3: Chapter 3 Nonsense

Lin Jing walked out from the crowd, quickly came to Lin Tian's side, and lowered her voice: "Lin Tian, stop making a scene, go back and practice martial arts immediately."

Her tone carried urgency as her gaze swept over the unfriendly faces around her, then looked at Village Head Lin Tieshan's gloomy expression.

"Martial Artist medicinal materials are extremely precious, how could they be given to anyone casually?" she continued to persuade, "Not to mention that you... have no talent for martial arts and lack perseverance.

"People like that cannot be allocated resources by the village."

Although what she said was a fact, it was phrased somewhat tactfully.

The subtext was clear: If you anger the captain, you might get thrown out.

Lin Tian turned to look at Lin Jing and said calmly: "I am also a member of the Martial Arts Team.

"According to the regulations, I should naturally receive a share of the medicinal materials."

Lin Jing was stunned for a moment, then shook her head: "To join the Martial Arts Team, one must at least practice the Great Strength Fist to the entry-level Realm and possess a strength of one hundred jin.

"You are currently... not yet a member among us."

As soon as these words were spoken, a burst of laughter erupted from the surroundings.

"Listen to that, he actually takes himself seriously!"

"A member of the Martial Arts Team? He should look in a mirror!"

"A piece of trash who struggles with a fifty-jin stone lock, and he dares to say such things?"

Lin Hu crossed his arms, his face full of sarcasm: "Lin Tian, I advise you to honestly go back to farming. The path of martial arts is not something everyone can eat from."

Facing these taunts, Lin Tian's expression remained unchanged, only repeating again:

"I have already practiced the Great Strength Fist to the entry-level."

The moment the words fell, the Training Ground instantly became quiet.

Lin Jing froze, her eyes widening slightly. The smiles on the faces of the surrounding team members stiffened; they looked at each other and saw astonishment in each other's eyes.

Even Village Head Lin Tieshan, who had been keeping a gloomy face, was stunned for a moment.

But soon, his expression became even uglier.

Before, when Lin Tian said he wanted to claim the medicinal materials, he just felt surprised and even a little amused—the ignorant are fearless, that was understandable.

But now, the other party claimed to have practiced the Great Strength Fist to the entry-level in ten days...

This was not ignorance, this was arrogance, it was a public provocation of the Martial Arts Team's rules!

Village Head Lin Tieshan let out a cold snort, his voice sounding like iron grinding against stone:

"You really know how to brag."

He took two steps forward, stared at Lin Tian, and said word by word:

"You practiced the Great Strength Fist to the entry-level in ten days? Do you know what you are saying?"

The field was deathly silent, with only Village Head Lin Tieshan's voice echoing:

"Although the Great Strength Fist is a basic fist technique, it takes at least a month to reach the entry-level.

"Those with good talent take twenty days. For those with poor talent, two or three months is common."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding team members:

"Among you, how long did the fastest one take?"

A Tall Thin Man raised his hand: "Report, Captain, it took me twenty-eight days."

"It took me thirty-three days," said another man with dark skin.

Lin Hu puffed out his chest and said proudly: "It took me twenty-one days."

Village Head Lin Tieshan nodded and looked back at Lin Tian: "Did you hear that? Even with talent like Lin Hu's, it took twenty-one days. And me?"

He pointed at himself:

"When I practiced the Great Strength Fist, it took me twenty-four days to reach the entry-level. And even that is considered top-tier talent in the village."

Soft murmurs of agreement arose from the surroundings.

Lin Jing also stepped forward, tugged on Lin Tian's sleeve, and whispered: "Lin Tian, stop talking nonsense.

"The Captain took over twenty days, how could you be better than the Captain? Leave quickly, don't be stubborn here."

Her tone already carried a hint of pleading.

But Lin Tian did not move.

He looked at Village Head Lin Tieshan and spoke again, his voice clear and firm:

"I really have reached the entry-level."

"Good!"

Village Head Lin Tieshan laughed out of extreme anger, cold light flickering in his eyes:

"You say you've reached the entry-level, right? Then I will test you."

He raised his hand and pointed to the northeast corner of the Training Ground.

There stood a stone block, cylindrical, about half a person high, blue-gray all over, its surface already polished smooth.

That was the 'Hundred-Jin Block' specifically used to test the strength of a Quasi-Martial Artist, which every young person practicing martial arts in the village recognized.

"See that stone block? It is a standard one hundred jin in weight," Village Head Lin Tieshan said coldly, "According to the rules, as long as one can lift it above their head and hold it for three breaths, it counts as possessing one hundred jin of strength and reaching the entry-level standard."

He paused, staring at Lin Tian:

"Go and lift it now. As long as you can do it, I will acknowledge your strength, allow you to join the Martial Arts Team, and give you a share of the medicinal materials."

As the words fell, the surrounding team members gasped.

It was over; the Captain was truly angry.

This Hundred-Jin Block was not the same as a hundred-jin stone lock. The stone lock had a handle, making it easy to grip and relatively easy to lift.

But this stone block was smooth and round, with nowhere to grip. To lift it above one's head required at least twenty percent more strength than lifting a stone lock!

Even a Quasi-Martial Artist like Lin Hu found lifting this Hundred-Jin Block quite strenuous. Let alone a 'newcomer' who had only been practicing for ten days.

Lin Jing's face turned pale; the look she gave Lin Tian already carried pity.

She had already tried to persuade him, but she couldn't move him.

Now that the Captain had spoken, there was no room for negotiation. If Lin Tian couldn't lift it, that would be lying in public and mocking the Captain.

According to village rules, the light punishment was a whipping, and the heavy punishment was expulsion from the Martial Arts Team, never to be enrolled again.

Lin Hu and the others had expressions of schadenfreude.

"Heh heh, let's see how he brags now."

"The Hundred-Jin Block? He'd be lucky if he could move it an inch."

"He brought this on himself, he can't blame anyone else."

Under everyone's gaze, Lin Tian's expression remained calm.

He nodded:

"Fine."

After speaking, he turned and walked toward the stone block.