One of the masked men placed the dagger in his hands on his lips as he licked the blood on the blade. His eyes glittered with pride.
This was an arrogance that stemmed from within.
"What are you talking about? The Domain Chief is still waiting. Strip these two humans and you two will dress up as them!" Another masked man ordered icily.
"Yes!" The male immediately kept his blade, his arrogance turning into respect.
The wind blew and carried the scent of blood into the woods. This quickly attracted wild beasts. When the beasts saw the two naked bodies...
"Roar!" They lunged and picked the bones clean within moments.
Sometimes, things were just so ironic. These two men may have been of noble origin and led good lives. However, once they were dead, they were just bodies...
...
Fang Zhengzhi did not know that Wu Yuer would have brought him so far from the capital. In order to get back to the capital would waste too much time.
More importantly, it would be meaningless.
He should just head straight for the Stable Mountain Gates.
However, Wu Yuer’s actions had caused him a huge problem. Right now, he did not have any soldiers.
No soldiers?
How was he going to participate in the combat examinations?
It felt like he was going to ice skate without skates. Ice skate barefoot? It did not seem like a huge problem. However, skating slowly was not the problem, he could not stand the cold!
Was he going to ride into battle alone?
That would be a legendary story.
He had no idea if he was lucky or unlucky.
A week later, a figure appeared at the Stable Mountain Gates. The figure wore a blue long sleeved shirt and rode a poor horse of unknown breed.
Only two people would enter the city at this time. A leather merchant, or Fang Zhengzhi.
The answer was the latter.
Fang Zhengzhi glanced at the limestone buildings around him. He also looked at the solemn soldiers passing through the streets.
He had two choices.
He could find the general in charge of holding this fort. He could introduce himself and request for some soldiers. However, success would depend on the general’s character.
The second option was to enter the Southern Mountain Range alone.
Before making his final decision, Fang Zhengzhi decided to have a good meal. He had been rushing all the way to this place. He couldn’t possibly leave on an empty stomach.
Being this close to the Southern Mountain Range, the city had no lack of delicacies.
Each restaurant served the meats of various beasts.
"Recently slaughtered! Cut off what you want to eat!"
"Would you like to go inside?"
All of the sounds showed how bustling the city was. Even though it was no match for the capital, this city was still doing quite well.
Fang Zhengzhi picked a decent restaurant and chose a place with the most people. He called a waiter and placed his order. Then, he began to drink.
He chose the most populated place so he could listen to recent news.
The restaurants were always the best place to gather information. Having roamed the streets for so many years, Fang Zhengzhi was well aware of this fact.
The better the seat, the better the information that he could gather.
As more and more customers entered, Fang Zhengzhi’s ears perked up. Most of them were talking about the combat examinations.
Fang Zhengzhi combined the information he heard here with those he gathered along the way. He began to have some understanding of the combat examinations.
"The Great Xia Dynasty sent 100,000 soldiers."
"Each candidate was given 2000 soldiers and the title of General."
"Crown Prince Lin Tianrong commands over 40,000 troops in support."
"The results will be based on the number of surviving soldiers and territories controlled!"
Fang Zhengzhi enjoyed the wine and food leisurely as he listened to the news. At the same time, he thought of how he was going to do well in the examinations.
On the surface, his biggest problem was that he did not have any soldiers. He could not take the test alone. However, this was not what was bothering him the most.
The question bothering him the most was...
The motive of the courts!
In order to answer a question, one could not just take the question at face value. One had to guess the intentions of the person setting the question. Why would he set such a question? What was the question asking? What was he thinking? What were the hints and hidden ideas?
The court examination.
It was the most important examination in the Great Xia Dynasty. It was the examination which required the most thinking, intellect, and power. Yet, the rules were this simple? Guard the territories and conserve troops?
If that was the case, why was there a need for 40,000 troops as reinforcements? What were they supporting?
Ensuring the safety of the candidates?
That sounded reasonable, but it did not seem very likely on closer thought.
After all, Fang Zhengzhi knew for a fact that he had topped the court theory examination. Wu Yuer had told him this when he left.
To put it simply, the theory examination question was based on battle.
The policy the Emperor was looking for was battle!
That was what the Emperor was thinking as well!
Battle...
Then this was not as simple as an examination... There was something amiss, but the Emperor would not announce this to the public.
Furthermore, Wu Yuer had told him that the Southern Mountain Range was virtually under the control of the demons. This meant that they did not have complete control!
Else, they would be at war now.
Fang Zhengzhi trusted the intelligence from the Shadow Sect. However, he did not think that all of the officials in the Great Xia Dynasty were idiots.
For the court to not know what the Shadow Sect knew was virtually impossible.
As to why they didn’t announce it...
They must have been worried that this would cause mass hysteria. The other possibility was that the Emperor had no intention of discussing this.
Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes brightened when he thought of this.
"I understand now! The combat examinations are not as simple as they look. Guarding the settlements is just another way of asking them to control the settlements."
The first step was to use the combat examinations as a reason to control yan Ya, Shi Zun, Thunderous Lion and Icy Monkey. Then, they can use those four settlements as a base. In the event things take a turn for the worse, they could siege the Sagely Mountain City.
Second...
Fang Zhengzhi had not thought that far.
After all, the current situation was not that bad. The Emperor’s thoughts and the decision of the courts was still up in the air.
He did not know, so he could not make an educated guess.
However, there was one thing Fang Zhengzhi could be sure of.
Would the Southern Mountain Range agree to the Great Xia Dynasty sending in 100,000 troops to control the four settlements. Would the demons agree?
Definitely not.
This was going to be a battle in the shadows. In Wu Yuer’s words, few candidates would be able to survive this examination.
This had nothing to do with the court’s viciousness.
If he was correct, each candidate would have a deputy. This deputy should have a secret token which will allow him to stop the exam immediately.
It would be great if the combat examinations could continue as planned.
However, should anything change for the worse, the deputy would be able to take control of the army and the 100,000 strong army would become one unit.
Fang Zhengzhi had nothing but admiration for the Emperor’s plan.
This was the best way to deal with the current situation. He could attack or defend. If the Southern Mountain Range was peaceful, then this would be a peaceful examinations.
However, if they tried anything funny, he could declare war in an instant.
More importantly, all the citizens were not alerted.
Everyone thought of this as the combat examinations. Naturally, no one would think of the real reason why the Great Xia Dynasty was sending 100,000 soldiers into the Southern Mountain Range.
Fang Zhengzhi raised his glass and took a sip.
It was a little spicy.
This was some hard liquor.
Fang Zhengzhi’s alcohol tolerance was average. He could not binge drink, so he had to moderate his intake of such hard liquor.
Now that he had guessed the Emperor’s intent, he had to think for himself. How was he going to top the examinations under such circumstances?
Without soldiers...
He could not join in the battle for territory. As such, he could not be graded.
So, was he going to borrow soldiers?
But what was he going to do after that?
Was he going to enter the four settlements and fight it out stupidly like the other candidates who still thought it was an examination?
That was too uncouth.
He was an educated man. Why would he stoop so low?
Furthermore, Yan Xiu would have figured it out as well. Wu Feng as well. As for Nangong Hao...
That was a foregone conclusion.
Fang Zhengzhi never underestimated his opponent. For Nangong Hao to engage him in that battle of wits during the theory examination showed that Nangong Hao was not a simple person.
Right now, Nangong Hao may be looking at the secret token his deputy had.
Okay then...
Here came the problem.
How was he going to ensure that he did well in the examination despite the confusion. How was he going to avoid battling all the other candidates?
One of the masked men placed the dagger in his hands on his lips as he licked the blood on the blade. His eyes glittered with pride.
This was an arrogance that stemmed from within.
"What are you talking about? The Domain Chief is still waiting. Strip these two humans and you two will dress up as them!" Another masked man ordered icily.
"Yes!" The male immediately kept his blade, his arrogance turning into respect.
The wind blew and carried the scent of blood into the woods. This quickly attracted wild beasts. When the beasts saw the two naked bodies...
"Roar!" They lunged and picked the bones clean within moments.
Sometimes, things were just so ironic. These two men may have been of noble origin and led good lives. However, once they were dead, they were just bodies...
...
Fang Zhengzhi did not know that Wu Yuer would have brought him so far from the capital. In order to get back to the capital would waste too much time.
More importantly, it would be meaningless.
He should just head straight for the Stable Mountain Gates.
However, Wu Yuer’s actions had caused him a huge problem. Right now, he did not have any soldiers.
No soldiers?
How was he going to participate in the combat examinations?
It felt like he was going to ice skate without skates. Ice skate barefoot? It did not seem like a huge problem. However, skating slowly was not the problem, he could not stand the cold!
Was he going to ride into battle alone?
That would be a legendary story.
He had no idea if he was lucky or unlucky.
A week later, a figure appeared at the Stable Mountain Gates. The figure wore a blue long sleeved shirt and rode a poor horse of unknown breed.
Only two people would enter the city at this time. A leather merchant, or Fang Zhengzhi.
The answer was the latter.
Fang Zhengzhi glanced at the limestone buildings around him. He also looked at the solemn soldiers passing through the streets.
He had two choices.
He could find the general in charge of holding this fort. He could introduce himself and request for some soldiers. However, success would depend on the general’s character.
The second option was to enter the Southern Mountain Range alone.
Before making his final decision, Fang Zhengzhi decided to have a good meal. He had been rushing all the way to this place. He couldn’t possibly leave on an empty stomach.
Being this close to the Southern Mountain Range, the city had no lack of delicacies.
Each restaurant served the meats of various beasts.
"Recently slaughtered! Cut off what you want to eat!"
"Would you like to go inside?"
All of the sounds showed how bustling the city was. Even though it was no match for the capital, this city was still doing quite well.
Fang Zhengzhi picked a decent restaurant and chose a place with the most people. He called a waiter and placed his order. Then, he began to drink.
He chose the most populated place so he could listen to recent news.
The restaurants were always the best place to gather information. Having roamed the streets for so many years, Fang Zhengzhi was well aware of this fact.
The better the seat, the better the information that he could gather.
As more and more customers entered, Fang Zhengzhi’s ears perked up. Most of them were talking about the combat examinations.
Fang Zhengzhi combined the information he heard here with those he gathered along the way. He began to have some understanding of the combat examinations.
"The Great Xia Dynasty sent 100,000 soldiers."
"Each candidate was given 2000 soldiers and the title of General."
"Crown Prince Lin Tianrong commands over 40,000 troops in support."
"The results will be based on the number of surviving soldiers and territories controlled!"
Fang Zhengzhi enjoyed the wine and food leisurely as he listened to the news. At the same time, he thought of how he was going to do well in the examinations.
On the surface, his biggest problem was that he did not have any soldiers. He could not take the test alone. However, this was not what was bothering him the most.
The question bothering him the most was...
The motive of the courts!
In order to answer a question, one could not just take the question at face value. One had to guess the intentions of the person setting the question. Why would he set such a question? What was the question asking? What was he thinking? What were the hints and hidden ideas?
The court examination.
It was the most important examination in the Great Xia Dynasty. It was the examination which required the most thinking, intellect, and power. Yet, the rules were this simple? Guard the territories and conserve troops?
If that was the case, why was there a need for 40,000 troops as reinforcements? What were they supporting?
Ensuring the safety of the candidates?
That sounded reasonable, but it did not seem very likely on closer thought.
After all, Fang Zhengzhi knew for a fact that he had topped the court theory examination. Wu Yuer had told him this when he left.
To put it simply, the theory examination question was based on battle.
The policy the Emperor was looking for was battle!
That was what the Emperor was thinking as well!
Battle...
Then this was not as simple as an examination... There was something amiss, but the Emperor would not announce this to the public.
Furthermore, Wu Yuer had told him that the Southern Mountain Range was virtually under the control of the demons. This meant that they did not have complete control!
Else, they would be at war now.
Fang Zhengzhi trusted the intelligence from the Shadow Sect. However, he did not think that all of the officials in the Great Xia Dynasty were idiots.
For the court to not know what the Shadow Sect knew was virtually impossible.
As to why they didn’t announce it...
They must have been worried that this would cause mass hysteria. The other possibility was that the Emperor had no intention of discussing this.
Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes brightened when he thought of this.
"I understand now! The combat examinations are not as simple as they look. Guarding the settlements is just another way of asking them to control the settlements."
The first step was to use the combat examinations as a reason to control yan Ya, Shi Zun, Thunderous Lion and Icy Monkey. Then, they can use those four settlements as a base. In the event things take a turn for the worse, they could siege the Sagely Mountain City.
Second...
Fang Zhengzhi had not thought that far.
After all, the current situation was not that bad. The Emperor’s thoughts and the decision of the courts was still up in the air.
He did not know, so he could not make an educated guess.
However, there was one thing Fang Zhengzhi could be sure of.
Would the Southern Mountain Range agree to the Great Xia Dynasty sending in 100,000 troops to control the four settlements. Would the demons agree?
Definitely not.
This was going to be a battle in the shadows. In Wu Yuer’s words, few candidates would be able to survive this examination.
This had nothing to do with the court’s viciousness.
If he was correct, each candidate would have a deputy. This deputy should have a secret token which will allow him to stop the exam immediately.
It would be great if the combat examinations could continue as planned.
However, should anything change for the worse, the deputy would be able to take control of the army and the 100,000 strong army would become one unit.
Fang Zhengzhi had nothing but admiration for the Emperor’s plan.
This was the best way to deal with the current situation. He could attack or defend. If the Southern Mountain Range was peaceful, then this would be a peaceful examinations.
However, if they tried anything funny, he could declare war in an instant.
More importantly, all the citizens were not alerted.
Everyone thought of this as the combat examinations. Naturally, no one would think of the real reason why the Great Xia Dynasty was sending 100,000 soldiers into the Southern Mountain Range.
Fang Zhengzhi raised his glass and took a sip.
It was a little spicy.
This was some hard liquor.
Fang Zhengzhi’s alcohol tolerance was average. He could not binge drink, so he had to moderate his intake of such hard liquor.
Now that he had guessed the Emperor’s intent, he had to think for himself. How was he going to top the examinations under such circumstances?
Without soldiers...
He could not join in the battle for territory. As such, he could not be graded.
So, was he going to borrow soldiers?
But what was he going to do after that?
Was he going to enter the four settlements and fight it out stupidly like the other candidates who still thought it was an examination?
That was too uncouth.
He was an educated man. Why would he stoop so low?
Furthermore, Yan Xiu would have figured it out as well. Wu Feng as well. As for Nangong Hao...
That was a foregone conclusion.
Fang Zhengzhi never underestimated his opponent. For Nangong Hao to engage him in that battle of wits during the theory examination showed that Nangong Hao was not a simple person.
Right now, Nangong Hao may be looking at the secret token his deputy had.
Okay then...
Here came the problem.
How was he going to ensure that he did well in the examination despite the confusion. How was he going to avoid battling all the other candidates?
