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

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Commandant Qin waved his hand:

"Stop! I was poisoned last night, let me catch my breath!"

He looked at Ye Ci nonchalantly, thinking that anyone who wasn't a fool would stop.

call--

This palm strike showed absolutely no mercy.

Qin Lie's eyes narrowed, and he took a half step back, the palm striking towards his chest.

"boom--"

A muffled thud shook the surrounding air slightly. Qin Lie felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow. His already slightly dark cheeks first flushed red, then turned even darker.

The blow made his stomach churn, and he almost vomited.

He forced himself to straighten up.

Ye Ci calmly withdrew his hand: "I am not proficient in the techniques I just used, and forcibly withdrawing them may cause me injury."

The implication was that he chose to be injured rather than allow Qin Duwei to be injured.

"However, Captain's physical strength is truly remarkable. Even without dodging, I would hardly be able to get hurt in the slightest."

Ye Ci offered a polite compliment, then respectfully cupped his hands in a gesture of respect:

"I am completely convinced and admit defeat."

Qin Lie was stunned for a long time before slowly putting away his gun.

What can I say?

Your hidden strength almost made me, a martial artist with the inner strength of a hidden force, vomit.

"Don't try to beat around the bush with me. With your skills, even an ordinary Grandmaster of Internal Energy would suffer."

Qin Lie wasn't trying to save face; he believed that some people in the room could tell.

Sure enough, Yang Shi nodded slightly from below the stage.

But the entire room erupted in uproar, with hushed whispers emanating from below.

A person with hidden strength who can unleash the power of neutral strength—that's an astonishingly high level of skill.

Why is this person so young, previously unknown, yet valued only by the Shen family?

The other martial arts masters, who were also at the level of school masters, stroked their beards and sighed, thinking to themselves that Master Yang was quite cunning, actually lying that this person had inferior aptitude.

At this moment, many people present were whispering about the matter.

It seems that Rock Martial Arts Academy has two promising disciples this time: Xiao Hua in the open and Ye Ci in the shadows. Both are promising talents that Master Yang wants to cultivate.

"He's clearly of inferior talent!"

Xiao Hua's face froze completely, replaced by confusion and self-doubt.

He's so amazing, what am I, a genius, compared to him?!

Commandant Qin surveyed his surroundings, quite satisfied with the performance below the stage. He then glanced sideways at Ye Ci:

"Do you understand the profound meaning behind my words today? Hiding your abilities will only make people look down on you. Only by showing your true strength can you earn their respect and make even the most petty people feel awe."

"I am in dire need of someone as capable as you under my command. If you are willing to join my ranks, I, Qin Lie, guarantee you a bright future. Whether you pursue martial arts or become an official, I will do everything in my power to pave the way for you."

Ye Ci was slightly taken aback, then cupped his hands in greeting: "Thank you for your kind words, Commandant. However, I have not yet taken the martial arts exam and have no intention of serving you at the moment. Please forgive me, Commandant."

The captain was only a local official, and even the five great families had to show him respect, but Ye Ci felt that Qin Lie was still being presumptuous.

A bright future?

Qin Lie was not angry; instead, he nodded approvingly.

"It's alright, we can discuss this later."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Lie turned to look at everyone at the banquet, his expression suddenly darkening. He glanced around the room and slowly began to speak:

"Today was supposed to be a routine banquet, but did you all know I was making such a big deal out of it and inviting so many people?"

The entire room fell silent instantly. Everyone held their breath and stared at Qin Lie, instinctively feeling that the captain's eyes had suddenly become more murderous.

"A few days ago, someone in the county secretly laid an ambush on Ye Ci, intending to kill him."

Qin Lie's voice was icy: "So, I said that Ye Ci was too reserved and was underestimated... Last night, someone attacked the Shen residence again to kill Ye Ci, and I personally took action!"

"What?!"

Exclamations rose and fell, and everyone's faces showed shock as they looked at each other with eyes full of astonishment and doubt.

Feng Ji, sitting in the audience, felt a sudden tightness in his chest and subconsciously lowered his head.

It was Commandant Qin who made the move last night. What is his relationship with Ye Ci?

His mind raced, and he quickly grasped Commandant Qin's deeper meaning. A sinister glint then appeared on his lips, almost imperceptibly.

No one knew that it was Qin Duwei who was going to take action; he was simply a talent enthusiast.

So... no matter how powerful you are, Ye Ci, it's still internal strength.

Now you're playing your cards open.

As long as their movements are understood, they can still launch a sneak attack.

Feng Ji was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he became even more resolute.

His gaze swept over the beautiful and elegant figure among the guests, and he became even more determined to believe that Ye Ci was doomed.

Qin Lie put his hands behind his back and slowly swept his gaze over everyone present, whether they were representatives of various families or martial arts instructors from martial arts schools.

"I can tell you definitively that the person who intended to assassinate Ye Ci is definitely among you."

One sentence brought the atmosphere in the room to a freezing point, and everyone fell silent, not daring to utter a sound.

"If there were no conflict of interest, given Ye Ci's low-key nature, where would he have made enemies? In Songjiang County, the people with any standing are people like you."

"I hereby warn everyone that Ye Ci is someone I, Qin Lie, have taken a liking to. He resides in the Shen residence, and therefore the Shen residence is under my protection. From this day forward, anyone who dares to harbor any other intentions, regardless of their family or power, will be an enemy of me, Qin Lie!"

"I'm leaving this at that; you'd better watch yourself!"

These words were like thunder.

The representatives from each family wore different expressions, filled with shock, confusion, and envy...

The Shen family now truly possesses both power and wealth, unmatched by anyone in Songjiang County.

Ye Ci cupped his hands again, speaking respectfully, "Thank you for your protection, Commandant."

In fact, this matter had both advantages and disadvantages for Ye Ci. The advantage was that the captain did provide protection, but it also put him in the spotlight.

But then I thought, becoming a retainer of the Shen family is a step into the limelight, and it would be good to show some of my skills so that I wouldn't be targeted by some people.

This gesture clearly showed Commandant Qin's appreciation for talent, and Ye Ci remembered it.

If I had known this would happen, why did I bother avoiding him?

Perhaps because they had seen so many beasts, it was truly difficult to trust a captain like Qin Lie.

Finally, the banquet ended.

Qin Lie led him to the council hall of the county military camp.

"sit."

Qin Lie sat in the head seat, while the Commandant Cheng sat below with Ye Ci.

Qin Lie's gaze was intense: "You're from the Jianwu Army? You started as a scout, but unfortunately you were just an ordinary person and couldn't get promoted. Now it's different; you have a bright future ahead of you..."

Ye Ci quickly interrupted, clasping his hands in a fist and saying, "You flatter me, sir."

"You brat!" Qin Lie laughed. "I've been in the army for twenty-three years. I was just a soldier like you, but now I'm a captain... Let's not talk about my past for now."

"Previously, I wanted to take down the Black Tiger Gang and make some deals with a certain lord, but I didn't expect you to ruin things. Fortunately, I am very resourceful and managed to wipe out both gangs. To be honest, I have also made a significant increase in my military funds."

"Sir, you are indeed brave and resourceful," Ye Ci replied.

Qin Lie glanced at him sideways and thought the kid looked honest and spoke very sincerely, as if it came from the heart.

He continued, "Now, the whole country is in chaos, but Songjiang County is peaceful and safe under my rule. The imperial court has learned of this achievement and will surely give me an important position. You're exactly my type, which is why I personally invited you... Don't you really want this opportunity?"

Ye Ci replied dismissively, "My lord, I want to take the martial arts exam."

Qin Lie looked at Chen Chuan, the Commandant.

"Why is he so stubborn?"