Chapter 26

: Disturbance While Reading the Public Roll (I)
Translator: 
Kazeyuki_ 
 Editor: 
Jimmy_
For the first time, both father and son freely drank together. After one of them had drunk one cup, the other would follow suit. Each of them had drunk at least twenty or thirty cups. However, to Qin Wushuang, these alcoholic drinks were like water to him.
Since Qin Lianshan was a Stage Three Genuine Force Warrior, the alcohol also did not affect him too much. He only had to run to the washroom twice. Qin Wushuang, however, sat there like a mountain and did not even go to the washroom once.

Wushuang, good boy. When did you increase your alcohol tolerance? You are much more impressive than I am!
Qin Lianshan stuttered.

Father, you are not weak either.
Qin Wushuang smiled.

You don’t need to use the washroom?
Qin Lianshan was curious because he saw his son sat there motionlessly.

Father, please look at the ground!
Qin Wushuang already used his internal force and pushed the alcoholic drink out from his fingers. The ground was wet.

What…What kind of method is this?
Qin Lianshan asked in shock.

Haha, it’s a little trick.
Of course, this was not a little trick. It was the technique <Congealed Finger> that Qin Wushuang had practiced for many years. He had slowly learned its upgraded version—and it was <The Coagulated Sword> technique.
W this ancient <The Coagulated Sword> technique, although he had not learned the invisible sword, he could send his spiritual force to his fingers.
Right now, he still had not mastered the part where you needed to send that wave of Sword Qi out from the fingers. Of course, this was the most critical step. Whether you could form the dark Sword Qi with your spiritual force or to determine its killing power and attack range, it would depend on this wave of qi!
In the end, the strength of this qi still depended on his inner strength.
At the current stage, Qin Wushuang was confident that he could make a Stage Seven Genuine Force Warrior struggle when fighting against him!

Good boy! Tell father, have you already reached the Genuine Force?
Qin Lianshan had always wanted to ask this question, and now he finally asked.

Yes, kind of.
Qin Wushuang no longer hid it.

Which Stage?
Qin Wushuang was not surprised at that answer. He cared more about the Stages.

I have not tested for the Stages. I am not sure. But Old Master Zhang and Old Master Xu will not be able to bully us.
Qin Wushuang’s words were like a cardiac stimulant and induced some life into Qin Lianshan’s eyes.

Old Master Zhang… Old Master Xu…
Qin Lianshan slowly repeated Qin Wushuang’s words,
Zhang Maorui is part of the Prominent Class. He has, at least, a Stage Two Genuine Force Warrior at his home, and there may be more than one! That Xu Sanli is part of the Wealthy Class and he has, at least, a Stage Four Genuine Force Warrior!

When his thoughts arrived there, the light inside Qin Lianshan’s eyes shined even more:
Considering this… Wushuang, you have the power of a Stage Four Genuine Force Warrior?

Qin Wushuang laughed and did not answer.
Qin Lianshan was feeling uncomfortable as if he were in a dream and was floating in the air. How did his son suddenly become so powerful? Did he meet someone special?
Or else, it would have been impossible for him to have reached Stage Four of the Genuine Force without the supplemental martial arts technique books one required to even reach the Genuine Force!
If his guesses were correct, what kind of powerful person could let a sixteen-year-old reach Stage Four of Genuine Force? It was unlikely that someone like this would even exist in the Zhen Wu Holy Place, right?
Could it be…
The rumored Spiritual Warriors?
Qin Lianshan’s eyes flashed. However, he immediately rejected this crazy idea. Spiritual Warriors existed only in rumors. It would not be possible for them to show their faces in the Human World easily!
However, he immediately remembered a rumor. So he opened his mouth again:
Wushuang, there is a rumor. I am not if it’s true or not. Just use it as a reference when you hear it.

From the tone he used when he spoke to his son, Qin Lianshan had begun to treat his son as an adult.

Please say it.


Yes, I heard that in the martial arts world, whoever could reach Stage Four of the Genuine Force before they had turned twenty-four years old would encounter an extraordinary opportunity,
Qin Lianshan said mysteriously and lowered his voice.

An extraordinary opportunity?
Qin Wushuang repeated his father’s words as if it were a joke.

That’s right. For martial arts practitioners in the Human World, each step in the training process is very tough. Only geniuses could reach Stage Four of the Genuine Force before twenty-four years old. For these geniuses, even those mysterious and powerful Spiritual Warriors will pay attention to them. Sometimes, they will even select these gifted people from the Human World to train in the Spiritual World! In the Human World, this part is called connecting the Soul Edge.
When Qin Lianshan talked about the Spiritual World, his tone became a bit more reverent.
This idea touched Qin Wushuang:
Connecting the Soul Edge? The Spiritual World? Father, please continue!


It was rumored that there are a small amount of opportunities to connect the Soul Edge. It’s a rare event that might not even occur in ten years. You can only discover the opportunity rather than ask for it. And in our tiny River County, it’s unlikely for anyone to be selected even in one hundred years.
As Qin Lianshan finished speaking, his expression became more charmed. He also greatly admired the mysterious Spiritual World.

Is the selection process that rigorous?
Qin Wushuang was moved and asked urgently.

This, I don’t know.
Qin Lianshan had only caught part of the gossips. He wasn’t able to discover the real information.

Yes.
Qin Wushuang thought for a bit and said:
Father, we should not mention this matter anymore to prevent trouble.

They spent several hours to finish eating their meal.
Qin Wushuang carried his drunk sister and was about to leave while their father went to pay the bill.
Xu Sanli and Zhang Maorui were coincidentally walking toward this restaurant at this moment. Behind them, their sons and relatives who had participated in the Martial Arts Student Exam followed them.
It seemed they had all finished the exam. When Zhang Maorui noticed Qin Lianshan, he mocked him with a sly smile:
Even if you have dropped out from the Martial Arts Student Exam, there is no need for you to drown your sorrows here at this Windy Pool Restaurant.

Because the examiners had kept Qin Wushuang’s grade report confidential, no one would know Qin Wushuang’s real scores before the official release.
Qin Wushuang slightly narrowed his brows. Inwardly, he thought these people were like dog shit that could not be shaken off no matter where you go.

I will let you be proud for two more days. When the
Family Class Evaluation
had started, I promise that you would not even have the opportunity to cry.
Qin Wushuang laughed and walked out.

Humph! The Qin family is like the autumn leaves—They do not have much time left! Yet they dare to act so arrogantly.
Zhang Maorui sneered.
Fortunately, his nephew who was born from an affair he had with his in-laws had gotten through the Martial Arts Student Exam smoothly. He had a good overall grade beside the fact that he had struggled in the last puppet formation.
As long as there were no accidents, he would surely receive a level six grade! This grade would be enough to ensure that his family would have an heir and to help to keep their Prominent Class status in River County.
Overall, the Martial Arts Student Exam would take a total of three days. However, about half of the martial arts student aimed to finish the test on the first day. No one wanted to drag it out to the second day.
Since the Zhen Wu Holy Place had designed this exam specifically with a continuous system, it would thoroughly test a martial arts students’ endurance ability.
If you dragged it out to the second day, then even if you received a grade of level nine, a penalty of two levels would be deducted from your overall score. You would instantly be left with only a level seven grade.
If you dragged it to the third day, another two levels would be deducted.
Therefore, many weak martial arts students would receive almost no grade even if they managed to finish the exam on the third day. For instance, if you were a level five martial arts student, you would only receive a grade of level one after subtracting the four levels.
In the training world, a martial arts student at level one would be the same as trash. It was a death sentence to the student’s martial arts journey.
Therefore, on the second day, at the River Square, almost no martial arts student was left in the exam. Only those one tenth of martial arts student that lacked behind still stayed.
The examiners were very efficient. After three days of the exam, they would post the grade report on the fourth day.
On the morning of the fourth day, Qin Xiu was the first one to get up. With an imperative mood, she rushed Qin Wushuang to see the public roll.
On the contrary, Qin Lianshan was not worried. After he had learned of his son’s strength, he was not interested in the results of the Martial Arts Student Exam.
After she had taken a few bites of breakfast, Qin Xiu hurried him:
Wushuang, eat faster.


Girl, what’s the hurry?
Qin Lianshan said with a smile.

To take a look at the public roll. I want to see our Wushuang’s name at the first place of the roll!


First place? Girl, Wushuang will most likely not get first place. You had better be prepared.
Qin Lianshan sighed lightly.

Why?
Qin Xiu could not understand. If he had an excellent grade, why not first place?

Because…
Qin Lianshan stopped for a moment,
Because our family is ranked in the Humble Class. The examiners will not let a child of the Humble Class be at the top. I am reserving my opinions, but I just hope that they will not deliberately suppress the grades. We would be lucky if they don’t.

His father’s words moved Qin Wushuang. However, he only smiled and lowered his head and ate his meal.

Father, don’t be so negative! Ok, Wushuang is full, let’s go.

Along the way, Qin Wushuang was the most optimistic while Qin Lianshan was less optimistic, and Qin Xiu was the most worried. However, Qin Xiu also talked the most and tried to abate the other’s worries, despite being the one that was the most worried. They soon arrived at the square.
Even though there were more than twenty places that released the public roll, a dark mass of heads still crowded the entire square.
There are a lot of martial arts students from Eastwood Town that had participated in this Martial Arts Student Exam. When they saw Qin Wushuang, each and every one of them averted their eyes. From their expressions, it was less out of politeness and more due to timidness.
Qin Xiu was a smart girl. When she saw that these martial arts students had avoided their eyes, she knew that her little brother had not gotten a bad grade. Or else, these people would not be staring at him so timidly. If he had received a bad grade, these people would have already started mocking him.
Even Qin Lianshan was starting to get excited about his son’s test results. He moved his eyes and began to search the roll.