143. A Stunning Debut, Part Two

The bystanders burst into a round of sneering whispers, thinking to themselves, "This fellow has lost his mind and is daydreaming in broad daylight."

Hearing their murmurs, Qu Buping snapped angrily, "What is so strange about this? She is so beautiful, and I am yet unmarried. It is perfectly natural that I wish to marry her."

A male servant of the Feng family thought scornfully, "With your meager standing, you toad are trying to eat swan meat." However, because it was a day of joyous celebration for the household, the servant could not bring himself to resort to violence and simply let Qu Buping stand wherever he pleased.

Just as Qu Buping was feeling quite pleased with himself, a young girl of about thirteen or fourteen approached. Seeing him standing proudly upon the bench, she covertly hooked her foot around the table leg. With a loud crash, Qu Buping and his chair tumbled over together.

The sound of his fall drew the gazes of everyone nearby. Scrambling up in a disheveled state, Qu Buping cursed indignantly, "Which malicious scoundrel kicked out my table leg and made me fall?"

Upon seeing this, Xiao Yun couldn't help laughing out loud. "Brother Qu, you are truly pathetic! You cannot even stand steadily, yet you dream of a wife." Xiao Yu also smiled and said, "That is the price of lust." Qu Buping retorted angrily, "Do not mock me; it is the snobbish Feng family who assigned me such a wretched spot."

At that moment, the girl who had tripped the table walked over with a mischievous grin and said, "A nobody like you is lucky to have a place at all." Unconvinced, Qu Buping shot back, "You are a nobody yourself, stuck with just as poor a spot. What is there to boast about?"

The girl retorted defensively, "I chose not to go inside. If I wanted to, I could enter at any time. Miss Feng and I are the best of friends." Qu Buping sneered, "Stop boasting. When a little girl brags like that, it is enough to make someone die of laughter."

The girl snapped, "Who is talking nonsense, you fool? Her grandfather is probably Celestial Master Zhang, and she is a little fairy herself!" As she spoke, her eyes filled with mockery.

No sooner had she finished than the surrounding crowd burst into hearty laughter, causing the young girl's pretty face to flush a deep crimson. Taken aback for a moment, she suddenly leaped forward, landed a solid punch right on the bridge of Qu Buping's nose, and then darted swiftly back into the crowd.

By the time Qu Buping shielded his nose and tried to settle the score, she had already vanished among the throng.

Left in pain and fury with no recourse, Qu Buping wore an utterly miserable expression. Not far away, Peach Blossom could not help giggling at the sight. Qu Buping cursed, "What is so funny, you ghostly woman?"

Peach Blossom stepped closer and said, "Now do you understand? Not all women in this world are as gentle and easy to bully as I am."

Qu Buping muttered, "You, gentle? If you were gentle, we wouldn't have met such misfortune. Shall I punch you once to test whether you are truly gentle?"

Xiao Yun chuckled, "Brother Qu, could you actually bring yourself to strike a beauty?"

"Why ever not?" Qu Buping argued. "This ghostly woman claimed she could make us famous, but now we've spent our silver and achieved no renown at all. Aren't you infuriated?"

Peach Blossom smiled. "If you want to become famous, that is simple enough. Just come closer, and I guarantee I will make you cause a sensation overnight."

Qu Buping asked eagerly, "Really? You aren't tricking me, are you?"

"Come closer and find out," Peach Blossom replied with a smile. Before she even finished her sentence, Qu Buping let out a piercing shriek—Peach Blossom had brought her heel down hard upon the top of his foot.

The excruciating pain made him yelp aloud, instantly drawing the eyes of everyone present. Truly, he had caused a sensation overnight.

Qu Buping's cries disrupted the crowd's refined enjoyment of Miss Feng's zither performance, and all eyes converged upon him.

Many gazes were filled with rage; had it not been for the joyous occasion at the Feng residence, they would have beaten this clueless fellow black and blue before tossing him out of the estate.

Oblivious to the hostile stares, Qu Buping cradled his foot and cursed, "You wicked ghostly woman! It seems no woman is any good." By this time, Miss Feng had finished playing *Spring in Jiangnan* and retired with her zither.

Feng Piaopiao, the chief steward of the Feng estate, stepped forward to make an announcement to the assembled guests regarding the trials...

Qu Buping interrupted to ask, "And what about the second test?"

Feng Piaopiao smiled and replied, "While the first test measures lightness-of-foot skills, the second test evaluates internal energy..."

Before he could finish, Wild Monk Fang Buwei, a good friend of Chief Escort Feng, stepped out with a hearty laugh. "The second test is very simple. Each young gentleman need only strike this old monk a single blow. Whoever can prevent him from taking three steps backward shall pass the test."

Looking at Wild Monk Fang Buwei, Qu Buping and Xiao Yu saw a towering, robust figure whose stance alone possessed the imposing aura of a lone warrior holding off ten thousand foes.

This Wild Monk Fang Buwei was none other than the tenth-ranked expert in the *Directory of Masters*, possessing formidable kung fu indeed.