Chapter 65 (2/2)
“I think he’s on quite good terms with your Li`er [1], I don’t think you should be objecting anymore.”
Li`er, standing at the side, turned all red. Although she was embarrassed, she still spoke out in a soft voice, “Father, Brother Hylong is handsome and he is good-natured. Now, he even may be able to breakthrough the Regional Selection. He really is a good choice.”
“Hylong?” The white-bearded old man frowned and suddenly asked, “I asked you to get closer to Fang Xingjian before. Why didn’t you?”
“Father!” Li`er frowned, feeling displeased, and said, “That Fang Xingjian is a poor chap from the countryside. He is ugly and dirty. How can he even compare to the gentle and considerate Brother Hylong?
“And didn’t they say that he arrogantly challenged the transition for the Windstorm Sword Hero and that he failed it? An ordinary person like him would not even be close to Brother Hylong’s 10%.”
“That’s right, old man,” the married lady said, “Thank goodness we didn’t listen to you. If we had really let Li`er go with that Fang Xingjian, she would have gone through much hardship in the future.
“A person who can’t even complete the transition… I don’t even know what you see in him. Li`er was brought up by me. I’m not going to allow her to follow some stinky man and suffer hardships.”
“Suffer hardships…? Useless bum…?” The white-bearded old man let out a sigh and said, “You guys, are really as blind as bats. Fang Xingjian has successfully completed the transition to become a Windstorm Sword Hero. He’s even defeated Kaunitz just before.”
“What? How can that be possible?” the married woman cried out in surprise with keen sparkling eyes. “He really became a Windstorm Sword Hero?”
The white-bearded old man coldly replied, “Of course. Don’t mention Hylong anymore. That chap would only be a first transitioned level 19 at best. How would it be so easy for him to get to the heaven-defying stage of level 20? After a few years, he would not even be fit to carry Fang Xingjian’s shoes.”
“I don’t believe it.” Li`er, who had been pampered since young, had a princess syndrome. Acting up, she shouted loudly, “Brother Hylong is the best! What Windstorm Sword Hero? Brother Hylong will definitely teach him a lesson during the Regional Selection. He’ll pass the Regional Selection, become a Conferred Knight and propose to me!”
The white-bearded old man was fuming so much that his beard was flying. “Look at how spoiled you’ve made your daughter.”
…
The School of Sword Arts. Ogden walked in, wearing City Guard’s armor. He greeted the students he passed by. He enjoyed the respectful and admiring gazes from the rest in The School of Sword Arts.
However, after failing the Prefectural Selection, his family was no longer able to pay for his day-to-day expenses and school fees, and could only make him get a job. Thank goodness that he had still entered the top one hundred spots in the Prefectural Selection, and had been able to get a job in the City Guards Institution.
If he continued to work hard like Jack, putting in effort every year, he would probably be able to pass the Prefectural Selection seven to eight years later.
Of course, if he did not devote enough hard work to his training, but was instead tied down by all the material and worldly possessions, he would be stuck at level 9 without going through any transition at all, for all of his life.
Hearing that the students in the courtyard were still lavishing praises on Fang Xingjian’s achievements in the Prefectural Selection, he could not help but shake his head and say, “Your news are all outdated. Fang Xingjian is useless now.”
“Useless? How can that be?” A student who was over ten years old shouted, “Martial Brother Xingjian is the Prefectural Selection Champion, the one who placed first this year!”
“That’s right. He’s the Prefectural Champion. How could he be useless?”
“We want to be like him in the future. Master the basic sword techniques, participate in the Prefectural Selection, and clinch the Prefectural Champion title. ”
Ogden beamed and said, “You guys are still too young. So what if he won the Prefectural Champion title? Let me tell you. The aristocrats’ accumulated resources for hundreds and thousands of years are beyond your imaginations.
“Do you know that the Prefectural Selection is only the starting point? The transition after the Prefectural Selection is the real gauge of one’s future.
“Tresia Clan’s Kaunitz completed the first transition in just ten days. That Fang Xingjian prepared for three months but still failed the transition.
“This is the gap between us and those with background, who have constant support from their clans.
“Rather than staying here, doing sword practice everyday, you might as well follow me to run errands for Young Master Kaunitz. If he were to reward you with some meat from ferocious beasts or with medicinal ointments which aid the body’s training, it would make up for over ten days of your hard work here.”
[1] The girl’s name is Li. People who are of closer relationship will generally add “`er” after a person’s name to express intimacy. Elders may also do the same for someone younger than them, whom they are close with.