Chapter 47

"Three days later, I will come to collect the money. If you don't have it, I'll take your daughter to settle the debt. Your daughter seems to have a connection with Buddhism, and if she goes to Yunshan Temple to practice for a few years, you won't have to pay back the money." The monk Runing chuckled as he said this.

"Master, please, please..." The shopkeeper immediately panicked upon hearing this. Just as he was about to plead, he was kicked again and curled up, unable to move.

Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng were stunned by what they saw. It was common for ruffians to act this way, but they never expected a monk to behave like this. Moreover, when Zhao Jin compared these two monks to the notorious Tongtou from the southern part of the city, he found that even Tongtou seemed kind and gentle in comparison.

Three more people ran out of the shop, one of whom was a little girl about the same age as Muxulan. She sobbed and helped the two men back into the shop.

There were other shops open on the street, but when the commotion started, a few apprentices peeked out and quickly retreated. The two passersby also turned and walked away; no one dared to intervene.

Seeing this, Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng quickened their steps, not wanting to stay any longer. After walking down the street, Chen Sheng whispered, "No wonder my father always said that the monks from Yunshan Temple are not to be provoked."

Zhao Jin had heard his parents mention Yunshan Temple a few times, only saying that it was very prosperous. He never expected the monks from Yunshan Temple to be so tyrannical.

Having seen his father's authority and the demeanor of people like Tongtou, Zhao Jin could imagine the power of Yunshan Temple, given that these monks were brazenly demanding debts and taking people in the city of Xuzhou.

Before they could think more, the cargo yard was already in sight. Zhao Jin was a bit surprised to see that the number of young people in the yard had increased by about a third compared to yesterday.

Safety, the chance to eat fine pastries, the excitement of watching fights, the opportunity to win and gain fame, and the chance to see rare people—everyone naturally wanted to come to such a place.

After the young people who came yesterday went home, they spread the word, and the news spread quickly. Children tend to exaggerate, and this place was described as one of the few wonders of the world. Naturally, more people came today, but those who could venture out in such cold weather usually came from better-off families, or they were physically robust.

From a distance, someone spotted Zhao Jin and whispered, and everyone looked over. When they saw the bamboo armor Zhao Jin was wearing, there was a commotion, and a few familiar faces hurried over.

"You actually got a set of armor, no, it's made of bamboo?"

"Where did you get it, and how much did it cost?"

Several children from well-off families asked questions in a flurry. Although Wang Zhaojing didn't speak, he stood to the side and listened carefully, clearly wanting to get a set for himself.

Zhao Jin noticed that Dong Bingfeng, who had come yesterday, was also there. He was wearing leather armor, and the two soldiers with wooden sticks were sitting by the roadside, occasionally glancing over.

Despite wearing leather armor, Dong Bingfeng looked eagerly at Zhao Jin's bamboo armor. Although simple, it was a complete set and looked quite impressive, making martial boys like him very fond of it.

Zhao Jin didn't boast about it; he only told a few close friends how to make the bamboo armor and who to find.

This set of armor was specifically for weapon sparring. It wouldn't be very useful to others, but if they thought it looked impressive, that was fine. However, wearing it for hand-to-hand combat would be a big disadvantage.

"My leg isn't fully recovered, so I won't participate in the sparring today. I'll arrange the drawing of the tokens instead," Zhao Jin said.

Hearing this, Wang Zhaojing clutched his chest and smiled bitterly. "I still feel pain when I breathe, so I won't spar today either."

The wooden tokens and pastries were now kept at the Chen family's place. Every day, servants would bring them to the yard. Seeing Zhao Jin arrive, a few younger children had already carried these items to the earthen platform.

Just as Zhao Jin was about to call for the drawing of tokens, Shi Manqiang and Jixiang grinned and each grabbed one of Zhao Jin's arms, lifting them up. Liu Yong shouted to the crowd, "Yesterday's winner is Zhao Jin!"

The young people all knew that Zhao Jin was the core of the group and admired his actions and strength. Hearing this, they all cheered, "Zhao Jin, impressive!"

They shouted this three times, even startling the Dong family's soldiers sitting far away, who stood up to see what was happening.

As for the new arrival, Dong Bingfeng, he looked at the scene with envy, thinking what everyone could guess: "When can I be like this?"

With Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing, two strong competitors, resting, two spots in the top eight were open, and everyone's enthusiasm soared, with many volunteering to participate.

The competition for the tokens started with pushing and shoving, even leading to some fights, serving as a preliminary round before the first round.

Although Dong Bingfeng had lost yesterday, he was not outmatched in the scramble and quickly drew a token. There were no other surprises. After Zhao Jin finished, he took off his bamboo armor, found a stone to sit on, and watched the young people fight. Wang Zhaojing, standing nearby, also came over and sat down next to him.

"Which year were you born, Brother Zhao?" Wang Zhaojing asked first.

Zhao Jin thought for a moment and replied, "February of the 28th year. What about you, Brother Wang?"

"I didn't expect Brother Zhao to be six months older than me. From now on, I'll call you Brother Zhao," Wang Zhaojing said with a smile.

Zhao Jin nodded and smiled, "We are good friends."

Zhao Jin understood the intention behind these words. Although Wang Zhaojing was still a young man, he was already quite adept at socializing and handling people, and his attitude had changed from the beginning.

When Wang Zhaojing first came to the cargo yard, he tried to outshine everyone, showing his uniqueness and trying to win people's hearts. As the son of a high-ranking official, he had seen a lot of intrigue and had many cunning thoughts. Whether Wang Zhaojing's actions were driven by youthful competitiveness or had other intentions, Zhao Jin couldn't be sure.

Thinking about this, Zhao Jin laughed at himself. At this age, things shouldn't be so complicated; simplicity is better.

Hearing Zhao Jin say, "We are friends," Wang Zhaojing was delighted and leaned in closer. "Brother Zhao, you are truly remarkable. I've never seen such a competition in the capital. The boys there are all boring, either comparing their parents' ranks or their clothes and food. Being with them makes me feel stifled. Since coming here with my father, although my mother and stepmother are unhappy, I find everything here fresh and the world much wider..."

Listening to Wang Zhaojing's enthusiastic words, Zhao Jin could tell he was speaking from the heart. The sense of vitality and excitement he felt after leaving the stifling atmosphere of the capital was clearly expressed.

"Brother Zhao, why did you organize this competition?" Wang Zhaojing finally asked.

Zhao Jin looked at him. The young man's face was full of curiosity and innocence. Zhao Jin smiled and answered, "I grew up without brothers, feeling lonely. I wanted to make more friends. You see, organizing this competition has brought everyone closer."

Wang Zhaojing nodded in agreement. "Indeed, without this competition, I wouldn't have met Brother Zhao, Chen Sheng, Sun Dalei, Shi Manqiang, Jixiang, Liu Yong, and others. We wouldn't have had the chance to fight and have fun together. Brother Zhao, you are truly talented to come up with this. From the moment I heard about this competition, I knew it was special. The rules for drawing tokens and the prizes are all impressive."

Although Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng were children of bailiffs, considered low-ranking, and Shi Manqiang and Jixiang were commoners, their social status was vastly different.

Compared to Wang Zhaojing and Dong Bingfeng, Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng were far below. Normally, with no connections between their families, their children wouldn't interact.

But with this competition, it was different. It was like the children were playing on their own, and the adults couldn't be too strict or controlling, which would make them seem petty.

This is why the young people were so competitive and why Wang Zhaojing, the wealthy young man from the capital, found it so fresh and full of vitality.

The young man's praise was sincere, and Zhao Jin felt a bit elated. He scratched his head and said, "I just wanted everyone to have fun and have a place to practice martial arts."

Despite his happiness, Zhao Jin maintained his composure in his response.