Chapter 21 Inner Court Assessment It was just daybreak when the weapon shop became bustling with activity. Li Yuan arrived very early. When he passed by the martial arts arena, he unexpectedly met a dozen apprentices from various academies, some of whom were strangers. "There are nine yards in the Weapon Forging Shop, and I have seen more than sixty apprentices. Who are they?" Li Yuan glanced at the unfamiliar faces and paused on one of them. Among a group of apprentices wrapped in coarse linen cotton clothes, this was the only one wearing a fox fur cloak. He couldn't help but notice him. "Wang Gong, the third son of the third shopkeeper Wang Ding? Isn't he here to take the test as well?" Listening to the slight discussions, Li Yuan's heart was slightly moved. "Hurry up!" Li Yuan smelled meat before he even entered the middle courtyard. In the middle courtyard, apprentices such as Liu Qing were busy sweating profusely under the shouting of Fatty Sun. "Good fellow, you're really willing to sacrifice your life!"
When Li Yuan raised his eyes, he saw three large pots of stewing meat and vegetables in the house. It was really too sumptuous. "This is a privilege only given on the day of the inner courtyard assessment. In the past, it was once every three years, but from now on it will be once a year." Fatty Sun lifted the curtain of the small kitchen and walked out with a stern face. "For this meal, the apprentices have to come too." Li Yuan had just finished his meal but was now hungry again. He picked up a large bone with his chopsticks and started gnawing on it. This was how a kitchen helper was treated. This attracted the attention of the other apprentices who were sweating profusely. "Those guys aren't here to eat for free." Fatty Sun pursed his lips, and through the gate of the central courtyard, Li Yuan saw several young men and women, whose clothes were obviously different from those of all the apprentices, walking up to Wang Gong and seemed to be chatting. These young men and women are about the same age as the apprentices next to them, but when they stand together, they are like the dividing line between two worlds, very eye-catching. "Wang Gong, the third son of the third shopkeeper, Zhao Xiaoming, the youngest daughter of Chief Zhao, and the others were temporarily shoved in by several families in the inner city. Fortunately, they don't take up your places." Playing special moves, right? Li Yuan shrugged and asked: "Bad?" "Bad...really bad." Fatty Sun's face turned ugly and ugly: "This is a ghost. The third item of the inner courtyard assessment this year is actually bone touching..." "Feel the bones?" Li Yuan frowned slightly: "What about previous years?" "In previous years, the three items were standing practice, hammering, and strength. Why do they require a strong bone structure this year?" Fatty Sun looked sullen, the kid in front of him didn't have a very good foundation. "Root bone?" Recalling Qin Xiong's attitude, Li Yuan seemed to be thinking about something.
There must be a deeper reason behind any sudden change, but Fatty Sun doesn't seem to know it... "If this requires a certain level of strength..." Before Li Yuan could say anything, Fatty Sun could no longer stand. He picked up the lunch box and walked towards the backyard, looking worried: "You stay here and take care of it. I'll go find...someone to ask..." How do you touch the root bone? Li Yuan shook his head in his heart, but he was not panicked. He took care of the three big pots and also took the time to make a bowl for himself. When Fatty Sun came back, he was already full. "Stop eating it!" Fatty Sun's face darkened, and he said in a deep voice: "No wonder all those families in the inner city sent people here. This assessment is a little special... Li Yuan, anyway, do your best. Don't hide it. If you don't fight, you will regret it for the rest of your life." After that, he added: "I'm not afraid that you won't be able to pay back the money..." "what?" Seeing Fatty Sun's rare seriousness and a hint of envy, Li Yuan's heart was moved. He wanted to ask something, but Fatty Sun waved his hand, walked out of the house, rang the 'dinner bell', and the apprentices outside the door filed in. …… Fortunately, the weather was nice and it cleared up after dinner. On the yellow mud training ground, a group of apprentices were arranged neatly according to their respective courtyards, and the heads of each courtyard were all present. Li Yuan stood in the crowd, his eyes passing through Fatty Sun in front of him. On the simply built platform, three people were sitting upright. Qin Xiong stood on the right, lowering his head while talking to the old man in a black gown. On the right sat an old man with a white beard. Li Yuan recognized him as the second shopkeeper, Tang Tong. "The one talking to Qin Xiong is the third shopkeeper Wang Ding? Then, the one in the middle is the chief shopkeeper Cao Yan? So young?" It was also the first time that Li Yuan saw the three shopkeepers and he was a little surprised. The shopkeeper Cao, who was very famous in Gaoliu, looked to be in his early thirties, wearing a simple coat, and there was nothing unusual about him. Suddenly, Cao Yan glanced over here, and their eyes met. Li Yuan immediately lowered his head, and for a moment the only sound in his ears was the sound of his own heartbeat. "That look..." Li Yuan felt a little scared. He had the same horrible feeling as when he was standing on the edge of the rooftop and looking down in his previous life, thinking that he might be crushed to pieces at any time. How can a person's eyes be so scary?! "The shopkeepers are here!" The apprentices were a little agitated, but no one dared to make too much noise. Li Yuan didn't look up. Cao Yan's look made his heart almost jump out, and the cold sweat had not yet fallen. "Qin Xiong, tell me the rules!" Li Yuan looked up when he heard the voice. Cao Yan's voice was not loud, but very clear, with short syllables, and sounded very majestic.
"Yes!" Qin Xiong clasped his fists, walked to the front of the stage, and burst out with a powerful voice: "My weapon forging shop has been passed down for 237 years. It was not easy for our ancestors to establish the business. In order to pass on the family business, we set up an inner courtyard. Apprentices with outstanding talents can join..." Qin Xiong spoke in a loud and rhythmic voice as he talked about the history of the weapon forge, the grace of the master, and the benefits of the inner courtyard. He spoke eloquently and it took him a cup of tea. "One tael of silver per month, no need to work, a teacher to teach you, the second shopkeeper Tang Tong personally teaches you martial arts, not just the White Ape Cloak Hammer..." Li Yuan summed it up in his mind. "…Today, the inner courtyard assessment will be held. At least one person will be selected from each courtyard! Moreover, regardless of whether or not they enter the inner courtyard, all apprentices present today will be rewarded with one month's salary!" Qin Xiong paused slightly, and all the apprentices cheered. For most apprentices, this was a real benefit. "Remember the Lord's grace in the future and do good things!" Qin Xiong's voice drowned out the apprentices' cheers: "Those who are new to the White Ape Cloak Hammer, step out!" As soon as he finished speaking, there was a commotion among the crowd, and many apprentices looked disappointed. The test hadn't even started yet, but they had already lost their chance. Li Yuan walked out of the queue and glanced over. Not counting Wang Gong, Zhao Xiaoming and others who were independent in a corner, there were only twelve apprentices among the more than sixty apprentices who had started their studies. “Those who didn’t get in don’t need to be disappointed.” Qin Xiong clapped his hands, and several burly old men walked out from behind the stage: "Apprentices who have not left the line, follow Master Zhang and the others to the front yard and feel the bones first. If your root bones are good, you can still enter the inner courtyard... Apprentices who leave the line will still need to have their bones checked. If your root bones are not good, you cannot enter the inner courtyard!" The apprentices who had not yet mastered the White Ape Hammer cheered. "It's about to begin!" Fatty Sun was a little sleepy while listening, but at this moment he was startled. On the stage, Qin Xiong glanced at the apprentices and paused slightly at Yu Liyuan with a cold expression. He didn't expect that even though he had explained it so clearly, this kid actually dared to come. "That's all I can do." Having heard Fatty Sun mention it, Li Yuan felt no wavering at this moment. He just looked curiously at the strong men carrying iron ingots from outside the field. Comparing strength? What a simple and unpretentious selection method. When Li Yuan was complaining in his heart, a few big men came to the stage with hammers. "The White Ape Cloak Hammer emphasizes the combination of movement and stillness, and the hammer is integrated. The eighteen hammer techniques must be both fierce and continuous..." Qin Xiong took a few steps back: "Each of you pick up a handful and hammer the iron ingots to show the shopkeepers your skills!" "Yes!"
When Niu Gui and other apprentices were ready to fight and responded loudly, Li Yuan had already stepped out first. With a glance, he had already selected the best one among them. "I want this one!" A strong wind blew from behind him. Li Yuan stepped on the ground, grabbed the handle of the hammer that bounced up, and without even looking at it, he just took a step back and knocked the apprentice who tried to grab the hammer to the ground. The five people on the stage looked over. Li Yuan raised his arm, looked at Qin Xiong calmly, and then dropped his hammer: boom! The hammer fell and sparks flew. On the wooden platform, Qin Xiong's face changed, and the three shopkeepers who originally didn't care much also raised their eyebrows: "This is……" Mastery level, White Ape Cloak Hammer? ! Cao Yan, who was sitting upright, leaned forward slightly and his eyes moved slightly. boom! Apprentices such as Niu Gui were a beat slower, and at this time they also raised their hammers and struck. when! As the hammer fell, the recoil force bounced back, and Li Yuan's feet seemed to be rooted and motionless. The long-handled training hammer that he had controlled before flashed past his palm. Mastery-level hammer technique blessing! boom! The sound of this hammer was so loud that it overwhelmed the sound of all the apprentices' hammers. On the stands, Qin Xiong's face changed drastically. Next to him, the second shopkeeper Tang Tong slammed the table and stood up suddenly: “Xiaocheng?!” (End of this chapter)
