Gao Wu Da Ming: Starting as a military household and ascending to the rank of Martial Saint

After returning from the Zhang residence, Yu Shaowu did not leave his home for several days.

Firstly, although Master Zhang is only a failed scholar, he still wields considerable influence in Baode Prefecture. The prefectural government's reaction might be quite strong, so caution is necessary.

Secondly, having brought back so much money from Tumen Mountain, he and Wan had become a real couple. The two of them spent their days indulging in debauchery, as if they wanted to make up for all the losses they had incurred over the past year.

These past few days have been the happiest time for the couple since they were exiled to Baode Prefecture.

While Yu Shaowu remained at home, Baode Prefecture gradually began to bustle with activity.

The death of Master Zhang caused a great uproar in the upper echelons of Baode Prefecture that very night.

The Zhang family established its lineage in Baode Prefecture during the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Over the centuries, its roots have become deeply entrenched. Throughout its history, it has produced four Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and two of them are still serving as officials in other regions.

Therefore, although Master Zhang was only a scholar, his sudden death as the patriarch of the Zhang family was a serious matter that Prefect Hu Nan dared not neglect and immediately ordered people to investigate.

However, because Zhang Yuanwai had a bad reputation in Baode Prefecture, and because he died during a period of heightened lust, the government did not publicize the matter but instead quietly launched an investigation.

Compared to this incident, the wolf extermination event on Tumen Mountain caused a shockwave in Baode Prefecture.

After the hunters came down from the mountain, they carried the giant wolf's carcass directly to Baode Prefecture City.

Tumen Mountain is located in the southern part of Baode Prefecture, while the prefectural capital is in the northern part. Along the way from south to north, the people who witnessed the enormous wolf king were all astonished. Countless people followed the wolf king towards the prefectural capital.

Seeing the public outcry, Prefect Hu Nan could no longer remain silent. He personally went out ten miles to welcome them, specially set up a Wolf-Warping Platform, and displayed the giant wolf and other spoils of war on the platform. In front of the entire city, he praised the hunters who had risked their lives to rid the people of this menace.

Moreover, representatives from the Shanxi Provincial Military Command and the Provincial Surveillance Commission, responsible for suppressing the beast tide, arrived, as did the Kelan Military Commissioner. According to the rules of officialdom, these departments naturally had the greatest strategic merit, while the hunters were merely those who fought on the front lines.

The credit for the charge should have gone to Yu Shaowu. However, because he had offended Wei Zhongxian, the government naturally couldn't report his name, so they could only report the names of Ji Shouyi, He Huan, and others.

However, the fact that the government did not recognize Yu Shaowu's achievements does not mean that the people did not praise his reputation.

Although Yu Shaowu had instructed everyone at Tumen Mountain not to reveal his achievements to avoid being too high-profile, the truth could not be hidden forever. Such a legendary story, with so many hunters, was enough to stir the hearts of all who heard it if even one of them let slip.

In no time, the story of Yu Shaowu shooting down the giant wolf with an arrow and Yu Dayou descending to earth to save the day began to spread widely in Baode Prefecture. Even the people of nearby Hequ, Xingxian and Kelan Prefectures joined in spreading the word.

Moreover, the story has become increasingly fantastical, with some claiming to have witnessed Yu Dayou's spirit appearing before them, and others even saying that his spirit resides in the waves of the Yellow River. After all, Yu Dayou's greatest skill during his lifetime was naval warfare.

As these stories spread, the worship of Yu Dayou began to spread widely among the people. In less than half a month, a temple dedicated to Yu Dayou was built on Tumen Mountain, and the number of people who came to worship every day was so great that it even exceeded the number of people who worshipped at the Dragon King Temple on the banks of the Yellow River.

Yu Dayou became a popular deity, and Yu Shaowu, as a descendant of the Yu family, naturally saw his status rise accordingly.

The military households in Yaomaodun no longer dared to underestimate Yu Shaowu. Many families even spontaneously sent him food and valuables, hoping that the ancestors of the Yu family would bless their families with peace and safety.

Yu Shaowu firmly declined all such offers and simply shut himself away from visitors to avoid any trouble.

He knew that the spread of such fame was not a good thing. If it reached the court and Wei Zhongxian's ears, his life might be in immediate danger.

However, things had already progressed to this point, and he was powerless to stop it. The more he intervened, the worse things would become, so he could only let the situation escalate. In the process, all he could do was try to increase his own strength.

According to the original history, Wei Zhongxian had two more years before stepping down. During that time, he was like a fish on a chopping board, constantly at risk of being devoured. He had to protect himself as soon as possible.

Moreover, according to his knowledge of history, the Ming Dynasty was already in its twilight years. In chaotic times, the strong get stronger and the weak perish—that's a harsh reality.

In the entire land of China, no one else can be relied upon. The only hope lies with oneself.

Thus, Yu Shaowu finally ended his brief honeymoon period with the Wan family. He refocused his attention and began to study how to cultivate martial arts.

While archery skills honed previously were crucial on the battlefield, their limitations were influenced by numerous factors, with the material of the bow and arrow determining its upper limit. Martial arts, however, could continuously improve, even reaching unparalleled heights. Therefore, this was the path Yu Shaowu relied on for self-preservation.

On July 25th, Yu Shaowu once again left home to visit Ji Shouyi, the deputy head of the Tianxing Martial Arts School in Yihedu, Baode Prefecture.

In this world, martial arts have a long history and have profoundly influenced the fate of dynasties.

However, during this dynasty, especially after the Tumu Crisis, top-tier military generals dwindled in number, and many unparalleled martial arts techniques were lost and disappeared into history. Furthermore, with imperial power and the fate of the nation deeply intertwined, Confucianism experienced unprecedented growth. The control of military personnel by civil officials became the prevailing trend, and military generals gradually lost their rightful status. In particular, those families with hereditary military generalships almost all declined for various reasons, leaving them with nothing more than honorary titles bestowed by the court.

However, even so, over the course of more than a hundred years, there were still martial artists who, from humble beginnings, strived to understand themselves and eventually grew into pillars supporting the Ming Dynasty.

Many of these martial artists learned their skills at martial arts schools and then entered the world through the imperial court's martial arts examinations. Among them were the famous Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou.

However, even if such military generals rise to power, their descendants may still be unable to inherit their ancestors' martial arts skills for some reason. For example, Qi Jiguang fell from power due to his involvement with Zhang Juzheng. After Qi Jiguang lost power, his wife, Lady Wang, quickly severed ties with him and led the Qi family descendants away, fading into obscurity.

For example, he, a direct descendant of the Yu family, was forced to study literature, while his uncle Yu Zigao, although he became the General of Fujian, had not even fully mastered Yu Dayou's famous Jingchu Sword Technique.

Therefore, martial arts were not practiced in the imperial court, but were mostly practiced in the various martial arts schools of all sizes in the private sector.

However, without the support of the imperial court, most of these martial arts schools could not train any decent masters. The occasional emergence of a few geniuses who could fight was already a blessing for the Ming Dynasty.

It was precisely because of this system that martial arts in the Ming Dynasty declined more and more, while the status of civil officials rose higher and higher.

Take Tianxing Martial Arts School for example. As one of the five major martial arts schools in Baode Prefecture, it has produced several martial arts graduates. However, the highest rank among those graduates was only a thousand-household commander, which was not enough to compete with civil officials.

Therefore, the martial arts schools in Baode Prefecture have always been deserted, and only hunters going up the mountain, guards staying at home, or bodyguards of merchants would come to these martial arts schools to practice.

However, when Yu Shaowu arrived at Tianxing Martial Arts School, he found that there were an unusually large number of people registering for the school.

After making a few inquiries, he learned that it was precisely because of the previous wolf-hunting incident that Tianxing Martial Arts School now held a much higher status than other martial arts schools and had become highly sought after.

The abundance of game on Tumen Mountain gave the people a new hope. If they could really make a living on the mountain, it would be better than leaving their homes.

At this time, a large number of people gathered at the entrance of the martial arts school. Not only were there people who had signed up, but there were also many people who came to help slaughter and marinate wild animals, as well as people who came to buy wild animals and mountain products.

These wild animals were hunted on Tumen Mountain, and there were so many that no family in the vicinity could possibly eat them all. It was the height of summer, and if they weren't dealt with promptly, they would quickly rot and spoil.

Therefore, Ji Shouyi transported these wild animals directly to the outside of the martial arts school, slaughtered and pickled them on the spot, firstly to facilitate sales, and secondly to serve as a living advertisement.

Yu Shaowu finally managed to squeeze through the crowd and arrive at the entrance of Tianxing Martial Arts School. He said to the disciple guarding the gate, "Brother, I've come to learn martial arts. How do I register?"

The disciple saw that he was dressed as a military householder and immediately showed a disdainful expression.

In the social hierarchy of the Ming Dynasty, military households were generally at the very bottom, not much different from criminals. After all, many criminals were exiled from all over the country to serve as military households.

"Learning martial arts requires capital," the gatekeeper asked. "Do you have any capital on you?"

"Yes, yes," Yu Shaowu said. "I do have some savings."

The gatekeeper sized him up and said, "Since you have money, come with me over there."

He beckoned to Yu Shaowu, signaling him to follow. When they reached the screen wall inside the gate, and seeing that no one was around, he said in a low voice, "So you know, there have been too many people coming to learn these past few days. Before entering the gate, the master will test everyone's skills. If your skills aren't up to par, it will be difficult to get in. However, if you truly have the will to learn, I can make an exception for you."

Judging from the disciple's posture, Yu Shaowu knew he wouldn't be allowed in without money. So he took out half a string of copper coins from his pocket and placed them in the gatekeeper's hand, saying, "In that case, we'll have to rely on you, young man."

Seeing that Yu Shaowu was so cooperative, the disciple smiled and said, "You're a sensible person. I'll take you inside now."

Yu Shaowu followed behind, watching the gatekeeper's retreating figure, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Such a lowly gatekeeper, once given the opportunity, immediately began to use his power to find ways to make money.

This shows just how corrupt the social atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty had become. To survive in such a world, one must be careful in every way.