Uninvited Guest

Hearing Chen Mo's command, the maid nodded obediently and turned to leave.

After the maid left, Chen Lan arrived upon hearing the news.

She grabbed Chen Mo's arms and looked him up and down, and only after seeing no injuries did she heave a sigh of relief. "A-Mo, I heard you really passed as a Martial Scholar?"

Chen Mo smiled and shook his head. "The results aren't out yet, so it's too early to say for sure."

It wasn't too early to say; it meant it was all but certain.

Chen Lan smiled happily upon hearing this. "If you become a Martial Scholar, you'll bring honor to our..."

As she said this, her eyes suddenly dimmed.

Bring honor to their ancestors? The old master didn't even acknowledge them.

Chen Lan immediately regained her smile. "If you become a Martial Scholar, I'll be able to bask in your glory from now on!"

Chen Mo also gave a knowing smile. "Sister, you deserve to. You've taken such good care of me all these years; no amount of glory is enough to repay you."

Hearing this, Chen Lan's eyes grew moist involuntarily.

At this moment, a sharp voice rang out.

"Oh my, Master Chen is up so early!"

Chen Mo looked toward the source of the sound and saw Wu Laoer's round figure; his voice had arrived before he had even stepped into the courtyard.

Wu Zheng walked up to Chen Mo, rubbed his hands together in front of him, and said, "Master Chen is a young hero. Today, I'll take charge and host a family banquet to welcome you and celebrate your success!"

Chen Mo immediately replied, "The Martial Examination Red List hasn't been posted yet, so the results are still unknown."

Wu Zheng waved his hand dismissively. "With your stellar performance in the Martial Examination, whether you're on the list or not is no longer important. You are now famous throughout Anyang County, and the Wu Family shares in this honor."

Facing Wu Zheng's affected posturing, Chen Mo felt a wave of discomfort, but he thought to himself that now was not the time to fall out with him.

Moreover, the higher his "status" in the Wu Family, the safer Chen Lan would be.

"In that case, I thank the head of the Wu Family."

Chen Mo cupped his hands in thanks.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar, and a steward of the Wu Family ran over, stopping in front of them to catch his breath.

"Master... Master Chen... you're... you're on the list! You're eighth!"

He finished the sentence in two breaths. Chen Mo remained calm upon hearing this; it was about the same ranking he had expected.

Wu Zheng, standing to the side, was so happy he jumped up, as if he were the one who had passed.

"I told you! There was no doubt Master Chen would make the list. We'll hold the banquet in the main hall of the Wu Family at the hour of the Monkey today. I hope Master Chen will grace us with his presence!"

Chen Mo cupped his hands again. "You are too kind, Master Wu."

After saying this, Wu Zheng left under the pretext of being busy with the banquet.

A short while later.

Wu Zhiai arrived and was the first to congratulate Chen Mo on making the Red List.

Afterward, she brought up Wu Zheng. "Did that Wu Laoer come to suck up to you?"

Chen Mo did not hide anything and recounted every word and action of Wu Zheng.

Wu Zhiai frowned slightly. "And were you moved by his enthusiasm?"

Chen Mo immediately clarified that he and Wu Zheng were not truly on the same side.

Wu Zhiai chuckled after hearing this. "I was teasing you! Wu Zheng is a man who wouldn't move without profit. Now that you are a Martial Scholar, he naturally wants to curry favor with you. You don't need to cater to him too much, but there's no need to give him the cold shoulder either."

What Wu Zhiai thought was exactly what Chen Mo had in mind.

Chen Mo looked around, then invited her into the room to sit down.

Afterward, he told her about the recruitment attempt by Liu Zongsheng and revealed the ambush from last night.

He waited for her response.

Wu Zhiai's eyes flickered, and her expression turned grave.

This matter concerned her own safety, as well as the survival of the Wu Family.

If she made the wrong bet, she, Wu Zhiai, would be doomed.

On one side was the local tyrant of Black River Town, and on the other was a green, fledgling youth.

How to choose seemed self-evident.

After pondering for a few moments, she looked up at Chen Mo and smiled. "From the first day I met you, I said I was tied to you—we rise and fall together. You passed the Martial Examination, and I share in the honor. You are being hunted by the Black Tiger Hall; rest assured, I will not abandon you."

"Aren't you worried about retaliation from the Black Tiger Hall?"

Chen Mo asked, testing her.

Wu Zhiai tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm afraid, but in my position, even without you, I'm already at odds with the Zhao Family. Adding the Black Tiger Hall now doesn't make much of a difference."

Hearing this, Chen Mo suddenly bowed to her.

"What are you doing?" Wu Zhiai asked suspiciously.

Chen Mo spoke frankly, "If I encounter any danger, you look after my sister for me, and before I encounter any danger, I will look after the Wu Family."

He possessed the Mountain and Water Cultivation, which should have led him to hide somewhere and develop in secret, but upon closer reflection, the Mountain and Water Cultivation had requirements for resources, and by staying with the Wu Family, he at least wouldn't have to worry about resource issues.

"Sister Ai, please help me purchase some Crude Iron and Refined Iron; I have a use for them."

Wu Zhiai's eyes flickered as she asked, "The technique you practice is related to forging weapons, isn't it?"

Chen Mo was startled, but he immediately regained his composure, "I just... have a habit of practicing my fist techniques while forging iron."

Wu Zhiai did not expose him, saying, "Rest assured, I won't reveal this to anyone."

Having said that, she turned and left.

Chen Mo watched her departing figure, lost in thought.

A short while later.

After finishing his breakfast, he received a succession of donations from wealthy families he had never met, ranging from eight or nine taels to one or two taels.

These people crowded his doorway in a lively bustle.

While they called it a donation, it was actually a way to secure a favor for themselves.

A favor from a Martial Scholar who had become famous throughout the county was well worth a few taels of silver.

After these people left, he counted the money and found there was as much as forty-five taels; for a poor household, this amount could last ten years if they lived frugally.

Even with his monthly expenses having increased sharply, it would still last him several months.

"The Wu Family will provide the food and medicinal supplements, so I'll save this money to buy a house in the county seat later."

He whispered to himself.

Purchasing a house in the county seat, even on the outskirts, was the childhood dream of every child from a poor family.

By evening, ten thousand rays of sunset glow filled the sky.

A large table was set in the main hall of the Wu Family, covered with delicacies and rare dishes.

Wu Laoda and Wu Laoer had invited some collateral relatives to sit together; the more people they invited, the more face they gave to the newly promoted Martial Scholar.

During the banquet, after three rounds of drinks.

Wu Duan pointed to a basin of meat in the center of the table and said, "This is venison from the mountains, simmered with medicinal herbs for three hours. It is very beneficial for a martial artist's training, so Martial Artist Chen, please do not stand on ceremony."

Chen Mo nodded slightly and said a word of thanks.

He picked up his chopsticks, took a bite, and sure enough, a surge of medicinal power radiated from the venison, seeping into his internal organs.

In addition to this basin of venison, there were many other delicacies that Chen Mo had never seen before, not even in his previous life.

Wu Duan and Wu Zheng may be useless in other respects, but they certainly spent a fortune on this meal, he thought to himself.

Just as everyone was frequently clinking glasses and using their chopsticks, a voice as loud as a bell suddenly rang out.

"Martial Artist Chen has ascended the Red List, why didn't you invite this old man to the banquet?"

Immediately after, a series of heavy footsteps sounded, and Zhao Huayuan walked into the main hall, appearing before everyone.

When Wu Duan and Wu Zheng saw this scene, their faces turned deathly pale, and they stood up with a whoosh.