As Wei Tu and the others spoke,
Outside the Prefectural Yamen, several servants waiting for their masters in the adjacent alley saw this scene and hurried over. They cupped their hands in salute to Wei Tu and the others, asking what important matter had caused the Prefectural Yamen to summon so many Martial Masters inside late at night.
"Young Master Fu, is my young master in any danger inside the Prefectural Yamen? Master and First Mistress are still worried."
The leading servant recognized Fu Zhizhou and asked urgently.
"His Lordship the Prefect summoned us Martial Masters of this year's examination merely to make our acquaintance."
"Your young master will be out shortly."
Fu Zhizhou exchanged glances with Wei Tu and the others, then casually fobbed off the servant.
Although they had sternly refused Prefect He and kept themselves out of the affair, this concerned Wu Yun Tower. They did not dare speak carelessly and bring calamity upon themselves and their clans.
The principle that loose lips brought ruin was one all four of them understood. Otherwise, they would not have risked offending Prefect He to refuse so decisively.
Hearing this vague reply,
the servants did not dare press further. Still, they felt somewhat reassured. At least... their young masters had not entered the Prefectural Yamen over anything dangerous.
At this time, the servants from Fu Zhizhou and the other two men's households, along with the servant Dan Yangong had sent, also arrived and waited nearby.
After having the servants return home to report their safety, the four set off down the main street toward Xuan He Tower.
Half an hour later.
Xuan He Tower.
Three rounds of wine had passed, and dawn was nearing.
Once Fu Zhizhou saw that Wei Tu and the other two had eaten and drunk their fill, he did not hesitate. He immediately had the waiter summon the proprietor and instructed him to prepare an incense table and all the items needed for sworn brotherhood.
He was actually serious? Wei Tu was secretly astonished at the sight. He had not expected Fu Zhizhou's words to be anything but sincere—once they left the Prefectural Yamen, he truly meant to become sworn brothers with the three of them.
People of this age valued faith and righteousness.
Especially among Martial Masters, sworn brothers who mixed blood for their oath could be closer than blood brothers themselves. Whoever broke the Oath of the Golden Orchid would be scorned by all under heaven and cursed for ten thousand generations.
After all, blood brothers were there from birth, while those who could become brothers of the Golden Orchid were kindred spirits drawn together by mutual affection.
Yet this matter brought Wei Tu quite a few benefits, so he did not stop it. On the contrary, he was happy to see it happen.
Fu Zhizhou and the other two had discerned the danger behind Wu Yun Tower while in the Prefectural Yamen, and they had withstood Prefect He's pressure—this undoubtedly proved that the three possessed considerable foresight and resolve.
Moreover, like him, all three were Martial Masters who had earned names in this year's provincial examination and ranked near the top of the list. Their potential was clearly no small thing.
The four of them had similar starting points, shared the same goals, and now possessed a foundation of trust forged through resisting Prefect He...
It could be said that there were no people better suited than them to become sworn brothers and seek their futures together.
Shortly afterward.
Inside a private room at Xuan He Tower stood an incense table. Upon it lay the three sacrificial animals, an incense burner, a live chicken, a jar of wine, and a register.
The cover of the register bore three large characters: "Golden Orchid Register."
Next.
The four arranged their seniority according to age.
Among the four,
Kou Liang was twenty-four, the eldest. Wei Tu and the other two recognized him as their eldest brother.
Wei Fei was the second eldest, twenty-three years old, becoming the second brother among the four.
After him came Wei Tu, then Fu Zhizhou.
When Fu Zhizhou announced his age, Wei Tu and Wei Fei were somewhat dumbfounded. Neither had expected Fu Zhizhou, whose martial arts were the greatest, to be not yet twenty, only eighteen years old.
No wonder he was so full of youthful spirit. Wei Tu sighed inwardly.
"When Fourth Brother was in Xiao Yi Prefecture, he was already a renowned Martial Arts Prodigy. I had thought he would enter the martial examinations in the next session, but who would have imagined that he would take this year's martial examinations alongside me..."
Seeing the expressions on Wei Tu and Wei Fei's faces, Kou Liang smiled faintly and said.
Once he finished speaking,
Kou Liang said no more. He drew a dagger from his waist, seized the live chicken's wings atop the incense table, and slashed hard.
In an instant, the chicken's neck was severed, and blood splashed into the wine jar.
Then,
Kou Liang drew the blade across his palm.
Crimson blood ran down the tip of the dagger and dripped into the wine jar.
Afterward, Wei Tu, Wei Fei, and Fu Zhizhou each took the dagger and repeated Kou Liang's actions.
The blood wine in the jar was stirred evenly, then poured into four coarse porcelain bowls.
The four drank the blood wine together, beginning their blood oath as they recited the vows in unison.
"Today, the four of us become sworn brothers here. High Heaven above and thick Earth below bear witness..."
"...we shall forge brotherly bonds, entrust life and death to one another, rescue each other in fortune and calamity, rely upon each other through blessings and disasters, and share adversity together..."
When the vows had been recited line by line,
the four addressed one another according to seniority and named their allied organization the "Righteous Society."
The name Righteous Society was proposed by Wei Tu and received unanimous praise from Kou Liang, Wei Fei, and Fu Zhizhou.
As the words fell,
at that very moment,
the sky outside the window happened to brighten fully.
"The results are out."
"The provincial examination results for this year's martial examinations are out."
Outside Xuan He Tower, voices suddenly surged like a tide. Many Martial Masters emerged from their rooms and hurried excitedly toward the Martial Examination Hall to view the list.
"Congratulations, Martial Master Fu, on placing Second Place in this year's martial examinations. You are ranked second and have earned First-class Martial Scholar honors..."
At this time, the proprietor of Xuan He Tower knocked upon the private room door and offered his congratulations to Fu Zhizhou from outside.
Xuan He Tower was a famous establishment in Qing Feng Prefecture, offering every kind of service. Beyond the basic lodging and meals of an inn, it also provided list-viewing services for scholars and Martial Masters.
Two hours earlier, Fu Zhizhou had already paid silver to entrust Xuan He Tower with viewing the list.
Thus, once the results were posted and Fu Zhizhou's rank was known, the proprietor immediately set aside his work and came to the private room occupied by Wei Tu and the others to offer congratulations.
"Congratulations, Fourth Brother."
"You have taken Second Place in the provincial examination and earned First-class Martial Scholar honors."
Wei Tu and the others congratulated him.
Although they had long known that Fu Zhizhou had performed well in the provincial examination, having his rank confirmed was still an occasion worth celebrating.
"It is only that I wonder about the rest of us..."
Wei Fei looked worried.
He did not believe Prefect He had the power to interfere with the provincial examination list, but what if? What if they failed this year's martial examinations and lost their earned status...
At this,
unease also rose in Wei Tu's heart.
"Rest assured."
"Prefect He would not dare act recklessly. An official like him seeks stability. Even if he had the ability to tamper with the provincial examination list, he would not dare do so."
Fu Zhizhou reined in his smile and offered a few words of comfort to the three sworn elder brothers he had just gained.
"Proprietor, slow down." Just then, the waiter's voice rang out from outside.
Panting for breath, the waiter said, "I haven't finished announcing the ranks of the guests in Room Three of the Heavenly Class."
"What?"
"The other three made it onto the provincial examination list as well?"
The proprietor of Xuan He Tower looked astonished at this. Though he did not say those words aloud, the expression on his face revealed them clearly.
How could the provincial examination be easy? One person among the four making the list was already a stroke of great fortune. How could there possibly be a second?
"The guests in Room Three of the Heavenly Class are all on the provincial examination list posted at the Martial Examination Hall."
The waiter hurriedly replied.
Then, he announced the rankings of Wei Tu and the other two.
"Wei Tu, Martial Master Wei—twelfth place in this year's martial examinations, a Second-class Martial Scholar."
"Kou Liang... seventeenth place in this year's martial examinations, a Second-class Martial Scholar."
"Wei Fei... thirty-fourth place in this year's martial examinations, a Third-class Martial Scholar."
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