Chapter 20

At night, the small valley was silent, and the occasional bird call or insect chirp only made the place seem quieter.

Jiang Feng was still sleeping in the tree. Suddenly, his ears twitched, and he looked around alertly.

He flipped off the tree and patrolled the area, but found nothing.

He did not relax, however, and instead walked out of the tree shade and sat down on a large rock in the valley.

This was the best vantage point in the valley, from which he could see everything from any direction.

Somewhere unknown, a silent gasp could be heard. A moment later, a gray, hazy shadow slipped past the rocks, trees, and grass.

It was almost transparent and barely noticeable in the dark, even up close.

But Jiang Feng seemed to sense something and stared at the patch of grass for a long time before cautiously looking away.

The gray shadow slipped into the tree house and came off in a corner like peeling skin, revealing a cloak.

Under the gray cloak, a person appeared. He was tall and had white hair and beard, the old man who had come to see Chong Fan before. He looked out with a puzzled expression, then at the "bed" on the ground.

At this, his expression changed, and he gently woke Chong Fan, whispering into his ear, "Young Master, Young Master, wake up!"

Chong Fan opened his eyes and sat up, completely awake.

He frowned, moved his lips slightly, and asked silently, "Didn't I say I wanted to stay here for a while?"

The old man said anxiously, "Young Master, how can you sleep in such a place?"

Chong Fan shook his head, "Let's talk about the important things."

The old man had watched him grow up and understood his personality very well. He took a deep breath and said, "I sent someone to investigate this young man... Don't worry, I didn't reveal your whereabouts."

A hint of displeasure flashed in Chong Fan's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. This was how people like them acted, and the old man was only concerned about him, so he shouldn't feel upset.

He said silently, "This young man has no ill intentions toward me, and I don't want to know these things."

The old man was silent for a moment and then said, "Young Master, I know you want to make a friend, but... it's not about him, it's about your body!"

My body?

Chong Fan lowered his eyes and thought for a long time. He didn't give any instructions, and the old man didn't dare to speak.

After a long time, Chong Fan shook his head, "You don't need to tell me."

He lifted his eyes, his gaze clear, "I'll ask you when I want to know, but... not now."

This might be the normal way for people like them to act, but at least for now, Chong Fan didn't want to do it. He didn't want to pry into Jiang Feng's secrets, even if they might be related to his body and his strange illness.

It might be because of this nameless valley, or the meat-eating rabbit, or the young man's sweat-soaked figure in the sunlight and his occasional melancholic expression...

Most importantly, his body seemed to have undergone some changes.

...

...

The next morning, after finishing his morning practice, Jiang Feng didn't go hunting in the mountains as usual.

He frowned at Chong Fan's clothes and shook his head, "Your clothes are in such bad shape, and they're covered in blood. You can't wear them outside..."

Chong Fan looked down at himself, feeling a bit embarrassed.

He was always clean and sometimes changed clothes three times a day. When had he ever worn a blood-stained shirt for three days?

Since coming here, he felt for the first time that he should contact the old man and prepare some essentials for himself...

Jiang Feng rummaged through his few sets of clothes and threw one to him, "Wear this."

Chong Fan put it on and was a bit surprised.

He was a head shorter than Jiang Feng and much thinner, but the clothes fit him well and didn't look too big. Moreover, the clothes were made of gray silk, which was much better than the rough hemp Jiang Feng wore.

Jiang Feng looked at the clothes on him with nostalgia, "This was a gift from someone else. I never threw it away, and it just happens to fit you."

His eyes dimmed slightly, and he turned, "Let's go. The Half-Moon Market is open, and we need to get there early."

Chong Fan smoothed his clothes and looked at his back.

Is this also related to that most important young lady?

The Half-Moon Market was located in the southwest of Luming Town, by the Changchuan River.

When Jiang Feng and Chong Fan arrived, the sky was already bright, and the sunlight shimmered on the river, creating countless golden fragments. The riverbanks were lined with countless stalls, extending along the river.

Jiang Feng put down the heavy objects in his hands and unshouldered his basket.

Chong Fan's face turned bright red as he crawled out of the basket, almost speechless.

The way out of the valley was a rugged mountain path, and "not far from Luming Town" was only true for someone like Jiang Feng.

Chong Fan had never had the opportunity to move freely, and his constitution was very weak. How could he possibly walk out on his own?

After walking for a short while, he was already panting like he was about to die.

Jiang Feng shook his head, "You need to exercise more. Being lazy all the time is no good."

I'm not lazy! I'm sick!

Chong Fan's face heated up at this, almost shouting out loud.

But saying that would make him seem even sicker. He mumbled, unable to speak, and Jiang Feng, having emptied the basket, picked him up and put him inside.

Chong Fan felt anxious at the thought of sitting in the basket all the way to town.

Just as he was about to struggle, Jiang Feng stopped him, "What, do you want me to carry you on my back?"

Which is more embarrassing, being carried on his back or sitting in the basket?

Before Chong Fan could decide, Jiang Feng had already picked him up and started walking.

As they walked, Jiang Feng said, "Since you have nothing to do now, tell me about the big exam. You mentioned the Heaven, Earth, and Human tests. What exactly are they?"

Chong Fan, distracted, explained, "The Nine Provinces Martial Examination is divided into three levels: Prefecture, State, and County. You should know this."

"Um, I've heard of it."

Chong Fan continued, "Regardless of the level, the test items are the same, but the difficulty increases with each level. These items are the Heaven, Earth, and Human tests."

"The Heaven test assesses innate abilities. Martial cultivators cultivate martial arts, and the Enlightenment of the Heart is just the starting point. After reaching the Dawn Realm, the strength and speed of martial cultivators... all of these have indicators. The Heaven test measures these indicators."

"The Earth test assesses knowledge of the world. The Two Continents of the Nine Heavens and the Mystic Extreme, the two cities of the Mystic Extreme, and the nine countries of the Nine Heavens. Customs, geography, and power distribution are all covered."

"The Human test assesses practical combat skills, and the items change slightly each year. There are direct battles and real-world challenges, but you only know the specifics on the day of the exam."

Chong Fan's explanation was concise and clear, and Jiang Feng understood it immediately.

In other words, the Heaven test measures physical attributes, the Earth test is a written exam with a broad scope, and the Human test is practical combat, whether against people or mystical beasts.

He frowned and asked, "Isn't the scope of the Earth test too broad?"

Chong Fan nodded, "It does seem that way, but in reality, the Earth test is not just about the knowledge you already have."

He explained clearly, "The Earth test lasts three days, but most of the time is spent reading. The examiners will put all the content to be tested together and give the candidates three days to read as much as they can."

"The last hour of the third day is the time for answering questions."

Jiang Feng thought for a moment and asked, "Reading as much as you can, isn't that a bit luck-based? If you're lucky, the content you read will be the exam content, and you'll be in luck, otherwise..."

Chong Fan shook his head, "Luck is certainly important, but the Earth test is not entirely like that. I'm not entirely clear on the specifics, and most candidates who come out are vague, making it hard to summarize."

On the way, he told Jiang Feng everything he knew about the big exam.

This was part of their previous deal, and according to his habits, he should have gradually revealed information to Jiang Feng.

But now, Chong Fan spoke without reservation. For some reason, he had a feeling that if he fulfilled his promise, Jiang Feng would never go back on his word!

After listening to him, Jiang Feng thought for a long time and sighed, "We'll see when the time comes. In any case, getting stronger is the right path!"

The mountain path wound downward, rugged and uneven, but he walked more steadily.

Chong Fan looked at the back of his head. Although he couldn't see his face, he could almost see the incredibly determined look in his eyes.

It was a burning light of life, as if nothing could bring him down, nothing could shake him.

He sighed softly, touched the edge of the bamboo basket, and sat down.

...

...

"Top-quality water rhinoceros skin, one square meter, excellent material for close-fitting inner armor!"

"Two moon weasel pearls! Only ten silver coins each!"

"Buying wood-type elemental core fragments, five silver coins each, the more the better!"

"..."

This was Jiang Feng's first time at the Half-Moon Market, and he was immediately drawn to the lively atmosphere.

For martial cultivators, such a market was not just a place to buy and sell goods but also a window into the martial cultivation society.

Families like the Jiang family, of course, had their own systems. But for independent cultivators who didn't belong to a family, such places were very important.

Chong Fan remembered what he had said before leaving and looked around, then said to Jiang Feng, "I'll walk around and gather information about the place. I'll definitely help you sell your goods at a good price."

He spoke very seriously, and Jiang Feng smiled, "Alright, I'll leave it to you!"

They decided to split up and meet up at a set time.

Chong Fan walked along the first stall, looking around, while Jiang Feng was drawn to a conversation between two people ahead.

One of the men was holding a clay pipe, excitedly telling the person next to him, "Have you heard? The city wall of Zhuyang City collapsed, and the king is furious!"

Zhuyang City?

This familiar yet unfamiliar name flashed through Jiang Feng's mind, and he quickly remembered!

Zhuyang City was the inner city of the capital of the Zhutian Kingdom, where the king and nobles resided.

The Master of the Zhutian Kingdom, Fuliu Jun, of course, also lived there!

The city wall collapsed?

Then she... would be safe, right?

—Thank you all for coming back! And thank you to all the new friends who have joined! I love you all, Lan Zhan Xun Yun, Xie Yun, Xiang Ni Fei'er, fatfox911!

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