Chapter 47: Chapter 45: The End

The second round of the Martial Arts Examination ended, and the candidates filed out.

Some were joyous, others dejected. Everyone already knew in their hearts how well they had performed and where they stood.

Chen Qing, Luo Qian, Zheng Ziqiao, and the others hurried back to the Zhou Institute.

The moment they stepped through the gates, a heavy, oppressive feeling washed over them. The air itself seemed to have frozen solid.

“Where’s Junior Brother Qin?”

Luo Qian’s delicate brows furrowed. She was the first to ask, her gaze sweeping over the people in the courtyard. “How is he doing now?”

It wasn’t just Luo Qian; the other disciples who had just returned from the Martial Arts Examination also cast questioning glances.

Qi Wenhao’s expression was grim as he shook his head. “Junior Brother Qin… he ran into Gao Sheng from the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall in the very first round. He was severely injured and has been unconscious ever since. Junior Sister Zhou is looking after him. Master has also invited Doctor Fu from Renhe Hall and Doctor Tang from Jiuhua Hall… Several famous doctors are inside with him now.”

“What!?”

Luo Qian cried out in shock, her face instantly turning deathly pale.

Everyone in the courtyard gasped. The newcomers, in particular, were shocked beyond belief.

Who was Qin Lie? He was the Zhou Institute’s most dazzling genius, Master Zhou Liang’s Closed-door Disciple, the chosen successor into whom the master had poured his heart and soul.

He had reached the realm of Dark Force in less than a year of training. His future was supposed to be limitless.

How could such a figure be so grievously wounded at the Martial Arts Examination?

He had lost, and it was a crushing defeat.

This meant his evaluation for the Martial Arts Examination would be extremely low, all but dashing his hopes of earning a title this time.

What was more heart-wrenching was the question of his recovery. With such severe injuries, how could he possibly recover in the short term? Would his chance to break through to Transmutation Force be lost forever?

A new disciple couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, “Then… who is this Gao Sheng?”

To be able to incapacitate Qin Lie—what kind of person must he be?

It was just too shocking!

Qi Wenhao sighed. “That young man is a genius himself. He’s only been training for about a year, but he’s already at the level of Dark Energy Perfection. He was training diligently at the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall all this time, but they kept his abilities under wraps, so he wasn’t well-known.”

Sun Shun pondered for a moment, his tone grave. “The Songfeng Hall Master, Shi Wenshan, has a deep-seated grudge against our Master. This Gao Sheng’s talent is likely a notch above even Junior Brother Qin’s. For him to strike such a heavy blow was no accident. He was definitely targeting our Zhou Institute!”

“Even more talented than Senior Brother Qin?”

“How… how is that possible?”

“Senior Brother Qin really suffered an undeserved disaster!”

“Why did he have to run into someone from Songfeng Hall of all people…”

“The feud between Shi Wenshan and Master, now it’s…”

…

The disciples whispered amongst themselves, their discussions filled with shock and a growing sense of anxiety.

There was always a higher mountain to climb, always a greater genius to be found.

Chen Qing’s brow was deeply furrowed, his mind racing.

’Gao Sheng’s move has actually saved me some trouble.’

’But could it really be such a coincidence? How did Gao Sheng just happen to draw Qin Lie’s lot? Others might think it was bad luck, but Chen Qing sensed something was off.’

’In previous years, the Captain presided over the Martial Arts Examination, but this year it was the County Magistrate.’

’And this County Magistrate has very close ties with the Zhu Family and the Luo Family, two of the Five Great Races…’

’It seems the great tree that is the Captain attracts too much wind. In the end, Qin Lie… couldn’t withstand the gale.’

In a flash, a deeper thought crossed Chen Qing’s mind: ’What if Gao Sheng was actually coming for me?’

At this thought, alarm bells screamed in Chen Qing’s mind.

Although he had already entered the realm of Dark Force and his Long Arm Fist had reached the stage of Great Success, he knew that the higher he climbed, the more eyes would be watching from the shadows.

One wrong step, and he could be utterly crushed, reduced to a mere stepping stone for someone else.

’I must build my strength. There’s no time to waste. My trump cards… I need to have a ton more in reserve. Steady. I have to stay steady!’

Chen Qing warned himself. He would absolutely not allow himself to suffer the same fate as Qin Lie.

Luo Qian’s expression flickered, and she pressed her lips together, silent.

The disciples of the Zhou Institute wore varied expressions. Some gloated over the misfortune, while others simply shook their heads and sighed. The mood was restless and unsettled.

Zheng Ziqiao, who had been watching coolly from the sidelines, now stood with his arms crossed. The corners of his mouth twitched upward uncontrollably. He tried to force a look of sympathy, but he couldn’t hide the deep-seated glee in his eyes.

If he weren’t in the middle of the courtyard, he would have almost laughed out loud.

’That peasant Qin Lie utterly humiliated me. Now he’s finally gotten what he deserves!’

“Junior Brother Zheng…” Sun Shun began, frowning, but then trailed off.

Zheng Ziqiao’s gaze shifted toward the rear courtyard, his voice laced with a barely concealed tone of gloating. “As Master’s Closed-door Disciple, it’s only natural for Junior Brother Qin to take a punch for him. Losing to Gao Sheng, in the end, just means his skills were inferior.”

He paused, then continued in a mock-concerned tone, “I’m afraid Master is furious this time. All that effort he poured in, all for… hehe. I suspect our days ahead are not going to be easy.”

His words were like a boulder dropped into stagnant water, instantly stirring up deeper panic and whispers among the disciples.

Just then, Zhou Liang’s figure appeared at the entrance to the rear courtyard.

Like startled birds, the disciples scattered in a hurry, lowering their heads and pretending to train. None dared to even breathe too loudly.

Zhou Liang forced a pained smile onto his face. “The Martial Arts Examination… is it over?”

“Yes,” Chen Qing and the others replied in low voices.

“Good, good… It will be some time before the results are posted. Just wait patiently.”

Zhou Liang gave a slight nod. He seemed to want to say more, but in the end, it turned into a heavy sigh as he turned and disappeared back into the rear courtyard.

In just a short time, he seemed to have aged ten years. His steps carried an air of inexpressible exhaustion and despair.

To have the disciple in whom he had placed such high hopes be so grievously injured, and by his arch-rival’s student no less—the blow was simply too great.

Before long, the faint sounds of a fierce argument drifted from the rear courtyard. It was the voices of Zhou Liang and his wife.

The focus of their argument was Zhou Liang’s insistence on bringing the heavily injured Qin Lie into their private rear courtyard to be cared for personally.

The disciples in the main courtyard went through the motions of their training, their minds elsewhere. The atmosphere was even more sullen and heavy than usual.

Chen Qing silently composed himself, found an empty spot, sank into his stance, and once again began to practice his forms.

His mind was clear of all distractions, focused on a single thought: ’Break through to Transmutation Force as soon as possible! Only with greater strength can I truly stand firm in the coming storm.’

…

After the Martial Arts Examination, the atmosphere at the Zhou Institute changed completely.

Although Qin Lie had woken up, he was like a different person.

His face was perpetually dark, and he became taciturn and withdrawn, unwilling to speak much to anyone. A cold gloom was all that remained in his eyes.

Luo Qian hadn’t been seen for several days. She hadn’t even visited Qin Lie. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

Zheng Ziqiao, however, became a frequent presence at the Martial Arts Hall. He often gathered with a few of his cronies, finding amusement in making sneering and mocking remarks about Qin Lie.

Zhou Yu remained as gentle and quiet as ever, tending to the ordinary disciples injured during training while also shouldering the responsibility of caring for Qin Lie.

As for Chen Qing, he had become the most exceptional figure in the institute. The attitude of all the other disciples toward him had quietly undergone a dramatic change.

In the first round of the examination, Chen Qing had drawn a ten-dan bow, pulling it back like a full moon and releasing the string with a sound like a thunderclap, shocking everyone present.

His performance in the second round was equally impressive. Achieving the rank of Martial Scholar was practically a certainty.

A Martial Scholar!

In the eyes of ordinary people, that was a truly important figure.

Even in the eyes of the great family powers of Gaolin County, he would be considered a key figure.

Everything had changed.

When Chen Qing stepped into the Inner Courtyard, the disciples who were training would invariably stop what they were doing, greet him respectfully with a “Brother Chen,” and voluntarily make way for him to take the most spacious, best-lit spot.

When he practiced his fist forms, someone was always quick to offer him fresh water and a towel. If he even looked like he needed a basin of water, someone would eagerly rush to bring it to him.

When you are weak, your silence is seen as dullness, your bad temper is called low emotional intelligence, and your lack of formality is considered a poor upbringing.

But when you are powerful, your silence is seen as profundity, your bad temper is just your “personality,” and your lack of formality is being “easygoing.”

Such is human nature. When you are strong, you will find yourself surrounded by “good people.”

…

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