A maid approached and handed over a piece of paper before retreating respectfully.

Liu Shiye (Advisor Liu) glanced at the paper, his face showing a hint of amusement, before handing it to Su Qi'an.

"Hehe, as expected of the scholarly Su Gongzi. Your composure is rare among the many scholars of Lingbei County."

"The matter of the tiger corpse is significant, and the autopsy delayed things. I hope you don’t mind."

Su Qi'an nodded and cast a glance at the text on the paper. It detailed the tiger's decomposition, time of death, and other useful observations.

"How about this," Liu Shiye said, "as an apology, we’ll still trade this tiger at the original price of one hundred taels. Would that satisfy you?"

Su Qi'an’s expression shifted slightly, and he looked deeply at Liu Shiye for a moment before responding softly, "I appreciate your generosity, Advisor Liu. Although I hold the title of a scholar, I am not a greedy person. Given the tiger’s condition, it’s only worth seventy taels at most. To accept such favorable treatment would trouble my conscience."

Taking a deliberate pause, Su Qi'an continued, "I’m a straightforward man, so I’ll get to the point. What exactly does Advisor Liu hope to gain from me? Or is there something specific you wish to request?"

Liu Shiye was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.

"Haha, Su Gongzi, you truly are unique—direct and to the point. Interesting."

When his laughter subsided, Liu Shiye spoke in a natural tone, "There’s no need for such concerns, Mr. Su. I don’t seek anything from you. In a month’s time, the county-level exam will take place, and I assume you’ll be participating. If you pass with honors, consider this my congratulatory gift."

"And if I fail?" Su Qi'an raised an eyebrow, interjecting.

"If you fail, think of it as my gesture of support in your time of need," Liu Shiye replied easily.

"Advisor Liu, your generosity is remarkable," Su Qi'an said with a smile. "Given your connections, you must know a fair bit about my abilities. I fear you may end up disappointed this time."

Liu Shiye sipped his tea calmly. "No matter. There aren’t many young scholars in this county to begin with. Even if you fail this year, there’s always the future. I believe someone like you wouldn’t remain content as a mere scholar forever. Allow me to congratulate you in advance."

Su Qi'an smiled faintly and responded, "Since Advisor Liu insists, I won’t refuse. I’ll take your kind words to heart and thank you for your assistance."

Su Qi'an wasn’t greedy, but he accepted the money anyway, knowing it could help provide for the widows in his village.

The two continued chatting politely, maintaining a cordial atmosphere. Meanwhile, Liu Shiye efficiently handed over the agreed-upon hundred taels to Su Qi'an.

After spending about half an hour in the side room, Su Qi'an left the Lingbei county office, escorted by Liu Shiye.

This scene left the guards at the gate wide-eyed, particularly the muscular constable who had previously clashed with Su Qi'an. The constable stood frozen in place, speechless for a long time.

It wasn’t until Su Qi'an and his party disappeared into the distance that the constable snapped out of it. Compared to the other guards, this constable seemed to have a closer relationship with Liu Shiye.

After dismissing the other guards, the muscular constable stepped forward hesitantly and asked cautiously, "Advisor, I must be slow-witted. Even if Su Gongzi is a scholar, does it warrant such respect from you? Is there something special about him?"

Standing at the county office gate, Liu Shiye watched Su Qi'an and his group depart before withdrawing his gaze and heading inside. As he passed by the constable, he said softly, "Xiao Wang, there are some people you can’t judge by appearances. Consider yourself lucky today—you’ve seen enough to avoid provoking someone you can’t afford to cross. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even know how you died."

The constable, Wang, was left stunned, quickly hurrying to follow Liu Shiye.

Liu Shiye walked through the main gate, crossed the central hall, and entered a larger room.

This room was more spacious than the side room used to receive Su Qi'an, and the furniture was of higher quality.

Inside, several figures were present. At the center was Fang Jingzhi, the county magistrate of Lingbei. Beside him were two young men.

Though their clothing wasn’t overly extravagant, both exuded a noble aura.

One of the young men, in particular, stood out. With sword-like brows and sharp, starry eyes, his gaze carried a penetrating intensity.

The three of them were gathered around a half-rotten tiger corpse. Despite the foul stench emanating from the carcass, their interest remained undeterred.

Liu Shiye entered the room and respectfully cupped his hands toward the sharp-eyed young man before approaching Fang Jingzhi and whispering, "County Magistrate, everything has been handled as the Marquis instructed. Su Gongzi has been sent away smoothly."

"Did he suspect anything?" the young man asked.

"He did, but I managed to deflect his doubts. He has no idea the Marquis is involved."

"Good," the young man nodded.

Fang Jingzhi chuckled and added, "With Advisor Liu handling matters, nothing ever goes wrong."

Turning to the young man, Fang Jingzhi continued, "Marquis, I must admit I’m curious. While Su Gongzi did kill the tiger, is there more to him that warrants such attention?"

The young man, Xie Cang, was no ordinary individual. At just 27 or 28 years old, he held the title of Marquis of Lingdong.

In the Daliang Dynasty, marquis titles were prestigious. The six ranks of nobility—King, Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron—were established to reward meritorious service. While the King rank was reserved for royal family members, marquis titles represented significant power and influence.

Xie Cang hailed from a prominent lineage that had produced three dukes and numerous marquises. Through his own military achievements, he had risen from a baron to a marquis, earning recognition as a rising star among the younger generation of generals.

For someone of Xie Cang’s stature to personally visit Lingbei County was a rare occurrence, prompting Fang Jingzhi to treat him with utmost respect.

Despite the smooth proceedings, the appearance of Su Qi'an with the tiger’s corpse had initially frustrated Fang Jingzhi. After all, a rotting tiger near such an esteemed guest was hardly ideal.

Fortunately, Liu Shiye had noticed Xie Cang’s interest in the tiger and prevented Fang Jingzhi from driving Su Qi'an away, thus avoiding a potential misstep.

Xie Cang didn’t respond to Fang Jingzhi’s question directly. Instead, he gestured to his companion, Tong Zhan, and said, "Explain it to Magistrate Fang."

Tong Zhan nodded. "This tiger is no ordinary beast. It’s a near-demonic predator. Capturing it would have cost even experienced soldiers two or three lives—assuming they were fully armored."

He continued, "Judging from the wounds, this tiger was killed with three precise arrows to its forehead, eye, and chest. The shots were fired from no more than ten meters away."

"Such close-range precision requires extraordinary composure. Frankly, even I might not achieve such calm under pressure. This Su Qi'an is likely a prodigious marksman with exceptional experience."

Though Fang Jingzhi didn’t fully grasp the intricacies of marksmanship, he understood the implications. If Tong Zhan’s analysis was correct, Su Qi'an wasn’t just a scholar but a rare talent in both intellect and martial skills—a "civil and military genius."

Recognizing the value of such individuals, Fang Jingzhi bowed to Xie Cang and said, "Marquis, congratulations on discovering such talent within your domain. Shall I send someone to invite Su Gongzi for a meeting?"

Xie Cang waved his hand. "No need to rush. With the county exams approaching in a month, let him focus. If he truly has potential, the results will reveal it."

Fang Jingzhi nodded respectfully. "As you wish, Marquis. I shall follow your instructions."

After Fang Jingzhi and the others left, Xie Cang smirked coldly and whispered something to Tong Zhan, who nodded and left the room quietly.

[--------------------------------------------]

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