Chapter 35: Great Martial Arts Sects (Please add to favorites and keep reading)

“A summons from the prefectural yamen?” Hearing Shan Yandong's words, Wei Tu felt a surge of panic in his heart.

With his current status and strength, he did not fear the Li or Huang families, but he was certainly not at a level where he would dare to oppose the government.

However, after the initial panic, Wei Tu regained his composure.

If the yamen truly intended to arrest him, they would not have sent a clerk so politely to notify him, nor would they have allowed Shan Yandong enough time to reach the villa; instead, they would have directly dispatched soldiers to surround the Shan residence.

Furthermore, although cases of cheating in the imperial examinations occurred frequently these days, it had been decades since a high-profile case had been brought to light.

From this, it was evident.

The yamen might not be coming to arrest him, but rather had other important business to discuss...

"What important business?" Wei Tu's brow furrowed slightly. The only things he could possibly be connected to regarding the yamen were the martial examinations for the prefectural and provincial levels; anything else was beyond the reach of a commoner like him.

"Brother Yandong, there is no need to worry. This shouldn't be anything major..." Wei Tu gripped Shan Yandong's trembling hands firmly, attempting to steady him.

—Many "criminals" expose themselves through their own anxiety rather than being detected by others.

A few breaths later.

Shan Yandong winced from the pressure, but his expression returned to normal. He nodded to indicate his understanding and motioned for Wei Tu to head to the main hall to meet the clerk sent by the yamen.

He was, after all, a *Xiucai* (scholar) and a man of the world; once he calmed down, he understood the underlying implications of the situation.

...

A quarter of an hour later.

Wei Tu arrived at the rear quarters of the prefectural yamen.

Upon seeing over a dozen martial instructors of a similar age standing in the main hall, he felt an immediate sense of relief, and his mind relaxed.

He began to speculate on what Prefect He was playing at, summoning all these "Martial Xiucai" of the current session to the yamen on the very eve of the results announcement.

"Wei Tu, do you know why Prefect He called us here?"

After waiting for a moment, Wei Tu felt someone nudge his elbow. He turned his head to the left and saw a martial instructor from his own county named Wei Fei. He frowned slightly.

"I don't know," Wei Tu replied simply.

—Once inside the yamen, he adhered to three principles: listen more, watch more, and speak less.

Seeing that Wei Tu was a man of few words, Wei Fei lost interest in questioning him. Mimicking Wei Tu's manner, he stood in a corner of the hall, waiting for the person in charge to arrive.

A short while later.

As the clamor in the hall subsided.

Wei Tu looked up toward the seat of honor, where Prefect He sat, dressed in scholar's robes.

"I have gathered all you talented individuals here today because there is a matter I wish to discuss with you all..." Prefect He took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

Having spoken, he signaled to the servant beside him to bring stools and chairs for the many martial instructors standing in the hall.

The martial instructors promptly sat down.

"A few days ago, the Governor gave a speech, stating that within the borders of our Shannan Province, a sect known as the Wuyun Pavilion has emerged..."

"The Wuyun Pavilion enjoys recruiting the Martial Xiucai from every provincial examination as their disciples. This act... is an attempt to undermine the foundations of the Imperial Court and overturn the state..."

Prefect He spoke slowly.

Upon hearing this.

Wei Tu's brow twitched imperceptibly as he inwardly pondered why Prefect He was mentioning the "Wuyun Pavilion" to them, the "Martial Xiucai."

This was the first time he had heard of a martial sect spanning an entire province.

Back in Qingshan County, he had seen various martial arts halls and sects, but they lacked prestige and taught nothing more than superficial, flashy techniques.

At the very least, during the county-level martial examination, he had seen very few disciples from martial halls manage to make it as far as the prefectural examination.

At this moment.

The "Wuyun Pavilion" mentioned by Prefect He recruited Martial Xiucai from every session as disciples. This meant that the strength of the top experts within the Wuyun Pavilion was absolutely not to be underestimated.

While a Martial Xiucai seemed to be the lowest academic title in the martial examinations, in reality, any Martial Xiucai was a renowned martial artist in their respective counties and villages.

It was no exaggeration to say they were one in a hundred.

"Could it be... that there are Inner Qi Realm martial instructors within the Wuyun Pavilion? Or even higher, Xiantian Realm masters?"

Wei Tu thought to himself.

After a brief pause, Prefect He continued, "I chose to bring you all here to the yamen, thinking that with your intelligence, you might have already guessed why I am seeking you out..."

"I have already discussed this matter with the Governor. If you are willing to join the Wuyun Pavilion as undercover agents, once the pavilion is eradicated, those who have performed meritorious service will be rewarded accordingly. Those who have not will still receive a promotion of three ranks and a grant of a hundred acres of fertile land!"

"Furthermore, the Governor is willing to provide a manual of Inner Qi cultivation as a reward for all of you."

Official rank!

Inner Qi cultivation manual!

A hundred acres of fertile land!

These three massive temptations were laid bare before Wei Tu and the other martial instructors.

The crowd was visibly moved.

Including Wei Tu.

"The government is offering so much, which also means the mission to infiltrate the Wuyun Pavilion will be anything but easy. There might even be a risk to one's life..."

But quickly, Wei Tu considered this point.

Unlike the other martial instructors who came from wealthy families, he had a family to support. He needed to hold office and earn money to redeem Xinghua.

He could not afford the risk!

Furthermore.

While these three benefits seemed incredibly tempting, they were not worth it for Wei Tu.

Official rank and wealth...

Wei Tu was confident that he could obtain a martial title in the next township-level examination.

Once he became a Martial Jurist, these benefits would naturally follow.

As for the Inner Qi manual...

Though he was quite envious, infiltrating the Wuyun Pavilion was by no means the only way to obtain such a manual.

If Governor Wang could use an Inner Qi manual as a reward, it meant that after Wei Tu became a military official, he might have other opportunities to obtain one from the government.

Additionally, Wei Tu remembered how his grandmaster, the Golden Blade Hero, had failed to extend his life through a breakthrough to the Xiantian Realm. Perhaps his master, Martial Jurist Shan, possessed a corresponding manual, making it unnecessary for him to take such a risk now.

The final point.

One must always be wary of others.

With over a dozen people acting as undercover agents, Wei Tu could not guarantee that no one would leak information. If they were to infiltrate deep into the Wuyun Pavilion and things went wrong, there would be no one to call upon for help.

"Prefect He, I wonder if we are allowed to refuse this matter?" Soon, a martial instructor with similar thoughts to Wei Tu's stepped forward.

Official rank, wealth, and Inner Qi manuals—not everyone lacked these three things.

And even if they did, they would not risk their lives to become undercover agents in the Wuyun Pavilion.

"Of course you may." Prefect He set down his teacup and nodded, his expression remaining unchanged.

Although a Martial Xiucai's status was not equal to that of a Prefect, once they held an academic title, their status differed from that of commoners.

They could meet officials without bowing.

He could not manipulate them at will.

To punish a Martial Xiucai, one needed a legitimate charge, and the official documents had to be submitted to the Ministry of Justice for the Ministry to rule upon.

As his words fell.

The group of martial instructors seemed poised to move, intending to follow the previous man and decline directly.

"If you go to the Wuyun Pavilion, in addition to these rewards, I... am also willing to add a reward of a hundred gold pieces and offer my own daughter in marriage!"

Seeing this, Prefect He finally found himself unable to sit still. He gritted his teeth and spoke.

Governor Wang was exerting pressure; if he failed to handle this matter well, he might even lose his official position.

And marrying a daughter to a Martial Xiucai was not considered a disgrace.