I have an Apocalypse City

Chapter 636: Chapter 636: One Person Short

Looking up from the foot of the mountain, a massive village loomed halfway up the slope. A towering flagpole stood in front of the village gate with a black flag fluttering in the wind. A bright red “Hong” character seemed to dance against the black cloth.

A winding path led up to the village from the base of the mountain. As Song Jian prepared to follow the path, a middle-aged man with a crooked mouth and a twisted face suddenly emerged from the trees lining the path. With a cleaver in his hand, he pointed its tip at Song Jian and sneered, “Hey, kid! What are you doing here all by yourself? Do you have any idea where you are?”

“Is Blackwind Village up there?” Song Jian asked with a smile as he looked at the level three “Blackwind Mountain Bandit” before him.

“Oho, is another one coming to join us?” The middle-aged man’s eyes lit up as he sized up Song Jian. After a moment, his face suddenly stiffened and he said, “Your clothes… I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere…”

Without another word, Song Jian stomped his right leg on the ground, sending a fang-shaped air mass whistling towards the level three Blackwind Mountain Bandit.

With a loud “thud,” the bandit was struck by the Earth Teeth Assault and sent flying back, a damage burst of over a hundred points rising above his head as he fell, instantly dead.

System: You have killed a level three “Blackwind Mountain Bandit” and gained 36 Experience Points.

As expected, killing gave him combat experience. This would be helpful in leveling up quickly. As long as he could reach level 30, he could unlock most of his strength. Song Jian shook his head and didn’t even glance at the dead bandit’s body. He continued slowly up the path towards Blackwind Village.

…

Three days later, the Qingyun Sword Sect’s menial disciple exam proceeded as scheduled. Hundreds of disciples clad in gray robes lined up neatly at the square at the foot of the mountain.

Everyone stood up straight, not daring to say a word. The hundreds of people resembled statues, not moving an inch.

On the stands overlooking the square, several middle-aged men in blue robes seemed to be in high spirits, talking and laughing. Their relaxed attitudes didn’t match the solemn atmosphere of the square.

“Master Wang, I didn’t expect that you would preside over these menial disciple examinations this year. Is the Sword Casting Hall short on manpower?” A middle-aged man with three long whiskers asked with a laugh.

The burly man beside him laughed heartily and said, “We’ve just forged a blue-quality longsword. I thought I’d take a break.”

“Blue-quality?” The scholarly-looking man with long whiskers looked amazed and complimented, “Your craftsmanship is becoming more and more refined, Master Wang. It won’t be long before you become a Master Level blacksmith.”

“Ah, it’s still too early for that title. I’m not like Qin Hua. She became a Dan Master at such a young age. Even the Sect Leader can’t stop raving about her Seven Treasures Pill!”

A young woman nearby showed a slight smirk, her lips curling slightly as she nodded to Master Wang.

“Master Wang, Qin Hua, since it’s getting late, why don’t we start the examination of these disciples?” Li Guiqing stroked his long whiskers and suggested with a smile.

Out of the three, his strength was the greatest; a level 30 Swordmaster with tier-one combat power. The other two were slightly weaker. The man addressed as “Master Wang” was Wang Hai, a forging craftsman. Although his strength was average, he was a senior blacksmith in Qingyun Sword Sect’s Sword Casting Hall. He was an expert-level blacksmith who could become a Master Level at any time.

The other was even more remarkable – a newly ascended Dan Master of the Alchemy Hall of the Qingyun Sword Sect. Though a woman, she was not to be underestimated. Her Seven Treasures Pill could not only heal internal injuries but also assist in cultivation. Even the Sect Leader was full of praise for her, and she was the current favorite within the Sect.

Naturally, Li Guiqing wouldn’t dare to offend either of them and always maintained a modest attitude.

“Haha, actually, we don’t know much about these exams. Li, you arrange it. Qin Hua and I are just here for the fun,” Wang Hai laughed heartily.

Qin Hua raised her pretty eyebrows slightly, shot Wang Hai a glance, but didn’t object to his words.

“Alright, let’s begin!” Li Guiqing stood up and announced in a loud voice, “The triennial examination for the outer menial disciples will now begin!”

Li Guiqing looked at the crowd on the square. Seeing so many people, his brow furrowed. In the inner court battles, two people would be selected for each arena. If the methods used in those inner court competitions were applied here, it would take three days and nights to examine these hundreds of menial disciples.

These outer menial disciples were not highly valued by the Qingyun Sword Sect, and their role was similar to the gold prospectors panning for gold in a river—bring in talent to serve the sect. Even if they couldn’t find talent, it would not impact the sect.

Checking the roster, Li Guiqing discovered that the number of examining participants this year was exactly three hundred. Suddenly, a bright idea came to him.

He announced, “This year, there are three hundred examination candidates. So, divide yourselves into groups of one hundred each. Stand independently, fight amongst yourselves, and whoever is left standing in the end shall be the victors, allowed to enter the inner sect!”

All the menial disciples were momentarily stunned at hearing this unusual examination method. But since the examiner had said so, they had no choice. Quickly, they divided the three hundred people into three groups, occupying the entire square.

Wang Hai patted Li Guiqing on the back, “This is a good idea! Easy without wasting time and able to pick out the real talents.”

Lightheartedly, Li Guiqing, stroking his whiskers, said, “It’s not worth wasting the valuable time of you two on these outer sect disciples.”

“Hmm, one of the groups seems to have only ninety-nine people instead of a hundred…” Qin Hua suddenly interjected.

Upon hearing this, Li Guiqing frowned, checked the roster again, and summoned a disciple to investigate.

It didn’t take long for the disciple to return with an explanation that brought understanding to Li Guiqing.

Qin Hua giggled, “Someone escaped?”

“One person has undertaken the mission to eliminate the Blackwind Mountain bandits and slay the leader of their village,” Li Guiqing explained. “They have yet to return.”

Wang Hai and Qin Hua couldn’t hide their astonishment, wondering how such a situation could have occurred.

…

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