Slap

That afternoon, after the Martial Scholar assessment ended.

Fang Yue checked out of the Wine House's firewood room and prepared to return to Daliushu Village.

After all, checking out a day early would save him a little silver.

Besides, he had already finished the examination and obtained the status of Martial Scholar, so there was no need to wait for tomorrow's posted results.

After leaving the Wine House, Fang Yue headed for Zhang Boyang's residence.

In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, he arrived at the Zhang Residence.

However, Zhang Boyang was out and not at home. Fang Yue explained his purpose to the steward and asked him to relay the news of his departure to Zhang Boyang, then prepared to leave the Zhang Family.

Just as he reached the entrance, Zhang Shu walked in from outside, with a young girl at her side.

"Fang Yue, what are you still doing here? Leaving already, not waiting for tomorrow's results? Did you fail?"

"Hehe, I knew you were a toad lusting after swan meat. You've both trained in martial arts for over a year—yet you can't pass, while someone else can. That's the gap between you! A mud-legged peasant will always be a mud-legged peasant!"

Zhang Shu perhaps assumed that Fang Yue was leaving today because he had failed and was too ashamed to remain in Xiahe County Town.

She immediately mocked him coldly, utterly disregarding him.

How could some poor country boy, who had trained in martial arts for barely over a year, possibly pass?

He was rushing back without even waiting for the results to be posted. He must have failed and been too ashamed to stay here.

At that thought, the smile on Zhang Shu's face deepened.

The girl beside her also looked curiously at Fang Yue.

Sure enough, this country youth her close friend had mentioned was dressed very plainly, even with patches on his clothes.

Sure enough, he was some rural farmer, a poor wretch who could not be presented in polite society.

Contempt and dislike immediately appeared on her pretty face, and she joined in the ridicule.

"You're Fang Yue, right? I don't care what methods you used to make Uncle Zhang consider taking you in as a live-in son-in-law, but I advise you not to indulge in wishful thinking."

Hearing this, Fang Yue could not help touching his nose.

"In that case, I'll trouble Senior Sister Zhang to pass word to Martial Uncle. Tell him that Fang Yue won't be coming again."

Since Zhang Shu had put things this way, it was naturally inappropriate for him to remain, and he would not be able to visit again in the future.

If not for the care Zhang Boyang had shown him, he would have long since taught Zhang Shu a lesson for acting like this.

"Hehe, and you as well—watch your mouth. Disaster comes from the mouth."

Fang Yue then smiled at the girl beside Zhang Shu. No matter how ugly her expression became, he turned and left.

"Despicable, despicable! That sort of person truly has no upbringing. He deserves to fail!"

The young girl beside Zhang Shu stamped her foot and said indignantly.

She certainly did not dare admit that when Fang Yue, that mud-legged peasant, had stared at her just now, his gaze had frightened her.

"That's right, he definitely can't have passed!" Zhang Shu finally came back to herself, her heart likewise filled with chagrin.

She had clearly been the one mocking Fang Yue as a toad lusting after swan meat, so how had it instead made her seem unreasonable and ungrateful?

It was truly infuriating!

Meanwhile, after leaving the Zhang Family, Fang Yue left the County Town directly and set out on the road home.

It was already nearing evening. He had to hurry and find lodging in a village ahead.

The next day.

At the plaza before the main gate of the Xiahe County Yamen in the center of the County Town.

Several bursts of gongs and drums rang out, and the County Yamen's gates opened.

Four yamen runners in bright-red uniforms played suonas as they surrounded a Military Officer carrying the results notice, emerging from the County Yamen.

They went straight to one side of the County Yamen and hung the bright-red notice upon the wall.

It was a list made of red silk, with fifty names neatly written upon it.

Apart from the single name at the center, the other forty-nine names were arranged around it like stars surrounding the moon.

The characters were enormous; even those standing far away could see them clearly.

The crowd immediately erupted.

Naturally, quite a few candidates who had taken the assessment yesterday and earned the title of Martial Scholar were among them. Although they had learned the results in advance, seeing the list publicly posted now—

The crowd cheered, and praises rang out without end, leaving people refreshed and exhilarated.

On the second floor of a Wine House beside the plaza, Zhang Shu leaned against the railing and watched the crowd below.

Clearly, although she had said yesterday that Fang Yue would definitely fail—

She was still somewhat worried. What if that fellow passed? What if, against all odds, the impossible happened?

So early this morning, she had dragged her close friend here.

"Sister Shu'er, that man definitely failed. Otherwise, why would he have left yesterday? He didn't even dare look at the posted list!" Zhang Shu's close friend said dismissively.

"Of course. With Senior Brother Wang around, he definitely couldn't pass." Rather than answering, Zhang Shu gave a self-mocking smile.

To guard against every possibility, she had deliberately, though seemingly casually, told Wang Teng that her father intended to marry her to Fang Yue.

With Wang Teng's temperament, he would certainly make a move against Fang Yue.

When that happened, Fang Yue definitely would not pass.

So what was she worried about? Coming here today had been completely unnecessary!

"Miss, this is bad, this is bad! Fang Yue passed!"

Before long, a maid-like young woman ran upstairs, panting heavily as she spoke to Zhang Shu in alarm.

"What did you say? Did you see wrongly? That shouldn't be possible! How could he have passed?" Zhang Shu's expression changed at once. She grabbed the maid before her with both hands and asked in utter disbelief.

Her voice was shrill and cutting, filled with disbelief and panic. Even she had not noticed that she was beginning to fret over gains and losses.

Yet in the end, she still argued forcefully, "So what if he passed? What does a mere Martial Scholar amount to? Neither official nor clerk, still a good-for-nothing!"

Slap!

At that moment, a crisp, resounding sound rang through the Wine House.

Then—

Zhang Boyang appeared beside Zhang Shu, and half of Zhang Shu's face swiftly swelled.

"You look down on Martial Scholars? I never thought I would raise a daughter like you! You truly infuriate me!"

For a moment, Zhang Shu was stunned. She did not even feel the burning pain on her cheek as she stood there frozen.

Only after quite a while did she react. Covering her face, she cried, "Father, you hit me? You actually hit me for some unrelated mud-legged peasant!"

Zhang Boyang snorted coldly. In the past, whenever Zhang Shu cried, he would surely soften.

But today, he had truly been enraged. When he returned home today, the steward told him what had happened yesterday afternoon, when Zhang Shu had insulted Fang Yue.

He had immediately exploded with anger, because he thought highly of Fang Yue's potential.

Whether Fang Yue passed the Martial Scholar examination this time would not change that. Besides, he had already learned from an acquaintance at the County Yamen that Fang Yue had indeed passed!

With Fang Yue's talent and aptitude, becoming an Imperial Martial Candidate in the future would be no difficult matter. He might even have the chance to go further.

He had intended to marry Zhang Shu to him for her own good, yet he had never expected that this daughter of his would not appreciate his painstaking intentions at all.

"Take Miss back! Don't let her stay here and make a spectacle of herself!"