Chapter 2

The Sword Sichuan Manor has hundreds of disciples, each belonging to their own sect. Zhao Hua and Tang Yuan Ying both studied under Master Tang Yanzhong and belonged to the Sword Casting Sect.

Wu Jiewen was an orphan adopted by Yang Lin. Since childhood, he followed Zhou Xingyun and studied under Grandmaster Yang Xiao, belonging to the Sword Seeking Sect.

In addition to the Sword Seeking and Sword Casting Sects, the Sword Sichuan Manor also had the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, temporarily managed by Yang Lin on behalf of Zhou Qingfeng.

Zhou Xingyun and Wu Jiewen hurried to the main hall of the Sword Casting Sect, only to hear intense arguments inside.

"Father! Why, why do you refuse!"

"You and Yun'er have a pre-existing engagement. How can Father betray this trust and agree to the Li family's proposal?"

"I won't. Even if I die, I won't marry Zhou Xingyun. He doesn't deserve me!"

"Although Yun'er's talent is mediocre and his manners are somewhat lacking, his heart is upright, and he is the orphan of your master's uncle. You and he are a well-matched pair, ordained by heaven. How can you say he doesn't deserve you? Moreover, your master's uncle saved me multiple times. In terms of gratitude, it is you who do not deserve him!"

"If I don't deserve him, why do you still want me to marry him! No matter what you say, I won't marry Zhou Xingyun."

"Ridiculous! Marriage is decided by parents. How can you refuse!"

"Father, I am your daughter. Can't you think about my happiness? Look at the generous dowry, and the Li family's son is deeply in love with me. He truly loves me."

"Marriage is a serious matter! How long have you known the Li family's son? I don't even know if he is human or ghost, and he rashly comes to propose. Humph, I bet he's not a good person!"

"Father, I am already his woman!" Tang Yuan Ying's words were like a bolt of lightning, stunning everyone who had gathered around the hall.

Tang Yanzhong was taken aback, then his eyes turned fierce, and he slapped Tang Yuan Ying hard across the face.

"How could I, Tang Yanzhong, have a daughter as shameless as you! I will beat you to death today!"

"Brother Zhong, wait a moment..."

Tang Yuan Ying, stunned by her father's slap, seemed unaware that her words had crossed Tang Yanzhong's moral底线. Fortunately, her mother, Liu Guilan, intervened in time, or the second slap would have ended her life...

Liu Guilan quickly rolled up Tang Yuan Ying's sleeve to check the virginity symbol on her arm and sighed with relief: "Brother Zhong, look, Yuan Ying has not lost her virtue. She was just speaking in anger."

"Take this disobedient daughter back to your room. Without my permission, do not let her step out of the manor!"

"I don't need your control!" Tang Yuan Ying, tears streaming down her face, glared at Tang Yanzhong and abruptly pushed Liu Guilan away, rushing out of the hall.

Tang Yanzhong was about to use his lightness skill to chase her, but Liu Guilan stopped him with a raised hand: "Brother Zhong, let me handle Yuan Ying."

Tang Yanzhong's angry strike had frightened Liu Guilan, but fortunately, he did not use his internal strength in the first slap, or Tang Yuan Ying would have died on the spot.

"Alas... I have failed to educate my daughter. I am sorry to Qingfeng and to my sister Yang."

Tang Yuan Ying, without looking back, rushed out of the hall and, by chance, collided with Zhou Xingyun at the corner of the door.

The aggrieved girl, encountering the source of her troubles, was instantly furious...

Thus, Zhou Xingyun, without time to think, received a loud slap on his left cheek, seemingly out of nowhere.

"You don't get to be smug. I will never marry you!" Tang Yuan Ying said through gritted teeth and then rushed out of the hall.

The girl was clearly taking out her frustration on him, but Zhou Xingyun, who had a deep affection for her, could only accept it, despite feeling aggrieved. He knew he had to be patient; if he wanted to win her heart, he couldn't provoke her now.

Moreover, the fragrance that lingered as she left, despite the pain, was alluring.

"Third Senior Brother, what should we do? I think Second Senior Sister will go down the mountain to find that Li family's son..."

"Chase!"

When Tang Yuan Ying claimed to be Li Tianhai's woman, almost everyone was shocked, except for Zhou Xingyun and Wu Jiewen, who remained calm. Every time Tang Yuan Ying went down the mountain, the two would secretly follow her, fearing she would act improperly.

Zhou Xingyun and Wu Jiewen hurriedly left the manor. Tang Yuan Ying's skills were far superior to theirs, and if they didn't catch up quickly, who knew what would happen between her and Li Tianhai.

Fortunately, although they couldn't catch up to Tang Yuan Ying, they knew Li Tianhai's address. As long as they kept an eye on him, they wouldn't have to worry about the girl being taken advantage of...

However, today's situation was different. Zhou Xingyun and Wu Jiewen found Li Tianhai but saw no sign of Tang Yuan Ying.

"Second Senior Sister doesn't seem to have come to find him."

"Uncle said not to let her leave the manor. I guess Aunt might have stopped her on the way." Zhou Xingyun calmed down and realized he had been too hasty.

Tang Yanzhong had hit Tang Yuan Ying in anger, leaving a clear handprint on her pale face. She would be too embarrassed to come see Li Tianhai now.

"Did we come for nothing?"

"Not at all! Look at Li, dressed up so nicely. He's probably going to meet a woman."

"He looks like it! He's entering the tavern..."

Fujing City, located at the foot of Qinglian Mountain, was the nearest town to the Sword Sichuan Manor, reachable in about half an hour on foot.

The bustling market was crowded with people. Zhou Xingyun secretly followed Li Tianhai to a brightly lit tavern...

"Waiter, is it a festival today, or is someone getting married? Why is the tavern so brightly lit, like a brothel?"

"Sir, you must not be from the city. Today, the first beauty of Fujing City, Xu Ziqian, is holding a literary contest for marriage at our New Moon Tavern. Look at the crowd; everyone is here to win her favor."

The waiter's brow twitched slightly at the mention of a brothel, but since Zhou Xingyun was a customer, he calmly explained.

Xu Ziqian, the first beauty and talented woman of Fujing City, was well-known to everyone. Three days ago, she issued a call for talented men, and today she was holding a literary contest at the major taverns in Fujing City.

However, most male literati, with their skewed minds, interpreted "literary contest" as "marriage contest," thinking that a talented woman would be coy and use the contest as a subtle way to find a husband...

"Ha! That Li family's son is quite a smooth talker." Zhou Xingyun spat. Li Tianhai had proposed to the manor in the morning and was now attending a marriage contest at the tavern. Was he hoping for a double celebration?

"Third Senior Brother, let's quickly find Second Senior Sister and show her Li Tianhai's true character!"

"It won't work..." Zhou Xingyun shook his head. Even if Tang Yuan Ying believed them, knowing that Li Tianhai was seeing other women would only make her upset.

This was an era of male dominance where polygamy was legal. Men having multiple wives was normal, and a man without several women was not considered successful.

Upon learning that Li Tianhai was attending the marriage contest, Zhou Xingyun lost interest in following him and decided to return to the manor to care for his fiancée.

Tang Yuan Ying must be very hurt now. If he could comfort her, he might win her heart and change her mind.

However, just as Zhou Xingyun was about to leave, he heard a familiar voice from outside.

"Senior Brother Zhao, who proposed to Second Senior Sister today? She seemed very willing to accept and even said she was already his woman..."

"In the past three months, Senior Sister Yuan Ying has gone down the mountain multiple times, definitely to meet him. Fortunately, her virginity symbol is still intact, or Master would have expelled her."

"Are we going down the mountain to confront him today?"

"No, today I came to the tavern to participate in the literary contest for marriage held by the first beauty of Fujing City."

"Marriage contest? Senior Brother Zhao, don't you like Second Senior Sister?"

"A graceful lady is a gentleman's ideal. What's wrong with a man having multiple wives? I'll tell you in secret, the first beauty of Fujing City, Xu Ziqian, is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, even more alluring than our Second Senior Sister. She is a noble and elegant lady."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie? In any case, you all must participate in the contest today. Whoever is selected, I will represent you to meet Miss Xu."

Zhao Hua said seriously, and his followers, though reluctant, nodded in agreement.

Zhao Hua, with his exceptional talent, was a rare martial arts prodigy. His martial arts skills were among the best among his peers, making him a third-rate expert in the martial arts world. Many disciples of the Sword Casting Sect looked up to him.

Young martial artists were generally divided into first-rate, second-rate, and third-rate experts.

Zhao Hua, at a young age, had mastered the Sword Sichuan Manor's techniques and could use them skillfully in combat. With more experience and refinement of his techniques, he could become a second-rate expert.

By the way, Zhou Xingyun was only slightly stronger than an average person, capable of defeating three strong men at most. In simple terms, he was not even a third-rate expert, just a brute, and had no standing in the martial arts world.

"It's Senior Brother Zhao."

"Let's pretend we didn't see him. We'll wait for them to go in and then leave."

Zhou Xingyun lowered his head and spoke softly, knowing that if Zhao Hua saw him at the marriage contest, he would report to Uncle Tang...

"Two young heroes, here is the question for the marriage contest."

The waiter, who had returned with pen, ink, and paper, handed them to Zhou Xingyun.

Miss Xu was generous, having reserved the entire New Moon Tavern. Every customer entering the tavern received a question.

"Women?" Zhou Xingyun stared at the paper, which read "Women" in black ink. This must be the question for the literary contest.

"Third Senior Brother, I know the answer!" Wu Jiewen eagerly picked up the pen and hastily wrote "Guan guan zhu ji, zai he zhi zhou" (The turtledoves coo, on the riverbank) on the paper.

"..." Zhou Xingyun, seeing his confident writing, was unsure whether to be angry or amused. If the answer were that simple, there wouldn't be enough talented women in Fujing City to marry.