Ye Tian smiled at Li Tian, unaware of everything running through the man’s mind, still surprised by the chance meeting.
The truth was that the Centurion’s expedition to White Cloud Town had given Ye Tian a great opportunity.
In his heart, Ye Tian was very grateful.
“Little brother, you’re from the Ye Family Village?” Li Tian asked, quickly recovering from his daze, examining the young man with even more surprise. Li Tian had assumed that such a ridiculous talent could only belong to the young master of a wealthy family, but to think that he had come from a poor and remote backwater like the Ye Family Village. Truly… unbelievable.
But Li Tian had no reason to doubt Ye Tian, so anticipation crept into his heart. If the child really had grown up in the Ye Family Village, his talent was peerless. If he could recruit Ye Tian into the Scarlet Guard, this would be an incredible merit.
And more importantly, once Ye Tian grew into his power, Li Tian would have a powerful ally.
And so Li Tian’s eyes grew more and more emotional as he examined Ye Tian.
Meanwhile the young expert had no idea what was going through the Centurion’s mind, so he smiled and nodded, replying: “Yes, I’m from the Ye Family Village. I’ve come to Blood Jade City to take the Scarlet Guard examination.”
“Hehe!” One of the guards muffled a chuckle, unable to take the little brat seriously.
“En?” Lin Tian grunted, turning to glare at the offending warrior.
But Ye Tian paid them no mind. The guards were nobodies.
The chuckling guard swallowed his laugh in fear, fixing his face and avoiding Li Tian’s gaze.
The other three guards also swallowed with trepidation, truly astonished by the care their Centurion was giving to the young man.
Li Tian ignored the Scarlet Guard, turning back to Ye Tian. “Little brother, to think such a young man would be ready for the Scarlet Guard entrance test. I’m confident that in five days, your name will be known throughout Blood Jade City.”
“Honored Li is too kind.” Ye Tian smiled modestly.
The eavesdropping gate guards were astonished again and again, wondering with disbelief whether their Centurion had recently gotten a head injury.
Who would ever have imagined that a child Ye Tian’s age would be anything more than a Level Three or Level Four Martial Artist? Even that was pushing it! How could he pass the Scarlet Guard’s examination much less have his name be known throughout the city?!
The Scarlet Guard recruited all manner of experts; only a truly peerless genius who shocked the examiners would become famous.
How could the four gate guards believe that this young brat was such a peerless talent?
But in the end, neither Ye Tian nor Li Tian paid them any mind.
Li Tian took out a brush and paper and wrote a short message, signing his name on the bottom. He passed the paper to Ye Tian, smiling as he spoke: “We have a fated connection. Show this to the examiner when you come take the test and he will take care of you.”
“Many thanks, Honored Li!” Ye Tian gratefully replied. Ye Tian wasn’t an idiot, and even though he was confident he would pass the test, he knew that this letter of recommendation would spare him much hassle.
“Good. I’ll come watch you take the test in five days. Little brother, prepare yourself. You have to be in a good state,” Li Tian said, not dallying any longer and bidding Ye Tian farewell.
The young expert took another look at the heavily guarded Scarlet Guard Camp and also took his leave.
Only the four gate guards remained, their faces filled with astonishment.
“Is that kid really a genius?”
“We’ll see when he comes take the test.”
“But even then, he won’t become famous. I heard that several Level Ten experts have come this time.”
“Enough. We’ll know in five days.”
…
Night fell.
With Li Tian’s recommendation letter in hand, Ye Tian chose to return to The Good Choice Inn.
In the subsequent days, Ye Tian no longer explored. He took Li Tian’s advice to heart, cultivated his strength and built up his reserves, and his cultivation soon broke through to Peak Mid Stage.
He was only a step away from Late Stage Level Ten Martial Artist.
Five days of cultivation passed and Ye Tian stirred again to the rising sun, his eyes gleaming with strength. He quickly uncrossed his legs and washed up before leaving his room.
“After today, I will be a Scarlet Guard.”
Ye Tian walked downstairs, his eyes filled with firm determination.
Many people were gathered in the inn’s lobby today with many weapon-bearing experts exuding powerful Qi. Ye Tian looked around and saw many Level Seven warriors.
So many experts in just this small inn. Crowds of people must’ve come this time for the test, Ye Tian deduced.
There were several hundred towns in the Blood Jade City area, and each of these towns had upwards of a hundred villages. Blood Jade City itself housed a population of five hundred thousand and nurtured a suitably number of experts themselves. The amount of test takers wasn’t that surprising.
After finishing his breakfast and drinking some tea, Ye Tian stood, preparing his walk back to the Scarlet Guard Compound.
While Ye Tian took his time, others were already dashing away. “Brothers, let’s go. Today is the day that my name, Wang Wei, will spread far and wide. When I become a Scarlet Guard, I’ll take everyone to the best restaurant in Blood Jade City!” A fierce, burly man called out cheerfully, laughing.
“Good!”
The man swept out with a group of five others.
After Wang Wei took his leave, the other gathered experts soon decided it was time to go as well, and everyone began to move.
Ye Tian placed down his cup and followed.
Outside of the inn, many experts were already heading over to the Scarlet Guard Camp. The majority were walking in groups of three or five, and everyone headed in the same direction.
The Scarlet Guard Compound was located near the East Gate of Blood Jade City. It took up a truly enormous area and was the largest camp within the city walls.
With the incredible reputation of the Scarlet Guard, few people frequented the East city, but today, the streets to the compound were lined with all manner of steeds and fancy carriages. A sea of people had turned up for the test.
Some of the people were here to take the test, of course, while others had come to support their family and friends.
Opportunistic vendors were also out in full force, taking advantage of the festive mood.
The biannual test days were also the liveliest days in Blood Jade City.
“Line up, line up! Register one by one. Letters of recommendations over here!” A full force of Scarlet Guards were ordering the queues in front of the compound gates, registering the examinees.
Ye Tian looked over at the two lines. One stretched seemingly without end, while the other was a still formidable but much more manageable queue.
So there are other people with recommendations! Ye Tian thought, grateful to Li Tian. Without the Centurion’s recommendation, who knew how long he would’ve had to wait.
“Name?”
“Wu Laifei!”
“Name?”
“Duan Hong!”
…
The shorter line moved quickly and thirty minutes later, Ye Tian showed his letter and was let through.
Inside the compound, Ye Tian followed the bluestone street to a large clearing that could’ve fit several hundred of the Ye Family Village’s large square. Many experts were already gathered there.
“Level Seven Martial Artists only. Line up for the test!” A loud voice called out, filling the enormous square and numbing everyone’s ears.
Ye Tian walked over to the line and looked up at the middle-aged man standing in the center of the square, examining the tiger head embroidered on his robes with some shock.
A Scarlet Guard Thousand-Man Commander! Ye Tian thought in shock. This man was the most powerful expert he had ever seen.
Beside the commander was a person-sized grey wall of indeterminable purpose.
Ye Tian waited, listening to the conversations around him.
“The Mysterious Stone Wall. I’ve heard that this artifact can test a warrior’s cultivation with incredible accuracy.”
“Blood Jade City only has one of these artifacts, and it’s protected here in the Scarlet Guard Camp. To think the rumors were true?”
“How strange—how does it work?”
Ye Tian grew more and more curious as the people around him speculated.
After some time, the Thousand-Man Commander called out again: “Silence! Come up one by one and strike the stone wall with your full strength. Only Level Seven Martial Artists and above will pass.”
The Martial Warriors made an orderly line and the first examinee approached.
The first expert looked middle-aged, somewhere in his forties or fifties, about the same age as Ye Meng and Ye Ba. He strode forward with his powerful Qi billowing around him, proud and unrestrained.
“Use your full strength!” The Thousand-Man Commander called out again.
The proud-looking man nodded respectfully at the commander and stopped in front of the Mysterious Stone Wall.
The scarred man took a deep breath before roaring, his face red with exertion, blood pumping through the veins in his burly arms as he unleashed a ferocious punch at the Mysterious Stone.
Everyone examined the stone wall carefully, curious.
The anticipated loud collision never materialized as the expert’s punch soundlessly diffused against the Mysterious Stone Wall. Instead, golden lines smoothly formed, trembling before forming into four golden characters: “Level Eight Martial Artist!”
“So the test is this simple!”
“Marvelous!”
…
The gathered crowd wondered at the mysterious object.
“Level Eight Martial Artist, pass. Go register your name!” The Thousand-Man Commander glanced at the Mysterious Stone Wall before barking more orders.
The man had an expression of glee, paying the Mysterious Stone Wall no mind as he hurriedly rushed over to register his name.
Many others watched in envy, for on this day, this scarred man had become a Scarlet Guard.
But soon everyone focused once again on the Mysterious Stone Wall, their eyes filled with expectant anticipation.