Xiao Zongting actually began to praise Duan Rong, which caught everyone by surprise, and their expressions immediately froze on their faces.
Duan Rong stood up, and Xiao Zongting walked over.
He reached out to pinch his shoulder, elbow, and waist, nodded slightly, then turned to Zhao Mu and said, "The two over there, can leave."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Mu walked up to Zhang Zheng and Li Chong and said, "You two didn't get selected. You can go."
Though they were mentally prepared, when Zhao Mu announced it, their faces looked terrible.
Kong Bin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang Zheng's expression changed, he stood up and walked out of the courtyard.
Li Chong, on the other hand, stood there stunned, like a puppet missing its soul, slumped on the ground...
But by then, no one around paid attention to him...
Suddenly, Xiao Zongting said to the standing Duan Rong and Kong Bin, "You two go to the courtyard next door and draw two buckets of water from the well."
Duan Rong and Kong Bin didn't know Xiao Zongting's intention, but they dared not ask, so they picked up the wooden buckets from the wood shed and went to the water well in the next courtyard to fetch water.
"You go find two burlap sacks and soak them in cold water for me." Xiao Zongting turned his head and instructed Zhao Mu.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Mu immediately went into the wood shed and found two burlap sacks, then left the courtyard.
After a while, the three returned to the wood shed courtyard, standing before Xiao Zongting.
"You two, undress!" Xiao Zongting looked at Duan Rong and Kong Bin, speaking coldly.
"Ah... undress..." Duan Rong and Kong Bin thought they had misheard.
"What do you mean by 'ah', undress, can't you understand!" Xiao Zongting showed an angry expression.
Duan Rong and Kong Bin immediately knew better and took off their clothes.
Both were wearing the unified brown short clothes of the servant disciples, now with their clothes off, only a pair of short underpants reaching mid-thigh remained, standing with arms crossed like quails.
Though it was early March, the weather in Qingzhou was still a bit of a late spring chill, especially this morning with the breeze blowing, it was bone-chilling.
Even as two young men, standing bare-chested like this, they couldn't help but shiver...
Taking advantage of their unpreparedness, Xiao Zongting lifted the two buckets of water they had brought over and poured them over their heads.
The water from the well on a March morning was chilling to the bone, and being poured over their heads caused the two to jump up exclaiming, muscles twitching, and they hunched shoulders, squatting down.
As the cold water poured over his head, Duan Rong felt as if his scalp had been lifted, goosebumps erupted all over him, and his teeth began to clatter uncontrollably.
"Stand up, stand straight!" Xiao Zongting roared, like an angry old lion.
While cursing Xiao Zongting for being a lunatic, Duan Rong and Kong Bin still stood up.
As cold winds swept through the courtyard, their lips turned purple, and their snot dripped down like frozen icicles.
Xiao Zongting glanced at Zhao Mu and said, "Put the soaking wet burlap sacks on them!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Mu draped the wet burlap sacks soaked in cold water over their shoulders, dripping wet.
The two hunched their shoulders, avoiding...
"This is an assessment. If you don't want to be apprenticed, get out now and stop disgracing me here!" Xiao Zongting glared and scolded.
Duan Rong and Kong Bin helplessly allowed Zhao Mu to drape the dripping wet sack over their shoulders, immediately feeling an intense Yin Cold Qi permeating their bones and flesh.
"You two start practicing the Complete Round Pile Skill now, for one hour. If you can dry the burlap sacks, you're qualified. If not, get out!"
"Ah..." The two were stunned upon hearing this, never expecting such a method for practicing the Pile Skill.
After speaking, Xiao Zongting turned and went to the stone steps at the courtyard gate, leaned against the wall, and began packing tobacco into his smoking pipe.
Zhao Mu immediately lit a branch with flint to give Xiao Zongting a light.
As Xiao Zongting took his first puff, Duan Rong and Kong Bin had already started the pile-standing.
After all, this was an assessment; failing meant returning to being a servant disciple.
No one dared to slack off.
Previously cursing Xiao Zongting as a lunatic in their minds, now knowing it was an assessment, even the curses stopped.
The two began, bare-skinned with only shorts on, to practice the Complete Round Pile Skill, but their bodies couldn't stop trembling...
They stood there tremulously, with bent legs and horse stances, arms lightly embracing the air in front of their chests, their bodies wet all over with burlap sacks draped over them; to an outsider, it might have seemed like some kind of performance art.
But after just one incense stick of time, Duan Rong's head began to emit wisps of white steam, and Kong Bin stopped trembling, his pale face returning to normal.
By standing the pile, they achieved results, as the cold air around them gradually dissipated, and they began to warm up.
But only the yin cold qi on my back is too heavy, the heat can't disperse...
Duan Rong stood with his eyes closed, pondering in his mind.
Duan Rong realized that he could actually understand what Xiao Zongting meant.
Just like in a previous life, if you were good at a subject, you could even comprehend the intention of the person setting the exam questions during a test.
First, let them perform a routine and test their moves.
This is to assess their understanding of martial arts moves and whether they can effectively combine the method of emitting force with the routine, testing their comprehension of martial arts techniques.
And now having him and Kong Bin stand here bare-skinned is to observe if their physique and blood can nurture strength.
If they can dry wet sacks, it shows that the standing exercises are effective.
Good effectiveness indicates high consumption; high consumption can nurture strength.
One is physique and blood, the other is comprehension ability.
Both must be qualified to become an apprentice; neither can be lacking.
It's the same saying, strength and skill are like the two wings of a bird, the two wheels of a cart, neither can be lacking, neither can be neglected.
The two of them stood there for a full hour, after the well water on their bodies dried, it was replaced with sweat...
An hour later, both of them were enveloped in steam, Xiao Zongting took a last deep drag of tobacco, the pipe bowl shone brightly for a moment, then extinguished.
Xiao Zongting leaned against the wall, squinting comfortably as smoke slowly drifted from his nostrils, and after a long while, he opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping brightly over the two of them.
Xiao Zongting sat up, knocked the ash from his pipe bowl onto the steps, stood up, and walked behind Duan Rong and Kong Bin.
He stopped behind Kong Bin, reached out and touched the sack on Kong Bin's back; though it was dry, there was still a faint dampness.
Xiao Zongting wrinkled his nose, snorted, "Barely passable."
Hearing these words, Kong Bin felt as if he had received a great pardon; he had passed the assessment.
Xiao Zongting moved behind Duan Rong, touched the sack on Duan Rong, smiled and said, "Not bad, this is thoroughly dry."
Xiao Zongting walked to Zhao Mu, instructed, "These two are qualified. Arrange for their accommodations later, and bring them to my courtyard."
"Yes, Elder Xiao." Zhao Mu replied respectfully.
"You've taught them well." Xiao Zongting said lightly, then walked out, his gaze fleetingly sweeping over Duan Rong.
Zhao Mu was taken aback but immediately overjoyed.
With Xiao Zongting's words of approval, his internship conversion this year was practically certain.
With joy in his eyes, Zhao Mu looked at Duan Rong, thinking: This kid seems talented, even Elder Xiao is pleased with him.
When I became an apprentice back in the day, Elder Xiao always had a scowling face. People really can't be compared to each other.
"I'll give you two half a stick of incense's time! Go back, pack your things, also inform your respective stewards, then come back here. I'll take you to the main courtyard."
Duan Rong and Kong Bin were elated, turning around to leave the courtyard.
"Put your clothes on, you two! Going out like this, the guards will catch you!"
Zhao Mu's reminder made them realize they were still bare-chested.
The two who used to have quite a bit of friction, exchanged a smile, picked up their clothes, and dressed as they walked.
Half a stick of incense's time is quite tight, especially for Duan Rong, as the horse stable is a bit far from the firewood room.
He still needed to tidy up his dormitory and inform Old Sun at the stable, time was tight!
As soon as Duan Rong left the courtyard, he took off running.
Kong Bin's usually stern face was filled with a happy smile. As he left the courtyard, Zhang Zheng approached and asked, "Brother Bin, were you selected?"
Kong Bin nodded.
"Brother Bin, I knew you'd make it." Zhang Zheng shouted, clenching his fist.
Kong Bin patted Zhang Zheng on the shoulder, saying, "Don't worry, Zhang Zheng, we're brothers for life. What's mine is yours."
Zhang Zheng nodded and asked, "Did Duan Rong get selected too?"
Kong Bin's happy face showed a trace of solemnity. Not only was Duan Rong selected, but Elder Xiao's evaluation of him was visibly higher than his own.
"Yes, he got selected too."
"That guy is something, initially unremarkable, but suddenly rose during the assessment. Moreover, we gave him a drug and he turned it against us, figuring it out." Zhang Zheng paused, saying, "Brother Bin, I think it's better to befriend such a person than to be enemies with him."
Kong Bin sighed, a hint of contemplation flashing in his eyes, and said, "Let's talk about his matter later."