Chapter 14: Complicated Thoughts

Chapter 14: Complicated Thoughts

Zhang Qianru immediately lost interest. If someone worked so hard yet still performed poorly, didn’t that just mean they were stupid?

Unexpectedly, Lu Shuyuan asked with some confusion, "If your brother is so skilled in Martial Arts, why does he still study so diligently?"

"My brother is skilled in Martial Arts?" Chen Xingyue widened her eyes in disbelief.

"Haven’t you noticed? The way he walks has a natural rhythm to it, very similar to our Martial Arts teacher."

"That’s impossible!" Before Chen Xingyue could react, Zhang Qianru had already voiced her thoughts.

Their class’s Martial Arts teacher was a genuine Martial Artist. Though he had been left with an incurable injury from sorcery during an Otherworld expedition, forcing him to remain at the school as an ordinary Martial Arts instructor, his strength was still far beyond that of a mere Martial Arts apprentice.

For the first time, Chen Xingyue truly scrutinized Chen Shouyi, who was standing in line ahead of them.

His hands were on his hips, his head lowered as if deep in thought, his posture loose and slouched, utterly lacking in poise.

In the past, every time she saw him like this, she would inwardly frown, frustrated by his lack of discipline. But now, for some reason—perhaps it was just her imagination—his careless stance reminded her of a leopard crouched low, ready to pounce at any moment.

Suddenly, she recalled the image of that wooden chopstick half-buried in the wall not long ago. At the time, she had dismissed it as a coincidence, but now…

"Brother!" she called out impulsively, then fixed her gaze intently on his movements.

Human Martial Arts forcibly altered the body’s natural way of exerting force, leveraging as many muscles as possible and amplifying power through the body’s various levers.

Anyone who had trained in Martial Arts would inevitably carry traces of it in their movements—whether in their gait or…

Chen Shouyi turned his head, puzzled. "What is it?"

Chen Xingyue was momentarily dazed before snapping back to reality. "Nothing, I just wanted to call you."

"What’s wrong with her?" Chen Shouyi grumbled inwardly.

"Did you notice?" Lu Shuyuan whispered, her face slightly flushed. "When ordinary people look at something within a 15-degree angle to their side, they usually just turn their heads because it’s the easiest and most convenient. But seasoned Martial Arts apprentices—or even Martial Artists—are different. Their entire spine moves, along with their hips, leg joints, and even a series of muscles, all working in unison.

"After long hours of training, it becomes ingrained in their instincts, second nature."

"That still doesn’t prove his skill. It could just be a coincidence," Chen Xingyue said, still struggling to accept it, her thoughts in turmoil.

"That’s because you haven’t observed the way he walks. If you had, you wouldn’t say that. Every step he takes subtly follows the standard 'Basic Step,' giving the faint impression that he’s gliding slightly above the ground.

"Either he’s been a Martial Arts apprentice for a very long time, or his Meditative Self-Refinement has nearly refined every muscle in his body."

"It does seem that way. Xingyue, why do I get the feeling you don’t know your brother very well?" Zhang Qianru remarked curiously.

Chen Xingyue opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing, her emotions tangled beyond words.

……

At half past eight, the registration for the Martial Arts Assessment began.

The Martial Arts Assessment consisted of numerous items, starting with physical tests like the 100-meter sprint, bench press, deadlift, and squat, followed by Archery and the most challenging Cold Weapon Combat.

"Contestant No. 102, Chen Xingyue, 100-meter sprint in 10.11 seconds—passed!"

"Contestant No. 102, Chen Xingyue, bench press of 155 kg—passed!"

"Contestant No. 102, Chen Xingyue, squat of 265 kg—passed!"

...

The physical standards for female Martial Artist apprentices were considerably lower than those for males. Chen Shouyi suddenly realized with some relief that if he were to take the female assessment, he would definitely pass as well.

"Brother Shouyi, would you like some water?" Lu Shuyuan shyly handed him a bottle.

"Oh, thank you." Chen Shouyi took a sip and casually asked, "Are you Xingyue’s classmates?"

"Yes, we’re all in the Martial Arts class. She and I share a desk," Lu Shuyuan replied with an obedient demeanor.

"We’re all close friends with Xingyue!" Zhang Qianru chimed in from the side, her energetic body brushing against Chen Shouyi’s arm as if by accident.

The soft touch of the young girl made Chen Shouyi stiffen all over.

Fortunately, Chen Xingyue returned just then, and Chen Shouyi exhaled in relief, quickly saying, "Ah, Xingyue passed all the physical tests!"

Chen Xingyue’s expression remained blank, showing little excitement. When she looked at Chen Shouyi, her gaze was complicated and gloomy.

Confused but not dwelling on it, he said, "Why don’t you rest for a bit? The Archery assessment will start soon."

Chen Xingyue nodded silently, took the water from Lu Shuyuan, drank a sip, and sat down to meditate with her eyes closed.

After about ten minutes, she stood up and walked to the Archery assessment area.

The Archery assessment consisted of two parts: stationary targets and moving targets, both with strict time limits.

Ten arrows in ten seconds meant firing one arrow per second.

The bow was a modern recurve, powerful and precise.

Chen Xingyue passed this segment with ease. Whether stationary or moving, every arrow she shot landed close to the bullseye, forceful and steady.

Yet, instead of relaxing after passing, she grew even more tense, her face stiff and cold.

"Xingyue, your Swordsmanship has always been the best. You’ll definitely pass," Zhang Qianru encouraged.

"The teacher said you’re ready, so you must be. He’s a real Martial Artist, after all!"

Chen Shouyi also tried to comfort her, "Don’t stress too much. If you don’t pass this time, there’s always next time."

At her brother’s jinx-like words, Chen Xingyue shot him an exasperated glare, too annoyed to speak—though inwardly, she felt slightly more at ease.

After resting for half an hour, the group accompanied Chen Xingyue to the Cold Weapon Combat Platform.

The opponent in this assessment wasn’t a person but a Test Robot. Though called a robot, it bore no resemblance to a human. Fixed on the Platform, it wielded a Wooden Sword in one Mechanical Arm and a three-meter-long spear in the other.

The condition for passing was simple: land enough strikes on its alloy body with a weapon.

At that moment, another candidate was about to begin their test on the Platform.

This was a middle-aged man in his thirties, his expression grave as he stepped onto the Platform one stride at a time.

Marked on the Platform was a Sensing Zone—once entered, the robot would identify the examinee and begin the combat assessment.

The middle-aged man paused just before the Sensing Zone, hesitating. Chen Shouyi noticed beads of cold sweat dripping from his forehead. After taking several deep breaths and steeling himself for a few seconds, he finally stepped onto the Platform with determination.

"Assessment begins!"

A mechanical voice rang out from the robot as its two Mechanical Arms swiftly moved into action.

With a low shout, the man executed a Basic Step, covering over two meters in an instant and entering the robot's attack range. The robot's Mechanical Arms reacted immediately, their speed astonishing.

The right arm, gripping a spear, bent slightly at the joint before thrusting forward like a bolt of lightning.

The middle-aged man's Basic Skills were solid—with a flick of his arm, he deflected the spear with his Wooden Sword. Using the momentum, he advanced several more steps, closing within two meters of the robot.

But that was as far as he got. The left Mechanical Arm, which had been hanging low with a Wooden Sword, seemed to have been lying in wait. Suddenly, it lashed out like a viper, stabbing toward the man's head with terrifying speed.

Chen Shouyi nearly gasped aloud.

Fortunately, the robot made no mistake, and tragedy was averted—the Wooden Sword stopped abruptly less than an inch from the man's forehead.

"Assessment failed."

Whether from the shock of the near-miss or the blow of failure, the man stood frozen, his face pale. It took him several seconds to snap out of it before he staggered off the Platform.

The second examinee also failed.

The third met the same fate.

This string of failures only heightened Chen Xingyue's tension.

Chen Shouyi noticed her clenched fists, the knuckles white from the force of her grip.