Chapter 38: Chapter 38: One Year

Hearing Guo Wei’s angry roar, Chu Lingguang tactfully stayed outside.

“Master, I know what to do. Please calm down.”

A moment later, Wang Chao came running out, looking dejected. He mounted his horse and rushed back to the County Yamen. Chu Lingguang watched his retreating figure, sensing Wang Chao’s deep dejection.

Wang Chao had only managed to become a Martial Scholar. His status, while high and mighty in the eyes of the common people, made him a nobody in the official world. He was ordered around, pleasing neither side. He’d been scolded by Guo Wei, and would certainly have a hard time when he returned to Wang Ren’s side.

It seemed the position of Head Constable of the County Yamen wasn’t very high-ranking either.

Chu Lingguang sighed. ’If I’m going to take the Martial Arts Examination, I have to become a Martial Arts Scholar. In the future, if necessary, I’ll even have to take the Imperial Examination and become a Military Scholar, or maybe even a Runner-up Scholar or Third Place Scholar.’

Before his martial power was unrivaled, he needed a powerful official position to rely on. It would allow him to establish a foothold and make his Favors all the more precious.

“Master, I’m here to pay my respects.”

A moment later, Hei Hu also arrived at the Martial Arts Hall. He and Chu Lingguang paid their respects to Guo Wei together.

Guo Wei nodded slightly, as if he had forgotten what Wang Chao had just said. He didn’t leave the Martial Arts Hall, spending the entire day in the rear courtyard teaching Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu Martial Arts.

The days flew by. In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed. There was only a year left until the Daoist Examination.

Chu Lingguang weaved through the mountain forest on his Little Red Horse.

“SWOOSH!”

He loosed an arrow, and with a THUD, it struck a scarecrow hanging from a tree.

“SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!”

Chu Lingguang fired arrow after arrow.

Throughout this patch of forest, scarecrows could be seen hanging from trees everywhere.

This was a target range that Guo Wei had set up behind Liu Family Gully for Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu. In total, he had prepared over thirty scarecrows for them.

The placement of each scarecrow was very deliberate.

It was arranged so that after Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu hit one scarecrow during their Mounted Archery practice, they would immediately see another one appear ahead, forcing them to continuously draw their bows and nock their arrows.

At the same time, the forest was also filled with various man-made obstacles. As their horses leaped over them, it was a great test of Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu’s Riding Skill and reflexes.

For the past month or so, Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu had been training in Mounted Archery and the Lance in this forest, and both of their Mounted Skills had improved considerably.

“HYAH!”

Hei Hu bellowed.

He rode a magnificent, solid black horse, charging in from outside the forest. He had named his mount Mountain Pass Peak. His father had spent a fortune to curry favor with Guo Wei, who had then gifted this fine steed to Hei Hu.

Whether in speed, explosive power, or even endurance, Mountain Pass Peak was far superior to Chu Lingguang’s Little Red Horse. Riding Mountain Pass Peak, Hei Hu leaped over the first obstacle. As the horse landed, he swept his Long Spear downwards, splitting a pre-placed wooden stake in two.

“KILL!”

Hei Hu liked to shout during combat and charges.

Mountain Pass Peak carried him as he advanced triumphantly through the forest.p>

“THWACK!”

Hei Hu locked onto a target and skewered a scarecrow with his spear. The tip pierced into the tree trunk behind it. With a forceful twist of the spear’s shaft, the trunk exploded with a CRACK.

His natural talent far surpassed Chu Lingguang’s, and combined with his diligent training, his strength was improving by leaps and bounds. Every time he ran a few laps on the range, he would leave a trail of destruction, much to Chu Lingguang’s frustration.

“AHH!”

Hei Hu roared again, cleaving a heavily scarred tree trunk with his spear. He galloped past on Mountain Pass Peak, ignoring the treetop as it crashed down behind him.

“Junior Brother, it’s your turn to practice your Archery.”

Running to the edge of the forest, Hei Hu shouldered his Iron Spear and shouted to Chu Lingguang.

“Hmph!”

Chu Lingguang snorted, unfastened his Great Bow and quiver, and ran into the forest, Long Spear in hand. Facing the new obstacles Hei Hu had created, he used his spear to knock them aside one by one.

This was an extra training drill Chu Lingguang received after every one of Hei Hu’s sessions.

“Nice Spear Technique, Junior Brother.”

Hei Hu laughed heartily.

He left Mountain Pass Peak to graze at the forest’s edge and, stripping to the waist, began practicing the Basic Thirteen Spear Techniques on the side. In the past year, under Guo Wei’s guidance, both his and Chu Lingguang’s Martial Arts had undergone a world-shaking transformation.

But neither of them had yet achieved an A Class grade in any subject.

Their Saber Technique had yet to produce a Sword Sound.

Their Spear Technique had yet to manifest a tangible form.

Their Mounted Archery and Lance skills had only recently shown some progress, and were still a long way from earning an A Class grade.

As for the subjects of Fist Technique and Staff Technique, the two had only laid a solid foundation. They still needed to work harder to achieve an A Class grade.

Even in Qiao Pass, Chu Lingguang was currently unable to lift the 350-jin Stone Lock, even using his full strength.

So, in the first year, Guo Wei had merely helped the two of them build a solid foundation. If they wanted to get good results in the Daoist Examination, they would have to give it their all in the final year.

In the evening, Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu packed up their things and headed back to the Martial Arts Hall.

“Junior Brother, look! Cyan Cloud Mountain is on fire!”

Hei Hu suddenly shouted halfway there.

Chu Lingguang looked in the direction Hei Hu was pointing. On a distant mountain, a fiery dragon snaked its way upward. The fire was on the most defensible peak of Cyan Cloud Mountain.

That was where Big Saber Hong lived.

Over a month ago, after Guo Wei had refused to lure Big Saber Hong down from the mountain, Young Master Yan had used his family’s influence to pressure Wang Ren and Magistrate Li, demanding they bring Big Saber Hong to justice.

A month ago, the two County Yamens had gathered their forces and, together with Tie Zhennan, launched an assault on Big Saber Hong. However, they were repelled by Big Saber Hong’s men. It was said that Tie Zhennan was even injured in the process.

So, the County Yamen changed tactics. They blockaded Cyan Cloud Mountain, besieging but not attacking, hoping to cut off Big Saber Hong’s supplies and force him to surrender.

Unfortunately, not only had Big Saber Hong not surrendered in the month since, but he had also frequently led his men down the mountain on surprise raids. They killed many government constables and Officials, stole a great deal of goods, and sent the hastily assembled militia fleeing for their lives.

It was said that just yesterday, more government constables and Officials were hacked to death by Big Saber Hong. Enraged by this, Wang Ren and Magistrate Li had set fire to the mountain today, intending to burn Big Saber Hong to death.

However, Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei had both been to Big Saber Hong’s stronghold. Big Saber Hong had long ago considered the possibility of being burned to death in an arson attack, so he had set up a firebreak around his mountain fortress and had men guarding it at all times. When the flames reached it, they would find no fuel and automatically die out, making it impossible for the fire to spread to the stockade.

And indeed, that’s what happened. By the time Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu returned to the Martial Arts Hall and looked toward Cyan Cloud Mountain, the fiery dragon that had been leaping up the slope was already extinguishing itself as it neared the summit.

At most, Big Saber Hong’s men were choked by the smoke; there was no sign they had been burned at all.

“Time to eat!”

Guo Wei stood at the entrance, watching the fire on Cyan Cloud Mountain die out. His mood was exceptionally complicated. That day he had gone up the mountain to save Young Master Yan, his original intent was to dampen Tie Zhennan’s arrogance, but he had also wanted to help Big Saber Hong resolve his troubles.

Unexpectedly, after being rescued, Young Master Yan showed no gratitude for the Favor. Instead, he used all his power to try and put Big Saber Hong to death.

Guo Wei was filled with regret. ’If I had known, I never should have gone up the mountain that day.’

He wondered what he would do if he were Big Saber Hong.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep