At this moment.
As the servant finished announcing the rankings, Wei Tu and the others, who had been anxious ever since they left the government office, finally felt a weight lift from their shoulders.
With the title of Martial Scholar now secured, the three of them were officially listed under the military registry, no longer considered mere commoners. This meant that even if Prefect He still wanted to deal with them, it wouldn't be so easy anymore.
"From now on, the sky is vast, and the sea is wide. After enduring Prefect He's tenure for just one more year, the four of us will have great prospects ahead."
As the eldest brother, Kou Liang clapped Wei Tu and the others on their shoulders, speaking words of encouragement.
There is no such thing as a feast that never ends.
By midday, the four of them left Xuanhe Tower, bid each other farewell, and exchanged addresses, promising to meet again in the future.
Now that the Dao examination had concluded and they had earned their titles, the next step was to report to their local government offices for registration and await official appointments.
Naturally, they wouldn't be staying in Qingfeng Prefecture's capital for long.
However, since Wei Tu and Wei Fei were not only from the same prefecture but also from the same county, the two agreed to travel back together.
—
"Third Brother, what you said at the government office… was that true?"
As they walked, Wei Fei clicked his tongue in surprise.
"Did you really used to be just a stablehand?"
If Wei Tu truly came from such a humble background, then Wei Fei's previous suspicions from the county-level preliminary examination would be completely unfounded. Back then, he had suspected that Wei Tu had used some underhanded method to pass the competition, but if Wei Tu had been a mere stablehand, then his performance had been purely the result of his own abilities.
And later, Wei Tu had gone on to prove himself in the prefecture examination and the Dao examination, leaving no doubt about his strength.
"It's true."
Wei Tu nodded.
Wei Fei still wanted to ask more questions about how someone with such a background had managed to train his martial skills to such a level, but upon seeing that Wei Tu wasn't inclined to say more, he decided to let it go.
"I suppose I'll find out when we return to Qingmu County. He's not exactly an unknown figure anymore."
Wei Fei thought to himself.
—
As they neared the Single Residence in the city, Wei Tu and Wei Fei parted ways, agreeing to set out for Qingmu County together in three days.
"Brother Wei, the Martial Tribute Court already sent someone to our home to deliver the good news! You placed 12th in the Dao examination and have been awarded the title of Second-Class Martial Scholar!"
As soon as Wei Tu saw Dan Yan Gong, the latter greeted him with an elated expression, eager to share the news.
"A Second-Class Martial Scholar! That's an incredible achievement!"
Dan Yan Gong clicked his tongue in admiration.
Among literary Scholars, rankings were similarly divided into First-Class, Second-Class, and Third-Class rankings, with each level receiving different benefits.
He had spent years studying and had only managed to achieve a Second-Class Literary Scholar rank himself.
Yet now, Wei Tu, who had only trained in martial arts for three years, had reached the same level in the military track. How could he not be amazed?
"Thank you, Brother Yan Gong, for sharing the good news."
Hearing this, Wei Tu smiled and cupped his hands in gratitude.
—
In life, there are four great joys:
A long drought met with rain.
A wedding night.
A reunion with an old friend in a distant land.
One's name on the golden ranking list.
Attaining the title of Martial Scholar was undoubtedly one of these great joys.
Dan Yan Gong led Wei Tu inside to the guest hall, where the two chatted for a while.
At one point, Dan Yan Gong brought up the incident from the previous night when Wei Tu had been summoned to the government office.
"I heard from Zhang Li that you weren't the only Martial Scholar called to the office last night. And when you left, you walked out with a few other warriors… One of them was named Fu Zhizhou?"
Zhang Li was the household servant who had been waiting for Wei Tu outside the government office the night before.
—
Hearing this, Wei Tu paused for a moment before shaking his head.
"This matter… I can't say."
—
Dan Yan Gong immediately understood.
Since Wei Tu had chosen not to speak, that meant the situation was too sensitive to discuss.
The matter of Martial Luck Pavilion was of grave importance, classified as a state secret by the government. It was even possible that Xiantian-level martial masters were involved.
Legend had it that Xiantian martial masters not only had lifespans reaching two hundred years but also possessed mysterious techniques, such as the ability to manipulate minds through spiritual arts.
According to Fu Zhizhou, a Xiantian martial master could use spiritual techniques to easily sway an ordinary person's will, forcing them to divulge secrets they would otherwise keep.
After leaving the government office, Wei Tu and the other three discussed the events that had taken place inside.
During their conversation, Fu Zhizhou did not hold back and shared what he knew about Xiantian martial masters.
Martial Luck Pavilion likely had Xiantian martial masters.
And the government did as well.
Because of this, the four of them agreed—under no circumstances were they to reveal what had happened in the government office the previous night. Not to friends, not to family, not even to their parents.
As of now, the Martial Scholar spies for Martial Luck Pavilion had yet to be exposed.
But what about in the future?
If word got out, the ten or so Martial Scholars who had been summoned to the government office would undoubtedly be in danger. They would likely face interrogation by Xiantian martial masters sent by the government itself.
And their families would suffer the same fate.
For the safety of everyone involved, Wei Tu and the others had no choice but to bury this secret deep within their hearts. They would speak of it to no one.
—
"Could this matter be even more serious than… than what happened during the county examination with the Huang family?"
Dan Yan Gong was startled upon seeing Wei Tu's expression.
In an instant, he realized that the events surrounding the government office must have been incredibly sensitive.
He was a perceptive man and quickly shifted the conversation, instead asking about the three Martial Scholars who had left the government office alongside Wei Tu.
To this, Wei Tu saw no reason to hide the truth and recounted his sworn brotherhood with them.
"This is a good thing."
Dan Yan Gong nodded in approval.
"Four people working together will always have an easier time than one person struggling alone."
—
The two talked until the evening.
At an appropriate moment, Wei Tu brought up his impending departure, saying, "Brother Yan Gong, I'll be leaving for home in three days. If you or your wife have anything to send to my master, please prepare it soon, and I will bring it with me."
"You're thoughtful."
Dan Yan Gong nodded.
He smiled as he looked at Wei Tu, more satisfied with him than ever.
He recalled how, at the start of the year, he had briefly doubted Wei Tu. Now, he realized how baseless those doubts had been.
A Scholar could learn everything about the world without stepping outside.
Dan Yan Gong had seen many people rise to prominence, only to grow arrogant and forget their benefactors.
People like Wei Tu—who remained humble and steadfast even after achieving success—were rare indeed.
"I'll let my mother and wife know so they can prepare letters for my father."
After saying this, Dan Yan Gong cupped his hands in respect and left the hall.
—
Three days later.
Wei Tu and Wei Fei set off together, galloping towards Qingmu County on swift horses.
On the road, through conversation with Wei Fei, Wei Tu learned more about his background.
On the surface, Wei Fei was the young master of the Wei family in the county city.
But in reality, he was an adopted son of the leader of Qing Tiger Gang.
This was the first time Wei Tu had heard of the county's underground forces. Curious, he asked a few more questions.
"I never heard about Qing Tiger Gang when I was in the county. Are these groups simply discreet in their operations, or…?"
He spoke casually.
—
At Li Manor, the movements of servants and maids were restricted. They had to request leave and specify their destination before being allowed to leave the premises.
Because of this, Wei Tu knew little about the specific forces at play in the county.
—
"The government holds the real power. How could any gang dare openly challenge them? Our Qing Tiger Gang is just a group of enforcers secretly raised by the magistrate's office."
"If we dared to show our faces openly in town, that would be a direct slap to Magistrate Chen's face."
Wei Fei tugged on the reins, bringing his horse to a brief halt on the official road.
With a wry smile, he spoke in a self-mocking tone.