When registering for the field test, personal information such as one’s name and ancestral home was recorded in meticulous detail, both to verify identity and to make it convenient for officials to report the good news after the results were posted. This was a long-standing tradition.

After hearing the news, Sun Yong slapped his thigh hard, unable to hide the grin spreading across his face. "Good! Good! Good!"

He said the word three times, each one expressing the sheer joy he felt at that moment.

He turned to Yang Jing, his tone urgent. "Jing’er, quick, hurry home. Don’t keep the official waiting. This is a grace bestowed by the Court; it must not be treated lightly!"

Hearing his master’s urging, Yang Jing quickly bowed. "Yes, Master. Then I’ll take my leave. I’ll be back shortly."

Sun Yong nodded eagerly. "Go on, go. Be careful on the road."

"Yes."

Yang Jing immediately turned and strode out of the Martial Arts Hall. His steps were urgent yet steady as he headed toward Datong Square. He needed to stop by his residence to pick some things up before returning to Yang Family Village so the official wouldn’t have to wait long. Fortunately, it was on the way and wouldn’t cause much of a delay.

The moment Yang Jing’s figure vanished through the main gate, Sun’s Martial Arts Hall erupted with excitement.

Xu Hong, Qi Yun, Zhao Wenzheng, and a few other advanced disciples gathered together, their faces filled with emotion.

"I never thought Junior Brother Yang would make it this far." Xu Hong sighed, his voice tinged with wistfulness. "All told, he’s been at the Martial Arts Hall for less than a year, hasn’t he? How is that a Lower-Grade Root Bone? Even the best among us with Middle-Grade Root Bones are nowhere near his level."

A complex look appeared in Qi Yun’s eyes as she said in a low voice, "Passing the field test grants one a semi-official status. From now on, he won’t even have to kneel before the County Magistrate. Even my own family elders will have to show him some courtesy."

Zhao Wenzheng nodded. "That’s right. With this accomplishment on his record, he has a golden road ahead of him, whether he joins a faction or gets recruited by the officials. And this is just from passing the field test. As for the world-renowned Martial Champion Scholars... Ugh, never mind. For us, even passing the field test is a huge hurdle."

Though these veteran advanced disciples held a respectable status in the Martial Arts Hall, they all lacked a tangible achievement to their names. Yang Jing’s rise made them incredibly envious.

The ordinary disciples around them burst into an uproar, envy and admiration written all over their young faces.

Murmurs of discussion and gasps of admiration filled the air, which seemed to thrum with excitement.

Sun Yong stood in the center of the training grounds, listening to the disciples’ clamor, the smile never leaving his face.

He glanced at the excited disciples in the front courtyard but didn’t reprimand them. Instead, he straightened his clothes and strode out of the Martial Arts Hall.

He was going to the city gate to see the newly posted field test results list with his own eyes.

He had waited over a decade for this day, a day that would wash away all the past frustrations and ridicule.

After Sun Yong left, many of the disciples in the Martial Arts Hall also began to depart.

Qi Yun, Zhao Wenzheng, and the others left as well. They came from families in Yuhe County’s Inner City, and now that the field test results were posted, they were ready to head home and see their families’ reactions.

Even more disciples gathered their friends and flocked toward the city gate or the County Yamen. They wanted to see Yang Jing’s name on the list with their own eyes, join in on the excitement, and bask in the reflected glory.

Sun Ningxiang stood on the veranda, watching the jubilant figures of her fellow disciples. After a moment’s hesitation, she lifted the hem of her dress and also hurried out of the Martial Arts Hall.

’I want to go see,’ she thought. ’Not because of Yang Jing, but because this is a major event for Sun’s Martial Arts Hall. A very major event.’ 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

’Yes, that’s exactly why I have to go see it.’

The sun shone brightly, casting a golden-edged glow upon the bluestone paths of Chengping Square.

...

Sun Yong stood before the list at the city gate for a long time, his fingertips almost brushing the name "Yang Jing." He didn’t turn to leave until the sun was high in the sky, his heart brimming with satisfaction.

He didn’t return directly to the Martial Arts Hall. Instead, he turned into another alley in Chengping Square, heading for Jishi Medical Hall.

Jishi Medical Hall was just a street away from Sun’s Martial Arts Hall. On normal days, disciples who suffered sprains and bruises from training or sparring were sent there. As such, Sun Yong and the hall’s master, Zhang Dong, were old acquaintances.

After Lin Yue was gravely injured, Zhang Dong had personally treated him. The matter had been weighing on Sun Yong’s mind for the past two days, and since he was in the area, he decided to check in.

He pushed open the wooden door of the medical hall, which smelled of herbs. Zhang Dong, who was seeing patients in the main hall, looked up. Seeing it was Sun Yong, he set down the pulse-taking pillow in his hand and smiled. "Hall Master Sun, you’re looking much better today than you have the past few days, aren’t you?"

Sun Yong chuckled and shook his head. But the thought of his other disciple, still confined to bed, stopped him from saying more. He walked forward and asked, "Hall Master Zhang, how is my disciple, Lin Yue, doing today?"

Zhang Dong led him toward the inner hall. "He woke up once late last night and again just a moment ago," he said as they walked. "His spirits are much better than they were the past two days, but his body is still very weak. You should go in and see him. It’ll do him good to see you; it might help put his mind at ease."

The two men passed through the main hall, which was lined with medicine cabinets, and came to a quiet patient room in the rear courtyard.

As they pushed open the door, the faint smell of medicine wafted over them.

Lin Yue was propped up against the headboard, his face as pale as paper. He was staring blankly at the bed canopy and only turned his head slowly when he heard them enter.

When he saw Sun Yong walk in, Lin Yue’s vacant gaze suddenly sharpened. He struggled to sit up, but the movement pulled at his wounds, and he gasped in pain.

"Master!" he cried, his voice hoarse and thick with resentment. His eyes instantly reddened. "I can’t accept this!"

The frustration and indignation that had been building for two days finally erupted.

Lin Yue’s chest heaved violently. Pointing toward the door, he practically roared, "I had a chance to pass the field test! It’s all because of Li Mengchao from the Li Family! He obviously did it on purpose! He struck so viciously because he wanted to ruin me! I... I’ll fight the Li Family to the death!"