Journey to the Prefectural City

Three days later.

The entire Yunyi County had erupted.

Magistrate Yu's crime of colluding with mountain bandits to traffic people had been made public.

It caused a sensation throughout Yunyi County.

On the streets,

Yu Hezhong, along with his family members and accomplices, was locked in prison carts and paraded through the streets on their way to the prefectural city for trial and execution.

All along the route, the people cried out their grievances and cursed viciously.

Yu Hezhong, in particular, was pelted with rotten eggs and spoiled vegetable leaves until he was utterly disheveled.

"Kill him! Kill him!"

"Beast! He's nothing but a beast!"

"Give me back my child! Give me back my child!"

"Sob... my son... the true culprit has finally been caught!"

Within the crowd,

Mo Chen watched the scene with mixed emotions and shook his head with a sigh.

"When the nation prospers, the people suffer. When it falls, the people suffer."

Though the villains had been captured, some of the good people they had harmed would never return.

That was why these villains truly deserved to die!

Yu Hezhong and the others who had colluded with bandits deserved death even more!

"Brother Mo, once you leave this time, you probably won't ever come back, will you?"

Little Five watched as the convoy was about to leave the city, reluctantly seeing Mo Chen off.

Mo Chen smiled. "Who knows what the future holds? We'll take it one step at a time."

The downfall of the Lu Residence and the magistrate's fall from power

had brought obvious benefits.

Mo Chen's status as a menial servant could no longer be used to restrict him from leaving the Lu Residence.

With Tantai Xiasang's personal recommendation added to that, he could now freely head to the prefectural city to take the martial examination. No one dared use his status to restrain him anymore.

"Little Five, stay in the county town and apprentice under the shopkeeper for now. Once I make something of myself, I'll definitely come back for you."

Mo Chen looked at Little Five and instructed him.

Little Five nodded like a pecking chick. "Brother Mo, I will! I wish you success in passing the martial examination in one go and entering the Martial Suppression Academy!"

"Alright!" Mo Chen smiled and patted Little Five's shoulder before resolutely turning to follow the convoy.

The party heading to the prefectural city

contained not only the escorted prisoners.

There were also more than twenty martial arts school disciples from nearby counties who had obtained places in the martial examination.

After learning that the Martial Suppression Academy would be escorting prisoners to the prefectural city,

these martial arts school disciples with places in the martial examination had all gathered here, following behind the convoy to the prefectural city.

Outside the city gates,

Li Dazhuang and Shi Yong were also among the crowd.

The two watched Mo Chen following behind the convoy from afar, their expressions complicated and filled with envy.

"Mo Chen has really made it!"

"Yeah. Who would've thought that after secretly learning martial arts for only a few days, he'd manage to build ties with the Martial Suppression Academy?"

"Sigh, different people have different fates. There's no comparing them!"

Elsewhere,

many menial servants from the Lu Residence also stood in the crowd, gazing at Mo Chen's figure with envy.

No one had expected

that Mo Chen, also a menial servant, would actually obtain a place in the Martial Suppression Academy's martial examination!

It was simply unbelievable.

"Wu Hongbing, what about the silver Mo Chen owes you?"

Someone grinned as he teased him.

Wu Hongbing, who lent money at usurious rates, shrank back and cursed in fright, "Get lost, get lost! When has Mo Chen ever owed me silver? Don't fucking spout nonsense! It'd be more like I owe him silver..."

What status did Mo Chen have now?

He was undoubtedly a prospective member of the Martial Suppression Academy.

Moreover, he had personally seen Mo Chen chatting pleasantly with that unbelievably beautiful envoy today.

With that sort of backing, Wu Hongbing simply could not afford to offend him, nor did he dare to.

If he truly angered Mo Chen and got punched to death, who would he even appeal to for justice?

Wu Hongbing knew his business was shady, so he did not dare provoke Mo Chen at all.

"Hey, hey, did you hear? That kid's a firewood shed servant. Who knows what kind of luck he stumbled into, but he actually got a recommendation slot from Senior Sister Tantai."

"What?! A firewood shed servant?"

"Did my ears hear that right?"

"I heard those Lu Residence servants discussing it with my own ears. How could it be wrong?"

"So he's just some insignificant servant..."

Many of the martial arts school disciples turned their heads and cast strange looks at Mo Chen.

What kind of status did he have!

How was he worthy of heading to the prefectural city with us?

Mo Chen walked at the very back of the party and clearly sensed countless gazes directed at him, as though they were looking at some sort of oddity.

He looked over in confusion and found the martial arts school disciples wearing mocking, derisive expressions as they pointed at him and whispered among themselves.

When they noticed him looking their way, those disciples did not even try to hide it. Instead, they arrogantly raised their chins and gave him provocative, contemptuous sneers.

Well, well. Are these people talking behind my back?

Seeing this, Mo Chen did not need to think to guess that they had learned he was a servant, looked down on him, and were excluding him.

Whatever.

Mo Chen shrugged. Their mouths were their own; they could say whatever they liked.

When it came to pride, Mo Chen, who possessed the Martial Arts Grandmaster System, was prouder than anyone.

They were merely a bunch of self-important people. There was no need to waste breath arguing with them.

Before long,

the convoy left the bounds of Yunyi County.

Chen Xuanyin was at the front of the convoy, guarding the prisoner Yu Hezhong.

Tantai Xiasang and Su Jinse, meanwhile, sat in a carriage in the middle of the convoy, chatting back and forth.

"You're saying this Mo Chen has trained in martial arts for less than half a month?"

Tantai Xiasang stared at Su Jinse, her eyes filled with shock.

Su Jinse took a deep breath and solemnly nodded.

"Senior Sister, according to my investigation of the Lu Residence's firewood shed servants, Mo Chen truly did not know any martial arts before."

"I only learned that he began secretly studying martial arts half a month ago when I questioned a servant named Shi Yong alone. He let it slip in his nervousness."

Tantai Xiasang said gravely, "So in half a month, he went from an ordinary person to a Condensing Astra Realm martial artist?"

Su Jinse nodded. "Yes! I found it unbelievable at first as well! But after a more detailed investigation, I'm certain that his background and experiences are completely clean. There isn't the slightest suspicious point."

Tantai Xiasang fell silent in thought, as though pondering something.

After a moment,

she suddenly recalled in surprise

that when Mo Chen had first met her, he had asked whether someone with exceptional talent could become a core disciple.

At the time, she had thought Mo Chen was overambitious despite lacking ability, so she had sternly warned him,

"On the path of martial arts, you must keep your feet on the ground. Do not entertain any unrealistic thoughts!"

But now that she thought about it,

Tantai Xiasang's heart stirred.

"He wasn't overambitious. His talent is truly heaven-defying?"

The moment the thought arose, even Tantai Xiasang found it inconceivable.

What kind of genius could break through to the Condensing Astra Realm in only half a month?

One had to know that she was also a genius.

And she was currently the Martial Suppression Academy's foremost martial arts genius.

Yet how long had it taken her to go from an ordinary person to the Condensing Astra Realm?

The answer was: two whole years.

At that thought, Tantai Xiasang suddenly felt her breathing quicken, and her hands involuntarily clenched into fists.

"Junior Sister Su!"

Su Jinse nodded. "Yes, Senior Sister?"

Tantai Xiasang decided, "When we rest, I'll find an opportunity to test Mo Chen. If he truly is a peerless genius, we must immediately send the news to Master by fast horse!"

Su Jinse smiled faintly. "That is only right!"

Tantai Xiasang lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside with her beautiful eyes.

At the rear of the convoy, a handsome youth in black clothes, carrying a pack on his back, followed alone at an unhurried pace.