Seeing that the Yunwu Commandery Prince did not punish Zhang Ruochen, but instead punished Concubine Xiao, Lin Concubine let out a long sigh of relief. She immediately pulled Zhang Ruochen aside.
Still finding it hard to believe what had just happened, Lin Concubine asked, "Ruochen, have you truly become a genuine martial artist?"
"Yes!" Zhang Ruochen nodded, no longer hiding the truth.
"You've only just become a martial artist and now you're participating in the year-end examination. What if something dangerous happens?" Lin Concubine asked, clearly worried.
Zhang Ruochen replied, "Even if I did nothing, would I be any safer? Mother, don't worry. I'll do my best and act within my limits."
Only martial artists under twenty years old were eligible to participate in the year-end examination.
Yunwu Commandery Prince had a total of nine sons and thirteen daughters.
Among the sons, the Fifth Prince, Sixth Prince, Seventh Prince, Eighth Prince, and Ninth Prince were all under twenty. With the Seventh Prince absent from the capital, the other four would participate in the examination.
Apart from the direct princes and princesses, noble clans with royal ties were allowed to select three of their most outstanding young martial artists to participate in the year-end examination. For instance, the Lin family had such privileges.
These noble clans had already arrived, gathering around the outskirts of the royal martial field, forming their respective camps.
Within the capital, some important figures, such as Earth Realm martial experts, sect masters, and family patriarchs, had also been invited to witness the event.
"Boss, for many years, the royal family has sent an invitation to Clear Profound Pavilion, but you've never attended. Why have you decided to go this year?" Mo Hanlin asked in confusion as he followed behind Qin Ya.
Even in the bitter cold of winter, Qin Ya wore a crimson dress that revealed her snow-white arms and seductive collarbone, seemingly unaffected by the chill.
With a faintly seductive smile in her eyes and her rosy lips gleaming, Qin Ya replied, "When you meet someone interesting, you naturally want to learn more about them."
"You mean the Ninth Prince?" Mo Hanlin asked.
"Who else could it be?" Qin Ya chuckled.
Two months ago, after Zhang Ruochen visited Clear Profound Pavilion, Qin Ya had ordered an investigation into him.
What surprised her was that this determined young man had not awakened his Martial Soul for the first sixteen years of his life and had been an ordinary, sickly person, bedridden for years.
She also discovered his miserable situation in the royal palace, his family's conflicts with Lin Concubine, and other details.
However, this seemingly pitiful prince had managed to spend ten thousand silver coins to purchase a large number of elixirs and two True Martial Treasures from Clear Profound Pavilion.
Where did he get such a fortune?
What other secrets did he possess?
To Qin Ya, the Ninth Prince, who had been scorned by others, was a puzzle full of mysteries that she couldn't quite solve.
Driven by curiosity, she decided to attend the year-end examination to uncover what other secrets Zhang Ruochen might be hiding.
"Boss, you're attending the royal martial field this year? That's unexpected," Lin Fengxian called out from afar, noticing Qin Ya in her crimson dress and taking the initiative to greet her.
To Lin Fengxian, Qin Ya was also a mysterious figure.
Though he had seen her once from a distance, they were not familiar. However, he knew that she controlled immense wealth and could influence the entire capital's economy. She was no ordinary woman.
It was said that in the Martial Market, five out of ten shopkeepers worked for her.
But this boss was like a dragon—rarely seen and hard to meet, even for the heads of great families.
Establishing connections with her would only benefit the Lin family.
Qin Ya glanced at Lin Fengxian, her eyes narrowing slightly. "And you are?"
Mo Hanlin whispered, "Boss, this is Lin Fengxian, the head of the Lin family."
"The Lin family? How interesting!" Qin Ya's eyes lit up, and she smiled graciously. "So, you're the head of the Lin family. Forgive me for my impoliteness."
Lin Fengxian hadn't expected Qin Ya to be so approachable and replied with a laugh, "Two years ago, when I visited Clear Profound Pavilion to purchase some elixirs, I had hoped to meet the boss, but you were away on urgent business. I only caught a glimpse of you from afar. Two years have passed, and you've only become more beautiful!"
"Two years ago..." Qin Ya had no memory of the event but maintained her smile.
Her gaze shifted to the group of Lin family martial artists standing behind Lin Fengxian. Her eyes landed on Lin Ningshan, and she remarked, "This must be the Lin family's second young lady. What a beauty! She makes me feel quite inferior."
Lin Ningshan, standing behind Lin Fengxian, wore snow-white robes, her long black hair swaying with her movements. She had a slender figure and delicate, refined features—a classic beauty.
However, whether Qin Ya's beauty was truly inferior was debatable. They each had their own unique charm.
"Boss, you know my daughter?" Lin Fengxian asked, somewhat surprised.
Qin Ya didn't actually know Lin Ningshan, but during her investigation of Zhang Ruochen, she had learned that Lin Ningshan had a significant influence on him.
Thus, she had remembered Lin Ningshan's name.
Qin Ya smiled and said, "She's one of the Four Great Beauties of Yunwu Commandery. How could I not know her? I've heard that even the Ninth Prince has been pursuing her, which is quite enviable!"
A 16- or 17-year-old Lin family youth sneered, "The Ninth Prince is just deluding himself. With his talent, even if he trained for a hundred years, he wouldn't be worthy of Ningshan."
Another slightly older Lin family youth added, "After the year-end examination, Ningshan will be engaged to the Seventh Prince. The Ninth Prince is just a toad lusting after a swan—pathetic and ridiculous."
These two young men were Lin Chengwu and Lin Tianwu, two of the Lin family's top young talents, selected to represent the family in the year-end examination alongside Lin Ningshan.
Qin Ya stroked her chin, as if she had uncovered a fascinating secret. "So, Lin Ningshan is going to be engaged to the Seventh Prince? That's certainly something to celebrate. When word spreads, I'm sure all the ladies in the capital will be green with envy."
Lin Ningshan's lips curved slightly in pleasure, her eyes gleaming with joy. After all, marrying the Seventh Prince was the dream of countless women in Yunwu Commandery.
And now, she was so close to achieving that dream!
The year-end examination consisted of two parts: a literary test and a martial test.
The literary test wasn't taken too seriously.
Even if someone ranked first in the literary test, they would receive little more than a few words of praise. Only those who excelled in the martial test would earn the royal family's rich rewards.
The martial test began!
The first round of the martial test: testing strength.
In the martial field, there were several black stone disks of various sizes, arranged in ten weight categories.
The smallest stone disk was half a meter in diameter and weighed 100 pounds.
The largest disk was three meters in diameter and weighed 1,000 pounds.
The participants would test their strength in ascending order of age.
The youngest was Sixth Princess Zhang Yulin, who had just turned six this year. She was a tiny girl, only a meter tall, and looked like a delicate little doll.
"Swoosh!"
The Sixth Princess stopped next to the half-meter-wide black stone disk, her true energy circulating through her meridians. With some effort, she managed to lift the 100-pound disk.
"Boom!"
She heaved the stone disk one meter forward before it crashed to the ground.
Looking a bit disappointed, the Sixth Princess eyed the next stone disk.
The second stone disk weighed 200 pounds, and even with all her might, the Sixth Princess couldn't lift it. In the end, she had no choice but to give up.
"At just four years old, the Sixth Princess unlocked her Martial Soul. Now, she can lift a 100-pound disk. Quite impressive—she's bound to become a remarkable prodigy in the future."
Yunwu Commandery Prince nodded in approval, clearly pleased to have another talented child among his offspring.
Next, the Tenth Princess and the Eleventh Princess took their turns. They were fourteen and ten years old, respectively.
The Tenth Princess had reached the mid-stage of the Yellow Extreme Realm and managed to lift the 200-pound stone disk, hurling it seven meters forward. Unfortunately, she couldn't lift the 300-pound disk and had to stop there.
Similarly, the Eleventh Princess, also at the mid-stage of the Yellow Extreme Realm, lifted the 200-pound disk and threw it six meters.
Considering that the Eleventh Princess was four years younger than the Tenth Princess, her performance was judged to be superior overall.
The first three princesses were all under fourteen years old, and being girls, they were naturally weaker than the boys in terms of physical strength. Thus, their limit was lifting the 200-pound stone disk.
Now, the real competition between the true prodigies began.
At fifteen, Lin Ningshan was the youngest of the remaining participants. She stepped confidently into the martial field.
Without hesitation, she skipped over the first nine stone disks and went straight to the tenth.
This tenth disk was three meters wide and weighed 1,000 pounds.
"Up!"
Lin Ningshan circulated her abundant true energy, gripping the massive disk with one hand and effortlessly lifting it over her head.
It was hard to imagine how such a slender figure could bear such an incredible weight.
And she was only fifteen!
With a flick of her wrist, Lin Ningshan hurled the 1,000-pound disk fifteen meters, where it crashed into the ground, leaving a massive crater.
"Wow! Amazing! The Lin family has produced another outstanding prodigy!"
"She's just a girl, yet her body can bear such incredible strength. Her cultivation level must be extraordinarily high!"
The onlookers marveled at her feat.
Sitting in the stands, Yunwu Commandery Prince looked impressed. "Which family does this prodigious girl belong to? With such talent, she could rival even the Ninth Princess!"
The Queen smiled, clearly pleased with Lin Ningshan's performance. "Your Majesty, she is the daughter of Lin Fengxian, the head of the Lin family. I've been thinking she would be a suitable match for the Seventh Prince. A marriage between them would be perfect."
"So, it's the little girl from the Lin family. I do remember her. With her talent and family background, she's certainly worthy of Seventh Prince."
Yunwu Commandery Prince nodded but frowned slightly as his gaze drifted to Zhang Ruochen, standing at the edge of the martial field. "However, I recall that she and Ninth Prince were once close playmates. They're cousins and practically grew up together. I even discussed a childhood betrothal between her and Ninth Prince with her grandfather. But after what happened three years ago, the engagement was never finalized."
The Queen chuckled. "Your Majesty, you're being ridiculous. With Lin Ningshan's current talent, how could she possibly consider the Ninth Prince? They're no longer living in the same world, and the gap between them will only continue to grow."
"With her talent, I'm sure she'd be more than happy to be the Seventh Prince's concubine. The Lin family certainly wouldn't pass up the opportunity to curry favor with him."
Yunwu Commandery Prince nodded again. He had to admit that Zhang Ruochen's talent paled in comparison to Lin Ningshan's. It was an unfortunate reality.
In the world of martial arts, unions where the man was stronger than the woman were common.
But when the woman was far stronger than the man, it rarely ended well for either party.