Chapter 202: Chapter 146: Promotion (4)

“Master, does that mean you don’t want us to take the Provincial Examination too soon?”

Hei Hu asked.

“The Court and the Turkic Kingdom have established diplomatic relations, and the fires of war have subsided in recent years. Brilliant talents are emerging from all corners, and everyone sees the Martial Arts Examination as a path to fame. As your master, I have guided your cultivation, and I naturally hope you can excel in every examination and pass. It’s just that…”

“You just finished the Daoist Examination, and now you want to take the Provincial Martial Arts Examination. With only a year in between, it’s a bit too soon. I worry that you’ll encounter powerful opponents in the exam. If you’re defeated and fail, I’m afraid you’ll end up like your senior brother Wang, who never recovered from the blow.”

Guo Wei hesitated for a moment before voicing his concerns.

“Master, ’victory and defeat are a soldier’s lot’—that’s something you’ve often told us. Hei Hu and I have taken it to heart,” Chu Lingguang said quickly.

“There’s no rush. There are still ten months. As long as you register one month before the examination begins, you can participate in the spring Provincial Examination. It’s still too early to be discussing whether or not you should enter.”

Guo Wei relented.

Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu nodded silently.

“Master Guo, Lord Xu sent me to inform you that he is bringing some friends from the Turkic Kingdom to pay you a visit. They have already set out and should arrive in about an hour.”

Just then, Guo Fang led a chief constable from the County Yamen into the hall.

“Friends from the Turkic Kingdom?”

Guo Wei frowned.

「An hour later.」

“Master Guo, congratulations! I heard your disciple, Chu Lingguang, has returned.”

Lord Xu arrived at the gates of the Guo Wei Martial Arts Hall with a grand procession of more than thirty people, all on horseback.

Guo Wei, along with Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu, was at the entrance to greet them.

Sure enough, there were several “friends” from the Turkic Kingdom in Lord Xu’s entourage. Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei found two of them to be vaguely familiar. They suddenly recognized them as two of the men they had encountered on the merchant ship—the same ones who had tried to take Master Yan’s entire shipment of medicinal herbs while only paying thirty percent of the price.

Upon seeing Guo Wei, both men’s eyes filled with hostility. They muttered a few unintelligible words to the person beside them.

“Lord Xu, what brings you and these friends here so suddenly?”

Guo Wei’s expression remained impassive.

“You might not be aware, Master Guo, but since the Court and the Turkic Kingdom established relations, they’ve been promoting the idea of ’making friends through martial arts.’ These Turkic gentlemen came with the diplomatic mission. They have merchant caravans that trade with us, and they heard of your great reputation while in South City. They went through the diplomatic mission to find me and asked me to bring them here to meet you,” Lord Xu explained.

As the County Magistrate of Great Yuan, Lord Xu’s hands were tied. He might not like these Turkic people, but he had no choice but to comply.

“I see. Lord Xu, gentlemen, please come in!”

Guo Wei knew they came with ill intentions, but since they were part of the diplomatic mission and were personally escorted by Lord Xu, he couldn’t just turn them away. He had no choice but to invite them in.

“Master Guo, these are all warriors of the Aika Tribe. This is Markel, this is Iscoha, this is Mahmoud, and this is… On the way here, they were constantly asking about you.”

“And this is the very Master Guo of Baiyang whose prowess you were so eager to witness.”

Lord Xu made the introductions.

“Greetings, Master Guo!”

“Please, have a seat, everyone!”

Guo Wei and the men exchanged formalities.

Markel, Mahmoud, and the others didn’t stand on ceremony, sitting down directly.

The group of seven or eight Turkic visitors sat in a row.

The bearded man named Iscoha sat in his chair and scanned the interior and exterior of the Martial Arts Hall. When he saw the slender builds of the students in the Outer Courtyard, he couldn’t hide his contempt.

He clasped his hands in a salute to Guo Wei and said, “Master Guo, we have traveled a great distance to come to the Great Yuan. We wish to establish friendly relations with your nation so that we may never again encroach upon each other’s lands. We also wish to do business with the people of Great Yuan. But of course, we are most eager to see the prowess of a Grand Yuan Martial Artist.”

“The people of Great Yuan are not as fierce and battle-hardened as your own. I’m afraid we may disappoint you,” Guo Wei said with a smile.

“Master Guo, you are too modest. On our way here from the Governor’s Mansion, we heard many legends about you. We want to see for ourselves just how powerful your Flying Leaf Lotus Spear truly is,” Iscoha said.

“Master Guo, my Turkic people are skilled in the cavalry charge. Your Great Yuan Soldiers have witnessed our Spear Technique, both on foot and on horseback. I have brought my spear with me today and would like to ask you for some pointers!” a young man named Jier Khan stepped forward and spoke.

“Master Guo, please don’t mind him,” Mahmoud said. “My apprentice, Jier Khan, has been talking nonstop on the way here about wanting to spar with you. Please, give him the opportunity. A few pointers from you would be invaluable.”

Guo Wei immediately understood Mahmoud’s intentions. Mahmoud was about the same age as him. Jier Khan, despite his large, sturdy frame and rugged appearance, was actually under twenty years old. By explicitly calling Jier Khan his apprentice, Mahmoud was signaling that he didn’t want Guo Wei himself to fight the boy.

He wanted to pit their apprentices against each other.

Standing to the side, Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu also realized Mahmoud’s true intentions in an instant. These Turkic people were truly cunning. They had obviously investigated Master Guo’s strength thoroughly. Unsure if they could defeat him, they were resorting to this scheme to trap him.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep