Chapter 134: The Old Dragon

The Yu Kingdom's military and administrative examination occurs every three years.

Only the highest-ranking officers—Regional Commanders and Assistant Regional Commanders—must undergo imperial evaluation.

Lower ranks such as Garrison Commanders, Deputy Commanders, Platoon Leaders, and others are assessed individually by their guard battalions.

This is done.

On one hand, it ensures imperial control over military officers; on the other, evaluating only senior officers draws from the lessons of previous dynasties, avoiding the situation where civil officials dominate military ones, leading to a sharp decline in combat effectiveness.

Each military and administrative examination means shifts in official positions.

Long before the exam, many have already been scheming behind the scenes to secure favorable posts.

Spring arrives.

Dawn.

Ning Zhongtian had just finished washing up and, under the service of his maidservant, donned his outer robe, preparing to step out.

He rubbed his temples.

With the military examination approaching, visitors coming to pay their respects had nearly trampled his threshold.

From ordinary soldiers to eighth- and seventh-rank officers.

There were so many he couldn't possibly remember all their names—he certainly couldn't receive them all.

The key still lies in the person.

What kind of person?

The standards are already written in the official notice of the military examination.

"Martial skill, merit, integrity."

"Martial skill" goes without saying—if you're not seventh-rank, Ning Zhongtian wouldn't dare promote you to Platoon Leader even if he had divine power.

Not only would you fail Cao Wei's review, but even if submitted, the Ministry of War and Ministry of Personnel would reject it outright.

So martial skill is the foundation.

Without this, everything is futile; becoming a civil official might still be possible, but a military officer? Pure fantasy.

"Merit" is also easy to understand—minor merits, medium merits, major merits—all recorded meticulously by clerks, clear at a glance—but merit isn't just about tangible achievements.

It also includes the superior's evaluation.

This item is crucial.

Otherwise, those people wouldn't have worn out Ning Zhongtian's threshold.

Although Ning Zhongtian holds no final authority, the guard battalion has a thousand men, and neither Jiang Lin nor Cao Wei will bother to learn about each individual—so the recommendations of the five Garrison Commanders carry great weight.

Jiang Lin and Cao Wei rarely overturn them.

Finally, there is "integrity."

This "integrity" holds deep subtleties.

Let me put it this way.

Officers promoted almost always receive a perfect score in integrity; those demoted always receive a poor rating.

Note this.

It's not that a poor integrity score causes demotion—it's that once demotion is decided, a poor rating is assigned.

This is nearly a consensus in the Yu Kingdom's bureaucracy.

"Integrity" is the final veil torn away; most times, no one dares touch it.

If Ning Zhongtian gives an officer a poor integrity rating, he cuts off that man's future—a bitter enmity that affects not just the officer but also his patrons.

Ning Zhongtian sipped the warm tea brought by his maid.

He rinsed his mouth.

He was still young, only thirty-five, unmarried and childless, yet he had several pretty maidservants.

Of course, he had concubines.

But Ning Zhongtian mostly used them to relieve lust.

Compared to women, he was far more obsessed with martial cultivation.

As soon as he opened the door,

he saw Li Rui standing outside.

"Li Rui?"

Ning Zhongtian stared in surprise at the old man before him.

"What do you want?"

He remembered Li Rui well—not merely because Li Rui was one of the men he brought from the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

He had brought over a dozen men from the Heaven and Earth Alliance; Li Rui was just one among them.

The main reason was that Li Rui had once borrowed a Qi-Dispelling Diagram from him on credit.

A seventy-year-old man actually trying to cultivate qi?

That was quite extraordinary.

Li Rui chuckled: "I've come to thank you, Lord Ning."

"Thank me?"

Ning Zhongtian raised an eyebrow.

Lately, many had come to thank him.

But in his view, Li Rui's position as grain supervisor was already quite good—no need to transfer him.

Li Rui: "Had it not been for your help, old man would never have obtained the Flying Dragon in the Heavens Diagram and the Dragon Blood."

Ning Zhongtian smiled lightly: "So that's why Wei Ming suddenly wanted Dragon Blood—it ended up in your hands."

"I have not wasted your efforts—I have cultivated a thread of true qi."

"What?!"

This time, it was Ning Zhongtian's turn to be stunned.

He'd only done it for amusement—he never expected Li Rui had actually succeeded!

Li Rui offered no explanation.

He simply extended his right index finger, applying slight force—its tip glowed with a faint blue light.

Ning Zhongtian narrowed his eyes, watching for a long while.

Finally, he exhaled:

"Li Lao, your perseverance truly earns our admiration."

No doubt about it.

It was true qi.

Cultivating qi meant achieving seventh-rank status.

In less than half a year, two deputy commanders he'd brought from the Qinghe branch had both broken through.

"Is it my good eye?"

"Or is the feng shui of Anning Garrison just that good?"

Ning Zhongtian laughed heartily.

Then he declared with authority: "Good. Very good."

"I am Garrison Commander of Anning, but also the Alliance Leader of the Heaven and Earth Alliance. Since you are one of my Heaven and Earth Alliance men, you shall not be neglected."

"Rest assured—I will secure a fine post for you, Li Lao, and for Brother Ge."

Even if Li Rui had broken through his sinew level by sheer luck using the Flying Dragon in the Heavens Diagram and Dragon Blood, his vital energy would surely be weaker than a normal seventh-rank,

but seventh-rank is seventh-rank—this is undeniable—and such a person must be valued.

"Thank you, Lord Ning."

Li Rui could see Ning Zhongtian was genuinely pleased.

His own breakthrough, along with Ge Hong's, strengthened not just his faction within Anning Garrison, but the entire Heaven and Earth Alliance.

Men like Wei Ming, though Ning Zhongtian's trusted aides, were fundamentally imperial officials.

It was nearly impossible to make them truly serve the Heaven and Earth Alliance.

Even if Ning Zhongtian forced them, they'd only go through the motions.

So Ning Zhongtian hoped to see men he brought from the Heaven and Earth Alliance rise.

There is a fundamental difference between one's own people and mere subordinates.

Ning Zhongtian burst into loud laughter and strode toward the General's Mansion.

Li Rui watched Ning Zhongtian's retreating back.

Deep in thought.

He came empty-handed, unlike others who arrived laden with gifts.

Young men, giving gifts isn't done this way.

Giving early is a sign of loyalty; giving only at the exam's threshold? That's bribery, isn't it?

Ning Zhongtian, as Garrison Commander,

=9+ Shu _ Ba

doesn't care for ordinary items; good items are likely beyond the means of those who offer them.

So what matters is loyalty.

But what is the best form of loyalty?

It's not about groveling—it's about shared interests.

Li Rui and the other veterans of the Tian Di Alliance were undoubtedly the group most tightly bound to Ning Zhongtian's interests, but Ning Zhongtian had always held back, seeing their strength as too mediocre to be truly useful.

"The rest, Ning Zhongtian will handle for me."

Li Rui thought to himself.

Undeniably, Ning Zhongtian was a man of considerable skill—a formidable enemy, but a reassuring superior.

Seeking out Ning Zhongtian today was, of course, long planned.

There are still over ten days until the military-administrative assessment; not too much, not too little.

Break through in the final days of the assessment.

That would inevitably raise suspicion—half a month is perfect.

The Flying Dragon Soaring in Heaven Diagram and the Dragon Blood both came from Ning Zhongtian's hands; no verification is even needed.

A seventy-year-old man, through painstaking effort, obtained the Qi Escaping Diagram and dragon blood capable of aiding the formation of a dragon shape, and by sheer chance cultivated a thread of true qi.

This story, though bizarre,

was entirely accomplished within the Anning Guard—every step leaves a trace, no miraculous encounters, and if one insists there was a stroke of fortune, it was Li Rui's own destiny.

It will not invite others' envy.

Moreover, after the dual forms merged, Li Rui's strength is no longer comparable to ordinary willow-vein martial artists.

This was already confirmed by his single slash that killed the ghost demon Zhang Hao.

Only then did he dare reveal his strength.

Seven-tenths is already the maximum he has ever shown to outsiders.

As for making a spectacle of himself at some grand competition, that would be utterly foolish.

Ning Zhongtian is a clever man—he'll be the first to tell you.

It demonstrates loyalty while letting him help minimize the fallout.

Li Rui arrived at the Weaponry Depot as if nothing had happened.

By midday,

Ge Hong and Wei Ming burst into his room, eyes wide: "Brother Li, you've really broken through?"

Breathing like an ox.

Clearly, they had rushed here at full speed.

Li Rui smiled lightly: "Lucky—I cultivated a thread of true qi."

Ge Hong and Wei Ming drew in a sharp breath.

What is a genius?

This is a genius!

Who says only seventeen- or eighteen-year-olds can be called geniuses? At seventy, you're still a genius.

Ge Hong and Wei Ming knew Li Rui's history.

Everything can be verified.

They had reason to suspect Li Rui had already achieved martial prowess while working as a stable boy for the Zhu family—otherwise, breaking three ranks in three years was too terrifying.

But if that were true, Li Rui's depth of concealment was extraordinary.

At least neither of them could have become martial artists and still willingly served as a lowly stable boy.

Ge Hong genuinely admired Li Rui.

He, too, came from humble origins; had his martial instructor not taken notice, he might have wasted his whole life.

For the lower classes, merely surviving is hard enough.

Reveal even a hint of strength, and others will envy you; one misstep, and you're set up.

Concealing one's strength is necessary.

Easy to understand, hard to practice—how many truly manage it?

"Brother Li was simply born in the wrong time—if not, his achievements would have been far greater."

Ge Hong spoke with sincere regret.

The Flying Dragon Soaring in Heaven Diagram and the Dragon Blood were external aids—the key was Li Rui's own terrifying talent. Had he received a renowned master in his youth, he might now be a major figure in Anning Prefecture, or even Yunzhou.

Wei Ming also grasped the implications.

He, too, felt regret.

He said: "Brother Li's breakthrough has greatly extended your lifespan—perhaps you'll still achieve great things."

An eighth-rank at seventy draws little fear.

His potential is nearly nonexistent.

But a seventh-rank at seventy? That's another matter.

Seventh-rank willow-vein cultivators live to one hundred and fifty; at seventy, you've only lived half your life. Though potential is limited, the chance of further breakthrough is now vastly greater than before.

For the first time, Wei Ming truly regarded this old man with his consistently pleasant demeanor.

Li Rui laughed and waved his hand: "Don't flatter me—I got this thread of qi purely by luck; I won't have such fortune again."

Wei Ming corrected him: "Brother Li, luck is part of strength."

Some people simply have more moments of sudden enlightenment—they even stumble upon masters while walking down the street.

Others remain burdened by misfortune, no matter how high their talent—if no one helps them, they'll still be buried.

A thousand-mile horse is common, but a connoisseur is rare.

Isn't that the truth?

You can only blame your bad fate.

That's why Li Rui's perseverance is all the more precious—he endured until seventy, never giving up; it was precisely this stubborn determination that brought him to today's achievement.

When a man does not abandon himself, heaven does not abandon him.

"What a perfect saying: Heaven rewards diligence!"

Wei Ming exclaimed.

Li Rui chuckled: "I was going to tell you after I finished my shift—did Master Ning tell you?"

Ge Hong nodded: "Master Ning will likely inform Jiang Lin—you can expect promotion."

Li Rui didn't hesitate: "I think all three of us will be promoted. Tonight, I've reserved a private room at Zui Xian Pavilion—shall we invite Master Ning for another celebration?"

"Perfect!"

Ge Hong and Wei Ming both agreed at once.

(End of Chapter)