bookpub Chapter 74 Routine Drills
Chapter 74 Routine Drills
Hou Tong's monkey boxing received a second-class award.
The next few drills.
Most of the candidates were from neighboring counties.
Although there are some who follow the proper human martial arts, most of them are these imitative boxing styles.
There are styles like the Wild Bull Fist, the Rock Sheep Fist, and even the Sand Wolf Fist and the Giant Bear Fist, all of which carry a primitive and ferocious aura.
In contrast, the martial arts practitioners and scions of established families in Yueya County practice their routines in a much more conventional and straightforward manner.
Aside from the Eagle Claw and Iron Finger techniques I had seen before, the fist, palm, and leg techniques of the Kang, Yin, and Yan families were even more profound and solidly grounded.
They all seem to have the influence of military martial arts.
"Number 25, Crescent Moon County, Liu Sheng!"
With encouragement from his seniors, Liu Sheng steadily walked onto the front desk.
He first bowed to the five examiners from the righteous army on the judge's bench.
Then, holding his breath and concentrating, he slowly opened the small frame of Bajiquan, starting with the Liangyi stance, as steady as a mountain.
Next came the Lion's Small Mouth, Cross Fist, Soaring Palm, Closing Elbow, Joined Hands, Overlord Lifting the Tripod... Each move was clear in its power and rhythm.
Liu Sheng did not deliberately pursue speed or fancy moves. Every punch and palm strike was solid and powerful. His waist and stance were in harmony, and his power originated from the ground, passed through his spine, and reached his limbs.
In particular, the iconic posture of sinking the shoulders and dropping the elbows, and exhaling force, fully demonstrates the characteristics of Bajiquan, such as a stable lower body and the ability to generate power through breath.
During his movements, his skin became radiant, with a subtle jade-like sheen that contrasted strangely with his powerful punches.
Below the stage, the Eagle Sect Master and the Iron Sect Master frowned, feeling that Liu Sheng was not a newcomer who had just entered the ninth rank, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what was wrong.
Until the entire set of punches is completed.
Liu Sheng stood up, his breathing even and long.
[External Training Method: Bajiquan (4356/5000 Minor Success)]
Seeing this, the five examiners on the judging panel exchanged a few words in hushed tones. General Wang, who was in the lead position, pointed to the list with his pen, and one of the deputy examiners announced loudly:
"Number 25, Liu Sheng."
"Routine drill, Grade B!"
This result was within Liu Sheng's expectations. His proficiency was still at a beginner level, and it was unlikely to impress the examiners. A grade of B would be sufficient.
If Shi Suo gets another B grade in weightlifting, he'll be guaranteed a spot in the second round.
Later on, the Kang and Yin families, as well as the Eagle Claw Sect and Iron Finger Sect, each produced a first-class student!
Every time the "Grade A" was announced, it caused quite a stir on the spot.
Most of the other scions of prominent families were also ranked second-class, which shows the depth and influence of the three families.
Although a few independent martial artists did their best to demonstrate their skills with impressive power, the examiners, who came from the rebel army, were accustomed to exquisite martial arts and practical techniques.
I felt that these rogue cultivators were weak and unreliable, and most of them only received a grade of C.
Not to mention, there were about a hundred people who only received the lowest grade, which was even worse than those hardworking rogue cultivators.
These hundred or so people were eliminated immediately.
The sun grew stronger.
The first round of routine drills has finally come to an end.
General Wang reminded the candidates who passed the test to find a place to eat nearby and have a good meal.
In the afternoon at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), I had the energy to lift weights with a stone lock.
The assistant examiner also loudly reminded them:
"The imperial court places great importance on the military examinations. All candidates who passed the provincial examinations can enjoy a 20% discount on food and drinks at all restaurants in Yueya County by presenting their identification tokens!"
They felt the importance the imperial court placed on the candidates.
Liu Sheng now has some money and is grateful to his senior brother Lu You and his second senior sister Yang Hongliu for accompanying him to participate in the provincial examination and for patiently answering his questions.
Looking at it now, it's amazing that there are such great deals like this.
"Senior Brother, Senior Sister Yang, which restaurant would you like to eat at?" Liu Sheng asked.
"Wouldn't it be perfect to go to my family's Red Mansion Restaurant?"
Yang Hongliu was somewhat puzzled. Wasn't her own restaurant the best choice?
Liu Sheng said that the court said it would offer an 80% discount, but the government would definitely not subsidize the 20% discount that was removed. What if this bankrupted his senior sister's family?
"Hahaha, don't worry, junior brother, even at a 60% discount, we won't lose money!"
So, seizing the opportunity, we decided to have lunch at the Hongliu Restaurant.
By the way, this is also a celebration of last night's success.
Liu Sheng naturally booked a private room, which would allow him to pay extra for the room and let his second senior sister earn more.
"Where is Master?"
He then realized that Gao Huang was gone.
The eldest brother knows his master better.
Knowing that their master preferred quiet to noise, they specially set aside time for the fellow disciples to be alone.
So Lu You bid farewell to the other disciples.
He then took Yang and Liu and headed towards the Red Willow Restaurant.
Noon.
The lobby of Hongliu Restaurant was bustling with noise.
The place was packed with candidates for the provincial examination, along with their relatives, friends, teachers, and elders.
Hou Tong achieved a Grade B in routine practice this morning thanks to his impressive monkey fist technique.
At this moment, he was following behind Master He, his shoulders hunched and his emaciated belly tucked in.
Try to make yourself less conspicuous.
He had only eaten a dry, hard grain pancake that morning, and after completing a set of monkey boxing, he was already starving, his stomach rumbling loudly, which could be heard even by the passing waiters in the noisy lobby.
Master He didn't even glance at him. He only brought a few ninth-rank guards, and the group swaggered over to occupy a table that had just been cleared out.
Take the opportunity to sit down.
Of course, Hou Tong was not among those who were seated.
He could only stand on the sidelines.
As the steaming roasted lamb leg, the glistening braised beef, and the whole roasted chicken were served one after another, the rich aroma wafted into Hou Tong's nose.
He couldn't help but swallow hard, his eyes practically glued to the plates of meat.
Master He and his guards ate and drank heartily, without even glancing at him.
Hou Tong held in his hand two leftover cold pancakes and a piece of dried bean curd from the morning. The pancakes were dry and the dried bean curd was hard, making them look particularly meager in front of the delicacies on the table.
His face flushed red, and he was at a loss for what to do.
After hesitating for a long time, Hou Tong finally mustered up his courage, took a small step forward, and pleaded in a low voice:
"Sir, sir, we still have to lift stone weights this afternoon. Could you... could you give me a piece of meat? I'd like to add some strength so I can get a second-class grade this afternoon."
At that moment, Master He was focused on tearing into a lamb leg, and upon hearing this, he paused in his eating.
His greasy face showed an expression of disgust.
As if only then noticing the existence of this "money-losing bastard," he casually tossed the lamb bones at Hou Tong's feet.
"Meat? You little monkey, do you even deserve to eat meat? You won't pay back the money. I've already been very merciful by giving you pancakes and tofu every day!"
Master He scoffed.
It turns out that this Master He is the same Master He that Li Ying mentioned the other day.
They had previously set their sights on Li Ying's younger brother, sending men to their door twice to try and snatch him away. The first time, the martial artists were too weak and had to retreat; the other time, they ran into Cao Dahuang, a martial arts scholar, and could only flee.
Master He summarized his experience and lessons learned, and came to the conclusion that it would be best to bring along a martial arts scholar of the eighth rank!
However, such a person was not someone that Master He could easily persuade, so on the advice of other masters, a more economical method was used.
Go to the demon warriors, buy their essence blood, choose children from poor families, and sign contracts of servitude.
They took him in as a servant and made him practice the art of imitating the style of martial arts.
Then they brought him to take the martial arts exam to become a scholar.
It was a bit of a hassle, but it was still easier and cheaper than directly hiring an eighth-rank martial arts scholar.
But what Master He didn't know was how domineering the blood essence of the demon warriors was; after using just three drops, three innocent, impoverished boys died.
Until the fourth person, Hou Tong, finally survived and even mastered Monkey Fist, reaching the eighth rank.
That's like how Master He skinned alive.
Naturally, the blame for the first three drops of blood essence was placed on Hou Tong!
"Do you know how much money I've lost on you? You're a worthless piece of trash, and you still want to eat meat?"