My Martial Arts Level Never Drops

Chapter 336: Chapter 168: Red Hot

"Greetings, Young Master Qin! The Workshop Master of the Hundred Refinements Workshop in Lanyang City’s west market has sent me to present you with ten catties of refined Cold Iron and five taels of Flowing Silver. Congratulations on your advancement in Cultivation! The Workshop Master loves to befriend talented young individuals and hopes for an opportunity to meet with you!"

"The Tower Master of the Rain Listening Pavilion in the south of the city presents this elegant invitation. In three days, we will host a ’Refined Scholars’ Gathering’ at the pavilion. We would be honored if Young Master Qin would join us to appreciate tea and discuss Martial Arts."

"Chief Clerk Liu of the City Guardian Mansion sends greetings on behalf of his master to Young Master Qin. We have prepared a small token to congratulate you on your great strides in Martial Arts!"

...

That night, the Post House was forced to delay its closing time. An endless stream of people flocked to the entrance of A Nineteen Courtyard.

The visitors came from trading firms, artisan workshops, restaurants, and Government Offices. There were even Stewards from two mid-sized local families.

The gifts they brought ranged from precious medicinal herbs, rare metals, and exquisite artifacts to direct gifts of gold, silver, and jade...

The list went on.

Their words were unfailingly polite and respectful, each doing their utmost to curry favor and forge a connection.

Qian Ruhai stood at the entrance the entire time, an impeccable smile fixed on his face.

He skillfully handled the various groups, accepting gifts and receiving calling cards on Qin Fang’s behalf. He repeated the same polite phrases, tactfully declining all requests for an immediate meeting without completely shutting the door. "Brother Qin will be informed of everyone’s kind intentions once he comes out of seclusion," he would say.

The flow of visitors didn’t wane until after the Hour of the Ox.

Only when the Post House staff firmly announced they were closing and prohibiting entry did the rest of the crowd reluctantly leave.

Inside A Nineteen Courtyard, gift boxes and packages of all kinds were already piled high. Several Maids were taking inventory.

Seeing that no one else was coming, Qian Ruhai let out a long breath and vigorously rubbed his cheeks, which had grown stiff from smiling so much.

...Even for someone like him, who naturally thrived on networking and excelled at socializing, dealing with all sorts of people flawlessly for hours on end was mentally exhausting. His throat was a little dry.

He shook his head and ordered a nearby servant, "Organize these calling cards and gift lists. Sort them by family, business, and Government Office, and make sure nothing is missed. Pay special attention to the items on the gift lists—register and catalog them with meticulous detail."

"Yes."

The Maids and servants answered in unison, then began to quietly tidy the tables piled with card holders and gift boxes.

Only then did Qian Ruhai turn and leave A Nineteen Courtyard, returning to his own temporary residence in C Courtyard.

When he pushed open the courtyard gate, however, he found Qin Fang sitting serenely on a stone stool in the yard, drinking alone under the moon with a relaxed expression.

Qian Ruhai froze for a moment, then a helpless, exasperated expression crossed his face. He walked over, unceremoniously poured himself a cup of wine, and downed it in one gulp before shaking his head with a sigh. "Brother Qin, oh, Brother Qin. Outside, it’s utter chaos on your account. I’ve talked myself hoarse, yet here you are, the man of the hour, enjoying the peace and quiet... Hmph! I really have to admire your talent for delegating everything!"

Qin Fang looked up, blinked, and chuckled. "To the able, more work is given. For you, Brother Qian, isn’t this just a perfect case of putting talent to its best use? I think you handled the duties of ’Gatekeeper’ and ’Clerk’ today with remarkable ease. It was a splendid performance!"

He gave him a thumbs-up.

Qian Ruhai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Are you praising me or insulting me?"

"Praising you, of course," Qin Fang said with a completely straight face.

Qian Ruhai was speechless.

After a moment, he could only shake his head in resignation. "Fine, I suppose I brought this on myself. But..."

He frowned. "Fending off this first wave for you was just a stopgap measure. The people behind those invitations all have different intentions. Some simply want to build goodwill, some are testing your background, and others want to place an early bet on you, or even pull you into their games. It’s easy to accept the gifts, but the aftermath... How will you handle it?"

"I understand. For now, I’ll have to trouble you to hold on to the gift lists and calling cards, Brother Qian. My foundation isn’t stable yet. I need to avoid these social entanglements as much as I can."

He paused, then smiled. "Once the Martial Arts Examination is over and I’ve truly joined the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect... then we can talk."

"Fair enough," Qian Ruhai said with a light sigh after a moment of thought, finally nodding.

There were still nine days left in the Martial Arts Examination. Qin Fang’s future would be decided on the very last day.

"Sigh, the next nine days are going to be torture for me... Brother Qin, when you become a big shot in the future, you can’t forget me, your ’Chief Steward’."

"Hahaha, of course not..." Qin Fang laughed, pouring more wine for Qian Ruhai.

The two men drank and laughed under the bright moonlight...

The next day, as soon as the Post House opened, the area outside was already bustling with activity.

They were all heading for A Nineteen.

Qian Ruhai played the part of Chief Steward perfectly, dutifully receiving every guest who arrived at the door.

As for Qin Fang...

He had changed his clothes and slipped out a side door long ago...

He went to the same teahouse as last time and sat drinking tea, watching the examination grounds over by the Cyan Dragon Bridge.

Today was another day of open preliminaries, which began on schedule at the Hour of the Serpent.

The crowds were just as massive today, with plenty of townspeople watching the excitement. Luckily, Qin Fang had arrived early; otherwise, the teahouse would have likely run out of seats.

He had a good seat and could see what was happening inside the examination grounds.

He stayed in the teahouse for the entire day, until the open preliminaries finally concluded.

As the event ended, he saw from his upstairs vantage point many Martial Artists from D Building returning, looks of bitter disappointment on some of their faces.

"I didn’t pass the open preliminaries... No chance for the second round. I’ll have to wait another year..."

"Sigh, I’ve already spent all the silver I brought. I can’t afford to stay in the Prefecture City any longer... I’ll have to go home for a while and try again in a couple of years..."

"Sigh..."

They murmured amongst themselves, their voices a mix of hushed disappointment.

Since it was an open preliminary, eliminations were to be expected.

Those who were eliminated were almost all at the Early Anjin Stage.

They would not be advancing to the second round.

From his casual conversations with Qian Ruhai, Qin Fang already knew that the second round would be the most time-consuming.

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