Chapter 33: The young Lord of Shenjing, the centurion who suppresses demons? After passing the skill test, let's see who will win!
Wutong Mansion, an open-air military training ground.

In March, at noon, the sun is high in the sky.

As the capital of Dazhao Prefecture under the jurisdiction of Aquarius State, Wutong Prefecture has a population of more than 10 million.

In addition, it is close to the northwest, where martial arts are flourishing.

Among them, the entrenched aristocratic families, the military nobles in the border counties, and the government officials who popped up from time to time would always call out a group of people and let them come to the limelight in the provincial examination every four years.

The provincial examination was a path to becoming an official that Da Zhao had opened up for the entire world and several major states.

But practicing martial arts requires a lot of money and precious medicine.

Poor families, if they don't join the border army and risk their lives for their future, I wonder what kind of hardships they have to go through before they can compete with those generals and nobles.

Therefore, throughout the dynasties, those who would excel in the provincial examinations had already been speculated about by people long before the results came out, and occasionally there would be an unexpected result, and the candidate would only be ranked last.

Like this generation.

A young lord who was demoted from the "Shenjing" came to Wutong Mansion. It was said that he had mastered martial arts and was able to understand the artistic conception and build a foundation for the Qi gathering.

The reason why he has not entered the 'Great Innate' is that he wants to gain a reputation as the leader of the 'Orthodox Martial Temple'.

There is another one who was born in a military family, but was willing to be a pawn in the "Great Wall to Suppress Monsters" at the end of the northwest border.
After years of hard training and the capture of hundreds of monsters, he finally became a true centurion military officer and earned the qualification to take the "provincial examination".

It is said that this person was favored by a great military strategist in Aquarius State, and he was only one step away from being accepted as a disciple.

Every year's provincial examination is a fierce competition.

But compared to this time, the three or four previous times would probably pale in comparison.

The previous champions are placed in this session.
I don’t know if I can make it into the top three.

At the end of the parade ground, there were three people smiling at the crowd. Xiang Zhulu, the demon-hunting officer wearing the lion armor, was one of them.

The other two are Wutong Prefecture Lord, who is in charge of all the government offices under Wutong Prefecture, and Bai Qiuyi.

And there is Commander Lin Shao, who comes from a military family and is in charge of supervising the troops of the prefecture and guarding against chaos caused by the underworld and demons.

The three of them were discussing each other at this time.

"The Jiang family kid from Shenjing has a declining family background. He can't get a name among the generals, Taoists, and Buddhists. So he came to our corner to seek a 'name'."

Xiang Zhulu looked at the young man in brocade robe who was leading the crowd and snorted.

"The Jiang family's ancestral home is Wutong Prefecture. In Shenjing, they are at most from a poor family. They can't compete with those noble bloods who treat precious medicines as grass and eat great pills as food. It's normal. There's no need to blame them."

Bai Qiuyi's hair and beard were half gray, his eyelids were drooped, and he was smiling.

"Jiang Yi has some talent. He has the appearance of a 'Xuanti' and is a natural talent for martial arts."

"But Xu Zuorong's skills, honed over seven years of hard work, emerged from one battle after another, and he has blood in his bones."

"In a real fighting arena, how can someone who only knows the theory win against someone who has seen real swords and guns and slayed demons and monsters?"

"But you, Xiang Zhulu, you listed the half-demon kid from the Xie family as one of the three tests, the 'hunting' level A. Aren't you afraid that he will be the target of public criticism?"

"Although according to the rules, those who come from the Demon Hunting Division can use 'Demon Hunting Merit' to replace the hunting assessment."

"But he has a special status after all. Others go out of the city in March to hunt monsters and earn 'ratings' based on their prey. It's fair and just. If he is the only one who wants to be special, then unless he can crush all enemies with ease, that's not the case."

"If he were here, his rating wouldn't be very high." Lin Shao looked middle-aged, sitting with his legs spread out, his words hinting with displeasure.

"I'm quite optimistic about that kid. Being a half-demon is not easy, and these three all look good. If they pass the palace exam, they can all be counted as my disciples. There's no need to hold on to them, Lin Shao."

Bai Qiuyi glanced at the young man in black from afar and nodded slightly, with a thoughtful look in his eyes, no one knew what he was thinking about.

"Hmph, just wait and see."

In response, Xiang Zhulu snorted and laughed, rarely arguing.

At the threshold of Wuguan foundation building, one can condense the 'authentic' level of boxing seeds.

It is no exaggeration to say that this is even rarer than breaking through the third step!
A natural born boxing genius, a future master,
It’s just a test in Wutong Prefecture.

It is neither the Aquarius Sword Contest where the young leader of the state's martial arts world is determined, nor is it the Dazhao Jiazi Martial Arts Contest where all kinds of evildoers fight each other.

Jiang Yi and Xu Zuorong are not bad. But from his point of view.
It is still unknown who will win!

【At the end of March, Wutong Prefecture held an exam. 】

[Young nobles, generals, warriors, and government officials under the age of thirty gathered together. ]

【The Dazhao Prefecture Examination has three parts.】

[The first one is a one-month "hunting exam" where the military commander will lead a hundred riders and take the students who are taking the prefectural exam into the mountains to hunt monsters and kill demons. The one with the highest harvest will be rated A or B.]

[As a patrol officer of the Demon Hunting Division, you have made outstanding achievements in the past six months. In addition, you have connections with your superiors, so you have been specially approved as "A-level", ranking first in the same period.]

[Therefore, the provincial examination aroused jealousy, and rumors were heard from time to time, but you didn't care about it at all.]

[After all, regardless of whether there is an easy door or not, in your eyes, all the roads you have taken so far were paved step by step with your fists.]

[Even if you participate in the Grand Hunt, you are still confident that you can win the championship, but it will just waste a lot of time. ]

[Use your limited time in more meaningful practice and prove yourself as soon as possible. This is your goal. Anything else is just a side job.]

[There are only two people who deserve your attention in this prefectural examination. ]

[One is from Shenjing, and his family has a nominal heir to the title of the Great Zhao 'Lingxiao Pavilion', named Jiang Yi, who has a physique of the 'Xuan' level and has completed the Wuguan foundation. ]

[The second one is from the 'Great Wall to Suppress Demons', which is a major town in Dazhao responsible for resisting the largest demon group in the northwest border. There are great military strategists suppressing it day and night. Coming from such a bitter and cold area, his martial arts attainments should not be underestimated.]

[But even so, you are determined to strive for the top spot. ]

【Officially opened with the Wutong Mansion test. 】

[The ten-sided arena is neatly arranged. ]

[Of the three tests, hunting comes first, skills comes second, and fighting comes last.]

[Afterwards, the top ten seats will be determined by combining the three factors. ]

[The so-called skills are: boxing, kicking, standing, sword, horsemanship, and archery! ]

[These martial arts determine whether a person's foundation is solid. ]

[As the saying goes, a towering building starts from the ground. Not everyone can achieve such a high level of cultivation. Those who pass the palace examination will mostly be the pillars of the first or even second step in the future. Therefore, practicing a good foundation is more important than anything else.]

[Five-level martial arts test, first level: fists and feet! ]

[You did not hold back, and with a move of 'Sun and Moon Shine Together', your martial spirit was revealed, and the wooden dummy was turned into flying sawdust, shocking everyone! ]

[Second level: Pile training! ]

[You have been tempered for six months. You have already learned all the true teachings of the Xie family. Therefore, your breath is continuous and long, like the roots of an old tree. No matter how strong the wind is, I will remain unmoved.]

[The third level is swords and knives. As the saying goes, weapons are the extension of fists and feet. You can use them as easily as if you were using your own arms. You are extremely skilled and you are the best in the martial arts exam.]

[The fourth level is horse skills. You have the blood of a dragon. Even a red-blooded horse will be trembling with fear when it sees you. How can it not be obedient and gentle and allow you to do whatever you want?]

[The fifth level is horseback archery. Your bow is like a full moon. Pulling a bow weighing 100 jin, seven arrows are pointed at seven wooden targets, and they pierce through the heart! ]

Under the bright sun.

You took off your outer clothes, wearing only shorts, and passed through Wuguan Pass like flowing clouds and running water!

Then he looked around.

There is no one who can be compared with you!
"I passed all five levels of the martial arts test."

"The Palace Master Bai Qiuyi called your name"

"Song Chaixin of the Xie Mansion, Skill Level: A-level!"

The officer on one side recorded the results and then trotted away. Within half an incense stick of time, he started shouting loudly.

And when this stage is over, there will be someone who can be as famous as you.
There are only two people, Jiang Yi from Shenjing and Xu Zuorong from the Demon-Suppressing Great Wall!

(End of this chapter)