Chapter 34: Someone from the Government Office (Please add to favorites and keep reading)

"As for the provincial examination in August, I will not be participating in this session."

"I will take it during the next provincial examination."

Wei Tu thought to himself.

In the short term, it would be difficult for his Health Preservation Arts and his Tiger-Crane Double Form to achieve any significant progress or breakthroughs.

The Dao Examination was different.

The provincial martial examination was far more brutal; it included not only the current candidates for Martial Xiucai but also the candidates from previous sessions...

These veteran Martial Xiucai were hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and they were by no means inferior to any martial examination candidates.

Even if Wei Tu participated in this session, it would be difficult for him to secure a high ranking.

Rankings were tied to appointments for local military officials.

This was a one-time opportunity.

But he could wait three years to take it.

By then, he would have practiced his Health Preservation Arts for five years, which would inevitably lead him into the Realm of Sensing Qi. With the empowerment of internal martial arts cultivation, he would have a chance to break into the top ten of the provincial martial examination.

...

Five days later.

Qingfeng Prefecture.

Inside the Martial Tribute Academy, on the training grounds' arena.

"Wei Tu of Qingfeng Prefecture."

"Deng Sandao of Tonglin Prefecture."

Wei Tu and the martial artist opposite him cupped their fists in salute, exchanging their names.

Having finished the salutation, the two walked to the weapon racks beside them to select suitable weapons.

"What fierce saber techniques." Just as Deng Sandao picked up a nine-ring saber from the rack, he saw Wei Tu stride forward, charging at him like a fierce tiger lunging through a mountain forest.

As he charged, the three-foot-seven-inch black saber in his hand swung into a sharp semicircle, slashing toward Deng Sandao's shin.

Seeing this, Deng Sandao's eyelids twitched. He hurriedly retreated two steps to create distance before raising his saber to block.

The two blunted blades clashed instantly.

Deng Sandao felt a numbing sensation in his right hand from the impact, but he used the momentum to drop his center of gravity, rolling to Wei Tu's left. He thrust his nine-ring saber upward in a diagonal strike, the tip aimed directly at a weak point on Wei Tu's left leg.

However—

Wei Tu seemed to have anticipated this. Instead of dodging, he performed a swallow-flip, leaping into the air. His saber technique shifted styles, moving with the elegance of a white crane dancing upon the water.

The saber techniques derived from the Tiger-Crane Double Form possessed both the ferocity of a tiger and the agility of a crane.

After dozens of exchanges.

Deng Sandao made a mistake, failing to react to the change in Wei Tu's saber patterns. Wei Tu seized the opening and kicked him off the stage.

"His saber skills have improved even further since the county and prefectural examinations."

Below the stage, Wei Fei, who was from the same county as Wei Tu, frowned inwardly, wondering if his previous guesses during the county exam had been correct.

He found it somewhat hard to believe that someone could achieve such mastery in just two months.

...

At the same time.

On the other side.

On the high platform to the south of the Martial Tribute Academy training grounds, a purple-robed official sitting in the center of a crowd of crimson and green-robed officials smiled and nodded upon seeing the精彩 combat below.

"In this year's Dao Examination, the martial artists participating in the martial examination are significantly stronger than in previous sessions," the purple-robed official remarked with emotion.

"This is all thanks to your appointment as Governor of Shannan Circuit, Governor Wang. If it weren't for your supervision of the selection and cultivation of martial artists in every prefecture and county..."

"The martial spirit of Shannan Circuit would not be as flourishing as it is today," a crimson-robed official added flatteringly.

Under the rule of the Zheng Kingdom, there were two capitals and thirteen circuits.

Shannan Circuit was one of them.

The "Governor Wang" mentioned was the second-rank Governor responsible for the military and civil administration of Shannan Circuit.

Even in the Zheng Kingdom, he was a person of high status and great power, a true key official of the imperial court.

"I believe I can only claim thirty percent of this credit; the other seventy percent belongs to the Martial Destiny Pavilion..." Governor Wang glanced at the crimson-robed official beside him, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. "I heard that the few Martial Xiucai selected in the last Dao Examination were not given official posts, but instead joined the Martial Destiny Pavilion as inner disciples?"

"The Martial Destiny Pavilion has been active in Qingfeng Prefecture. I wonder if Prefect He is aware of this matter?" he asked.

"This matter... this matter... your subordinate truly does not know..." Hearing Governor Wang's interrogation, sweat broke out on Prefect He's forehead, and he immediately shook his head in denial.

In truth, as the Prefect of Qingfeng Prefecture—the capital of Shannan Circuit—he had some knowledge of the "Martial Destiny Pavilion."

However, this sect was not under the control of the government, and it had recruited many martial artists...

Since ancient times, the concept of "the chivalrous breaking the law through martial prowess" had existed.

The existence of the Martial Destiny Pavilion was a provocation and a threat to the Zheng government. If he admitted to knowing about them, he would be admitting to poor governance and dereliction of duty in his jurisdiction.

"Very well. Since Prefect He does not know, I shall not press the matter further." Governor Wang shook his head, his gaze shifting back to the arena on the training grounds.

"Your subordinate actually has a method to gather some intelligence on the Martial Destiny Pavilion..." Hearing Governor Wang's words, Prefect He's heart tightened, and he hurriedly added this sentence.

"What method is it?"

Governor Wang narrowed his eyes and looked toward Prefect He. He was a burly man with a square face and a short beard. Having also practiced martial arts, he carried an air of natural authority when he looked at people, which was quite intimidating.

This was the official prestige he had cultivated for many years!

"Since this Martial Destiny Pavilion likes to invite past Martial Xiucai to join their sect, we can also use heavy rewards to entice talented Martial Xiucai to join the Martial Destiny Pavilion... to gather intelligence for us..."

"Martial artists are loyal to the monarch and the country; they should know how to choose..." Prefect He said after a moment of deliberation.

Loyalty to the monarch and country was a matter of great righteousness, and combined with the temptation of official positions and fame, he did not believe these Martial Xiucai would choose to betray the government to throw themselves into an organization like the Martial Destiny Pavilion.

"That is indeed a way." Governor Wang nodded slightly and stroked his short beard, agreeing with Prefect He.

Martial sects had always been a source of concern for the imperial court. If he could eradicate the Martial Destiny Pavilion, a major martial arts sect that had occupied Shannan Circuit for years, it would serve as a significant political achievement for his tenure as Governor.

...

After participating in the Dao Examination combat, Wei Tu returned to the Shan residence to await the posting of the results from the Martial Tribute Academy.

He was confident in his performance in this martial examination. He believed that even if his ranking in this Dao Examination did not place him in the top ten to become a First-Class Martial Xiucai, he could at least become a Second-Class Martial Xiucai.

After all, he had ranked sixth in the martial examination during the Qingfeng Prefecture prefectural exam.

And since Qingfeng Prefecture was the capital of Shannan Circuit and a gathering place for elites, whether in civil or martial examinations, the quantity and quality of Xiucai produced by Qingfeng Prefecture were top-tier.

The title of Dao Examination Martial Champion had already been held by martial artists from Qingfeng Prefecture for three consecutive sessions.

"Brother Wei, some bailiffs and clerks from the prefecture have arrived. They are waiting in the parlor and wish to take you to the prefectural yamen..."

On the final day of the results posting, in the evening, Shan Yanguan knocked on Wei Tu's door, his face filled with anxiety.

Since ancient times, the common people have feared the officials.

"The gates of the yamen open to the south; do not enter without reason or money."

Even with a reason, one would still feel a sense of dread.

Moreover, Wei Tu's "reason" was not clean.

Being summoned by a prefectural clerk... being taken to the yamen... there was a very high probability that it was not good news.

Shan Yanguan worried that Wei Tu's cheating during the county examination had finally come to light, leading the prefectural yamen to send men to the Shan residence to take him in for "questioning."