Chapter 8: Chapter 8: This Guy Is a Martial Dao Prodigy?
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Inside the North Guard Room, you could hear a pin drop.
All eyes were on Fang Xing, who stood in the center of the room.
At that moment, his words echoed in everyone’s mind.
’He wants that position!’
’Damn, is he really that bold?’
’The Deputy Constable... you have to be a Bright Force Martial Artist for that!’
’Don’t tell me you’ve reached Bright Force?!’
Staring at Fang Xing, a flurry of thoughts raced through their minds. They wondered if they had misheard him.
Xu Le stood frozen on the spot, staring at Fang Xing. He felt his entire body go stiff.
’Don’t mess around, little brother,’ he thought. ’With your level of strength, what are you getting involved for?’
Xu Zhengxiong, sitting in his chair, looked at Fang Xing. After hearing what he’d said, he also wondered if he had misheard.
"Say that again," Xu Zhengxiong said to Fang Xing, breaking the silence.
Fang Xing looked up at Xu Zhengxiong, his expression serious. "Boss, I said, I’d like to try for this position!"
Every word was perfectly clear.
This time, everyone heard him. It wasn’t their imagination.
’Fang Xing really has guts!’
"You want this position? Do you even know the requirements to become a Deputy Constable?" Xu Zhengxiong asked, letting out a short, exasperated laugh.
He had to admit, Fang Xing was pretty decent.
He had reached the Qi Blood Extreme a month ago.
Reaching the Qi Blood Extreme at eighteen wasn’t outstanding, but in the North Guard Room, it was considered quite good.
He had the potential to break through the Qi Blood Extreme and step into the Bright Force realm in the future.
But it was only potential.
Whether he could actually succeed was another matter entirely.
Meeting Xu Zhengxiong’s gaze, Fang Xing nodded calmly. "I know. The requirement is to be a Bright Force Martial Artist to hold this position."
"And I’ve reached it."
His words were simple and calm, yet they struck everyone’s ears like a clap of thunder, stirring up a tempest in their hearts.
’He’s reached Bright Force?!’
’Th-this... How is this possible?!’
Shock, doubt, disbelief...
All eyes were fixed on him, a mixture of expressions on every face.
Bright Force!
He had reached Bright Force!
He had breached the gate and leaped over the Dragon Gate!
Those words rocked the very souls of everyone present.
’Fang Xing... he’s reached Bright Force...’
At this moment, only that single sentence resounded in Xu Le’s mind.
It was as if his heart had stopped beating.
The moment the words left Fang Xing’s mouth, Xu Zhengxiong shot to his feet with a SWISH, his piercing eyes locked onto him.
"You’re saying you’ve already reached Bright Force?"
Xu Zhengxiong stared intently at his face.
Fang Xing nodded. "Yes. I just broke through."
SWOOSH—!
In a single, swift motion, Xu Zhengxiong was instantly in front of him, his broad palm gripping his wrist.
"Release your Inner Strength. Let me see," Xu Zhengxiong said, his expression serious.
HUMMM!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Xing immediately channeled his Inner Strength.
Power vibrated from him!
Feeling Fang Xing’s Inner Strength, Xu Zhengxiong’s pupils contracted.
Seeing this, the expressions of the onlookers changed.
From Xu Zhengxiong’s reaction, it seemed Fang Xing had truly reached Bright Force and become a genuine Martial Artist.
A carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, soaring to the heavens in a single bound!
"Good! Good! Good!"
Xu Zhengxiong suddenly released his grip and exclaimed "good" three times in a row, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.
Looking at the young man before him, he was overjoyed.
Just like everyone else, he wanted one of his own men to get the promotion.
If someone from another guard room came in, then after he retired, the North Guard Room would fall under the control of another faction.
But if one of their own was promoted, the situation would be completely different.
’He really did it... He’s soared to the sky in a single step.’ Xu Le stared at Fang Xing, a bit dazed, but he was incredibly happy.
Fang Xing’s promotion was definitely a good thing.
It might seem like a small step, but once taken, it changed everything.
If he became the Deputy Constable, he would be the second-in-command of the entire Northern City Area!
This step was a qualitative leap!
The others came back to their senses, looking at Fang Xing with complicated expressions.
There was happiness, envy, and jealousy.
Regardless, taking this step changed everything.
"You kid, not bad. Reaching Bright Force without making a peep," Xu Zhengxiong teased with a smile.
Fang Xing replied politely, "It was just luck. I was fortunate to succeed."
"Luck... In the cultivation of the Martial Dao, there’s no such thing as luck. You kid, you’re quite modest."
Xu Zhengxiong said with a chuckle.
"You praise me too much, Boss," Fang Xing replied, neither servile nor overbearing.
Xu Zhengxiong studied him carefully, then nodded. "Good. Now that you’ve broken through to Bright Force, you are indeed qualified for this position. However, it won’t be that easy."
The smile vanished from Xu Zhengxiong’s face, replaced by a serious expression.
Fang Xing looked at him and asked, "Boss, what else do I need to do?"
Xu Zhengxiong said, "The candidates have already been selected. I’m afraid the only way to secure the position now is through a real fight."
"I can recommend you, but you’ll definitely have to fight. After all, Lord Lin has already spoken. It was originally supposed to be a match between two people. Now that you’re in the mix, you’ll just have to force your way through."
"Boss, Fang Xing just broke through. Is... is he ready for that?"
Xu Le was the first to snap out of it and ask.
The others also looked at Xu Zhengxiong with concern.
Although some were jealous of Fang Xing, when it came to competing with other guard rooms, they definitely wanted him to win the position.
There was no doubt about that!
"I can’t be sure. It’s up to him," Xu Zhengxiong said, shaking his head as he looked at Fang Xing.
"A match is no problem. I can do it," Fang Xing said with a nod.
Hearing this, Xu Zhengxiong looked at him. "This isn’t child’s play. You could get injured."
"It doesn’t hurt to try. Even if I fail, at least I will have tried my best. The result isn’t important," Fang Xing said lightly.
’This kid sure has a good head on his shoulders...’ Hearing this, a hint of admiration appeared in Xu Zhengxiong’s eyes.
He might not succeed, but it was good that he had this kind of confidence.
At least he could put up a fight and not become a laughingstock for the other guard rooms.
"Alright. You’ll come with me to see the County Magistrate later. We should have a result by the end of the day."
Xu Zhengxiong didn’t waste any more words.
Fang Xing nodded.
Then, Xu Zhengxiong’s gaze swept over the crowd. "The rest of you, get back to your duties."
The men nodded and left the guard room.
Many of them offered Fang Xing words of encouragement.
If he could win, that would be for the best.
But if he lost, that would be normal too. After all, Fang Xing had only just stepped into the Bright Force realm.
One by one, the men left, and soon only Xu Zhengxiong and Fang Xing remained in the guard room.
Looking at Fang Xing, Xu Zhengxiong said, "Let me test you first. Give it your all."
"Okay." Fang Xing nodded, took a step back, and his expression grew serious.
’It’s perfectly normal for Xu Zhengxiong to want to test me!’
’This way, he can gauge my depth.’
Looking at Fang Xing, Xu Zhengxiong’s expression was calm. He clasped one hand behind his back, his aura gathering around him.
In an instant, he seemed like a fierce tiger, and the very air around him seemed to tremble slightly.
"Attack!"
Xu Zhengxiong spoke, and as soon as the word left his lips, Fang Xing struck. Grapple Hand!
Through his constant practice, coupled with his heaven-sent Comprehension, he had long since cultivated the Grapple Hand to the Peak of Perfection.
He lunged forward, his five fingers curling into a claw as he aimed for Xu Zhengxiong’s shoulder.
Xu Zhengxiong’s reaction was incredibly fast. He twisted his body slightly and instantly dodged the grab.
But in the next instant, Fang Xing’s attack landed squarely on him.
THUD!
The palm strike landed, and Xu Zhengxiong’s body shuddered. He was slightly shocked.
’Even with my Cultivation at the Peak of Bright Force, I couldn’t completely evade his attack.’
’This kid... his combat talent is incredible!’
Xu Zhengxiong didn’t dare to be careless. He immediately brought his other hand into play.
BANG! BANG! BANG!!!
In the spacious hall, two figures clashed, their movements a blur.
Fists, claws, and fingers!
The air vibrated.
The Grapple Hand was a technique that excelled in offense.
Both of them were dueling with the Grapple Hand.
Although his Cultivation was lower than Xu Zhengxiong’s, Fang Xing’s understanding of the Grapple Hand was actually superior.
During their exchange, relying on his powerful insight into the Grapple Hand, he even managed to gain a slight upper hand.
THUD—!
A dull thud resounded as the two figures separated.
Xu Zhengxiong reined in his aura and stopped. Fang Xing quickly stopped as well.
Looking at Fang Xing, Xu Zhengxiong’s eyes held an unconcealable shock.
’I’ve been cultivating the Grapple Hand for many years, but... why do I get the feeling this kid’s mastery of it is even greater than mine?’
’Could this kid be some kind of Martial Dao prodigy?!’
Aside from a slight lack of combat experience, he had to admit that in terms of the Grapple Hand, Fang Xing had surpassed him.
’Thankfully, my higher Cultivation and longer training time give me an edge. Otherwise, if we had kept fighting, the openings I revealed might have been even greater.’
