Chapter 46: Injuries

That day, after several rounds of martial arts practice, beads of sweat began to roll from Chen Qing's temples.

He wiped them away casually and walked to Sun Shun's side, his face wearing a well-timed expression of concern. "Senior Brother Sun, has Junior Brother Qin's injury... improved at all?"

Sun Shun was wiping the weapon rack; hearing this, his movements paused, and he let out a heavy sigh. "He's awake, but his condition... sigh, it's not looking optimistic."

His brow furrowed, and he lowered his voice. "That Gao Sheng clearly intended to kill him. It is a miracle Junior Brother Qin managed to cling to life. Those several major tendons of his... they are severed! Forget about returning to normal; right now, even getting out of bed to walk is extremely difficult."

"It's... it's that serious?"

Chen Qing's face instantly filled with grief and disbelief. "Wasn't it said that Master has already spoken, and that he would do whatever it takes to cure Junior Brother Qin?"

Because of Qin Lie's severe injury, Zhou Liang had been deeply shaken; his self-reproach and guilt were palpable, and he had indeed sworn to exhaust all resources to save his beloved disciple.

A trace of bitterness curled at the corner of Sun Shun's mouth. "That is what was said, but reconnecting severed tendons cannot be treated with ordinary medicinal decoctions. It requires a Great Medicinal Spirit Fish of at least twenty years' age. The value of such a treasure is far beyond a thousand gold pieces."

He shook his head, his tone as heavy as if a stone were pressing upon it.

Hearing the words "thousand gold pieces," Chen Qing's hanging heart quietly settled, though he maintained a somber expression on his face.

As if comforting himself, or perhaps speaking for Chen Qing's benefit, Sun Shun murmured, "Perhaps Junior Brother Qin is blessed by heaven, and one day..."

*Impossible, unless Great Medicine grows from the dirt!*

Chen Qing sneered inwardly. He knew he would have to keep a close eye on Qin Lie's "injury."

"Senior Brother Chen! You passed! You passed the exam!"

A breathless, nearly cracking shout rang out at the courtyard entrance, instantly tearing through the heavy silence of the courtyard.

All the disciples froze mid-action, their gazes shooting in unison toward the messenger, who was leaning against the doorframe, gasping for air.

The disciple's chest heaved violently, his face flushed with wild joy. He looked at Chen Qing and shouted, "Thirty-ninth place! Senior Brother Chen is ranked thirty-ninth! The officials... the officials have already sent someone to your house to announce the good news! Senior Brother Chen, you have become a Martial Xiucai!"

"Whoosh—!"

The entire Zhou Academy erupted instantly! Although everyone had a premonition, the impact of those three words, "Martial Xiucai," at the moment the dust settled was still unparalleled.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen!"

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Chen!"

"What a grand occasion!"

Whether sincere or merely polite, the waves of congratulations instantly surrounded Chen Qing.

From this moment on, Chen Qing's status had fundamentally changed.

Sun Shun slapped Chen Qing heavily on the shoulder and laughed loudly, "Hahaha! Good! Junior Brother Chen, congratulations! From now on, you are a man of official merit! You have brought glory to your family name!"

On the periphery of the crowd, Zheng Ziqiao's expression turned extremely unsightly. A massive wave of regret surged in his heart, making him feel as though his very intestines were turning green with remorse.

*If only I had known Chen Qing had such potential...*

Qi Wenhan and several other veteran disciples who had failed for many years stood in silence outside the clamor, their expressions complex, a mixture of loss and envy.

To them, the merit of a Martial Xiucai was a cloud that was visible but unreachable.

Chen Qing met the incoming compliments from all directions with a smile, but his mind was as clear as a mirror, his internal alarm bells ringing.

The ranking was close to what he had expected. Had he given his all in the second round, his rank might have been higher, but that would have brought even more turbulent waves and prying eyes.

*Running water does not compete to be first; it competes to flow endlessly.*

His current low profile was for a more long-lasting surge.

"Junior Brother Chen,"

Zhou Yu's gentle voice rang out at the right moment, her face wearing a sincere smile. "Father requests your presence."

"Yes, Senior Sister."

Chen Qing composed himself and responded. Under the gaze of the crowd—some eager, some complex—he followed Zhou Yu steadily toward the back courtyard.

***

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Gaolin County Yamen.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The sound of gongs cleared the way. Several bailiffs dressed in bright red official robes emerged from the Yamen gates in single file, holding scrolls with solemn expressions.

"The results are out! The martial examinations results are out!"

A loud shout, like cold water thrown into boiling oil, caused the street in front of the Yamen to explode into chaos.

"Look! The results are out!"

"Move! Let me see!"

"Don't push! Stop pushing! You're stepping on my feet!"

In the chaotic crowd, Xiao Hai, who sold firewood to make a living in Chaiyu坊 (Chaiyu Ward), was carrying an empty shoulder pole to head home. He was swept up by the surging tide of people and pushed involuntarily toward the notice board.

His father was a destitute schoolmaster; after suffering a stroke, the family's fortunes had declined. Xiao Hai was an honest boy, often bullied, and not particularly bright, but he could at least recognize a few hundred characters and could occasionally earn a living by writing letters for others.

He stood on his tiptoes, squinting his eyes, struggling to search for a familiar face among the dense list of names.

Suddenly, his gaze froze. He stared intently at a name on the list, then blinked hard to confirm the place of origin listed beneath it—Yazi Bay!

A massive, indescribable surge of ecstasy slammed into his brain!

"He passed! He passed! Old Man Chen's grandson passed the exam!!"

Xiao Hai let out a sudden roar. Ignoring his firewood pole, he tossed it to the ground and, like a crazed young calf, pushed through the crowd, running toward Chaiyu Ward with every ounce of strength he possessed.

He had to be the first to tell Old Man Chen this earth-shattering news.

After running for an unknown amount of time, his legs felt like they were filled with lead and his lungs felt as if they were on fire. He finally burst into the entrance of Chaiyu Ward.

Sister Lin, who was making shoe soles in front of the garment shop, was startled by his disheveled, frantic running. She called out, "Xiao Hai! Is your butt on fire? Why are you running so fast?"

Xiao Hai leaned on his knees, gasping for breath, his chest heaving violently. It took a long while before he could squeeze out two words: "He passed!"

Sister Lin's heart tightened, and she hurriedly stood up. "What? Did your father have another stroke?"

"No, no!"

Xiao Hai waved his hands repeatedly. Finally catching his breath, a smile so intense it distorted his face erupted. His voice was hoarse but exceptionally loud: "It's Old Man Chen's grandson! The results are out! He... he became a Martial Xiucai! He passed!"

"What?!"

The shoe sole in Sister Lin's hand fell to the ground with a *thud*. Her eyes widened, and she let out a piercing scream, "Really?! Has a Martial Xiucai emerged from Old Man Chen's house?!"

She instinctively assumed it was Chen Heng, the little grandson Old Man Chen always praised for his hard work in martial arts and as the greatest hope for bringing honor to the family.

Old He from the coffin shop was the quickest to react. He stepped out of his shop, his voice booming over the street's clamor: "Quick! Don't just stand there! Hurry to the Chen house to report the good news! Old Man Chen, hurry and get ready to receive the announcement! Celebration money! And a cook—hurry and hire a cook! This banquet cannot be delayed; this is the greatest honor for our Chaiyu Ward!"

"Boom!"

Old He's words were like lighting a powder keg; the entire Chaiyu Ward erupted instantly!

"Let's go! To the Chen house!"

"Incredible! A Xiucai has come from the Chen house!"

"Heaven has eyes! How many years has it been since a Martial Xiucai appeared in our Chaiyu Ward!"

"Chen Heng is so capable! He's brought honor to our neighborhood!"

"Chen Heng passed!"

The good news spread like a wildfire, from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, rapidly sweeping through the entire Chaiyu Ward.

For this neighborhood, a place where the poor gathered and who were constantly extorted by gangs, the emergence of a Martial Xiucai was nothing less than a divine blessing.

It meant that in the future, the neighbors could hold their heads a little higher. The Martial Xiucai of Changsheng Street was a living example—even the gangs that collected incense money had to treat them with respect.

The excited crowd merged into a torrent, surging toward the Chen house with an irrepressible sense of excitement and anticipation.