Volume One, Chapter Four: How Could This Be Possible?

The onlookers wore expressions of anticipation, as if watching a spectacle unfold. They all thought Su Yuan was overestimating himself—a mere beggar who could barely read and write, yet foolishly aspiring to master both literary and martial arts. What a dreamer!

Su Yuan gazed at the stone slab before him—three inches thick, roughly seven inches in length and width—with a faint smile playing on his lips.

Shattering this stone with a single palm strike would pass the first stage of the test.

Then, hitting the target a hundred paces away with an arrow would secure his selection.

If his performance during the assessment was outstanding, he could even earn a high ranking. For others, this might be challenging, but for him, it was far too easy.

Smiling softly, he cradled his daughter and stepped forward.

With his body fully restored, his martial prowess was now comparable to that of a grandmaster. Breaking a stone was a trivial matter.

He raised his hand and struck the stone with a palm.

This action stunned the middle-aged soldier and the surrounding crowd. Was this man serious? Holding a child, how could he possibly exert enough force?

Everyone assumed Su Yuan was merely toying with luck.

But to their astonishment, the stone cracked neatly and evenly under his effortless blow.

A stunned silence swept the scene. Everyone stared in disbelief, unable to grasp what they had just witnessed.

The middle-aged soldier swallowed hard, his eyes filled with newfound respect.

Shattering a stone was a sign of skill, but breaking it so perfectly aligned was rare—only a master who had complete control over his strength could achieve such precision.

And to think this man was holding a child all the while.

“Sir, you… you’re incredible!” the soldier couldn’t help but praise him with a thumbs-up.

The little girl beamed with pride.

“Of course! My father is the strongest man in the world!”

Her adorable expression brought a smile to the soldier’s face, and his gaze softened.

“Yes… your father is the strongest indeed,” he replied with a smile.

Then, turning respectfully to Su Yuan, he asked, “Sir, for the archery test, which bow would you prefer?”

Su Yuan looked toward the bows set out: from half a stone to one stone, one and a half stones, two stones, and the heaviest at two and a half stones—the pinnacle of bow strength.

There were also exquisitely crafted bows capable of drawing three to four stones, but beyond that, none existed.

The tales from his previous life about some warlord drawing a twelve-stone bow were pure nonsense.

One stone weighed over a hundred pounds—twelve stones would be nearly a ton. Impossible to imagine!

Su Yuan placed his daughter astride his neck, then approached the bows and picked up the two-and-a-half-stone bow.

This move left the middle-aged soldier and the crowd dumbfounded. What was this man thinking?

Choosing the heaviest bow was one thing, but drawing it while carrying his daughter? Was he joking? This was reckless!

If he hurt himself, that would be one thing—if he harmed his daughter, there’d be no place for him to weep!

The soldier opened his mouth to caution Su Yuan, thinking he was acting foolishly. At the very least, he could put the child down.

“Sir… you…”

But before he could finish, Su Yuan nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring with ease.

The long arrow shot forth instantly, striking the target a hundred paces away.

The arrow pierced dead center, splitting the bullseye cleanly.

Lowering the bow, Su Yuan turned to the soldier with a faint smile. “Sir, what did you want to say?”

“Wow… Daddy is amazing!” The little girl clapped her hands enthusiastically, though she didn’t understand the significance.

The soldier, realizing the situation, scratched his head awkwardly.

What was there left to say? The shot had been made—what more could he add?

“Sir, I dare not call you ‘Sir’—you are truly extraordinary! With your martial prowess, you will undoubtedly top the martial assessment!”

The martial combat rankings were determined by how well one shattered the stone and the strength of the bow chosen, as well as the accuracy on the target.

Su Yuan had flawlessly broken the stone and used the two-and-a-half-stone bow to pierce the bullseye. No one could match such a feat.

So far, most contestants had chosen bows of one and a half stones. No one had selected a two-stone bow, let alone two and a half stones.

“Sir, here is your badge and five taels of silver. Please hold onto these and wait here… I’ll report this at once!” The soldier smiled broadly as he handed over the items.

Carrying the materials, he hurried back into the tent, barely containing his excitement.

This was a treasure discovered! If Su Yuan defeated the warriors from the Great Qing kingdom in the martial contest, the discoverer would be handsomely rewarded!

Su Yuan watched the soldier retreat, then handed the silver to his daughter and walked back, holding her close.

The crowd, once jeering, now fell silent. No one dared to mock Su Yuan anymore, and most wore flushed faces.

Su Yuan’s performance had dealt them a blow to their pride.

To call him a disgrace now seemed absurd—he had stunned the entire assembly with his flawless test. Those who had jeered moments before had become the laughingstock. Could their faces not burn with shame?

Inside the tent, at the literary test station, three examiners frowned over dozens of sheets of paper.

One, a man in his fifties with a beard, sighed deeply.

“The quality of this year’s applicants is poor. I fear we will lose to the Great Qing in the literary contest once again.”

This man was He Yuanshen, Vice Minister of Rites, who, though not originally responsible for the exams, was also in charge of the literary tests.

For three consecutive years, the Great Chu had lost both the literary and martial contests to the Great Qing. Each loss was a blow to his honor.

If no talented individuals emerged from the common folk this year, defeat was certain. The noble families’ prodigies simply weren’t enough.

Perhaps due to their lavish lifestyles, the aristocrats were addicted to pleasure, with few genuinely dedicated to study.

Among the princes, only the eldest prince showed superior literary talent, but one person alone could not match the collective scholars of the Great Qing.

Regrettably, even under his personal supervision, no truly outstanding literati had been found. Few of the five-character poems met his standards.

As he sighed, a young official burst in hurriedly.

“Lord He, great news, Lord He, great news!”

He Yuanshen frowned, displeased by the intrusion.

“Such disorder! What’s all this fuss about?”

Though annoyed, he refrained from harsh reprimand.

He was known as a kind-hearted official, gentle and never arrogant despite his rank.

“Sir, please look at this five-character poem… and this couplet!” The young official eagerly handed over Su Yuan’s writings.

He Yuanshen was surprised; he had assumed no more applicants would arrive.

Seeing the young official’s joyful expression, he and the other two examiners grew curious and quickly took the papers to examine them.