"Ancestors preserve us!"
Li Qinglin roared, pouring all his inner qi into his right arm as he hurled a punch.
"…What a pity," a Core Formation cultivator from the Great Qin Imperial Academy sighed. The gap in their cultivation levels was insurmountable—this prodigy was doomed to be crippled.
Just as their fists were about to collide, a pair of pale, slender hands gently covered theirs. The surging qi and inner force dissolved instantly, as if swallowed by shadow.
"Master?"
Li Qinglin stared, bewildered. They were mid-battle—why was his mentor stepping in?
Guo Zipu, meanwhile, felt a chill run down his spine. Those delicate hands, though soft-seeming, weighed like mountains. With a single touch, his body stiffened, his dantian halted, and he couldn't so much as twitch a finger.
"Uh… Master Zhao, this is highly irregular. We're at a loss here," the referee said, bowing with a forced smile.
Ever since Zhao Xunan had disciplined the Thirteenth Prince's son and the officials had revealed his shocking background, the academy staff's attitude had flipped. A Second-Rank official, honored as a Barren Marsh prince and future imperial preceptor—no one dared slight him.
"Please, Master, do as you see fit," the referee pleaded.
Zhao Xunan nodded, his tone mild but firm. "My disciple is in danger. As her mentor, I can't stand idly by. Proceed by the rules—I have no objections."
The referee exhaled in relief. "Very well. Then… Li Qinglin, you'll be demoted to the lowest tier, Dingxia."
Li Qinglin, who'd fought so fiercely without shedding a tear, suddenly burst into sobs. Zhao Ping'er had explained the stakes: this battle was for their late master and mistress' posthumous honors. Failing to win would break his heart.
"Silly boy, why are you crying?" Zhao Xunan ruffled his hair, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "You still have your brother and Xiao Nuo'er. With their skills, they'll take the top tiers. Even if you all got Dingxia, so what? Do you think I can't handle a few martial candidates?"
Li Qinglin nodded, sniffling. Zhao Xunan couldn't help but smile—thirteen years old, and still so soft-hearted.
As they exited the arena, Zhao Xunan turned to Guo Zipu, who stood frozen. "Young man—look to the future. Don't drown in the past."
"Life goes on. There's always hope. Even if you're alone now, build a family for the Guo lineage. When you're old, won't you have a house full of kin?"
Guo Zipu looked up, meeting Zhao Xunan's sincere gaze. He clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
"Remember—avoid extremes. Leave room for mercy. In cultivation, karma and fate weave their threads. Heaven watches."
With that, Zhao Xunan led Li Qinglin back to their seats.
"Ping'er, I'm sorry. I lost," Li Qinglin mumbled.
Zhao Ping'er scoffed, threading a needle with thread and medicine. "You're such a stubborn mule. If you'd listened to your master and forfeited earlier, you'd have gotten an upper tier. Now look—you're stuck with Dingxia. Happy now?"
Li Qinglin buried his face in his hands and sobbed. Zhao Ping'er swatted his head. "Crybaby. Go clean the latrines—no slacking."
Li Qinglin perked up. Cleaning the academy's filth? That was a fate worse than death… but it did take his mind off the loss. He plopped down, gritting his teeth as Zhao Ping'er stitched his wounds.
Song Chuizi watched, grinning. Truly, the best caretaker in the Martial Arts Academy.
The written exam and formation drill took half a morning, but the sparring phase—an arena packed with nearly ten thousand spectators—ended in just over an hour, narrowing it to four finalists. Half of them were from the Martial Arts Academy.
The crowd's eyes widened. No one had expected this tiny academy (with just one master, one instructor, and three students) to produce such monsters.
The four finalists: Si Kong Nuo'er, Li Qingfeng, Guo Zipu, and a Great Qin candidate.
Many whispered: If Li Qinglin hadn't faced Guo Zipu, the Martial Arts Academy might've taken three of the top four. Unbelievable.
Originally, Xiao Nuo'er and Li Qingfeng were scheduled to fight. But since they were from the same academy, the Great Qin officials swapped their opponents: Xiao Nuo'er vs. Guo Zipu; Li Qingfeng vs. the Great Qin candidate.
First up: Li Qingfeng. The newly promoted Core Formation cultivator was outmatched in both experience and realm. He forfeited in under five moves.
Next: Xiao Nuo'er vs. Guo Zipu.
The crowd leaned forward. One was a fairy-like prodigy who'd stepped onto the cultivation path overnight; the other, a princess of Barren Marsh who'd crushed two Core Formation experts with bare fists the night before. This was must-see.
"Old Zhao—will Xiao Nuo'er be okay?" Song Chuizi asked, frowning.
Zhao Xunan glanced at him, amused. "What's with the weird tone?"
"She's just a kid—you're not thinking… perverted thoughts, are you?"
"Perverted? At eighteen, I'm hardly an old codger!"
Song Chuizi grumbled, but Zhao Xunan just chuckled. This kid's got a crush on Xiao Nuo'er, doesn't he?
Aloud, he said, "Xiao Nuo'er's going to be an empress someday. Her harem won't need a thousand beauties—just a handful. Wanna join? But remember: two years from now, you'll be sent to the Outer Three Mountains. By then, she'll be a young woman, and you'll be… a uncle."
Song Chuizi's face hardened. Zhao Xunan winked at Xiao Nuo'er and Guo Zipu, who were bowing politely. Song Chuizi's head drooped. Those two are monsters who started cultivating as kids. How can I compete?
"Master, I'm upset you hurt Li Qinglin," Xiao Nuo'er said, pouting.
Guo Zipu stayed silent for seven or eight breaths before replying, "So?"
"I'll beat you up."
"Oh."
Guo Zipu nodded, then added, "I'm older and stronger. I should let you go first."
Xiao Nuo'er struck a defensive stance. "Come on—use your full strength. Otherwise, you won't stand a chance."
"…"
Guo Zipu sighed, shifting into a blocking posture. "Very well. Let's begin."
Their fists collided with a thunderous bang, sending shockwaves rippling through the arena. The referee's robes flapped wildly.
Xiao Nuo'er's speed shocked Guo Zipu. Before he could retract his fist, her arm locked around his wrist. With a cry, her lithe body arced through the air, slamming into the ground.
Boom!
Debris flew as Xiao Nuo'er transitioned seamlessly into a crosslock, pinning Guo Zipu.
The crowd gasped. The tiny girl had dismantled the fearsome "Wolf Cub" so easily?
"…What technique is that?"
"Master calls it soft martial. Great for unarmed fights. Surrender now—before I break your arm!"
Crack!
Guo Zipu's arm snapped. He rose, dragging it behind him, and turned to leave, his jaw tight.
Xiao Nuo'er's blunt personality… it reminded him of his younger sister, the one he'd lost.
"That's it?" Song Chuizi muttered. Everyone else thought the same.
They'd expected a fierce battle, but Guo Zipu had folded like a house of cards.
Zhao Xunan watched Guo Zipu vanish into the distance, frowning. "Does Guo Zipu have a sister?"
"yes—two years younger. When the border troops found her, her legs were just bones. Horrible," Song Chuizi said.
Zhao Xunan nodded. The "Wolf Cub"… he's never escaped that trauma.
The results were posted on ten huge red scrolls. The Great Qin Imperial Academy's headmaster—a white-haired elder—finally appeared, flanked by officials from the Ministry of Personnel, Rites, and War.
"First place: Martial Arts Academy's Zhao Xunan, for his role in educating the crown prince. Upper tier, top grade!"
Zhao Xunan smiled. The crowd erupted in cheers—well-deserved, just like his provincial exam victory.
"Enough with the formalities," Song Chuizi said, grinning. "I'm off to the Tian Ce Army. My dad's there, and I've got a proper post now—Major of Valor. No more running errands for no pay!"
Zhao Xunan high-fived him. This kid's just like his dad—always trying to one-up him.
Celebrations were in order. As they left the academy, congratulations poured in. Everyone assumed Zhao Xunan would top the imperial exams—he was a provincial literati champion, after all, and a mysterious cultivator. Beating a bunch of Core Formation martial artists? Child's play.
"Zhao the Bully, stop!"
A group of men in rare purple uniforms blocked their path, sneering.
Zhao Xunan frowned. Troublemakers again.
"Who do you think you are? Without the Imperial Preceptor's patronage, you'd still be a farmer in the sticks. Now that you've made it big, you abandon your benefactor—you're lower than a dog!"
"Disgrace to all men!"
Zhao Xunan scoffed. These idiots—what's their problem? When did I become a farmer?