From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

After a moment of silence, someone leaned forward, cupped their hands in greeting, and asked:

"Commander Liu, may I ask if the reserve training is personally supervised by an instructor?"

"Of course there are." Liu Kui glanced at the man, his earlier fierce expression softening slightly as the commotion subsided, and his tone became gentler.

"Senior constables from the government office take turns teaching, covering martial arts techniques, tracking, and arrest. As long as you are willing to learn..."

Upon hearing this, the tense expressions of the martial arts students present immediately relaxed considerably. Some secretly breathed a sigh of relief, while others whispered among themselves, all showing delight. With guidance from their instructors, it seemed that becoming a reserve officer was not an unacceptable option.

"Alright, let's start in order."

Liu Kui raised his hand to quell the situation, turned his head to look at Chi Yejun, who was standing at the head of the selection area, and shouted, "Chi Yejun, step forward."

Upon hearing the sound, Chi Yejun slowly strolled out of the queue, gently waving his folding fan, his steps leisurely and elegant, as if he were attending a banquet.

"You are the top-ranked candidate in this 'upper review'."

Liu Kui's gaze fell on him, his voice deep and businesslike: "You may choose any one of the remaining twenty-one martial arts students as your opponent."

As soon as he finished speaking, the martial arts students, who had just survived the previous fierce battle and whose breathing had not yet calmed down, involuntarily held their breath. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Chi Yejun, secretly speculating:

Who will this young master Chi choose to target?

"You're the one."

Chi Yejun paused with his folding fan, his gaze casually sweeping over everyone before finally settling on a man with a pockmarked face in the corner. He casually pointed with his finger, his expression calm and indifferent.

The person who was chosen was Cui Wu.

He had been kicked in the previous round, leaving him with a slight limp in his left leg. He was currently leaning against the platform pillar, trying to regulate his breathing, when he suddenly heard these words. His body jolted violently, his pockmarked face instantly contorting into a bitter expression, turning from white to pale, feeling even worse than if he had swallowed a bitter herb. Everyone had witnessed his narrow escape, and his slightly limping left leg was an undeniable weakness; it was clear to everyone that he was at his limit.

Chi Yejun's choice was clearly picking the easiest target.

A soft snort came from the viewing platform:

"As expected of a spoiled brat, always picking on the weak to bully them. His behavior is too disgusting." Originally, I thought I could witness a thrilling duel between rich young masters, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this, so I couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"Can 'respectability' put food on the table?"

A man nearby curled his lip and chimed in, "The rules are right there. If you can guarantee a win, would you go looking for a tough opponent?"

Chi Yejun ignored him and only stared at his opponent as he slowly walked onto the stage.

What he wanted was not a thrilling duel, but to secure a stable position. Only victory could grant him entry into public service. As for the gossip of others, it was nothing but insignificant noise.

Anyway, time will heal all wounds, and then:

Who would remember which patch of mud he stepped on to get there?

With a bang, the two stepped onto the stage.

Chi Yejun slowly stepped onto the stage, not in a hurry to make a move. Instead, he grinned, his tone carrying a hint of mockery:

"Before we take action, shouldn't we discuss this a bit?"

"Discuss?" Cui Wu was on high alert when he heard this and was taken aback, not understanding his thoughts for a moment.

"Why don't you just admit defeat?" Chi Yejun said with a faint smile, his tone casual to the point of being dismissive.

"If you keep putting on this act, even if you make a move, you'll only humiliate yourself and soil my robes." With that, he leaned forward slightly, as if asking a question, or perhaps mocking me.

What do you think?

Cui Wu was already upset because of his injuries, and these words provoked him so much that his blood rushed to his head and his face turned red: "This is intolerable!" He knew that he could not outlast Chi Yejun, and that only by launching a preemptive attack could he have a chance of survival. He immediately ignored the pain in his left leg, put his feet down, and punched Chi Yejun's chest with both fists wrapped in a strong wind.

They fought with all their might in every move, aiming for a swift victory.

"They're getting anxious, they are getting anxious."

Chi Yejun casually sidestepped the punch, his clothes fluttering slightly in the wind, and he didn't forget to make a sarcastic remark.

"Then, I'll grant your wish." Before he finished speaking, he suddenly exerted force with his feet, and his figure shot out like lightning.

"Eight Extremes Collapse!"

His punch had no fancy effects; he simply concentrated all his energy and strength at the tip of his fist, refining it to the extreme.

The moment the two fists collided, a clear "crack" sound of bone breaking echoed in the arena. Cui Wu's fist instantly deformed, and he was thrown backward as if struck by a heavy blow, crashing to the edge of the ring and losing consciousness.

After a moment of silence, the audience erupted in uproar, with someone shouting incredulously:

"etc--"

"This guy is no spoiled brat! His strength is ruthless!"

Some knowledgeable people shook their heads and sighed, explaining in detail: "That Chi Yejun used martial arts techniques, not ordinary skills. So, how could Cui Wu, who was unprepared, possibly withstand such a attack?"

"Martial arts... martial arts techniques?!"

The onlookers, whether they knew Chi Yejun before or not, were all filled with disbelief and shock.

Martial arts.

That is a skill that transcends ordinary techniques, truly enabling martial artists to unleash their vital energy and strength, and step into a higher level.

The vast majority of people present, including many who had already entered the realm of martial arts, were still struggling within the scope of ordinary skills and did not even have the qualifications to touch martial arts.

"As expected of a scion of a prominent family in Jinyang, renowned for its wealth and influence."

A knowing glint flashed in Zhu Hong's eyes: "His foundation is indeed profound!"

When he saw that Chi Yejun had thrown a punch with such force and momentum that it did not dissipate or weaken, and that he could concentrate his physical strength and energy to such an extreme, he knew that he was using a martial art.

After all, as someone who has also practiced a martial art, the feeling is not different.

"Someone come here," Liu Kui, who had witnessed everything, raised his hand to summon a yamen runner on duty and said in a deep voice:

"Carry him to the government clinic for proper treatment."

The bailiff acknowledged and hurriedly stepped forward to lift Cui Wu up, hoist him onto his shoulder, and carry him off the platform.

"What's all this buzzing about? If you want to make noise, go outside and cause trouble!"

Liu Kui's face darkened, and he sternly interrupted the whispers in the room.

His gaze returned to the relaxed victor, Chi Yejun, and his tone returned to its usual calm: "Chi Yejun, you win. Now wait at the 'selection area'."

"Yes." Chi Yejun responded lazily, shrugged, stepped off the stage, and strolled towards the selection area, muttering to himself:

"How boring, so easily defeated."

After he left the arena, Liu Kuifang turned to the martial arts performers and said, "Next pair! Jiang Chengzhi, step forward and choose your opponent."

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it.

Jiang Chengzhi took a step forward, his gaze like a drawn blade, sweeping over everyone before landing directly on Zhu Hong. He raised a finger, pointing it out from a distance, a slight smirk playing on his lips:

"Captain Liu, I choose him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell into a deathly silence; even the wind seemed to stop for a moment.

Everyone looked at each other, the same thought flashing through their minds:

What does this mean?

The top review was actually selected as the top review!

Since the establishment of the Jianba, such a thing has never happened before; it is unprecedented.

"Um?"

Liu Kui frowned, seemingly not having heard clearly, leaned forward, and said in a deep voice, "You said you chose Zhu Hong?"

Jiang Chengzhi calmly replied:

"Back to the capital, that's it!"