NOVEL NEXT Chapter 198: Martial Exam Begins
March 15th, the spring imperial martial examination begins.
According to the laws of the Daji Dynasty, all martial examinations are organized and managed by the Martial Temple, with imperial officials and local military and civilians only playing a supporting role.
Thus, today at the Martial Temple, Qin Yuxian presides as the host, with Tan Chongrui seated to his right, and on the other side sits Shangguan Yun and the Baojiao County Magistrate and County Lieutenant.
Originally, Commander Ye Zhong was also supposed to be here, but he has been leading troops in the deep mountains of Baojiao County to eliminate bandits and suppress demons for over half a month, making it difficult for him to leave, thus he is absent this time.
The Martial Temple, as the main sacrificial hall of the Daji Dynasty, primarily worships the Martial Ancestor, along with the ten great saints and seventy-two generals from past and present.
In successive dynasties, while the position of the Martial Ancestor never changes, the top four of the ten great saints remain unchanged, the other six saints and seventy-two generals experience changes.
For instance, in the Daji Dynasty, in the Ji Country's Martial Temple, the sculpture of 'Spear Immortal' Ye Qingniu, a famous general from the mid-Hong Dynasty, was replaced with the founding general 'Champion Marquis' of the Ji Dynasty.
All the statues in the Martial Temple are made of pure copper.
The temple is divided into three sections: the first being the worship hall, the second being the Martial Ancestor Hall, where the ten great saints are enshrined, and the third being the Great Success Hall, which houses the seventy-two generals.
Qin Yuxian, Tan Chongrui, Shangguan Yun, Qi Wanshan, and Ma Tianlin, representing the central government, the Martial Temple, and local officials, sat quietly on the plaza in front of the third Great Success Hall, waiting silently for the final twenty people who could make it here.
"The grandmaster, as a model martial practitioner of the Qiu Dragon Mansion, your oversight of this martial examination makes our Baojiao County's 'local examination' scale almost reach the level of a prefectural examination." County Lieutenant Ma said with emotion: "I wonder how many from our Baojiao County will earn their titles this time?"
A local examination, attracting outstanding talents from an entire prefecture, elevates the difficulty for martial students of Baojiao County far beyond a hundredfold.
......
Outside the Martial Temple today, it was packed with crowds from the city, especially many prominent families, large clans, and wealthy landlords, both young and old.
Many outsiders also came with their elderly and guards for protection.
When Chen Ku arrived, he found his master Yang Luochen and senior brother Yang Shaoqi, as well as his master Shang Yunfang, and even Kou Ming, sister-in-law, and Hu Zi were all present.
"Junior brother, you finally came. Many people have already signed up inside. We wanted to register for you, but the rules didn't allow it." Kou Ming said.
He was very eager for Chen Ku to pass the martial examination. Although the new policy reforms mean that passing may no longer come with special tax exemptions, the fame brought by a martial scholar is priceless.
"Second Uncle, you have to succeed!" Hu Zi clung to Chen Ku's leg.
The sister-in-law and mother, though silent, as simple country folk, never imagined they would witness such an event in their lifetime.
Becoming a military scholar was entirely different from becoming a shopkeeper.
When people evaluate someone's future, wealth is important, but deep in the bone, they believe 'nobility is better than wealth.'
No matter how rich, it's just being a wealth-filled, vulgar individual.
But with a title, it's a true indication of becoming a 'nobleman.'
"Rest assured, I won't disappoint everyone's expectations."
Chen Ku responded to everyone, then focused on the registration area in front of the Martial Temple. Honestly, he felt no pressure about passing the examination, thinking it could be easily achieved.
What worried him was the 'Martial Temple Heaven and Earth' trial after passing as a martial scholar.
He was also anxious about the weapon being forged by Er Lang.
Er Lang had promised it would be completed in seven days, but now there was uncertainty about whether it had been finished, was on the way back, or was still in making.
"I'll head over now."
Chen Ku bid farewell to everyone and squeezed towards the registration area, easily reaching the spot thanks to his stature and strength.
There, standing at the front of the Martial Temple, was the twelfth guardian of the Twelve Guardians, Feng Buping.
Noting the gathered crowd, he smiled and spoke:
"March 15th, the martial examination begins. Everyone is aware, so there's no need to elaborate. But one thing, the registration method this year remains the same, yet the difficulty level has significantly increased..."
His voice wasn't particularly loud, yet it managed to suppress all other noise, echoing clearly in everyone's ears.
"Five Realms Power!"
Di Jianqing and Fu Huangfei exchanged a startled glance in the crowd:
"We've long heard that each of the twelve guardians under Grandmaster Qin Yuxian is a standout among people. To think that even the twelfth-ranked one has reached Five Realms cultivation at less than twenty-three or twenty-four years old."
Amidst soft whispers from the audience.
Feng Buping calmly said:
"This martial examination's registration requirements, as before, are limited to those under the age of twenty, with at least Inner Qi cultivation. Those meeting this criterion may register. However, the test content will vary in technique, strength, and combat.
First, regarding technique, do you see the stele behind me?"
Everyone, including Chen Ku, looked towards the stele behind Feng Buping, which stood three zhang tall, entirely made of a cyan-gold material, its composition unknown, surrounded by numerous armored guards.