Chapter 125: A Marriage by Martial Arts
As soon as the old man finished speaking, there was an uproar in the audience. After a short while, a young man shouted to the stage, "Old man, you said your daughter was choosing a husband through martial arts, but we haven't seen her at all. Could it be that she's too ugly to attract men, which is why she's been stuck unmarried until now?"
At that moment, on the rooftop of Changfang Street, a figure leaped from afar, bounding across the eaves. Murong Hanchan noticed this but remained impassive, continuing to drink as before. Taking a sip, she muttered to herself, "Such third-rate lightness skill, daring to leap across rooftops? Aren't they afraid of losing their footing and breaking their leg…?"
The man was dressed in coarse cloth, his hair was dark yellow and messy, and he held a double crescent axe. He stood on a rooftop, his gaze fixed on the high red platform, revealing an expression of someone who wanted to seize treasures or rob people.
"That's right...that's right...!"
"That must be it!"
...
The words only fueled the uproar, and one of the crowd shouted, "Old man, if this is a blind date, you should at least let us see what your daughter looks like. If we all show off our skills and make enemies, and in the end your daughter turns out to be an ugly duckling or a sickly woman, how are we supposed to accept that?! Hahaha..."
The crowd below echoed, "That's right, that's right, bring your daughter out!"
“That makes sense. We should call your daughter out so that we can all see her and see her. Only then can we show fairness!” A talented young man pulled Tong Ziyin along and shouted to the stage.
Meanwhile, on the rooftops of the street, Murong Hanchan kept a close eye on the bustling scene. Just as she took another sip of her wine, two more figures leaped across the eaves and landed on the rooftop diagonally opposite.
Murong Hanchan glanced over and saw one of them dressed in a smoky gray scholar's robe, with black hair falling to his shoulders, holding an iron staff. The other was dressed in dark blue clothing, with a black cloak that fluttered in the wind along with his hair, making a silver whip at his waist appear and disappear, giving him a slightly cold air.
The two landed on the rooftop. Although they didn't see the elegant Murong Hanchan standing nearby, they found themselves face-to-face with the person who had arrived earlier. The three stood together on the roof, exchanging cold stares. The man in the cloak remained expressionless, while the man with the iron staff wore a disdainful look, seemingly provocative. Faced with this, the man in plain clothes stiffened, gripped his crescent axe tightly, and then ignored them.
Although Murong Hanchan was on the other side, she could feel the atmosphere that seemed to be about to kill each other. She muttered to herself, "Things are getting more and more interesting! Old man, I hope your daughter won't disappoint them too much!" After saying that, she took another swig of wine.
On the red platform, upon hearing the talented young man's call, the old man swung his baton, and a loud gong rang out, instantly silencing the clamor below. He then said, "Please calm down, everyone!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a clear, crisp female voice rang out from backstage: "Eastern Emperor's Brush, Western Emperor's Martial Arts, the renowned sages of a thousand autumns are now ancient times, but I still remember my childhood dream. Now I embark on the path of the martial world, to once again stir up the legend of brush and martial arts!"
The sound was clear and melodious. As the poem sang, a graceful figure slowly stepped out from behind the beaded curtain at the backstage, and the audience fell silent.
After a moment, someone in the audience whispered, "Beautiful! So beautiful!"
"So beautiful!"
...
The moment the woman stepped out from behind the beaded curtain, Shangguan Qinghuan below the stage seemed to be captivated. The woman who came into view was stunningly beautiful, and her demeanor and speech were even more extraordinary.
Shangguan Qinghuan observed that the woman appeared to be around twenty-one or twenty-two years old, with a captivating and mature figure. She wore a light red Confucian robe, adorned with jade beaded hair ornaments, and her black hair cascaded down to her waist. She held a jade ruyi pen in her hand, and her waist was wrapped in a green silk sash. She had a delicate oval face, with bright, intelligent eyes that added to her refined and capable appearance. Her entire face was flawless and exquisitely beautiful, beyond description.
After admiring her for a while, Shangguan Qinghuan exclaimed, "Truly beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! Who in the world can compare to such a woman!" Then, he frowned and said to himself, "Sure enough, there is one! My fiancée—Murong Hanchan! It's just a pity that a woman without femininity is like a full meal—tasteless." As he spoke, he rested his blue-and-white fan on his hand and then looked up to admire the beautiful woman on the red platform.
Looking up from the rooftop, Murong Hanchan couldn't make out the woman's face, but she recognized that this person had an extraordinary temperament and was dressed in gorgeous clothes. She didn't think she was suitable for the clothes at all. The red banner with the words "lonely and miserable" written on it! She then smiled contemptuously.
The audience was completely captivated, waiting for the stunning beauty to speak so they could go on stage, show off their skills, and ultimately win her heart or at least a smile.
The woman smiled faintly at the crowd, lightly flicked her jade pen, and declared boldly, "This young lady is neither foolish nor crippled. As for my appearance, you can all judge for yourselves. Today, I have set up this red stage only to find a worthy husband to be my companion. Those who are willing and capable are welcome to come up on stage and show their abilities. The one who ultimately wins will be able to continue our happy marriage!" After speaking, she smiled slightly at the crowd below the stage again, and with a flick of her silk sash, turned and retreated to the side.
Upon hearing the woman's words, a haughty young man in the audience rolled up his sleeves, tied his belt, and leaped onto the red platform. He then released his grip on the crowd and shouted, "Who dares to fight me?"
"Beating you is as easy as pouring wine from a jug!" As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man leaped into the air from the crowd and went straight to the red platform.
The arrogant young man smiled and asked, "May I ask your esteemed name?"
The middle-aged man laughed and said, "Let's skip this! The winner is blessed, the loser perishes, why say more!" As he spoke, he threw a punch straight at his opponent without any mercy.
Just then, Xie Yunfeng and Chunxiang, searching for Murong Hanchan, arrived not far from the crowd.
When Chunxiang saw the crowd gathered at the Red Platform, she said to Xie Yunfeng, "Brother Feng, look at that lively scene over there. Junior Sister loves excitement, she might be among them."
Xie Yunfeng glanced over and replied, "That makes sense, let's go take a look!"
The two men entered the crowd and saw three large red banners hanging high. On the stage, two men were exchanging blows, each already aware of the situation at hand.
Chunxiang searched through the crowd for Murong Hanchan's figure. Xie Yunfeng watched the fight on the stage. The two were mediocre; their palm strikes and punches produced only sounds, not any real energy, indicating that their internal strength was still rudimentary and their martial arts techniques were utterly worthless.
Just as the two were locked in a fierce battle, laughter rang out in the distance, and a person leaped over the crowd and landed on the red platform.
"Hahaha!... Hahaha!... You two little bastards, with such pathetic skills, dare to come up on stage and make a fool of yourselves? You have no shame!" The newcomer pointed and cursed as soon as he stepped onto the stage, making wild and provocative remarks, showing no regard for the two people on stage.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Chunxiang turned to Xie Yunfeng and said, "Brother Feng, it's that shameless scoundrel again."
Xie Yunfeng remained calm and said indifferently, "Let's quell our anger for now and observe the situation before making a decision!"
Chunxiang nodded silently upon hearing this.
Hearing the newcomer's arrogant words, the hot-blooded young man couldn't bear the insult and retorted, "Who is this bald man from? You're so arrogant and full of nonsense. If you've got the guts, come at me and let's test our skills!"
The newcomer was none other than Xing Batian. Upon hearing the word "bald," he gritted his teeth in fury, his murderous intent surging as he roared, "You ignorant fool! I'll tear you to pieces today, you madman!"
As he spoke, he unleashed a palm strike towards the young man. The two fighters, as if by telepathy, exchanged a glance and simultaneously joined forces to retaliate against Xing Batian.
Seeing this, Xing Batian laughed loudly, "Haha! Well done! I'll send you all on your way to the Yellow Springs!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
