Chapter 43: Chapter 41: Full Moon

As Chen Qing exerted his strength, his body leaned back slightly. He slowly drew the string of the Ten-Stone Strong Bow, pulling it into a full, round arc, like a full moon hanging in the night sky.

The bow drawn to a full moon!

The taut bowstring hummed with explosive power, promising to send an arrow soaring into the clouds the moment his fingers let go.

“Good heavens!”

A woman gasped and covered her mouth, afraid she might cry out.

The sight of this boy from a humble background drawing the bow was even more staggering than that of the noble scion who came before. The sense of power was palpable.

A disciple from the Zhou Institute cried out, “Junior Brother Chen actually drew the Ten-Stone Bow?!”

’Is that Chen Qing!?’

’Chen Qing? The one who does nothing but train relentlessly at the institute?’

Zhou Yu’s face was a mask of astonishment. He rubbed his eyes hard. ’How is that possible!?’

The scene before him was like a dream.

’That fisherman’s kid from Mute Bay!?’

“Junior Brother Chen…”

Sun Shun was also frozen on the spot, stunned.

Luo Qian’s eyes were also filled with disbelief. ’That unremarkable-looking country bumpkin… he was hiding this much strength?’

Zhengzi Bridge was also deeply shaken.

As for Qin Lie, the smile on his face gradually vanished when he saw this. Fortunately, no one noticed, and he quickly forced himself to remain composed.

Meanwhile, a smile bloomed on Zhou Liang’s face.

Chen Qing’s performance had far exceeded his expectations, filling him with delight.

Shen Zhenzhong whispered, “To be able to draw a Ten-Stone Bow, his Fist Technique must be approaching Great Success. Brother Zhou, I’m afraid your institute is going to make a huge splash this year.”

’With the arm strength to draw a Ten-Stone Bow, as long as he performs normally in the next stages, his chances of passing are very high!’

’For a single Martial Arts Institute to have two candidates pass… that would be cause for a celebration as grand as New Year’s.’

Liu Ze gave Zhou Liang a long look, unable to hide his envy. “Brother Zhou, to think you had another hidden gem like this besides Qin Lie. You’ve kept him under wraps quite well!”

Zhou Liang explained, “When this boy joined the institute, his Root Bone was mediocre at best. Only his perseverance was astounding. It took him three hard months just to barely break into the Manifest Force stage. His achievement today is a truly pleasant surprise.”

Hearing this, the envy in their eyes lessened somewhat.

Root Bone was the foundation of martial arts practice. It became more and more critical the further one progressed, and was the ultimate deciding factor in breaking through to the Transmutation Force.

They had no shortage of Dark Force disciples. What was truly rare was a prodigy with the potential to reach Transmutation Force—someone who could one day support the institute and defend its masters in their old age.

Zhou Liang quickly composed himself, his expression returning to normal.

「On the training ground.」

WHOOSH!

As Chen Qing’s fingers slipped free, the bowstring was released.

THWANG!

The bow, bent like a full moon, instantly snapped back to its original shape. The stored Power erupted as an invisible shockwave!

VMMMMM—!

The body of the bow shuddered violently, letting out a piercing hum that made the eardrums of the Martial Artists on either side ache.

The Junior Official, snapping back to his senses, announced, “Candidate Xin-Jia Thirteen! Result: Grade A, Mid!”

“Who is that?! To think he could draw the Ten-Stone Bow!”

“What astonishing arm strength!”

…..

A murmur of discussion began to spread through the crowd below.

In the distance, a flicker of surprise crossed Xu Xiuhua’s eyes.

She knew full well what drawing a Ten-Stone Bow entailed. Even a master at the Peak of Dark Force could, at best, draw a bow of around ten stones—unless their Fist Technique had reached Great Success.

’Chen Qing doesn’t look very old. If he puts in a bit more effort, he might be able to advance even further.’

Xu Xiuhua was inwardly amazed as she watched Chen Qing stun the entire audience with his feat.

’This Chen Qing comes from a poor background. If I were to show him some grace and guide him, I might just gain a loyal dog.’

Having thought this, Xu Xiuhua asked, “Xiaofang, are you acquainted with Chen Qing?”

“I suppose so. His family’s boat is moored in the same area as ours…”

Xu Fang paused, a little startled. “Auntie, you mean…?”

Xu Xiuhua smiled faintly. “On the path of martial arts, connections and resources are indispensable. He is, after all, just a mud loach from a wild river. I, however, can offer him a great opportunity. It’s just a matter of whether he can seize it.”

…..

The first round of the examination continued, with a seemingly endless stream of elites from various Martial Arts Halls and Noble Families.

The Ten-Stone Bow was drawn several more times, but two individuals stood out. One was an elite disciple from the Tianju Martial Arts Hall, whose cultivation of Dark Force had reached the stage of Perfection. The other was the young master of the Li Family, who possessed innate Divine Power and managed to draw the ten-stone bow three times in succession!

Waves of gasps and murmurs rose and fell from the sidelines.

Chen Qing watched from a distance, making a quick calculation in his head.

’From the looks of it, there are no more than ten people who’ve scored better than me. My performance in the first round was excellent. The second round is live combat. As long as I don’t mess up, it shouldn’t be a problem.’

’Superior talent attracts jealousy and suspicion, while being subpar gets you bullied. Both are just asking for trouble.’

’Being average is the safest path.’

By dusk, the first round of the Martial Arts Examination had finally concluded.

Chen Qing squeezed through the crowd. A portly steward with a broad, beaming smile approached him, offering a cupped-fist salute. “I am Steward Zhu the Second of the Zhu Family. Greetings, Brother Chen.”

“You’re too kind, Steward.”

Chen Qing returned the salute, his expression unreadable. The Zhu Family was one of the Five Great Noble Families of Gaolin County. They controlled more than half of the county’s businesses, such as grain and textiles, and possessed immense wealth.

Steward Zhu the Second smiled. “I wonder if you would be willing to grace our Zhu Family as a Guest, young brother? As for the compensation, I assure you the Zhu Family would not be stingy.”

He then laid out the terms: a monthly stipend of thirty taels of silver and two Blood Qi Pills. Furthermore, if he signed a ten-year contract, he would be gifted a two-courtyard residence on the outskirts of the Inner City.

’Chen Qing’s heart stirred. The offer was truly generous; even a residence on the edge of the Inner City was worth a small fortune.’

He cupped his fist. “This is a significant matter. Please allow me a few days to consider.”

“Excellent! Brother Chen, should you be interested, you can find me at the Zhu Family estate anytime.”

Steward Zhu the Second chuckled and agreed.

’Whether the recruitment succeeded was secondary. The main thing was to become a familiar face and forge a friendly connection. It would make things easier in the future.’

After that, several other Noble Families and wealthy merchants came forward, all hoping to recruit Chen Qing.

After all, given the potential he had shown today, his chances of passing the examination were very high.

These merchants and families were far from being on the same level as the Zhu Family, yet their offers were nearly as good. One wealthy merchant even asked if Chen Qing was married, adding that if he just said the word, he would betroth his youngest daughter to him.

In addition, other powers like the Weapon Forging Shop and the Iron Hand Gang also came forward to speak with him.

Every offer was tempting, but Chen Qing remained impassive, politely declining each one.

’He knew perfectly well that accepting any of these resources meant tying his fate to that faction.’

“Brother Qing!”

Chen Qing had just seen off the steward from the Weapon Forging Shop when a crisp, feminine voice called out from behind him.

He turned toward the voice and saw it was Xu Fang.

“It’s been a while.”

She was dressed in a clean, modest, light-purple outfit, and a faint, pleasant fragrance wafted from her as she drew near.

It was true they hadn’t seen each other for many days, not since their last little get-together.

“Yeah, it’s been a long time.”

Xu Fang’s eyes lingered on him, her tone tinged with a hint of wistfulness. “The change in you… it’s truly astounding. If I couldn’t vaguely make out your features, I almost wouldn’t have recognized you.”

The last time they had met on the tea boat, Chen Qing had not yet undergone such a complete transformation.

Chen Qing chuckled. “You’re exaggerating.”

“Oh, right!”

Xu Fang seemed to finally remember her reason for being there. “My aunt wants to meet you. Quick, come with me.”

Before he could respond, she grabbed Chen Qing by the wrist and began leading him away, leaving no room for argument.

“Oh? Your aunt?” Chen Qing was a little puzzled.

“My aunt is a wonderful person, when you see her…” Xu Fang explained with a smile as they walked.

A short while later, they arrived before Xu Xiuhua.

Chen Qing looked up, sizing her up. She was not yet forty, impeccably maintained, and possessed a captivating charm.

Her brocade robes gave her a respectable figure, and her exquisitely made-up face held an air of dignified grace that could only be cultivated through a life of privilege and comfort.

…….

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep