MTLNOVEL Chapter 46 Really Damn
On the way back to the County Magistrate's Office, Li Nuo learned from Housekeeper Wu that among these people, only two were at the Second Realm of the Martial Path, and the rest were ordinary people with no martial arts foundation.
Looking at the vast crowd ahead, Li Nuo said with some regret, "Only two at the Inner Breath Realm? Not a single one at the True Qi Realm?"
There is still a significant difference between martial arts masters and ordinary people when it comes to the enhancement of lifespan.
He didn't expect them to have his wife's strength, but those in the True Qi Realm would have been acceptable. He didn't know yet how many times the lifespan could multiply at the Third Realm of the trial.
"How could there be anyone at the True Qi Realm?"
Housekeeper Wu slowly said, "Martial foundations aren't cabbages that anyone can pick from a field. Among ordinary people, one in a hundred might possess it, and half of those will never cultivate Inner Breath in their lifetime. Among those who do, another half won't be able to congeal True Qi. Anyone who can reach the Object Manipulation Realm can be considered a martial genius, and that's if they diligently cultivate. Without effort, even those with innate talent will not achieve much..."
Li Nuo was stunned. "Is cultivation on the Martial Path that difficult?"
Housekeeper Wu took a deep breath and said leisurely, "Cultivation in martial arts is not like adjudicating cases or farming land. Both talent and diligence are indispensable. These official's sons, pampered and spoiled from birth, how can they endure the hardships of the Martial Path? Even if they have martial foundations, most will waste it away. Like young master Wang of the Wang family, he has talent and works hard, which is rare, but it's a pity he has gone astray..."
Hearing this, Li Nuo felt much more at ease in his heart.
Out of a hundred people, only one would have a martial foundation. He belonged to the vast majority of the ninety-nine percent.
Moreover, although he lacked a martial foundation, the guards around him were all martial experts above the Third Realm. Thinking this way, he didn't feel so regretful anymore...
Then, Li Nuo asked another question that had puzzled him for many days, "After saying so much, what exactly is a martial foundation?"
Housekeeper Wu thought for a moment and then said, "There isn't an exact definition of martial foundation. In general, a person with a martial foundation will experience a rapid increase in strength and a significant improvement in physical strength once they start cultivating the martial arts. On the other hand, those who see very slow progress in strength and physical growth during cultivation lack a martial foundation. Even if they put in ten times or a hundred times more effort, they won't match someone who practices casually..."
That said, even if Li Nuo trained to the point of exhaustion, practicing twelve hours a day without sleep, he wouldn't match his wife casually training for a quarter of an hour.
The truth was indeed hurtful...
The martial path is a competition of talent; without talent, no amount of effort will be fruitful.
And between different talents, there are vast disparities.
Housekeeper Wu said that the son of the Minister of the Examination Bureau, Wang Yue, also had a bit of talent.
Wang Yue's talent was like a dimensional strike compared to Li Nuo's.
But even that little talent was nothing in front of Song Jiaren.
Li Nuo suddenly thought of Song Mu'er. She was only six years old and seemed to have already cultivated Inner Breath. He asked Housekeeper Wu, "Mu'er's talent must be quite good, right?"
Housekeeper Wu nodded and said, "Of course, the women of the Song Family all have decent martial arts talent. Those two little girls, and Miss Song Zhen, while their talents might be less than that of the young lady, are still far above the average person. If they diligently cultivate, their future achievements will certainly not be mediocre; at a minimum, they could become Grandmasters..."
Li Nuo noticed something peculiar about the Song family.
The women in their family had extraordinary martial arts talent.
Conversely, the men lacked even the basic martial foundation. If Song Yu had even a shred of martial foundation, he wouldn't have been chased around with a rolling pin like a dog.
Could it be that martial genes were only passed down through the women?
Since they were on the subject, Housekeeper Wu went on to explain in more detail, "Unlike the teachings of the Hundred Schools, martial foundations are inherited through bloodlines. The higher the martial talent of the ancestors, the greater the likelihood of martial geniuses in later generations. The descendants of two martial arts Grandmasters will undoubtedly have decent martial talents. Our Li Family has never produced a martial arts powerhouse, so both the lord and the young master lack a martial foundation."
As he spoke, he looked at Li Nuo with fervent eyes and said, "If the young master and your wife have children in the future, their martial talents will surely not be poor. With your wife's bloodline, more descendants of the Li Family will have martial foundations. Young master, the future of the Li Family depends on you; you and your wife must have several more children in the future!"
"Let's talk about that later," Li Nuo waved his hand. He and his wife were not yet well-acquainted, and it would be a long path to the future.
Song Yu, Zhou Yu, and their group, followed by the constable, walked for a long time before they finally reached the Chang'an County Government.
As soon as they entered the county government courtyard, many people sat down on the ground, refusing to get up.
"So tired!"
"My feet are about to be ruined!"
"Damn it, why is this broken County Magistrate's Office so far away..."
Without exception, they were all sons of officials' families, accustomed to being carried in a sedan or riding in a carriage whenever they ventured out. Walking such a distance was a novelty for them. Upon arriving at the County Magistrate's Office in Chang'an, they took off their shoes and cursed as they massaged their feet.
Upon seeing this, County Captain Wang said sternly, "This is the County Magistrate's Office. This behavior is utterly unbecoming—get up, all of you!"
However, his words were disregarded by everyone.
The idiom goes, "The law does not punish the masses." Among the more than twenty people present, which one didn't have some kind of family background? Furthermore, having committed no serious offense, they simply did not regard the Chang'an County Captain with any significance. Zhou Tao even continued to rub his feet while urging, "My lord, we've already arrived at the County Magistrate's Office, just tell us how you intend to deal with us, will you..."
County Captain Wang didn't respond to him, instead, he respectfully bent down towards a young man entering the County Magistrate's Office and bowed, asking, "Young Master, how do you propose we handle these individuals?"
Zhou Yu and the others were taken aback, a hint of doubt crossing their faces.
The Chang'an County Captain, who had been so haughty before them, was now nodding and bowing in utter deference to this young man who was even younger than them. It was as if he was a completely different person... Just who was this young man?
Unlike Zhou Yu and the others who were merely puzzled, Song Yu's face was filled with shock.
Brother-in-law?
Why was he here!
In an instant, he thought of a possibility. Could it be that Li Nuo knew he was going to duel with Zhou Yu and the others and, worried about his safety, had laid an ambush in advance? When he found himself at a disadvantage, he would have the Chang'an County Captain come out with his men to save the day...
If not this, how else could one explain the timely arrival of Chang'an County Government's men?
It had to be one of his own!
At this moment, alongside the overwhelming emotion, Song Yu was filled with deep remorse.
He had treated his brother-in-law so poorly in the past, yet he had been so good to him without holding any grudges, and he had even doubted him just the day before...
Thinking about his past actions, Song Yu wished he could slap himself... He truly deserved to die!
Li Nuo hadn't noticed the flush of shame on Song Yu's face. Holding a copy of "Daxia Law," he spoke slowly, "Zhou Yu, Zhou Tao, Song Yu, and the rest, brawling outside Yunmeng Academy, creating a bad influence. Now, according to Daxia Law, Zhou Yu, Zhou Tao, and ten others shall receive ninety lashes; Song Yu, Wang Hua, and thirteen others shall receive seventy lashes as a warning to others. Do any of you object?"
Song Yu, moved upon hearing this, didn't know why Li Nuo was presiding over their trial, but a brother-in-law was still a brother-in-law. Though they were all involved in a brawl, the other party was sentenced to ninety lashes and they only seventy, much lighter than Zhou Yu and his group...
A flogging was naturally considered more severe than a caning. While caning inflicted only superficial flesh wounds, a flogging could break bones and even kill a person...
Before Song Yu could utter a word, Zhou Yu immediately objected, "I have an objection. This isn't fair. Why do they only receive a caning while we are subjected to a flogging? This is favoritism and an arbitrary judgment!"
Of course, Li Nuo wouldn't mete out a judgment without basis.
He flipped the "Daxia Law" tome to a certain page, pointed to a section, and explained to Zhou Yu, "According to Daxia Law's 'Quarrel Article' No. 15, those who fight using hands and feet are to be caned forty times; those who brawl with weapons are to be flogged sixty times; if three or more jointly assault and injure someone, the punishment increases by one level; for five or more, it adds two levels; for more than ten, it increases by three levels.
Although both instances involved brawling, Song Yu and his group were unarmed, and according to the law should be caned forty times. However, since more than ten people were involved in the group assault, the punishment increases by three levels, ten lashes per level, thus seventy lashes in total; as for your group, who were armed, according to the law should be flogged sixty times. With more than ten people, the punishment equally increases by three levels, ten flogs per level, totaling ninety... Do you still have anything you don't understand?"
Li Nuo cited the statute and acted entirely in accordance with the law, presenting a well-founded argument. His verdict was not only correct in the terms of punishment level but also precise in terms of the count—neither an extra stroke was given nor spared.
After explaining this, he left the matter to County Captain Wang and went to have tea with Pei Zhe in the back hall of the County Magistrate's Office.
Zhou Yu and the others stood there stunned.
They vaguely remembered something from their studies of the law at the academy, it seemed their instructor had once taught this.
Yet, as sons of a General's family, destined to serve in the military and not necessarily to journey down the path of the Imperial Examination, they were always disinterested in any academy subjects other than military tactics and riding and shooting. When it came to the law, they either skipped classes or slept through them, so how could they remember these details?
However, after today, this legal statute would surely be etched firmly in their minds.
The knowledge they had not acquired in the classroom, they had now learned in a most peculiar manner, deep outside the classroom's walls, profoundly imprinted into their memories.