Chapter 13: Apprentice Assessment

Chapter 13: Apprentice Assessment

That night, in the bedroom!

Chen Shouyi moved like a coiled spring, his muscles taut and unified, his steps light and erratic as if treading on air. He advanced and retreated unpredictably, shifting left and right with fluid grace. Each thrust of his sword flowed seamlessly, carrying a unique rhythm and an almost surreal beauty.

His hands were precise and steady, his strikes as swift as bullets fired from a barrel. With every lunge, his muscles rippled like waves.

The tip of his sword sliced through the air, producing a rapid series of sharp hisses.

This was the result of a month’s training at the cram school. As his thrusts became more controlled and his footwork more refined, his swordsmanship had begun to show its potency.

This progress was evident in his swordsmanship level, which had advanced from Beginner to Proficient 3.

Suddenly, he came to an abrupt halt from his high-speed movements.

After listening intently for a moment, he quickly stowed the wooden sword and hurried to his desk, pulling out a reference book to feign studiousness.

Soon, the sound of his parents’ footsteps grew clearer as they ascended the stairs.

Then, he heard the door to his younger sister’s bedroom across the hall open.

"Mom, I’m going to the Martial Arts Assessment Center for my test tomorrow!"

Chen Shouyi’s ears immediately perked up.

"You silly child, why didn’t you mention something so important earlier? We’ll go with you tomorrow," Chen Dawei said, his voice brimming with excitement.

"Dad, it’s fine. You two are busy. My classmates will accompany me. I’ll get nervous if you come."

"Male classmates? Female?" Chen Mu’s tone carried a hint of wariness.

"Mom! Of course, they’re girls," Chen Xingyue replied with a pout.

"Even so, you kids don’t know how to handle things. What if something happens? Let your brother go with you. He can look out for you," Chen Mu insisted.

Over the past month, Chen Shouyi had changed significantly, becoming more mature and dependable. Chen Mu could reluctantly trust him now.

She then knocked on Chen Shouyi’s bedroom door. "Shouyi, come out for a moment."

"Mom, what is it?" Chen Shouyi asked, feigning confusion.

"Your sister has her martial arts assessment tomorrow. You’ll accompany her," Chen Mu said without suspicion. "I’ll transfer you 500 yuan later. You can eat out for meals."

Chen Shouyi glanced at Chen Xingyue. Her expression was stiff, but a faint trace of reluctance was visible. Clearly, she didn’t want to go with him. His chest tightened, but his face remained impassive as he agreed. "Alright, Mom. Got it."

...

The next morning, after finishing his routine exercises in his room, he took a refreshing shower in the bathroom.

Just as he finished dressing, Chen Xingyue barged in impatiently.

"I knew it," she said, crossing her arms with an air of vindication. "You’re seriously going out dressed like that?"

Chen Shouyi looked down at his shorts and sandals, then at his T-shirt, finding nothing amiss. Bewildered, he replied, "Mom bought these a week ago. I’ve only worn them once. They’re brand new."

This month, Chen Shouyi's physique had grown stronger at an astonishingly rapid pace, making his old clothes feel uncomfortably tight. As a result, Chen Mu had bought him several new sets from the neighboring shop just last week.

"Brother, I hate to say it, but with your fashion sense, you’ll never find a girlfriend," Chen Xingyue said with a look of disdain.

Chen Shouyi immediately retorted, "In this scorching heat, do you really expect me to wear a shirt and long pants just for appearances? Besides, Mom bought these clothes. Careful, or I’ll tell her."

Chen Xingyue nearly lost her temper. "Wearing this at home or while shopping is fine, but we’re going to the Martial Arts Assessment Center—a formal occasion! How can you dress so casually? My close friends will be there too. When I introduce you as my brother, you might not care, but I’ll be the one embarrassed!"

Chen Shouyi’s face flushed slightly, but he stubbornly maintained his pride in front of his sister. "Fine, fine. You pick for me then. I won’t argue."

Chen Xingyue sighed in relief, finally having convinced her stubborn brother.

She quickly opened the wardrobe in her bedroom and soon picked out a pair of white-blue cropped jeans and a pair of faded sneakers. "Change into these."

Being siblings, Chen Shouyi had no reservations about changing in front of her, though he turned his back as he swapped his shorts for the jeans and put on the sneakers.

Chen Xingyue scrutinized him for a good ten seconds before sighing softly. "Your hair… never mind, there’s no time now. I guess this will have to do. Not like I had high hopes anyway."

Feeling frustrated, Chen Shouyi went to the bathroom to check himself in the mirror. Now that his sister had pointed it out, he realized his hair was indeed a bit too long.

---

After breakfast, they hailed a taxi and arrived at the entrance of the Martial Arts Assessment Center in just over ten minutes.

"Xingyue! Over here!"

The moment Chen Shouyi stepped out of the car, two girls waiting at the entrance waved enthusiastically.

"I said to meet at eight. Why are you here so early?" Chen Xingyue asked.

"We just got here a little while ago!" said one of the girls, fair-skinned and wearing a pink-gray floral dress, smiling softly. "We had breakfast nearby and came straight over."

"Xingyue, you’re amazing! If you pass this time, you’ll be the first in our class. Just imagine how upset Xia Feifei will look," chimed in the other girl, dressed in a short-sleeved top and hot pants, bouncing with energy as she spoke.

Just then, Chen Shouyi finished paying and walked over. A hint of embarrassment flashed across Chen Xingyue’s face as she quickly lowered her voice. "Stop it! My brother’s here!"

As Chen Shouyi approached, she hurriedly introduced, "This is my brother, Chen Shouyi. These are my good friends, Lu Shuyuan and Zhang Qianru."

"Hello, Brother Shouyi!" Lu Shuyuan, the girl in the floral dress, called out sweetly.

Zhang Qianru covered her mouth, giggling, and immediately followed suit.

Chen Shouyi felt goosebumps rise at the overly affectionate address.

Noticing his dazed expression, Chen Xingyue inwardly fumed and discreetly pinched him.

"Ah, hello, juniors!" Chen Shouyi snapped back to attention at the sharp pain in his waist and quickly greeted them.

Zhang Qianru and Lu Shuyuan exchanged glances and giggled.

Seeing her brother embarrass himself in front of her friends made Chen Xingyue’s expression turn awkward. She pretended to casually wipe her smooth forehead and changed the subject. "It's a bit hot outside. Let’s go in."

The Martial Arts Assessment Center was a five-story building, and the four of them quickly entered the lobby.

Since the Martial Arts Apprentice Assessment was held only once a month, even though there was still half an hour before the actual assessment began, a long line had already formed inside.

Some examinees were accompanied by their parents, others came with friends, and of course, there were those who came alone.

Chen Shouyi’s observational skills had improved, allowing him to roughly distinguish between examinees and their companions.

He noticed that most of the examinees were quite old, with many already in their thirties. Teenagers like him made up less than a quarter of the crowd, while those as young as his sister were pitifully few—only two or three.

"I’ll queue up. You rest and don’t let it affect your condition," Chen Shouyi said.

In front of Chen Shouyi, the girls behaved quite obediently, but as soon as he left, they huddled together, chattering away.

"Xingyue, your brother is so good to you. I really envy you for having a brother like that."

"Well… he’s alright, I guess!" Chen Xingyue forced a laugh. "He’s just a bit naggy sometimes. It gets on my nerves."

This immediately drew another wave of envy from her friends.

Secretly, she grumbled to herself: That’s because you don’t have a brother. If you did, you wouldn’t think that way.

When they were younger, hadn’t he bullied her plenty just because he was older? She hadn’t forgotten any of it.

"Is your brother in high school too?" Lu Shuyuan asked, her big eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Yeah, he’s a senior."

"Which school does he go to?"

"What, do you like my brother?" Chen Xingyue teased, reluctant to answer the question. The truth was, her brother’s school was too embarrassing to mention.

Dongning City had eight high schools in total. No. 1 High School was a provincial key school, while No. 4 and No. 3 High Schools were slightly worse but still passable. The rest, including No. 5 High School where Chen Shouyi attended, were practically considered garbage schools.

A faint blush spread across Lu Shuyuan’s fair face as she pouted. "I was just asking! Since you’re so amazing, your brother must be pretty impressive too, right?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Zhang Qianru, ever the lively one, chimed in. "We’re all good sisters here. Your brother is our brother too!"

Chen Xingyue wanted to save face for her brother, but after some thought, she decided against it—it would be too easy to expose the truth.

"His grades… aren’t the best. He goes to No. 5 High School. But he works really hard and studies late into the night every day."