Jiang Yan glanced at Li Rui, a trace of surprise flashing through her eyes.
“Junior Brother Zhu, is that your family’s stableman?”
Zhu Yue smiled with pleasant surprise, this was the first ti Jiang Yan had taken the initiative to speak to him in days.
He turned to look at Li Rui.
Indeed, the man looked like their old family groom, but now he was wearing the uniform of the Heaven-Earth Alliance.
Clearly, sothing had changed while he was away from Qinghe, back at Splendid Purity Sect.
Han Qin chuckled, “Everyone has their own destiny. Let’s focus on the more pressing matter, the Blood Tiger Gang.”
Jiang Yan nodded.
They had just managed to get Dao Xiong from the Heaven-Earth Alliance to agree to help. There was no need to stir up trouble now.
Before leaving, Jiang Yan gave Li Rui a long, aningful look, her gaze flickering with an unreadable emotion.
“Phew…”
Li Rui exhaled deeply as the three disciples from Splendid Purity Sect walked away.
He still wasn’t ready to get too involved with them.
Right now, the less entangled he was with the affairs of the sect, the better. All he wanted was to train in peace.
Still, his eyes glimred with joy.
Because of Jiang Yan’s appearance, his achievent points had maxed out ahead of schedule.
[Achievent Unlocked: Childhood Sweethearts]
[Age 2]
[You achieved fa early and t a girl just as young. Childhood sweethearts, growing together in mutual understanding.]
[Achievent points reached 100, Reward being calculated…]
[A young hero must value enlightennt above all, for only with wisdom can opportunities be seized. If immortals aid you, may you live like one.]
[Enlightennt Increased!]
[Young hero, begin your perfect journey through the martial world!]
[Na: Li Rui]
[Age: 7]
[Talent: Martial Bones, Outstanding Enlightennt]
[Technique: White Ape Phi Blade]
[Achievents: 0/100]
Childhood Sweethearts?
“Who’s ever seen a seventy-year-old man with a ‘childhood sweetheart’?”
Li Rui’s mouth twitched.
He decisively ignored the poetic prelude. After all, according to the system, he was technically seven.
His gaze landed on the words: Outstanding Enlightennt.
Everyone knew that when judging a person’s aptitude, it boiled down to two aspects:
One: Physical Talent.
This was easier to observe, so traits could be judged by the eye alone.
For example: arms that reached past the knees suited long-reach fist techniques; a stocky, muscular fra fit body-hardening skills. Qinghe’s Deputy Branch Master Zhou, who began balding in his youth, had the ideal physique for the legendary Iron Head Skill.
Others required expert “bone readers” to evaluate.
Like Li Rui’s Martial Bones, almost impossible to detect by sight.
That’s why major clans and sects always cultivated at least one bone reader, to assess talent the mont a child was born.
Those born with rare constitutions were trained accordingly from day one, winning at the starting line.
How could commoners compete with that?
They simply couldn't.
Two: Enlightennt.
Compared to physical talent, enlightennt was much more abstract.
It couldn’t be determined by any physical ans.
Yet, there were signs, prodigies who spoke in full sentences at one, wrote poems by three, clear markers of superior comprehension.
In martial training, it ant grasping techniques faster from the sa manual.
So while physical talent gave a strong foundation, enlightennt wasn't as directly useful early on.
Its greatest value lay in creating new techniques.
But unless one had already beco a martial arts grandmaster, crafting new techniques was pointless.
That’s why many with high enlightennt but average physical talent ended up overlooked, fading into obscurity.
Enlightennt raised a martial artist’s ceiling, not their starting point.
Li Rui sat and quietly examined his state.
Other than his mind feeling sharper and more focused, there wasn’t any imdiate physical change.
“Maybe it’ll take ti to notice the benefits of increased enlightennt.”
“Ah He, I give up! I give up!”
Zhou Shulin collapsed to the ground, panting like an ox. One hand on the floor, the other waving in surrender.
Liang He, still brimming with energy, lowered his wooden sword.
“Shulin, you’re getting weaker.”
Zhou Shulin rolled his eyes.
“Weaker? It’s not , it’s you getting stronger!”
He roared inwardly, though he didn’t say it aloud.
Zhou Shulin got to his feet, frustrated.
He, Liang He, and Liu Tong had joined Tianyi Hall at roughly the sa ti, with similar starting strength.
In fact, he had slightly better prospects, thanks to his family background and his uncle being the Deputy Branch Master.
He never lacked for techniques or resources.
But now? Liang He could defeat him in ten moves flat.
And this was just the beginning, the gap would only widen.
He’d heard that Liu Tong had perford brilliantly in the latest internal evaluation at Civil and Martial Hall and was gaining fa.
At this rate, he would be the only one left behind, a failure.
The frustration ran deep.
It wasn’t for lack of effort, he simply lacked talent.
And with the branch’s big assessnt coming soon, the pressure grew even heavier.
Liang He noticed his friend’s mood. Ever since his session with Hall Master Li, he’d grown more sensitive to others’ emotions.
He imdiately guessed the cause.
“Shulin, you’ve trained hard and improved a lot, it’s just that I improved a little faster. You’ll still rank well in the evaluation.”
Zhou Shulin’s expression eased. “You an it?”
Liang He nodded seriously. “Of course.”
He’d always been a loner in the Heaven-Earth Alliance. Zhou Shulin was his only real friend.
He didn’t want to lose that bond.
Blind comfort would ring hollow, but honest encouragent based on facts, that could lift soone’s spirit.
Zhou Shulin finally smiled again. “Good, then I won’t worry.”
He didn’t expect to match monsters like Liang He or Liu Tong.
He just wanted to pass the assessnt and keep working in Tianyi Hall.
Just as he was about to say more, Liang He’s expression changed, and he bowed respectfully: “Hall Master.”
Zhou Shulin turned and saw Li Rui standing silently behind them.
He jumped up and took a few steps back.
“Hall… Hall Master.”
Li Rui saw his two disciples training earnestly and nodded with satisfaction.
“Good. Keep at it. The assessnt is coming. Train hard, you represent Tianyi Hall’s na.”
Then he paused. Tianyi Hall didn’t exactly have much of a na to begin with. So he added, “Your hall master is getting old. The future is yours.”
The two boys flushed red with excitent.
Praise from the Hall Master!
Liang He straightened his neck and declared, “Hall Master, I won’t let you down!”
Li Rui patted both their shoulders.
“Good. Keep going.”
With that, he walked back into Tianyi Hall.
He took a tour of the first and second floors, then selected a book: True Interpretations of Nanhua.
A cup of tea. A good book.
Li Rui sat back on his wooden chair, at ease.
Even a prince couldn’t buy this peace.
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