Chapter 69

In the capital city of Zhongdu, Beijing, which was the capital of the Jin Dynasty, it was considered the most prosperous place in the Central Plains. Every day, the streets were bustling with people, and the shops and merchants around were numerous and diverse, flourishing and splendid, with golden and splendid decorations, presenting a lively scene. The sounds of haggling and loud cries of vendors added to the liveliness. Although it was an ancient time, compared to the first-tier cities of later generations, while the number of people was slightly less, the liveliness was no less.

On this bustling street today, a large open space had been cleared, with a brocade flag planted on the ground. The flag, white with red flowers, bore the four large characters "Wu Bi Zhao Qin" (Martial Arts Marriage Contest)!

Under the flag, two people were engaged in a lively exchange. One of them was a tall and robust man, whose every punch and kick produced a whistling wind, clearly indicating his strong external martial arts skills.

The other was a woman in red, with bright eyes and white teeth, a delicate and beautiful face. Although her face showed signs of travel, it did not diminish her beauty. She was none other than Mu Nianci. Her beauty was such that it was no wonder she had caused such a commotion.

Although the tall man was not weak, Mu Nianci was even more skilled. Her every move was precise and orderly, clearly indicating that she had been taught by a master. After a few moves, she kicked the man down with a single kick. She then took a light breath and stood gracefully under the large flag, saying nothing.

At this moment, a sturdy middle-aged man stepped forward. Although he was tall and strong, his face was filled with sorrow, his temples were gray, and his face was lined with wrinkles. His clothes were patched, clearly indicating his poor living conditions. He was none other than Yang Tiexin, the good friend whom Qiu Chuji had been searching for for half a year!

Yang Tiexin made a bow to the crowd and said, "I am Mu Yi from Shandong. I have passed through this place, not seeking fame or profit, but because my daughter has come of age and has not yet found a husband. She has made a vow that she does not desire a wealthy husband, but only a man of great martial arts skill. Therefore, I have boldly organized this martial arts marriage contest. Any man under thirty who has not yet married and can defeat my daughter in a single move will be given my daughter's hand in marriage. My daughter and I have traveled from south to north, through seven regions, but because the famous heroes are already married, and the young heroes are unwilling to look down, we have not yet found a suitable match." He paused, then clasped his hands and said, "Beijing is a place of hidden dragons and tigers, with many high-ranking heroes. My actions may seem absurd, but I ask for your understanding."

After his speech, no one responded. Perhaps they had already learned of Mu Nianci's strength, and being publicly defeated by a young girl would be embarrassing, so no one dared to step forward.

Yang Tiexin waited for a moment, seeing that no one dared to step up, he sighed and turned to speak to Mu Nianci in a low voice, then turned to pull out the flag and leave!

"Wait!"

Suddenly, a loud shout came from the crowd.

Yang Tiexin turned to look and saw a young servant standing in the crowd. It was he who had shouted.

Yang Tiexin, not minding the servant's status, clasped his hands and asked, "Young brother, are you ready to step up?"

With these words, everyone's attention turned to the servant. Someone in the crowd shouted, "Kid, you're just a servant, and you want to participate in a martial arts marriage contest? Do you think you can defeat this girl with your leg-rubbing and shoulder-massaging techniques?"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Embarrassed by the laughter, the servant took a few deep breaths, gathered his courage, and said, "My master is very interested in the martial arts marriage contest and will be here shortly. Please wait a moment!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two people rushed out of the crowd: an obese old man and a bald monk. The monk seemed impatient and casually threw the servant away, shouting, "What master? This is a martial arts marriage contest, not a place for young masters. Get out of the way, don't delay us from winning the beauty!"

The crowd laughed again. Someone shouted, "Hey, one of you is almost dead, and if the girl marries you, she'll be a widow in no time. The other is even worse, a monk, which means she'll be a living widow!"

The monk laughed and said, "Such a beautiful girl, if a monk marries her, he'll immediately leave the monkhood..."

This caused another round of laughter from the crowd.

The monk said to the old man, "Old man, didn't you hear? A monk can leave the monkhood, but an old man can't become young again! Turn right ahead, there's a coffin shop, that's where you belong!"

The old man was furious and shouted, "You're talking nonsense! I'm only in my sixties, I have at least twenty more years to live. Don't curse me to an early death!"

"Both of you are stepping up, but who will compete with my daughter?" Yang Tiexin clasped his hands and asked.

The two looked at each other, neither willing to step down first, clearly afraid of losing the beauty to the other...

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Why don't you two fight first, and the winner can fight the girl!"

"Good! That's a good idea!"

The monk shouted, "Old man, let me help you loosen your muscles, so you don't run out of strength when you crawl into the coffin!"

The old man sneered and said, "Little monk, you're just good at talking. I'll show you what it means to have walked more bridges than you've walked roads!"

With that, he moved to attack.

Just then, a white figure suddenly appeared between the two. Despite the large crowd, no one saw where he came from. He extended his arms, and the old man and the monk were completely helpless, easily grabbed by him. He laughed and said, "A beauty like this, do you think you can have her? Get lost!"

With that, he extended his arms, and the two were thrown high into the air.

As they flew through the air, they tried to adjust their bodies to land, but just before they hit the ground, a hidden force exploded inside them, causing intense pain in their internal organs. They each spat out a mouthful of blood and fell heavily to the ground.

For a moment, the field was filled with groans and cries of pain.

The white-clad man shouted, "Get lost!"

The monk and the old man, realizing they had encountered a ruthless expert, knew that the hidden force would take at least half a year to recover from. They quickly supported their injured bodies and limped away.

The white-clad man turned around, opened his folding fan, and his handsome face was filled with lecherous intent. It was none other than Ouyang Ke.

Ouyang Ke laughed and said to Mu Nianci, "Indeed, it's a good thing to take a walk. I didn't expect to find such a beautiful girl in a martial arts marriage contest. Sigh... such a hard life, it's really heartbreaking. Why don't you come with me, and enjoy endless wealth and honor, instead of being gossiped about here?"

Mu Nianci, being teased like this, turned away, clearly displeased.

"Hey? You're blushing..." Ouyang Ke laughed, and the crowd also laughed.

Yang Tiexin clasped his hands and said, "I'm truly sorry, sir. You are of noble status, and my daughter dare not aspire to you. This martial arts marriage contest is just to find a suitable match for my daughter, so she can have a reliable future. Sir, please leave."

Yang Tiexin, having wandered for years, had seen all kinds of people. He knew that Ouyang Ke was not a good person, and his skills were genuine. He did not want his daughter to fight him.

Ouyang Ke looked displeased and said to Yang Tiexin, "Humph, you say I'm of noble status and won't fight me before I even say who I am. Are you really just trying to make money? Why can they fight but I can't? I tell you, today, I will fight, whether you like it or not. I'm determined to have this girl!"

With that, he flicked his wrist, and a piece of silver landed in the iron bowl where Yang Tiexin had been collecting money. He laughed and said, "I've paid, come and fight me, little girl..."

"Fight! Fight! Hurry up and fight!"

The crowd started to cheer.

Mu Nianci had been in a martial arts marriage contest for half a year, but no one had spoken to her as rudely as Ouyang Ke. She could no longer bear it and said to Yang Tiexin, "Father, let me fight him!"

Foolish child? Can you really defeat him? Yang Tiexin thought bitterly. This man is probably twice your age, and his move just now was as fast as lightning, clearly not an ordinary opponent. How can I let you take such a risk?

Ouyang Ke, smugly, said, "What? The little girl won't come to fight, so I'll just carry you away?"

"Hey, hurry up and fight, we're waiting to see the show! Are you really just trying to make money?"

"Exactly, hurry up and fight!"

"Right, seeing a skilled person and backing out, that's not how a martial arts marriage contest should be, right?"

The crowd started to make unpleasant noises.

"This..."

Yang Tiexin looked troubled, not knowing what to do.

"Let me fight you!"

Just as Yang Tiexin was at a loss and Mu Nianci was eager to fight, a young voice rang out. A pebble flew from the sky and hit the iron bowl, causing it to tremble. The piece of silver Ouyang Ke had thrown in flew out and returned to him. Clearly, the newcomer was not weak, using a very skillful technique!

Ouyang Ke caught the silver and shouted, "Who's interrupting my fun?"

The servant, who had just gotten up from the ground, shouted happily, "Little Prince?!"

"Yuan Kang!" Ouyang Ke immediately knew the identity of the newcomer and shouted his name, emphasizing each word.

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