The Farmer's Trick

The next morning, Chen Yue once again arrived at the spot where he could see the village gate.

The figure who kept barking harshly at the Pearl Households was unmistakably still Zhou Qi! And from what he had observed yesterday, Zhou Qi seemed to have been stationed there the entire day.

"So, he's determined to hold this position—on one hand to blockade, on the other to keep watch, hoping to catch some clue, or maybe just to torment the Pearl Households out of spite."

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

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

Hearing Chen Yue's words, Father Chen's hand trembled, the rough shuttle almost stabbing his finger.

He jerked his head up, his eyes filled with shock and fear. "Sneak away from the sea? Ayue, this... this is too dangerous! Never mind the wind and waves on the sea, whether your stamina can hold out.

What if... what if you're spotted by a Sea Shark Gang patrol boat, or seen and reported by another Pearl Household? That's a serious crime! Escaping the Pearl Village on your own—at the least, they'll break your legs; at worst... at worst, they'll beat you to death on the spot and hang your corpse at the village gate as a warning!"

Father Chen's voice trembled as he grabbed his son's arm: "Ayue, how about... we wait a little longer? Or, let Dad try going to the village gate, say some nice words, beg for leniency, see if we can get some leeway—say I've run out of medicine and have to go to town to get some..."

Chen Yue shook his head: "Dad, it's useless. Zhou Qi is a mad dog right now, ready to bite anyone who comes near. Going to beg him will only bring retaliation.

There's no time. The Martial Examination registration is in these few days. If we miss this year, we'll have to wait another year, and too many things could change."

Chen Yue turned his hand and gripped his father's cold, trembling fingers: "We know these waters well. We know where the currents are gentler, where there are hidden rocky shores to land. I'll be careful to avoid the patrol boats."

Father Chen looked at his son's determined face, and remembering the night he subdued the black-clad man, the deep-rooted fear in his heart weakened considerably.

His lips moved, but in the end, all his dissuading words turned into a heavy sigh. He slowly nodded: "Then be extremely careful. Watch for undercurrents at sea, avoid people's eyes on land. Go quickly and come back quickly."

The father and son said no more. As usual, they took their old, battered fishing boat and, along with a few other households heading out to sea, slowly sailed away from the Pearl Village's small dock.

The sea sparkled under a clear sky. Father Chen steered toward their usual fishing grounds, while Chen Yue pretended to organize the fishing gear.

Once the boat was far from the Pearl Village's sight, with only the vast sea and sky around them, Chen Yue nodded to his father and slipped silently into the water.

Like a fish familiar with the sea, Chen Yue quickly dove underwater and swam vigorously toward the shore in the opposite direction from the Pearl Village.

In the waters around the Pearl Village, Sea Shark Gang boats did occasionally patrol, but lazily.

As Chen Yue had expected, years of oppressive rule and brutal punishment had long crushed any thought of escape from the vast majority of Pearl Households. Without the sea and their boats, they had almost nowhere to go, and being caught meant a fate worse than death. So the so-called patrols were mostly a formality; the gang members spent more time drinking and gambling on their boats.

Chen Yue skillfully avoided the occasional boat silhouette. After climbing ashore, he quickly hid behind a large rock and cautiously scanned his surroundings.

Confirming it was safe, he wrung the seawater from his clothes, got his bearings, and then dashed toward the county seat.

The biggest difference between Chen Yue and an ordinary Pearl Household was that he not only had the physique of a Skin Refining Realm martial artist but also carried the exquisite movement technique, Roaming Mountains and Rivers.

His steps were swift as he darted through rugged coastal paths and forests, his speed far surpassing an ordinary person's.

Midway, Chen Yue dug up a small oilcloth bundle he had buried earlier under a hidden tree root in the woods. Inside was a little over one tael of loose silver he had set aside.

The damp clothes were quickly dried by the wind from his sprint and the heat from his body, leaving only faint white salt stains.

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

Entering the county town, Chen Yue first found a secluded corner, took out the medium-grade pearl he had swallowed, and cleaned it carefully.

Instead of going back to the shop where he had sold pearls last time, to avoid being noticed, he chose a smaller storefront.

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

Chen Yue, now steady in temperament, didn't rush. He negotiated calmly and with dignity, finally settling at four taels and eight maces of silver.

With the money in his pocket, Chen Yue headed straight for Donkey Market Alley and found the same broker as before.

The broker was leaning against his doorframe, basking in the sun. When he saw Chen Yue coming again, his eyes flickered. After Chen Yue explained his purpose—to get a guarantor for the Martial Examination registration—the broker was even more surprised and gave him a thorough once-over.

"Oh? You actually scraped it together?" The broker rubbed his chin.

"Here's five taels of silver!" Chen Yue took the silver from his cloth bundle and placed it before the broker.

"Alright, money talks. Wait for me."

The broker accepted the five taels, weighed them carefully, checked the quality, smiled with satisfaction, and went back inside.

After a moment, the broker came out and led Chen Yue to a side room near the county yamen's side gate. This was where the clerk of the Rites Section handled miscellaneous affairs.

A clerk in a half-worn blue robe was drinking tea. The broker was clearly familiar with him; he leaned in, whispered a few words, and slipped him a small piece of silver.

The clerk glanced at Chen Yue and gestured for him to step forward. He took the guarantee document, already filled with basic information by the broker, along with Chen Yue's identity summary.

When he saw the words "Pearl Dweller" on the document, the clerk paused, teacup in hand, lifted his eyelids, and gave Chen Yue a careful look. His face showed undisguised surprise and a hint of amusement.

"A Pearl Household? A Pearl Diver?"

The clerk slowly blew on his tea. "Tsk, that's a rare sight. The rules don't explicitly say Pearl Households can't take the exam, as long as there's a guarantor and a clean background... well, let's call it clean.

But I haven't seen a Pearl Household register in years. What, saved up enough silver to learn a few farmhand tricks and want to try your luck?"

The clerk's tone carried condescending mockery. In his view, Pearl Households could barely fill their stomachs—how could they afford martial arts training? Let alone save up the registration and bribe money. This kid must have stumbled onto some windfall or been fooled by someone.

Chen Yue lowered his head, putting on a deferential expression, and didn't respond.

The broker quickly smiled and smoothed things over: "Clerk Liu, please do him a favor. The kid just wants to better himself. Give him a chance, give him a chance."

The clerk shook his head, asked no more questions, dipped his brush, drew a circle on the document, and took out a register to record the entry. Chen Yue's name was now on the preliminary list for this county's Martial Examination.

"Done. Go back and wait for the notice. The exact time and rules will be posted before the exam begins."

The procedure was surprisingly simple—or rather, in the face of silver and connections, his identity as a Pearl Dweller became an insignificant detail.