From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

Zhu Hong seemed oblivious to the buzzing discussions.

He slowly withdrew his stance, bowed in the direction of the Sixth Constable, and said, "Thank you, sirs." Only then did he turn and walk down the stone platform.

As they passed by Jiang Chengzhi, their eyes briefly met in mid-air.

Jiang Chengzhi's face had completely darkened, and the playful look in his eyes had been replaced by a cold glint.

"Pretending!"

He spat out four words through gritted teeth, his voice not loud, but loud enough for those around him to hear: "No matter how well you perform a set of health-preserving boxing techniques, what good are they on the fighting stage?"

Zhu Hong acted as if he hadn't heard, and went straight to the corner where he had been resting.

"Brother Zhu, you're really something!"

Shi Dunzi leaned closer, his face beaming. "I was just worried for you, but who knew..." He smacked his lips, reminiscing about the martial arts demonstration.

"That fancy setup, you actually made a name for yourself with it."

"By sheer luck."

Zhu Hong smiled faintly and looked up at the stage.

Liu Kui stood with his hand on his sword again, his leopard-like eyes sweeping over the remaining forty-odd people. After two rounds of selection, more than a hundred people had been eliminated, with sixty percent gone. His face was expressionless, as if the joys and sorrows, honors and disgraces of these people before him would vanish under the sun.

"The third level—"

A voice like rolling thunder drowned out all the noise: "Draw lots for the competition!"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense with just four words.

Liu Kui waved his hand, and two soldiers immediately carried over a red lacquered wooden box, the opening of which was secured with a brass lock.

"The rules are simple."

Liu Kui spoke slowly and deliberately, as if trying to nail each word into everyone's hearts: "Except for the three 'top-ranked' individuals, they will receive a bye in the first round, and in the second round, they can choose their own opponents according to their ranking. The rest of you," he paused, his gaze sweeping across each face like a knife:

"Each person draws a lot, and they are divided into two groups, A and B. Those with the same number are compared in pairs."

"The winner advances to the next round, the loser is eliminated." Everyone had finished explaining the rules, but Chief Liu didn't stop there. He changed the subject, his voice growing increasingly stern: "In addition, there's one more ironclad rule, remember it well!" His eyes were deep and cold, and his gaze sent chills down everyone's spine.

"In the course of a contest, one must never intentionally harm another. Anyone who dares to cross this line—"

"Strict punishment will be imposed, and there will be absolutely no leniency!"

The last sentence was chillingly menacing.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. These words sounded fair, but the word "deliberate" was incredibly subtle.

On stage, the situation changes in an instant. The slightest difference in the release and withdrawal of force can sever a person's meridians and shatter their bones without causing death. It's all too easy.

This is the most dangerous hurdle.

"Draw lots!"

At Liu Kui's command, the copper lock clicked open.

One by one, the people stepped forward, reached into the box, and pulled out the bamboo slip that would determine their fate.

The whole process was quick.

Thirty-eight people, nineteen couples.

As one of the three who received a bye, Zhu Hong naturally did not need to participate in the first round and simply watched each match quietly.

He had only ever fought a martial arts performer once before, against Li Hang from the charity hall. Aside from that, he had no prior experience. This was a good opportunity to observe closely and broaden his knowledge.

The blood was spilled on the snow, but was quickly covered by fresh snow.

Some lost arms, some broke legs, and some collapsed to the ground vomiting blood before being dragged off the field by the soldiers.

Somewhat shocked by the dazzling competition, Zhu Hong subconsciously licked his lips. When he was training, including his battle with Li Hang, he always felt that something was missing.

Now that I see it this way...

Absolutely!

Damn it, why didn't I think of learning a weapon?

To be honest, whenever I think about who I'll be fighting with, I feel a little panicked.

"No, I'll start learning a weapon as soon as the selection process is over." Zhu Hong paused for a moment to think, then made a mental note of it.

Not long after.

When it was Shidunzi's turn to compete, he drew a man who wielded a stick.

"Big guy, you barely passed the test with a mediocre attitude. Why don't you just admit defeat?" the short, pigeon-toed man opposite him said arrogantly. "Otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless with my stick."

"Hmph, you think you can?"

Shi Dunzi sneered and raised his fist, which was as big as a sandbag: "My fist won't be used against you!" With that, he raised his fist and charged straight at him.

Seeing that it was the familiar stone block fighting, Zhu Hong focused his attention and looked up at the fighting platform.

"This force...it's not right, is it?"

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to enjoy the spectacle, the arrogant man was easily defeated by Shi Dunzi, who used brute force to knock away his weapon within ten moves.

"I may not be good at boxing, but my strength is definitely not to be underestimated!"

From the stage came Shi Dunzi's deep, muffled voice.

The short, wiry man was still sprawled on the ground, clutching his numb wrist and grimacing.

Just now, he intended to sweep the stone block's lower body with the stick, but as soon as the tip of the stick touched the side of the opponent's leg, he was shaken back by a powerful force. His tiger's mouth split open instantly, and the iron stick flew out of his hand with a "clang" and stuck into the wooden pillar at the edge of the fighting platform, making a buzzing sound.

"You...you cheated!"

The short, stocky man suddenly shouted hoarsely, struggling to sit up, and turned to Liu, the head constable: "Sir, this man is clearly a novice martial artist; he shouldn't be participating in the selection process."

Upon hearing this, everyone widened their eyes and eagerly awaited the start of the show.

The name "简拔" (jiǎn bá) means, as the name suggests:

Choose the best from the worst.

Under the regulations, only newly qualified martial arts students are selected. Of course, under this premise, the government has other legitimate paths for promoting martial arts students or apprentices who have reached a higher level.

However, rules are rules.

Those who violate this rule will naturally be punished.

"fart!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Dunzi hurriedly spoke up, fearing he would really be arrested by the constable: "You lost, so what? Why are you spouting nonsense and slandering people?" His thick, dark neck instantly turned bright red, and he quickly looked at Liu the constable to explain: "Sir, I'm just naturally stronger than the average person."

"We absolutely dared not violate the selection criteria!"

Zhu Hong watched this farce with great interest, never expecting that the big guy was actually quite strong.

As for the claim of violating the rules, he believes it is unfounded. After all, what fool would be willing to lower himself to enter the market from the downstream sector with genuine skills?

To put it bluntly:

If Shi Dunzi truly becomes a junior martial arts student, he can skip the selection process and go directly to the government office to serve.

The teams inside are the [Soap-Making Team, Quick-Catching Team, and Arresting Team].

Which one can't be directly selected?

As the buzzing of discussion continued, Liu Dutou slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the two people on and off the stage. His lips moved slightly, as if he was about to speak.

"Captain Liu, wait a moment."

Suddenly, a soft call came from beside him, and Jin Buhuan, the head constable of the fourth branch, abruptly stood up. A slight smile played on his lips, and his tone was respectful:

"This matter may be left to me to handle."

"You're delighted?" Liu, the head constable, was as astute as he was. He glanced at Jin Buhuan and said in a low voice.

"The chief still understands me best."

Jin Buhuan's thoughts were exposed, but his smile didn't fade. He just chuckled and said, "This big guy is just what I, Old Jin, like."

"You certainly know how to pick up a bargain."

Chief Liu nodded slightly, a gesture that indicated his tacit approval.