"Wei Tu?" County Magistrate Chen stroked the three-inch-long beard beneath his chin, contemplating for a mont before instructing his scribe to bring the list of martial examination candidates to his desk.
At present, the Zheng Kingdom had maintained its rule for 263 years, but the administrative integrity had long since declined, far worse than in the previous dynasty. Corruption and exam fraud were rampant in the civil service and martial examinations, not only in Qingmu County but across all counties, prefectures, and Dao jurisdictions.
"However, if this Wei Tu’s results are diocre, I can always find an excuse to dismiss him. The risk is still too great…" As he flipped through the registry, Magistrate Chen pondered his options.
For civil scholars, rankings could be subjective.
But for martial candidates, skill was absolute.
Unlike the civil examinations, where writing ability could be interpreted in various ways, the martial examination’s skill tests were clear-cut—even an outsider could tell at a glance how competent a candidate was.
The three skill-based tests—stone lifting, mounted archery, and foot archery—could not be falsified.
"He achieved an Upper First Class in stone lifting, and all his other results are in the First Class tier, except for his blade technique, which is Upper Second Class…"
Magistrate Chen raised an eyebrow as he ca across Wei Tu’s records. With such impressive scores, Wei Tu was undoubtedly one of the strongest contenders for the top martial ranking.
It was clear that the Huang family’s bribe was not simply to secure Wei Tu’s place on the ranking list—he was already more than qualified for that. Instead, they wanted him appointed as the top martial candidate in the county examination.
"Now, only the combat trial and strategy examination remain…"
"Both of these can be tampered with."
Magistrate Chen tapped his fingers against the wooden registry on his desk, then gestured for his scribe to summon the examiner overseeing the combat trial.
…
By afternoon, the combat trial of the outdoor assessnt had officially begun.
The combat trial was the only true combat-based test in the martial examination. Candidates were paired up for one-on-one duels, and those who secured a spot among the top ten were granted a First-Class ranking.
However, among those top ten, further rankings were not explicitly distinguished at the county and prefectural levels. Since fists and blades had no eyes, officials avoided pushing candidates to the brink of injury over minor differences in skill.
Aside from the top martial candidate, who was guaranteed a spot in the prefectural examination, the remaining candidates on the list were treated equally.
There was no need to determine second, third, or fourth place—every ranked candidate had the sa status.
It was only in the Dao examination, where martial scholars competed for official positions, that individual rankings truly mattered.
"I just hope I don’t get matched against one of those blade-wielding martial artists who ranked First Class in the skill tests, or else…"
As the examiner called out nas to pair up the combat trial participants, Wei Tu silently prayed.
After all, in total, he had only practiced blade techniques for less than half a year, with no real combat experience.
Whether it was the blade performance test or the actual combat trial, he was at a clear disadvantage compared to those who had trained with weapons since childhood.
Before long, the examiner had assigned his opponent.
"This martial artist doesn’t look familiar. Seems like he didn’t make it into the First-Class ranks."
Wei Tu glanced at his opponent and compared him to the list of First-Class martial candidates he had morized in his mind.
Before the combat trial, the rchants near Chenghuang Temple had already purchased examination results from scribes, compiling them into booklets for resale.
One of the key features of these booklets was identifying the martial artists who had achieved First-Class rankings, marking them as the top contenders in the examination.
"Wang Du Township’s Ma Hong. I ask Martial Candidate Wei to go easy on ."
Soon, both Wei Tu and his opponent stepped onto the platform and exchanged nas.
Upon seeing Wei Tu approach the stage, Ma Hong’s expression stiffened slightly, and he cupped his fists in greeting.
"Changming Township’s Wei Tu."
Wei Tu returned the salute.
With formalities completed, they imdiately began their duel.
Monts later.
After exchanging a dozen moves, Wei Tu forced Ma Hong off the platform, securing his first victory.
An Upper Second Class ranking in blade technique wasn’t considered weak. The only opponents Wei Tu was wary of were the dozen or so martial artists who had secured First-Class rankings in the blade performance test.
The combat trials continued.
To Wei Tu’s surprise, in each match, the examiner assigned him opponents who were noticeably weaker martial candidates.
"Could it be…?"
After his fifth match, Wei Tu paused at the stone steps of the platform, his gaze instinctively shifting toward Master Huang among the gentry.
When sothing unusual happens, there is always a reason behind it.
During this county martial examination, the only people aware of his status as the disciple of Dan Wu Ju were those in the Huang estate. He had deliberately chosen not to publicize this connection.
After all, he wasn’t confident that he would secure the top ranking. There was no need to bring up his background without good reason.
This ant that the examiners were not adjusting his opponents because of Dan Wu Ju’s influence. Soone else was helping him from behind the scenes.
For soone to have enough sway over the examiners and be willing to assist him…
There was only one possibility.
Aside from Master Huang, who had publicly acknowledged their familial connection, no one else fit the criteria.
"Exam fraud?" Wei Tu frowned.
It wasn’t that he was unaccustod to such corruption—rather, he was worried about the possibility of soone using this against him.
For a capable martial candidate like him, small manipulations like this did more harm than good.
"I acknowledged Master Huang as kin. Even if I did not accept his patronage, he wouldn’t go out of his way to harm …"
With that thought, Wei Tu shook his head, pushing aside unnecessary worries.
The matches continued.
Without facing any of the strongest martial candidates, Wei Tu had no trouble securing victory. He easily overpowered his opponents and earned a place among the final ten candidates in the combat trial.
None of the other martial artists or spectators noticed these "minor manipulations."
After all, Wei Tu’s earlier performance was already outstanding. He was one of the favorites for the top ranking, so his easy victories over other martial candidates did not seem unusual.
"Wei Tu?"
Among the final ten, a young man with sharp, slanted brows glanced at Wei Tu with a hint of contempt.
Most people hadn’t noticed the tampering in the combat trial, but he had.
Because he was wary of Wei Tu’s physical strength, he had been closely observing him, analyzing his movents and planning strategies for their potential match.
But in doing so…
He noticed that sothing was amiss.
"Forget it. Making a big scene over this wouldn’t benefit either."
The young man, Wei Fei, shook his head and withdrew his gaze.
Accusing soone of cheating in the martial examination wouldn’t just target Wei Tu—it would implicate all the officials in Qingmu County involved in the process.
He wasn’t bold enough to do sothing so reckless during the examination.
Besides, even if the accusation succeeded, his own future would be ruined.
Officials always protected each other.
That was not an empty saying.
…
After the matches ended, Wei Tu sought out Master Huang to confirm his suspicions about the combat trial.
As expected, he was right.
Master Huang had indeed spoken to County Magistrate Chen before the examination.
"The county’s top martial candidate may seem insignificant—its only official privilege is guaranteeing a place in the Dao examination. But… in reality, when it cos to official appointnts, the governnt often takes county rankings into consideration when assigning martial positions."
"Besides, even if I didn’t intervene, the other gentry would do the sa for their own nephews and sons."
"Giving County Magistrate Chen a small reminder was simply to ensure that your rightful ranking wasn’t lowered just because you didn’t pay a bribe…"
Inside the carriage, Master Huang sat across from Wei Tu, speaking in a calm and asured tone.
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