With clear thoughts, the sword is formed.

The smoke and dust filled the air, yet it never touched Zhong Xuan's clothes, as if an invisible force was separating them.

A full hour.

Zhong Xuan exhausted his strength, his long sword fell to the ground, and only then did the strange phenomenon dissipate.

That moment just now was not merely a swordsmanship demonstration, but an explosion of decades of pent-up frustration.

Zhong Xuan felt an unprecedented clarity.

"When the mind is clear, the sword intent arises naturally!"

Before he knew it, he had mastered the final move of the Eagle Strike Sword Technique.

He practiced swordsmanship for several months.

Now they've really made a name for themselves.

His swordsmanship instruction finally lived up to its name.

Take advantage of the moment.

Zhong Xuan practiced the Eagle Style Sword Technique's initial explanation ten more times before sheathing his sword. He then quickly washed up and crawled into bed to fall into a deep sleep.

......

......

I woke up the next day.

It was already high in the sky.

Zhong Xuan experienced this kind of languor that only young men possess. It was a long time since he had felt this way.

Today is the last day of Zhong Xuan's leave.

I washed up.

Zhong Xuan then locked the courtyard gate and hurried to Baisha County.

With increased leg strength, it only took him a quarter of an hour to reach the gates of Baisha City, and he hurried to the Flying Eagle Martial Arts Hall training ground before midnight.

Unlike before.

There were many more apprentices learning swordsmanship today.

There were as many as thirteen people.

Looking at these young men who were gazing at him with such admiration, Zhong Xuan knew perfectly well that they had all come for his title as a government-funded student.

A person's name, a tree's shadow.

The list of successful candidates for the provincial examination had long been posted on the notice board at the entrance of Baisha City.

As the only scholar in Baisha County this year, and the first student to receive government stipends in Baisha County in thirty years, his fame is naturally immense.

Although he can't compare to the master of Flying Eagle Martial Arts School, he can still easily surpass the other three instructors.

Moreover, unlike the scholars who came from the Flying Eagle Martial Arts School before, Zhong Xuan is a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations. Those students who intend to take the civil service exams will come to him because of his reputation.

Zhong Xuan spoke only after everyone had arrived:

"Standing is the foundation of swordsmanship. The Eagle Strike Sword Technique includes a stance training exercise in its initial stages. To progress in swordsmanship, one must first master stance training..."

talking.

Zhong Xuan then personally demonstrated.

The thirteen teenagers watched with increasing seriousness.

In fact, what Zhong Xuan said was no different from before, but because his status had changed, it carried different weight. The apprentices were afraid of missing a single word, so they all had tense faces.

In addition, he also thoughtfully shared some tips for taking the civil service exam, such as how to use a latrine poker and how to excel in swordsmanship.

An hour later.

"Alright, that's all for today. If you have any questions, you can ask me again during the next lesson."

Zhong Xuan decisively ended the lecture.

Many of the disciples present looked like they hadn't had enough, and even some apprentices who had originally come to watch the excitement felt that they had benefited greatly.

Without him.

Because what Zhong Xuan taught included not only swordsmanship but also many practical things, not just simple martial arts theory.

All the apprentices bowed respectfully, and Zhong Xuan accepted the bow with his hands behind his back.

Then he turned and walked towards the backyard of the martial arts school.

When he arrived at Zheng Yue's shop.

First stunned.

Zheng Yue, who should have been behind the counter looking through ledgers or fiddling with an abacus, was nowhere to be seen; in his place stood a middle-aged man.

"Master Chung, you've arrived."

The middle-aged man smiled when he saw that it was Zhong Xuan.

"Oh, it's Master Ruan! Where's Brother Zheng?"

Zhong Xuan smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked the question that had been bothering him.

Zheng Yue has taken in three disciples, two of whom are still in the martial arts school. The middle-aged man in front of him, Ruan Xiu, is one of them.

Although Zheng Yue was not very satisfied with his three disciples.

In reality, Ruan Xiu's strength should not be underestimated.

His combat strength at the peak of the Skin Refining stage is outstanding among the instructors of the Flying Eagle Martial Arts School. Moreover, he is only thirty-five years old and has the potential to break through to the Bone Refining stage. However, his talent in the Flying Eagle Nine Strikes is mediocre, which is why he is not favored by Zheng Yue.

Zhong Xuan had met him a few times before.

Ruan Xiu replied, "Master, a few days ago the county magistrate came to the martial arts school and said that there is a red-tailed wolf demon in the area east of the city that has been coming down the mountain to harm people. He hopes that our martial arts school can send someone to help. The school master needs to stay at the school, so he asked you to come. I estimate that it will take at least three to five days before you return."

"I see."

Zhong Xuan suddenly realized.

The martial arts school was the place with the most abundant military force besides the county government's military equipment department.

The county government also needs to rely on it more.

Especially in some thorny matters, the county magistrate would often come to ask for a righteous act. At this time, the martial arts school would generally not refuse, because in exchange, the county magistrate would also provide convenience in many matters.

This kind of thing was already commonplace throughout the entire Qing Kingdom.

Otherwise, how could a hundred men in the county government possibly control the land within a hundred miles of the county?

"Red-tailed wolf..."

Zhong Xuan guessed that the red-tailed wolf in the cholera-stricken village must be the same one that Zhang's second young master and his group chased down that day.

At least a martial artist with bone-strengthening skills would be needed to contend with them.

Only a handful of people in the entire Flying Eagle Martial Arts School are qualified for that.

It's not surprising that Zheng Yue took action.

As Ruan Xiu spoke, he looked at the old man in front of him, who was both strange and familiar.

to be frank.

Having been his master's disciple for over a decade, he was still less close to his master than Zhong Xuan, an outsider. Moreover, this outsider was far inferior to him in both strength and status. Anyone would feel resentful.

Therefore, he had deliberately avoided meeting Zhong Xuan.

Not only him, but another of Zheng Yue's disciples thought and acted in the same way.

However, the notice for the college entrance examination was posted.

The situation is completely different.

Zhong Xuan not only became a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations) but also a Linsheng (a student receiving government subsidies), and he had a very good chance of becoming a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations) in the future.

Even if he were a scholar who passed the imperial examination, that would be enough to make him a star of the Flying Eagle Martial Arts School.

He's not an idiot.

Given our connection with Master Zheng Yue, it would be wise to cultivate a good relationship with him.

Ruan Xiu: "Master Zhong, are you free today? My stomach is rumbling, how about we go to Zui Xiang Lou in the city for a bite?"

Zuixianglou is the best restaurant in Baisha City.

A simple side dish can cost several hundred coins.

Zhong Xuan readily agreed:

"Then I shall respectfully comply."

"Let's go, let's go, let's go! I'll call Junior Brother Sun right now and we'll get together."

Ruan Xiu was overjoyed.

They immediately set about making arrangements.

Before dusk, Ruan Xiu pulled Zhong Xuan out of the Flying Eagle Martial Arts School and easily led them to a magnificent six-story building.

"Oh, it's Master Ruan. A private room has been reserved for you. Please come in."

Even from a distance, the waiter at Zuixianglou recognized Ruan Xiu.

He respectfully led Ruan Xiu and Zhong Xuan into a private room on the third floor.

About fifteen minutes later.

A fair-skinned man who looked younger than Ruan Xiu also came into the cubicle.

It was Miao Jin, Zheng Yue's youngest disciple.

With Zheng Yue's connection to them and three glasses of strong liquor in hand, the atmosphere among the three was naturally harmonious.

Zhong Xuan looked at the table full of food and wine worth seven or eight taels of silver and sighed inwardly:

"Old Zhong is living a comfortable life now."