Chapter 45: The End

The second round of the martial examinations concluded, and the candidates filed out in a continuous stream.

Some were jubilant, others were sorrowful; everyone held their own scale in their hearts to judge the strength and performance of their peers.

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

As soon as they stepped through the courtyard gates, a heavy sense of oppression rushed toward them, and the air seemed to freeze.

"Where is Junior Brother Qin?"

Luo Qian asked first, her willow-like brows tightly furrowed as her gaze swept across the crowd in the courtyard. "How is he now?"

Not just Luo Qian, but the other disciples who had just returned from the examinations also cast inquiring glances.

Qi Wenhan’s expression was grim as he shook his head. "Junior Brother Qin encountered Gao Sheng from the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall in the first round. He was beaten severely and has been unconscious ever since. Junior Sister Zhou is looking after him. Master has also invited several renowned physicians, including Doctor Fu from Renhe Hall and Doctor Tang from Jiuhua Hall, to stay inside."

"What!?"

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

The disciples in the courtyard all gasped, especially the newcomers, who were struck by profound shock.

Who was Qin Lie? He was the most dazzling genius of the Zhou Academy, the closed-door disciple of Master Zhou Liang, and the successor into whom much heart and soul had been poured.

To have stepped into the realm of Dark Jin in less than a year of entry meant his future was limitless.

How could such a figure be so heavily wounded on the martial examination grounds?

He had lost, and it was a crushing defeat.

This meant his martial evaluation would inevitably be extremely low, effectively declaring his hopes for official recognition dead.

Even more distressing was the question of how such a severe injury could recover in the short term. Would his opportunity to break through to 化劲 (Hua Jin) be severed forever?

A new disciple couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Just... just who is this Gao Sheng?"

To be able to cripple Qin Lie, what kind of figure must he be?

This was truly too unexpected!

Qi Wenhan let out a long sigh. "That boy is also a genius. He has practiced martial arts for only about a year and has already reached the perfection of Dark Jin. He had been training bitterly at the Songfeng Martial Arts Hall and was suppressed there, so his reputation hadn't surfaced yet."

Sun Shun pondered for a moment, his tone solemn. "The Hall Master of Songfeng, Shi Wenshan, has a deep-seated grudge with Master. This Gao Sheng's talent is likely even half a step superior to Junior Brother Qin's. His decision to strike such a heavy blow this time was no accident; he must be targeting our Zhou Academy!"

"Even more powerful than Senior Brother Qin?"

"How... how is that possible?"

"Senior Brother Qin has truly suffered an unprovoked disaster!"

"Why did he have to run right into someone from the Songfeng Hall..."

"The grudge between Shi Wenshan and Master, now this..."

The disciples whispered among themselves, their astonishment compounded by growing anxiety.

There is always a higher mountain; beyond geniuses, there are even greater geniuses.

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

Gao Sheng's actions actually saved him some trouble.

However, was things truly this coincidental? When Gao Sheng drew lots, how did he happen to face Qin Lie? Others might think it was luck, but Chen Qing sensed a different scent in the air.

In previous years, the martial examinations were presided over by the Commandant, but this year, the County Magistrate had taken over.

And this Magistrate maintained very close ties with the Zhu and Luo families among the five great clans.

"It seems the tree of the Commandant casts too much wind. Qin Lie... in the end, cannot block this wind."

In a flash of lightning, a deeper thought flashed through Chen Qing's mind: What if this Gao Sheng was coming for him?

At this thought, alarm bells rang in Chen Qing's heart.

Though he had now stepped into Dark Jin and his Tongbi Fist had reached Great Success, the higher one climbs, the more eyes there are in the shadows.

One wrong step could mean being crushed to pieces and becoming a stepping stone for others.

"Accumulating strength is urgent. I must... keep even more trump cards hidden. Stay steady, I must stay steady!"

Chen Qing warned himself silently; he would never allow himself to follow in Qin Lie's footsteps.

Luo Qian's expression shifted indecisively, her lips pressed tight in silence.

The expressions of the Zhou Academy disciples varied; some were gloating, others were shaking their heads in sighs. The hearts of the people were in flux.

Zheng Ziqiao, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, now had his arms crossed. The corners of his mouth twitched upward uncontrollably; he tried hard to squeeze out a bit of sympathy, but the sense of gratification deep in his eyes could not be hidden.

If he weren't in the academy, he almost would have laughed out loud.

That peasant Qin Lie had caused him to lose face, and now he was finally getting what he deserved!

"Junior Brother Zheng..." Sun Shun frowned, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Zheng Ziqiao's gaze swept toward the backyard, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible schadenfreude. "As Master's closed-door disciple, it is only natural for Junior Brother Qin to take the blows meant for Master. Losing to Gao Sheng, at the end of the day, is simply a matter of inferior skill."

He paused, continuing in a "worried" tone, "Master is likely quite furious this time. All that hard work, gone. Our days ahead probably won't be easy."

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a giant stone thrown into stagnant water, instantly triggering deeper panic and murmurs among the disciples.

Just then, the figure of Zhou Liang appeared at the entrance to the backyard.

The disciples scattered like startled birds, hurriedly lowering their heads and pretending to practice their martial arts, not daring to breathe loudly.

A very forced smile squeezed onto Zhou Liang's face. "The martial examinations... are over?"

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

"Good, good... it will take some time for the results to be posted. Just wait calmly."

Zhou Liang nodded slightly. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, it turned into a heavy sigh as he turned and disappeared back into the backyard.

In a short period, he seemed to have aged ten years, his steps carrying an indescribable exhaustion and despondency.

To have a highly anticipated disciple suffer such a heavy blow, and at the hands of a mortal enemy, was a blow too great to bear.

Before long, the sound of intense arguing drifted faintly from the backyard; it was the voices of Zhou Liang and his wife.

The focus of the argument was Zhou Liang's insistence on bringing the heavily injured Qin Lie back to the backyard for meticulous care.

The disciples in the courtyard practiced their movements absentmindedly; the atmosphere was even more dull and heavy than usual.

Chen Qing silently composed himself, found an empty space, lowered his waist, straightened his stance, and once again swung his fists and feet.

He had no distractions, only one thought: break through to Hua Jin as quickly as possible! Only with greater strength could he truly stand firm amidst these rising winds and waves.

After the martial examinations, the atmosphere of the Zhou Academy changed completely.

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

His face was grim, he was taciturn, and he was unwilling to speak to anyone, leaving only a cold, brooding resentment in his eyes.

Luo Qian had not appeared for several days, nor had she visited Qin Lie, as if she had evaporated from the face of the earth.

Zheng Ziqiao, on the other hand, became a frequent visitor to the academy, often gathering with several followers, never missing an opportunity to mock and ridicule Qin Lie for his own amusement.

Zhou Yu remained gentle and calm, tending to the ordinary disciples injured in training while also taking on the responsibility of looking after Qin Lie.

As for Chen Qing, he became the most unique existence in the academy. The attitude of all the disciples toward him had undergone a profound and earth-shattering change.

In the first round of assessments, Chen Qing had drawn a ten-stone bow, the bow as full as a moon and the string like a thunderclap, which had long since shocked the entire venue.

His performance in the second round was equally impressive; passing as a Martial Scholar was almost a certainty.

A Martial Scholar!

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

Even in the eyes of the various great families in Gaolin County, such a person was enough to become a core pillar of power.

Everything had become different.

When Chen Qing stepped into the inner courtyard, the disciples practicing would simultaneously stop their movements, respectfully greet him as "Senior Brother Chen," and proactively make way for him in the widest, best-lit spots.

When he practiced his fist techniques, someone would always be quick to hand him fresh water or a sweat towel; even when he needed a basin of water, someone would eagerly rush to fetch it.

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

But when you are powerful, your silence is seen as profound, your bad temper as personality, and your lack of etiquette as being easygoing.

That is human nature: when you are strong, everyone around you is a good person.