Chapter 8

After the eldest brother left, ten-year-old Qin Fengming felt as if he had found a direction in life. -www..com- He began to go hunting in the mountains with his father every day to build up his strength. His mother spent a considerable amount of silver to deliberately increase the nutrition in his meals.

Four months passed in a flash. One day, while Qin Fengming was practicing his strength on a small hill outside the village, he heard a young companion say that his elder brother Qin Xiang had arrived home.

Upon hearing this, Qin Fengming knew it was time for him to leave home.

The Qin family had many words of advice for the ten-year-old Qin Fengming, but they boiled down to two points: one, be cautious when dealing with people and don't easily trust them; two, be tolerant when faced with difficulties. If he wasn't selected or couldn't endure the hardships, he should return home.

Qin Fengming nodded obediently. As he watched his parents and relatives standing at the edge of the village, waving until they were out of sight, tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Qijia City, with its walls built of massive stones, was enormous, stretching as far as the eye could see.

At the city gate, there was a tall gate tower, and the weapons visible on it gleamed in the sunlight. Outside the city, a wide moat extended into the distance, the water flowing noisily and appearing very deep. At the city gate, over a dozen soldiers were maintaining order.

Qin Xiang, without hesitation, greeted the guards and then spurred his horse directly into the city.

Seeing the towering city, which was many times larger than Tenglong Town, Qin Fengming felt overwhelmed.

Stopping on the main street, Qin Fengming looked around in amazement. Qijia City was the largest city within a radius of two hundred miles and was extremely prosperous.

At that moment, the main street was bustling with people, dressed in various colorful clothes, looking very bright. Shops lined both sides of the street, selling all kinds of exotic goods, making Qin Fengming feel overwhelmed.

Qin Xiang did not linger on the street but spurred his horse, turning and entering a small courtyard.

"Third Brother, rest here. I need to report to the military camp. There are too many people on the street, so don't leave the courtyard to avoid getting lost." Qin Xiang arranged for Qin Fengming and then needed to report to the military camp.

"Okay, Elder Brother, go ahead. I understand." Although only ten years old, Qin Fengming did not feel nervous.

It was nearly evening when Qin Xiang returned. Seeing Qin Fengming sitting in the courtyard, he smiled and then took him directly to a tavern.

As soon as they entered, a waiter greeted them warmly: "Sir Qin, you're here. Please go upstairs."

Faced with such a bustling tavern, it was Qin Fengming's first time entering. Following Qin Xiang, his eyes kept looking around.

"Same as usual, plus a ginseng stewed chicken."

Qin Xiang took Qin Fengming to a table near the window and immediately ordered the waiter.

Seeing his elder brother's composed demeanor, Qin Fengming admired him greatly.

"Third Brother, after these few days of travel, you must be very tired. In the next few days, you need to rest well and prepare for the entrance examination." Qin Xiang looked at his young third brother with a caring expression.

"Elder Brother, I understand. Please rest assured, I will definitely be selected in this Luoxia Valley selection." Qin Fengming lifted his young face, his eyes showing a stubborn and determined look.

In the following days, Qin Fengming did not idle. He jumped on a stone bench in the small courtyard every day to maintain his physical strength.

On the afternoon of the eighth day, Qin Xiang, who had never returned home early, rushed in excitedly: "Third Brother, the people from Luoxia Valley who welcome new disciples have arrived. Tomorrow is the day you will leave."

Hearing his elder brother's words, Qin Fengming knew it was time for him to leave. At that moment, his young heart was both excited and a bit anxious, as the future was hard for him to grasp at his young age.

The next day, after breakfast, Qin Xiang handed Qin Fengming a bag full of dry rations and a few changes of clothes: "Third Brother, from today on, you will face the journey alone. Try not to rely on others. The world is vast, and there are many unpredictable people, so be cautious and think carefully before acting."

Hearing his elder brother's words, the young Qin Fengming did not fully understand, but he bit his lip and nodded heavily: "Okay, Elder Brother, I will remember. Take care of yourself, Elder Brother."

Outside the north gate of Qijia City, it was bustling with people, filled with words of encouragement and farewell.

Qin Xiang led Qin Fengming to a man in a green robe with a stern face and said respectfully: "Third Brother, this is Commander, quickly bow to him."

Qin Fengming had not yet seen the man's face clearly but had already knelt on the ground: "I have seen Commander."

Seeing Qin Fengming's obedience, the Commander was very pleased: "Very good, your young brother is very smart and will surely achieve something in the future."

"These children are also participating in the selection. You will be together, help each other, and I hope you all can be selected into Luoxia Valley."

Following the Commander's finger, Qin Fengming saw seven children his age.

After looking at his elder brother, Qin Fengming moved and stood among the seven children.

"Everyone, be quiet. The children participating in the selection, please get on the wagons in front. Eight people per wagon, no noise." Just as Qin Xiang was about to give Qin Fengming a few more words of advice, a man in a purple robe suddenly spoke loudly. His voice was not loud, but everyone present heard it clearly.

Hearing this, dozens of children, with their parents' reluctant farewells, got on the wagons one by one. Qin Fengming and the other seven children, led by a man, got on a central wagon. After waving goodbye to his elder brother, Qin Fengming then entered the tent.

This time, Qijia City recommended forty-seven people, who were divided into six wagons. There were also over a dozen men riding horses to guard on both sides. The entire group was very orderly and quiet.

Qin Fengming and the others were away for nearly two months.

During this time, Qin Fengming had become familiar with the seven people in his wagon. These seven children were all from military families in Qijia City.

One was the nephew of a deputy commander, named Duan Meng. There were two sons of battalion commanders, one named Zhang Li and the other named Wei Boqiang. There was also the grandson of a camp clerk named Zhang Changming, and two sons of company commanders, one named Xu Liang and the other named Li Da. Duan Meng was the oldest, twelve years old.

One day, the group arrived at a large town and stopped in front of a tavern. The man in the purple robe ordered the horses to be unharnessed and shouted: "All children get off the wagons. We will rest here today and enter Luoxia Valley early tomorrow."

Hearing that they would reach their destination the next day, Qin Fengming felt a sense of joy.

On the evening of the second day, the convoy entered a large mountain. In the distance, a grayish peak rose prominently, surrounded by dozens of smaller stone peaks. The peaks were dark blue, appearing particularly majestic.

Stopping the horse team in front of a tall gate tower, the man on horseback ordered the children to get off the wagons and follow the men to the tall gate tower.

Before the man in the purple robe could say anything, a figure flashed, and an old man in a yellow robe, wearing a headband and holding a feather fan, suddenly appeared in front of everyone.

"Greetings, Elder Wang." Seeing the old man appear, the leading man in the purple robe hurriedly bowed and greeted him respectfully.

"Are these the candidates from Qijia City? How many are there?"

"Reporting to Elder Wang, there are forty-seven in total."

"Good, well done, Cousin Li. Arrange them in the Pine Listening Courtyard and tell them not to wander around. Take them to the test when the assembly begins."

"Yes, Elder Wang."