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    Lady, escort the emperor! 46

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    Chapter 46: This is Just Terrible

    On the way back to the county magistrate’s office, Li Nuo learned from Steward Wu that among the group, only two possessed Second Realm Martial Arts skill; the rest were ordinary people with no martial arts foundation.

    Looking at the large crowd ahead, Li Nuo said with some regret, “Only two in the Inner Breath Realm? Not a single one in the True Energy Realm?”

    Martial arts experts and ordinary people have a significant difference in life expectancy.

    He didn’t expect them to have his wife’s strength, but even someone in the True Energy Realm would have been acceptable. He still didn’t know how many times the life expectancy of someone in the Third Realm could be increased.

    “True Energy Realm, how is that possible?”

    Steward Wu said slowly, “A solid Martial Path foundation isn’t as common as cabbage. Among ordinary people, only one in a hundred possesses it. Of these, half will never cultivate Inner Breath in their entire lives. Of those who do cultivate Inner Breath, half again will never condense True Energy. Anyone who can reach the Controlling Objects Realm can be considered a martial arts prodigy. This is only under conditions of dedicated training. Without effort, even with talent, one won’t achieve much…”

    Li Nuo was startled. “Is martial arts cultivation that difficult?”

    Steward Wu took a deep breath and said slowly, “Martial arts cultivation isn’t like judging cases or farming. Both talent and effort are indispensable. These children of officials, pampered and spoiled, can’t endure the hardships of the Martial Path. Even if they possess a martial arts foundation, most will abandon it. Someone like the Wang family boy, talented and hardworking, is quite rare. Sadly, he went down the wrong path…”

    After hearing Steward Wu’s explanation, Li Nuo felt much better.

    Out of a hundred people, only one possesses a martial arts foundation; he belongs to the ninety-nine percent majority.

    Furthermore, although he doesn’t have a martial arts foundation, his guards are all Third Realm martial arts experts or higher. Thinking about it this way, it doesn’t seem so regrettable…

    Then, Li Nuo asked a question that had puzzled him for many days: “Having said all this, what exactly is a martial arts foundation?”

    Steward Wu thought for a moment and said, “There’s no precise definition of a martial arts foundation. In short, those who possess it, once they begin martial arts cultivation, their power will increase dramatically in a short period, and their physical strength will also improve significantly. Conversely, those whose power and physical growth is extremely slow during cultivation lack a martial arts foundation. Such people, even if they put in ten or a hundred times more effort, will still not be as good as someone who casually trains…”

    In other words, even if Li Nuo trains his hardest, practicing twelve hours a day without sleep, he still wouldn’t be as good as his wife casually training for a quarter of an hour.

    The truth is truly hurtful…

    The Martial Path depends on talent. Without talent, no amount of effort will be worthwhile.

    And among talents, there is a vast difference.

    Steward Wu said that Wang Yue, the son of the Chief Secretary of the Examination Department, also had some talent.

    Wang Yue’s talent was a complete mismatch to Li Nuo.

    But this small amount of talent was nothing compared to Song Jia Ren.

    Li Nuo suddenly remembered Song Mu Er. She was only six years old and seemed to have already cultivated Inner Breath. He asked Steward Wu, “Mu Er’s talent is quite good, right?”

    Steward Wu nodded and said, “Of course. The Song Family women all have excellent martial arts talent. Those two girls, and Miss Song Zhen, while their talents are slightly inferior to the young mistress, still far surpass ordinary people. If they diligently cultivate, their future achievements will surely be remarkable. They could at least achieve the rank of Grandmaster…”

    Li Nuo noticed a strange phenomenon in the Song Family.

    Their women possess extraordinary martial arts talent.

    On the other hand, the men don’t even have a basic martial arts foundation. If Song Yu had even a little martial arts foundation, he wouldn’t have been chased like a dog with a rolling pin.

    Could it be that martial arts genes are passed down through the female line, not the male line?

    Since this matter was brought up, Steward Wu explained in more detail, “Unlike the various schools of philosophy, a martial arts foundation has a hereditary component. The higher the martial arts talent of one’s ancestors, the greater the chance of talented martial artists appearing in later generations. The children of two martial arts grandmasters will definitely possess good martial arts talent. Our Li family has never produced a martial arts master; therefore, neither the master nor the young master possesses a martial arts foundation.”

    He then looked at Li Nuo with fervent eyes and said, “If the young master and the young mistress have children in the future, their martial arts talent will definitely be good. With the young mistress’s bloodline, more of the Li family’s descendants will possess a martial arts foundation. Young Master, the future of the Li family rests on you. You and the young mistress must have many children!”

    “Let’s talk about it later,” Li Nuo waved his hand. He and his wife weren’t very familiar yet, and there was still a long way to go before their future.

    Song Yu, Zhou Yu, and their group, followed the county magistrate’s officers for a long time before finally arriving at the Chang’an County Magistrate’s office.

    As soon as they entered the courtyard, many people sat down on their butts, refusing to get up.

    “I’m so tired!”

    “My feet are about to break!”

    “Damn it, why is this lousy county magistrate’s office so far…”

    Without exception, they were all children of officials. When they usually went out, they either rode in sedan chairs or carriages. They had never walked such a long distance. After arriving at the Chang’an County Magistrate’s office, they took off their shoes, massaged their feet, and cursed incessantly.

    Seeing this, County Magistrate Wang said sternly, “This is the county magistrate’s office. What kind of behavior is this? All of you, get up!”

    But no one paid attention to him.

    The saying goes, “Where many are involved, the law is powerless.” Among the more than twenty people present, which one didn’t have some background in their family? Besides, they hadn’t committed any serious crimes, so they didn’t take the lowly Chang’an County Magistrate seriously at all. Zhou Tao even rubbed his feet while urging, “Sir, we’ve arrived at the county magistrate’s office. If you’re going to punish us, just say it…”

    County Magistrate Wang ignored him but bowed respectfully to a young man who had just entered the county magistrate’s office and asked, “Sir, how should these people be dealt with?”

    Zhou Yu and the others were stunned, with a look of doubt on their faces.

    This Chang’an County Magistrate was arrogant in front of them, but he was bowing and scraping, extremely respectful, to this even younger man, acting like a completely different person… What is this young man’s background?

    Unlike Zhou Yu and the others’ doubts, Song Yu’s face was full of shock.

    His brother-in-law?

    How could he be here!

    In a flash, he thought of a possibility: Could it be that Li Nuo knew that he was going to fight with Zhou Yu and the others, worried about his safety, so he secretly brought people to ambush them, and when he was at a disadvantage, he had the Chang’an County Magistrate bring people to save the situation…

    If it wasn’t like that, how could the Chang’an County Magistrate’s office people arrive at the critical moment?

    It had to be his own people!

    At this moment, besides being moved, Song Yu’s heart was filled with deep regret.

    He had treated his brother-in-law so badly before. His brother-in-law actually didn’t hold a grudge, and treated him so well. And yesterday, he had actually doubted him…

    Thinking of his past actions, Song Yu wanted to slap himself… He truly deserved to die!

    Li Nuo didn’t notice Song Yu’s blushing face from shame. Holding a copy of the *Da Xia Law*, he said slowly, “Zhou Yu, Zhou Tao, Song Yu, and the rest, you gathered to fight outside the Yunmeng Academy, causing a bad influence. Now, according to the *Da Xia Law*, Zhou Yu, Zhou Tao, and nine others will receive ninety strokes of the bastinado; Song Yu, Wang Hua, and twelve others will receive seventy strokes of flogging, as a warning to others. Do you have any objections?”

    Song Yu was moved. Although he didn’t know why Li Nuo was judging them, his brother-in-law was still his brother-in-law. Even if they were fighting, the other party received ninety strokes of the bastinado while they only received seventy strokes of flogging. The judgment was lighter for them…

    The bastinado was a higher level of punishment than flogging. Flogging only caused minor injuries, while the bastinado could injure bones and even kill someone…

    Before Song Yu could speak, Zhou Yu immediately said, “I object. This isn’t fair. We fought the same fight, so why do they only receive flogging while we receive the bastinado? You are partial! You’re giving a wrong judgment!”

    Li Nuo, of course, would not make a judgment without a reason.

    He turned to a certain page in the *Da Xia Law* in his hand, pointed at a section, and explained to Zhou Yu, “According to the *Da Xia Law*, *Litigation Chapter*, Article 15: Those who fight with their hands and feet to hit others shall receive forty strokes of flogging; those who fight with weapons shall receive sixty strokes of the bastinado; if three or more people beat a person together, the punishment is increased by one degree, five or more, increased by two degrees, ten or more, increased by three degrees.

    Although it’s the same fight, Song Yu and the others used bare hands; according to the law, they should receive forty strokes of flogging. Since the number of people involved in the group fight exceeded ten, the punishment is increased by three degrees. One degree adds ten strokes, therefore seventy strokes of flogging; you used weapons, according to the law you should receive sixty strokes of the bastinado. The number of people exceeds ten, and the punishment is increased by three degrees, one degree adds ten strokes of the bastinado, therefore ninety strokes… Do you understand anything else?”

    Li Nuo quoted the law, acting entirely according to the law. His reasoning was sound, and the punishments were not only correct in degree but also precise in number, not a single stroke more or less.

    After explaining all this, he left the matter to County Magistrate Wang and went to the back hall of the county magistrate’s office to drink tea with Pei Zhe.

    Zhou Yu and the others stood there dumbfounded.

    They vaguely remembered that during their law studies at the academy, the teacher seemed to have taught them this.

    But as children of military families, their futures were likely to be in the military, and they didn’t necessarily have to take the civil service examination. In the academy, they were always indifferent to subjects other than military strategy and archery. They either skipped or slept through law classes, so how could they remember these things?

    But from now on, they would surely remember this legal article.

    The knowledge they didn’t learn in class was deeply imprinted on their minds in a strange way outside of class.

    The update time will be adjusted to twelve noon. There will be no updates at midnight tomorrow, so everyone doesn’t need to wait.
    (End of Chapter)

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