From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

"Um."

Shen Daqing nodded slightly, his expression indifferent, and accepted the greetings from the crowd with composure. He then turned around, his gaze calm and unwavering, slowly sweeping over the bustling crowd without uttering a word.

"Quiet down, you idiot!"

Liu Kui immediately understood, stepped forward with his hand on his sword, and glared at Liu Kui, saying, "Prefect Shen is here; how dare you make such a racket?!"

The two were one still and one active, one reserved and one imposing.

The noisy crowd instantly fell silent, even their breathing became lighter.

"very good."

Shen Daqing raised his hand in a gesture of reassurance, his composed demeanor immediately apparent. His voice settled slowly as he spoke: "As the Vice Prefect of this prefecture, it is only right that I oversee and manage this 'Selection of Martial Arts Students.'" He flicked his wide sleeves, his tone solemn:

"When selecting talented individuals for public service positions, only genuine skills and abilities matter."

"Anyone who harbors侥幸心理 (a sense of侥幸, a belief that one can get away with something) or resorts to underhanded means will be severely punished according to the law once discovered, without any leniency!" Before the words were finished, his gaze pierced the hearts of everyone present like a sharp sword.

"Did you all understand?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression tightened, and they immediately responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles:

"Understood!"

"In that case... I will not say any more and let's get back to the main topic!" Seeing this, Shen Daqing's lips curled up slightly: "The selection of military officers involves passing three tests to verify their identity before they are accepted into the government service." He deliberately paused, drawing out his words:

"The monthly allowance is five taels of silver and three shi of fine rice. The 'Qingyun official robes' for the four seasons are paid by the prison quarterly, without any difference."

These words were exhilarating. Even though most people already knew the truth, hearing them personally from the magistrate made them sound completely different, as if the destiny of "leaping over the dragon gate" was truly within reach.

Shen Daqing took in all the changes in the expressions of the crowd, but simply raised his hand, and the room returned to silence.

"Besides..."

His tone became extremely solemn, each word deliberate and forceful: "Those selected this time will receive a special reward from the imperial treasury: three ounces of 'Blood Marrow Strengthening Paste'."

Blood and Marrow Strengthening Paste?

These five words instantly caused an uproar among the crowd, creating a huge uproar.

"Your Honor! Did I hear that right...? It's that Blood Marrow Strengthening Ointment?"

"yes--"

"This is a top-grade elixir that can strengthen the body's foundation and temper the physical form!"

"Indeed! I've heard that this ointment is more valuable than pure gold; one ounce of this ointment is worth one ounce of gold. I, a mere mortal, wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing."

"..."

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhu Hong's eyes:

"Why is this government office suddenly being so generous today? Has it changed its ways?"

The six men received a full eighteen taels of ointment, equivalent to eighteen taels of pure gold. Such generosity was truly rare for constables who had just entered the public service.

It should be known that among the currencies circulating in the world, Yangshi (a type of precious stone) is the most valuable, followed by pure gold. Fifteen taels of snowflake-patterned silver are equivalent to one tael of pure gold, and this varies depending on the region. In other words, these three taels of Blood Marrow Strengthening Paste are almost equivalent to the annual salary of an ordinary yamen runner.

"Good heavens, if we don't win this time, we'll probably regret it so much that we'll beat our chests and stamp our feet in our sleep."

He said with a burning gaze.

"Alright." Shen Daqing raised his hand again at the opportune moment, making a light press:

"Observers, please remain in your positions; examinees, please rely on your own abilities. 'Selection of martial arts students'—" He paused, then loudly proclaimed:

"Let's begin!"

After saying this, he turned slightly to the side, nodded to Liu Kui beside him, and then calmly walked into the ceremonial gate and disappeared from sight.

After Shen Tongpan's figure disappeared, Liu Kui immediately cut to the chase, his voice booming like a bell, making everyone's eardrums tingle: "Anyone over thirty-five years old, with a disability, or who has not reached the level of a martial arts performer is not allowed to enter! The rest who are qualified..."

He waved his hand dismissively, with an undeniable ruthlessness:

"Get in there quickly, don't delay!"

Upon receiving the order, the soldiers guarding the corridor immediately split into two imposing ranks, guarding both sides of the passageway with their weapons in hand and maintaining strict order. The martial arts students dared not slacken their efforts and filed into the passageway one after another, their faces revealing their excitement.

Only one person stopped abruptly at the entrance of the passageway.

Jiang Chengzhi slowly turned around, a mocking smile playing on his lips. His voice wasn't loud, just loud enough for Zhu Hong to hear: "Let me give you a piece of advice: some of these country bumpkins aren't even qualified to be here." He chuckled, his contempt undisguised.

"Get back home as soon as possible; at least you'll save some face, lest..."

"You'll only embarrass yourself and become a laughingstock."

Having said that, he slowly turned around and swaggered toward the examination hall.

"Hysteria is unclear."

Zhu Hong glanced at his back, his eyes calm, and spat out only four words.

Why bother arguing with a mad dog that bites randomly?

If you really want to argue, why not find an excuse later and just make fun of them directly? That would be much more satisfying!

As the last person filed in, everyone was surprised to find that there were only a few hundred martial arts students who had entered.

The area outside the gate was originally mostly filled with onlookers who were just there for the spectacle.

……

Liu Kui stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the training ground, his dark black outfit taut and tight. His leopard-like eyes shone brightly, two cold beams of light slowly sweeping from east to west.

"First challenge—" The voice, like a rolling thunderclap, ripped through the training ground, sending a shiver down everyone's spine.

"Test your strength, Qingshan!"

The four words landed heavily, like a mountain. Everyone followed his gaze:

Dozens of stone locks, each as large as a millstone, lay quietly in rows on the unmelted snow, each one polished smooth and round. These were the "slippery stone locks" specially made by the government office, their surface exceptionally slippery, designed to weaken a person's wrists and test their physical strength.

Although it is only labeled as weighing 100 jin, if you don't have the strength to lift it, you can forget about lifting it.

This kind of concrete weight has a name in government offices, called:

The power of a single stone.

This is a strict rule for testing whether a martial arts actor is qualified.

Seeing everyone's gaze fixed on the stone lock, Liu Kui's eyes narrowed, and he said in an unyielding tone, "Listen up! I'll only say the rules once!" He paused, then lightly stomped his heel on the ground, causing the thin layer of snow beneath his feet to flutter down.

"Hold the talc lock one foot off the ground, supporting it steadily, and you'll pass the test after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Otherwise..."

He grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth:

"You'd better be smart and get out!"

Before the words were even finished, several fierce-looking soldiers stepped forward, clubs in hand. Their brows furrowed, their eyes gleaming with menace as they surveyed the crowd. Their posture clearly indicated they were waiting for the slightest mistake so they could seize the person on the spot and unleash a hail of clubs.

The time was right.

Liu Kuibao looked around again, and a thick incense stick appeared in his hand. He rubbed it between his fingers, and the tip of the incense stick hissed and a wisp of smoke rose up.

"Burning incense——"

Start.

"First group, thirty people, step forward!"

Liu Kui raised his hand, his iron fingers like halberds, pointing directly at the stone lock formation on the east side: "State your name and place of origin to verify your identity."

The martial arts students who were called upon did not hesitate. They each found a stone lock and stood still with focused concentration.

"West of the city, plums and goji berries."

"I'm here!" A lean man responded.

"Qing Suo".

"Yes." Li Gouqi roared, veins bulging on his forehead, his arms bulging like the roots of an old tree, as he suddenly grabbed the handle of the stone lock.

The stone lock was lifted off the ground with a thud, but when it was only raised to a height of one foot, his wrist visibly trembled, and the slippery lock body suddenly slid downwards. With a muffled thud, the stone lock fell heavily to the ground.

"Next."

Liu Kui didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice as cold and hard as iron.

Upon hearing the verdict, Li Gouqi's face turned ashen, his eyes vacant, and he staggered out of the examination hall.

"This kind of boil doesn't even deserve to be treated?"

At the front of the crowd on the east side, Chi Yejun, the young master of the Chi family, lazily yawned, his disdain undisguised: "This is truly an eyesore for me."

"It seems this first hurdle..."

Zhu Hong did not respond to his words, but slowly withdrew his gaze from Li Gouqi's staggering back, thinking to himself: "What we are screening out are those pseudo-martial artists whose qi and blood are weak and whose strength is loose, barely touching the 'flesh training' realm."

Thinking of this, a slight smile appeared on his lips, a hint of understanding in his expression:

"As expected of the imperial court, the standards set for this 'Dragon Gate' are truly high."

Sure enough, of the seven or eight people who followed, five failed in succession, the sound of the stone locks falling to the ground echoing one after another. The losers were all dejected, some even covering their faces with their sleeves, their shoulders shaking, and faint sobs could be heard.

Years of hard work, countless grains of rice and medicines consumed, only to have the dream shattered in a single day.

This feeling is indescribable, leaving only a thousand lines of tears.

……