Chapter 32: Surge

The night was heavy. Though the lights in the Cheng family hall were blazing, they could not mask the oppressive atmosphere filling the room.

Cheng Huan sat upright in the seat of honor. The tea in her cup had long since grown cold, a thin layer of tea stains congealing along the rim. Her brow was tightly furrowed, and her fingers tapped rhythmically, unconsciously, against the sandalwood armrest.

Below the dais, several Cheng family youths stood or sat, their expressions growing increasingly grim.

*Creak!*

The main doors were flung open. Cheng Ming strode in, breathing heavily. "Eldest Sister, what is the situation? What did those merchants say?"

Weariness clouded Cheng Huan's eyes. She slowly set down the cold teacup. "The Li Clan Trading House, the Moxiang Studio... they have already chosen the Ning family's ships."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ming flew into a rage. "Those ungrateful wolves! The Cheng family has never treated them poorly. Whenever their merchant ships faced danger, were we not there to protect them with everything we had? And now they dare to betray us!"

The wharf business was the lifeblood of the Cheng family. The Niangniang Temple Wharf, in particular, was a hub that the Cheng family had spent generations of effort to carve out, repair, and manage from a desolate stretch of reeds and sandbars.

Now, the Wu family, leveraging their connections within the Canal Transport Bureau, had forced their way in. Not only had they driven the shipping fees down to half of the Cheng family's rates, but they were also spreading malicious rumors everywhere, claiming that "the Cheng family's vessels are old and decaying, prone to sinking and loss of cargo," effectively poaching the small and medium-sized merchants who relied on the Cheng family.

"The world gathers for profit, and the world disperses for profit."

Cheng Huan let out a deep sigh. "Seeking gain and avoiding harm is human nature. We cannot blame them."

One young Cheng family member could no longer restrain himself. He stood up abruptly, his face flushed with indignation. "Patriarch! The Niangniang Temple Wharf is the lifeblood and foundation built by generations of our family! How can we allow a meddler like the Wu family to touch it? We must drive them out!"

"Drive them out? How?"

Cheng Huan's gaze swept across the crowd, carrying a hint of helplessness. "Lord Liu of the Canal Transport Bureau has made it clear: this matter will be settled according to the wharf rules. A 'Duel of Fists' will determine ownership."

She paused, her voice turning solemn. "If my guess is correct, the one the Wu family has brought to anchor their position must be that 'Mountain-Breaker' Tian Yaozong."

As soon as the name was uttered, a wave of suppressed gasps and whispers erupted in the hall.

"That man is notorious; he is no saint!"

"The year before last at the Floating House Gambling Den, he beat the Liu family's Dark Strength expert, Liu Hao, to death. The Liu family didn't even dare to utter a word afterward..."

"It is said he has reached the Great Success stage of Dark Strength. His twenty-seven styles of the Mountain-Breaker Hand are peerless in their ferocity; he once fought three Dark Strength experts simultaneously without falling into disadvantage."

The anger on Cheng Ming's face was instantly replaced by gravity, even tinged with a sense of bitterness.

His voice was low. "Tian Yaozong is in his prime, at the peak of his vitality, and his Mountain-Breaker Hand has reached a level of consummate mastery. Forget now—even if I were ten years younger and my bones were not damaged, I would have no chance against him."

A flash of regret crossed his eyes. "If Jiang Yang were not injured, perhaps he could have gone toe-to-toe with him."

Hearing Jiang Yang's name, everyone present felt a pang of pity.

Jiang Yang had once been a martial prodigy whom the Cheng family had poured all their resources and hopes into. Coming from the Hongyun Martial Arts Academy, he had reached the Dark Strength stage at a young age. After five years of bitter cultivation, he was expected to break through to even higher realms and become the true pillar of the Cheng family.

Unfortunately, during his last attempt to break through to the 化劲 (Transformation Strength) realm, he suffered a backlash from the internal force. He was severely injured and vomited blood; to this day, he remains bedridden, a shadow of his former self.

Cheng Huan's fingers traced unconsciously over the ledger of families sponsored by the Cheng family. Her gaze wandered, attempting to find a glimmer of hope between the lines, but it ultimately dissolved into an almost inaudible sigh.

Beside her, the white-haired Third Master of the Cheng family, Cheng Huan's uncle, spoke in a raspy voice. "Tian Yaozong has a profound foundation and seasoned experience. His Mountain-Breaker Hand is both fierce and unpredictable. Among those of the same realm, very few can reliably best him."

His cloudy eyes swept over the group. "If it were a Transformation Strength expert, they could certainly defeat him."

*A Transformation Strength expert!*

Those four words were like a massive boulder dropped into still water; the hall fell into a deathly silence.

To hire a Transformation Strength expert to participate in a "Duel of Fists"?

The mere thought of the cost made one's heart tighten. It required not only a massive amount of silver but also an immense social debt.

"Forget it..."

Cheng Huan closed her eyes. When she opened them again, only exhaustion remained in her gaze. "Send word to the Wu family. We will yield half of the Niangniang Temple Wharf. We only hope that both families can 'make wealth through harmony' in the future."

She spoke those last four words with extreme difficulty.

Cheng Ming sighed. "That is the only way."

Yielding half the wharf would deal a massive blow to the Cheng family's future business and severely deplete their vitality. But if they fought a desperate war against the Wu family—that mad dog—the outcome would likely be mutual destruction, leaving them to be devoured by other predatory forces watching from the sidelines.

***

The next day, at the River Bureau's roll-call room in the South River Wharf.

Chen Qing had finished his roll call as usual and was about to head to the Zhou Academy to practice his fist techniques when he bumped into a frowning, preoccupied Cheng Ming at the door.

Chen Qing asked, "Boss, is something wrong?"

"Ah? Oh, it's nothing."

Cheng Ming looked up at Chen Qing and forced a smile. "It's nothing major, just some trivial family matters. Are you heading back to the Zhou Academy?"

Chen Qing nodded. "Yes. The Martial Examinations are approaching. I should go back and practice my strikes more. As they say, 'sharpening the spear before the battle makes it even brighter.'"

"Right, right! The Martial Examinations are important!"

Cheng Ming seemed to have just remembered. He nodded quickly, his tone carrying the consolation of an elder. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. It's about participating; gaining experience is good too."

He paused, a hint of apology appearing on his face. "By the way, Ah Qing, this month's sponsorship... it might be a few days late."

Chen Qing gave a bright laugh. "You're overthinking it, Boss. It's no problem."

He could see that Cheng Ming was exhausted and decided not to pry. He offered a respectful salute and strode away from the River Bureau.

Before long, Chen Qing arrived at the Zhou Academy.

Everything at the academy was as usual; some were practicing stance work, while others were practicing palm techniques. By midday, it was inevitable that some would grow sluggish, gathering in small groups under the shade of trees to chat—laziness being a hard human nature to overcome.

"I heard this year's Martial Examinations will be harder than previous years..."

"When are they ever easy? Thousands of people fighting for only fifty spots; most are just there to keep the prince company."

"I wonder if anyone from our Zhou Academy will pass this year."

"Senior Brother Qin Lie has extraordinary talent and has already reached Dark Strength. He has the best chance! If he can refine his skills even a little more in these final days, his chances will be even greater."

"The River God Festival is in a few days. Should the seniors go wander around? It's only this lively once a year..."

Chen Qing had just finished a set of Tongbi Fists. He was using a cloth to wipe the hot sweat from his forehead as he walked to the edge of the field to rest.

Sun Shun strolled over and asked casually, "Junior Brother Chen, are you participating in this year's Martial Examinations?"

Chen Qing nodded. "I am. Gaining experience is good."

"Exactly. Exposure is capital."

Sun Shun agreed deeply, his gaze drifting toward Qin Lie in the distance, his voice filled with emotion. "Junior Brother Qin has exceptional talent and has already achieved Dark Strength. What he lacks now is true experience in life-and-death combat."

Chen Qing followed his gaze and asked, "How exactly are the Martial Examinations conducted? With Junior Brother Qin's current cultivation, what are his chances of passing as a Martial Scholar?"

Sun Shun withdrew his gaze, a complex "hard to say" expression appearing on his face. "In the Martial Examinations, courage is paramount, and strategy is secondary. The process isn't overly complicated; it mainly consists of two stages: first, 'Physical Strength,' and second, 'Skill and Valor.'"

"To test 'Physical Strength,' they primarily look at the 'Bow' aspect of the stone-bow, sword, and horse riding. The examination grounds will be equipped with ten hard bows of different stone-weights, ranging from one to five stones. Only when the bow is drawn as full as a moon can one's true strength be shown. This tests the foundation of one's bones, muscles, and vital energy."

"As for 'Skill and Valor,' it tests one's ability in actual combat. The specific method changes every year, depending entirely on the examiner's whim. It could be a duel on a stage, breaking through a formation, or even hunting beasts in the mountains... in short, it is unpredictable and dangerous."

"Finally, these two evaluations are combined for a total score. Only the top fifty can earn the title of Martial Scholar." Sun Shun sighed, his tone heavy. "But that ranking depends not only on your own ability but also on how many competitors are in the field. From the rumors I've gathered, the number of martial students registering this year is even higher than last year."

Chen Qing asked, "How many were there last year?"

Sun Shun gave a bitter smile. "Seven hundred and thirteen at the Bright Strength stage, and one hundred and fifty-two at the Dark Strength stage. Many people fail year after year, so the numbers fluctuate. The year you fail is always the hardest year to pass."

Hearing this, Chen Qing's brow furrowed slightly.

During the time leading up to the Martial Examinations, he needed to do his best to increase his strength. After all, reaching Dark Strength did not mean he could rest easy.

Just then, a commotion broke out on the other side of the courtyard.

"Hmm!? What happened?"

Seeing this, Sun Shun hurried over.