Although the academy does not require tuition or a formal apprenticeship, it does have a strict requirement: before the age of seventeen, one must be able to lift a two-hundred-jin stone pedestal overhead.

“So it’s kind of like public and private schools—private ones have no requirements but need money, while public ones require certain qualifications.”

Nathaniel Clark whispered this in his heart. The original host could at most lift a forty-jin stone pedestal up to now, and even with two more years, it would be impossible to increase his strength to two hundred jin.

His gaze fell on several stone pedestals in the courtyard. Nathaniel Clark walked over; these were made for him by Mr. Clark Sr. before he passed away. Five years ago, he could already lift a thirty-jin stone pedestal.

The reason his strength hadn’t increased much over the past five years was actually simple: lack of nutrition.

In fact, this is also why it’s so hard for ordinary poor families in this world to produce martial artists. Which poor family can afford to let their children eat meat at every meal? Without nutrition, there’s no strength.

“Actually, forty jin isn’t weak at all.”

Compared to his previous life, where he went from being able to hold a woman at first to only being able to lie down later, the original host’s strength wasn’t small.

Nathaniel Clark walked up to the stone pedestal, grabbed the handle of the thirty-jin one, and with a burst of strength, lifted it up.

“Damn, that was so easy. That shouldn’t be right.”

Without thinking too much, Nathaniel Clark tried the forty-jin and sixty-jin ones as well, and lifted them easily too.

Something’s off.

The original host’s body shouldn’t have this much strength.

Nathaniel Clark kept switching pedestals, finally stopping at the ninety-jin one.

He could lift ninety jin, but couldn’t hold it for five seconds.

“If I were full, I could probably lift a hundred-jin pedestal too.”

Nathaniel Clark’s eyes lit up, and he softly called out, “System?”

No response.

“System binding in progress…”

“System loading 10%”

“System loading 20%…”

“System loading 99%…”

“Well, system loading failed.”

Three minutes later, Nathaniel Clark gave up talking to himself. He didn’t have a system.

“Could it be a physical change brought about by my soul transmigration?”

Just as Nathaniel Clark was pondering, Old Aunt walked in with an empty bamboo basket, looking disappointed.

Yesterday, Little Nathaniel wanted to eat something different, so she went out to look for it, but after searching for a long time, she couldn’t find any other greens.

Seeing Nathaniel Clark squatting in front of the stone pedestals, Old Aunt asked curiously, “Little Nathaniel, what are you doing?”

“Old Aunt, I can lift an eighty-jin boulder now.”

As Nathaniel Clark spoke, he lifted the eighty-jin boulder in front of the old woman’s shocked gaze.

Pa!

The bamboo basket in the old woman’s hand fell to the ground. She stood there stunned for a few seconds, then walked over excitedly.

“Little Nathaniel, come inside with me.”

……

……

Inside the cramped house, Nathaniel Clark knelt before the memorial tablet of the original host’s father.

The old woman was saying a lot, mostly about the original host’s father’s blessing and the ancestors’ spirits manifesting.

Nathaniel Clark caught the key point.

His deceased cheap old dad was a martial master. According to the Great Liang dynasty’s policy, as long as the descendants could enter the academy and stay for six months, they could get a constable position at the county office.

It’s a bit like how in modern times, employees’ family members get priority for jobs.

But thinking of his own strength, he was afraid the old woman might not remember the numbers clearly due to her age, so he reminded her, “Old Aunt, the academy requires two hundred jin of strength to enter. I can do at most a hundred jin, nowhere near enough.”

The old woman didn’t reply, but instead walked to the wooden chest by the bed, rummaged through it, and took out a piece of clothing for Nathaniel Clark to put on. Nathaniel Clark did as told, only to find the clothes were very loose, with his arms still far from the cuffs.

This reminded him of sneaking into adult clothes as a child. This outfit probably didn’t belong to the original host, but to his father.

The old woman rolled up the sleeves and pant legs for Nathaniel Clark, tightened the waist, then looked at him and murmured, “Our Little Nathaniel is an adult now.”

……

……

Following Old Aunt out the door, after asking several times along the way, Nathaniel Clark finally learned who she was taking him to see.

Constable Harris of the county town, who used to be a colleague of his father’s.

She wanted to ask Captain Harris for a letter of recommendation to the academy.

The academy’s admission standard is two hundred jin of strength and under seventeen years old. The age can’t be faked, but when it comes to strength, there’s a lot of room for maneuver.

Just like in his previous life, those key high schools required a certain score to get in, but if you had money, you could also sponsor your way in.

Nathaniel Clark didn’t have money, so he could only rely on connections.

But standing in front of the grand Harris family mansion, Nathaniel Clark was a bit curious. They were both constables, so why was there such a huge difference?

It was like two colleagues at a company—one renting an apartment in the city, the other living in a luxury villa with a big garden and private pool.

The backyard of the Harris family mansion.

Edwin Harris was fishing by the pond in the courtyard. Hearing the butler’s report, he fell into thought.

Philip Clark’s concubine and Philip Clark’s son had come to visit?

Who was Philip Clark?

He thought for a while before remembering who Philip Clark was.

A constable from five years ago, but not long after becoming a constable, he drowned. He and this Philip Clark had no personal relationship.

“Coming to visit at this time, and bringing Philip Clark’s son along…”