Martial Arts Great Sect

"Summoned by the Prefectural Yamen?" Hearing Dan Yangong's words, Wei Tu felt a surge of panic.

With his current status and strength, he didn't fear the Li or Huang families, but he certainly wasn't bold enough to oppose the government.

However, after the initial panic, Wei Tu calmed down.

If the Prefectural Yamen truly intended to arrest him, they wouldn't have sent a polite clerk to notify him and give Dan Yangong time to reach the separate courtyard. They would have directly dispatched soldiers to surround the Dan Residence.

Furthermore, while cheating in the Imperial Examinations occurred frequently, cases brought to light had been rare for decades.

This indicated that

the Prefectural Yamen likely wasn't here to arrest him but had another important matter to discuss...

"What important matter?" Wei Tu's brows furrowed. The only connections he had with the Prefectural Yamen were the Martial Graduate examinations, specifically the Prefectural and Dao examinations. Otherwise, as a commoner, he had no involvement.

"Brother Yangong, no need to rush. This shouldn't be a major issue..." Wei Tu tightly gripped Dan Yangong's trembling hands, trying to calm him down.

— Many "criminals" are exposed not because others see through them, but because they become anxious themselves.

A few breaths later.

Dan Yangong winced in pain, his complexion returning to normal. He nodded, indicating he understood, and urged Wei Tu to hurry to the living room to meet the clerk from the Prefectural Yamen.

After all, he was a scholar and had seen his fair share of the world. Once he calmed down, he understood the situation.

A quarter of an hour later.

Wei Tu arrived at the back residence of the Prefectural Yamen.

Upon seeing over a dozen Martial Masters around his age standing in the living room, he felt an immense sense of relief and relaxed.

He began to wonder what Prefect He's game was, gathering all the "Martial Scholars" from this year's examination the night before the results were announced.

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

After waiting for a moment, Wei Tu felt a nudge on his arm. He turned to his left and saw a Martial Master from the same county named "Wei Fei." Wei Tu frowned.

"I don't know."

Wei Tu replied curtly.

— After entering the Prefectural Yamen, he adhered to three principles: listen more, observe more, and speak less.

Seeing Wei Tu's reticence, Wei Fei lost interest in questioning him. Mimicking Wei Tu's demeanor, he stood in a corner of the living room, awaiting the arrival of the person in charge.

Shortly after.

As the clamor in the living room gradually subsided.

Wei Tu looked up and saw Prefect He, dressed in scholarly robes, sitting in the main seat of the living room.

"I have gathered all you talented individuals at the Prefectural Yamen today to discuss a matter..." Prefect He said, taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

After speaking, he signaled to the servants beside him to bring stools and chairs for the numerous Martial Masters standing in the hall.

The Martial Masters then sat down.

"A few days ago, His Excellency the Governor spoke, stating that within our Shannan Circuit, a sect called Wu Yun Tower has appeared..."

"Wu Yun Tower likes to recruit Martial Scholars from each Dao Examination as their disciples. This action... is destroying the foundation of the imperial court and aims to subvert the state..."

Prefect He said slowly.

Hearing this.

Wei Tu's brows subtly twitched, and he secretly pondered why Prefect He would mention "Wu Yun Tower" to them, the "Martial Scholars."

This was the first time he had heard of a martial arts sect spanning an entire circuit in Zheng State.

In Qingshan County, he had encountered some martial arts schools and sects, but their influence was not significant, and they taught only superficial skills.

At least, during the County Examination for Martial Arts, he hadn't seen many disciples from martial arts schools or sects who made it to the Prefectural Examination.

At this moment.

The "Wu Yun Tower" mentioned by Prefect He, which recruited Martial Scholars from various examinations as disciples, meant that the strength of the top experts within this "Wu Yun Tower" was definitely not to be underestimated.

Although a Martial Scholar was only the lowest rank in the Martial Arts Examination, in reality, every Martial Scholar was a prominent martial artist in their respective counties and townships.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say one in a hundred.

"Could it be... that Wu Yun Tower has Inner Qi Realm Martial Masters? Or even higher-level Innate Realm Martial Masters?"

Wei Tu mused.

After a brief pause, Prefect He continued, "I selected you to come to the Prefectural Yamen. I believe with your intelligence, you can guess why I have summoned you..."

"This matter has already been discussed with His Excellency the Governor. If you are willing to join Wu Yun Tower as a mole, after the sect is eradicated, those who contribute will be rewarded accordingly. Those who do not contribute will still be promoted by three ranks and granted a hundred mu of fertile land!"

"Furthermore, His Excellency the Governor is willing to offer an Inner Cultivation Manual as a reward for your efforts."

Official position!

Inner Cultivation Manual!

One hundred mu of fertile land!

These three immense temptations were laid bare before Wei Tu and the assembled Martial Masters.

Everyone present was deeply moved upon hearing this.

Wei Tu included.

"The government is offering such generous rewards, which also means the mission to go undercover in Wu Yun Tower will be extremely dangerous, possibly even life-threatening..."

But Wei Tu quickly considered this point.

Unlike other Martial Masters who came from wealthy families, he still had a family to support and needed to become an official to earn money and redeem Xinghua.

He couldn't afford to take risks!

Furthermore.

While these three benefits seemed incredibly tempting, they weren't worth it to Wei Tu.

Official position and wealth...

Wei Tu was confident that he could achieve the status of Martial Graduate in the next Provincial Martial Arts Examination.

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

As for the Inner Cultivation Manual...

Although Wei Tu was quite covetous of it, there were many other ways to obtain an Inner Cultivation Manual besides going undercover in Wu Yun Tower.

Governor Wang was using an Inner Cultivation Manual as a reward—this meant that after he became a military official, he might have another chance to obtain such a manual from the government.

Additionally, Wei Tu remembered that his Martial Ancestor, the Golden Saber Hero, had failed to extend his lifespan when attempting to break through to the Innate Realm. Perhaps his Master, Martial Graduate Dan, had a relevant Inner Cultivation Manual, so there was no need for him to risk his life now.

The last point.

One must always guard against others.

With over a dozen people going undercover, Wei Tu couldn't guarantee that none of them would betray the mission. If he went deep into Wu Yun Tower, he would be utterly alone and helpless.

"Prefect He, may I ask if we can refuse this matter?" Soon, a Martial Master with the same thoughts as Wei Tu stepped forward.

The official position, wealth, and Inner Cultivation Manual were not things everyone lacked.

Even if they lacked them.

They wouldn't risk their lives by going undercover in Wu Yun Tower, facing immense danger.

"Of course, you can," Prefect He said, putting down his tea cup and nodding. His expression remained unchanged.

Although a Martial Scholar was not as high in status as a Prefect, once they obtained their official title, their standing would be different from that of commoners.

They could meet officials without bowing.

He couldn't easily manipulate them.

To punish a Martial Scholar, a reasonable charge was required, and the official documents would need to be submitted to the Ministry of Justice for a ruling.

As his words fell.

The Martial Masters seemed tempted and wanted to openly refuse, just like the previous Martial Master.

"If you go to Wu Yun Tower, in addition to these rewards, I... I am also willing to add a hundred pieces of gold and give my own daughter in marriage!"

Seeing this, Prefect He finally couldn't sit still any longer. He gritted his teeth and said.

Governor Wang was pressuring him, and if he couldn't handle this matter well, he might even lose his official position.

Marrying his daughter to a Martial Scholar was not considered a disgrace.

Thank you for the 100 Qidian coins from the power of ascension for the reward.

Also, a new group has been created.

If you are interested, you can join.

It's in the author's notes.