Chapter 88

"Stop! ——"

On the stage, the military officer's angry shout echoed, as such dangerous matches were strictly prohibited by the imperial court.

With a clang, Zuo Guangdou sheathed his sword. Without waiting for the military officer to speak, he stepped back and returned to his original position. The burly youth soon fell down, blood gushing out wildly, staining the stage red.

But he did not die. Zuo Guangdou's control over his strength was exquisite; the sword had grazed his heart but did not take his life.

The stage was silent, with no cheers or applause. Zuo Guangdou's match instilled a chilling fear in the audience. Under that black hood, everyone could sense a heavy aura of danger.

"Zuo Guangdou, suspected to be a disciple of a sect. —— This guy is terrifying, he's a madman."

Han Bin thought with lingering fear.

"That was the martial technique 'Swift Sword' of the Martial Realm, extremely difficult to master. I didn't expect someone in the martial examination to know such a powerful skill."

Lü Ling turned to look at Yang Ji, his expression serious:

"Yang Ji, this guy is dangerous. If there are no surprises, he will be the strongest in your district. You'd better hope you don't meet him too soon!"

As he said the last sentence, Lü Ling's expression became even more solemn. "Different people, different ways," all kinds of people could appear in the martial examination, but someone like Zuo Guangdou was rarely encountered.

At least in the previous few sessions of the martial examination, Lü Ling had never heard of anyone like him.

"I understand."

Yang Ji responded, but his face remained unchanged. His eyes flickered, and no one knew what he was thinking.

The further the martial examination progressed, the stronger and more dangerous the opponents became. Even those using knives and swords appeared.

Although according to the imperial rules, as long as it did not endanger the opponent's life, each candidate had the right to use knives and swords, if not proficient, using them recklessly would be a constraint.

Not only would they fail to exert their full strength, but they would also weaken themselves inadvertently. This was why many candidates, despite knowing that fists were at a disadvantage against knives and swords, still chose to fight bare-handed, out of necessity.

Those who could defeat their opponents bare-handed like Li Chen were, after all, a minority.

Next, perhaps due to the terrifying pool of blood on the stage, several matches seemed somewhat oppressive. Both sides were uneasy, their eyes subconsciously glancing at the bloodstain, and they did not perform at their best.

"Next match, number 1201 Yang Ji..."

A voice echoed from the stage.

"It's your turn."

Lü Ling suddenly nudged Yang Ji. Yang Ji's next opponent was not very strong, with strength comparable to Zhao Qi, slightly weaker. He was the second strongest in District 15.

"Yang Ji will win."

Han Bin suddenly smiled. Since Yang Ji had defeated the stronger Zhao Qi, it was even easier to defeat a weaker opponent.

"Whoosh!"

As soon as the match began, a blurry black shadow flashed in an "S" shape across the stage. Before the audience could react, a figure screamed and flew high, falling off the stage.

"Buzz!"

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd. Many people stared wide-eyed at Yang Ji on the stage. In that moment, Yang Ji seemed to have used the "S" movement technique that "Zhao Qi" had used, but with greater proficiency.

"Yang Ji, what's wrong?"

Lü Ling approached, a bit puzzled.

From her observation, Yang Ji's state was clearly different. And with his strength, he could easily handle that candidate without making it so complicated.

"Nothing."

Yang Ji smiled, "I just had some ideas."

"Alright."

Lü Ling nodded, not asking further: "According to the rules, you have at most one more match today, then you can rest."

After this match, it was quickly time for the midday break. A bell sounded, signaling the end of the match. Yang Ji, Lü Ling, and Han Bin soon left the "Wu Hall."

To their surprise, Yang Ji did not immediately head to the "Earth Dragon Inn" but went to a blacksmith shop in Pingchuan City.

The blacksmith shop was a single-story building made of iron sheets, with a chimney on top emitting thick smoke. The heat inside was intense, like entering a furnace.

"Master, please forge me a pair of iron gloves."

Yang Ji said.

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of Lü Ling and Han Bin behind him lit up.

"Oh, from your appearance, you must be participating in the martial examination. I've had a few groups come here. I'll say it again, forging iron gloves isn't hard, but the problem is the lack of materials."

The blacksmith was a robust man in his forties, bare-chested, with a bronze complexion. He smoked casually, sweat streaming down his body like paste.

"Master, you run a blacksmith shop, and you say you don't have materials for forging? What kind of joke is this?"

Behind him, Han Bin exclaimed in surprise.

"Hmph, young man, don't speak if you don't know. Forging iron gloves isn't something you can do with any material; it must be fine iron. Otherwise, the result will be coarse and heavy, lacking flexibility, and completely unusable. —— If you want it, I'll give you this."

The middle-aged blacksmith with a beard hooked a black lump with his foot and kicked it to the group. It was a pair of iron gloves as large as fans, if you could call them that.

The iron gloves were rusty and dirty, as if they had been soaked in sewage for a long time. Many places were cracked, and the most important joints were completely split, like a pile of iron rings.

Han Bin estimated that the rough iron gloves weighed at least thirty pounds. Wearing such cumbersome things, one couldn't hope to perform normally.

"Is this even possible?!"

Han Bin was dumbfounded.

"I told you it wouldn't work. A student wouldn't listen and insisted I forge a pair for him. In the end, he couldn't bear it and threw it back to me."

The middle-aged blacksmith smoked casually, saying indifferently:

"Without fine iron, you can't forge iron gloves. Do you really think you're the first to come here?"

Yang Ji frowned, originally thinking forging a pair of gloves wouldn't be difficult, but it turned out to be more complicated.

"I have fine iron!"

Lü Ling, who had been quiet, suddenly said:

"I still have some fine iron stored. I haven't used it much. I'll have someone bring it to you. —— How long will it take?"

"Who are you? ——"

The middle-aged blacksmith hadn't noticed at first, but when he saw the heroic face under the helmet, his eyes widened:

"Miss!"

In Pingchuan City, few people didn't know the city lord's daughter, Lü Ling.

"It won't take long, very fast! As soon as the materials arrive, it will be done in one or two days at most!"

The middle-aged blacksmith hurriedly bowed, his attitude completely different.

Yang Ji glanced at Lü Ling, then turned to ask about the price, paid, and left.

"Thank you."

After leaving the blacksmith shop, Yang Ji said.

"Just a few pieces of fine iron, it's nothing. And I don't use them much anyway."

Lü Ling waved her hand, unconcerned:

"By the way, Yang Ji, are you customizing the iron gloves to deal with Zuo Guangdou?"

Zuo Guangdou's performance left a deep impression not only on Yang Ji, Han Bin, and others but also on Lü Ling, though not because of his martial skills but because of his viciousness and cruelty.

"Yes. 'An inch longer, an inch stronger.' Fighting bare-handed against someone with average sword skills is fine, but against someone like Zuo Guangdou, who is skilled in swordsmanship, it's extremely dangerous. So I plan to forge a pair of iron gloves."

Yang Ji said frankly.

The "Child Scholar" title in the martial examination was extremely important to him, and he was determined to win. As long as he could win, Yang Ji was not averse to taking other measures.

During lunch at the "Earth Dragon Inn," Yang Ji barely touched his chopsticks. Lü Ling and Han Bin knew he was thinking and did not disturb him.

After lunch, Lü Ling and Han Bin accompanied Yang Ji back to the "Wu Hall." The hall was bustling, with some people happy and others worried, in contrast to the morning.

"Boom!"

Not long after the match began, a thunderous cheer came from behind the partition wall of the "Wu Hall." The loud noise even drew the attention of the people in Yang Ji's district.

"It's the northern district!"

Lü Ling's eyes darted, and she immediately said, "I'll go check it out."

Without waiting for Yang Ji's response, she pushed through the crowd and headed to the other half of the venue. Such a significant disturbance clearly indicated an impressive match on the other side.

Yang Ji did not move; his focus was on the matches here. "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated," and the other half of the venue was something to consider only in the finals.

Just as Lü Ling disappeared behind the massive steel partition, a voice from the stage announced:

"Next match, number 1201 Yang Ji, number 4435 Wang Xian, please come to the stage!"

The venue immediately erupted in cheers, and the densely packed "martial students" who had not yet entered the state of mind became excited, clapping enthusiastically.

In the morning's matches, besides the unpleasant "Zuo Guangdou," Yang Ji and Wang Xian were undoubtedly the most outstanding.

Although Yang Ji's performance was not as spectacular as Wang Xian's, both were strong contenders for the final seven spots in the second round.

"Trouble!"

Unlike the excited crowd, the two people called out simultaneously changed their expressions.

"What do we do now? Your iron gloves are just customized and can't be used in time!"

Han Bin said worriedly. He had been with Yang Ji and knew his situation well.

Wang Xian's ten indestructible "steel fingers" left a deep impression. Unless one was skilled in knives and swords, it was difficult to compete with him.

Fighting with hands tied, hesitant and fearful, would result in a direct loss.

The iron gloves Yang Ji had customized were originally meant to deal with "Wang Xian" and "Zuo Guangdou," but now it was too late to make a change.