Chapter 15

Once the facade was torn apart, Du Ruhai no longer needed to hide his blatant threats. Given Du Ruhai's position in the capital, there was indeed no need to be polite to a vassal who was about to lose his power.

Jiang Feng, who had initially harbored a glimmer of hope, his face darkened upon hearing these words: "Du Chief Steward, you can insult me, Jiang Feng, but don't drag my son into this! What's wrong with a young man being a little frivolous? Do you think my son will never turn things around? There's a saying: 'Do not bully the young!'"

"Indeed, 'Do not bully the young!' Are you going to tell me that 'Thirty years on this side of the river, thirty years on the other'? 'Do not bully the poor young man'? Hahahaha..." Du Ruhai laughed heartily, "Wake up! If it weren't for your good luck, Jiang Feng, you should be arranging your son's funeral right now, instead of begging me for mercy!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve and walked out proudly.

"Hold it!" Jiang Chen, who had been standing beside his father, suddenly spoke up, "Du Ruhai, right? If I remember correctly, my father gave you 600,000 taels of silver for my sake, didn't he? You don't plan to do the favor, and you're going to keep the money, too?"

Du Ruhai's body froze, and his eyes shot a fierce glare at Jiang Chen, as if he wanted to devour him.

However, to his own surprise, when his fierce gaze met Jiang Chen's calm and composed eyes, he felt an inexplicable shiver, as if he had suddenly fallen into a freezing hell.

"Am I seeing ghosts? This boy's eyes..."

Du Ruhai steadied himself, trying to convince himself that it was just an illusion.

"600,000 taels? Go look for it in the national treasury! Bribery is a serious crime. Do you think I'm a corrupt official? The silver you gave me has already been turned over to the national treasury!"

Jiang Chen, of course, didn't believe this nonsense. A fat piece of meat in his mouth, and he would spit it out? Du Ruhai didn't seem like such a clean person.

It seemed that the Dragon Bone Yang Grass had not been transferred, and the children of the vassals like Long Juxue had already started to work behind the scenes!

If it were the old Jiang Chen, offending several powerful vassals and being hated by the head of the Covert Dragon Examination, there would be no chance of turning things around.

But now, what did Jiang Chen fear? In his eyes, these people were nothing more than a few noisy flies.

With a little time, he could swat them dozens of times with a wave of his hand.

A cold smile appeared on the corner of his lips as he watched Du Ruhai swagger away. "Du Ruhai, seeking profit and avoiding harm is human nature. I understand that you're afraid of offending those powerful vassals. But you bully the good and fear the bad, and you humiliate my family. Soon, you'll realize how wrong you were today."

If Du Ruhai had politely refused Jiang Feng without hurting his face, Jiang Chen could have understood.

But Du Ruhai had taken the money for so long and now came to back out. Not only did he back out, but he wouldn't even return the money.

If you're going to keep the money, at least be a little friendly, right?

So arrogant? Treating the Jiang family like a pile of dead bones?

This attitude successfully enraged Jiang Chen.

"Ah, Chen, Du Ruhai is not someone to be trifled with. He ranks second among the heads of the Covert Dragon Examination," Jiang Feng sighed. "Moreover, I heard that the person who ranks first rarely interferes in trivial matters, delegating a lot of power to Du Ruhai. So, in a sense, Du Ruhai is the top official."

Jiang Feng, as a vassal, was brave and valiant, but when it came to strategy and political struggles, he was not particularly skilled in the capital.

Jiang Chen was both amused and exasperated. After his reincarnation, he hadn't had time to understand the situation of the Covert Dragon Examination. Could it be that the mess left by the previous Jiang Chen was so bad that he couldn't pass without bribing?

"Ah, Chen, don't be discouraged. I'll think of other ways. Besides..."

There's a saying that a doting mother often spoils her son, but Jiang Feng, as a father, made Jiang Chen realize that a doting father could also spoil a son.

However, Jiang Chen was also somewhat moved. This Duke Jiang was truly doting on his son. Even in such a dire situation, he didn't say a harsh word.

"By the way, Father, how bad are my results in the Covert Dragon Examination? Did Du Ruhai mention it?"

Jiang Feng's expression was awkward, and he stammered, "Well..."

Jiang Chen was speechless. At this point, was this vassal father still worried about hurting his son's self-esteem?

"Father, I have a thick skin. Just tell me how bad it is."

Jiang Feng was worried that his son wouldn't be able to handle the shock after such a major setback. Seeing that he was prepared, he chuckled, "You're really a unique one, asking your old man about your own results. I'll tell you, but are you sure you won't be shocked?"

"Tell me, I can't be at the bottom, right?"

"Being at the bottom, do you think there's any suspense?" Jiang Feng smiled bitterly. "The problem is, in the three basic assessments, you haven't passed any of them. By the end of this month, it's the final review for the last half year. If you don't pass the three basic assessments, you won't even have the资格 to enter the final Covert Dragon Examination."

The Covert Dragon Examination, for the first two and a half years, is a learning and growth period. After this period, there is a qualification assessment.

If you can't pass the qualification assessment, you won't even have the资格 to participate in the final Covert Dragon Examination.

Jiang Chen now understood why his father had been so humble. Why a proud vassal had been scolded like a child in front of Du Ruhai.

Seeing Jiang Chen lower his head, Jiang Feng also smiled bitterly, "Brat, you're not going to tell me you don't remember what the three basic assessments are, are you?"

Jiang Chen touched his nose, "Alright, I'll go back and think hard about it."

If it were another vassal father, hearing such an incompetent response from his son, a slap would be inevitable.

Jiang Feng was a unique father, sighing, "Son, it seems you're destined to return to the countryside and farm. Well, well, our Jiang family wasn't meant to enjoy eternal wealth. In your generation, it's better to lay down our arms and return to the fields. The political world is full of trouble, and farming in the countryside isn't a bad thing."

"Wait, Father, when did I say I wanted to return to the countryside and farm?"

Jiang Feng was taken aback, "But the three basic assessments..."

"Are just three assessments! When I have time, I'll pass all ten or eight of them."

"Brat, are you going to die if you don't brag? Let's not talk about that. The first and most basic requirement is to reach the Advanced True Qi Realm, with at least four meridians of true qi. Do you have that?"

"Four meridians of true qi? Is that all it takes for the basic assessment?" Jiang Chen was surprised, lifting his arm slightly, "Father, look at that stone bench."

As he spoke, true qi flowed through his body, and four meridians converged like four surging rivers, focusing at his fingertips.

With a remote point, like a fleeting glance, a gazelle hanging from a branch.

Snap!

The stone bench was punctured by the force of his finger.

"True qi formed into a line, condensed and not dispersed. You're really at the Advanced True Qi Realm? When did you open the fourth acupoint and unblock the fourth meridian? When did you cultivate four meridians of true qi?"

Jiang Feng was overjoyed, his face full of disbelief. For any vassal's child, four meridians of true qi were the bare minimum. Reaching four meridians was nothing to be proud of.

But for Jiang Feng, it was like witnessing a miracle.

"Hehe, just yesterday, after a few hours of meditation. By the way, Father, what are the other two basic assessments? Tell me all at once, and I'll spend some time to pass them. I can't let a small person like Du Ruhai mock us, can I?"

Jiang Feng was speechless. When did the basic assessments become so easy for this boy? Just a little time to pass them?

"What? If you pass the basic assessments, can Du Ruhai still hold you back?"

"Absolutely not!" Jiang Feng puffed out his chest, speaking boldly, "Your old man isn't a pushover. As long as you pass the basic assessments and enter the final Covert Dragon Examination, I guarantee there will be no problem. But the content of the final assessment... If Du Ruhai plays some tricks..."

"Small people are like ghosts. I, Jiang Chen, am upright and fearless. I just fear that his tricks are too small and won't create any trouble, which would disappoint me."

In the end, Jiang Chen didn't take Du Ruhai, this petty person, seriously.

The three basic assessments were not difficult. Their purpose was not to trip anyone up but to eliminate those who were completely frivolous.

Unless someone completely ignored their cultivation, passing the basic assessments was not hard at all.

Four meridians of true qi, all the vassal's children participating in the assessment, except for Jiang Chen, had already reached this level. Even that fat Xuan had already cultivated five meridians of true qi.

The second assessment was to cultivate the national-level technique, "Purple Qi from the East," to the Great Success stage and to endure for half an hour in a Level 4 Sword Qi Chamber.

"Purple Qi from the East" was created by the ancestor of the Eastern royal family and was a national-level technique with great symbolic significance.

The cultivation levels of the technique are divided into five stages: Minor Success, Proficiency, Great Success, Perfection, and Completion.

Reaching the Great Success stage means fully mastering and integrating the basic technique.

The third basic assessment was a theoretical test, which was even simpler, basically just rote memorization to pass.

"Unbelievable! Such simple basic assessments, and the previous boy couldn't pass them for two and a half years?"

Jiang Chen was truly amazed. Even more unbelievable was this father, who, faced with such a son, never thought of giving him a good beating?

The agreement with Dongfang Lu was for three days, and only two days had passed. Jiang Chen decided to spend some time on these basic assessments.

While the vassal's order was not something Jiang Chen cared about, the current capital was forming a certain trend, and he didn't want to lose this momentum.

Especially those boring people who were waiting to see the Jiang family's downfall.

Dealing with these fools who were asking for a beating, giving them a few slaps, would at least alleviate some boredom.

"Purple Qi from the East" is an advanced technique, and what the vassal's children learn is just the basic part.

Having all the vassal's children learn this basic technique is to assess their talent, character, understanding of martial arts, and their dedication to cultivation.

Jiang Chen sat cross-legged, meditated for a moment, and reviewed the basic part of "Purple Qi from the East" in his mind.

At this moment, his past life's memory, which had experienced countless worlds, began to exert its power.