County Martial Examination! (Seeking Daily Reads)

Outside, ever since the city walls were breached that night and the mountain bandits ransacked the place, every corner of the county seat had grown desolate.

Following the departure of a fast horse several days ago, news of the upcoming County Examination spread to every corner of the region.

In these past few days, the county seat has grown noticeably livelier, showing clear signs of regaining its vitality.

People have arrived from every village and town.

There are scholars in plain robes, rough-and-tumble wanderers, families traveling together, lone candidates heading to the test, and even young martial arts heroes from the pugilistic world drawn by the rumors.

Carriages and horses weave through the streets, and even the merchant caravans have increased in number.

The annual County Examination is like a grand festival, bustling and noisy.

Which family had a name on the honor roll, who failed, where a young hero emerged, or where a successful candidate went mad—these are the stories people love to discuss most.

In the current chaotic era of the Great Wu Dynasty, with hearts scattered and morale low, such grand events are needed to boost the people's spirits and recruit talent.

Zhao An does not feel much about this, but Li Gou'er is keen on gathering information, and whenever he hears something, he returns to share it with Zhao An.

"Brother Zhao, the County Soldiers have returned! A great victory, they returned in a great victory!"

"That whole cart was piled high with the heads of mountain bandits; the sight of it, tsk tsk..."

In the afternoon, Li Gou'er scurried back, speaking with great excitement.

"Looking at it this way, this County Magistrate sent from the Prefecture City was indeed well-prepared."

"Everyone says how formidable the martial artists from the Prefecture City are, with warriors as numerous as clouds and heroes as thick as rain; now, I believe it."

"With the Black Wind Stronghold wiped out, the new County Magistrate has gained the support of the people and has firmly secured his position."

"..."

Seven days later, in mid-May, the County Examination began as scheduled.

Both the literary and martial examination grounds were located in the Inner City.

Early in the morning, under the gates of the Inner City, two queues stretched out like long dragons for a mile.

One line consisted of frail-looking scholars, while the other was mostly composed of burly, powerful men, forming a stark contrast.

The surroundings were packed with people, mostly the families and friends of the candidates, there to see them off into the examination grounds.

Of course, there were also those just there to watch the spectacle; as idle onlookers, they were not allowed to enter the Inner City to join the crowd and could only listen for news and rumors from the outside.

Zhao An was also standing in the queue. He had thought that, like him, there would be no one to see him off this morning except for Li Gou'er and Zhao Chunzi.

Unexpectedly, the two sisters, Meng Wanyi and Meng Shao, had arrived early.

Ever since that night of chaos throughout the city, Zhao An had become more familiar with these two female physicians than a typical client-provider relationship; they could barely be considered friends who could hold a conversation.

"Zhao An, I'll be waiting for your name to be on the honor roll!" Meng Wanyi waved at Zhao An from within the crowd.

"I hope he can pass the policy essay portion as well," Meng Shao muttered softly to the side.

She was completely at ease regarding Zhao An's martial prowess, but she still found it hard to believe that Zhao An could sit down and write any long-winded essays.

Not far away, Zhao Ke, that "good" older brother, had also inexplicably shown up today.

He wanted to stage a scene of reconciliation and brotherly harmony with Zhao An, but Zhao An couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind, not even sparing him a second glance.

This left him feeling incredibly embarrassed.

"You'd better pass as a Martial Student, so I can take advantage of your glory in the future..." Zhao Ke's face fell, and he cursed under his breath, looking rather sullen.

The line continued to move forward.

"Zh-Zhao An!"

Suddenly, someone behind him recognized Zhao An and let out a low cry.

This sound caused those in front and behind the line to turn their heads and look.

Zhao An's name might not mean much in the Inner City, but in the streets and alleys of the Outer City, it was legendary and deafeningly famous.

There were all sorts of opinions about him.

Some said he was a great villain, intending to eliminate the two major gangs to take their place.

Others said he was a hero who rose from humble beginnings, more diligent in rooting out evil than the yamen's own bailiffs and constables.

His name made the vicious tremble with fear and the treacherous flee in terror.

There were also those who claimed that Zhao An possessed a great opportunity, which was why he could rise with the wind once he gained power.

There were even rumors that Zhao An had been possessed by a ghost general and was no longer the original Zhao An.

Opinions were divided.

In just over a month, it could be said that Zhao An had already left his legend in the Outer City.

"So he is that Zhao An!"

"I thought he was some god-like being with three heads and six arms; he looks burly and strong, but how is he any different from me?"

"Whether he is a true hero or just someone fishing for fame, this County Examination will make it clear and plain to see."

"..."

Zhao An did not care about the opinions of others; he only cared about whether these people had a Red Name above their heads.

If they were red, they would inevitably have to take a blade from him in the future.

"Brother Zhao, I haven't formally thanked you yet." Suddenly, a scholar in patched cloth robes from the line beside him turned and bowed to Zhao An.

Zhao An felt this scholar looked somewhat familiar. Only after checking the name above his head did he recall this student from a humble background who had once lent him military manuals.

Back then, this man possessed Virtue Fruit, and Zhao An had bought that Virtue Fruit with silver. The resulting Virtue Fruit had eventually merged with several others, which was how he gained the ability to practice that lost finger technique.

"Has your illness recovered?" Zhao An looked at him. Previously, this young scholar had been sickly, as if he didn't have many days left to live.

Seeing him again today, although he was still physically weak, his spirit was at least much improved.

"Thanks to your blessing, Brother Zhao, the physician at the Bright Moon Clinic worked wonders, and I am much better now," Li Tianhuai said with sincere gratitude.

"That's good then," Zhao An nodded.

"It's just that after thinking it over, you only came to borrow military manuals for a few days, yet I accepted so much silver. I truly feel ashamed..." A look of guilt appeared on Li Tianhuai's face.

He possessed the integrity and character of a scholar, but without that money for his life-saving medical treatment, he truly could not have survived.

"You already gave me what I wanted; there is no need to mention the money again." Zhao An sensed the other man's stubborn nature and waved his hand, telling him not to bring it up again.

"In that case, Tianhuai will remember Brother Zhao's great kindness. If I ever pass the imperial examinations, I will certainly come to repay you!" Li Tianhuai said solemnly.

Zhao An responded casually.

Whether this poor kid passed or not was another matter, and he didn't count on any repayment from him anyway.

After all, in a few years, it was uncertain whether the Great Wu Dynasty would even still exist in this chaotic world.

After verifying their identities, the examinees entered the Inner City one after another.

The literati went to the examination sheds to compete in talent and learning, while the martial artists went to the Martial Arts Arena to first compete in skill and courage, followed by policy essays.

Holding his number plate, Zhao An walked toward the Martial Arts Arena.

Before him, at least three to five hundred examinees had already gathered, all looking sturdy and possessing a fair amount of strength.

Some were even imposing and exceptionally heroic, dressed in brocade robes, appearing to have some background.

Along the side of the Martial Arts Arena, rows of weapon racks were set up, hung with all manner of weaponry, and the officials in charge of the examination were among them.

The perimeter was surging with crowds of people.

Unlike the common folk who were not allowed into the Inner City, these people were either wealthy or noble, and they had the qualification to watch the county examinations every year.

Once everyone had gathered, a loud shout rang out.

"The County Magistrate arrives!"

The new County Magistrate of Lianjiang City arrived at the examination grounds with a group of officials to preside over this county examination!