My cultivation method shines upon all heavens.

Zhou Tao's expression changed drastically, and she forcibly turned her body around.

But the immense inertia, like a wild horse unleashed, dragged him forward relentlessly.

Just then, Zhang Yuquan, who was ahead, also noticed the unusual movement behind him.

His martial arts instincts made his back tense, and his body subconsciously swerved to the side.

The movement was extremely fast, but ultimately it was a beat too slow.

"boom--!"

The two men, along with the iron bricks, tumbled out, splashing mud and water everywhere with a muffled thud.

In order to protect Zhang Yuquan, Zhou Tao was hit in the chest by a falling brick, blood kept flowing from the corner of her mouth, and she collapsed to the ground.

"hateful!"

Zhang Yuquan struggled to his feet, covered in mud, and angrily slapped the mud pit beneath him.

He didn't even glance at Zhou Tao, but instead glared at Lu Ming with a ferocious expression.

Lu Ming calmly adjusted the iron brick on his back and continued walking.

As he crossed the finish line after running three laps, the incense stick in the incense burner was burning down to its last wisp; the embers flickered briefly before going out.

Zhang Yuquan and the other candidates have all been eliminated.

In the stands, Liu Zhiyuan slowly straightened up, his eyes slightly narrowed.

After a long pause, he chuckled softly, stroked his long beard, and said leisurely:

"Interesting. He's mastered the Wild Bull Fist. It turns out this kid was holding back. I was completely misjudging him."

He turned and swept his gaze across the crowd, his tone gentle yet brooking no argument:

"It's rare that I'm in such a good mood today. For this third martial arts demonstration, let's skip the fighting and just practice the forms. What do you think?"

Wang An's smile froze for a second, but he quickly recovered and bowed respectfully.

"Since you have such an interest, then we will do as you say."

A gloomy look flashed across the depths of his lowered eyes.

Lu Ming's strength was indeed beyond his expectations.

But so what?

If he wanted to, he could ruin someone's chances with just a glance.

What he truly couldn't figure out was Liu Zhiyuan.

The third match was originally supposed to be a martial arts contest, but he had planned to make special arrangements for it.

Not only can we give the Zhang family face, but we can also enjoy watching this kid's desperate wailing.

But Liu Zhiyuan's casual remark completely ruined their carefully laid-out backup plan.

What exactly is this upright and just official up to?

Not only Wang An, but all the gentry present had the same question in their minds.

But on the surface, they all bowed and agreed, praising his wisdom, and dared not utter a single word of opposition.

The atmosphere on stage was subtle, but the martial arts test continued as usual.

The third event is a martial arts demonstration.

After the first two rounds of selection, only thirteen people are qualified to enter this stage.

Fan Wu rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with barely concealed excitement:

"Great! No need to fight back, Liu Sanchi has finally done something good."

Reaching this point is the best result he has achieved in over twenty years of exams, not to mention he doesn't have to worry about being attacked in the ring.

Lu Ming was also quite surprised by the temporarily changed rules, and looked up at the high platform.

Liu Zhiyuan was calmly blowing on the tea leaves in his teacup, as if nothing had happened.

The martial arts demonstration begins.

One after another, they took turns practicing basic boxing stances on the semi-dry muddy ground in the center of the training ground.

Liu Zhiyuan, Wang An, and the other family heads in the stands each took out their pens to score, occasionally whispering a few words to each other.

When it was Lu Ming's turn, he stepped in without holding back.

A set of "Wild Bull Fist" is performed with fierce and fluid movements, with punches that carry the wind and feet that land with a sound.

Many people in the audience gasped in surprise.

Then Fan Wu took the stage, also using the "Wild Bull Fist." Although its power was unremarkable, its strength lay in its solidity and skill.

After the two left the field, Lu Ming stood on the sidelines and continued to watch.

The next person to appear, a woman and two men, made his expression suddenly turn serious.

The martial arts they practiced weren't much higher than Lu Ming's in terms of skill level, but their power was incomparable.

His intuition told him that if he faced the enemy head-on, he would most likely be no match for him.

Fan Wu pulled out his pipe again at some point, squatted down, took two deep drags, and exhaled two puffs of smoke.

He looked at the three men, his voice tinged with helplessness:

"That's a Spiritual Classic-level martial art. Its foundation-building effect far surpasses that of a low-level fist and foot technique like the Wild Bull Fist."

"Even a low-grade spiritual manual, once mastered, will give you three times the strength of the 'Raging Bull Fist'."

He looked at Lu Ming and said in a low voice, "The four great clans in the city all have the Spiritual Scripture Martial Arts as the foundation of their clan. It has been passed down for generations to build the foundation we have today."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming was taken aback, and a hint of longing appeared in his eyes.

Such power for a martial art of the Spiritual Classic level.

What about the spiritual scriptures?

He lowered his eyes, and the scroll of life's ups and downs unfolded quietly in his gaze.

Amidst the swirling white mist, the mountains and rivers could be vaguely seen rising and falling in the clouds.

Does possessing the Heavenly Heart Scroll mean... that I possess all possibilities?

For a moment, my heart was filled with surging emotions.

"Very good. Today's martial arts demonstration proves that the martial spirit of Yinhu County still exists."

At this moment, the last person finished their rehearsal, and Liu Zhiyuan slowly stood up, smiling as he looked down at the audience.

"The martial arts examination has now concluded. The results will be posted at the county government office in three days."

He spoke succinctly and then left the room first.

Wang An followed closely behind, and the heads of the various families also stood up, their expressions different. They nodded slightly to the audience below the stage and then left one after another.

Below the stands, the crowd bowed respectfully and then dispersed in twos and threes.

In the alley, Lu Ming and Fan Wuyin moved quietly forward in the shadows of the corner.

As darkness fell, the sounds of prayer and worship echoed from the dilapidated low houses on both sides of the street.

"Do good deeds and accumulate virtue, and peace will naturally follow..."

"By following the Way of Peace, one can attain a peaceful life..."

Every now and then, a dark figure would suddenly dart into a house.

Soon, the sounds of a struggle, the cracking of objects, and then suppressed sobs could be heard from inside the house.

The two ignored him, but quickened their pace slightly in unison.

As we entered the southern part of the city, the chanting and wailing gradually faded into the distance.

Fan Wu breathed a slight sigh of relief, slowed his pace, turned to look at Lu Ming, and forced a relieved smile onto his old face:

"You performed so well today, you're sure to pass the exam with flying colors."

Lu Ming paused, his expression flickering in the dim alleyway lights.

"Maybe."

Fan Wu was taken aback upon hearing this. Zhang Yuquan and Zhou Tao had been eliminated, but given Lu Ming's performance today, he should be a shoo-in for the next round.

But considering the collusion between powerful figures and the government, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly.

It was a stroke of luck that Lu Ming was able to return alive from the training ground.

As for whether they can get into high school... that's no longer something they can control.

He sighed deeply, said goodbye to Lu Ming at the alley entrance, and his hunched figure slowly disappeared into the darkness.

Lu Ming watched him leave, then stealthily made his way back to his own courtyard gate.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door, two short knocks followed by one long one—a pre-arranged signal between the mother and son.

"Squeak—"

The wooden door opened a crack, and Shen Ru's face peeked out, her eyes full of concern.

She pulled Lu Ming into the inner room, brushing the dust off his clothes as she asked anxiously:

"Ming'er, how was your day? Are you hungry? I'll go heat up some food for you."

Before Lu Ming could reply, she had already gone into the kitchen and started working on her own.

The clattering of pots and pans echoed in the dim stove fire for a while, and soon the food was served.

An egg and a plate of green vegetables.

Oil is scarce, vegetables are blanched in plain water, and salt is used sparingly.

After her husband's death, the family's remaining wealth was almost entirely extorted by corrupt officials.

This was the only thing Shen Ru could find in the entire kitchen that could be considered "nourishing".

She sat to the side, quietly watching Lu Ming eat.

"Mother, is there anything unusual today?" Lu Ming asked softly, picking up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks.

Shen Ru pursed her lips and remained silent for a few moments before finally giving in to Lu Ming's gaze.

Although she didn't want her son to worry, she was even less willing to drag him down by being too clever for his own good.

She frowned slightly, recalling as she spoke:

"When I went out to get laundry work with Aunt Zhang today, I kept feeling like someone was following me. And..."

"Recently, the attitude of those wealthy clients has become much worse. We've lowered our fees again and again, but we still can't get any work."

Lu Ming paused in his act of picking up food.

He put down his chopsticks, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Aunt Wang, Aunt Li, haven't they been with you lately?"

Shen Ru's eyes darkened for a moment, then she slowly nodded.

Lu Ming didn't press the matter further. He simply picked up his chopsticks again, shoveled the last mouthful of rice into his mouth, and then looked up and smiled.

"It's alright. Everything will be fine once I achieve fame and success."

Shen Ru's eyes lit up, and a smile immediately appeared on her haggard face.

At night, Lu Ming lay on the wooden bed, staring straight at the roof beams.

"The Zhang family... Wang An... won't they leave me a way to survive?"

"I must obtain this martial arts examination degree!"

As he muttered to himself, his eyelids gradually grew heavy.

……

The next morning, Lu Ming was awakened by a rapid heartbeat.

The image of a galloping bull in his mind had not yet faded, and his blood surged like a tide, with a scalding heat flowing through his body.

He sat up abruptly, instinctively looking down into his eyes:

Martial Arts: Raging Bull Fist (Unskilled; Perfect 10/400)

"Overnight... the Wild Bull Fist has surpassed the Great Mastery and entered the Perfection stage."

He rolled out of bed and slowly clenched his fists in front of him.

Her skin was firm and smooth, with a faint bronze glow in the morning light.

The surprises the Heavenly Heart Scroll brought him grew ever greater.

He could almost feel his internal strength increasing every moment.

He pushed open the door. The morning mist in the courtyard had not yet dissipated, and Shen Ru was already busy in the kitchen.

After breakfast, Lu Ming accompanied her out to return the clothes that had dried the day before to the various wealthy households.

However, no sooner had they left than the gossipy old woman's voice began to buzz behind them:

"That Lu family brat really doesn't know what's good for him. He offended the Zhang family, and now we're all suffering because of him. The higher-ups have said that we're not allowed to assign any more work to the Lu family."

"Isn't this inappropriate? We've been neighbors for years, and besides, I heard Lu Ming has a good chance of passing the imperial examinations..."

"Hmph! What academic achievement? In Yinhu County, you're going against the Zhang family and you still want to pass the imperial examinations? You're dreaming! With just one word from the Zhang family patriarch, even the county magistrate will have to give you some face."

"Sigh...this world..."

The sound echoed slowly through the alley.

Shen Ru's face was somewhat pale, and she tightly hugged the wooden basin in her arms.

Lu Ming gently squeezed her hand, and the warmth from his palm made her tremble slightly.

"Mom, it's alright. I'm here."

Shen Ru looked up at her son's gentle face and, for some reason, felt a sudden sense of peace.

She nodded, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

Just as she relaxed slightly, her body suddenly shrank.

Lu Ming followed her gaze.

At the end of the alley, a burly figure huddled in the shadows of a corner.

On his pale face, a pair of venomous eyes swept over Shen Ru with ill intent.

"It's this person..."

Shen Ru unconsciously leaned towards her son's side, her voice trembling:

"I've passed by my house quite often these past few months."

Lu Ming's eyes narrowed.

The other person's figure shrank back the moment he looked over and disappeared into the alley.

"Zhou Tao!"

His pupils contracted slightly, and he finally understood why he felt a sense of familiarity when he first met the other person.

The fact that the other party has been targeting the Lu family for months indicates that the plan was set up long before the martial arts examination.

"Wang An... or the Zhang family?"

He suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, put his arm around his mother's shoulder, pulled her closer to his side, and quickened his pace toward home.

After returning home and settling his distraught mother, Lu Ming pushed open the door and headed towards the county government office.

Whether he can pass the high school entrance exam has nothing to do with his performance on the school field; it all depends on Liu Zhiyuan's decision.

As the head of the county government, Liu Zhiyuan couldn't possibly ignore the Zhang family's reputation.

He cannot sit idly by and wait for his death.

At the entrance of the county government office, two stone lions squatted in the morning light, while two constables leaned against them, chatting and laughing idly.

A horse-drawn carriage was parked outside the side gate of the county government office.

Lu Ming dodged into the alley opposite and disappeared into the shadows.

After a short while, the Zhang family patriarch, with a ruddy complexion and a smile, walked out of the door.

Zhang Yuquan followed closely behind him.

The two boarded the carriage, the curtain fell, and the sound of horses' hooves clattered away into the distance.

"Has an agreement been reached...?"

Lu Ming muttered to himself, then turned and left.

After turning through several streets and alleys and passing through a long street paved with bluestone slabs, we finally stopped in front of a large house.

Above the gate hangs a black lacquered plaque with two large characters: Liu Mansion.

As dusk settled in, lights began to illuminate the streets and alleys one by one.

After nightfall, a small blue sedan chair landed in front of the mansion.

The sedan curtain was lifted, and Liu Zhiyuan leaned out, straightened his clothes, and was about to climb the steps.

Just then, a figure suddenly darted out from the shadows beside the door and stood steadily about ten feet in front of Liu Zhiyuan.

Lu Ming bowed deeply and spoke in a deep voice:

"My lord, would you like a sharp blade?"