Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Tenth

“Get up. Why did you suddenly rush over here?”

Guo Wei asked.

“Eldest Brother sent me to deliver something.”

Wang Chao said.

At the mention of Yang Shaorong, Master Yan glanced at Guo Wei’s expression.

“What is it?”

Guo Wei sat down in the guest hall of the Inner Courtyard.

“Eldest Brother serves in the Governor’s Mansion and has had dealings with the Yan Family. He has witnessed their Ultimate Killing Saber Technique and several of their other Martial Arts. He has some understanding of these Kung Fu styles, so he specifically sent me to bring his notes and insights over for Master and our junior brothers to review.”

“Eldest Brother also said that he, Second Brother, and Third Brother hold official posts and cannot conveniently leave the mansion, so he asked me to send their greetings to Master on their behalf.”

Wang Chao reported truthfully.

“Brother, Shaorong is very thoughtful.”

Master Yan said with a smile.

When Yang Shaorong was a Captain in South City, the two of them met often. Master Yan knew what kind of person he was.

Guo Wei nodded.

Taking the book of notes, he said gently, “Tell Shaorong that I am well, and he shouldn’t worry. Remind him to take good care of his junior brothers, and not to forget to serve the country with utmost loyalty and build a legacy!”

“Yes, this disciple will heed Master’s teachings!”

Wang Chao knelt and kowtowed, understanding in his heart that Guo Wei’s words were meant not just for Yang Shaorong and the other two, but for him as well.

Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu stood to the side. They had been with Guo Wei for two years. Guo Wei had the air of a Jianghu rogue, but also a passionate loyalty and righteousness. ’Even as a Transmigrator, I’ve been moved by this,’ Chu Lingguang thought, his respect for Guo Wei deepening.

’There were once rumors that Guo Wei and Yang Shaorong were on bad terms. Yang Shaorong held a high position, yet he couldn’t spare Guo Wei’s only son from the hardship of being conscripted into the army. Now, it seems there’s more to the story. The conflict between master and disciple must not be as simple as the rumors suggested. Yang Shaorong isn’t an ungrateful person. Otherwise, why would he have Wang Chao ride a prized stallion, galloping nonstop, to deliver these notes on the Yan Family’s Martial Arts to South City? He must want to help his two junior brothers pass the examination, and also to help Guo Wei receive a title from the Court and achieve the status of a Grandmaster.’

Guo Wei then opened Yang Shaorong’s book of notes.

The Yan Family’s Ultimate Killing Saber Technique was quite famous in the Governor’s Mansion. It consisted of only seven forms in total.

Chu Lingguang had already witnessed one of its forms, the Heaven-Swallowing Technique. Even the fifth strike of his Continuous Slash Saber Technique had failed to break through it. If the examiner, Feng Junyi, hadn’t called a stop in time, Chu Lingguang could not have tied for first place with Yan Chengdu in the final round of the saber competition.

So, Guo Wei read through Yang Shaorong’s notes carefully. After all, this was the disciple he had taught himself. Their minds were in tune, and their understanding of Martial Arts resonated with each other. Guo Wei benefited greatly.

He then called his three disciples to the rear courtyard to explain the characteristics of the Yan Family’s Martial Arts. He taught them how to face an opponent using this Kung Fu, how to neutralize it, and how to maneuver against it.

Chu Lingguang, Hei Hu, and Wang Chao listened with rapt attention, while Master Yan served them tea and water on the side.

Finally, Guo Wei asked, “Lin Guang, did you understand the key points I just explained? Have you committed them to memory?”

“Replying to Master, this disciple has committed it all to memory, it’s just… I can’t quite wrap my head around it all at once.”

Chu Lingguang said awkwardly.

“It’s alright. We still have two days. Take this book and read it more when you have time.”

Guo Wei didn’t want to put too much psychological pressure on Chu Lingguang.

“Yes.”

Chu Lingguang carefully put the book of notes away.

A while later, they sat down to eat. Master Yan had the kitchen prepare a table full of food and wine to welcome Wang Chao. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Hei Hu fell into a deep sleep. Chu Lingguang, however, took the book of notes to his guest room and read late into the night by lamplight.

Meanwhile, in Master Yan’s study, Guo Wei spent the night writing down the insights and understanding he had gained from reading Yang Shaorong’s notes. He planned to give them to Wang Chao to take back to Yang Shaorong. This would increase Yang Shaorong’s chances of victory in case he ever clashed with the Yan Family.

Master and disciple were having a conversation across the distance, with the Yan Family’s Martial Arts as their bridge. They helped each other and both gained from it.

At the end, Guo Wei added a note: “Fang’Er and I are both well. Shaorong, do not worry. Fulfill your duties and train diligently.”

「The next morning.」

The fourth event of the Martial Arts Examination: Fist Technique.

The Fist Technique event also had three rounds.

The first round: Listening to Fist Force.

The second round: Observing fist power.

The third round: Competing with Fist Technique.

Guo Wei was a master of all eighteen kinds of Martial Arts, but he still had his strengths and weaknesses. His Spear Technique was godlike. Even Yan Zhen, upon learning that Chu Lingguang had the upper hand in the Qiao Pass and saber competition, could predict that Chu Lingguang’s Spear Technique would surpass Yan Chengdu’s. This just showed how profound Guo Wei’s mastery of the Spear Technique was.

Fist Technique, however, was one of Guo Wei’s weaker areas.

Of course, this was only when compared to other old masters. In the eyes of Chu Lingguang, the other candidates, and even the other Martial Arts Scholars, Guo Wei’s Fist Technique still possessed the power to bring down thunder from the heavens.

Unfortunately, Chu Lingguang had not yet reached that level of practice.

Therefore, in the three rounds of the Fist Technique event, Chu Lingguang gave it his all but only managed to achieve a Grade A Middle Grade. In this event, his ranking nearly fell out of the top ten, which came as a surprise to the group of examiners who had high hopes for him.

Most of the other candidates, however, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

’This seems more reasonable,’ they thought. ’No matter how monstrously talented a person is, it’s impossible for them to crush everyone in every single event, right? Besides, Chu Lingguang is just some lower-class youth.’

“BOOM!”

With a single move, Iron Bull Smashing Mountain, Yan Chengdu sent Lin Longde flying back five steps. Lin Longde’s burly body stumbled, one foot landing outside the sand-covered ground. The fist that had collided with Yan Chengdu’s throbbed with immense pain.

He sighed inwardly, then stepped his other foot out of the sand-covered ground as well, proactively admitting defeat. He wanted to avoid injuring his arms, which would affect his performance in the next two events.

In the end, for the Fist Technique event, Yan Chengdu took first place, Lin Longde took second, and Ji Hu took third. Shi Guangzhong and Chai Yaolong followed, with Chu Lingguang in tenth, Jin Shan in eleventh, and Hei Hu after him.

The overall rankings:

Chu Lingguang, with first place in Qiao Pass, first in the saber competition, first in Spear Technique, and tenth in Fist Technique, was temporarily ranked at the top of the list.

Yan Chengdu, with second place in Qiao Pass, first in the saber competition, third in Spear Technique, and first in Fist Technique, was temporarily ranked second.

Lin Longde, with third place in Qiao Pass, second in the saber competition, second in Spear Technique, and second in Fist Technique, was temporarily ranked third.

The three of them were evenly matched in strength. With Yan Chengdu’s powerful momentum, Chu Lingguang’s top spot on the list had become precarious.

The Fist Technique competition ended.

Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu returned to Master Yan’s four-section courtyard house.

“Why didn’t we see Liu Quan today? I don’t think my spear strike yesterday hit any of his vital points, did it?”

Chu Lingguang asked curiously.

He had given his all in the Fist Technique competition, which Guo Wei understood. Chu Lingguang wasn’t discouraged about placing in the top ten and felt no pressure. He walked into the Yan Mansion chatting and laughing with Hei Hu.

“I was wondering the same thing. I didn’t see him either. Could he have given up on the Martial Arts Examination?”

Hei Hu was also puzzled.

Guo Wei walked ahead, smiling without a word, and offered no explanation.

Since it was still early, he continued to explain the formidable aspects of the Yan Family’s Martial Arts to his three disciples. He also analyzed the characteristics of Yan Chengdu, Lin Longde, Shi Guangzhong, Chai Yaolong, and even Jin Shan, pointing out the flaws in their Kung Fu one by one.

「Inside the South City Noble Mansion.」

Yan Zhen said to Yan Chengdu, “Chu Lingguang has a steady temperament, and his Kung Fu is solid and methodical. Unfortunately, he lacks a certain killing intent. Kung Fu is a killing art. One move affects the whole body, and every strike must draw blood. Any one of our Yan Family’s Martial Arts can break his Perfection-level Spear Technique.”

“In tomorrow’s Archery event, as long as you can execute the Three-Star Linked Pearls, you will take first place. By then, your ranking will be above Chu Lingguang’s.”

“In the free-for-all combat the day after tomorrow, whether you face Chu Lingguang or Lin Longde, you can take first place just by relying on our Yan Family’s Ultimate Killing Saber Technique. The top spot on the list is already in our family’s grasp.”

Yan Zhen said one thing after another, full of confidence.

“I will not disappoint you, brother.”

After his overwhelming victory in the Fist Technique event, and seeing that Chu Lingguang had only placed tenth, Yan Chengdu’s confidence had fully returned.

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