The Assessment Begins

If Fang Yue passed the Martial Scholar examination this time, then Zhang Boyang's attempt to match him with Zhang Shu would still be understandable.

But at this moment, he had not yet taken the assessment.

Moreover, he had only been training in martial arts for a year, though his cultivation progress had been fairly good.

As for the strength that surpassed martial artists of the same level, he had not revealed it again. Even Fang Hu only knew that he was very strong, stronger than ordinary Skin Tempering martial artists.

But exactly how strong he was, Fang Hu did not know.

The tree that stands out in the forest is sure to be felled by the wind.

Fang Yue only needed to show a little of his talent. If he revealed too much that was extraordinary, it might not necessarily be a good thing for him.

With a weak foundation, one could easily be snuffed out.

A dead genius was no genius at all.

After being steeped in web novels for so long, he might not have learned to become some Ten-Mile-Slope Sword God, but he understood the principle of appropriately concealing one's strength and keeping trump cards in reserve.

Zhang Boyang surely did not know any of that.

So when Zhang Boyang took the initiative to match him with Zhang Shu, he truly thought highly of him.

However, though Zhang Shu was quite pretty, her temperament was truly somewhat vile. She was no good match.

For a moment, Fang Yue could only praise Zhang Shu against his conscience, while weighing how he should refuse.

After all, without a solid reason, a rash refusal would hurt their harmony.

"Yue'er, this is not difficult. You can first become betrothed to Shu'er, then formally marry after your elder brother has wed."

By this point, Zhang Boyang had finished the tea in his cup. Seeing Fang Yue hesitate, he thought Fang Yue did not wish to marry before his elder brother, so he tried to reassure him.

As for whether Fang Yue objected to the marriage, that had never entered his considerations.

In these times, whose children's marriages were not arranged by their parents and matchmakers?

In truth, he could have discussed it with Fang Hu first, then informed Fang Yue afterward.

And he was confident he could persuade Fang Hu to agree, and even convince Fang Yue's parents to accept the marriage.

After all, for someone of his family background to marry into Fang Yue's family, Fang Yue was getting the better end of the bargain.

"Father, what are you saying? I refuse to marry him!"

Just as Zhang Boyang thought the matter was settled, Zhang Shu's furious voice rang out.

Then Zhang Shu, dressed in a pale silk gown, came rushing in from outside in a fury.

She had originally planned to attend a poetry gathering in town today. Just as she was about to leave, she learned that her father intended to marry her off to Fang Yue.

To her, Fang Yue was no different from Fang Ergou. Even Fang Hu was much the same as those country mudlegs and poor relatives.

Especially the time she had spent living in Daliushu Village—it had only deepened her prejudice against country folk.

How could she, Zhang Shu, possibly marry such a rustic bumpkin?

"Shu'er! Shut your mouth! Apologize to your junior martial brother!" Zhang Boyang had thought the matter settled, yet he had not expected Zhang Shu to be so heedless of propriety.

"Hmph, I will not apologize to some rustic bumpkin! If anyone is marrying him, you marry him! I certainly won't!" Zhang Shu snorted coldly and shot back.

If Zhang Shu had obediently shut up just now, he could still have found an excuse to smooth things over, and the matter would not have become impossible to handle.

But now Zhang Shu had only gone further and further. This marriage was definitely off.

Once resentment had taken root, even if they were forcibly brought together, there would surely be no end of chaos and quarrels in the future.

Seeing his own daughter being so spoiled and willful, Zhang Boyang's anger flared.

Smack!

A vicious palm strike came down.

The next moment,

the sturdy table was instantly smashed apart.

"For an outsider, you actually want to hit me?" Zhang Shu stared at him in shock, as though she had never expected Zhang Boyang to do such a thing.

But after she came to her senses, she burst into tears and ran out.

After this incident, Fang Yue naturally could not remain any longer.

He immediately bade Zhang Boyang farewell and left.

Naturally, the marriage that had been so difficult to refuse could no longer be mentioned.

Over the next few days,

Fang Yue went out every morning to find a secluded place to practice his stance, then wandered around Xiahe County Town.

Time passed amid the peaceful days.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the Martial Scholar assessment arrived.

Fang Yue woke early that morning.

It was still dark outside, and the sun had not yet risen.

It was already late autumn, and the hour before dawn was the coldest time of the day.

The young martial artists in the inn preparing for the Martial Imperial Exam had all finished getting ready. Soon, groups of two or three young martial artists left with their belongings, heading toward the training grounds of the County Yamen.

Some went brimming with confidence; others merely wished to broaden their horizons.

Still others were caught between joy and worry, hesitant and uncertain.

Would they be moths rushing into flame, or phoenixes reborn to change their fate?

At the first quarter of the hour of the dragon.

In the first year of the Wuding Era of the Great Wei Dynasty, the first Martial Scholar examination in Xiahe County Town finally arrived.

Unlike the civil Imperial Examination, the Martial Examination only needed to verify the participants' identities, places of origin, and ages, to prevent anyone from taking the test in another's place.

There were not many other measures against cheating. The Martial Examination tested hard strength; if one's own strength was insufficient, there was no way to cheat.

On the high platform at the center of the County Yamen training grounds,

Liu Zheng, Xiahe County's chief official, sat in the very center of the platform. He wore a dark teal fitted official uniform, embroidered with a rhinoceros across the chest.

On either side of him sat the senior officials of the Xiahe County government, arranged according to rank. However, it was obvious that those closest to Liu Zheng were all Military Officers.

The few civil officials sat only at the edges of the seating, appearing insignificant.

Though this was the first Martial Scholar assessment, and the participants were restricted to no older than twenty-five,

there were still nearly two hundred martial artists who met the requirements and had come to take the assessment.

Yet compared to the civil Imperial Examination, which drew six or seven hundred candidates per session, or even one or two thousand, it still fell far short.

This was the meaning of "poor families raise scholars, wealthy families raise martial artists." Even with talent, unless one possessed the very best talent, it was difficult to afford the resources cultivation required.

Thus, among the hundred-odd candidates taking the Martial Scholar assessment, most came from large landowning families.

Only the truly wealthy could fully support a martial artist.

As for the rest—martial artists from poor families like Fang Yue—there were fewer than could be counted on both hands.

Clearly, how rare and difficult it was to raise a martial artist.

Before long, after the candidates' identities had been verified,

the gong and drums sounded nine times in succession, and the Martial Scholar assessment officially began.

Fang Yue was number 98, relatively near the middle and toward the back. It would still be some time before his turn came.

Since this was the first Martial Scholar assessment, the examination items had largely been adapted from a reduced version of the Imperial Martial Candidate examination.

They were strength and combat.

The strength test would determine whether one truly met the requirements, while the combat matches would decide the rankings.

"With a ratio of less than seven to one, the competition does not seem that fierce."

Fang Yue familiarized himself with the rules. After seeing how many people were participating today, he felt even more confident.