Chapter 69

Yang Ji was conversing with the green-robed official, but his eyes kept an eye on Yang Wen and Yang Wu. Once he confirmed they had indeed left, he immediately bid farewell to the green-robed official and departed.

Yang Ji did not return directly to the inn. Instead, he blended into the crowd, passed through several markets, and navigated through several inns and alleys before finally returning to the inn where he was staying.

Fang Buxiang was not at the inn. Since the last time they had drinks, he seemed to have vanished and never returned. However, Yang Ji had no time to worry about it at the moment.

"Yang Wen and Yang Wu have always been the type who can't stand to lose. This time, they've lost face to me, so they definitely won't let it go. Although I'm not the same as I used to be and I'm not afraid of them, fighting two against one will still put me at a disadvantage."

Yang Ji's eyes flickered with contemplation, and he vaguely recalled the officials who had come looking for him:

"This place can't be stayed in any longer. The officials from the court can track me down, and Yang Wen and Yang Wu can certainly do the same. The time is not yet ripe; before the military examination ends, I should avoid them for a while."

With this thought, Yang Ji quickly vacated his room. The military examination was still a few days away, and Yang Ji had made up his mind to stay by the pond outside Pingchuan City for a while. He could hunt for his meals and use the pond for bathing and washing.

About three hours after Yang Ji left, a pair of figures immediately entered the inn where he had stayed.

"Oh, you're asking about Yang Ji? We do have a student by that name here. However, he checked out and left about half a day ago."

The innkeeper said with a smile.

Here, this young man named Yang Ji was quite a celebrity. Two groups of officials from the court, one for literature and one for martial arts, had come looking for him. It was hard not to notice him.

"Left?"

The smug expressions on Yang Wen and Yang Wu's faces quickly vanished, and their faces turned dark.

After a wild chase through the streets and losing the person, they spent several hours investigating each inn, only to find out that the person had already left. Their mood was understandably terrible.

What was even harder to accept was that they still didn't know if this Yang Ji was the one they were looking for. After all, there were many people with the same name, and just a name registered at the inn wasn't enough to confirm if it was the right person.

"Damn it, this kid is too cunning!"

Yang Wu glared at the innkeeper, wishing he could beat him up. This fool, why didn't he stop the kid from leaving!

"Alright, we're not sure if it's him yet. It's too early to make a decision."

Yang Wen pulled him aside and said.

"Who else could it be? We've already searched several inns. This one is the most likely, and the others are not."

Yang Wu said without hesitation. Thinking about that kid made him furious. If he ever saw him again, he would teach him a lesson about respecting elders and behaving properly in front of his cousins!

Yang Wen shook his head and, under the innkeeper's puzzled gaze, pulled Yang Wu out of the inn.

"There will be plenty of opportunities to teach that kid a lesson. For now, there's no need to rush. What we need to do is quickly complete the task given by the matriarch. We can't afford to offend her."

Yang Wen said thoughtfully:

"Given our situation, we will soon be able to join the military and serve as a military officer. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and many people are vying for this 'official rank.' We don't have a formal background from the imperial examinations, so this is our chance to achieve great fortune."

When Yang Wen mentioned the term "official rank," his face showed a sense of longing. Only after years of hard work could one truly understand how rare and precious an "official rank" was.

A civil official is not an "official rank," and a military official is also not considered an "official rank." Even a civil servant, without a formal background from the imperial examinations, does not count as having an "official rank."

In the Han Dynasty, only those who passed the imperial examinations were considered to have a formal background, and only those who achieved an "official rank" through the imperial examinations were recognized by the court.

An "official rank" means promotion, a promising future, and endless possibilities.

Yang Wen admitted that he was neither lacking in intelligence nor martial arts, but the "official rank" was something he could only dream of. It wasn't because he lacked the talent, but because obtaining a formal "official rank" was extremely difficult.

In each session of the military examination, only seven candidates were selected. When Yang Wen was around seventeen or eighteen, he was quite capable. However, with his First Level Martial Arts cultivation, he failed to secure one of the seven spots and had to settle for being a military official.

The "official rank" was so hard to obtain that the two of them had to take a more circuitous path. A "military officer" was a rare and officially recognized "official rank" in the military.

Once they obtained this status, their future would be bright and incomparable to their current position as mere military officials.

"We are military officials, not from a formal background. Even if we become military officers, we won't be as respected as those who passed the imperial examinations. The highest position we can achieve is that of a general. It's somewhat frustrating. The eldest son is almost back, and if we want to advance further, we will probably have to rely on him!"

Yang Wen said with a wise look.

When it came to serious matters, Yang Wu quickly calmed down, his tiger-like eyes darting around.

"What do you think we should report to the matriarch? We couldn't find Yang Ji's whereabouts, and she only asked us to investigate while we were here. We didn't expect to actually encounter him here. Do you think this kid might have secretly participated in the 'literary examination'?"

Yang Wu asked.

The literary examination had just ended, and many students were still in the city. Yang Wu found Yang Ji suspicious.

"I'm not worried about that. The status of the literary examination and the military examination is vastly different. If Yang Ji had participated in the literary examination, he should have returned by now. I'm more concerned that he might be here for the military examination. You saw it yourself this morning; we couldn't even catch him. When did this kid become so strong?"

Yang Wen said, a hint of cruelty appearing in his eyes:

"According to the news from the clan, the matriarch seems to be using an ancestral rule to deal with this kid. Once he turns sixteen, she will expel him from the clan. The matriarch is now worried that—has this kid already reached the Martial Arts Realm?"

The surroundings were silent, and both of them fell into deep thought. The term "Martial Arts Realm" carried a lot of weight. They themselves had only reached this level at a similar age.

If Yang Ji, who was not even sixteen, had already reached the "Martial Arts Realm," it would be extremely enviable. And those who are envied often meet an early end.

"Heh, if you want to know if he has reached the Martial Arts Realm, it's not that difficult. The military examination will start in a few days. We'll just have to wait and see."

Yang Wu said with a cold laugh.

"Agreed."

Yang Wen thought for a moment and finally nodded:

"Although the military examination has strict rules, it's hard for anyone other than the candidates to get in. But with our status, we can find a way. If we spot Yang Ji there, we'll immediately send a message to the matriarch!"

The two of them discussed this and soon left the inn...

...

Time passed slowly, and Yang Ji's days were quite peaceful. He spent his time practicing by the waterfall and studying the "Martial Canon."

The "Martial Canon" was a required text for the military examination. Although Yang Ji had read it several times, he decided to familiarize himself with it even more.

The military examination was crucial for Yang Ji. Objectively speaking, it was even more important than the "literary examination." Yang Ji did not want to make any mistakes in this exam.

"The written part of the military examination lasts only half a day, and the martial part begins in the evening. It will last for over ten days, and the competition will be extremely intense. No matter what, no matter how strong the opponents, I must make it into the top seven!"

Yang Ji thought to himself.

After eight years of hard study, Yang Ji was extremely confident in his ability to achieve an "official rank" in the written part. However, martial arts were different. Yang Ji had wasted eight years, and although he had made significant progress, he still lagged behind the true geniuses!

Yang Ji had no confidence in whether he could stand out in the military examination. The competition had not yet begun, but he could already sense the intense atmosphere.

Before the military examination, everyone was training frantically. Recently, Yang Ji could even hear the dense sounds of training from deep within the mountains to the west.

"This military examination will have many opponents!"

Yang Ji thought to himself as he heard the shouts from the mountains. He put down his book and dove into the pond...

"Clang!—"

A loud bell rang, echoing through the mountains like a giant gong. This was the bell for the military examination, even louder than the bell for the literary examination, with a deep and ancient resonance.

"It's finally starting!"

Yang Ji listened to the bell, leaped out of the pond, and instantly dried the water on his body and hair with a surge of blood energy. Then he left the pond.

...

Pingchuan City was bustling with activity. Countless young, energetic faces poured out of various taverns, inns, and lodges, forming a massive crowd heading in the same direction within the city.

"Buzz!"

The noise was deafening, and the crowd was abuzz with excitement. The faces of the students were flushed with excitement, and the golden light from the clouds illuminated everything, creating a strong sense of anticipation!

Yang Ji stood at the city gate, silently observing everything, as if trying to imprint it all in his mind.

"Here... this will be the turning point of my life!"

A thought flashed through Yang Ji's mind, and he smiled slightly, stepping into the vast "current"...

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