Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Inside the Imperial Examination Hall.

Chen Shouheng had just returned from the latrine and taken his place when the clamor suddenly died down.

An official dressed in crimson robes—his face gaunt, his presence imposing without a trace of anger—ascended the high platform in the courtyard, surrounded by his subordinates.

"I am Lu Zhongping, the Academic Administrator of Jiangzhou."

The official’s clear voice instantly silenced all the whispers. "I am presiding over this Provincial Martial Examination. All of you, listen closely."

The crowd below the platform fell silent.

"The location for this Provincial Examination will not be in the city, but rather..."

The Academic Administrator’s gaze swept over the crowd as he added with emphasis, "in Yunmeng Marsh, on Lake Heart Island."

"Yunmeng Marsh?"

"Lake Heart Island? Where’s that?"

"Why are they changing the location again this year?"

"Dammit, some hawker scammed me out of ten taels. This isn’t what he said at all."

An irrepressible commotion broke out below the platform.

Lu Zhongping scanned the entire assembly, acting as if he had heard nothing.

His words were concise. After laying out a few points of notice, he raised his voice. "Alright, everyone, follow the guiding Officials to the riverbank and board the ships immediately. There are to be no delays."

Under the guidance of the Officials, the several hundred candidates left the Imperial Examination Hall in an orderly fashion.

They exited Jiangzhou City and arrived at the bank of a vast, mist-covered river.

Several Official Ships were already waiting. The crowd boarded them in sequence.

The mooring ropes were untied, and the sails billowed with wind.

The fleet departed from the riverbank, heading north against the current and into the Yunmeng Marsh, where the water and sky merged and reeds stretched as far as the eye could see.

The sun rose higher, and the mist gradually dissipated.

About four hours later, the silhouette of an island appeared in their field of view.

The island was immense, its end nowhere in sight.

Its perimeter was encircled by a wooden stockade. Roughly every fifty zhang, a tall watchtower stood, upon which the figures of soldiers holding halberds could be seen. Security was tight.

The ships docked at a relatively gentle tidal flat.

The candidates disembarked one by one.

They passed through a heavily guarded stockade gate and finally arrived at an open area in the island’s interior, where dozens of sizable military tents had been erected.

Lu Zhongping led the group to the front of the largest tent. He did not immediately announce the start, but silently scanned the young candidates before him.

The entire landing area fell silent, leaving only the rustle of the wind through the reeds and the soft lapping of the marsh waves against the shore.

After a long moment, Lu Zhongping began to speak slowly. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly cut through the sounds of the wind and water. "This is Sin Island, where the Court imprisons over three hundred of its most heinous criminals. The first stage of your Provincial Examination, to distinguish the wicked, will take place here."

He paused for a moment, then his voice suddenly rose. "The criminals on this island live scattered throughout the mountains, forests, and dwellings. In a moment, you will come forward one by one to draw lots. The name written on your lot is the person you must find."

Only those who find their person, verify the identification number on their body, ascertain the crime they committed, and return here to report this accurate information will pass. You have one day. Anyone who has not returned by the time limit will have failed. The faster you find them, the higher your evaluation."

His tone suddenly turned harsh as he warned, "The convicts on this island may have had their Dantians destroyed and their Cultivation severed, but many among them are desperate fugitives. Their skills with fists, feet, and weapons remain, and they are not lacking in cruel and insidious methods."

Their ferocity and cunning far exceed your imagination. Entering this island is not a martial arts demonstration or a skills competition. Death and injury are matters of fate. Do not think that just because you have some Cultivation, you can let your guard down. Don’t blame me for not warning you."

This merciless admonishment was like a bucket of cold water, causing the expressions of many previously arrogant candidates to change instantly as they realized the danger of this place.

Lu Zhongping took in everyone’s reactions and snorted coldly. Only then did he signal for the government constables to bring out five lottery tubes and announce the specific rules.

"Remember these three rules."

He held up three fingers, his tone sharp and decisive. "One: You may only capture and question them; you are not to take their lives. Causing a death will result in immediate failure and disqualification. Any wanton, senseless killing will be severely punished. Two: You are not to collude with one another, exchange information, or steal another’s target. Violators will be punished equally. Three: When the time limit is up, a drum will sound as the signal. Anyone who has not returned will be considered to have forfeited."

"Now, begin drawing lots."

The candidates went forward one by one, the line moving slowly.

When it was Chen Shouheng’s turn, he reached out and took a bamboo slip. The name "Qiu Qiantao" was carved on it.

He committed it to memory, returned the slip for registration, and stepped aside.

After everyone had drawn their lots,

"Go."

The heavy stockade gate slowly swung open.

Over three hundred candidates surged like a tide into this lawless land.

Chen Shouheng, unhurried, followed at the rear of the crowd.

The island’s interior was even more expansive than it had appeared from the outside. The terrain was hilly, the forests deep and the grass thick, with many simple houses and shacks scattered about, resembling a dilapidated and isolated village.

The initial silence was soon broken.

An impatient candidate saw someone and strode forward, shouting, "Hey! Do you know where Qian Bulou is?"

The man who was questioned had a brutish, fleshy face. Upon hearing the question, he didn’t answer but instead spat, his eyes flashing with malice. "Where did you little whelp come from? Get lost!"

Seeing this, the candidate moved to grab him.

Unexpectedly, though the man had no Inner Qi, his reflexes were extremely fast. He reversed his grip into a grappling hold, locking onto the candidate’s wrist, while his other hand shot toward the candidate’s throat like a viper.

"You’re courting death!"

The candidate, caught off guard by the sneak attack, subconsciously channeled his energy and struck back, slamming a palm into the man’s shoulder. The blow sent the man staggering backward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

This was like poking a hornet’s nest.

A candidate immediately cried out in alarm, "Stop! If you kill him, how is anyone supposed to find their target?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s gaze focused on that candidate.

After all, every prisoner on Sin Island was a potential target. If one was killed, the attacker would be punished, but that was a secondary concern.

The person who had drawn that prisoner as their target would also lose their chance to advance, which would be a complete disaster for them.

The candidate sheepishly withdrew his hand, but still snorted coldly and continued on his way.

Someone else, not giving up, tried to entice the man with food and medicine, saying that if he just gave his name, he would get food and medical treatment.

But the injured man ignored them completely, leaning against a tree and glaring viciously at the crowd.

The crowd gradually dispersed.

Chen Shouheng watched with a cool detachment. ’Brute-force questioning will get you nowhere here,’ he thought.

’These prisoners are deeply hostile to outsiders.’

’To get any useful information, I’ll have to use other methods.’

’No wonder the Jiangzhou Government Office made this part of the exam.’

’This won’t be a problem for me, though.’

Only after the crowd had scattered did he leisurely walk forward.

The man stared at him warily.

Chen Shouheng said nothing. He closed the distance to within three paces, and just as the man was about to lash out, his right index finger shot out, so fast it left only an afterimage.

A Dream of the South.

This was the Divine Sense Skill from the Ahan Shouyi Heart Sutra he primarily cultivated.

It was remarkably similar to the A Dream of Millet Porridge from the Prajna Glaze Heart Sutra of the Self-Viewing.

Ordinarily, his Cultivation was not yet high enough to use A Dream of the South.

But ever since he took the Soul-Stabilizing Pill, the Power of Divine Sense that had dispersed from his Divine Hall Acupoint allowed him to discover that he could activate many Divine Sense Secret Skills ahead of schedule, though it was quite draining on his Divine Soul and Heart.

With a single touch of his finger, the Power of Divine Sense hypnotized and bewildered the man’s mind.

The man trembled, the malicious glint in his eyes instantly vanishing. He became dull and vacant, standing dumbly in place.

"Name?"

Chen Shouheng asked calmly.

"Zhang Laoli."

"Where is Qiu Qiantao?"

Chen Shouheng pressed.

"Qiu... Qiu Qiantao?"

Zhang Laoli shook his head woodenly. "Don’t know. Never heard that name."

Chen Shouheng’s brow furrowed slightly. He had a bad feeling.

’Could it be that no one on Sin Island uses their real name?’

He wasted no more time and withdrew his Power of Divine Sense.

The man swayed and slumped softly to the ground.

A short while after Chen Shouheng had left, the man’s eyes gradually regained some clarity, but they were filled with confusion, as if he had forgotten what had just happened.

Chen Shouheng avoided the areas where other candidates were gathered, specifically seeking out prisoners who were alone or hiding in corners.

Finally, behind a dilapidated house, he found an old man mending a worn-out fishing net.

Chen Shouheng repeated his method, once again activating A Dream of the South.

The old man’s eyes immediately went vacant.

"Qiu Qiantao?"

The old man answered numbly, "Don’t know. Are you asking about that dark-skinned Qiu who’s always looking for a whetstone?"

Having gotten a clue, Chen Shouheng immediately withdrew and headed west.

He avoided a few small groups that were fighting.

At last, he found a short, skinny man, his skin as black as charcoal, who was cursing as he rummaged through a pile of rocks.

Chen Shouheng approached, and the man immediately roared warily, "Stop! Who the hell are you, you little bastard?"

Chen Shouheng didn’t answer. Before he even got close, he activated A Dream of the South.

"Name."

"Qiu Qiantao."

The man’s body stiffened, his eyes instantly growing hazy.

"What was your crime?"

"Dug up the Chu... Chu King’s Tomb."

"Show me your identification number," Chen Shouheng commanded.

Qiu Qiantao numbly pulled at his already open shirt, revealing his back. A dark red number was clearly branded there: eighty-nine.

Task complete. Chen Shouheng wasted no time and immediately headed back.

When he walked out of the forest and returned to the front of the tents, the area was empty. He was the first candidate to return.

Less than an hour had passed.

Lu Zhongping looked up, a flash of surprise in his eyes.

’How long has it been?’

’How did this boy manage it?’

His Divine Sense swept over Chen Shouheng, and he found that the boy was only at the Spirit Realm Second Level. He shouldn’t be able to use a Divine Sense Secret Skill.

Chen Shouheng stepped forward and bowed. "Student Chen Shouheng reports. I have verified convict Qiu Qiantao, identification number eighty-nine. His crime was plundering the ancestral tombs at Chu King Ridge."

Lu Zhongping took the register handed to him by a clerk and checked it.

After confirming there was no mistake, he sized Chen Shouheng up with even greater surprise and asked, "How did you find him?"

"Replying to Your Honor, it was just a stroke of luck. I had only questioned two people before I happened to run into him."

Lu Zhongping frowned slightly. He had seen lucky people before, and besides, who didn’t have a few secrets? He didn’t press the matter further and simply nodded. "Mm, not bad. You’ve passed this stage. Your score is ’First-Class’. Go wait to the side."

"Thank you, Your Honor."

Chen Shouheng bowed again, walked to the designated rest area, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes to meditate and conserve his energy.

About an hour later, there was finally movement again at the forest’s exit.

Li Jiyan emerged, his pace slightly rushed. His face wore a look of relieved ease and confidence.

He was quite proud of himself for completing the task in such a short time, believing he must have been the first to finish this stage.

His gaze swept across the area, and the relaxed smile on his face instantly froze. His pupils subconsciously contracted, and he faltered in his step.

’Chen Shouheng?’

’How could he possibly be faster than me!’

A tempestuous wave of shock crashed through Li Jiyan’s mind.

He prided himself on his Spirit Realm strength, considering himself one of the top candidates in this examination. He had even learned of a hidden hint for this stage in advance, which was how he had managed to lock onto his target so quickly—and even that had taken some effort.

’On what grounds is that Chen Shouheng faster than me?!’