From a slave to the Great Qian Martial Saint

"Now, let me explain the rules for the third round of assessment."

Before Gu Tingliang could give any instructions, Hua Jieyu got up and walked to the four of them.

"Compared to the first two rounds, this third round is much simpler. It's just that the four of you will fight over one item. Whoever has the item by sunrise tomorrow morning will pass."

really.

After listening to the flower's explanation, Chen Shi sighed inwardly.

This third round was indeed a "martial arts contest".

It has already been made very clear that to steal something, since it is stealing, one must naturally rely on force.

Moreover, Gu Tingliang said from the beginning that only one person would win in the end.

The crucial moment comes in this third round, where four people compete to determine who will emerge victorious.

To put it simply, the first two rounds are just basic screening; this third round is the decisive one.

"Alright, it's almost noon, you guys go eat and rest first. The third round of assessments won't start until tonight."

Hua Jieyu smiled and said again.

It's only noon now. Even if we eat and rest, it should only take an hour at most. Why do we have to wait until evening?

Or rather, why deliberately set aside half a day?

As they were talking, Gu Tingliang got up and left. After giving his instructions, Hua Jieyu and the group of maids also left.

The remaining four, including Chen Shi, exchanged glances, turned around, and walked out of the side hall.

No one spoke, and they all dispersed.

While pondering, Chen Shi first went to the canteen to get his food, and then carried it to the medicine hut.

It was noon, and Mu Yunsheng was preparing to eat. She was alone, with only a small bowl of rice and two simple side dishes, one meat and one vegetable.

Seeing Chen Shi come over, he moved the bowls and plates to the side to make room.

Chen Shi took out his food and, as usual, sat down to eat with Mu Yunsheng.

While eating, he was still thinking about the third round of assessments.

After finishing his meal, Chen Shi had figured things out.

"Is time specifically allocated for lobbying and mediation?"

This third round of assessment, while seemingly a contest of physical strength, is indeed primarily a contest of physical strength.

The Great Qian Dynasty was founded on military strength, so how could the steward of the Jing'an Marquis's mansion be weak in martial arts?

However, as the steward, he cannot simply be a brute with high martial arts skills.

The first two rounds of assessments revealed the true nature of this selection process; they always seem to be smuggling in their own agendas.

In fact, besides martial arts skills, this third round also tests Chen Shi and his team's adaptability.

After all, if it were simply a contest of strength, one could simply set up a ring and have a one-on-one match. But now, four people are placed together, and they are also fighting over an item, which introduces many variables.

In such a complex environment, whoever can assess the situation and act accordingly is more likely to achieve final victory!

From this perspective, the third round of assessment has already begun.

In a four-way battle, only one person can emerge victorious. Without overwhelming strength, the best strategy is to rally allies and eliminate the others first.

Although in the end, the allies will inevitably have to fight it out, their chances of winning are much greater than in a four-way battle.

The reason for setting aside half a day was to allow Chen Shi and his group to interact and form alliances.

Because allies can become enemies, there are many intricacies involved in choosing who to ally with and how to form an alliance.

This short half-day was quite a test.

"Oh."

Having figured all this out, Chen Shi simply smiled.

What does it have to do with him?

Because it's simply impossible for anyone to ally with him!

At this time, there were four people. The other three were sixth-rank martial artists, while Chen Shi was the only seventh-rank.

If they form alliances in pairs, forming an alliance with Chen Shi would mean that one seventh-rank official and one sixth-rank official would have to deal with two sixth-rank officials, which would surely lead to defeat.

To put it more bluntly, whoever allies with Chen Shi is destined to lose.

Given this, unless someone is a fool, no one would want to ally with Chen Shi.

Those who pass the first two rounds of assessments are no fools.

"One person is fine!"

Already the weakest, and now all alone, Chen Shi's chances of winning in this third round of assessment are getting smaller and smaller.

Even so, he could not give up.

His expression suddenly turned serious; it was time to go all out!

Of course, going all out doesn't mean fighting head-on; that's what a reckless person does.

Since his cultivation level was weaker than the other three and he couldn't fight them head-on, he could only outsmart them.

The question is how to outsmart them...

Chen Shi sat there, deep in thought.

Mu Yunsheng put away the bowls and chopsticks and went about her own business without disturbing Chen Shi.

Nearly an hour later, Chen Shi suddenly got up and left.

He went straight out of the Marquis's residence and wandered around the streets for the better part of an hour.

Seeing that it was getting late, they returned.

"Chen Shi".

As soon as I entered the Marquis's residence, a man walked towards me.

He was one of the remaining three candidates, the senior manager, named Wang Qinghe.

"Manager Wang."

Chen Shi stopped and bowed slightly.

Although both men were in charge, Wang Qinghe was already over fifty years old, and his age and seniority far exceeded Chen Shi's, so he should be given some respect.

At the same time, Chen Shi couldn't help but wonder.

Wang Qinghe was clearly after him. The third round of assessments was about to begin. Why did Wang Qinghe want to see him? Did he want to form an alliance with him?

That shouldn't be the case.

Perhaps Wang Qing and the other two were rejected in their alliance attempt, so they had no choice but to turn to Chen Shi as a second-best option.

If that's the case, then it's worth considering.

Having a helper is always better than being alone.

"In the third round of assessment later, you will be my subordinate. Help me defeat the other two and seize the token! Once I become the steward, I will not treat you unfairly."

Wang Qing got straight to the point, slightly raising his head, looking superior.

Ok?

Chen Shi, who was already prepared to accept Wang Qinghe's invitation, was taken aback.

What did that old guy just say? Become his subordinate?

Coming to his senses, Chen Shi sneered, "What a joke."

"I appreciate Manager Wang's kindness, but unfortunately, I have no such intention."

"You refuse?"

Wang Qing frowned, looking at Chen Shi with some confusion, and then asked.

"Have those two already come to see you, and have you agreed to be with one of them?"

No.

"Since they didn't contact you, why did you reject me?"

"Oh."

Chen Shi sneered again, looking at Wang Qinghe with a serious expression.

"Has Manager Wang forgotten that I am also one of the competitors?"

"you?"

Wang Qinghe sized up Chen Shi, a look of disdain on his face.

"What are you dreaming about? This third round of testing is all about strength. Do you really think you can pass with some clever tricks like you did in the first two rounds? You're dreaming!"

"Whether it's wishful thinking or daydreaming, you have to compare to know for sure."

"Haha! How ridiculous!"

Wang Qing laughed twice, his gaze towards Chen Shi growing increasingly disdainful.

"How can you, a mere seventh-rank martial artist, possibly win against three sixth-rank warriors? Abandon your unrealistic expectations and become my subordinate; that's the best choice for you!"

"If we don't see eye to eye, there's no point in saying more. Let's see how it goes during the competition."

Chen Shi was too lazy to waste words with Wang Qing, so he said one sentence and left.

"……act recklessly!"

Watching Chen Shi's retreating figure, Wang Qing stood there with a gloomy expression, and after a long while let out a heavy, cold snort.