Chương 24: Selection and Assessment
Biên tập viên: Henyee Translations
"Thanks a lot."
After the person in front of the notice board stepped aside, the young man named Tao Qingyuan nodded and thanked him in a polite and humble manner.
He walked to the notice board and glanced at it carefully. He then stopped for a moment before leaving under the people's gazes.
Afterwards, the discussions surfaced again.
"Wherever he goes, he is the focus, no wonder he is the top talent of the Tao Village."
Guo Ye looked at Tao Qingyuan walking away as he spoke in a jealous tone.
Xu Ning heard him, but did not answer.
From the memory of his previous life, Tao Qingyuan was the same age as himself; he was also 17 years old. He was indeed the top younger generation talent of the Tao Village.
Even Tao Jin, who was taught by the Clan Head Tao Jingxing himself, was no match to Tao Qingyuan.
Almost everyone in the Tao Village knew that Tao Qingyuan would be the top martial arts master of the Tao Village in the future. They all believed that Tao Qingyuan would be the next Clan Head of the Tao Village.
"Tao Qingyuan's entry into the Black Armored Guards is guaranteed."
"Even amongst the Black Armored Guards, Tao Qingyuan's talent is still top notch."
"…"
There was a lot of discussion about Tao Qingyuan.
"Let's go, Guo Ye."
After hearing about the selection for the Black Armored Guards, Xu Ning did not stay around.
There was still a month's time before the selection. Judging by his current strength, he shouldn't have to worry too much about being selected.
"You have to train hard, Xu Ning!"
Guo Ye snapped back to reality and said earnestly.
He knew well that he would definitely have no chance to enter the Black Armored Guards, but if Xu Ning could, he would have a Black Armored Guard as a friend.
"Understood."
Xu Ning waved his hand as he replied.
…
Time flew by quickly.
A month had gone by, and the weather in winter had gone colder and colder.
A few days ago, the first heavy snowfall of this winter happened in Kangyun County. The ground was covered in white snow.
Unlike others who were preparing for the selection of the Black Armored Guards, he had nothing to specially prepare for.
During this month, Xu Ning still insisted on going into the mountains to collect medicine, and occasionally he hunted.
On one lucky day during this period, Xu Ning discovered a spirit medicine that was worth 2 units of energy, which he immediately absorbed.
In addition, his income during this period of time was also quite good. Xu Ning bought another Swallowtail Flower with the taels he had, and after absorbing 3 energy units, his remaining energy had now reached 7 units.
The feeling of having aces up his sleeves made Xu Ning feel calm.
Even before the sun rose, the entire Tao Village was noisy.
It was because today was the day when the Black Armored Guards would come into the Tao Village to select talents.
Those families who had candidates of the right age were quite nervous; everyone was eager to be selected by the Black Armored Guards.
Xu Ning's family was no exception.
As soon as the rooster crowed, the household was already getting busy.
"Xu Ning, have you finished washing your face, come and eat!"
Xu Lian had already prepared breakfast.
There was a large plate of meat on the table, as well as thin noodles, buns, pancakes, and a bowl of egg soup.
Xu Lian was afraid that Xu Ning would get hungry during the selection process, which would lead to a suboptimal performance.
"Coming."
Xu Ning wiped his face and walked to the table.
Xu Ning looked at the breakfast on the table. He smiled and said, "Sis, this is too much."
"Shut up, hurry up and eat."
Xu Lian said, "Your brother-in-law has already gone to the school field in the village. He said he is going to observe the situation first, so that you don't have to rush in blindly."
"…"
Xu Ning was quite speechless.
"Mom, Uncle."
Tao Tao walked into the room with sleepy eyes.
Her braids were tied up messily, the buttons on her cotton-padded jacket were also undone as she walked over with a stagger.
Normally, Tao Tao would sleep until the sun rose before getting up, but today the family was busy moving around in the morning, not to mention the noise outside, which woke Tao Tao up.
"Meat!"
Tao Tao stepped forward to take a look at the table.
After seeing the meat, her narrow eyes widened.
"It's not for you."
Tao Tao leaned forward, and just as she was about to grab the meat, Xu Lian slapped her hand away.
"Your uncle has an important event today, so he has to be well fed."
Xu Lian sat on the chair, grabbed Tao Tao by the collar, and dragged her into her arms. "You are already four years old, but you still can't even wear your clothes properly, and your hair is messy too."
Xu Lian refastened Tao Tao's buttons and braided her hair.
"I'll grab you a pot of water and some pork slices to take. If you get hungry, it will replenish your strength."
Xu Lian put Tao Tao down from her arms.
Xu Ning remembered the college entrance examination from his previous life.
These two events had their similarities. For the average person, being selected by the Black Armored Guards was like entering a good university, which would greatly change the trajectory of one's future.
"Tao Tao, come here."
Xu Ning picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks and waved it in front of Tao Tao.
Tao Tao immediately understood what Xu Ning meant. She reached out her hand and looked at the door warily. She then noticed that her mom was still busy.
So she grinned and sat on Xu Ning's lap.
"Ah."
Tao Tao opened her mouth wide.
Xu Ning stuffed the meat into Tao Tao's mouth.
"Uncle, can you join the Black Armored Guards?"
Tao Tao looked up at Xu Ning.
From this angle, she could only see Xu Ning's chin.
Over the past two days, Tao Yunchuan and Xu Lian talked about the Black Armored Guards every day, which also made Tao Tao understand what Xu Ning was going to do today.
"There should be no problem…"
Xu Ning wanted to put a piece of bun into Tao Tao's mouth, but Tao Tao refused.
So Xu Ning took another piece of meat, and Tao Tao obediently ate it this time.
"Good luck Uncle."
Tao Tao's mouth was full of meat, but Xu Ning still understood her words.
"Thanks a lot."
…
After having breakfast, Xu Ning took the things Xu Lian had prepared for him and went to the school field.
Xu Lian obviously wanted to follow Xu Ning, but after hesitating for a long time, she still chose not to go.
It's not that Xu Ning refused. It's that Xu Lian felt that if she was on the sidelines, she would be too nervous watching her younger brother perform.
Xu Ning left the house.
The sun had just begun to rise, and there were already many people on the roads, all rushing to the school field.
Although some people were not participating in the selection assessment and had no family members participating, since this was the first time that the Black Armored Guards had recruited people from Kangyun County, they still wanted to watch the event unfold.
"Xu Ning, here!"
As soon as Xu Ning arrived at the school field, he heard his brother-in-law Tao Yunchuan calling him.
"Brother-in-law…"
Xu Ning walked over.
"I'll grab your stuff."
Tao Yunchuan grabbed the water and dried meat from Xu Ning's hands.
He dragged Xu Ning and said, "Come with me, I have already mapped out the venue, come and take a look…"
Tao Yunchuan explained the layout of the school field to Xu Ning.
There were heavy stones for lifting, all kinds of weapons, and shelves…
After Tao Yunchuan's explanation, Xu Ning had a rough idea on what would be assessed.
The people in the village continued to flock to the school field, and soon, the place was packed with people.
…
At the same time.
Outside the Tao Village.
Tao Jingxing, Tao Jinglu, Tao Jingfang, and the other elders stood outside the village.
They were personally waiting for the Black Armored Guards Captain, Xia Yuanxing.
The cold winter wind was ruthless, but the clan elders showed no signs of weakness.
Ta! Ta! Ta!
The sound of horses galloping came from the distance.
"They're coming…"
Tao Jingxing whispered.
A team of men dressed in black came towards them.
Among them, the leader of the team carried a wide sword, and his horse was covered with a layer of iron armor. The tall war horse gave others an oppressive feeling, even from a distance.
"Captain Xia!"
Even before the horse stopped moving, Tao Jingxing waved his hands from a distance as he spoke with a loud voice.
"Clan Head Tao!"
Xia Yuanxing jumped directly off his horse.
His feet that landed on the ground caused the ground to slightly shake.
"Please take a rest in the village. We have already prepared breakfast."
After Tao Jingxing personally greeted him, the elders behind him followed suit.
Xia Yuanxing pulled off his mask. He first looked around at the elders and said, "Clan Head Tao, you're too kind, this is unnecessary. The selection of young talents is the important matter, so take us directly to the selection venue."
"No problem."
Tao Jingxing signaled with this hand. "This way please."
Chương 25: Three tests
Biên tập viên: Henyee Translations
At the noisy school field.
Suddenly, someone yelled.
"The Black Armored Guards are here!"
Immediately afterwards, the crowd quieted down.
Everyone's eyes looked into the distance. They saw the Black Armored Guards walking side by side with the Tao Village clan elders, heading towards the school field.
"All unnecessary personnel, leave the school field. The teenagers of the right age participating in the assessment stay here, and wait for further instructions!"
The clan elder Tao Jinglu strode forward. He then stepped onto a high platform and shouted to the crowd.
After the clan elder gave the order, the people on the school field retreated like the tide.
"Xu Ning, I'll be waiting outside the school field. If you get thirsty or hungry, come find me."
Tao Yunchuan patted Xu Ning on the shoulder and said, "Just do your best, don't stress yourself too much."
"Okay."
Xu Ning nodded as he responded.
The school field of the Tao Village was huge. After the crowd retreated, there were only 200 or so candidates left.
The school field looked quite empty, but outside the school field, it was still crowded. Everyone was waiting to see the assessment tests.
"Everyone!"
The Clan Head Tao Jingxing also went on the high platform.
His voice was loud and full of energy, as he said to the younger generation, "Today, the Black Armored Guards came here to select reserve talents. I hope everyone can do their best. Whether it is for yourself, for your family, or for the Tao Village, everyone should take the assessment seriously."
"Just act according to the instructions of the examiners and abide by the rules of the assessment. Anyone who does not comply with the process will be expelled from the school field! Understood?!"
"Understood!"
The responses of the candidates were vigorous.
Everyone was full of enthusiasm towards the upcoming assessment.
"Line up in a queue in front of these five tables."
The Black Armored Guards who were standing aside also started to move.
They had already told Tao Village their arrangement plan.
The Black Armored Guards dispersed one by one and began to follow their plan.
Xu Ning followed the crowd and stood in the middle of the line.
"What is happening…"
Xu Ning tilted his head. He wanted to see the person at the front.
Almost everyone eagerly looked around them, wanting to see what would happen next.
As a result, the queues were disorganized.
"Stay in line."
A Black Armored Guard spoke with a deep voice.
The Black Armored Guards had already taken off their face masks, but their intimidating voice and cold eyes made the candidates quiet down.
"It seems like we are registering personal information…"
This process was quite fast, so it didn't take long for Xu Ning to get to the front of the line.
"Next."
The examiner was holding a pen, next to him was a stack of papers.
After Xu Ning came up, he took out a blank page and began to ask.
"Name?"
"Xu Ning."
"What?"
After hearing Xu Ning's name, the Black Armored Guard examiner was slightly surprised. He looked up. "From the Tao Village?"
"Yes." Xu Ning replied, "my brother-in-law is a native of the Tao Village."
The examiner nodded. "Age?"
"17."
After answering the question, another examiner standing at the side stepped forward.
He squeezed Xu Ning's shoulder and groped Xu Ning's arm.
"Age is correct."
The man turned his head and gave the examiner-in-charge an affirmative answer.
'Is that how they authenticate age…'
Xu Ning thought secretly.
"Tell me about the external skills and the internal skills you possess, and their corresponding realm."
The examiner-in-charge asked again. "Answer truthfully."
Xu Ning paused for a second, not intending to hide his strength.
"Intermediate realm in the Gale Knife Technique, and the muscle bone realm in the Spring Breeze Tactic."
Xu Ning didn't mention his Light Feather Bow Technique. It was only in the elementary realm, and it was just a supplementary tool for hunting, so there was no need to mention it.
"Oh?"
After Xu Ning finished answering, both examiners raised their eyebrows.
The young man standing behind Xu Ning heard Xu Ning's strength and showed a look of hopelessness on his face. He obviously felt that he had no chance in this assessment.
"Pretty talented."
The examiner-in-charge showed a smile on his face.
After writing down the information, the examiner-in-charge gave the information sheet to Xu Ning. He then reached out his hand and said, "Go over there and participate in the first assessment."
"Thank you."
Xu Ning nodded.
Xu Ning glanced at the information sheet.
It contained the information that had been recorded just now, as well as columns for strength, technique, and aptitude, which were all blank.
'Strength should be the weightlifting test, and technique should be the external skill assessment. How are they going to judge aptitude?'
Xu Ning was a little puzzled, but now was not the time to think about this question.
Soon after, Xu Ning went to another station.
The station was full of weightlifting stones. He had seen these stones when he followed Tao Yunchuan to the school field in the morning.
Sure enough, as expected, strength testing was also part of the assessment.
"The strength test is simple and straightforward."
Xu Ning lined up. The people who registered their information before him had already begun testing.
'Anyone who has achieved success in their internal skill will have strong physical fitness and strength. Lifting this rock shouldn't be difficult.'
Xu Ning guessed that this weightlifting stone should weigh 150 pounds. 'Anyone that can lift this stone without practicing internal energy, would have to have great power and a unique talent. Although the testing method is simple, it is practical.'
Soon, it was Xu Ning's turn.
Another examiner took the information sheet in Xu Ning's hand. "Lift this stone with one hand and hold it for ten breaths."
"Got it."
Xu Ning stepped forward and squatted down. He held the handle on the weightlifting stone in his hand, lifted it, and stood up straight.
'Sure enough, it's around 150 pounds.'
Xu Ning lifted the stone with one hand effortlessly.
"Enough."
The examiner reminded him that the time was up.
Xu Ning gently put down the stone and took the information sheet back from the examiner.
He saw that a circle was drawn besides the strength column, which obviously meant he had passed.
After the first test was done, Xu Ning moved on to the next test.
"Xu Ning."
As soon as Xu Ning walked over, he saw an acquaintance whispering to him.
This person was Tao Qingping, who had received the Spring Breeze Tactic with him in the past.
"Qingping."
Xu Ning also greeted him in a quiet voice.
Because the examiners were watching, neither of them spoke too loudly.
Tao Qingping must have also passed the first strength assessment.
Either Tao Qingping was born with great power, or he had cultivated into the mortal realm first stage.
If it was the latter, being able to reach a new realm within two months meant Tao Qingping must have extraordinary talents.
After all, not everyone was like himself, who had the blessing of the Martial Arts Panel.
After a brief greeting, Xu Ning looked at the surrounding area. This station was filled with various weapons, among which knives and spears were the most common.
In the middle of the field, a young man from the Tao Village was holding a weapon. He was attacking a Black Armored Guard, who was holding a long knife.
The Black Armored Guard easily blocked the attack with the long sword in his hands, which he only used for defense, and not for offense.
'Testing external skills…'
This was what he expected.
"Xu Ning, I'll go up first."
Soon, it was Tao Qingping's turn.
He turned his head and nodded to Xu Ning before picking a knife and fought with a Black Armored Guard.
'Tao Qingping's elementary realm Gale Knife Technique should be considered quite good.'
Xu Ning watched from the sidelines.
When he received the Spring Breeze Tactic, Tao Qingping had just achieved elementary realm in the Gale Knife Technique, but now he clearly had a firmer grasp on the elementary realm technique, and was on the cusp of the intermediate realm.
"Next."
Xu Ning saw an examiner point at him.
This assessment was conducted by multiple people at the same time. Before Tao Qingping's test was over, it was already Xu Ning's turn.
Xu Ning also went to take a knife and passed the information sheet over.
"You don't have to show your internal skills. This is only a test of your external skills."
The examiner was expressionless as he spoke.
Xu Ning nodded. He held the handle of the knife and rushed forward without hesitation.
He was in the intermediate realm of the Gale Knife Technique, and he had previously fought with horse bandits in real combat.
"What?"
The examiner narrowed his eyes when he saw the oncoming knife.
It was obvious that this young man had experienced actual combat and might have even beaten enemies before.
'Sure enough, he is in the intermediate realm of his knife technique.'
After just three slashes, the examiner had seen enough.
"Stop."
The examiner said, "Very good."
He drew a circle beside the technique column on the information sheet and returned it to Xu Ning.
"The last assessment has not yet started, go to the waiting area."
"I see, thanks."
Xu Ning did not expect the assessment to be so fast.
There was only one assessment left.
'What kind of assessment tests aptitude…'
Xu Ning was quite curious.
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