A Wager

Chen Wang and Xu Miaoyin went to the street.

Quyang City is indeed far superior to Tiankang County.

The streets were bustling with traffic and people, including wealthy young ladies, daughters of officials, young masters and gentlemen, as well as ordinary scholars, peddlers and laborers.

The streets were filled with the calls of various vendors, selling candied hawthorns, sugar figurines, and other trinkets.

Among the shops on both sides, Yan Zhi, silks and satins, jade and calligraphy and paintings are particularly eye-catching.

Chen Wang and Xu Miaoyin strolled along the street and came up to a teahouse.

The teahouses in Quyang City are particularly eye-catching, with very elegant architecture.

There was a storyteller in the teahouse. He had a mustache and a thin build, but his stories were very entertaining.

Chen Wang heard him speak of a young swordsman named Guo Congyun, who had single-handedly wiped out nineteen bandit strongholds and even slew a demon that was wreaking havoc in the mountains.

This Guo Congyun has been praised to the skies.

Chen Wang sat down at a table, and soon tea and snacks were served. They listened with great interest.

The storyteller said, "Now that Guo Congyun has been nominated as one of the ten best Little Martial Rankings, I think he has a good chance of making the list."

The Martial Rankings is a ranking of the strongest individuals in the Chu Dynasty, while the Little Martial Rankings refers to the strongest young individuals.

This is a proclamation recently issued by the Chu Dynasty, judged by official institutions, and therefore has credibility.

Therefore, this year's Martial Arts Assembly and various competitions are all about building reputation and striving to be listed.

Chen Wang was also quite interested. After listening for a while, he heard a few more names: Yu Qingfeng, Liang Xu, and Ning Haiping. These three had also come to Quyang City and were said to be participating in this martial arts tournament.

Suddenly!

Outside, it was bustling with activity, and people were rapidly converging on one spot, as if something was happening.

Chen Wang went to the window and looked down. Xu Miaoyin said excitedly, "The martial arts tournament must have started!"

Chen Wang smiled and said, "Shall we go take a look?"

Xu Miaoyin clapped her hands and said, "Good, good, good."

They paid their money and quickly left the teahouse, along with many other people who were also drawn by the event.

The crowd was very dense, and Chen Wang had to protect Xu Miaoyin, so they didn't walk very fast.

When they arrived, two people were already fighting on the stage: a burly man and a young swordsman in white.

The burly man wielded a bronze staff, which moved with powerful, sweeping strokes.

The white-clad swordsman moved with Movement Method, as if lifting heavy objects with ease.

Chen Wang watched from the sidelines, finding it amusing.

The two people who made the move were Body Tempering martial artists, but they looked quite extraordinary.

Xu Miaoyin stared wide-eyed at the stage with nervousness.

I didn't feel anything for this dashing white-clad swordsman. After all, with Chen Wang as a precedent, his domineering aura and otherworldly temperament were unmatched by ordinary people.

Xu Miaoyin tugged at Chen Wang's sleeve. Knowing that Chen Wang was a prominent figure, she excitedly asked, "Young Master Chen, who do you think will win?"

Chen Wang said, "Naturally, it's this white-clad swordsman."

Xu Miaoyin said, "So that's how it is."

She watched the tense competition on the stage with her eyes glued to the screen.

Someone nearby saw Chen Wang with such a lovely, bright and charming young girl.

Upon hearing his words, she immediately snorted coldly.

The man was tall and thin, with a long face and very sharp eyes.

Chen Wang that he seemed somewhat disdainful of his remarks, but he didn't care and just smiled faintly.

Xu Miaoyin was displeased. "Brother, what are you sneer about?"

If someone else had asked this question, the horse-faced man would naturally have been unwilling. But since this bright and cheerful young girl had spoken up, he patiently explained, "Both of them are Body Tempering martial artists. In this realm, the stronger you are, the more advantageous you are. This big man has strong muscles and bones, which shows that he has worked hard. Although the white-clothed swordsman's posture is elegant, it is flashy but not practical. In terms of Body Tempering, he is much worse than this big man."

He spoke eloquently, which attracted the attention of several people nearby.

Among these people were many young women or married women.

The crowd listened to his eloquent explanation and suddenly understood.

The Horse-faced Man was extremely pleased, and smiled slightly, looking quite dignified.

However, his slight smile was somewhat different from Chen Wang's smile, and his horse-like face looked rather frightening when he smiled.

Xu Miaoyin was somewhat unwilling.

"Perhaps the white-clad swordsman will win; it's common for the small to defeat the large, and for the skill to overcome the clumsy."

The Horse-faced Man laughed and said, "Little girl, you don't understand martial arts. You must have heard this from others, right?"

"The realm of Body Tempering refines the skin, tendons, bones, and muscles, which can be seen at a glance from the physique, and cannot be compared with techniques."

Moreover, this burly man's attacks were swift and steady, clearly indicating that his martial arts skills were superior.

Xu Miaoyin originally didn't care, but when she heard the big man mocking Chen Wang, she felt a little unwilling, and her fair face puffed up with anger.

Chen Wang took her hand and said with a smile, "There's no need to argue, the white-clad swordsman will surely win."

The Horse-faced Man laughed and said, "Brother, it doesn't matter if you don't understand martial arts, but you shouldn't make any comments in public."

His magnanimous demeanor only fueled Xu Miaoyin's anger.

Chen Wang didn't take it seriously. "Let's make a bet, ten taels of silver, a little betting is harmless fun."

He immediately asked for ten taels of silver, Horse-faced Man frowned.

He was a wanderer of the martial arts world, which was no small feat for him.

However, with everyone watching, he was unwilling to lose face. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Alright! Let's make a bet!"

Everyone was also very interested in this.

Gambling has always been a very addictive activity.

The onlookers paid even closer attention to the battle on the stage, and some women even glanced at Chen Wang and the white-clad swordsman, secretly comparing their strengths.

The conclusion is naturally that the young man in the audience has more charisma, is more handsome, and has a heroic air about him.

The Horse-faced Man watched the battle on the stage. This burly man's moves were steady, and there was no way he could lose.

However, after the two fought for a while, the white-clad swordsman showed no signs of defeat. Instead, he slapped his long sword, knocking the weapon out of the big man's hand, and the hilt of the sword struck the big man's chest.

Thump! Thump! Thump! The big man staggered back three steps. The long sword slashed a gash in his chest, but it didn't hurt his skin, only tore his clothes.

He immediately withdrew his hand without harming anyone, cupped his hands in greeting, and said loudly, "Thank you for your concession!"

The burly man said in a muffled voice, "I am no match for you, I have lost, thank you for your mercy, young master!"

The burly man clasped his hands in a fist salute, picked up his weapon, and jumped off the stage.

The white-clad swordsman said, "I am but a humble novice, and I have made a fool of myself in this attempt."

A cheer and enthusiastic applause immediately erupted from the crowd.

His expression showed obvious satisfaction as he gracefully descended the stage, his Movement Method incredibly agile.

The Horse-faced Man stared in astonishment. "..."

Xu Miaoyin exclaimed excitedly, "Great, great, we won!"

The onlookers nearby also turned their attention to the Horse-faced Man with great interest.

The Horse-faced Man frowned.

"That can't be! How could this be? It can't be!"

Xu Miaoyin spread her hands. "Here, ten taels of silver!"

Horse-faced and sweating profusely, he felt a pang of heartache but could only grit his teeth and accept it. He put his hand in his pocket and took out ten taels of silver.

Chen Wang raised his hand to stop him, and said with a smile, "Brother, don't take it to heart, it was just a joke."

The Horse-faced Man was stunned.

Chen Wang smiled and left with Xu Miaoyin.

The Horse-faced Man thought to himself, "This young master has the upper hand but hasn't humiliated me or asked for the ten taels of silver."

He let out a long sigh.

"This young gentleman is truly remarkable in his demeanor and bearing!"

The Horse-faced Man was completely convinced, and the onlookers were also impressed by Chen Wang's demeanor.

Remaining calm in the face of honor or disgrace, and showing magnanimity when in the lead, is a quality rarely seen in ordinary people.

Several wealthy heiresses were particularly smitten.

Looking at Xu Miaoyin, whom Chen Wang was holding, he wished that the girl was himself.

"It would be quite a unique experience to be by his side, chatting and laughing with him."

Xu Miaoyin and Chen Wang left.

Xu Miaoyin couldn't stop smiling. She didn't care about the money at all. Given her background, she wouldn't care even if it were a hundred taels. She was just childish and felt that she had won against that man.

"Young Master Chen, you're really something! Why didn't you take that man's money? We beat him, so why did he laugh at us?"

Chen Wang laughed and said, "What he said is actually not wrong. It's just a bet, a game, there's no need to make enemies. We should be forgiving."

Xu Miaoyin said, "It is wise to be lenient when you can, Young Master Chen, you have great magnanimity!"

No one in the Chu Dynasty had said this before, so Chen Wang got something for free.

Xu Miaoyin asked, "Young Master Chen, how did you come to the conclusion that the white-robed swordsman is certain to win?"

Chen Wang laughed and said, "My ears are sharp. I overheard him whispering when he was fighting that big man, 'That blow was too strong and almost knocked my sword away. He said it would be about time to finish.'"

Xu Miaoyin's eyes widened immediately. "Huh?"

She was also an exceptionally intelligent girl, and she immediately realized what was happening.

"They're faking it!"

Chen Wang laughed and said, "Many people would be willing to show their faces and make a splash at the Martial Arts Assembly held in Quyang City."

Xu Miaoyin said, "Isn't it a pity that the big man lost? He could have won!"

Chen Wang said, "Food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are all things that the old man uses to make money, and he's enjoying it, so there's nothing wrong with that."

Xu Miaoyin held Chen Wang's hand with a hint of excitement.

He thought to himself, "I can really learn a lot from Brother Chen."

They ate and strolled around the streets, buying quite a few things.

As soon as Xu Miaoyin stepped out, she realized that although she hadn't brought any maids with her, she also had an embarrassing problem: she hadn't brought any money.

Fortunately, Chen Wang was extremely generous and acted without hesitation.

Xu Miaoyin was a wealthy heiress and was not short of money. She was not surprised by Chen Wang's generosity, but she felt that following Chen Wang made her feel at ease.

As for the two guards, they hadn't been gone long when Chen Wang easily shook them off by turning left and right. The two men were still searching for someone on the street.

When Chen Wang and his group returned to the Xu Family with their bags and packages, the two men had already gone back to report the news.

One of them was about to speak, but upon seeing Chen Wang's gaze, he immediately swallowed his words.

They were Second Master Xu's men and didn't care about Miss Xu Family; they just wanted to keep an eye on the two of them.

She had intended to scold him, but for some reason, she couldn't speak when she saw the young man's gaze. She could only say, "Miss, the Second Master and Madam are getting impatient."

Xu Miaoyin said, "I understand."

Chen Wang said, "It's alright, I'll take you to talk to them."

Xu Miaoyin hummed in agreement and nodded, a hint of joy in her eyes.

Upon entering the main hall, Madam Xu and Second Master Xu had been waiting for quite some time.

Just as Second Master Xu was about to speak, Madam Xu stepped forward and said with a smile, "You always know how to go out and play. Luckily, Young Master Chen is here, otherwise I would really be worried."

Xu Miaoyin smiled and said, "Mother."

Xu Sheng said with a stern face, "Miao Yin, the streets are so chaotic right now, how can you run around like that?"

Do you know how worried your family is about you?

Xu Miaoyin lowered her head and stuck out her tongue.

Chen Wang said with a smile, "I took her for a while and we got separated from the guards. It's not her fault."

Xu Sheng frowned, thinking to himself, "You're an outsider, what right do you have to speak?"

Although he addressed Madam Xu as "sister-in-law," he didn't really care.

However, he initially looked down on Chen Wang, thinking he was just a young martial artist who knew some basic fighting skills but had no real foundation.

But for some reason, when Chen Wang looked at him, he didn't dare to speak.

Madam Xu was somewhat surprised at this moment.

Although Xu Sheng was polite on the surface, he acted on his own initiative behind the scenes, thinking that they, as orphans and widows, were easy to bully.

She had been very tolerant, just like now, when he had pulled her here to wait for Xu Miaoyin to return.

She had tried to smooth things over earlier, but Xu Sheng was still unhappy.

But why did he suddenly stop talking?

Madam Xu's heart stirred, and she looked at Chen Wang thoughtfully.

After leaving the living room, the second master of the Xu Family had some doubts in his mind.

"Strange, isn't this kid a commoner? Why didn't I dare to speak in front of him just now?"

Looking back now, he really wants to slap himself. He clearly had an opportunity to cause trouble and make trouble out of it.

"Perhaps it's because he's a martial artist, young and impetuous. I'm afraid he might act recklessly. Next time, bring a few guards with you to boost his morale."

With these thoughts in mind, he returned to his room, where his wife Zhang Shi, came to greet him.

Zhang Shi said, "Why are you back so soon?"

Xu Sheng said, "My sister-in-law seems to really trust that Young Master Chen, so I can't say much."

Zhang Shi said unhappily, "Didn't I tell you to take this opportunity to make trouble and prevent your sister-in-law from focusing on the family business?"

Second Master Xu also had some doubts, but he didn't say much in front of his wife.

He changed the subject, asking, "How's that going?"

Zhang Shi lowered her voice and said, "Don't worry, my brother knows people from the Sky Demon Alliance. He has already invited that expert, and they can kill the mother and daughter silently."

Second Master Xu said in a low voice, "Won't something go wrong? We can't get too involved with the Sky Demon Alliance."

Zhang Shi said, "Many of the elders in the family are very loyal to your dead brother. Otherwise, how could a woman manage this business? If you keep hesitating, you'll really have nothing left to do with the Xu Family!"

Second Master Xu gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, let's do it this way!"

However, after thinking about it, he became somewhat uneasy.

"The imperial court is cracking down hard these days, so we must not let the authorities find any fault with us."

Zhang Shi said coldly, "Don't worry, my brother has arranged everything."