Folk wisdom says:

"In the first and second 'nines', refrain from action;

In the third and fourth 'nines', walk upon the ice;

In the fifth and sixth 'nines', watch the willows along the river;

In the seventh 'nine', the ice breaks; in the eighth 'nine', the swallows arrive;

Add another 'nine' to the ninth 'nine', and oxen roam everywhere."

Chen Ku, along with the three Shopkeepers from Medicine King Hall, Master Yang Luochen, and Senior Brother Kou Ming, walked towards the most prestigious place of dignity and power in the county: the Baojiao County Yamen.

Along the way, the air was already filled with hints of spring. In the distance, the Dragon River flowed, its waters rushing, the ice long melted—a symbol of spring's return to the land.

Kou Ming, hands clasped behind his back, walked beside Chen Ku, following the Shopkeepers and Yang Luochen. Listening to the roaring river, he couldn't help but chuckle, "'In the seventh 'nine', the ice breaks; in the eighth 'nine', the swallows arrive.' The harsh winter of last year has finally passed, and our Medicine King Hall has also welcomed the spring of a new year."

As he spoke, he looked at the willows and small flowers on the shore, plucked a leaf, and inhaled its green fragrance.

"Senior Brother Kou is in high spirits," Chen Ku said with a light smile. "We are about to meet the most powerful Upright Official in our county, yet you still have the leisure to enjoy these things. Aren't you nervous at all?"

"Nervous about what? Official Shangguan won't do anything to Medicine King Hall. Or does Junior Brother Chen think this is a 'luring the enemy into a pot' trap, designed to capture all of us in one fell swoop?" Kou Ming said with a smile.

"That shouldn't be the case," Chen Ku replied.

But he knew in his heart that it was impossible to be completely unworried. After all, he was aware that even though he had never openly met Official Shangguan, many conflicts of interest had already arisen between them beneath the surface.

Mountain-Lifting Palm, Xu Family Bloodline, Hero King Treasure...

These were all 'battles' that had to be faced, though still unseen; they simply hadn't erupted yet.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Chen Ku: I now actually harbor the ambition to compete with Shangguan Yun for the Hero King Treasure; this transformation in my mental state is indeed curious...

Previously, his plan was to follow Shangguan Yun during the search for the Hero King Treasure, hoping to glean some benefit by trailing behind. Now, however, his mindset had strengthened, and he was prepared to compete with Shangguan Yun for the treasure.

Truly, great power breeds grand aspirations.

Chen Ku understood clearly that this change was due to his ever-increasing strength, which had begun to elevate him to the highest echelons of status within Baojiao County. Now, although his Cultivation was only at the Third Realm Peak, frankly, he wasn't the least bit intimidated by the other eight of Baojiao County's top ten experts, aside from his master and Shangguan Yun. Moreover, he felt that if he were to utilize all his methods, he had a seventy to eighty percent certainty of assassinating those experts and successfully taking their heads.

As the Medicine King Hall entourage passed through North Street, people from every household, shop, and guild glanced at them, a subtle awe in their eyes, as if watching a pack of fierce tigers pass by...

After the fall of the Firewood Iron Shop and the dormancy of the Fish and Dragon Association, it was no exaggeration to say that Medicine King Hall had transformed into Baojiao County's formidable tiger.

Soon, Chen Ku, along with the others from Medicine King Hall, arrived at the Baojiao County Yamen.

「At this moment, in the back courtyard of the Yamen.」

In a grand hall, with a painting of green mountains and pines in the background, a Scholar in a green gown gazed at the artwork, stroking his beard and sighing softly, "This painting is vigorous and powerful; the green mountains and pines, their Divine Intent practically bursting through the paper. Whose handiwork might this be?"

"Lord Tan, this painting is actually the work of Official Shangguan," Counselor Sui You said, looking at the illustrious Imperial Envoy.

"I have heard that County Magistrate Shangguan possesses Divine Power. Now that I've seen it, his ability to infuse spirituality into his paintings shows that both his Martial Path and his artistic skills have reached the Perfection Realm," said Grandmaster Qin Yuxian, who stood next to Tan Chongrui, a towering figure. He turned to smile at Shangguan Yun, who was clad in a white robe, "If County Magistrate Shangguan were not an official, regardless of whether he chose to be a Martial Sect Leader or a renowned painter, he would excel."

Sui You's eyes flashed with a complex light as he regarded this Grandmaster. What did Grandmaster Qin mean by this? A compliment that hinted at derision?

However, he didn't dare say much because the title 'Grandmaster' not only represented the respect of the people of Jianghu but also was a formal recognition of rank by the Imperial Court.

The Daji Dynasty was founded on military might, and the martial exam system had clear distinctions of grades, which included: Military Scholar, Martial Scholar, Martial Arts Scholar, and Martial Master.

Achieving the rank of Military Scholar conferred a Ninth Rank Official Title. Such individuals could meet the County Magistrate without bowing, as they were considered officials of the same grade as Baojiao County's County Magistrate. If a Military Scholar further advanced to become a Martial Scholar, they would attain Eighth Grade, a status comparable to that of a County Magistrate.

The official standing of a Seventh-Rank Martial Arts Scholar was equivalent to the seventh-rank position held by a County Magistrate like Shangguan Yun.

And a 'Grandmaster', a rank above Scholar, already possessed a Sixth Rank Official Reputation, surpassing Shangguan Yun's grade.

This ranking system was intended to help the Imperial Court recruit talent. However, it existed independently of the bureaucratic system until an official appointment was received. This system was overseen by another court organization known as the Martial Temple.

The Martial Temple was also responsible for the selection exams.

Therefore, as a 'Martial Master' under the ranking system of the Martial Temple, Qin Yuxian was qualified to serve as the examiner for this martial examination.

In terms of both the Imperial Court's hierarchy and Martial Path realm, Qin Yuxian was superior to Shangguan Yun. Therefore, he certainly had the right to evaluate Shangguan Yun with a tone befitting someone of higher standing.

Upon hearing these words, Shangguan Yun simply smiled faintly and responded:

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