After everything returned to normal, the competition continued smoothly.
In previous martial arts talent shows, only forty or fifty people participated. This time, with Du Yinyun's appearance and the support of various factors, the number of participants doubled to about eighty.
Therefore, the number of rounds of preliminary screening was changed from one round to two rounds.
It's a one-on-one match; the winner advances, and the loser is eliminated.
After two rounds of selection, about twenty people remained. Then came the round of competition to determine the final ten who would participate in the next event, "Falling Flowers."
Such a competition process is actually unfair, and each match even has a time limit, at most half a quarter of an hour, seven or eight minutes, and if no winner can be determined, it is considered a draw.
The participants varied in skill level, as their goal was not to actually fight to the death or determine who was better, but rather to display their strength or wealth, win the courtesan's smile, and become her first patron.
For idle young noblemen, a courtesan can often be popular in the circle of young noblemen in Yinjing for six or seven years. If one becomes her first patron, then during those six or seven years, he will naturally have no shortage of things to brag about to his friends.
The competition was fast-paced because not everyone fought like Chu Fan and Liu Kaixiong, who were engaged in a real battle. More often, the winner was decided in two moves, or someone would concede defeat at the start and then spend 110 taels of silver to buy 11 golden flowers, directly defeating the opponent's 10 flowers and winning the match.
He Yunxiao was deeply moved by the competition, realizing that the power of money is still very useful, both in the past and in the future.
The first round of competition ended quickly, and the remaining forty people began the second round of elimination.
In the first match of the second round, the protagonist Chu Fan made his appearance again, which made He Yunxiao's heart pound with fear.
According to the original novel, it was during this very match that Chu Fan chopped off his dog's head with a single stroke.
Watching Chu Fan take the sword and enter the arena from the second-floor viewing platform, He Yunxiao secretly rejoiced. Luckily, he had latched onto Chu Xiaoxiao's coattails early on, otherwise he wouldn't have had the chance to get close to Sister Jiang now.
Chu Fan's opponent soon took the stage, and even He Yunxiao was surprised to find that it was Liu Kaixiong again.
He Yunxiao inwardly lamented: Brother Xiong is truly unlucky. Buying someone else's spot is a complete waste. Not only that, he's getting beaten up too. Brother Xiong's martial arts skills are at least at the sixth or seventh rank, usually enough to be in the top ten. He never expected to run into Chu Fan, this cheater, every time. Brother Xiong, it's not that I don't want to help you, I can't beat a cheater myself.
It seemed like a pity, but there was a hint of schadenfreude in it.
He Yunxiao's joy was short-lived; he soon felt threatened.
A sharp gaze pierced through the vast hall and landed on his face.
Chu Xiaoxiao was looking at him.
He Yunxiao suddenly looked to his right at Du Yinyun, and before he knew it, the unlucky girl was looking at Chu Fan again!
Oh no!
jingle!
A ringing sound, inaudible to most people, came through.
The Soul-Devouring Pill was instantly activated, and millions of insects began to tear at He Yunxiao's flesh and bones.
In an instant, He Yunxiao gritted his teeth, his body drenched in cold sweat.
Fortunately, with Sister Jiang's enhanced "poison resistance boost," the pain caused by the Soul Devouring Pill was greatly reduced, barely remaining within He Yunxiao's tolerable range.
They survived the ordeal, but not entirely.
He Yunxiao's unusual behavior also caught the attention of Jiang Wuyou, who was standing nearby.
"Young Master He, I forgot a sachet in my room. Would you please fetch it for me?"
The bell rang only once, and He Yunxiao returned to normal after it subsided.
He knew that Sister Jiang was giving him a way out, so he whispered in her ear, "Sister, I'm fine."
As he left her ear, he didn't forget to steal a kiss on Sister Jiang's fair cheek.
Jiang Wuyou wasn't a shy little girl; on the contrary, she was a seasoned driver who could go toe-to-toe with He Yunxiao in driving skills. But a young lady always has some pride; being indifferent in private doesn't mean she's indifferent in public.
He Yunxiao always liked to do little things in front of everyone, like holding hands or rubbing against each other, which made Jiang Wuyou very uncomfortable. After all, she couldn't hit him or scold him, so she could only pretend to be indifferent and let him do as he pleased.
Only when someone goes too far will they receive a stern warning.
For example, this time, she glared fiercely at He Yunxiao.
He Yunxiao chuckled.
Sister, I was wrong. I'll do it again next time.
However, the lingering pain in his body made He Yunxiao in no mood for frolicking. He deliberately said loudly, "Sister wants to eat candied hawthorns? Then I'll go buy some right now!"
After saying that, he got up from his seat and asked a group of girls on the viewing platform.
They all blushed and said, "Thank you, young master."
When He Yunxiao finally asked Du Yinyun, he deliberately curled the corners of his mouth and smiled.
"Miss Du, I'm going to buy candied hawthorns. Do you want some? I'll get you some."
He was completely unrestrained with Sister Jiang, but extremely polite and deliberately distant with Sister Du. A true master of emotional management.
Du Yinyun knew that Young Master He was coming to ask her questions, but she didn't turn her face away until he walked up to her and spoke.
Although she was somewhat looking forward to speaking with He Yunxiao, Du Yinyun was a cool and aloof person and would not show any particular eagerness.
With her face still expressionless, Du Yinyun nodded slightly, "Yinyun thanks you, young master."
He Yunxiao nodded and said without any politeness, "Alright, since you want candied hawthorns, pay first."
Hearing this, Jiang Wuyou secretly covered her mouth and laughed. She had been invited to compete with Du Yinyun for the limelight, so she naturally knew that her mischievous younger brother was planning to make a move on Du, the courtesan.
I never expected that his trick to stir up the emotions of the aloof beauty would be so straightforward.
Seeing Du Meimei's slightly open mouth and astonished expression, He Yunxiao laughed heartily. He reached out and gently stroked Du Meimei's pert nose, saying affectionately, "Just kidding. I'm leaving now."
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