C1 – The Young Man of the Ni Family


    This year is a leap year.


    In the traditions of the Croburg Kingdom, when a leap year urs, all 16-year-old men and women ascend the sacrificial altar on their birthday to undergo a test of their aptitude for cultivation. This test determines whether they possess the requisite talent to be immortal cultivators.


    For many, particrly children from impoverished families, the once-every-four-years cultivation talent test represents a second chance bestowed by the heavens.


    While the great families may retain their talented members, ordinary individuals identified as having talent are conscripted by the local authorities for selection and employment by the Imperial Court.


    Over the past few decades, the most renowned individual chosen was the current Prime Minister of the Croburg Kingdom — Xue Gui. Xue Gui came from a destitute family but managed to self-cultivate to the second level. At the age of 16, he was discovered to have a top-grade, level six cultivation talent. The emperor took notice of him, and from that point on, he rose to be the Prime Minister.


    This is the renowned “Leap Test” of the Croburg Kingdom.


    The Leap Test solely assesses an individual’s talent. If someone is found to possess a grade talent during the Leap Test, they might be selected by the emperor or an official to be their disciple. Such individuals are ced in the Imperial Pce for study and can be officials after three years.


    The number of people with cultivation talent is limited, especially those with high-grade talent. Including the great families, on average, less than a thousand people have been selected each year over the past decade.


    Out of these thousand, only about a hundred are ultimately chosen.


    Those who do not pass the test but still possess cultivation talent are arranged to study at the local government offices. Sometimes, they are dispatched to the frontier to lead soldiers on missions.


    Today is June 24th.


    For the Ni family of the Croburg Kingdom, this is a day of celebration. This year, three family members are eligible for the test.


    If even one of them demonstrates sufficient talent and is selected by the Imperial Court, the Ni family could see a return to prominence in theing years.


    Otherwise, they must wait for the next leap year.


    Currently, the Ni family is gathered in their grand hall.


    The current patriarch of the Ni family, Ni Xianjian, was a man in his forties with a hint of grey at his temples. Seated at the head of the table, he exuded a powerful andmanding presence. Ni Shanshan approached with the criminal records of three children for the year, her long eyshes casting a shadow as she seemed to hesitate, clearly troubled by something on her mind.


    Ni Xianjian gave her a brief nce before setting the documents aside with a casual flick of his wrist.


    “Have they all arrived?”


    “Ni Shang, Ni Yirong, and Ni Yong are all waiting in the ancestral hall.”


    “Good…”


    “Big brother, there is one more…”


    “Who?”


    “Ni Huibo has also turned sixteen this year. His birthday falls on June 24th.”


    “Ni Huibo?” Ni Xianjian tapped his fingers lightly on the table, murmuring to himself for a while before finally letting out a sigh, “He doesn’t need toe for now.”


    “Big brother, even though he bears no guilt, our generation’s feuds should not extend to the younger ones.”


    Ni Xianjian seemed to ignore her plea.


    Undeterred, Ni Shanshan persisted, “Big brother, what if the child possesses a once-in-a-thousand-years talent? Like his parents…”


    “If that’s the case, it would simply mean the Ni family is not fortunate enough to benefit,” Ni Xianjian replied, his tone even but his stance resolute.


    “Big brother…” Ni Shanshan attempted to continue, but ultimately, she let out a sigh and remained silent. She gave a slight bow and turned to leave, her gaze hardening with determination.


    ?After exiting the hall, she made her way to a courtyard etched in her memory.


    ?The courtyardy at the very back of the expansive Ni family estate, a testament to their ancestors’ once-glorious legacy. Neglected over the years, the estate had fallen into disrepair.


    This was especially true for the back courtyard. The surrounding walls were iplete, and several roof tiles had slipped from their ces. The only sign that someone lived there was the well-tended, thriving nts.


    ?A young man in simple attire was diligently sweeping the eaves and rooms within the courtyard. His every action was meticulous, his expression one of intense focus. He cleaned with the precision of someone treating each speck of dust not as grime but as an imperfection on a masterpiece. He moved from the inner rooms to the outer ones, and then to the courtyard. Only when he was certain that not a trace of dust remained did he allow himself a moment of satisfaction with the job well done.


    He looked up at the spot where the tiles had fallen, estimating that if he didn’t repair it soon, the roof would only get worse. He fetched a woodendder from the side room and propped it against the wall. With a wooden bucket full of soft mud in hand, he carefully ascended. Once on the roof, he wedged a corner of the bucket into a groove between the tiles and stered it with mud to keep it from slipping. Only then did he feel secure enough to climb onto the roof.


    Mending the leaks with mud wasn’t the hard part; the challenge was standing firmly on the steep roof without falling off.


    Luckily, Ni Huibo was well-practiced in these tasks. As he reached the top, he straightened up naturally. His eyes scanned the roof, assessing the areas in need of repair. Bending down, he lifted the bucket and made his way step by step toward the damaged sections…


    Ni Huibo had been orphaned at a young age. He had spent his entire life in this small courtyard, rarely venturing beyond its walls. The furthest he had ever been was a nearby shrine.


    For over a decade, he had grown ustomed to solitude, mastering the arts of cooking,undry, pest control, and patching leaks—there wasn’t a chore he hadn’t tackled. He had even learned a bit about treating illnesses through trial and error.


    Continuing across the roof, Ni Huibo stopped at a particrly bad leak. His gaze inadvertently drifted to the newest addition to the Ni familypound—the ancestral hall where his ancestors were honored.


    From his vantage point, he could see a crowd gathering there, signaling some significant event. But no matter the asion, it was of no concern to him. After a brief nce, he bent down to his task, scooping and spreading mud with practiced ease to seal the gaps in the tiles.


    About half an hourter, the roof was finally watertight. The mud had been just enough. Ni Huibo wiped the sweat from his brow, walked back to the edge of the roof, and carefully descended thedder.


    At that moment, the silence of the courtyard was broken by a series of knocks at the door..