Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Dimension Reduction

South City was a place of outstanding people and abundant resources.

Guo Wei knew people here.

The other Martial Artists were no exception.

After bidding farewell to the others, Guo Wei led Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu to a lane in the Central Courtyard district of South City, arriving at a large, four-courtyard residence.

The lanterns at the entrance bore the character “Yan.”

Before entering, Guo Wei instructed them, “The owner of this place is one of your martial uncles. He couldn’t take the hardship of training back in the day, so he quit halfway through to start a business. He’s made quite a name for himself in South City over the years and knows a lot about what goes on. I’ve already told him to get the full scoop on this Daoist Examination, so be on your best behavior in a moment.”

“Yes, Master.”

Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu nodded. They both knew that Guo Wei had struggled for years and had friends from all corners of the country, but they never expected his friend in South City to be his own junior martial brother.

Ever since becoming Guo Wei’s disciples,

Guo Wei had never spoken of his own martial lineage, and both were curious about who could have come from the same school as him.

“Master Guo, you’ve finally arrived! The master has been waiting for you for a long time.”

The steward opened the door and led the three of them inside.

In the Central Courtyard of the inner residence, Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu saw a burly, thickset man playing a game of eagle catching chicks with his son and daughter, who looked to be five or six years old.

Four servants attended to them nearby.

Two Martial Artists were also seated to the side.

With servants in attendance, Martial Artists for protection, and a four-courtyard residence in South City, it was clear just how wealthy Master Yan was. Even Hei Hu, who came from a landlord’s family, was shocked and envious.

“Master, Master Guo is here,” the steward announced as he ran in.

“Haha, Senior Brother!”

Master Yan and Guo Wei embraced.

“Lingguang, Hei Hu, come and pay your respects to your master.”

Guo Wei brought the two forward.

“We greet you, Master Yan.”

Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu knelt simultaneously. A junior martial uncle was an elder from one’s own school, not like a Jianghu elder who could be greeted with a simple fist-clasp or bow. A grand rite was typically required upon the first meeting.

“Good.”

“Quickly, get up.”

“Old Yang, bring the gifts.”

Master Yan helped Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu to their feet and waved at the steward. The old steward came over with a tray, upon which sat two bulging money purses.

Master Yan handed a purse to each of them, clapping them on the shoulder. “As your master, I can’t teach you any Kung Fu, so I can only give you a bit of silver as a meeting gift. After the Martial Arts Examination is over, stay for a few more days. I’ll show you a good time.”

“This…”

Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu were stunned.

They could both feel that the purses contained twenty to thirty silver taels. Even for Hei Hu, who came from a landlord family, this was an enormous sum.

To put it in perspective, a year of training at the Guo Wei Martial Arts Hall cost just over one silver tael at a minimum, and no more than three at most.

To be given so much silver upon their first meeting…

“Go on, take it!”

Guo Wei said with a smile, clearly unfazed by the gesture.

“Thank you, Master Yan!”

Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu’s voices were much more spirited now.

“HAHAHA, good!”

Master Yan laughed heartily and led the three into the main hall of the Inner Courtyard. A grand feast was already prepared for them. Chu Lingguang felt as if he had returned to a five-star hotel from his previous life, indulging in all sorts of exotic delicacies. Even Guo Wei ate until his stomach was fit to burst.

A Canal ran through South City, and it was close to the sea.

Baiyang County was a full two-day journey away. Even if Guo Wei was well-off, he couldn’t afford to feast on exotic delicacies every day like Master Yan.

After they had their fill of food and wine,

Guo Wei brought up the most important matter.

The moment Master Yan began to speak, Guo Wei’s expression turned grave.

Master Yan said, “The conditions for this year’s Martial Arts Examination in South City are much more favorable than in the past. Some of the Noble Families from near the Governor’s Mansion have learned about this and have already secretly sent their disciples here. Among them are descendants of the Yan Family.”

Guo Wei thought of Young Master Yan.

He had already learned that the Young Master Yan who had previously fallen into Big Saber Hong’s hands was named Yan Yusheng. He was a Direct Lineage Disciple of the Yan Family and one of its potential heirs.

The Yan Family had produced both Civil Servants and Military Generals, and one of their children had a close relationship with a certain Prince in the Imperial City. For the Yan Family to send their disciples to South City for the Martial Arts Examination was clearly a bid for the top spot.

Among the dozen or so counties around South City, although a dark horse emerged in every examination, the strength of the top-ranked contestant had never been particularly outstanding compared to other regions.

In the past, there had been cases of Noble Families sending their disciples to places with more favorable examination conditions to secure the top rank.

He just never thought a family like the Yan Family would send their disciples all the way to South City.

After all, South City wasn’t the only Martial Arts Examination location near the Governor’s Mansion.

Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu were sitting behind Guo Wei. Hearing Master Yan’s explanation, Hei Hu thought, ’These Noble Family Descendants are shameless, always picking on the weak.’

Chu Lingguang, however, was not surprised. ’I saw this kind of thing in my past life. There are always people with immense power who can find loopholes in the rules to secure better results for their own.’

’It’s like having your children take the college entrance exams in a province with lower admission scores.’

’The top rank is too high for me to even think about,’ Chu Lingguang thought. His only concern was that the appearance of these Noble Family disciples would significantly raise the standard for this year’s Martial Arts Examination in South City.

Although he was confident he would make the list, he worried that something unexpected might happen.

“Junior Brother, do you happen to know the strength of the disciples from the Yan Family and the other Noble Families?”

Guo Wei was thinking along the same lines.

As their master, he hoped Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu could achieve good rankings. He had particularly high hopes for Chu Lingguang, originally believing his strength was enough to compete for a spot in the top ten.

Now that he knew Noble Family disciples had used their connections to be placed in South City for the examination, Guo Wei even worried that Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu might encounter them in the combat portion, get injured, and be eliminated from the rankings.

As an experienced master, Guo Wei knew full well that Noble Family disciples had abundant resources. Not only were their Breathing Techniques profound, but their Qi Blood nourishment was also far beyond what a few bowls of medicinal tea could ever match. For them to come to a place like South City for the Martial Arts Examination was nothing short of a one-sided slaughter.

“The Yan Family has a disciple named Yan Chengdu. He’s said to have spent some time in the Imperial City and has mastered an excellent Spear Technique. I heard through the grapevine that Yan Chengdu’s Qi Blood Power is at least four hundred and fifty jin,” Master Yan said seriously.

“What?”

Guo Wei was aghast.

Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu almost cried out in alarm.

Chu Lingguang had reached Perfection in both his Heavenward Force and Tidal Breathing Technique, yet his Qi Power was only just over four hundred and thirty jin. Yan Chengdu’s Qi Power was at least four hundred and fifty jin. For someone like that to compete in the South City Martial Arts Examination was a “dimension reduction”—a complete curb-stomp. He would be unstoppable, the clear winner of the Qiao Pass.

“Such incredible Qi Power… Don’t tell me he eats a Qi Blood Pill every single day?” Hei Hu said, filled with jealousy.

“The Yan Family possesses a Breathing Technique that an ancestor earned from the Imperial Family for distinguished service. Ten years ago, a story emerged from the Yan Family about a thirteen-year-old child lifting a four-hundred-jin Stone Lock. That child’s name was Yan Zhen, and he is now a disciple of the Commander of the Imperial Guard in the Imperial City,” Guo Wei explained.

“That…”

Hearing this, Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu felt suffocated.

They were both seventeen or eighteen years old, and their Qi Power was only around four hundred jin. Yan Zhen had four hundred jin of Qi Power at just thirteen. One could only imagine how formidable he must be at their age.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep