Chapter 179 - 142: Talisman Manual 2
Working in a brothel meant her life was not her own. For now, she was still young and famous, able to maintain her integrity.
It was nothing more than the simple fact that the more unobtainable something was, the more valuable it became.
But a time would surely come when she would lose that control. What her fate would be then, she did not know.
~~~~~~~
A cold wind blew, carrying a chilly drizzle.
Withered yellow leaves drifted from the branches. For the average person, this kind of weather was quite unpleasant.
However, Fang Yue’s physique prevented him from feeling any such discomfort.
Setting down the rockery that weighed over ten thousand jin, Fang Yue dusted off his hands.
He returned to the clearing where he had been training. A moment ago, the mood had struck him to test his strength.
Sure enough, he had been able to simply hoist up the man-sized rockery located in the center of the small, garden-like green space.
He trained for about another hour, waiting until the sky gradually began to darken.
Fang Yue then left the clearing and returned to his inn.
~~~~~~
A while later, the weather cleared. An afterglow painted the western sky; the sun had already set.
"Mama, how did this rock move?"
The main gate of the residence beside the green space opened, and a cherubic little girl in a pink dress came skipping and hopping out.
"Nu, don’t run so fast! If you fall, you’ll start crying."
Immediately, a stunningly beautiful yet simply dressed woman followed her out of the residence, a gentle smile on her face as she watched the girl skip and play.
It was none other than Widow Yu, who had come from Da Liushu Village and returned to Shanyang Prefecture.
"Nu, you must be mistaken. Who could possibly move a rock this big?"
Widow Yu shook her head, looking at the massive rock that was taller than a man and weighed at least ten thousand jin.
She clearly didn’t believe anyone would bother moving that rock.
After all, an ordinary person couldn’t move it, and someone who could wouldn’t be bored enough to move a rock for no reason.
"It’s true, it’s true! Nu never lies! Mama, won’t you please come and look?" The cherubic little girl pouted, pointing at the giant rock with a wronged expression.
Widow Yu shook her head, assuming Nu was just joking with her, but she walked over to the rockery anyway.
A quick glance revealed telltale marks of movement beneath the rockery; it truly had been moved by someone.
The smile on Widow Yu’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a grave expression. She was no ignorant country bumpkin; she knew exactly how much strength it would take to move the rockery before them.
Over ten thousand jin. That would require, at minimum, a Martial Artist who had reached the fourth stage of the Martial Dao, the Marrow Transformation Pass.
’Why would a Martial Artist of that caliber appear at my doorstep?’
’Which faction sent them here?’
Widow Yu pondered for a moment before quickly sending her maid to summon someone.
Before long, an old man in martial attire arrived at the residence gate. He was the same man who had previously gone to Da Liushu Village to escort Widow Yu back to Shanyang Prefecture City.
"Miss!" the old man said, bowing respectfully to Widow Yu.
He then went to inspect the rockery. Arriving before it, he confirmed that it had indeed been moved.
’It looks like it was lifted up, then put back down.’
The old man took a deep breath, then gripped the rockery with both hands.
With a sudden exertion of force, the rockery before him shuddered and rose by a mere inch. He couldn’t hold it for long, however, and quickly set it back down.
"To move this rockery, one must be a Martial Artist who has achieved at least Great Success in Marrow Transformation. What could their purpose be? Could it be that those people still haven’t given up?"
The old man’s brow furrowed. Shanyang Prefecture was about to hold the Prefecture Examination.
Shanyang Prefecture City was currently teeming with all sorts of people. If *those people* really did send someone in at a time like this, it was entirely possible they could slip past the court’s notice.
’But if they went to all that trouble to get in, why would they do something like this?’
It was truly baffling!
"Third Miss, I will stand guard here for the next few days. Please, try to stay at home and avoid going out."
The old man pondered for a moment. ’If I can’t figure it out, there’s no use dwelling on it. All I can do is wait for them to make a move.’
’This is Shanyang Prefecture. They wouldn’t dare act too recklessly.’
Widow Yu nodded, then led Nu back inside.
~~~~~~~~~~
「Two more days passed in the blink of an eye.」
Fang Yue had no time to train for the past few days. Instead, he had to find several other Martial Scholars participating in the examination to act as mutual guarantors.
Although few Martial Scholars would dare to cheat so brazenly during the Prefecture Examination, it was still better to be cautious.
If he happened to be tied to some reckless fool and got implicated, his results from this Prefecture Examination would be voided. He would have to wait until the next year to take the examination again.
In the Prefecture City, there were naturally professionals who handled such matters.
Fang Yue paid some silver coins and obtained information on several participants in the upcoming Prefecture Examination. From the list, he picked out a few whose records appeared clean.
He then met with them to get acquainted.
They were, as expected, much as their files described, so they mutually signed the letters of guarantee.
He then went with these men to the Government Office to submit their letters and register for the Prefecture Examination.
~~~~~~~
As soon as Fang Yue finished registering, he left the Government Office.
At that moment, Liu Chuanzhi emerged from a corner of the Government Office. His gaze turned frigid as he watched Fang Yue depart.
’It’s him! I can’t believe Fang Yue actually registered for the Prefecture Examination!’
Over a year ago, his missions to "deal with" Fang Yue had all ended in failure.
Afterward, he had returned to the Prefecture City.
Unexpectedly, not only had he avoided punishment, but Eldest Young Master Xue had taken a liking to him and arranged a post for him at the Government Office.
Although he wasn’t a true official, merely a clerk, he was still serving in the Government Office—and in the Department of Money and Grain, one of its three most powerful divisions, no less.
Though his days were spent on little more than paperwork and accounting, the weight of his position naturally earned him plenty of flattery.
He had gradually begun to put Fang Yue out of his mind, but just now, as he was preparing to leave work for the day...
...he had seen Fang Yue again, emerging from the Prefecture Examination registration office.
’Coming to the Government Office at this time... he must have been here to register for the Prefecture Examination!’
At this thought, Liu Chuanzhi’s expression grew grim.
~~~~~~
「Late that night.」
The brothel district was brightly lit.
"Lord Zhang, please, have a drink." Liu Chuanzhi said with a chuckle, raising his cup to the middle-aged man before him.
This Lord Zhang was the man in charge of registering the information of the Martial Scholars for the examination.
If that were all, Liu Chuanzhi would have had no reason to seek him out. But as it happened, this man also secretly provided information on the Prefecture Examination participants to the city’s major gambling dens.
Every year, people would naturally place bets on the outcome of a grand event like the Prefecture Examination.
And for that, they naturally needed information on the participants.
"Haha, Brother Liu, why call me Lord Zhang? We should call each other brothers. No need to be so formal." Although the middle-aged official was more senior than Liu Chuanzhi and held a higher post in the Government Office,
Liu Chuanzhi had Eldest Young Master Xue backing him. His future was sure to be bright, which was why this official treated him as an equal.
"In that case, Brother Zhang, I appreciate the gesture." Liu Chuanzhi was quick to seize the opportunity, following his lead.
"Haha, no need for such ceremony, Brother Liu. If you have something to say, just say it. As your elder brother, I’ll do my best to help you out."
The middle-aged official, Zhang, was a shrewd man. He knew perfectly well that Liu Chuanzhi hadn’t invited him out to a brothel simply to foster goodwill.
If one didn’t understand the ways of the world, they wouldn’t survive long in official circles.
"Heh, it’s just a small matter. I’d just like to build up a certain person’s reputation a bit. It would be best if you could list him as one of this year’s top contenders."
With that, Liu Chuanzhi handed over a slip of paper with Fang Yue’s information.
The official, Zhang, took the slip and read: Fang Yue, of Da Liushu Village, Xiahe County.
’A Martial Scholar I’ve never heard of,’ he thought. ’He must not be one of the favored candidates.’
’I wonder why Liu Chuanzhi is so optimistic about this person.’
"A simple matter," the middle-aged official, Zhang, said, naturally not refusing. For him, it was an easy favor to grant.
Adding several people would have been difficult, but squeezing in just one was no great trouble.
"Many thanks, Brother Zhang! Come, let’s drink, let’s drink!"
Liu Chuanzhi laughed heartily. He offered another toast, then summoned the Madam and called for a few more girls to liven up the party.
For a time, both guest and host were thoroughly pleased.