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

As Senior Brother Qi Wang said before, the first three years of martial arts training are extremely important, as they can determine whether a person has potential for the future.

Disciples who can develop internal strength in a short time usually also develop external strength by passing three trials when they are young.

Therefore, the number of young, promising talents in the county is limited.

The Dark Force Martial Arts Competition organized by Commandant Qin is only open to the younger generation, so the competition will not last long.

These days, the disciples have all gone to watch the martial arts competition.

Fang Cheng was quite surprised that Ye Ci had developed hidden strength:

"As for you, junior brother, I didn't expect you to break through to the Dark Force realm so quickly!"

Ye Ci shook his head: "Just practice hard."

Hard training?!

Fang Cheng paused for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction: "Diligence can make up for lack of talent."

At the same time, he said with some regret, "If we had returned earlier, we might have been able to participate in the martial arts competition and perhaps even caught the eye of Commandant Qin. Martial arts training requires passing examinations, and with Commandant Qin's help and guidance, our future prospects would be much better."

As he spoke, he looked at the sun again and said:

"Let's eat first. I imagine the competition isn't over yet, so they'll probably be back later."

Ye Ci also felt hungry, so she followed him into the dining hall.

"I'll go get your food."

After a moment, Fang Cheng brought over a small pot, lifted the lid, and a wisp of white steam rose out, along with a fragrant aroma.

"Master has been in a good mood these past few days and has been eating better. This meat is for Master, but he is supposed to be attending a banquet at the Commandant's Mansion today, so I've decided to give it to you."

The white vapor dissipated a little, and Ye Ci picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

"Tiger meat!"

Ye Ci was surprised. The tiger meat was extremely chewy and had a naturally fresh and fragrant flavor. It was stewed with only some scallions, ginger, and salt, retaining its original taste. It was also warming to eat.

Tiger meat is highly nourishing and extremely beneficial for skin and flesh injuries; you can even feel your meridians being gradually nourished.

"The blood and energy provided by this meat are no less than that of medicinal soup..."

Fang Cheng smiled and didn't try to take the food from Ye Ci: "I'm rewarding you on behalf of my late master."

Ye Ci ate heartily, finishing most of the food in no time. After a brief pause, he asked Fang Cheng:

"Senior brother, has anything major happened in the county this past month...? The gangs were making quite a fuss before I left. By the way, how did the Ming Jin martial arts competition go?"

Fang Cheng replied, "Our martial arts school didn't perform well in the Ming Jin competition because Junior Brother Xiao didn't participate. In the end, the Black Dragon Martial Arts School won first place. The gang matter is really worth mentioning. Two big gangs and many small gangs were wiped out by Commandant Qin. This action has won the approval of countless people."

"Didn't I hear the Commandant is going to support gangs?"

"There's another version of the story. He had a relative named Lü Fang, but he was killed by the remnants of the Black Tiger Gang. In a fit of rage, the captain arrested people from both gangs. The Black Tiger Gang targeted his people, while the Dragon Snake Gang failed to protect them."

"Is Lü Fang dead?"

As Ye Ci ate the meat, he thought of the person who had invited him to join the gang.

To be honest, he still owed me three coins.

Fang Cheng was still talking non-stop about the changes in the county, and what he was most excited about was the competition between civil and military officials.

Commandant Qin arrested many gang members and sent them to the army. It is said that the county magistrate initially objected, saying that according to the law, they should not be sent to the army, and that even the strongest fist cannot override the law.

The county magistrate was a local civil official in charge of administration and law.

So the county military camp sent men to surround the county government office, saying they would protect the county magistrate.

The master was born a scholar who had achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations. He was learned and had a remarkable memory. He painstakingly searched through countless books and found a set of rules.

When the Great Qian Dynasty was founded, there was a law that said, "Appoint people based on their merits, use them according to their abilities, employ people like tools, and make use of their strengths."

After the county magistrate explained the meaning of this statement, everyone understood: gang members who are good at fighting should be put where they belong.

Therefore, the captain did not conscript them into the army, but rather gave them important positions.

That made sense immediately.

Secondly, after the Ming Jin (manifest strength) martial arts competition, Commandant Qin organized another An Jin (hidden strength) competition, saying that martial arts were flourishing in the Great Qian Dynasty, but there were still few people practicing martial arts in the county, so more encouragement was needed.

This was not a regular competition in the county, but the county magistrate still funded the reward.

It was said that the money was legally confiscated from the gang, and the captain led him to divide it.

The rewards are very generous.

After Fang Cheng finished introducing the situation in the county, he talked about his junior brother Xiao Hua, praising him highly.

His talent is second to none in the county, even surpassing Chen Fan, a disciple of the Black Dragon Martial Arts School. Speaking of Chen Fan, he is also a genius disciple, and his speed in mastering the skills is no slower than Xiao Hua's, but his comprehension is a bit lacking, so his fighting style is not as good as Xiao Hua's.

This Dark Force Competition differed from the annual competition. Commandant Qin also stipulated that only disciples who had broken through within the past year were allowed to participate, which allowed Xiao Hua to shine brightly among them.

"Anything else interesting?"

Ye Ci had no interest in Xiao Hua's news.

Fang Cheng thought for a moment, then said with a genuinely honest expression, "I heard that a great expert from the barbarian tribe recently came to the city. He's incredibly audacious and has challenged all five major sects of the city in turn."

"Calling it a challenge isn't quite right. He acted at night, and the five sect leaders were defeated one after another... I only heard about it from a traveling medicine merchant. How dare a barbarian expert make a move in Yizhou Prefecture, and no one seems to care. Fortunately, it has nothing to do with us..."

That makes sense. Experts who can fight against the five major sects of the prefecture must be even more powerful than those at the level of the Grand Commander.

As the two chatted, many inner court disciples soon returned.

When everyone saw Ye Ci return, they didn't show much respect for their junior brother who usually cultivated diligently. Instead, they held their rice bowls and chatted excitedly.

"What was the result?" Fang Cheng asked.

One disciple responded, "First place in the competition! Senior Brother Xiao Hua has brought great honor to our martial arts school! When I walk outside, people look at me with envy."

"Commander Qin is being very strict this time, only allowing those who have broken through to the next realm within the past year to participate. This is perfect timing for Junior Brother Xiao Hua, who only entered the Dark Force realm this year. Who can match his speed of progress?"

"Needless to say? His natural talent is undeniable, and his comprehension is top-notch. Even Chen Fan from the Black Dragon Martial Arts School can't suppress him. Chen Fan is only fast at unlocking the gates; in a real fight, his moves are very rigid."

"Brother Xiao is really rising to prominence these days. The Zhao and Jin families in the county are both eager to marry their daughters to him. The Zhang family, which ranks last among the five major families, can't even get a chance to invite him to dinner now."

"I heard that Senior Brother Xiao likes a girl from the Han family. She's gentle and kind, and comes from a good family..."

The Han family?

Ye Ci still remembered that among the three potential partners that Senior Brother Jiang had introduced to her, one of them was a woman from the Han family who had a leg problem.

However, the woman the Han family wanted to marry Xiao Hua was probably not that woman.

The five major families of Songjiang County are naturally very prestigious in the local area, but compared to the sects, they are nothing.

Someone like Xiao Hua, a martial arts prodigy who can climb to great heights in the future, might just be able to elevate the entire family to unprecedented heights on his own.

For ordinary geniuses, the five major families would usually just give them money to establish good relations, but for true geniuses, the treatment would be extraordinary, and the five major families would often use marriage alliances to bind them together.

Xiao Hua, who came from a poor background, was naturally the first choice of the five major families.

After the disciples returned, Fang Cheng naturally went to get busy, including preparing meals for the apprentices in the front courtyard.

After finishing his meal, Ye Ci went to his room, cleaned it, and then moved the bedding outside to air it out.

After doing all that, without anyone saying goodbye, he left on his own, intending to go home.

As they reached the side door, they happened to see Xiao Hua being escorted back by a group of people, with a gentle-looking woman beside him, seemingly listening attentively.

Xiao Hua's face was flushed, as if he had been drinking, and he wore an arrogant expression.

"Chen Fan is too weak and can be easily defeated."

"Young Master Xiao is indeed formidable. My father said you are no weaker than the veteran internal strength disciples of the three major martial arts schools," the woman said.

"Your father is being conservative," Xiao Hua boasted loudly. "Master Yang taught me a footwork technique, and with my internal strength, I'm practically untouchable! No one can hurt me. With my skills, I've been undefeated since stepping onto the stage, so how can I be weaker than anyone else? In the entire Songjiang County, all the internal strength practitioners are at best evenly matched with me."

Ye Ci walked past him, glanced at him, and couldn't help but sigh at his master's favoritism.

Besides the Baoshan Fist, he only taught the Liuhe Saber Technique, which was truly inferior to Xiao Hua's treatment.

Footwork is a valuable skill; it can save your life in crucial moments.

Several inner disciples of the martial arts school were also with Xiao Hua, serving him like servants.

"I reckon even Senior Brother Jiang is no match for you..." someone flattered.

Xiao Hua chuckled and said, "Whether he is my opponent or not is not important. I lamented when Commander Qin held the Ming Jin martial arts competition a while ago that I missed the grand competition because I had already tried twice too early and couldn't let the martial arts schools know how powerful I am. Fortunately, the Commander held the An Jin martial arts competition, and I just happened to be there. Actually, I didn't necessarily want to win the first place in this competition. It's just that he held the grand competition, and I just happened to be stuck at the An Jin level."

"If it's the next time... I'm afraid it will be the third time I've tried to pass the test. If there's no one-year limit then, the martial arts school will have no choice but to send Senior Brother Jiang to compete."

Ye Ci walked past him with a smile on her lips.

How can you be so arrogant?

It was just a martial arts competition. Along the way, we could see Jiang Ding'an's strength; he was a top expert in internal energy cultivation. However, Senior Brother Jiang had been somewhat lazy in his martial arts practice.

He is more interested in women.

Seeing Ye Ci walk by as if no one else was around, Xiao Hua glanced at him sideways, his eyes showing a hint of displeasure.

Why is he so arrogant?

Everyone in the martial arts school flatters me, why don't you flatter me?

"Young Master Xiao, my father asked me to bring you five hundred taels of silver as a token of my appreciation. Please accept it... I'll head back now."

The gentle woman spoke, and then a servant handed her a tray.

Xiao Hua opened it in front of everyone, and the glittering silver light dazzled everyone's eyes, making all the disciples extremely envious.

They were all visibly strong, and their mouths were watering.

With 500 taels of silver, a full-time镖头 (bodyguard/escort) would earn no more than 20 taels a year in pure profit, while others could easily earn 25 years' worth of wages in a single stroke.

They also said it was just a small token of their appreciation.

Is this how geniuses are treated?

The woman gracefully curtsied and then boarded the carriage.

Xiao Hua covered the silver ingot, watched the woman get into the car, and glanced at another disappearing figure at the street corner. He felt that something was missing.

******

Back on Paoma Street, I pushed open the door to find the house empty.

It was rather deserted.

"Where have the elderly, infirm, and disabled gone?"

He walked around the courtyard room by room, and saw that the rooms were clean and tidy, with the items arranged in an orderly manner, as if everyone had gone out.

He went closer to the kitchen and saw two white steamed buns in the cupboard, each with a bite taken out of it.

It's obvious that Yao Yao did this.

The little girl was so hungry that she always felt that if she took one more bite, no one else would snatch it away from her.

Ye Ci shook his head, turned and left the kitchen, his feet unconsciously moving towards Mu Mu's room.

Gently push open the door, and inside is an old wooden bed and a low wooden box, on which sits a withered wildflower.

Ye Ci walked over and casually rummaged through the wooden box. There were very few clothes inside. The red undergarment was patched and felt rough to the touch, but it was clean.

Reluctant to spend money.

He felt quite embarrassed; he couldn't very well buy her underwear.

However, Shen Wanzhou will probably give him some money, even though rich people like him often don't keep their word...

Throughout the journey, Shen Wanzhou did not mention the matter of marrying off his daughter, and Ye Ci did not want to argue with him, but felt that the other party would eventually show some kind of gesture.

I am also a hidden expert, and even if I am not as prominent as Xiao Hua, I am sure that five hundred taels of silver is worth it.

I imagine that the old man is taking a bath right now.

It's been pickled for several days, and just thinking about it makes my throat churn.

The market in the county was bustling with activity, crowded with people.

Grandma Li, Mumu, and Yaoyao sat neatly together, with bamboo baskets and bamboo houses in front of them, watching the crowds coming and going.

"Come and see..." Yao Yao called out loudly, her clear voice carrying a touch of cuteness.

Grandma Li whispered to Mumu, "Our family's money doesn't come easily; every penny has to be carefully calculated. I heard that Xiaoci's Qi and Blood Powder costs three taels of silver per dose. That's so expensive; no amount of silver would be enough to cover it..."

Mumu agrees. Every month, there are expenses for the family's food and drink, as well as rent... It's all going to be spent sooner or later.

She didn't want Ye Ci to go out and kill people at night.

Just then, a carriage forcefully pushed through the crowd, and a middle-aged man in a blue silk robe jumped out, stumbling as he did so.

"Oh my! What are you doing here? I couldn't find you at your house, I asked around everywhere... Luckily I was quick-witted and asked the landlord."

The man's voice was loud and clear, respectful, almost boastful.

Mrs. Li quickly stood up, flustered and unsure of what to say.

Who called me grandma?

"Madam, I'm a servant of the Shen family. You can call me Steward Pang. Oh... your grandson's name is Ye Ci, right?"

"Yes." Mrs. Li nodded.

"That's perfect! Why did you come to the market to set up a stall yourself? It's so sunny and windy; you mustn't tire yourself out. This kind of work isn't for you!"

People around them began to give them strange looks.

The Shen family?!

Which Shen family?!

Regardless of which Shen family it was, their respectful tone was almost excessive.

Behind Steward Pang were two servants dressed in short jackets and with straight backs, carrying wooden canes to make people take a detour, making them particularly conspicuous in the crowd.

Both Li and Mumu were a little nervous. The other party said "the Shen family," but they didn't know them at all. Li knew someone surnamed Shen who had a stall in a rural market town.

Was it for his grandson Ye Ci?

Shen Fu's tone became increasingly respectful: "Madam, please get in the car. Master will be hosting a welcome banquet for you tonight..."

Li looked at the carriage; the ebony carriage was polished to a shine, and the curtains were made of the finest brocade, clearly something only a wealthy family would have.

She was still worried that the other person had mistaken her for someone else.