Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

Hearing these energetic and enthusiastic shouts of worship, the king smiled slightly.

Young people are the hope of a nation, and they are the best among young people.

With Xia Yeran and a group of cabinet ministers assisting him, the monarch has no shortage of civil officials, so he has high expectations for the upcoming military examination candidates.

Although their answers in the first subject were not perfect, if they possessed unparalleled strength, they could still serve the ruler well.

After the king gave him a single glance, several ministers began to act.

The imperial examination was presided over not only by the Minister of Rites, but also by the Minister of War, and even by General Lu Zhan.

Lu Jie smiled faintly at this and glanced at the other candidates with disdain.

His father was an examiner, and he was known for protecting his own. As long as he didn't show too much favoritism, the Minister of Rites and the Minister of War probably wouldn't raise any objections.

His gaze finally fell on Zhang Hongyuan. Lu Jie let out a cold snort and then gritted his teeth.

He ranked second in the imperial examination, overshadowed by Zhang Hongyuan. Although his strength lay in battlefield combat and raw power, the imperial examination was not his forte. Even so, he was still bothered by it.

Zhang Hongyuan's arrogant demeanor and his haughty gaze only fueled Lu Jie's anger.

"He must be the one who's competing with me for the title of Martial Arts Champion," Lu Jie thought to himself.

Anyone with real ability has a certain amount of pride, and Zhang Hongyuan's pride proved his ability and successfully caught Lu Jie's attention.

"Have they already started going head-to-head?" Lin Ping revealed a sinister smile.

He wants to see the dogs fight each other, so he can reap the benefits without lifting a finger. Why bother going all out in a competition?

Before long, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites came out holding a sign, on which the names of the candidates were neatly written.

These names are linked together in pairs, forming a total of sixteen groups.

Clearly, this is the order in which the candidates are paired up.

Lin Ping nodded in satisfaction; it was exactly as he had predicted.

The person who ranks first in the provincial examination will challenge the person who ranks last, the person who ranks second will challenge the person who ranks second to last, and so on.

In other words, the better the grades, the weaker the opponents you encounter, which can be considered a benefit of the imperial examination results.

"Zhang Hongyuan and Yu Hongliang enter the game, the match begins."

The eunuchs loudly called out the names, their shrill voices echoing throughout the square.

Then came the sound of a gong, signaling the official start of the competition.

Opposite Zhang Hongyuan was a bearded man with a face covered in dust and messy, unkempt hair. A gust of wind blew in, and the stench spread throughout the room.

Most of these candidates were handsome young men who couldn't stand the stench and pinched their noses with their fingers.

The king was speechless. He was genuinely afraid that Yu Hongliang could use the stench to knock Zhang Hongyuan out and ultimately win the title of martial arts champion.

Regardless of his strength, if this guy were to actually enter the imperial court, would he overwhelm all the civil and military officials with his stench?

Wouldn't this sacred and majestic hall become a breeding ground for flies?

No, no, this kind of person is not suitable to be the top martial arts champion.

"I heard you'll get the best grades, but I'm not afraid. I've never been afraid of anyone since I was born. Prepare to die."

Yu Hongliang muttered to himself as he picked his nose, flicking it lightly with his finger so that the booger brushed past Zhang Hongyuan.

Zhang Hongyuan felt a churning in his stomach and almost vomited.

"Hahaha, you've been inflicted internal injuries by my aura, haven't you!" Yu Hongliang charged forward, brandishing his axe with both hands and a ferocious expression.

The next second, Yu Hongliang flew into the air, reaching a height of five or six meters, and then... crashed outside the ring.

"They broke through?" Everyone was taken aback.

They only saw Yu Hongliang rush towards Zhang Hongyuan and start chopping with his axe, while Zhang Hongyuan remained unmoved. They thought Zhang Hongyuan was in a critical situation, but unexpectedly, it was Yu Hongliang who rushed out of the ring in the end.

"I should have the strength of a White Lotus by now," Lin Ping muttered to himself.

Using his right eye, Lin Ping could clearly see Zhang Hongyuan's movements.

Just as Yu Hongliang was about to make contact with him, he suddenly appeared behind him and kicked him hard in the buttocks. The heavy body was thrown into the air, creating the illusion that Yu Hongliang had rushed out of the ring.

"Zhang Hongyuan wins!" The Vice Minister of Rites belatedly announced the answer, even he himself didn't know what had happened.

Everyone expected Yu Hongliang to be dissatisfied, but they didn't hear any cursing or swearing.

His bones had been shattered by Zhang Hongyuan's kick, and he was now lying on the ground like a dead dog, barely managing not to scream. He had no mind to curse.

Moreover, he had already sensed how terrifying Zhang Hongyuan was, and dared not utter any insults.

The next match was the second one. The opponent seemed to have heard of Lu Jie's name and immediately knelt on the ground begging for mercy.

To lay a hand on the son of a great general is probably a death wish.

The following competitions all ended as expected, with the top-ranked candidates winning each time.

Of course, there is an exception, such as Jiang Yunlie, who was ranked lower, defeating his opponent.

"As expected of someone from the City Lord's Mansion, he carries on the City Lord's legacy." The Minister of Personnel praised softly, deliberately making sure the King heard him clearly.

The king's relaxed expression immediately tightened. He hated hearing the words "City Lord's Mansion" and hated seeing people from the City Lord's Mansion even more.

Even though Jiang Yunlie wasn't arrested immediately, my impression of him worsened considerably.

"Xin Chou, Lin Ping, enter the stage!" the eunuch announced loudly again.

After the first few matches, the hype has died down, since the top-ranked players have already made their appearances, and the rest are just cannon fodder.

However, the moment the name Lin Ping appeared, it immediately attracted the attention of countless people.

Others may not be familiar with this name, but the civil and military officials of the court are no strangers to it.

"Isn't this person a wanted criminal by the king? Why would he come to us willingly?"

"It's strange, how could he be qualified to participate in the palace examination?"

"This must be the Minister of Rites' indulgence. I heard that Lin Ping once saved his only son, which is a crime of deceiving the emperor."

The crowd went from initial curiosity to a round of criticism, and now to condemnation.

Just as they were demanding that the king punish the Minister of Personnel, they heard the king cough softly.

The imperial examination was no child's play; how could the ruler not know the number of participants?

In other words, the ruler already knew that Lin Ping's name was on the list, but did not immediately remove him from the list, which was an implication.

The discussion immediately ceased. Before they could ascertain the king's thoughts, they dared not speak rashly, lest they offend him and die without even knowing how.

Standing in front of the forest was a burly man holding two large hammers, his face contorted with a cold and menacing expression.

"You brat, you're unlucky to have met me." The two sledgehammers clashed violently, producing a series of ear-piercing sounds, and their imposing presence overwhelmed Lin Ping.

"Your name is Xin Chou?" Lin Ping asked calmly.

"What kind of trick is this?" Xin Chou became wary, but finally nodded and said, "That's right, I am indeed Xin Chou."

"Is it because Zhang is ugly?" Lin Ping continued to ask seriously.

These words drew a burst of laughter, which was a great insult to Xin Chou.

Xin Chou's expression changed drastically. He brandished his sledgehammer and charged at Lin Ping as if a mountain were about to crush a blade of grass.

Everyone held their breath for Lin Ping. This blow could be more than just a matter of winning or losing; it could very well cost him his life.

It's also Lin Ping's fault for being so sharp-tongued; why did he have to use that to mock the other person?

"You'd better swing the hammer horizontally, because your wrist will hurt when you swing it vertically, it feels like being pricked with needles," Lin Ping said calmly, showing no fear of the power of the hammer.

"This guy is probably all talk and no action, he has no real skills at all."

"I think he was scared out of his wits, but unfortunately, words can't save a life."

The crowd shook their heads, some even closing their eyes to pray for Lin Ping.

"Hmph, after leaving Jiang Yunying, you really are a piece of trash." Zhang Hongyuan sneered from below the stage, hoping that Lin Ping would be killed by this hammer, which would save him a lot of effort.

However, just as the sledgehammer was about to smash Lin Ping's head, Xin Chou miraculously stopped it mid-air, risking a twisted back.

"How did you know my wrist would hurt when I swung the hammer?" Xin Chou asked suspiciously.

In contrast, he was more concerned about this issue.

Wrist pain had plagued him for years, severely impacting his performance; otherwise, his ranking would certainly have been higher.

Over the years, he has sought out renowned doctors, but his injuries have still not been healed.

"It's not just my wrists that hurt; my shoulders also feel weak when I exert force suddenly," Lin Ping continued to explain.

Xin Chou's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. This symptom had only recently appeared, and he had never told anyone about it.

"Speak quickly, or I'll kill you," Xin Chou threatened viciously.

Lin Ping didn't keep him in suspense and answered directly: "The wrist pain is because the wrist was injured and there are bone fragments inside that haven't been removed. The shoulder pain is because of a muscle strain."

Xin Chou was shocked and caught off guard, not expecting that Lin Ping even knew about his injury.

"Are you investigating me?"

For these martial arts candidates, the palace examination was of extraordinary significance, so it was normal for them to investigate other candidates for this purpose.

“If that’s what you think, I have nothing to say. But after you kill me, no one will be able to heal your wounds.” Lin Ping stood with his hands behind his back, his tone calm, even adopting an expression of resignation to death.

Xin Chou was so angry he wanted to kill Lin Ping, but he couldn't.

His greatest wish was to heal his injuries, but unfortunately, repeated failures left him disheartened. Even so, he still retained a glimmer of hope.

"Can you cure me?" Xin Chou asked doubtfully.

"A piece of cake," Lin Ping replied calmly, without glancing to the side.

Why should I believe you?

"Because you have no other choice. Even the imperial physicians in the palace can't cure you except me," Lin Ping replied with a hint of arrogance.

That's true. Removing the broken bone fragments from the wrist would require surgery, and even the imperial physicians in the palace wouldn't have the courage to do so.

Xin Chou was conflicted. When he asked Lin Ping, he had already indicated that he was somewhat tempted. Even if the chance was slim, he did not want to miss it.

"Fine, I'll trust you this once. If you can heal my wounds, I'll admit defeat. If not, I'll kill you!" Xin Chou said coldly.