment.

Her gaze lingered briefly on Li Yuan's patrol uniform.

"Exactly."

Only then did Li Yuan focus his attention on her.

She wore a light blue dress, had fair skin, and exquisite makeup. While she wouldn't be described as stunningly beautiful, she was certainly one of the graceful and elegant types in a crowd.

Xie Wanyi picked up her teacup and took a small sip, saying unhurriedly, "The job in the patrol camp is certainly easy, but the monthly salary of less than ten taels of silver is probably not even enough to buy blood-nourishing powder, is it? Has Young Master Li ever thought about finding another place to go?"

"There are quite a few good opportunities right now," Song Ziwei chimed in.

Xie Wanyi put down her teacup and continued, "Nowadays, all the major businesses in the city are actively recruiting skilled individuals from all walks of life."

The prices offered by places like Sheng Hai Money Exchange, Ren Yuan Pharmacy, and Wei Yuan Escort Agency were all incredibly astonishing.

With Young Master Li's cultivation level of internal energy, he could easily find a job where his monthly salary would be no less than thirty taels of silver.

"My superiors in the patrol battalion have treated me well," Li Yuan replied calmly.

Song Ziwei also smiled and advised, "This is indeed a rare opportunity, Young Master Li, why don't you consider it carefully?"

"Thank you both for your kind offer, I will consider it carefully," Li Yuan replied perfunctorily.

Where do you find free lunches?

The fact that various factions are sparing no expense to recruit people suggests that their ambitions are even greater.

The world is becoming increasingly chaotic. The fact that the Qian family has withdrawn from the stage of Linjiang City means that other forces can now begin to seize the fertile land that once belonged to the Qian family.

That was a real, bloody battle.

What kind of connections and dangers lie behind receiving that generous reward remains unknown.

Although the salary of the patrol battalion was meager, it was stable and they could leave at any time, which was exactly what they wanted.

Song Ziwei and Xie Wanyi sensed the perfunctory tone in his words and immediately exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing a hint of anxiety.

Those previous words were merely a test.

If Li Yuan showed even the slightest sign of wavering, Song Ziwei would not hesitate to offer a price that other family businesses could hardly match, in order to recruit this young master of internal strength into her ranks.

But right now, Li Yuan's refusal couldn't be clearer.

Song Ziwei finally lost her temper and cut to the chase: "Those businesses are indeed not worth your interest. So I'll be frank—if my Song family were willing to offer you a monthly salary of one hundred taels of silver as a guest retainer, would you be willing, Young Master Li?"

As she spoke, her eyes were filled with eager anticipation.

"Moreover, the position of guest minister is not very restrictive and will not prevent you from participating in the martial arts examination."

Regarding Li Yuan, Song Ziwei always had a feeling that she couldn't quite explain.

Xie Wanyi was slightly taken aback, then feigned great surprise: "One hundred taels a month? That's almost the treatment of a senior martial arts master."

Li Yuan smiled calmly to himself.

Having said all that, he finally understood what these two were really up to, their back-and-forth banter.

One hundred taels is quite a price, and saving up for several months would be enough to buy a small Qi-cultivating pill, a world of difference compared to the previous invitation to be a "guardian".

To say that one is completely unmoved is to deceive oneself.

But as I said before, Linjiang City is currently in turmoil and fraught with hidden dangers. If I were to join the Song family, the leading force in the business alliance, I probably wouldn't be able to remain unscathed.

"I appreciate Miss Song's kindness. However, this matter is of great importance, and I hope Miss Song will allow me a couple more days to consider it," Li Yuan said solemnly.

"What else is there to consider?" Xie Wanyi, this "helper," couldn't sit still any longer. "Although you've broken through to the Dark Force realm, there are different levels within that realm. Apart from Ziwei, I really can't think of anyone else who could offer you such a high price. At least my Xie family can't do that."

Before she finished speaking, she had already given Song Ziwei a reproachful look. Dark-level guest elders were not rare in a large family like theirs, so why should they lower themselves to such a lowly position?

"I'll take my leave." Li Yuan didn't argue, stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke calmly.

Song Ziwei relaxed her shoulders slightly and sighed, "Fine. You can come find me anytime you've thought it through."

Li Yuan was about to leave when he suddenly heard a commotion outside the window.

The three of them crowded around the window to look out.

"Ziwei, look! That's Xiao Yichen from Flying Eagle Martial Arts School!" Xie Wanyi exclaimed in surprise.

In the middle of the street, a young man in his early thirties, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, sat atop a tall horse.

The young man was burly and imposing, but his face was quite handsome, and his eyes were sharp as a hawk's, coldly scanning his surroundings.

"Xiao Yichen has long been a core disciple of the Flying Eagle Martial Arts Academy. In the last martial arts examination, he was a highly favored candidate, but unfortunately, he underperformed and missed the mark by only one place. However, this has made him the undisputed top seed in this year's martial arts examination." Xie Wanyi's words were full of admiration.

"It really is him." Song Ziwei said calmly.

Li Yuan also glanced at it from afar.

Judging from the undisguised and flamboyant aura emanating from this person, his cultivation level is by no means inferior to that of ordinary internal energy practitioners, and he is very likely already a top expert at the peak of internal energy.

Are all those who participate in the martial arts entrance exam such terrifying beings?

Li Yuan's heart stirred. It seemed that improving his cultivation level was inevitable, and he had to speed it up.

"If you ask me, if we're going to invite a guest elder, we should look for someone with profound cultivation like Young Master Xiao Yichen," Xie Wanyi murmured, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Song Ziwei did not respond.

Li Yuan ignored him and went straight downstairs out of the teahouse.

……

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

Li Yuan got up early, washed up briefly, ate some donkey meat sandwiches and mutton offal soup, and then headed towards the patrol camp.

As arranged by Fatty Sun, today we're going to do that private job delivering goods to Qianjiabao outside the city.

From afar, a carriage could be seen parked in front of the patrol camp gate, carrying a large black wooden box.

Several guards were already waiting on one side of the carriage.

Kang Yan was dozing off on a wooden stump in front of the door; he always looked like he was half asleep.

Luo Bin looked serious, his brows furrowed, and every now and then he would suddenly throw a punch from mid-air, as if he was still trying to figure out some kind of martial arts technique.

Qi He did not come—Li Yuan informed Fatty Sun yesterday that Qi He had been transferred out of the West Courtyard.

Pretending to be sick is secondary; Qi He is a distant relative of the Qian family, and Li Yuan doesn't want any business alliance members or Qian family members under his command, not even those related by blood.

Liang Bai replaced Qi He.

He looked much better at that moment and was focused on wiping the sword in his hand.

Zeng Yi, blushing, looked up from a copy of "The Romance of the Western Chamber" and met Li Yuan's gaze. He immediately perked up: "Good morning, boss!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked up and saw Li Yuan walking slowly towards them.

Everyone put down what they were doing and stood up.

"Inspector Li".

"Is everyone here?"

"All done."

Li Yuan walked closer and reached out to press the large wooden box.

The wood was of excellent quality, and the workmanship was quite exquisite. It was firmly secured with an iron lock, making it impossible to see anything inside.

That bastard Sun, didn't we agree that he was only sending a few things? How did he end up with such a heavy box?

Even the carriage wheels were deeply embedded in the mud.

I thought it would just be a few fast horses, and we could easily make a round trip. But now, with this heavy cart towing, we can't go fast even if we want to.

Just as he was pondering this, a middle-aged, chubby man with a small mustache walked over with a grin, followed by a tall, slender woman with a well-proportioned figure.

Li Yuan glanced up and was secretly surprised.

The woman was about the same height as me, and her long, shapely legs were probably no less than four feet long.

Although he resembled Fatty Sun in some ways, his appearance far surpassed Sun's; they were not even in the same league.

She stood there with a long sword on her back, exuding an indescribable heroic and valiant air.

All eyes swept past Fatty Sun and fixed on the woman behind him.

Zeng Yi, in particular, practically had fire spitting from his eyes.

Fatty Sun approached with a grin, cleared his throat, and said, "Gentlemen, thank you for your hard work this time. This is someone I personally invited to help you with the escort. Sun Lu, my eldest niece, is a genius disciple of the Tiger Might Martial Arts School, and she has now reached the Dark Force realm."

The room erupted in uproar.

It's actually internal force!

The group swallowed hard, their previously arrogant gazes vanishing instantly, and they dared not be arrogant in the slightest again.

This is not a joke.

But how could such a beautiful girl be Fatty Sun's niece?

Sun Lu remained expressionless, only giving a slight fist salute to the crowd: "Please take good care of me."

He glanced around and when his gaze fell on Li Yuan, he suddenly paused in surprise.