Poor men.
Being able to marry at all was already a blessing.
Who were they to be picky?
A delicate and pretty maidservant was far better than a plain-looking, untouched village girl.
Not to mention, Caixia had ties to the newly promoted "Officer Wei." Even if she were unattractive, Yue Jing would still be willing to marry her.
"Alright. I'll have a matchmaker visit your home to formally propose. Be prepared…"
"I can lend you some money to build a new house. You can repay it later."
"I won't let my sister suffer."
Wei Tu studied Yue Jing's expression carefully. Seeing that his face remained calm and without hesitation, he nodded and began arranging the wedding process.
Two months later.
On the ninth day of the eighth month—a day deemed auspicious for marriage—Yue Jing and Caixia were officially wed.
Wei Tu and Xinghua, as the matchmakers who brought the couple together, attended the ceremony and presented wedding gifts.
Due to Wei Tu's influence, many officers from the county garrison also sent gifts.
Although the gifts were not particularly extravagant—mostly practical, inexpensive items—the presence of so many officials delivering wedding presents was enough to leave the Yue family astounded.
The Yue family members no longer dared to look down on Caixia. Their attitudes shifted to one of deep respect whenever they spoke to her.
However, Caixia did not become arrogant because of this. The very next morning after the wedding, she got up early, went to the main hall, and served tea to her in-laws with proper etiquette, showing not the slightest bit of conceit.
When the soldiers of the garrison heard about this, many of them privately expressed envy toward Yue Jing.
Three months after the wedding.
Wei Tu used his position and authority to promote Yue Jing to the rank of "Squad Leader" in the county garrison, placing him in charge of military rations.
This was a highly desirable post.
The position was lucrative, providing ample opportunities for extra earnings each year.
Having done this, Wei Tu entrusted Xinghua with staying in touch with Caixia, ensuring her well-being, but otherwise refrained from interfering in her marriage.
After all, he was not her father.
Helping her to this extent was already more than enough.
Additionally, Yue Jing was an opportunist—ambitious and always scheming—unlike Quan Shun, who was honest and hard-working.
If Wei Tu helped him too much, it might not necessarily be good for Caixia.
If help was to be given, it would have to be after observing him for a long time.
Autumn. The eighth month.
This year marked the provincial Martial Scholar Examination for the Southern Mountain Dao.
Nearly six hundred martial scholars from various counties and prefectures flooded into Qingfeng Prefecture to participate in the examination.
As always, the candidates varied in age.
About seventy percent of the examinees were young martial artists, aged between twenty and thirty.
The remaining thirty percent was divided between middle-aged fighters in their forties and fifties, and a small five percent consisted of elderly martial scholars over fifty.
During the initial rounds, Wei Tu even saw an elderly martial scholar of nearly seventy attempting the examination.
Despite his relatively steady movements, he barely lasted a few exchanges before being overwhelmed by a younger competitor and thrown off the stage.
Fortunately, the old scholar was not seriously injured.
He still appeared energetic as he stepped off the platform.
From a purely technical standpoint, Wei Tu believed the old scholar's martial skill was likely on par with the younger competitors.
But a strong punch beats an old fist—external martial artists' physical strength declined sharply with age.
A few days later.
After the preliminary and secondary rounds, only fifty martial scholars remained to compete for the official ranking in the provincial examination.
The other five hundred participants had already been eliminated.
Among the remaining fifty contestants, Wei Tu was naturally included—his martial cultivation being the highest among them.
From this point on, the competition would last for another three days.
By the end of it, only ten competitors would remain to compete for the top ten rankings in the provincial martial examination.
"The champion of the examination will receive an official appointment as a seventh-rank military officer. The top ten will be granted eighth-rank positions, while the remaining qualifiers will be appointed ninth-rank officers."
Standing on the competition platform, Wei Tu silently reviewed the ranking and appointment structure of the examination.
Given his current martial prowess, combined with the experience and strategies taught by Fu Zhizhou, he was confident that he could seize the championship title in this provincial examination.
But—
A memory from Four Sheep Town surfaced in his mind.
The scene of the Iron Hammer Giant targeting him flashed before his eyes.
If not for his reinforced armor and quick reflexes, that battle could have left him crippled or even dead.
From that moment on, Wei Tu had made a vow to himself:
Never stand out too much. Always proceed with caution.
"Is obtaining a seventh-rank officer title really necessary?"
"Fourth Brother once mentioned that even the Grand Governor of Southern Mountain Dao treats Xiantian Martial Masters with great respect—almost reverence..."
"In thirty years, I will step into the Xiantian Realm myself. My status will naturally rise to a level far beyond what a seventh-rank officer title could provide."
Wei Tu carefully weighed the situation and his future.
The Grand Governor, a true-ranking official of the Zheng Kingdom, was a second-rank purple-robed official—a position of immense power.
If he pursued the seventh-rank military officer route, he knew it would be impossible to climb to such a high rank within thirty years.
Moreover, he needed to dedicate himself to his martial cultivation and to the Five Yuan Spirit Body manual.
Would it be worth wasting time and effort navigating the political landscape?
Once he achieved the Xiantian Realm, he wouldn't even need to struggle for position—his status would naturally rise to prominence, placing him on equal footing with the Grand Governor.
"The championship title of the provincial martial examination is too eye-catching. Across the entire Zheng Kingdom—two capitals, thirteen provinces—only fifteen candidates emerge as martial examination champions every three years."
"If I claim the title, my name will be known across the nation. That will bring unnecessary trouble, while the benefits of such a title are not worth the risk."
After contemplating for a while, Wei Tu made his decision:
He would forfeit the championship title and settle for a ranking within the top ten.
An eighth-rank military officer was more than sufficient for his needs—it would still grant him a significant increase in status.
The difference between a seventh-rank and eighth-rank officer was merely one grade, but the risk of attracting too much attention was far greater than the rewards.
A seventh-rank title came with too many dangers, far beyond what it was worth.
With this decision in mind, Wei Tu began fighting in a more controlled manner.
He no longer felt the need to completely dominate his opponents—he held back his strength, avoiding excessive attention.
Half a day later.
The dust settled.
By deliberately holding back, Wei Tu secured seventh place in this year's provincial martial examination.
A ranking neither too high nor too low—just enough to avoid excessive attention.
Fu Zhizhou drove the carriage and picked up Wei Tu after the competition.
Hearing about Wei Tu's final ranking, he was initially surprised and confused.
But after listening to Wei Tu's reasoning, he quickly felt deep admiration for his sworn brother's foresight.
"Third Brother, you made the right choice. Pursuing a seventh-rank title isn't worth inviting unnecessary risks."
From Wei Tu's perspective, this decision was completely logical.
But who else could have resisted the temptation of becoming the champion and gaining the seventh-rank official title?
Even Fu Zhizhou himself admitted that, if he had been in Wei Tu's place, he probably wouldn't have been able to make such a rational decision.