Chapter 15: Assessment (Part 2)

Xiao Zongting actually began to praise Duan Rong; none of the few expected this, and their expressions instantly froze on their faces.

Duan Rong stood up, and Xiao Zongting walked over.

He reached out to pinch his shoulder, elbow, and waist, nodded slightly, then turned his head to say to Zhao Mu, "The two over there can go."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mu walked in front of Zhang Zheng and Li Chong and said, "You two weren't chosen. Go."

Although they had been mentally prepared, when Zhao Mu made the announcement, both of their faces looked very ugly.

Kong Bin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Zheng's expression changed, and he stood up and walked out of the courtyard.

Li Chong, however, remained stunned there, like a puppet that had lost its soul, slumping onto the ground...

But among those present, no one was paying attention to him anymore...

Xiao Zongting suddenly said to the standing Duan Rong and Kong Bin, "You two go to the courtyard next door and fetch two buckets of water from the well."

Duan Rong and Kong Bin were both momentarily unsure of Xiao Zongting's intention, but they dared not ask, so they picked up the wooden buckets from the woodshed and went to the well in the adjacent courtyard to fetch water.

"You go too, find two sacks, and soak them through with cold water for me," Xiao Zongting said, turning his head to look at Zhao Mu beside him.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mu immediately went into the woodshed to find two sacks and left the courtyard.

Before long, all three returned to the woodshed courtyard and stood before Xiao Zongting.

"You two, take off your clothes!" Xiao Zongting looked at Duan Rong and Kong Bin and said coldly.

"Ah... take off..." Duan Rong and Kong Bin both thought they had misheard.

"What 'ah' are you doing? Take off your clothes, don't you understand?" Xiao Zongting's face showed anger.

Duan Rong and Kong Bin immediately and tactfully took off their clothes.

Duan Rong and Kong Bin were both wearing the brown short-garb uniform of a Miscellaneous Disciple; at this moment, having taken off their clothes, they were left with only short underpants reaching their mid-thighs, standing with their arms crossed like quails.

Although it was early March, the weather in Qingzhou still had a bit of a late spring chill, especially in the morning; when the small breeze blew, the cold still bit into the bones.

Even as two young men, standing bare-chested like this, they still began to shiver...

Taking advantage of when the two were unprepared, Xiao Zongting picked up the two buckets of water they had brought and poured them over their heads.

The well water on a March morning was bone-chillingly cold; poured over their heads like this, both of them jumped up with a "wah," their whole bodies trembling, and they both immediately hunched their shoulders and squatted down.

When the cold water was poured over his head, Duan Rong had the feeling that his skull had been pried open; goosebumps erupted all over his body, and his teeth, as if possessed, chattered incessantly.

"Stand up, both of you, stand straight!" Xiao Zongting roared like an angry old lion.

Cursing Xiao Zongting as a pervert, Duan Rong and Kong Bin still stood up.

As the cold wind blew through the courtyard, the lips of both had turned purple, and snot dripped down like icicles.

Xiao Zongting glanced at Zhao Mu and said, "Put the soaked wet sacks on them!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mu draped the cold-water-soaked, dripping wet sacks over their shoulders.

Both of them hunched their shoulders, trying to dodge...

"This is an assessment! If you don't want to be chosen as an Apprentice, get out now; don't lose face for me here!" Xiao Zongting scolded, glaring.

Duan Rong and Kong Bin had no choice but to let Zhao Mu drape the dripping wet sacks over their shoulders; they immediately felt a heavy, cold Qi invading their flesh and bones from their backs.

"You two start doing the Hunyuan Stance for me now. One hour; those who can dry the sacks are qualified, those who can't, get out!"

"Ah..." The two were stunned upon hearing this; they never imagined that one could do Stance Training like this.

After Xiao Zongting finished speaking, he turned and went to the stone steps at the courtyard entrance, sat down against the wall, and began to stuff tobacco into his pipe bowl.

Zhao Mu immediately used a flint to light a branch and lit the fire for Xiao Zongting.

By the time Xiao Zongting took his first puff of tobacco, Duan Rong and Kong Bin had already begun their Stance Training.

After all, this was an assessment; if they failed, they would have to go back to being a Miscellaneous Servant.

No one dared to be negligent.

Having just been cursing Xiao Zongting as a pervert in their hearts, now that they knew it was an assessment item, even their original cursing stopped.

Both of them began, bare-bodied and wearing only short underpants, to perform the Hunyuan Stance, though their whole bodies still couldn't stop trembling...

The two stood there shivering, legs bowed in a horse stance, both hands held in a void embrace before their chests, and they were both soaking wet, draped in sacks; if someone didn't know, they might think this was some kind of performance art.

But after only the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, white steam began to rise slightly from the top of Duan Rong's head, and Kong Bin stopped shivering, his pale complexion returning to normal.

The Stance Training had produced results; the cold Qi around their bodies slowly dissipated, and they gradually began to feel warm.

But only the cold Qi on their backs was too heavy, and the heat couldn't disperse there...

While standing in the stance with his eyes closed, Duan Rong was also thinking.

Duan Rong realized that he could actually understand Xiao Zongting's meaning.

Just like in his past life, if you studied a certain subject well, you could even grasp the examiner's intent in the exam hall.

First, let them perform a set of routines, and also test them with strikes.

This was to assess their comprehension of martial arts moves, and whether they could well combine the method of exerting force with the move routines; this was testing their comprehension of combat techniques.

And now, letting him and Kong Bin stand in the stance bare-bodied was to see if their root bones and blood Qi could nurture "Jin" (force).

Being able to dry the wet sacks meant the effect of the Stance Training was good.

Good effect meant high consumption, and high consumption meant being able to nurture "Jin."

One is root bones and blood Qi, the other is comprehension ability.

Only if both items are qualified can one become an Apprentice; neither can be missing.

Still the same saying: strength and skill are like the two wings of a bird, the two wheels of a cart; neither can be missing, and one cannot favor one over the other.

The two stood like this for a full hour; after the well water on their bodies dried, it turned into sweat...

After an hour, both of them were steaming with heat; Xiao Zongting took a fierce final puff of tobacco, the pipe bowl glowed brightly, and then it went out.

Xiao Zongting leaned against the wall, squinting in enjoyment, the smoke slowly dissipating from his nostrils; after a long while, he opened his eyes and swept a bright gaze over the two.

Xiao Zongting sat up, knocked the residual ash from the pipe bowl onto the steps, stood up, and walked behind Duan Rong and Kong Bin.

Xiao Zongting stopped behind Kong Bin and reached out to touch the Sack on Kong Bin's body; although the Sack was already dry, he could clearly feel a faint dampness.

Xiao Zongting wrinkled his nose and snorted coldly, "Barely passing."

Upon hearing these words, Kong Bin felt as if he had been granted a pardon; he had passed the assessment.

Xiao Zongting came behind Duan Rong, reached out to touch the Sack on Duan Rong's body, smiled, and said, "Not bad, this is thoroughly dry."

Xiao Zongting walked with his hands behind his back to stand in front of Zhao Mu and instructed, "These two are acceptable. Arrange a place for them to stay in a while, then bring them to my courtyard."

"Yes, Xiao Lao," Zhao Mu replied respectfully.

"Taught quite well," Xiao Zongting said indifferently before walking out, his gaze sweeping over Duan Rong as if by chance.

Zhao Mu was stunned for a moment, then immediately felt overjoyed.

With this comment from Xiao Zongting that he had taught well, his transition from intern to regular staff this year was now a certainty.

Zhao Mu looked at Duan Rong with joy, thinking to himself: This kid seems to have talent; even Xiao Lao is pleased with him.

When I was promoted to Apprentice back then, Xiao Lao always had a sour face. People really shouldn't be compared to one another.

"I'll give you two half an incense stick's worth of time! Go back and pack your things, tell your respective supervisors by the way, and then come back here; I will take you to the Middle Courtyard."

Duan Rong and Kong Bin were both overjoyed and turned to leave the courtyard.

"Put your clothes on, you two! If you go out like that, the guards will skewer you!"

Reminded by Zhao Mu, the two of them finally remembered they were still shirtless.

The two, who had previously had quite a bit of friction, smiled at each other, picked up their clothes, and put them on as they walked.

Half an incense stick's worth of time was a bit tight, especially for Duan Rong, as the stables were still some distance from this woodshed.

He still had to go to the dormitory to pack, and he still had to go to the stables to inform Sun Laotou; time was pressing!

As soon as Duan Rong left the courtyard, he took off running.

Kong Bin's usually cold and rigid face was beaming with a joyful smile; as soon as he left the courtyard, Zhang Zheng leaned in and asked, "Brother Bin, you were selected, right?"

Kong Bin nodded.

"Brother Bin, I knew you could do it," Zhang Zheng said, clenching his fist.

Kong Bin patted Zhang Zheng on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Zhang Zheng, we are brothers for life. Whatever I have, you will have."

Zhang Zheng nodded in agreement and asked, "Was Duan Rong selected too?"

A flash of gravity crossed Kong Bin's joyful face. Not only was Duan Rong selected, but Xiao Lao's evaluation of him was clearly far higher than his own.

"Yes, he was selected too."

"That kid is also a character; he was unremarkable at first, but suddenly rose to prominence near the assessment, and he even saw through the medicine we gave him by turning the tables on us," Zhang Zheng paused and said, "Brother Bin, I think for a person like that, rather than being enemies, it is better to befriend him."

Kong Bin sighed, a look of contemplation flashing in his eyes, and said, "We'll talk about his matter later."

(End of this chapter)