Nightfall.
Leaves rustled in the autumn breeze, and in such brisk weather, the chirping of birds could not help but resonate restlessly.
"Da Niu is going home tonight, otherwise I could have filled up the attribute tonight."
Han Ye, alone and regretful, walked through the village.
After dinner, Wang Da Niu had informed Han Ye that he didn't return home last night, and so he intended to go back to reassure his family, to spend time with his mother and to bring back the medicinal herbs he'd bought.
He truly seemed a dutiful son.
Han Ye naturally didn't detain him.
Therefore, the plan to acquire the last bit of attribute by arm wrestling tonight was declared a failure.
"Keep it down..."
At this moment, as he passed a certain house, a familiar voice sounded from Widow Liu's room.
Han Ye blinked in surprise.
Immediately he anticipated that more attributes were about to drop very soon.
So he quickly moved to the window, waiting for the attributes to drop.
A familiar prelude, rhythm, and voice.
Despite being accustomed to it, Han Ye couldn't help but be agitated.
Just when he was getting impatient.
A wisp of white light, as anticipated, slowly descended.
"Picking up attribute: Friend of Women +2"
"Do you want to absorb?"
Absorb!
Seeing this, Han Ye couldn't hide his excitement, screaming inwardly.
"Finally gathered them all!"
Accompanied by the collection of the final two points, Friend of Women was finally completed.
At the same time, a ray of golden light from the golden seal "Accumulation" in his mind gave way to Friend of Women.
A line of words floated in front of him.
"Do you want to upgrade?"
Yes!
As Han Ye recited the words silently, a green halo formed.
It shone on the words, which suddenly changed, and in their place sat:
"Wei Wu Legacy (Green): Your charm is enough to make all women favor you, with very high goodwill. You're like a welcoming rain falling on drought-ravaged land."
"Hiss!"
Han Ye took in a sharp breath.
Then there was a long silence.
He never expected that.
The attribute would have evolved.
What surprised him even more was...
It became even more outrageous!
What use did he have for this ability?
Han Ye was silent for a long time, unable to think of an occasion when this attribute would be useful.
He couldn't really use it to charm married women, could he?
No, no, no.
That would lead to him being reported.
In the law of Great Zhou, luring a married woman, although not a major crime, resulted in a hefty fine and detention.
However, that would only be the reaction of the government. If found by the villagers, their reactions would be much worse.
As Han Ye was pondering, the actions in the room had already concluded.
"That was quite fast tonight."
Han Ye was a bit surprised.
Then, he shook his head and turned away, there was no need for him to stay since the attribute was already filled.
"It doesn't matter, I'll keep counting on the 'Strength of the Bull' attribute."
...
As the night passed and the dawn began to break, the early morning fog had yet to dissipate, and the garden archway of Liu Manor was already bustling with people from the whole village, everyone coming over to see the spectacle.
Today is the selection day, organized by the Liu Manor, and everyone in Langlang Village is well aware.
The courtyard is like a sports ground, very expansive.
There are tiered stands around it where one can overlook the school field. The field is already prepared with stone locks, weapons, horses, and various facilities.
It is truly worthy of the Liu Manor, being the prominent family in the County of Skyfire for three generations. Not only has cultivators emerged from the family, but their wealth is also very substantial. This ground was originally a temporary construction site for playing ball in the Great Zhou era, but after it was left idle, it was converted into a martial arts platform.
The stands are full of chairs, and quite a few wealthy gentry have already taken their seats.
Sitting at the highest point of the stand are naturally the master and madam of Liu Manor, as well as Miss Liu Lingqi of Liu Family, with numerous servants waiting by their side for orders.
Women and men from various households have all taken part in the selection.
"This is my first time seeing such a spectacle, and it's quite nerve-wracking."
Wang Da Niu and Han Ye walked side by side, looking around at the crowd, slightly restrained in their speech.
It was his first time being selected under the watchful eyes of so many people.
"It's okay, you'll get used to it."
Han Ye was rather composed, following at the back of the group, leisurely walking onto the martial arts platform.
With the arrival of the participants, the stands immediately erupted in noise.
"I see our brother and he's waving at us, wait... isn't that Han Ye over there!"
"That kid who grew up without parents? He's quite handsome now!"
"He is remarkable now, the tiger-slaying hero!"
"Yes, a few days ago he came out of Black Cliff Forest soaked in blood and carrying a huge tiger. It scared us all!"
The people on the stand erupted in discussions upon seeing Han Ye.
"It's the ninth month of the year, and it's a year of harvest. Today, Lord Liu is hosting a feast, inviting everyone. Anyone who can pass the test will have the chance to follow Liu Manor, learn martial arts, earn a spot, then participate in the sect entrance examination half a year later. This selection consists of three stages..."
Once all the selections participants arrived, the old steward of Liu Manor stood in the center of the martial arts platform, reading the opening remark in a loud voice.
Apart from the tenants of Liu Manor, the selection individuals also included the males from the County of Skyfire, Langlang Village, and from villages of various other counties. Even wanderers from other places who heard about the reputation came to join.
As for the selection rules, Han Ye was listening carefully.
The so-called "selection" is nothing more than choosing who is more suitable for cultivation.
To do this, one must pass through physical body, bone exploration, and blood marrow rounds. After being assessed by martial arts masters invited by Liu Manor, those who are excellent in all three aspects will be selected.
The physical body is easy to understand. It depends on whether the body is capable enough and naturally isn't suitable for the weak, sick, and disabled.
The latter two rounds seem to involve endurance testing and body tempering with a secret medicine, with the specifics to be observed later.
Han Ye originally thought that cultivation needed only a strong spiritual root.
It seems that isn't the case.
Spiritual root seems to only act as a symbol of cultivation efficiency, that is, the speed of cultivation. The real physical foundation and inheritance traditions have their own theories and proportions in play.
Quite complex indeed.
About two hundred plus people were participating, and they needed to be divided into several teams. The elderly steward on the high platform read aloud the names on the roster for team assignments:
"Wang Wei of County of Skyfire, Guo Kai of Nankai County, wanderer Gao Qichang, Han Ye of Liu Manor, Wang Da Niu of Liu Manor..."
Near the martial arts platform, a group of wealthy gentlemen sat together. Among them, Liu Xinglong of Liu Manor was the host and decision-maker, naturally sitting in the middle.
Hearing Han Ye's name, Liu Xinglong paused in his action of removing the tea leaves to look at Han Ye on the martial arts platform:
"Is the young man with wheat-colored skin the Han Ye who is known for his tiger-slaying prowess?"
Liu Lingqi, the young miss of Liu Manor, nodded and said:
"Yes, father, it's him."
"He looks robust, indeed worthy of being a tiger slayer."
Liu Xinglong looked at Han Ye with approval, and couldn't help but nod.
His Liu Manor had produced a celebrity, and of course, he was quite pleased that Liu Manor had become famous in the entire County of Skyfire because of this.
"This Han Ye is growing up well."
Next to Liu Xinglong, the gentle and elegant Madam Liu was sitting, her jade finger gently stroked her teacup. With a hairpin in her hair, she possessed a generous and noble temperament with enduring charm. Although she was middle-aged, she still showed traces of her stunning beauty when she was young. Otherwise, she couldn't have given birth to Liu Lingqi.
"At such a young age, he's able to fight a tiger, that's quite a feat. Besides, he's quite a handsome young man."
She looked at Han Ye, her eyes filled with appreciation as she said this.
Liu Lingqi raised an eyebrow upon seeing her mother praising Han Ye's appearance excessively, then took a closer look at him and asked:
"Mother, how do you see it?"
"Don't you all think he's very masculine and handsome?"
Madam Liu replied with a slight smile.
Hearing this, Lord Liu Xinglong looked at Han Ye again and begrudgingly said, "Well, he does have some masculinity, and he is somewhat handsome. Could it be that my lady fancies him?"
Madam Liu's soft eyes gazed at Liu Xinglong's face as she said seriously, "Such a talent who bathed in the blood of a tiger and made a name for himself in the County of Skyfire, but is still a little tenant in Liu Manor. Don't you think it's a waste?"
...