Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Afterwards, Ye Ci comforted Wang De for a few more minutes before returning to the martial arts school.

Many people, like Wang De, fail to break through the barrier and are thus cut off from the path of martial arts; even those with good aptitude can only become ordinary people.

difficult!

To embark on the path of martial arts, one group is eliminated by their inherent talent and then by their attempts to overcome obstacles.

"Senior Brother Ye."

When the disciples in the front courtyard encountered Ye Ci, they were extremely humble and polite, as if nothing had happened in the outer courtyard.

Ye Ci nodded and did not linger.

The relationship between people is so subtle. Wang De failed to get a chance to enter the gate and didn't even have anyone to see him off. He wanted to stay a few more days but was ridiculed. Yet, he didn't even know the names of these apprentices, but they took the initiative to greet him.

Head to the canteen for lunch.

Try to eat and take as much as possible at the martial arts school. Even if you reach the Ming Jin level, whether you have the resources to support the next attempt is also crucial.

The money saved can be used to buy tonics.

That said, a dose of Qi and Blood Powder costs three taels of silver, which is not as effective as Master Yang's Qi and Blood Soup, and usually only lasts for three days.

If you really want to use tonics, twenty taels of silver will be gone in no time.

Poor people should buy meat to supplement their diet... Ye Ci thought to himself, but if ordinary people heard these words, they would probably just click their tongues in disbelief.

In fact, if a martial arts master with profound skill gives up the second stage of the training, their life will naturally be better than that of ordinary people. This is what many poor families mean when they say that practicing martial arts can change one's destiny.

For Ye Ci, Ming Jin was not enough.

I ran into Xiao Hua in the cafeteria.

He had five braised lion's head meatballs in his two bowls, and when he saw Ye Ci, he brushed past her.

Ye Ci looked at her bowl; there were only two pieces.

Genius... He eats more than me... He doesn't even spend money on supplements, so why does he eat so much meat...?

"I'm back."

Upon seeing Ye Ci, Jiang Ding'an walked over with a bowl in his hand, looking quite pleased. He then placed his own lion's head meatball on Ye Ci's plate.

"How was it like working as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort)?"

"not bad."

"That's good."

"After dinner, how about you practice a few moves with me, senior brother?"

"Alright!"

……

In the days that followed, Ye Ci resumed her usual rigorous training.

His life was extremely simple. He mainly practiced hammering and standing exercises to strengthen his qi and blood. When he was tired, he would practice fighting techniques to adjust.

After dinner, he discussed things with Jiang Ding'an in a very organized manner.

More than ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

The escort agency gifted Ye Ci a fine iron bow, much sturdier than the bow his second uncle had previously, which Ye Ci gladly accepted.

This bow was custom-made and is more than enough for my needs before I developed internal strength.

They took a short escort mission along the way, and all the money they earned was used by Mumu to buy meat. Although meat was not as effective as medicinal soup, it was enough to maintain their daily balance.

[Technique: Minor Mastery of Rock Stance (291/2000)]

The increase in proficiency was not significant, but for Ye Ci, it was a matter of gradual progress. Among the many disciples in the inner courtyard, very few would attempt the final second attempt.

Having good physical constitution only means that it is easier to accumulate qi and blood, increasing the chances of successfully passing the test, but for Ye Ci, it was just a natural outcome.

Of course, Ye Ci also wanted to break through to the Dark Force realm as soon as possible.

"I still don't have enough money. If I had enough money, I could take tonics, which would make the second attempt at the breakthrough much faster."

Money doesn't fall from the sky.

However, Ye Ci was already very satisfied, and the whole family was living a very comfortable life.

Its advantage lies in its stability.

These days, he has been focusing more on honing his fighting techniques, which can genuinely enhance his combat effectiveness in the Ming Jin style.

【Technique: Mastery of Baoshanquan (27/500)】

Mastering a fighting style means that Ye Ci's strength has increased significantly, making him stronger than many Ming Jin disciples in the academy.

Teacher Yang saw it all, but didn't say anything.

That evening, the sun was setting.

Fourth Senior Brother Qi Wang suddenly summoned Ye Ci and handed him a sword manual.

"You've been practicing well lately, and your boxing skills have reached a high level. Your master said that when your boxing skills have reached a high level, you can learn another fighting style. Try to figure it out yourself and see if you can master it."

"Thank you, Fourth Senior Brother."

Ye Ci clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, accepting the sword manual.

"Cultivate diligently..."

Qi Wang offered a few words of encouragement, then turned and left without saying anything more.

Ye Ci was overjoyed.

Another fighting method has been added. It seems that Master Yang is not stingy when it comes to teaching. As long as you meet his requirements, you will naturally get the technique.

Upon opening it, I found that the sword technique was called "Six Harmonies Sword Technique".

This sword technique is very detailed. The fast sword is divided into three styles, emphasizing instantaneous strikes. When making a move, one strike follows another, as swift as shooting stars.

There are also three defensive techniques, which are suitable for heavy sword strikes. These three strikes emphasize momentum, with the sword force as heavy as Mount Tai.

[Technique: Introduction to the Six Harmonies Knife Technique (1/300)]

Ye Ci was delighted again. This sword technique was a level above "Baoshan Fist" in terms of proficiency, and must be a superior sword technique.

In this way, they also have to practice an extra sword technique every day.

"How is it? Has your master informed you?"

Jiang Ding'an suddenly patted Ye Ci on the shoulder from behind.

Ye Ci was taken aback: "What do you mean, 'notify me'?"

"Aren't you going to the captain's banquet?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ding'an's expression faltered for a moment before he continued, "Every year, Commandant Qin invites the three major martial arts schools to a banquet, along with the county's wealthiest families. During the banquet, there are sparring matches, providing a good opportunity for young disciples to showcase their skills. At such banquets, the wealthy families are usually quite generous, and the price for part-time or temporary employment can sometimes double."

"Moreover, if one gains the captain's favor..."

He listed a lot of the benefits of the banquet, meaning that the banquet was very important and an opportunity to shine in front of others.

Ye Ci naturally understood his meaning.

The captain was a local military officer responsible for city defense and bandit suppression. He was half a rank higher than the captain in the border army. Although he was only half a rank higher, he had much more power than the captain and was a real local bigwig.

The highest-ranking official Ye Ci had ever met was a centurion, but even a centurion had to be subservient to a captain, so a captain was definitely more prestigious than a captain.

Imagine, isn't hosting such a banquet also an opportunity to climb the social ladder?

"According to the rules, all disciples with internal strength (Dark Force) can participate, and each martial arts school can also bring three additional disciples with external strength (Open Force)..."

Jiang Ding'an stopped halfway through his sentence, because the deadline was tomorrow, and if Ye Ci wasn't notified, he probably wouldn't be taken along.

The next day.

Ye Ci continued his cultivation as usual.

Inside the courtyard, people were also whispering about the evening's banquet.

As evening approached, the courtyard grew quieter, and Master Yang led several disciples away in a carriage through the side gate.

Xiao Hua was among them.

"Junior Brother Ye, dinner's ready!"

Fang Cheng greeted Ye Ci, and worried that Ye Ci might be unhappy, so he patted him on the shoulder:

"Don't be discouraged, it's good that we're eating at the martial arts gym, we'll add some meat for you."

In fact, even if Ye Ci were called, he wouldn't go.

Second Senior Brother Fang Cheng, who was not qualified to attend the banquet, comforted him, saying, "Master said that you have only recently entered the Ming Jin realm. If you are challenged during the banquet, it may affect your future livelihood."

The implication is that your master doesn't have much faith in your abilities and is afraid that if you lose, you'll be looked down upon by the wealthy families.

Ye Ci nodded: "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother."

The sky was still tinged with the pale light of dawn.

Ye Ci decided to go home for a visit.

Look how well Grandma has been eating and sleeping lately.

Ye Ci felt that he should save up some money to buy a bigger house and bring his second aunt over as well.

The night breeze swept through the alleyways, and the sky gradually darkened.

Ye Ci swayed leisurely, feeling rather uncomfortable.

If someone invites you to dinner and you don't go, it's because you don't like it. But if they don't invite you, it means they don't take you seriously.

"Um?"

Suddenly, Ye Ci paused slightly, frowning as he looked into the shadows of the alley.

At first, I didn't see anyone, only a peddler carrying a load of groceries.

Are they planning to prospect for minerals here?

Ye Ci walked over and saw a lean man with triangular eyes squatting on the ground.

Hearing the noise, the man looked up and met Ye Ci's gaze.

------

P.S.: It's not easy for a new author to write a book. If this book isn't read well, it might not even get a first round of recommendations.

Sometimes a comment or a vote can be an encouragement to an author.

I'm begging the book's experts to read it for a few more days.

Please!