Martial Saint through Reading

If you want to show your edge, show it—but if you let it shine too bright, you’ll only make those who wield power feel threatened.

Giving your final answer all at once cannot compare to advancing step by step.

So-called merit is sometimes just like this—the right to explain belongs to those who decide the merit.

If they say your merit is great, then it’s great—and you’re rewarded with official rank and nobility.

If they say it’s minor, then it’s minor—and you’re simply given some silver as a dismissal.

Or, like Shen Yu—clearly he had great merit in interpreting the Mountain Scripture, but because he couldn’t hold his tongue, his merit was outweighed by his faults, and he was demoted to this place.

To put it plainly, merit is nothing but a means of control for those in power.

If you aim to go far, you must continually prove your worth, until one day you’ve accumulated enough to set the rules yourself.

When the arrows are all spent, the bow is cast aside; when the rabbit dies, the hound is cooked—such things have always played out upon the stage of power.

"Sir, may I take a look?" Chu Ming feigned curiosity.

"Look—look now. Chu Ming, I’ll give you three years to catch up with Xirong County’s progress in interpretation!" Fu Chang said.

Three years?

"Yes, sir." Chu Ming took the Mountain Scripture, flipped through a few pages, and put on a show of being engrossed in it.

Seeing this, Fu Chang gently waved his hand, signaling Liu Sitong and Feng Yuan to leave. He himself did not linger long, and departed as well.

...

Soon enough, the news of a sixteen-year-old youth—a Junior Examinee from Baiyuan Academy—being recommended for the lofty post of Senior Ninth Grade Clerk spread across Baiyuan County.

"Sixteen? My child can’t even get into the academy!"

"Even if you get into the academy, so what? Can you become an official? Don’t you still have to pass the county exams first!"

"How many years has it been since anyone from Baiyuan County was recommended as an official?"

"His name is Chu Ming? Why do I remember the Chu Family once had an illegitimate son also named Chu Ming?"

"Yes, that’s the name—Chu Ming. Haven’t heard about him in ages. Surely it’s not the same person?"

"How could it be? That Chu Ming from the Chu Family—we don’t even know if he’s still alive."

"..."

The matter of a sixteen-year-old serving as Librarian—some chatted about it idly over meals, some sighed, some doubted it altogether.

...

Baiyuan Academy, Upper Academy.

In the quiet hall garden, five or six Junior Examinees were reading, among them Xiaang Changgu and Su Zhe.

Suddenly, someone entered from outside.

"Have you heard? A junior from the Middle Courtyard has been recommended as Standard Ninth-Grade Clerk."

"What? Who?!"

"His name is Chu Ming."

Chu Ming!

Xiaang Changgu’s expression changed abruptly.

Su Zhe just frowned, and kept reading.

"A junior from the Middle Courtyard—how could he be recommended? How many years has it been since anyone from Baiyuan County was made an official!"

"I heard—just a rumor, I can’t tell if it’s true—there’s a Five Kui Oxen Painting in the gallery, said to be by Chu Librarian."

Five Kui Oxen Painting?!

Su Zhe shot to his feet, his face even grimmer than Xiaang Changgu’s.

Middle Courtyard.

Brother Chu became Senior Ninth Grade Librarian?!

Xu He’s face contorted, furiously wringing his book’s pages with his hands.

...

Chu Family.

A middle-aged man sat in the high seat, his expression somewhat severe.

"Master, it has been investigated—the newly appointed Chu Librarian is indeed the Third Young Master!" A steward, bowing before him, spoke in a complicated tone.

"Truly that boy?!" Chu Rong still found it hard to believe.

A wild and wayward illegitimate son from childhood—how could he be appointed a Standard Ninth-Grade officer?

What on earth happened in Liuu Town over these past months?

"Call Madam here!" Chu Rong gripped the armrest tightly.

Chu Ming’s mother’s death—he knew the truth well enough, but after all, she was just a maid, no backing; dead is dead.

But now things were different—her son Chu Ming has become an official; the implication has changed. As the head of the family, he can no longer turn a blind eye.

"I’m here!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a stately lady approached from outside. On her left was a young woman of similar features; on her right, an older middle-aged man.

"Yuaan’er..."

When Chu Rong saw the three enter, his expression immediately changed; he hurried to greet them.

He bowed to the two at each side in turn, then suddenly berated the servants outside: "Are you blind? Madam has entered and you don’t even know to greet her!"

Though the rebuke was aimed at the servants, everyone present knew who was really being scolded.

"Oh, after so many years, brother-in-law’s temper has improved quite a bit," the stately lady on the left mocked coldly.

"Hmph!" The middle-aged man on the right shook his sleeve with a snort, strode to the high seat, sat down, and glared at Chu Rong.

"Chu Rong, it seems Second Sister has suffered no small grievances in your Chu Mansion!"

"Elder brother, I was... I was only scolding the servants..." Chu Rong attempted to explain.

"Enough nonsense," the grim-faced man barked, "I and Third Sister have traveled from Xirong County, not to watch you perform, Chu Rong."

"I hear from Second Sister that your illegitimate son has become an official?"

"I..."

Chu Rong wanted to deny it, but seeing the sharp gaze across from him, he swallowed his words.

"Second Sister and that illegitimate son have certain old conflicts—you, as the father, surely know what to do?"

"If you fail to handle it, there’s no need for the Chu Family to exist any longer. My Wan Family will take everything from you."

"Yes."

Chu Rong’s face was bitter; he said no more and left, as if he were not Chu Family’s patriarch but this man was.

The stately lady beside him gave Chu Rong a look of disdain, then turned to Madam Chu: "Second Sister, whatever possessed you to choose such a useless man in the first place!"

"Qin’er!"

No sooner were the words out than the middle-aged man, Wan Lin, snapped at her, as though she had touched upon an old and unmentionable pain.

Wan Yuan only managed a bitter smile. "Elder brother, it’s fine—Qin’er’s not wrong. The mistake was mine."

Wan Yuan, that is, Madam Chu.

Now her face bore no trace of nobility, only a complexity beyond words.

Back then, had she not been abducted by the Blood Evil Sect, lost herself and become pregnant, someone of the Wan Family’s standing in Xirong County would never have married a mere merchant.

Carrying the child of the Blood Evil Sect’s man, she was thus bound to them by ties impossible to sever.

"Second Sister, just who was behind what happened back then? Why have you always protected him?!" Every time Wan Qin recalled Wan Yuan’s ordeal, her anger rose uncontrollably.

Protect him?

Wan Yuan’s bitterness deepened.

It was not the Blood Evil Sect man she was protecting, but the Wan Family in Xirong County.

He did not have just one woman; if any of them dared leak a secret, it would mean extermination of the whole clan and family.

If the truth of her and the Blood Evil Sect came to light, the first to be destroyed would be the Wan Family.

Wan Yuan sighed: "Elder brother, how is Feng’er lately?"

Wan Feng, raised in the Wan Family from early childhood, was, in fact, sired by the Blood Evil Sect’s man—no one knew his true parentage. Chu Rong believed him to be his own eldest son.

The Wan Family knew Chu Feng wasn’t Chu Rong’s seed, but did not know whose, exactly.

"Little Feng has great martial talent. Father pulled some strings and got him into the Tiger Armor Army."

Tiger Armor Army?!

Wan Yuan’s face filled with worry. "Isn’t the Tiger Armor Army constantly at war with the Exotic Race? How could Father..."

"Don’t fret. Father would never harm little Feng."

"..."

...

West City, Xin Chu Mansion.

Chu Rong stepped down from the carriage and gazed up at the ’Chu Mansion’ plaque, his expression dark and bewildered.

The East City Merchant Chu Mansion can’t compare to the West City Chu Mansion in any way.

Be it in the size of the estate, or the standing of its master.

For me, as the father...

Chu Rong shook his head, straightened his clothes, and forced a smile onto his face.

"Halt!" Just as he reached the gate, the guard flashed a dazzling blade, making it clear he would strike down anyone advancing another step.