After another ten or so li, Chris Chen finally couldn’t take it anymore—his legs felt weak and unbearably heavy.
"Little Sir, let's take a break!"
Hearing Chris suggest a break, Ian Song didn’t mock him. He wasn’t doing this to tease Chris, but to establish his own authority. His father-in-law’s family had always treated him well, so he was determined to help them out.
Besides, once he passed the child-student exam, he planned to go into business.
If Chris and his father still saw him as the same old bookworm, they definitely wouldn’t listen to him. So, apart from building authority, he wanted Chris to realize he was no longer that weakling scholar.
"Big Brother, have some water."
Ian Song tossed the water pouch to Chris.
Chris gave Ian Song a complicated look before finally taking the pouch. After handing it back, he couldn’t help but ask, "Little Sir, how did your body change so suddenly?"
Back then, Ian Song would be out of breath just from walking a bit faster, but today he’d walked over thirty li at a brisk pace without even breaking a sweat. It was way too abnormal.
"Big Brother, you know I was sick not long ago, right?"
Ian Song asked.
"So your recovery has something to do with this?" Chris started guessing wildly.
"Well, not exactly, but it’s related." Ian Song said, "After I got better, I met a wandering Daoist who came to our village. He said I was a once-in-a-millennium martial arts prodigy and taught me a few things. I practiced for a few days, half-believing, half-doubting, and sure enough, my body became much stronger than before!"
"You mean you got this strong in just a few days?" Chris asked, amazed.
"Yep!"
Ian Song nodded. "The Daoist didn’t just teach me a way to strengthen my body—he also taught me a set of Tiger-Wolf Boxing."
"Tiger-Wolf Boxing?"
Chris stared at Ian Song in amazement.
"That’s right!"
Ian Song smiled. "Big Brother, you’ve been practicing Tiger-Wolf Boxing too, haven’t you? But from what I can see, yours is probably a fragmentary version—and you haven’t cultivated any inner qi yet, right?"
Chris Chen said, "Heh, cultivating inner qi? You really think just anyone can do it? In all of Huangshan County, there are fewer than five people who’ve managed it. If I ever did, the county magistrate would probably appoint me head constable on the spot!"
"So Big Brother means it’s really hard to cultivate inner qi?"
Ian Song feigned confusion.
Chris Chen said, "Of course! As far as I know, only four people in Huangshan County have managed it: Teng Hu, the martial hall master I used to study under—he’s had inner qi for eight years now; Li Ju, our county’s assistant magistrate; then there’s Chen Huba, the Ma family’s guard-captain, and Ma Chuang, the eldest young master of the Ma family."
"Just four? But for me, it felt pretty easy. So does that mean I’m already an expert?" Ian Song continued.
"What?"
Chris suddenly jumped up from the big bluestone, staring at Ian Song in disbelief. "Little Sir, you...you’re saying you’ve cultivated inner qi?"
"Big Brother, watch!"
Ian Song gathered qi in his right leg and kicked out.
Bang!
The big bluestone exploded, shattering into several pieces.
"You...you...you really cultivated inner qi?" Chris stammered again.
"Didn’t you just see it yourself, Big Brother?"
Ian Song grinned.
"Holy crap, my brother-in-law is actually an inner qi expert! Little Sir, why bother with the child-student exam? Come with me to see the county magistrate—if you want to be a constable, he’ll definitely make you head constable!" Chris said excitedly.
"Not interested!"
Ian Song rejected him flatly.
Chris said, frustrated, "Do you even know how much a head constable makes? Three taels of silver a month, and every merchant in the county gives gifts—at least two hundred taels a year! If you get the job, you’ll never have to worry about food or drink again!"
"Two hundred taels? Once I pass the child-student exam, I’ll bring you into a business—forget two hundred, even twenty thousand taels won’t be a problem!" Ian Song said proudly.
Hearing this, Chris just stared at him with a strange expression.
Ian Song didn’t say any more: "Alright, I know you don’t believe me now, but you’ll see soon enough. Let’s keep moving. Oh, and your Tiger-Wolf Boxing has way too many mistakes. After I finish the child-student exam, take a few days off from the county office and come back to the village with me—I'll teach you the real technique. You’ll be an inner qi expert too!"
"Really?"
"Why not? You’re my brother-in-law!"
"Heh heh!"
Chris just grinned foolishly.
Before dark, Ian Song and Chris Chen arrived at Huangshan County City.
Chris dropped Ian Song at the inn, gave him a few reminders, then went to report to the county office.
That night, after dinner at the inn, Ian Song went straight to sleep. His cultivation wasn’t high enough yet to go without rest.
When he woke up, it was already four in the morning.
He packed his brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, borrowed a lantern from the innkeeper, and headed for the county office.
When he arrived, he found the entrance packed—at least five hundred people had already gathered.
"I didn’t expect so many people to take the child-student exam."
Ian Song thought to himself. But by the rules, only about a hundred candidates are admitted each time.
Five o’clock.
The examinees began entering.
Constables stood at the exam gate, checking the examinees’ belongings. Their searches were rough, and many examinees complained, but the constables didn’t care at all. These degree-less scholars had no official status, so the constables weren’t afraid of them.
Ian Song ended up at the back of the line, and it took a full half hour before his turn came.
"Open your bundle for inspection!"
A constable barked.
Ian Song opened his bundle right away—everything was clearly visible.