Provincial Examination (I)

Spring came in March, and the peach blossoms had opened.

The blooming peach blossoms rustled in the wind, while the golden radiance of the bright sun gradually emerged along the horizon...

The Provincial Examination was held at a training ground in the inner city. It was said that this was where the Heavenly Soldiers under the central commandant trained.

The Heavenly Soldiers, the cream of Mount Wei City's Five Direction Army, were the fewest in number, yet every one of them was elite.

Once a martial artist entered the Eighth Rank, their qi and blood could radiate outward and gather like clouds and mist. When they marched in formation, they took on the appearance of riding clouds and mist, as though they were traveling through the clouds. Thus, they were named the Heavenly Soldiers.

This army answered directly to the city lord and carried a reputation as weighty as a mountain.

At this moment...

An official sat upright on the command platform, his expression solemn and composed.

The side pavilions on the raised platforms had originally been chambers for the Heavenly Soldiers to rest in. Today, with a little decoration, they had become places where Mount Wei City's nobles could watch the examinations.

They called it watching the examinations, but in truth, it was talent selection.

If a child from a humble family performed brilliantly, a steward would come to discuss a marriage before half a day had passed. If a female martial artist possessed uncommon beauty, she would become a target everyone fought over.

As for the children of influential families, they dared not slack off even more.

Today was both a martial examination and proof of potential. It concerned how the family's resources would be allocated in the future.

It could be said that here... no one would hold anything back.

The Spirit Serpent Martial Hall naturally had its own private viewing chamber. Once they reached the entrance, the examinees and spectators would take two different paths.

One path led forward into the examination grounds, while the other went to the side, climbed the stairs to the raised platform, and then followed the corridor into the chamber.

Song Qinghong kept reminding Chu Xiao to be careful.

He looked even more nervous than Chu Xiao.

On the other side, Song Xue gently encouraged Qi Yu, saying, "When you first enter the Eighth Rank, your strength improves fastest. The farther you progress, the slower it becomes. Young Master Qi, you needn't care too much about those who entered the Eighth Rank earlier... It's common for someone to waste years and not advance, but regress instead."

As she was giving these reminders, a figure suddenly ran toward them from the other side.

Looking closer, it turned out to be Qing Dai, the maid beside Madam Liu.

"Young Master, there's still some time before the examination officially begins. Madam asks you to come with me."

The little maid had exceptionally sharp eyes. Seeing Song Xue standing shoulder to shoulder with Qi Yu, she added with a smile, "Madam also said to invite Miss Song along. She has a small gift to present, to express her gratitude for your care of Young Master over the past month or so."

Song Xue was slightly stunned.

Madam Liu was Qi Yu's mother, yet over the years, she had hardly ever invited Song Xue to meet her.

Her gaze shifted faintly, and her first reaction was actually to sneak a glance at Qi Yu. If he doesn't care even a little, then there's no need to go.

Yet when she looked over, she met the young man's expectant gaze.

Song Xue flushed deeply, rosy clouds rising over her cheeks.

She lifted her head, deliberately putting on a proud expression...

Song Qinghong burst out laughing. How could he not know what his daughter was thinking?

If she had no feelings for him, how could his daughter have repeatedly compiled booklets for Qi Yu, or accompanied him for an entire month to aid his cultivation?

Before his daughter could speak, Song Qinghong made the decision for her.

"Xue'er, give Third Master Qi my regards."

"Father, then I'll be going."

"Go on."

Qing Dai immediately led the two of them toward the Qi residence's viewing chamber.

The chamber was of medium size.

Inside... Qi Changshun was not there.

Besides Madam Liu, there was also a young woman in fine clothes and a slender man.

The young woman was Qi Yu's cousin, Qi Zhao. She came from the branch of Qi Changfu, the eldest master. At this moment, she wore an apricot-yellow dress embroidered with gold thread. Her expression was calm and composed, giving her an intellectual air.

Qi Yu also recognized the slender man. He was the Seventh-Rank expert Guan Mingfei from his eldest uncle's household. He had brought no weapon and wore only a blue-gray martial outfit. His aura was restrained, and he stood in the corner like a shadow. If one did not pay attention, one might not even notice him.

The data above his head fluctuated between "49~89." Clearly, he was somewhat stronger than their own commander, Ding Yi.

The few exchanged brief greetings.

Song Xue lowered her eyes slightly, her cheeks touched with red, looking somewhat at a loss.

Madam Liu took her hand with a smile and led her to the window, where they spoke in low voices.

She had originally held an ordinary impression of this girl. But after learning that Song Xue had accompanied Qi Yu through more than a month of arduous training and had taught him with all her strength, Madam Liu's favorable feelings toward her gradually grew.

On the other side, Qi Zhao took out a thin booklet and handed it to Qi Yu.

Qi Yu accepted it.

When he opened it, he saw that the front recorded the "key points for passing the first two rounds" and described in detail the operating patterns of the Wooden Man Formation and Iron Man Formation. The back was filled with rows of information. On the left page of each spread was a portrait, while the right contained information about the person.

Song Xue glanced over and was instantly dumbfounded.

The Qi Family had actually gathered information on every possible opponent...

But how could the Qi Family be so certain that Qi Yu would definitely receive a "Grade A Middle" evaluation in the first two rounds and then enter the battle for the Top Three in the third round?

Qi Zhao looked at Qi Yu and said, "Cousin, have a look through it. Just aim for the Top Three."

As Qi Yu flipped through the booklet, he asked, "Are there two people I'm certain to lose to?"

As for everyone in this room, he had a rough idea. They should all know about Lu Yan's existence, and they all knew that he had successfully cultivated Hunyuan Contending Force... They were part of the core personnel of the eldest and third branches.

The other part consisted of his father, his eldest uncle, Ding Yi, and the rest...

Qi Zhao nodded and said quietly, "The final two people in the booklet."

Qi Yu flipped straight to the back.

He swept his eyes over it.

When he saw the first name, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his expression became extremely strange.

"Zhen Ke'ai."

He glanced at the portrait beside it. It depicted a young man whose eyes shone with innocent light and who looked somewhat dull and foolish.

He more or less recognized all the dandies in Mount Wei City.

The Zhen surname was one of the great surnames in the southern part of the city.

The Zhen Family and the Qi Family were more or less alike. Both controlled one branch of the Five Direction Army, and both were controlled by a single household...

Yet he had never heard this name, nor had he seen this person.

Qi Yu asked instinctively, "The Zhen Family from the southern city?"

Qi Zhao nodded and said, "The Gale Army is controlled by the eldest branch of the Zhen Family. Zhen Ke'ai belongs to the fourth branch... His original name was Zhen Tianshuang. After his father and elder brother both died, his mind became deranged, and he could no longer even remember his own name. When others teased him and told him his name was 'Zhen Ke'ai,' he believed them. Because of his foolishness, the family's assets nearly fell into the hands of his clansmen."

Qi Yu asked, "Did he preserve the family fortune because he revealed a talent for martial arts?"

Qi Zhao did not answer. She merely raised her hand and lightly brushed the lower part of the page.

In an instant, several lines of fine black characters appeared beside the foolish young man's portrait:

[Zhen Ke'ai]

[Affiliations: Zhen Family (public), Umbrella Sect (secret)]

[Identity: Umbrella's Shadow]

[Characteristic: Flawless]

Umbrella's Shadow, commonly known as the Black Umbrella, was a hidden rank within the Umbrella Sect that was not publicly acknowledged. It consisted of murderous fanatics who had undergone the Cipher Text Baptism and successfully sensed the existence of the Myriad Umbrella God. They possessed superior aptitude and terrifying power. They could exist within any public rank; only their identities were concealed.

The characters remained visible for a moment before quietly fading away.

Clearly, the paper and the material hidden between Qi Zhao's fingers caused the words to reveal themselves briefly.

Qi Yu's pupils contracted slightly.

The Myriad Umbrella God?

The Cipher Text Baptism?

He immediately continued flipping through the booklet.

When he saw the second name, he was stunned again.

Qi Zhao raised her hand and brushed across it. A line of information surfaced:

[Han Yan]

[Affiliations: Black Bear Martial Hall (public), Umbrella Sect (secret)]

[Identity: Disciple]

[Characteristic: Flesh Armor]

Summary: Though merely a disciple, he was no ordinary disciple. He had undergone the Cipher Text Baptism and successfully sensed the existence of the Myriad Umbrella God, possessing inferior aptitude.

The characters appeared, then quickly vanished.

Qi Yu continued turning the pages.

Clearly, the opponents requiring attention had been arranged from back to front.

Zhen Ke'ai was the strongest, and Han Yan came next.

He flipped through several pages in succession. It was not until the fifth page that he saw the name "Chu Xiao."

Qi Yu asked, "Junior Brother Chu has been receiving secret training from Teacher Song for a long time... Could he have been underestimated?"

Qi Zhao shook her head.

Qi Yu continued turning the pages.

As he flipped through them, his movements gradually slowed.

He suddenly raised his head and looked at Qi Zhao, then at Guan Mingfei, and finally at his mother on the side...

A simple thought flashed through his mind like lightning: If the Qi Family understood the Umbrella Sect to this extent... then was the Qi Family—or, to put it more plainly, his cousin, his mother, and even his father and eldest uncle—all already members of the Umbrella Sect?

His cousin had been watching his expression the entire time. Now, the corner of her mouth curled into a smile, and she raised a finger to her lips in a gesture commanding silence.

Elsewhere...

The Qi Family's second branch had its own private chamber.

Qi Changji had not come, and neither had Qi Feng.

A beautiful woman sat upright on the soft couch in the place of honor. She wore a dark purple brocade robe, her cloudlike hair swept up at an angle with a hairpin. Her fingertips were slowly and leisurely tending the incense burner.

This was the second branch's Madam, Peng Wenhua.

A maid stood behind Peng Wenhua with her head lowered. Three saber-bearing guards stood solemnly on either side, while four young martial artists awaiting the examination stood quietly in front—these were all candidates hoping to enter the Poison Water Army.

Sun Li was among them.

Peng Wenhua lifted her eyes slightly. Her tone was even, yet carried a chill. "The eldest and third branches have actually joined hands now, all just to deal with our second branch."

The entire chamber fell silent.

Her fingertips paused. Slowly, she said, "If any of you manages to break into the third round and encounters that Third Young Master Qi... what should you do?"

The four martial artists answered in unison, "Show no mercy!"

Sun Li suddenly chuckled. "Madam, you're worrying too much. How could a dandy like that possibly cross the threshold of the third round?"

Peng Wenhua said indifferently, "The eldest and third branches have poured in who knows how many resources. We still need to guard against it."

Sun Li cupped his hands and said with a smile, "True gold is refined in raging fire, and sturdy grass is known by fierce winds.

"This martial examination is the raging fire, the fierce wind. In the examination grounds, whatever sort of trash he is will be exposed without exception.

"Last autumn, that dandy squandered a fortune to curry favor with the Umbrella Sect's demoness, and during the depths of winter, he even slipped off to the Golden Wind Jade Dew Pavilion for pleasure...

"For someone like that to enter the third round would be utterly impossible. If he does, I'll volunteer for the lash."

The lash was a form of punishment within the Poison Water Army.

Sun Li said this in the hope of leaving an impression on his mistress, so that he might advance further in the future.

Peng Wenhua's face blossomed into a smile, amused by him.

Sun Li continued, "A hundred lashes!"

Peng Wenhua was in excellent spirits and said in a languid voice, "Reward him~~"