144 Martial Arts Competition for Marriage

Qu Buping and Xiaoyu exchanged glances, thinking that the chances of making it through this second hurdle seemed rather slim. The two could not help feeling somewhat discouraged, and several other people began whispering among themselves, agreeing that the difficulty of this stage was quite high.

Upon seeing this, Feng Piaopiao smiled and said, "My friends, anyone who successfully clears the first hurdle will receive ten taels of silver, and those who manage to pass the second will receive a hundred taels."

The moment silver was mentioned, Qu Buping's eyes widened considerably, and he could not help asking, "Then how much silver do you get for passing the third hurdle?"

Feng Piaopiao smiled. "There is no silver for the third hurdle. For the third stage, all you need to do is demonstrate your own signature martial arts skills. We will invite the senior expert Wu Buzhi to evaluate everyone's strengths and weaknesses, and whether you pass or fail rests entirely on a single word from senior Wu."

Upon hearing that they would receive an evaluation from the legendary martial arts eccentric Wu Buzhi, a number of people immediately began to murmur excitedly. Wu Buzhi was an authoritative figure in the martial world, and his judgment served as the ultimate standard for measuring the achievements of martial artists. For many years, countless young experts had gone through untold hardships and pleaded with him earnestly, just to obtain a single word of assessment from him. His words could truly be said to be worth a thousand gold pieces.

Originally, some people who considered themselves too aloof to join in the excitement now found themselves unable to resist wanting to give it a try. Obtaining an evaluation from Wu Buzhi held far greater appeal than dozens of taels of silver.

At that moment, someone asked what the fourth hurdle was. Feng Piaopiao smiled and replied, "The fourth hurdle is a literary competition to test everyone's wisdom and talent. It will be personally presided over by the Elder Madam Feng. Those who pass will receive one hundred taels of gold. Of course, anyone who reaches this stage will be an exceptionally talented individual, so the final choice will be made by Miss Feng herself!"

"One hundred taels of gold? That's worth more than a thousand taels of silver! The Feng family is certainly extravagant!" Xiaoyu whispered to Qu Buping.

Qu Buping muttered under his breath, "Damn it, this woman thinks she's a princess. This is harder than picking a royal consort. Fortunately, we're here to make a name for ourselves, not to find a wife."

Once Feng Piaopiao finished speaking, everyone became eager to try their hand at it. Instantly, the area beneath the courtyard wall for the first hurdle was packed with people.

Qu Buping, Chu Xiaoyu, and little Xiaoyun all crowded around to watch. Feng Piaopiao acted as the emcee, while the maidservants Chunyan and Xiaoque stood nearby, one holding a tray of silver and the other a tray of gold.

Feng Piaopiao smiled and said, "My fellow heroes and scholars, please do not stand on ceremony. Step forward and try your hand."

Many people wanted to attempt it, but none of them were willing to go first. Those with high martial arts skills were afraid of being seen as overly vain and impatient, while those with lesser skills were afraid of failing to make the leap and making fools of themselves.

Qu Buping laughed and said, "Beauties are calling out to us, and silver is beckoning. What is everyone waiting for? Not trying at all is the greatest failure!"

No sooner had his voice trailed off than Iron Monkey took the lead, declaring, "I, Iron Monkey, will now make a fool of myself." With that, using a dry-ground spring technique, he vaulted up onto the wall. Although his form was far from perfect—one might even call it sloppy—he barely managed to cross over. It seemed that while Iron Monkey's other skills were mediocre, his lightness skills were passable.

Perhaps because he had exerted all his strength, the moment Iron Monkey landed on the ground, his legs went soft and he nearly stumbled.

As soon as he landed and stood back up, the maidservant Chunyan stepped forward and handed him a ten-tael ingot of silver, saying, "Congratulations to the hero for passing the first hurdle. We hope you will successfully clear the second."

After Iron Monkey crossed the wall, the number of people stepping forward increased, and one after another, they leaped across.

River Four Wolves wanted to jump as well, but his lightness skills were not up to par. He only managed to clear slightly more than half the height of the wall before falling back down, his hands even tearing away the tiles on the top of the wall, drawing raucous laughter from the crowd.

Fatty Niu had originally intended to try his luck, but seeing that River Four Wolves failed to make it across, he had enough self-awareness not to go up and embarrass himself. Following that, Xiao Sanxiong, Long Feihu, and the others leaped across in succession. They were hardly in need of silver, nor did they harbor any hopes of marrying the young lady, but they were there to put on a show for their masters.

Miss Feng's cousin, Lu Badi, had long since lost his patience. The primary purpose of his coming was to marry his cousin, Feng Qingwu. Seeing that the martial arts of the people who had just gone before him were far inferior to his own—and that those individuals had crossed the wall with great difficulty—it was clear to him that none of them could possibly be his match.

To demonstrate his extraordinary prowess, Lu Badi deliberately stood several zhang away from the wall, then executed a light, floating leap that carried him right across. His posture was exceptionally elegant and natural, prompting many onlookers to burst into applause.

The moment he landed, Chunyan stepped forward and handed over a ten-tael ingot of silver. Lu Badi cared nothing for such a paltry sum of silver, so he grandly waved a hand and said, "Maid Chunyan, your sword dance earlier was quite splendid. I bestow this ten-tael silver upon you as a reward."

Knowing that he cared nothing for the money, Chunyan curtsied and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Young Master Lu, for the reward." With that, she straightened up and offered him a radiant smile to show her gratitude.

Upon seeing this, Qu Buping remarked with a hint of jealousy, "This fellow isn't stupid. He hasn't even won the young lady yet, and he's already started bribing the maids."

Hearing this, Taohua chimed in, "What is so surprising about that? He and Miss Feng are cousins, and he happens to be one of the most ideal candidates for a son-in-law in the Feng household."

Next came Hua Sanxiao of the Hundred Flowers Manor. He did not put on any airs, simply clearing the wall with a casual, effortless leap. Although he made no deliberate attempt to show off, anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance that he possessed far more real strength than Lu Badi. A master who possessed genuine talent yet kept it hidden commanded even greater respect.

After crossing over, Hua Sanxiao also casually tossed the silver as a reward to the maidservant Xiaoque standing nearby. Once Hua Sanxiao had passed, several people in the audience began to murmur quietly among themselves, remarking that this Young Master Hua was also an ideal candidate for a husband in the Feng family.

Following Young Master Hua, several other young experts whom Qu Buping and Chu Xiaoyu did not recognize crossed over as well.

Seeing that the two of them remained motionless, Taohua asked, "Why haven't you made your move yet? Aren't you here for this very reason?"

Qu Buping smiled and said, "Those who wish to accomplish great things must possess patience. We are simply waiting for the right moment."