Chapter 297: Chapter 155: Sensation
A Courtyard!
’...This Young Master Qin, is he really going to play for such high stakes right after arriving?’
Li Yao’s eyelid twitched.
You had to understand, those who lived in the A Courtyard were basically all geniuses. They came from families with profound backgrounds, possessed exceptional Talent, and had a chance to vie for one of the twelve seats!
Some of them had fought their way up, bit by bit, on their own strength.
Others were personally appointed to stay there by a patron.
...In any case, none of them were ordinary.
’And this Qin Fang wants to enter the A Courtyard, too?’
"What’s wrong? Is there a problem?"
Qin Fang asked, raising an eyebrow.
Li Yao snapped back to his senses and said, "There’s no problem, per se. With Young Master Qin’s strength, living in the A Courtyard would naturally be fine. It’s just..."
Seeing Li Yao’s hesitation, Qin Fang raised an eyebrow and said, "Just what?"
Li Yao thought for a moment, then said straightforwardly, "Alright, I’ll give Young Master Qin a general overview."
With that, he began to give Qin Fang a rough explanation.
He first explained the Post House’s rules regarding challenges.
First, if one wanted to move up to a higher-ranked courtyard, there were two ways.
The first was to challenge others within the same courtyard. Accumulate ten victories, and you could move up to the next. The disturbance fee for challenges within the same courtyard was always a thousand taels of silver.
The second was to challenge someone from a higher-ranked courtyard directly...
For example, Qin Fang was currently in the C Courtyard. As long as he successfully challenged an opponent from the A Courtyard, he could move into the A Courtyard directly.
But correspondingly, the price of failure was also very high...
For example, the disturbance fee for a challenge within the C Courtyard was one thousand taels.
A challenge from C Courtyard to B Courtyard required two thousand taels.
And a challenge from C Courtyard to A Courtyard cost as much as five thousand taels!
A challenge from B Courtyard to A Courtyard also cost two thousand taels.
The A Courtyard not only offered a better living environment and superior treatment, but most importantly, its residents were more likely to attract the attention of the examiners from the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect during the Martial Arts Examination.
...This was very helpful for the final evaluation for the twelve seats.
"And besides these tangible benefits, the A Courtyard is also a matter of... face..."
Qin Fang raised an eyebrow, and Li Yao continued.
Qin Fang wasn’t part of the Lanyang City social circle, so he didn’t really care where he stayed.
But many others were part of this circle!
Like that Shen Han, or Lin Chen... they were both Heirs of Noble Families in Lanyang City. Their circle was only so big, and they all knew each other.
So... imagine you’re both Heirs of Noble Families. He gets to stay in the A Courtyard at the Post House, while you can only manage the B Courtyard...
When you go out, wouldn’t you feel a cut below your peers?
"Although there are over a hundred A Courtyards in the Post House, only twenty are made available to the Martial Arts Examination candidates. After all, other people come to the Post House, like officials from the various County Government Offices. And those twenty courtyards are currently full, occupied almost entirely by the Heirs of Lanyang City’s local Noble Families."
"If Young Master Qin wishes to enter the A Courtyard... then you will undoubtedly come face to face with these Heirs of Noble Families."
"The Heirs of Noble Families don’t care about the A Courtyard’s amenities... but they care a great deal about face."
"Young Master Qin is a newcomer. As the saying goes, ’a mighty dragon is no match for a local snake’... so..."
Li Yao trailed off, leaving Qin Fang to weigh the implications himself.
Upon hearing this, Qin Fang raised an eyebrow. He thought for a moment and said, "So, according to you, if I don’t challenge the A Courtyard, the best I can hope for is the B Courtyard?"
Li Yao opened his mouth, but in the end, he could only nod helplessly. "That’s right... unless someone from the A Courtyard leaves, allowing you to enter after accumulating ten victories in the B Courtyard."
"After I get into the A Courtyard, can I still challenge people in the B Courtyard?" Qin Fang suddenly asked another question.
"Well... very few people do that, but in theory, it is possible. However, the disturbance fee must still be paid..." Li Yao said.
"And the person I defeat, will they be demoted?" Qin Fang asked the crucial question.
Li Yao was a bit stunned. "This... this kind of situation has never come up before. But... according to the rules, if you lose, you get demoted... so, yes, they should be demotable, I suppose?"
As the words left his mouth, he came to his senses and stared at Qin Fang. "Young Master Qin, what are you planning?"
Qin Fang grinned. "Thank you for clearing things up, Chief Li... Hmm, I want to challenge Shen Han of the A Courtyard. What do I need to do now?"
Shen Han?!
Li Yao’s expression changed instantly... He was certainly no stranger to Shen Han.
The man was a veteran of the Post House. He had entered the Huajin realm at twenty-six and participated in the Martial Arts Examination three times. His best result had been thirteenth place—just one step shy of claiming one of the twelve seats.
But he ultimately failed to be selected, so he withdrew from the Martial Arts Examination to try again this year.
Next year, he will turn thirty. According to the Rule, this year is his last chance to obtain one of the twelve seats.
’This man is a direct descendant of the Shen Family, a Divine Family... and this Qin Fang actually wants to go up against him?’
"Young Master Qin, are... are you sure? The Shen Family..."
Li Yao hesitated, about to say more, but before he could finish, Qin Fang was already smiling. "I’m sure. It’s him. What do I need to do?"
Li Yao fell silent.
He had been on duty here for a long time and naturally knew that Geng Ye was actually one of the Shen Family’s people.
These Heirs of Noble Families, in order to secure one of the twelve seats, would often support subordinates who were also at the Huajin realm to participate in the Martial Arts Examination alongside them.
Their purpose was to act when their masters encountered a new Huajin practitioner participating in the Martial Arts Examination. When it was inconvenient for the heir to act personally, they would send these subordinates to issue a challenge first. This was to gauge the target’s strength and assess whether they posed a threat to their master’s potential seat.
These people even had their special uses during the Martial Arts Examination itself...
...And Geng Ye was one of them.
Because this was all within the bounds of the rules, even the Post House and the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect could only turn a blind eye.
This kind of situation had happened in the past.
But... the vast majority of those who were challenged, after learning the identity of the people behind it, chose to swallow their pride and endure it silently.
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