Chapter 40: Chapter 38: The Eve

「Two days until the Martial Arts Examination.」

Inside the low-ceilinged main hall of the Chen Family’s Old Mansion.

On the table sat three white flour steamed buns and a bowl of pickled vegetables. His mother had gritted her teeth and scrimped for this meal, all so Chen Heng could build up his strength in these final moments.

Chen Wen stared hungrily at the buns, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. A finger crept forward unconsciously.

SMACK!

His mother’s hand slapped down without mercy. “Are you asking for it? This is for Xiaoheng!”

Without another word, she shoved all the buns into her son’s hands, her heart aching as she caressed Chen Heng’s wrist. “My son, look how this training has worn you out. You’re nothing but skin and bones… Hurry, eat. Eat more and get your strength back!”

Chen Wen muttered under his breath, “We haven’t seen a scrap of greasy food in months. My stomach’s tying itself in knots…”

Elder Chen’s twig-like fingers stroked his cold pipe stem over and over, his cloudy old eyes fixed on Chen Heng. “Endure it! Once Xiaoheng earns a title, gets an official post, and draws a monthly salary, the family’s burden will lighten. What won’t we be able to eat then?”

Chen Heng kept his head down, feeling a profound sense of unease.

“Father! Second Brother, Sister-in-law.”

The door curtain was thrown open with a SWISH. Chen Jinhua rushed in, carefully cradling a small basket covered with a blue cloth.

As if presenting a treasure, she lifted the cloth. Inside lay five or six pristine white eggs!

“Xiaoheng! Here, see what your aunt brought for you!”

She pressed the basket into his mother’s hands as if it were a treasure, her gaze fixed eagerly on Chen Heng. “These are the best for building stamina. You have to eat them all.”

Chen Heng felt a pang of guilt. “…Thank you, Aunt.”

“We’re all family, what’s there to be polite about? You’re our only hope. Your aunt’s meager savings are all riding on you.”

The wrinkles on Chen Jinhua’s face bloomed into a smile. “Once you earn your title, your aunt will arrange a good marriage for you,”

His mother smiled. “Eldest Sister, you can rest assured. The master at the Martial Arts Hall said Xiaoheng was born to practice martial arts.”

At that, Chen Heng recalled the ’advice’ his senior brother had given him in a corner of the Martial Arts Hall yesterday. ’In the Martial Arts Examination, skill is one thing, but luck and those little ’accidents’ during the competition are what really matter.’

’If you don’t pass, it’s not because you aren’t good enough—it’s because the heavens are blind.’

“Ah Heng.”

Elder Chen’s withered fingers stroked the pipe stem over and over, his eyes on Chen Heng. “The family has scraped together everything we could find and given it all to you. Back then, your father… he didn’t have the fortitude. He couldn’t stomach the bitter hardship of martial arts.”

“You’re different. Your grandfather is counting on you to bring honor to the Chen Family.”

Elder Chen’s stooped spine straightened a fraction, his sunken chest heaving with rapid breaths.

He had given almost everything he had, even depriving his eldest son, Chen Wu, of his share of the family’s assets, just to barely support Chen Heng’s training.

Bringing honor to his ancestors—those four words were the sole thought that had sustained the old man through countless bitter days.

His senior brother’s ’accident theory’ gave Chen Heng a measure of courage.

He forced his back straight, meeting his grandfather’s gaze with a ’certainty’ that was mostly bravado. “Grandfather, don’t worry. For this Martial Arts Examination, your grandson will give his utmost effort! As for the result… man proposes, but heaven disposes. I only seek to have a clear conscience, so as not to betray the family’s bitter sacrifice!”

He deliberately emphasized the ’heaven disposes’ part, as if laying the groundwork for a potential failure.

A faint smile finally appeared on Elder Chen’s wrinkled face, and his cloudy old eyes brightened a little.

He subconsciously began to stroke his pipe stem again, his mind already calculating. ’When Xiaoheng becomes a Martial Scholar, I’ll have to throw a banquet with several tables…’

…..

「Zhou Institute.」

With the Martial Arts Examination fast approaching, the atmosphere within the institute was taut. The disciples were all engrossed in their bitter training, their shouts mingling with the sound of fists and feet slicing through the air.

Qin Lie stepped into the courtyard, his gaze sweeping faintly over Chen Qing before he walked to his spot with a blank expression.

Chen Qing felt the gaze but pretended not to notice, remaining focused on instructing Song Yufeng in his Pile Skill Cultivation.

“Junior Brother Chen.”

The soft call came from Liu Xiaolou, who was walking over slowly.

Hearing his name, Chen Qing jumped steadily down from the wooden post, grabbing a nearby towel to wipe his sweaty brow. “Brother Liu, did you need something?”

People like Liu Xiaolou and Qi Wenhao were already Dark Force experts when Chen Qing first entered the Zhou Institute, making them pillars of the student body.

However, Chen Qing had never been particularly close to them.

Liu Xiaolou cleared his throat, leaned closer, and lowered his voice. “Junior Brother Chen, I heard… you still hold a post at the River Department?”

Chen Qing nodded. “I do.”

“We’re all brothers here, so let’s be frank.”

Liu Xiaolou held up five fingers, a shrewd glint in his eye. “The Li Family’s Steward came to me. The offer is generous—fifty taels for Dark Force, ten taels for Manifest Force! Junior Brother Wu Lin, Junior Brother Zhang Cang, and I all plan to go. There’s strength in numbers, better to look out for each other. What do you think, Junior Brother Chen?”

’The Li Family!?’

Chen Qing heard the name and immediately understood the implications.

He knew Wu Lin and Zhang Cang, of course. They were senior disciples who had been stuck at the Manifest Force level for years with no sign of progress. It looked like they had given up on a breakthrough and were desperate to find a patron.

The ’looking out for each other’ Liu Xiaolou spoke of was nothing more than forming a clique, a show of force to angle for some extra benefits.

With the current unstable situation, Chen Qing had no desire to throw in his lot with the Li Family, one of the Five Great Races.

He smiled and politely declined. “Cheng River Envoy treats me well. I think I’ll stay with the River Department.”

“To each their own. I won’t insist.”

A smile spread across Liu Xiaolou’s face as he clapped Chen Qing on the arm. “If you ever find yourself on Li Family turf and need a brother’s help, just say the word. If I can help, I absolutely will.”

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. After all, the future was long, and who knew when one might need to ’use’ such a connection.

Watching Liu Xiaolou’s departing back, Chen Qing understood that disciples like him and Wu Lin, who were seeking alternative paths, were by no means a rare case.

He took a deep breath, pushed aside the distracting thoughts, and refocused his mind.

The medicinal effects of the Treasure Fish Soup he had just consumed had not yet dissipated. At this critical juncture where every second counted, not an iota of it could be wasted.

「Zhou Institute, the Rear Courtyard.」

Zhou Liang sat in his study, staring blankly out the window.

He remembered his high spirits when he first arrived in Gaolin County, brimming with dreams.

Barely a decade had passed, but those initial dreams were now lost to time. The spirited youth of yesterday now had graying temples.

“Father!”

Zhou Yu came in carrying a tea tray and gently placed a cup before her father. “This year’s Martial Arts Examination… do you think I have a chance?”

Zhou Liang took the teacup, his gaze resting on his daughter. His tone was even but incisive. “Your real-world combat experience is too shallow. You’ve never faced a true life-or-death battle. The first round of the Martial Arts Examination tests strength, but the second is live combat. You won’t have the slightest advantage.”

Zhou Yu fell silent for a moment, clearly understanding the truth in her father’s words. She changed the subject. “Then besides Junior Brother Qin Lie, who do you think has the best chance? Brother Sun Shun?”

Zhou Liang took a sip of tea, his gaze seeming to pierce the walls and land on the front courtyard. “Sun Shun’s foundation is reasonably solid. He has a sliver of a chance, but… it’s not high.”

“What about Brother Zhengzi Bridge and Brother Qi Wenhao?” Zhou Yu pressed.

“Zhengzi Bridge is too pragmatic, and Qi Wenhao is too easily satisfied.”

Zhou Liang shook his head slightly as he commented, “Their aptitude isn’t bad, and their families have the spare resources to support them. If it was a matter of fate, they would have passed last year. Their failure to succeed means they lack that do-or-die toughness in their bones.”

Zhou Yu considered this. “Junior Brother Chen Qing is certainly diligent and hardworking. It’s a pity he only recently broke through to Dark Force. His foundation is still shallow. For him to stand out among so many experts… it’s too difficult.”

She paused. “In that case, it seems Junior Brother Qin Lie really is the most likely to succeed in the Martial Arts Examination this time.”

Zhou Liang slowly rose and walked to the window, his gaze falling on the figures of the disciples training hard in the courtyard. In a heavy tone, he said, “Qin Lie’s talent and perseverance are both Upper Grade. For this Martial Arts Examination, the bulk of the responsibility rests on his shoulders.”

…..

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