Free Web NovelChapter 41: Chapter 39: Returning to Qingshan County
At this moment.
As the waiter finished speaking, Wei Tu and his two companions finally breathed a sigh of relief. The anxiety that had plagued them since leaving the Government Office was gone.
Having obtained the title of Martial Scholar, the three of them were now on the Martial Registry, no longer the Civil Registry. It would be no easy task for Hex Prefecture to move against them now.
"From now on, the sky is ours to soar and the sea is ours to swim. Once we get through this year under Hex Prefecture, the four of us will have a boundless future."
After Fu Zhizhou had given some wedding money to the Shopkeeper and waiter from Xuanhe Tower and seen them off, Kou Liang, as their sworn older brother, clapped Wei Tu and the others on the shoulder, lifting their spirits.
But all good things must come to an end.
Nearing noon, the four of them left Xuanhe Tower, bid each other farewell, and exchanged contact information.
They would meet again one day.
With the Daoist Examination over, the newly titled Martial Scholars could report to their local jurisdictions and be appointed to official posts by the County Yamen.
Naturally, the four of them would not linger in Qingfeng Prefecture’s Prefecture City.
However, since Wei Tu and Weii Fei were not only from the same prefecture but also the same county, they agreed to travel back together.
"Third Brother, was what you said at the Government Office true?" Weii Fei clicked his tongue. "Were you really just a Horse Groom before?"
If Wei Tu’s background was truly that humble, then Weii Fei’s suspicions during the County Examination’s Military Examination must have been wrong. Wei Tu hadn’t cheated in the Competition; he had just been lucky not to run into any difficult opponents.
And Wei Tu’s results in the Prefecture Examination and Daoist Examination had certainly proven that beyond a doubt.
"That’s right."
Wei Tu nodded.
Hearing this, Weii Fei wanted to probe deeper into how Wei Tu had achieved so much in his martial arts training with such a background. But seeing the look on Wei Tu’s face—one that clearly said he didn’t want to elaborate—he reluctantly held his tongue.
’Third Brother and I are from the same county,’ Weii Fei thought. ’I’ll be able to find out by asking around when the time comes. It’s not like he’s a nobody now.’
...
As they neared the Shan Mansion in the Prefecture City, Wei Tu and Weii Fei parted ways, agreeing to leave the Prefecture City together for Qingshan County in three days.
"Brother Wei, the Imperial Examination Hall has already sent someone to the house to offer congratulations! You placed twelfth in the Daoist Examination, a Second-Class Martial Scholar!"
The moment Wei Tu met Shan Yanggong, the latter excitedly shared the news.
"A Second-Class Martial Scholar, no less!"
Shan Yanggong marveled with a click of his tongue.
Just like Martial Scholars, Scholars were also divided into ranks: First-Class Scholars, Second-Class Scholars, and Third-Class Scholars, each receiving different treatment.
He himself had studied for many years to achieve the rank of Second-Class Scholar, the same as Wei Tu.
And now, Wei Tu had achieved the same standing after practicing martial arts for merely three years. How could he not be filled with emotion?
"Thank you for the congratulations, Brother Yanguo." A smile appeared on Wei Tu’s face as he heard Shan Yanggong’s words. He cupped his fists in a salute and spoke.
There are four great joys in life.
Heavenly Dew after a long drought, the wedding night, meeting an old friend in a faraway land, and success in the imperial examinations.
Obtaining the title of Martial Scholar fell squarely into that final category.
Next, Shan Yanggong led Wei Tu into the main hall, where they exchanged pleasantries for a while.
At this point, Shan Yanggong brought up the summons from the Government Office the previous night.
He mused for a moment before speaking. "I heard from Zhang Li that you weren’t the only Martial Artist summoned by the Government Office. When you left, you were with several other Martial Artists. Was one of them named... Fu Zhizhou?"
Zhang Li was the Shan Mansion servant who had been waiting for Wei Tu at the entrance of the Government Office last night.
"This matter..."
After saying these two words, Wei Tu fell silent for a moment before shaking his head at Shan Yanggong.
He was indicating that he couldn’t speak of it.
The affair with Wuyun Tower was of great importance, a secret of the Government Office, and it might even involve an Innate Martial Master.
Legend had it that not only could Innate Martial Masters live for two hundred years, but they also possessed various mystical abilities, such as Spirit Secret Techniques...
According to Fu Zhizhou, an Innate Martial Master could use a Spirit Secret Technique to easily cloud an ordinary person’s mind and force them to reveal any secrets they knew.
After leaving the Government Office, Wei Tu and the other three had discussed the matter.
During their discussion, Fu Zhizhou had not held back, sharing what he knew about Innate Martial Masters.
Wuyun Tower might have an Innate Martial Master.
And the Government Office had one, too!
Because of this, the four of them had made a pact to never reveal what they had seen and heard inside the Government Office last night to anyone, not even their closest friends, parents, or elders.
Right now, the matter of the Martial Scholars going undercover in Wuyun Tower hadn’t been leaked, but what about the future?
Once it leaked, the dozen or so Martial Artists who went to the Government Office last night would surely face disaster. They would be interrogated personally by the Innate Martial Master dispatched by the Government Office.
Their friends and family would suffer the same fate.
Therefore.
For everyone’s safety.
Wei Tu and the other three had to bury this secret deep inside and not breathe a word of it to anyone.
’Could this matter be even more important than... what happened with the Huang Family during Brother Wei’s County Examination?’
Seeing Wei Tu’s expression, Shan Yanggong was slightly taken aback, but he quickly formed a guess about the confidential nature of the Government Office’s business.
He was a sharp man, so he immediately changed the subject, asking about the three Martial Artists who had left the Government Office with Wei Tu.
Wei Tu had no need to hide this, so he told Shan Yanggong all about becoming sworn brothers.
"This is a good thing." Shan Yanggong expressed his approval. "Four sworn brothers working together is always better than one man fighting alone."
The two of them talked until evening.
At an opportune moment, Wei Tu brought up his impending departure. "I’ll be returning home in three days. If you and my Master’s wife have anything you’d like me to take to my Master, please prepare it soon so I can bring it with me..."
"That’s very thoughtful of you," Shan Yanggong replied with a nod.
As he spoke, his eyes crinkled with a smile. His gaze toward Wei Tu was one of growing satisfaction, and he felt that his "suspicions" about Wei Tu back on New Year’s Day had been utterly baseless.
A scholar can know the world without ever leaving his study.
Shan Yanggong had seen plenty of people who, after gaining some power, treated their former benefactors with contempt. People like Wei Tu, who remained true to themselves and were neither arrogant nor impatient, were few and far between.
"I’ll go inform my mother and my wife, see if they have any letters for my father..."
Shan Yanggong stood up, gave Wei Tu a salute with cupped fists, and then turned and left the main hall.
...
「Three days later.」
Wei Tu and Weii Fei set off together for Qingshan County, riding swift horses.
During their journey, through his conversations with Weii Fei, Wei Tu learned something of his family and background.
On the surface, Weii Fei was the young master of the County Town’s Weii Family. But in reality, he was the adopted son of the Cyan Tiger Gang’s Leader.
This was the first time Wei Tu had heard of any gang influence in Qingshan County’s County Town, and his curiosity piqued, he asked a few more questions.
"When I was in the County Town, I never heard of gangs like the Cyan Tiger Gang. Is it because they operate in secret, or...?"
Wei Tu asked casually.
—The Li Mansion had strict restrictions on the comings and goings of its servants and maids; they could only leave after requesting time off and stating their destination. As a result, he knew very little about the specific powers at play within the County Town.
"The Government Office’s influence is immense. What gang would have the nerve to oppose them? The Cyan Tiger Gang, we’re just thugs kept by the Government Office..."
"If we were to appear openly in the County Town, it would be a slap in the face to Magistrate Chen."
Weii Fei pulled his horse to a brief stop on the main road, his face etched with self-mockery as he spoke.
