What's the price of testing one's talents? The number of guards outside the room increased from two to four. Inside, Luna was also there to keep watch, euphemistically called "keeping an eye on him." She truly understood the meaning of "keeping an eye on him."However, Caelum didn't say a single "no." On the contrary, he raised both hands in welcome. After all, being confined alone is like being banished to the cold palace, while two people are like huddling together for warmth. If there were still four guards, it meant that the Xiao family valued him highly and was protecting him. Just kidding, he couldn't even beat one guard, so why would he need four?At this moment, Luna rummaged through the bedding, lifted the table leg, and asked suspiciously, "Young master, where did you hide that rebellious poem?"A rebellious poem? As expected of you, Luna, a master of close-up surveillance. In the early Qing Dynasty, during the reigns of Kangxi and Qianlong, this kind of poem could have resu

Five days later.Caelum leaned against the window, his eyes fixed on the west gate of Chunhe Garden—the end of the long corridor leading to Jiaxing Garden.Ever since Luna brought him the "good news" about the eldest daughter of the Xiao family, he had been incredibly excited, finishing copying the remaining two hundred family rules in just five days. No, "copy" wasn't the right word; it should be "memorize." The entire set of one hundred characters could be recited backwards with his eyes closed."First, be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, even unto death on the battlefield; second, all male members of the clan must enter the martial arts training ground upon reaching the age of six..."The family rules of the Marquis's family were often strict, emphasizing loyalty to the emperor, martial arts training, or bringing glory to the family. He seemed both enigmatic and impressive. His thoughts were a jumbled mess.Caelum still couldn't calm down. He hadn't left the house for fi

POV: CaelumI stole a quick glance at the flickering blue panel before pulling my focus back. There was no room for distraction; I had to follow Wang Lixing’s rhythm in the Great Spear Stance. With every deliberate breath, I felt a surging heat radiating from my limbs, pounding against my flesh and bones like the rhythmic strikes of a blacksmith’s hammer. A faint, residual warmth began to pool in my meridians—so subtle that it would have been impossible to detect without the absolute stillness of my mind.Wang Lixing watched me like a hawk. Only when he saw the beads of sweat forming on my brow and my muscles beginning to tremble did he let out a silent sigh of relief. The initiation had succeeded. What he didn't tell me, however, were the harsh truths of this world’s martial path. First, martial arts aren't for everyone; even the simplest stance training can be impossible for those with poor aptitude or "special" constitutions. Luckily, my current state perfectly matched the requirem