Farmhand Tricks

Early the next morning, Chen Yue returned to a spot where he could see the village gate.

The figure who kept harshly berating the Pearl Households was none other than Zhou Qi! And from what he had observed yesterday, Zhou Qi seemed to have stood guard there all day.

Looks like he's set on staying here. He wants to seal the place off and keep watch for any clues—or maybe he just wants to take out his frustration on the Pearl Households.

Chen Yue realized it probably wouldn't work to wait for Zhou Qi to leave on his own. He returned home and found Father Chen mending a fishing net.

There was no one else in the house. Chen Yue lowered his voice. "Father, we'll go out as usual in a little while. Once we're at sea and out of sight of Pearl Village, I'll find a chance to swim back to a secluded spot on shore, then take the land route to the county seat. After I register, I'll come back."

At Chen Yue's words, Father Chen's hand jerked, and the rough shuttle nearly pricked his finger.

He jerked his head up, his eyes full of shock and fear. "Slip away by sea? Yue, this... this is too dangerous! Not to mention the rough waves and whether you'll have the strength to make it.

"If... if the Sea Shark Gang's patrol boats spot you, or another Pearl Household sees you and reports you, that's a serious crime! If you flee Pearl Village without permission, at best they'll break your legs; at worst... at worst, they'll beat you to death on the spot. They might even hang your body at the village gate as a warning!"

Father Chen's voice trembled as he grabbed his son's arm. "Yue, maybe... maybe we should wait a little longer? Or your father could try going to the village gate, say a few kind words, beg for leniency, and see if they'll make an exception. I could tell them I've run out of medicine for my injury and have to go into town to get..."

Chen Yue shook his head. "Father, it won't work. Zhou Qi's a rabid dog now, snapping at anyone he sees. If we go begging, he'll only retaliate.

"There's no time. Registration for the Martial Examination is in the next few days. If I miss it this year, I'll have to wait another year, and too much could change."

Chen Yue clasped his father's cold, trembling hand. "We know these waters well. We know where the currents are calmer and where there are hidden rocky shores we can land on. I'll be careful to avoid the patrol boats."

Father Chen looked at his son's resolute face and recalled how he had subdued the black-clad man that night. The deep-rooted fear in his heart eased considerably.

His lips moved, but in the end, all his objections turned into a heavy sigh. He slowly nodded. "Then be extremely careful. Watch out for undercurrents at sea, avoid people when you come ashore, and get back quickly."

The father and son said nothing more. As usual, they took their old, dilapidated fishing boat and slowly sailed away from Pearl Village's small dock alongside several other families heading out to sea.

Sunlight shimmered across the water, and the weather was clear. Father Chen steered toward the waters they usually fished, while Chen Yue pretended to sort through their fishing gear.

Once the boat was far beyond Pearl Village's sight and nothing but endless sea and sky surrounded them, Chen Yue nodded to his father and slipped silently into the water.

Like a sea fish accustomed to the water, Chen Yue quickly plunged below the surface and swam with all his might toward the shore, away from Pearl Village.

The Sea Shark Gang's boats did occasionally patrol the waters around Pearl Village, though they did so lazily.

But just as Chen Yue had expected, years of harsh rule and brutal punishment had long since ground down the Pearl Households' desire to flee.

With neither sea nor boat, they had almost nowhere to go, and if they were caught and brought back, their fate would be worse than death. So the so-called patrols were mostly for show. The gang members spent more time drinking and gambling aboard their boats.

Chen Yue deftly evaded the boats that appeared from time to time. Once he climbed ashore, he quickly hid behind a massive boulder and warily scanned his surroundings.

After confirming it was safe, Chen Yue wrung the seawater from his clothes, found his bearings, then sprang into motion and raced toward the county seat.

What set Chen Yue apart from ordinary Pearl Households was that he possessed not only the physique of a Skin Refining Realm martial artist but also the exquisite footwork of Roaming Mountains and Rivers.

His steps flew as he raced along the rugged coastal paths and through the woods, moving far faster than an ordinary person.

Along the way, beneath a concealed tree root in the woods, Chen Yue dug up a small oilcloth bundle he had buried earlier. Inside was a little over one tael of silver in loose coins.

The wind from his swift run and the heat from his body quickly dried his damp clothes, leaving behind only faint white salt stains.

In less than half an hour, the outline of Hepu County was already visible in the distance. Chen Yue slowed down and resumed the appearance of an ordinary traveler.

After entering the county seat, Chen Yue first found a quiet, deserted corner and took the medium-sized pearl he had swallowed out of his stomach, then carefully cleaned it.

To avoid drawing attention, Chen Yue didn't return to the shop where he had sold pearls last time. Instead, he went to a smaller establishment.

The shopkeeper was a lean old man. He held the pearl up to the light and examined it for a long while, then glanced at Chen Yue's plain clothes and offered a low price.

Chen Yue was now steady and unhurried. He calmly negotiated, neither fawning nor blustering, and finally sold it for four taels and eight mace of silver.

With the money tucked away, Chen Yue headed straight to Donkey Market Alley and found the Broker from last time.

The Broker was leaning by the doorway, basking in the sun. When he saw Chen Yue return, his gaze shifted slightly. Once Chen Yue explained that he needed a guarantor for Martial Examination registration, the Broker looked him up and down several times in surprise.

"Well, well. You really managed to scrape it together?" the Broker said, rubbing his chin.

"Here's five taels of silver." Chen Yue took the silver from his cloth bundle and held it out to the Broker.

"Fine. I'll take the money and get the job done. Wait here a moment."

The Broker accepted the five taels, carefully weighing them and checking their quality. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he went inside.

A short while later, the Broker came out and led Chen Yue to a side room near the side gate of the county yamen. This was where the clerks of the Rites Office handled miscellaneous business.

A clerk in a well-worn blue robe was drinking tea. The Broker clearly knew him; he went over, murmured a few words, and slipped him a small piece of silver.

The clerk glanced at Chen Yue and motioned for him to step forward. He took the guarantee document, on which the Broker had already filled in the basic information, along with Chen Yue's identity details.

When he saw the words Pearl Diver on the document, the clerk's hand paused around his teacup. He raised his eyes and studied Chen Yue, his face openly surprised and tinged with amusement.

"Pearl Household? Pearl Folk?"

The clerk leisurely blew the foam from his tea. "Tsk. That's a rare sight. The rules don't explicitly say people of the Dan register can't take the exam, as long as they have a guarantor and come from a respectable family... well, respectable enough, I suppose.

"But I haven't seen a Pearl Diver apply in years. What, scraped together enough silver to learn a few farmhand tricks, and now you think you can try your luck?"

There was condescension and mockery in the clerk's voice. As far as he was concerned, Pearl Divers could barely afford to eat, let alone find the time to learn martial arts, much less save enough money for registration and bribes.

The young fellow in front of him had probably stumbled onto some stroke of luck, or been duped by someone.

Chen Yue lowered his head, putting on a deferential air without replying.

The Broker hurried to smile and smooth things over. "Clerk Liu, please look kindly on him. The boy's determined to make something of himself. Give him a chance, give him a chance."

Clerk Liu shook his head and asked no more. He marked a spot on the document with his brush, then brought out a register and entered the details, adding Chen Yue's name to the preliminary list for the county examination's Martial Examination.

"That's it. Go home and wait for the notice. Before the exam, they'll post the exact time and rules."

The process had been surprisingly simple—or rather, in the face of money and connections, his status as a Pearl Diver had turned out to be an insignificant detail.