Ji Xinhe couldn’t help but move closer, was it really possible that such beautiful flower lanterns were free for the taking?
If Xiao Bei were to get it, he would undoubtedly be grinning from ear to ear.
"Hurry up and tell us the rules, we simply can’t wait!" someone shouted enthusiastically from the crowd.
The shopkeeper chuckled and replied, "The rules are simple, three rounds in total following a knockout contest. Whoever makes it to the end gets the flower lantern!"
"Then let’s get started! What are we waiting for! That lantern is mine, no one dares to compete with me!" a man exclaimed gleefully.
"Hold on a moment. If you wish to participate, you must be a customer of our shop. This means, participants must at least spend fifty cash on tea," the shopkeeper added with a grin.
At these words, several people immediately reached for their purses. They were out for fun today and didn’t mind spending fifty cash. The huge flower lantern hanging at the entrance of the shop was worth at least ten to twenty pieces of silver. Paying a small registration fee, there might be a chance to win that lantern.
Ji Xinhe watched as the shopkeeper’s money jar quickly filled up. She couldn’t help but marvel: indeed, those in business are never dull-witted. This flower lantern is worth ten to twenty pieces of silver, but just today, the shop has earned more than that just from the tea money the guests paid to compete for the lantern. Not to mention, this flower lantern managed to attract so many customers and provide so much free advertising for the tea house.
"Miss, would you like to sign up? It’s a great opportunity!" the shopkeeper, noticing Ji Xinhe standing among the crowd, perhaps found her attractive and took the opportunity to ask.
If a beauty were to join the contest, wouldn’t it be even more intriguing?
Ji Xinhe saw through the intent of the shopkeeper but didn’t mind. She smiled, took out half a silver coin from her purse, and tossed it into the shopkeeper’s money jar: "I’ll sign up."
As expected, once Ji Xinhe signed up, many more followed, mostly men.
Their purpose is self-evident.
The shopkeeper’s eyes were nearly gone from excitement: "Since it is so, let the game begin! The game rule is, guess the lantern riddles."
A shop assistant rang a gong, revealing a riddle from another row of lanterns hanging at the shop entrance, reciting it loudly: "There’s a hole but no bugs, a nest but no birds, thread but no silk, an umbrella but no man. Guess what this is!"
The shopkeeper explained: "Those who think they know the answer may get a lantern from over there, write your answer on the lantern, and I will review it."
Ji Xinhe slightly curved her lips and quickly wrote down one word on the lantern: "Lotus."
Most of the people had already written down their answers, while a few dropped out directly in the first round, indicating they hadn’t figured out the answer even after racking their brains.
The shopkeeper read everyone’s answers and announced, "A total of twelve contestants got it right and will make it to the next round! I have marked the lanterns of those who passed. If you see a mark, it means you are in the next round."
The failures stepped back, and the twelve who had passed were more prominently on display now.
Ji Xinhe took a casual look around, most of them were scholars. However, she didn’t pay much attention to them.
Her being the only woman among them attracted more attention.
She has been in the assassin organization since she was young, learning more than just killing. Any professional assassin must have outstanding abilities in many fields, especially a clever mind. Those riddles were meant to test intellect and reaction abilities. For her, they were not difficult.
"The second round is different. Now the wrong answers will be eliminated and the person with the most correct answers will win!" The shopkeeper announced.
As soon as the shopkeeper finished his sentence, he picked up a single riddle and started reading out loud, "A Go game is being played in secret, guess the idiom!"
Ji Xinhe pondered for two seconds before blurting out, "Absolute confusion."
Her voice was clear and bright, like a song thrush out in the valley.
"Correct," announced the shopkeeper, loudly.
There was a chorus of cheers from the crowd.
"A thousand miles away, a nobleman, an empty-haired head, guess the word!"
Ji Xinhe furrowed her eyebrows slightly, thought for a moment, and was just about to answer when she heard a voice from the corner, "Fragrance."
The shopkeeper was exhilarated, "Correct!"
There was another round of cheers from the surroundings.
Ji Xinhe turned her head in surprise to see the man who was standing in the most inconspicuous corner. Although the night was dark, the bright lantern allowed her to make out the man’s face. He had a pair of deep eyes that carried an unfathomable calmness, his handsome face exuding a mesmerizing warm charm. His ordinary clothes surprisingly gave off a sense of nobility.
Such an attractive man, she hadn’t seen one like him in Lian’an Town before.
The shopkeeper continued, "Master! Guess the idiom!"
The difficulty level had obviously increased.
Ji Xinhe furrowed her eyebrows slightly, thought for two to three seconds, and then said, "Marching forward fearlessly."
"Correct!" The shopkeeper’s excitement was palpable.
The crowd that had initially cheered had turned into gasps of amazement.
"Ten! Guess the idiom!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the man in the simple cloth robe said, "Crisscross."
"The answer is correct!"
There was pandemonium at the scene. Many had stopped to watch. It wasn’t every day that you got to see such experts in competition. They could answer such difficult riddles so quickly that the other ten contestants didn’t stand a chance!
What’s more, they were both extremely good-looking. It was an added bonus to their intelligence.
The shopkeeper felt a rush of excitement. He really hit the jackpot this time with such impressive participants to liven up the event.
After the round of ten questions, Ji Xinhe and the man each had five correct answers.
The shopkeeper announced at once, "The final round will be between the two of you! Whoever wins will receive our grand prize, the flower lantern!"
The man in the cloth robe glanced at Ji Xinhe. His usually deep and calm eyes seemed to hold a hint of a smile. He nodded and bowed his head slightly.
Ji Xinhe couldn’t help but smile, she then asked the shopkeeper, "What’s the contest for the final round?"
The shopkeeper, stroking his beard, pointed to the tall bamboo frame opposite the teahouse and said with a smirk, "The final round is a test of speed. This flower lantern will be hung at the peak of that high frame. Whoever gets to it first will get to keep it!"
There were immediate hisses from the crowd, "She’s a lady, how do you expect her to climb the frame?"
The shopkeeper seemed a bit embarrassed, "I really didn’t think that far ahead..."
Who could possibly expect a young lady to make it to the final round?
Where was the virtue of a woman laying in her ignorance?
Ji Xinhe didn’t mind at all as she rolled up her sleeves, "I’ll compete!"
There were gasps from the crowd, "She’s really going to compete?"
Ji Xinhe turned her head to look at the man in the cloth robe and raised her eyebrows, "Would you dare to compete against me?"
There was no surprise in his eyes. Instead, his smile deepened a bit, "Of course, I will."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
