BDSMST -Chapter 173 The Secret of the Alliance Mandate

At noon the next day, the one-day “Martial Arts Farming Competition” officially came to an end.

Shen Qinghe and his “Data Recording Team” had been busy all night. They used measuring poles and ropes to precisely calculate the land area each team had cultivated, special probes to assess soil depth and looseness, and even evaluated the uniformity of sowing.

A large results board was hung at the center of the venue. There were no complicated words—just clear charts and data.

The final results surprised everyone.

The winner was not the imposing Kongtong Sect, nor the skillful Huashan Sect, but the previously unknown lone swordsman—Shi Daniu.

By area alone, his cultivated land was not the largest. But in terms of “comprehensive quality score,” he was far ahead. The soil he turned was the deepest, the ground the loosest, and the seeds were spaced most evenly and reasonably. According to Shen Qinghe’s report, his land had “the highest utilization rate and expected germination success.”

The result left everyone in stunned silence.

They finally understood that this competition measured not explosive strength, but enduring perseverance and genuine respect for the land.

Under the gaze of all, the dark-skinned Shi Daniu was led, slightly embarrassed, to the center of the field.

Gu Changming personally retrieved the long-lost “Martial Arts Alliance Mandate” from a brocade box and placed it before him. The token was forged from mysterious black iron, simple in design, with intricate cloud patterns on the front that shimmered with a cold light under the sun.

“Shi Hero, as agreed, this Alliance Mandate is now in your custody,” Gu Changming said, his voice calm and powerful.

Shi Daniu looked at the token representing the highest authority in the martial world, shaking his head repeatedly, his face red.

“I can’t, I can’t! Master Gu, I’m just a simple man. I’m not worthy of this! I just wanted to work a little harder, earn a bit more contribution points, maybe get my wife a new piece of cloth…”

His humble words were almost comically plain, yet no one laughed. The martial artists present looked at this honest man with a newfound respect.

“You are worthy,” Gu Changming insisted, forcing the token into his hands. “Shi Hero, look at the back.”

Hesitantly, Shi Daniu turned the token over.

On the smooth reverse side, a line of simple, ancient script was engraved.

Shi Daniu could not read it, so he looked to Gu Changming in confusion.

Gu Changming said nothing. Instead, he looked at the young scholar in the crowd. The scholar stepped forward and carefully read the line aloud:

“The greatest hero serves the country and the people.”

The eight characters struck the minds of everyone like a thunderclap.

It turned out that the so-called “Martial Arts Alliance Mandate” had never symbolized power or violence. It represented responsibility and duty.

A martial arts alliance leader was not to command others or seek supremacy, but to lead people to do tangible good for the nation and its citizens.

At that moment, everyone realized the true purpose of Gu Changming’s unconventional gathering.

The so-called “Thousand Mechanisms Treasure” and “martial supremacy” seemed trivial and laughable compared to these eight words.

The real treasure was the land beneath their feet, capable of feeding countless people. True power was the ability to ensure the common people could live peacefully.

Silence fell over the venue.

After a long pause, Elder Kongtong let out a deep sigh and bowed respectfully to Gu Changming. “Master Gu, we… have been taught.”

With his bow, all martial artists present—regardless of alignment or sect—spontaneously offered a solemn martial salute to Gu Changming at the center of the field.

They were not merely honoring this legendary elder, but the entirely new, hopeful, and practical path of chivalry he had revealed.

Even Chen Jing, who had stood in a corner all along, was moved by this stirring scene. The darkness on his face had vanished without him realizing it. His tightly clenched fists relaxed slowly. Suddenly, the grudges and ambitions he had clung to his whole life seemed utterly meaningless.

He quietly turned and left the venue, disturbing no one. His back no longer carried the weight of menace, but a trace of relief and calm.

At the center, Shi Daniu still held the heavy token, unsure what to do. Then he did something no one expected.

He did not put the token into his own possession. Instead, he turned to Jiang Suisui.

With both hands, he offered her the token and bowed deeply.

“Madam Gu,” his voice remained simple, yet completely sincere, “I cannot read, and I cannot govern. This token is useless in my hands. I believe only you are worthy of these eight words. I… I do not wish to be an alliance leader. I only wish to ask—may I remain at the estate and attend the… Agricultural Technology Academy? I want to learn how to properly cultivate the land. Once I have learned, I will return home and help our people there enjoy rice on their tables.”

His words moved everyone once again.

Jiang Suisui looked at this honest man, seeing the pure love for the land and hope for the future in his eyes. She smiled.

She did not take the token herself. Instead, she took something from Steward Wang and handed it to Shi Daniu.

It was a brand-new application form—still smelling faintly of ink—for the Advanced Training Class at Woniu Village Agricultural Technology Academy.

“Welcome, Student Shi,” Jiang Suisui said with a smile.

Shi Daniu looked at the form in his hands, then at Jiang Suisui, and broke into a smile brighter than the sun.

A conflict that could have shaken the martial world to its core had ended in the most unexpected and peaceful way.

The reputation of the “Number One Estate in the World” spread far and wide. People no longer spoke of its wealth or mystery, but of the new, grounded spirit of chivalry it represented.