Novel Full Chapter 43: Inexplicable Hostility
Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Inexplicable Hostility
In literature, there is no definitive best.
In combat, there is no second place.
Cheating in the Military Examination was far more difficult than in the civil one.
You didn’t need any specialized knowledge to judge the skill of the participating candidates; even a country farmer could tell their levels at a glance.
In the blink of an eye,
two hours had passed, and the first test, stone lifting, was over.
Although the rankings hadn’t been announced, Fang Yue secretly estimated that his stone lifting performance placed him thirteenth.
Unexpectedly, the skill level of the next several dozen contestants was significantly lower; only three of them had strength exceeding 1,300 jin.
Fang Yue was ranked thirteenth, but of the twelve people ahead of him, aside from the first-place lifter who had 1,600 jin of strength,
the other eleven all had strength around 1,400 jin.
At that moment, the Military Officer in charge of the assessment came to the viewing platform. He first reported to Liu Zheng, the chief official of Xiahe County, then walked to the edge of the platform and looked down at the top fifty candidates, who were already lined up neatly. He announced:
"Gentlemen, the results are in. Those who have passed, please do not wander far. After a rest for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, we will begin the next round."
As his voice fell, Fang Yue and the others each found a place to rest.
Among them, some who were clearly acquainted gathered in twos and threes, chatting quietly.
Most, however, kept a certain distance from the others. The final results weren’t out yet, and some from this group of fifty would still be eliminated.
They were all competitors; it was best to keep their distance for now.
"Fang, your strength is truly extraordinary. I’m afraid this Martial Scholar title is already in the bag for you."
The voice was familiar. Fang Yue looked over and saw it was Chen Cheng’an, whom he had met a few days prior.
Having met him twice before, Fang Yue had naturally paid some attention to the man.
However, because they were competitors, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t face each other in the upcoming matches.
Therefore, Fang Yue hadn’t greeted him or tried to build a rapport.
After all, if they really did end up fighting, being too familiar would only make it awkward to strike.
Before Fang Yue could reply, Chen Cheng’an leaned in close and continued in a hushed voice, "Fang, have you offended someone?"
Fang Yue’s brow furrowed slightly, not quite understanding Chen Cheng’an’s meaning.
’Offended someone?’
’Among everyone present, besides Chen Cheng’an, whom I’ve met twice, I’ve never seen any of the others before. How could I have offended someone?’
He couldn’t figure it out, but Chen Cheng’an didn’t look like he was lying. And although he had only met the man twice,
he felt that Chen Cheng’an wasn’t the type to grandstand. This was likely not an empty threat or baseless talk.
So, Fang Yue immediately asked:
"Chen, what do you mean by that?"
"I saw that fellow in gray over there giving you a hostile look. Since you say you haven’t offended anyone, perhaps I was just overthinking it."
As Chen Cheng’an spoke, he discreetly pointed Fang Yue toward a young man in gray clothes gathered near the viewing platform.
Fang Yue gave him a casual glance.
An unfamiliar, ordinary face. He was certain he had never seen him before today.
However, he had some impression of the man. This person had been tested after him and had a strength of 1,200 jin.
The reason he remembered him was that he could tell the man also practiced White Tiger Fist, so he must be a disciple of the White Tiger Boxing Hall.
In terms of relationship, he should be considered one of his senior brothers.
However, Fang Yue rarely ever went to the White Tiger Boxing Hall.
Besides, because of his connection to Fang Hu, he, as Fang Hu’s apprentice, wasn’t well-regarded within the White Tiger Boxing Hall.
After all, how much Talent could a country boy possibly have?
Even if he did have Talent, so what? Without a sufficient supply of Skin Polishing Secret Medicine, how could his cultivation speed possibly be fast?
If one couldn’t achieve Marrow Transformation before the age of thirty, then no matter how high their Talent was—even if it was the absolute highest—they would be stuck before the Four Martial Arts Gates for life.
Therefore, once a martial artist had sufficient Talent, what truly mattered more was wealth and resources.
This was why the Martial Examination was held in such high regard.
Because not everyone was blessed with a good birth that could endlessly support a Martial Artist.
But if one could successfully pass the examinations, the free resources and privileges granted by the imperial court to a Martial Scholar were enough to support a person’s cultivation through the Four Martial Arts Gates.
And now, although a Martial Scholar didn’t receive the court’s Secret Medicine, the exemption from taxes on a certain amount of farmland and corvee labor was enough to make people compete fiercely for the title.
’Could this person be hostile towards me because we’re from the same school and are competitors?’
Fang Yue frowned, unable to figure it out.
"Thank you for the warning, Chen. I will be careful." Fang Yue cupped his fist in gratitude.
Although the man had shown less strength than him, and it was unlikely the two of them would even face each other in the matches,
Chen Cheng’an had still gone out of his way to warn him. It was a kind gesture.
"Don’t mention it, don’t mention it. If you really want to thank me, just go easy on me if we happen to face each other later."
Chen Cheng’an laughed heartily, speaking in a very casual manner.
Fang Yue naturally agreed with a smile. After just a few sentences, the relationship between the two had clearly become much closer.
~~~~~~
The time it takes for an incense stick to burn is only about fifteen minutes.
In the time it took to exchange a few words, the second round of the Xiahe County Martial Scholar assessment began with the striking of a gong three times.
’Combat’ was the practical fighting event of the Martial Scholar assessment.
The top thirty would pass, while the remaining twenty would be eliminated.
However, even if eliminated, those who participated in the Martial Scholar assessment next year could skip the first test of stone lifting and directly enter the second round.
Combat, or martial contest, was a practical assessment, and fists and feet have no eyes.
Before the test, the examiner repeatedly stressed that fists have no eyes and blades no mercy. Should any injuries occur, the participants would have to bear the consequences themselves.
After all, this was the Martial Dao examination, a series of one-on-one battles.
If one didn’t go all out, how could they possibly display their true strength?
And today’s Martial Scholar assessment had actually been greatly simplified. The practical combat round would only involve fists and feet.
In contrast, the practical round for the Martial Scholar examination involved weapons, which was truly bloody and dangerous. Every one of those assessments saw numerous deaths and crippling injuries.
Therefore, even though it was only a clash of fists and feet, there would still be danger.
It was only natural to state the risks beforehand.
The rules of the assessment were simple.
Based on the stone lifting rankings, the first-ranked candidate would fight the last-ranked, the second-ranked would fight the second-to-last, and so on.
Through these matches, twenty-five victors would be decided.
Afterwards, from the remaining twenty-five losers, another five winners would be chosen.
In this way, thirty people would be selected, and these would be the new Martial Scholars chosen in the Xiahe County Military Examination.
As for the ranking of these thirty people, no further matches were needed.
Their final ranking would be determined by their original performance in the stone lifting test.
After all, once they were selected, there was no need for further fighting.
If injuries occurred, wouldn’t that be a waste of talent?
In reality, however, aside from the top five who would receive extra rewards, the treatment for the other twenty-five was exactly the same.