Chapter 277: Welcoming the Marquis

Ten days later.

The news that Yuan Viceroy had been enfeoffed as a Marquis spread throughout Yunzhou, especially the announcement recruiting retainers, which drew countless prodigies to Qinghe.

The newly appointed County Magistrate faced his greatest crisis since arriving in Qinghe.

Many of these prodigies were true disciples of major sects.

They came seeking opportunity.

Each was arrogant and came from powerful backgrounds, making them difficult to manage.

Pressuring Qinghe's common folk was still the least of it.

What he feared most was these prodigies clashing—should that happen, and their home sects demanded answers, it would become a major incident.

"This time, Marquis Yuan will inspect five prefectures, and our Anning Prefecture has been assigned Qinghe."

Ning Zhong nodded.

He had already naturally begun referring to Yuan Viceroy as Marquis Yuan.

If the northern situation stabilizes, there may be a long time before another Viceroy appears.

One man commanding several garrisons holds too much power.

Enfeoffment as a Marquis followed by inspection is standard procedure; choosing Qinghe was unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable.

After all, Qinghe's current infrastructure has fully surpassed that of a prefectural capital, and the establishment of the Weiheshimao Office makes it a key location—Marquis Yuan's inspection is only natural.

More crucially,

Marquis Yuan will hold retention trials in these five locations.

That means Qinghe will be one of the trial sites.

Otherwise, why would all those nobly dressed sons and daughters gather in Qinghe? Do they truly believe Qinghe's entertainment quarters have improved enough to rival Jingcheng?

Of course, they've all heard the rumors.

If one catches Marquis Yuan's eye, it's a favor to one's sect—gaining his patronage is something even major sects would eagerly seek.

Naturally, everyone welcomes this.

In two more days, Marquis Yuan will arrive in Qinghe.

Haven't you noticed how hard Cao Assistant Regional Commander has been working, so eager and attentive?

Ning Zhongtian: "This selection is quite interesting. I've heard about the other locations—few pass, and I'm told three have already been chosen by the Marquis: one scholar, two warriors."

Qinghe is the final stop.

So the trial content is largely known.

The trials are divided into literary and martial.

The literary trial is writing an essay.

But if you think it's merely about flowery rhetoric, you're utterly mistaken—and vastly underestimate Yu Guo's talent for selecting officials. After multiple reforms, and with Grand Secretary Zhang advocating that writing must carry substance and serve practical governance,

What you imagine the question to be: "Compose a poem on the theme of spring."

What it actually is: "Those who govern heaven and earth with me are the sects and noble clans. Yet today, scholarly morals are corrupt, clans are disrespectful, their desires boundless yet their insight shallow. To restore proper scholarly conduct and revive the ancient Dao—what should be done?"

First, every point must be supported by classical texts; second, it must be actionable; third, literary merit cannot be lacking.

Do you truly think scholars spent decades in cold windows studying merely to memorize a few thin classics?

The depth of learning here is immense.

This literary trial's topic was personally set by Yuan Viceroy—each location receives a different question.

To stand out in the literary trial is as prestigious as ranking among the Top Three in the Metropolitan Examination.

As for the martial trial, it does not follow the usual pattern of brute contests or challenge platforms.

Instead, it is uniquely devised.

Drawing the spear.

While serving as Viceroy, Yuan was known as "One spear, ten thousand troops."

The trial: Yuan's spear, the Wave-Cutting Spear, is planted firmly in the earth. Contestants advance and attempt to draw it out. Pulling it one inch earns Class C; one foot, Class B; three feet, Class A; if fully drawn, Class A Superior.

After visiting four locations, no one has yet achieved Class A Superior.

The difficulty is evident.

Ning Zhongtian: "I heard Marquis Yuan's spear is a divine weapon with a sentient spirit—it can assess a warrior's strength without bloodshed, selecting exactly who he desires."

This time, Marquis Yuan is selecting retainers.

The most important quality for a retainer is immediate combat readiness—surely he doesn't intend to spend time training subordinates from scratch; that would be absurd.

Of course,

Immediate combat readiness isn't the only criterion. The final choice depends entirely on Marquis Yuan's judgment—potential is also a key consideration.

Li Rui was about to speak.

When he saw Han Zhen, Xue Gui's strategist, enter Li's residence.

"Young Brother Han."

Li Rui stood and bowed with a smile. Han Zhen had stayed in Qinghe for half a month—surely not merely for inspection; he must have come early, waiting for Marquis Yuan.

He had heard:

Marquis Yuan's inspection party included only a few personal guards—he didn't even allow Xue Gui to accompany him.

Since he wasn't allowed to come, fine.

Xue Gui simply sent someone ahead to Qinghe in advance—thus, he didn't break protocol.

Everyone knows the power of a grand finale.

That's why Han Zhen was sent to the final trial in Qinghe—to make a favorable impression on Marquis Yuan.

Han Zhen holds no official rank—perfect for this task.

"Old Brother Li, Marquis Yuan has already crossed into Anning Prefecture's territory—he should arrive tomorrow."

Han Zhen said.

He's arriving a day earlier than scheduled.

He grinned: "Young Master Li, all of Yunzhou is counting on you."

Marquis Yuan has visited four locations and selected three retainers—all, without exception, not from Yunzhou.

There's no help for it.

Talent from a single province simply cannot compare with that of the entire realm.

Those three were either disciples of major sects or elders of noble clans—truly experienced. The clans of Yunzhou have been overshadowed.

Li Rui: "I'll do my best."

A large ship glided slowly southward along the wide river, its towering mast—over three zhang high—rippling with wind-tossed sails.

A black-gold tiger-pattern banner flew proudly.

Annan!

This was the vessel of the newly appointed Marquis of Annan.

On deck,

a middle-aged man in crimson-purple python robe stood still, letting the river wind brush him, his figure as unmoving as a mountain.

"General, we'll reach Qinghe's territory soon."

A young man, around twenty, clad in light armor, spoke.

"Hmm."

Yuan Dingting's voice was deep and heavy.

He had set out from Yunzhou, touring five locations—Qinghe was the final stop.

The journey had been satisfactory enough.

Though Yunzhou lacked the deep heritage of the Central Plains or Jiangnan, it had its own merits—this trip yielded modest gains.

Behind him stood one man, one woman, and one elder.

All were Yuan Dingting's newly recruited retainers.

"Do you think anyone in Qinghe will be chosen by Marquis Yuan?"

The young man spoke.

His name was Yang Heng, formerly the top disciple of Shenwu Sect in the Central Plains, and a top contender in this selection—he had already earned Class A in Yunzhou and been taken on by Yuan Dingting.

Yet he was dissatisfied with the outcome.

Just a retainer? Why go through all this trouble? He sought the position of founding senior disciple.

Now it seemed Marquis Yuan had no intention of taking disciples.

The woman spoke slowly, her voice melodious: "I heard Xu Shixiong of Guiyun Sect is in Qinghe—he'll likely be chosen."

Yang Heng nodded:

"With Xu Shixiong's abilities, he has a strong chance."

The woman, like him, came from a major sect—her name was Han Qin, eldest disciple of Tianxiang Valley, her status equal to his.

In contrast,

the elder beside them seemed out of place.

Not merely because of his age, or because he was the only scholar among the three, but because of his origin.

The Wang clan of Yingdong—a great family—but the elder was merely a minor branch, solidly humble-born.

Nearly sixty years old.

A single essay made him a retainer in the Marquis's household.

It was truly a stunning debut. But Yang Heng and Han Qin were different—they had long been well-known and had no need to make a splash in a single contest.

Given their different backgrounds, it would be strange if they had anything in common.

Even if Yang Heng and Han Qin had no intention of distancing themselves, it would still happen this way.

As they spoke.

The large ship slowly docked.

A large crowd was already waiting on the dock.

"Marquis Yuan."

Cao Wei, Yan Zhongxing, Han Zhen, and the new County Magistrate Jia Qi hurried forward onto the ship and bowed to Yuan Dingting.

"All rise."

Near the dock, the onlookers among the common folk stretched their necks, eager to catch a glimpse of the Military Sage's divine aura.

Compared to Ning Zhongtian and the others, Li Rui's position was perfect.

Please... Your Excellency... collect_(!)

Right on the dock.

They could all see clearly—after all, his status in Anning Guard was unparalleled, which was why Cao Wei had brought only him onto the dock.

Of course.

He had merely been allowed inside; he still lacked the qualification to step onto the deck.

"Return to simplicity?"

Li Rui narrowed his eyes.

Through his Insight Eyes, Marquis Yuan did not shine as he had imagined; instead, he looked no different from an ordinary man, with not a trace of radiance.

The Insight Eyes failed on Marquis Yuan.

He had a premonition: if Yuan Dingting wished to kill him, the Insight Eyes would detect nothing at all.

After all, the Insight Eyes were a mystical eye, not a cheat.

They could not ignore cultivation realms.

According to his estimation, they should cease to function above the Earth Immortal realm.

As expected.

Naturally, it was now the local officials' turn to shine—Cao Wei and the other three displayed every trick they knew, desperate to cling to Marquis Yuan.

Wasn't it all to win the favor of this Marquis Yuan?

Marquis Yuan was now the sky of Yunzhou; as officials in Yunzhou, they could not avoid him.

If he was pleased, a single word could promote them.

Roughly half an hour passed.

Just as the crowd on the dock grew impatient, Cao Wei's voice finally rang out:

"Marquis Yuan is selecting retainers. Those wishing to join, step forward! The literary exam is to the left, the martial exam to the right!"

The crowd, long waiting, surged onto the dock.

Fortunately, all were respectable people, so no chaos erupted.

After all, no one wanted to give Marquis Yuan a bad first impression—he had visited four regions and taken only three retainers; Qinghe might end up taking none.

They did not want such a fate—to end up with nothing but an empty basket.

Afterwards,

Government officials began organizing the literary candidates into the pavilions prepared on the dock.

As for the martial exam,

Marquis Yuan took a snow-white silver spear from a soldier behind him.

He raised it slightly, then brought it down.

The silver spear sank four feet into the ground, leaving only a small portion above the surface.

At that moment, Cao Wei's voice echoed across the dock.

"For the martial exam, proceed one by one to pull out the spear."

No sooner had he stated the rules

than several young men from other provinces rushed forward, eager to try—their attire clearly marked them as disciples of major sects or great clans.

He frowned and pointed at one.

"You. Go first."

The designated young man beamed, rubbed his hands, stepped up to the silver spear, rolled up his sleeves, gripped the shaft with both hands, and pulled with all his strength.

It did not budge.

He grew frantic.

Just as he prepared to try again, Cao Wei coldly said: "Grade C-; next."

The young man's failure doused every candidate like icy water—he was no weakling, but a Peak Dragon Gate cultivator, yet he could not even stir Marquis Yuan's spear.

With this first example, the others became far more cautious.

No one shouted to go first anymore; all grew careful.

Of course, those who rushed forward first were merely lucky seekers; the truly strong ones waited patiently.

More than half an hour passed.

Finally, a voice rang out: "Grade B."

As a young man pulled the spear up a foot, everyone's expression sharpened.

The silver spear seemed sentient, slowly sinking back into the ground on its own.

The first Grade B appeared, as if opening a floodgate—soon, four or five more Grade B results followed.

The atmosphere reached its peak.

Then, the scene grew even more heated.

Several Primordial Qi cultivators stepped forward and all earned Grade A.

At this moment,

a handsome young man slowly stepped out from the crowd.

"Guiyun Sect, Xu Chuan."

"He came too?"

"Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable."

At the sight of the young man, murmurs erupted—why? Because Xu Chuan's reputation was immense, and he was already a Peak Ocean-Viewing cultivator, the most highly anticipated candidate in this selection.

Not just the onlookers.

Even Yang Heng and the other two retainers stole glances of interest.

Yuan Dingting's lips curled slightly.

Cao Wei interjected at the right moment: "Your Excellency, this man is Xu Chuan, eldest disciple of Guiyun Sect."

Yuan Dingting merely nodded faintly.

Guiyun Sect was renowned, and most people held it in reverence—but he was not among them.

Xu Chuan's expression turned serious.

He walked to the silver spear, gripped it slowly with both hands, and every muscle in his body swelled instantly.

In an instant—

A spectral white tiger emerged.

White Tiger Shatters Heaven Diagram!

Seeing the specter, many gasped aloud.

Tiger forms were low-tier, but if it was the Divine Beast White Tiger, it was entirely different—a top-tier true qi, equal to the Dragon form.

"Fame is never undeserved."

Ning Zhongtian stood beside Li Rui and clicked his tongue.

He had to admit: this Xu Chuan was truly formidable.

"Grade A!"

Cao Wei narrowed his eyes—Xu Chuan had pulled the spear over three feet high, solidly Grade A; a few more inches would have been Grade A+.

"The younger generation is formidable indeed."

He silently marveled.

His performance even surpassed the previous Primordial Qi cultivators.

After completing his feat, Xu Chuan calmly returned to the crowd, as if nothing had happened.

The crowd was even more awed by his unshakable composure.

With Xu Chuan's brilliant radiance, all others paled in comparison.

Though another candidate earned Grade A, compared to Xu Chuan's near-Grade A+, he seemed utterly ordinary.

"This spear doesn't just have a spirit—it carries the true intent of an Earth Immortal."

Ning Zhongtian grinned.

He had just tried himself.

He had received a Grade B, witnessed the spear's power, and now understood the true weight of Xu Chuan's pull.

Fewer candidates remained on the dock; the atmosphere gradually cooled.

Li Rui smiled faintly and took a step forward:

"Let me test the power of this immortal weapon."

(End of chapter)