As expected, there is always someone better out there.

It was indeed wise not to reveal too much of one’s own strength, or else one would inevitably be compared to this square-faced big guy.

So this square-faced burly man is said to be from Dachang County, with a family-inherited martial art?

Andrew Warren began to pay attention to the discussions around him.

He quickly learned that the square-faced giant was named Charles Ford, and he was indeed from Dachang County, a descendant of a prominent local family.

His family’s inherited technique was the “Tianmen Great Splitting Palm.”

This fist technique trains over two hundred muscles, and once the force is condensed, by continuously practicing the form, one can temper the major tendons of the body and develop hidden strength.

Normally, after mastering overt strength, one can gather the force within the muscles, drive it deep into the major tendons, and keep tempering them in hopes of developing hidden strength.

Mr. Clark had developed hidden strength through the Great Spear Fist.

However, he did not recommend using the Great Spear Fist to cultivate hidden strength.

Because the hidden strength developed from the Great Spear Fist was simply too weak, only slightly stronger than that of a martial artist with overt strength.

Compared to the Great Spear Fist, the Fang family’s Tianmen Great Splitting Palm and the Nanping Martial Hall’s Thirteen Thunder Hands were both excellent techniques for cultivating hidden strength.

“Rest for half a quarter of an hour.

After half a quarter, the second test will begin.

The second test requires you to fight the Furious Mountain Wolf. The longer you last in the fight, the more wounds you inflict on the wolf, or if you even manage to kill it, the better your result.

To participate in the second test, you must have lifted a stone lock weighing over two hundred jin in the previous round.”

After the proctor finished explaining, people were ordered to clear away all the stone locks of various sizes from the open field.

The area was completely cleared.

Soon, a large area was enclosed by an iron fence three zhang high.

Each tester would enter the enclosure and fight a ravenous Furious Mountain Wolf.

One and three quarters of an hour.

Half a quarter of an hour is twenty minutes in the previous era.

Time passed quickly.

Out of more than a hundred candidate constables, only twelve or thirteen signed up for the second test in the end.

All the candidate constables had been repeatedly warned by their leading constables about the dangers of the second test, so most withdrew voluntarily.

A few who overestimated themselves were also stopped by their leading constables.

The order for the second test was determined by drawing lots.

Andrew Warren got a pretty good spot: number eleven.

After him, there was only one candidate constable left.

His position allowed him to observe the results of those before him and adjust how much strength to display when facing the Furious Mountain Wolf.

Those at the very front, having no experience fighting the Furious Mountain Wolf, would surely suffer greatly when suddenly facing such a beast.

The person who drew number one turned pale.

After the proctor threw the Furious Mountain Wolf into the enclosure, he was trembling with fear.

He ultimately raised his hand and forfeited.

After that, numbers two, three, and four all forfeited as well.

Number five was the tall, strong youth who had lifted the five-hundred-jin stone lock at the end.

His name was Paul Johnson, and he was related to a certain constable at the Nanping Prefecture office. He had learned the Great Spear Fist early on and was now a martial artist with overt strength.

Looking at the Furious Mountain Wolf inside the enclosure, Paul Johnson took a deep breath and then stepped inside.

“Are you ready?”

The proctor in charge of pulling the chain—preventing the Furious Mountain Wolf from attacking the moment someone entered—asked in a deep voice.

Paul Johnson looked grim, nodded, clenched his fists tightly, and stood like a great spear.

“Good!”

The proctor suddenly released the heavy chain.

Clang—the sound of the chain sliding across the iron fence rang out instantly, and the Furious Mountain Wolf, which had been restrained in a corner, leapt through the air, its bloody maw snapping straight at Paul Johnson’s throat!

Seeing this, Paul Johnson let out a roar, and his left fist shot out like a spear, thrusting straight at the charging wolf!

Shoulder-level spear!

This is bad!

Seeing Paul Johnson choose to go head-to-head with the Furious Mountain Wolf right from the start, Andrew Warren’s heart skipped a beat.

Who knows how long this wolf had been starving; now, suddenly faced with fresh blood, it was at its most ferocious, its explosive strength even thirty percent higher than when it was full.

No matter how strong you are, this is not the time to go head-to-head.

You should maneuver and wear it down, wait for it to tire, and then strike for victory!

Sure enough, things inside the enclosure went just as Andrew Warren expected.

Paul Johnson’s punch landed squarely on the side of the wolf’s head, knocking its jaws off target.

But the Furious Mountain Wolf, driven mad, didn’t slow down; its massive body crashed headlong into Paul Johnson’s chest, sending him flying backward and slamming hard into the fence!

Bang!

The fence shook violently.

Paul Johnson suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, splattering his clothes, the scent of blood filling the air and making the wolf’s eyes glow green as it howled and charged again!

“You beast!”

Paul Johnson felt as if his organs had shifted from the impact, and the intense pain made him lose his composure.

Seeing the wolf pounce again, he charged forward once more.

Engaging in a desperate fight!

Inside the enclosure, fists flew, force exploded.

The wolf’s howls and the sound of bodies slamming into the fence echoed without end.

Blood splattered everywhere.

After a quarter of an hour.

The Furious Mountain Wolf was finally killed by Paul Johnson’s fists.

But he himself was covered in blood and seriously injured.