Chapter 18: Father's Expectations

  Time flies, and before he knew it, Qin Wushuang had returned to Donglin Town for two years. At this age in this life, he was already 15 years old. In a year and a half, the Martial Arts Test would come, and the Family Merit Assessment would also arrive, and all the small and big exams would follow suit.

  Wu Tong's test is no longer worth mentioning for Qin Wushuang. What he thinks about most now is the "Family Virtue" that appears once every twenty years.

  Given the current decline of the Qin family and their lack of strength, the forces targeting their humble position will definitely be few.

  The Qin family used to be a wealthy and influential family, leaving behind a large fortune that made all the other wealthy families jealous. Such a big piece of fat meat, it's strange if others don't covet it.

  He decided to add some training projects for himself, and there was still a year and a half left, time was pressing.

  After lunch that day, Qin Wushuang came to the backyard of his own home, set up a large iron pot, and burned it with dry firewood underneath. Then he ran to the oil extraction workshop at the Qin's house, picked up two large barrels of oil and placed them on one side.

  One hand pinched a copper coin with a hole in the middle, and the other hand held a spoon to scoop oil from the small hole into the large pot below.

  "Qin Wushuang, what are you doing?" Qin Lianshan was puzzled.

  "Cultivate your skills!" Qin Wusuo responded subconsciously without diverting his attention.

  Qin Lianshan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood. Looking at his son's skillful hands pouring oil with one hand and holding the coin with the other, it seemed simple at first glance. Only after careful consideration did he realize that the profundity of learning lay elsewhere.

  This small coin hole requires oil to flow down without a single drop spilling over, which is a great test of eyesight, hand strength and endurance.

  It might take one or two minutes, and perhaps those who have practiced martial arts would think it's no big deal. But to pour these two large buckets of oil into a big pot, looking at the small hole in the copper coin, without taking a few hours, it's simply impossible to finish pouring!

  The key is that there is still a fire burning below, and it's so close, just the high temperature alone is enough to make one sweat profusely.

  This kind of practice method that achieves multiple goals at once, Qin Lianshan had never seen or even heard of it before!

  One minute, two minutes, a moment...

  Before long, two quarters of an hour had passed. Qin Lianshan revealed a relieved smile.

  He stared intently at all of this, discovering that his son had persisted for so long without even blinking an eye or trembling a bit. One spoonful after another, the oil flowed from the coin hole and dripped into the pot.

  This composure, even Qin Lian Shan, a true martial artist of the first stage, couldn't guarantee with 100% certainty that he could achieve it.

  At this moment, Qin Wushuang's hands holding the copper coin moved slightly. The coin hole was slightly tilted, and the oil dripped onto the copper coin.

  "Alas!" Qin Wushuang sighed slightly, tossing the copper coin into the scalding hot oil pot, "Just about two quarters of an hour, right?"

  This practice method was a daily necessity for Qin Wushuang before the age of 20 in his past life. The highest state can persist for three hours - six hours!

  "Good boy, who taught you this move?" Qin Lianshan walked over with a pleased expression.

  Qin Wushuang poured all the remaining oil into the pot, constantly adding dry firewood: "In a dream at night, an old man taught me, haha."

  Qin Lianshan was used to his son joking with him and didn't think much of it. He asked again, "What's the point of adding more firewood?"

  "Start practicing!" Qin Wusuo said, the oil was already boiling and bubbling. He took out a few more copper coins from his pocket, all of the same type, but one of them had a slightly darker color.

  The monkey's arm was lightly stretched out and all thrown into the pot.

  "Hey, Father, give you ten breaths of time, can you pick out the copper coin with a deeper color from inside?" Qin Wushuang asked with a smile.

  "This isn't difficult!" Qin Lianshan rolled up his sleeves and walked over, poking his head in to try to see where the dark-colored copper coin was. But the scalding oil was bubbling with white foam, how could he see its position?

  "Remember, there's only one chance!" Qin Wushuang said with a smile.

  Qin Lian Shan shook his head helplessly: "I'm afraid Father doesn't have a grasp on it!"

  "My father is not as focused as I am." Qin Wushuang sighed, "When the copper coins fell into the pot, you didn't listen to their falling direction and didn't pay attention to their floating direction. Of course, you couldn't judge where it was. Watch me!"

  With one hand probing and two fingers pinching, he picked out a copper coin from the scalding hot oil pan, which was unmistakably that dark-colored copper coin.

  Qin Lianshan stared blankly, unable to help but applaud: "Good! Qin Wushuang, in the two years since you returned home, your cultivation has been exceptionally diligent and hardworking. Now it seems that the effect is remarkable. What ambitions do you have for the upcoming Martial Arts Test?"

  "What expectations does Father have of me?" Qin Wushuang asked with a smile.

  "Haha, as your father, my expectation for you is to maintain sixth rank and strive for seventh rank. Work hard to enter the upper ranks. If you can enter the top ranks of the Martial Arts Test, your future achievements will definitely surpass mine." Qin Lianshan himself was only at True Martial Realm First Rank, so he had high hopes that his son would one day exceed him.

  "Is this a high-quality martial arts disciple?" Qin Wushuang smiled slightly. The goal his father had set for himself could only be considered mid-to-high level.

  For Qin Wubai at this stage, this goal is absolutely a piece of cake. Of course, before the real battle starts, he doesn't want to expose all his strength, which would undoubtedly be an unwise move that would bring trouble to himself.

  A poor family's son is too eye-catching, it's absolutely not a good thing. Especially now with countless pairs of eyes staring at the Qin family's big fat meat.

  Good steel should be used on the blade, this principle, Qin Wusuo understands.

  The so-called "Wu Tong test" is actually a comprehensive assessment of the Wu Tong before they reach adulthood at the age of sixteen. It can be said that it is the first important test in the life of a martial artist, with complex content and extremely important nature.

  The results of the Wutong test almost determine a warrior's lifelong cultivation prospects.

  Wu Tong is also divided into nine levels. Levels one to three are lower grade; levels four to six are middle grade; only levels seven to nine, which are above level six, are considered upper grade.

  Once evaluated as a top-grade martial child, entering the realm of Force Martial can be said to be a natural process. Almost all top-grade martial children can practice at least four stages of True Martial Realm in the end.

  Qin Lianshan set a "high-end" goal for his son, actually taking into account the recent demonic changes in his son.

  Otherwise, a child from a poor family, wanting to reach the realm of "top-grade martial artist" is almost like a fool's dream.

  Generally, only children of large aristocratic families can become top-notch martial artists. From birth, they are supplemented in various ways and guided by famous teachers to achieve this level.

  But under the current conditions of the Qin family, it is impossible to invite Master Ming, and the high-grade elixirs are also unlikely to be obtained.

  The Qin family also has some inherited martial arts traditions. After all, their ancestors were once a wealthy and influential family, and they had some relatively advanced martial arts techniques. However, most of those techniques have been lost due to a special reason, and only a few have been passed down. Qin Lianshan was troubled by his lack of talent and couldn't cultivate them, so he hoped that his son would be able to use them in the future.

  With his father's support, he had the conditions to carry on. From then on, day after day, it became Qin Wushuang's compulsory course every day after lunch.

  His crazy behavior made a loyal and righteous person in the Qin family, Shuibao, who was in charge of the oil mill, very angry, thinking that it was a waste of oil. Several times he found Qin Lianshan to guarantee, stating that he had never embezzled the master's oil. The oil mill produced less oil every month, all of which were taken away by the young master.

  Qin Lianshan naturally wouldn't quibble with his subordinates over such things, and smiled: "Shuibo, you've followed me, the Qin family, for decades. You personally came to tell me about this matter - don't you think I understand your loyalty? Don't worry about it, I'll increase your monthly salary by 30%. I know your grandson is growing up too, isn't he almost at the age where he needs money?"

  Shui Bo felt grateful and left the door with a thousand thanks. All the way, he muttered to himself, encountering such a master is truly lucky, hoping that God will bless the Qin family's fortune to be passed down for generations.

  Qin Wushuang practiced with such a strange method, but nothing was wrong at home. When it spread to the outside world, the flavor had completely changed. Some people couldn't help but mock him, saying that the Qin family had produced a prodigal son who wasted dozens of kilograms of good oil every day.

  This matter spread quickly, and before half a month had passed, it had already reached the city of Luojiang Prefecture.

  Qin Wushuang paid no attention to the rumors outside and still completed her self-planned homework every day with an unshakeable attitude.

  As he continued to cultivate and blend into this world, his anticipation for the "Family's Goods" more than a year later also grew stronger.

  That would be his first battle in this life to climb to the pinnacle of martial arts, absolutely no room for loss.