I Cultivate in a Government Office

From time to time, familiar peers or children from various families would see him and come over to greet him, their voices filled with both respect and curiosity.

Yang Wenqing responded to each one, his attitude easygoing. He chatted about the recent happenings in the village, asked after the health of the various families’ elders, and shared some non-confidential news from the county. At this moment, he was no longer the high-ranking county official to be looked up to, but a neighborhood big brother who hadn’t been home in a long time.

As the night deepened, a lively martial arts opera began on the stage, the beat of gongs and drums thundering through the air.

The boxing match also concluded. The victor was surrounded by his companions, while the loser, not at all discouraged, traded good-natured thumps on the shoulder with his friends.

Children darted in and out of the crowd, only to be caught and playfully scolded by the adults. The air was thick with the smells of cheap tobacco, sweat, dust, and the unique atmosphere of a boisterous gathering.

Yang Wenqing stood at the edge of the commotion, taking in the familiar scene. This was perhaps the truest face of his hometown: a routine existence, the limited joys people made for themselves amidst a mundane life, a silent acceptance of their fate, and a small outlet for their passions found in fists and opera scripts.

When the moon was high in the sky, the opera’s grand finale concluded. The actors took their bows, and the audience, still wanting more, began to reluctantly disperse.

The gongs and drums fell silent, and the din gradually subsided. The ancestral hall’s square quickly grew quiet, leaving behind only a floor littered with melon seed shells and scattered cigarette butts. A few old men, still savoring the performance, gathered together, softly recalling the opera they had just watched.

The circle for the boxing match had also broken up. The young men, with arms slung around each other’s shoulders, headed home talking and laughing.

The excitement faded with incredible speed. As if in an instant, silence once again enveloped the village, broken only by the occasional bark of a distant dog, which made the night feel even deeper.

Yang Wenqing led his sleepy younger brother and sister back home, where their mother had already prepared hot water for washing up.

After washing up, he shared a room with his younger brother, Yang Wenjian. The room was simply furnished with two wooden plank beds and an old desk. Yang Wenjian’s excitement had long since worn off; after washing up, he lay down on his bed and immediately fell asleep.

Yang Wenqing sat cross-legged on his bed and slowly began to circulate the basic Heart Method of the *Nine Refining Secret Skill*, guiding the Spiritual Qi through a fundamental cycle in his meridians.

The night passed peacefully, filled only with the sound of steady breathing and the occasional chirping of insects outside the window.

At dawn, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, a childish voice called out from the courtyard: "Uncle Wenqing! Are you there, Uncle Wenqing? Third Grand-uncle is calling you to the ancestral hall!"

Yang Wenqing ceased his cultivation and rose. He opened the door to see a sturdy-looking boy of about eight or nine, the son of a distant clan cousin.

"I know. I’ll head over after breakfast," Yang Wenqing replied.

Just as he finished speaking, his mother called them for breakfast. His younger brother and sister reluctantly got up to wash. After a quick meal, his siblings had to go to the clan school for lessons, while he said goodbye to his parents and headed for the ancestral hall.

Inside the ancestral hall, Clan Elder Yang Dehou and several other elders in charge of clan affairs had been waiting for some time. Seeing him enter, Yang Dehou spoke directly, "Wenqing, last night, we old men discussed the clan trial regulations again. We feel it’s better to act sooner rather than later and finalize things while you’re still in the village. Therefore, we plan to post the announcement for the clan trial rules today."

"The exam will officially be held in two days, the day before your leave ends. The questions will be as we discussed yesterday: elementary classics, basic mathematics, and a simple essay on ’Revere Heaven and Ancestors, Loyal to Ruler and Country.’ What do you think?"

Yang Wenqing pondered for a moment before nodding. "Third Grand-uncle, your considerations are thorough. This arrangement is very good. I have no objections. Let’s proceed according to the clan’s rules."

"Good, then it’s settled!" Yang Dehou immediately sent someone to beat the gong and make the announcement.

Soon, the news spread through the entire village like a gust of wind.

Families with children of the right age were suddenly abuzz with activity. The women busied themselves finding the most presentable clothes for their children, while the men repeatedly urged them to take the exam seriously. The teacher’s house was suddenly crowded with children seeking advice or borrowing books. Even the most mischievous kids in the village had settled down for the past two days, cramming from their books at the last minute.

Amidst this atmosphere, Yang Wenqing took special notice of one particular young man.

The boy’s name was Yang Wenqi, the grandson of his second grand-uncle, and he had just turned seventeen this year. Unlike most of his peers, who were either awestruck or reserved in Yang Wenqing’s presence, Yang Wenqi always managed to approach him at just the right moment to call out, "Brother Wenqing." His words never seemed overly fawning, yet they conveyed a sense of closeness and admiration.

Yang Wenqing noticed him because the boy was clever with his words and very observant. He was quick and efficient when running errands, passing messages, or serving tea. He was also popular among his peers in the clan—the type of smart person who seemed carefree on the surface but was actually quite astute.

’Moreover, his academic performance is surprisingly top-tier among his peers. Not only are his foundations in the classics and mathematics solid, but he’s also exceptionally interested in knowledge related to Divine Arts. He often asks the teacher questions that go beyond the curriculum and has secretly borrowed the few miscellaneous books on the subject available in the village.’

’It’s clear he’s had a specific goal from a young age, knows what he wants, and is already working hard for it.’

’This precociousness and sensitivity to a specific field, far beyond that of his peers, makes him perfectly suited for the path of the Civil Affairs Bureau. The only question is whether he can make it out.’

「Two days passed in a flash.」

On the day of the clan trial, dozens of simple desks and chairs were temporarily set up in the open space in front of the ancestral hall. Over sixty eligible youths entered the area in succession under the watchful eyes of the clan elders.

As a specially invited observer, Yang Wenqing sat by the window of a side hall in the ancestral hall. He saw Yang Wenqi sitting near the front. His pen moved quickly as he wrote his answers, his expression quite composed, unlike some of the other children who were scratching their heads in frustration.