Chapter 4: The Greed for Orange-Gold Wealth

This young girl is quite clever, devising a scheme to stage a martial arts competition for suitors. She gathered ten trusted confidants under the pretext of seeking a husband for her younger sister, and publicly set up a platform to challenge heroes. These ten individuals are the foremost experts in the court of the Snake Lord, far beyond the capabilities of ordinary martial artists. This move not only allows her to indulge in the thrill of watching martial contests and engaging in sparring, but once her interest wanes, she will have her chosen one take the stage to defeat these experts, thereby gaining fame.

The young girl shouted loudly, her voice drowning out the commotion. She said, "I am a person of my word, and I certainly do not deceive everyone. My younger sister is a renowned beauty, known for her musical talents, and her family is immensely wealthy, comparable to that of nobility. Any brave man who competes on stage, as long as he can defeat any one of them, will receive a generous reward, ensuring that no one leaves empty-handed." After speaking, she waved her hand, and someone brought out an iron box. Upon opening it, a dazzling array of swords, precious blades, exotic weapons, jade horses, and golden cattle, along with sparkling gemstones, was revealed, truly breathtaking in its brilliance.

The young girl, seeing the proud and complacent appearance of the plate snake, secretly resented the foolishness of the "Force at the Top of Tianshan" and angrily said: "What are you so pleased about with your lucky victory?" She ordered someone to present gold.

As the figure twisted its body, everyone felt a sense of dizziness, as if this person had transformed into a swimming snake. The strong man struck at empty air, only to be hit at a pressure point by the twisting figure. He sensed the enemy's true energy was insidiously toxic, surging directly through his meridians, and immediately circulated his internal energy to counteract it, before pursuing once more.

A burly man with a long beard stepped forward from the crowd, standing at a height of 8 feet, with an extraordinary appearance. As he made his presence known, he exuded a calm and steady demeanor, revealing the elegance of a distinguished individual. He said, "I am Zhongji Shou Wenchao, here to engage in some sparring with my brothers."

Everyone suddenly realized and nodded, saying: "Indeed, it should be so"

The young man had cold, sparkling eyes, staring at the coiling figure. The coiling figure laughed and said, "What I mean is, everyone should speak freely; what crime is there in that? Why don't you let your sister Lulu show her face, to prevent any misunderstandings?" His keen eyes discerned that this young man was actually a girl disguised as a boy. Noticing her adorned in gold and jade, he surmised she was a frivolous person from a wealthy family. For some reason, he harbored a deep-seated disdain for such highborn individuals, and in a moment of impulsiveness, he decided to tease her.

The strong man had already won three consecutive victories, his morale soaring. With a swift charge, he lunged at Pan Yan. Pan Yan shouted, "Come on!" His five fingers converged, forming a snake's mouth, aiming for the strong man's chest cavity. The burly man, skilled in martial arts, was not afraid; his left hand transformed into a bear's paw, striking towards Pan Yan's jaw. If he hit the mark, it would surely dislocate the man's chin.

He took a few steps forward, assuming a grappling stance, and stood a few feet away from the girl in disguise. The girl smiled slightly, bent one leg forward, crossed her palms, and executed a move called "Green Bamboo Leaves".

Pan Yan let out a cold laugh and instantly vanished without a trace. The young girl stamped her foot, yet found herself at a loss. She had brought ten retainers, intending to engage in a war of attrition, but to her surprise, after winning less than ten rounds, no one paid her any attention. Unable to decisively intimidate the multitude, even if the one she had in mind were to take action and achieve victory, it would not necessarily win the allegiance of the crowd.

When enemies meet, they are particularly resentful. The girl had long held a grudge against the one who insulted her as an ugly monster. Seeing him causing trouble everywhere made her grit her teeth in anger, yet she could never catch him. This time, seeing him approach, she was overjoyed and shouted: "You are the one I have been looking for"

Pan Yan incited, "Let the young lady come out to meet everyone so that we can inspect the goods. Otherwise, after exhausting ourselves fighting against so many people, if we encounter an ugly monster who clings to us, we won't even be able to escape." With his opening remarks, the crowd was instantly stirred up, and they began to shout and argue.

The young girl is a noble of extraordinary status from Shebo City. Since childhood, she has practiced仙法 and martial arts, enjoying combat and competition. However, she usually resides within the high walls of the palace, rarely witnessing the contests of skilled practitioners from the common folk. She has often heard her guards speak of these arena battles and has always yearned for them.

Teng Dao shouted loudly, extending his arm to catch her. However, the young girl was quick-witted and agile, deftly turning her slender hand to tap on Teng Dao's Shenmen acupoint. Teng Dao immediately felt a surge of heat coursing through his arm, and in his shock, he found it impossible to extend even half an inch further. His body stiffened, and the young girl laughed heartily, seizing Teng Dao's abdominal and chest acupoints. With a strong lift, she surprisingly hoisted Teng Dao's massive body and threw him off the stage. A muffled thud was heard as Teng Dao knocked over several people, causing immediate chaos in the crowd. His body stiffened, and the young girl laughed heartily, seizing Teng Dao's abdominal and chest acupoints. With a strong lift, she surprisingly hoisted Teng Dao's massive body and threw him off the stage. A muffled thud was heard as Teng Dao knocked over several people, causing immediate chaos in the crowd.

Pan Yan, upon hearing of the generous reward of gold, felt a buzzing in his head and immediately thought: "Twenty taels of gold could buy enough food to fill an entire street of restaurants. One hundred taels of gold would mean that all the grain in the city would be mine." Suddenly, his blood surged with excitement, and gritting his teeth, he felt ready to face any challenge, even if it meant walking through fire and over mountains. How could he bear to see someone else being thrown off the stage? He hurriedly climbed up and shouted: "I, Tai Yi, have come to meet you all."

Pan Yan approached the arena and shouted, "Did your master not feed you grass this morning, causing you to be so irritable?" This was an insult, implying that he was as foolish as an ox

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately stirred up a great commotion. In this era, gold is precious, and this twenty taels of gold could be considered a windfall. In an instant, everyone was filled with enthusiasm, and one after another, people stepped up to challenge. The young girl was very pleased and took a few steps back to let her subordinates take on the challenge. After several rounds, however, no one was able to claim the reward

The young girl, feeling impatient, saw the plate writhing and could not help but shout and stir up trouble, angrily saying: "Your disruption here is a cowardly act; why do you not dare to come up and test your skills?"

The portion of the dish was extremely large, and he thought to himself: "With this amount of money, it will be gone in a few days, what use is it?" He hesitated for a moment.

Teng Dao, upon hearing this, felt a surge of arrogance and said loudly, "Alright, then I shall accompany you in some sparring." He was strong and robust, with long limbs, and had mastered exquisite martial arts, making him a well-known figure in the local martial arts community. Although he was wary of the fact that this young man had defeated several experts, he believed that his tough skin and resilience would allow him to withstand any flashy moves.

Pan Yan rolled up his sleeves and shouted: "As long as I defeat one person, I will have twenty taels of gold" His demeanor was anxious, truly resembling a gambler who had lost his mind.

Pan Yan was taken aback, feeling a chill in his heart: "This person possesses profound internal strength, remaining calm and unhurried, making him difficult to deal with." However, after observing him from head to toe, he noticed that Wen Chao's abdomen was slightly bulging, and immediately devised a plan. He flipped his hands and assumed the posture of a snake's mouth once again.

He touched his head, feeling confused, and thought to himself: "Clearly, I am still far from the exit, so why have I ended up here?" Little did he know that Pan Yan had infused the strong man's body with the Illusory Spirit True Qi. This "Power of the Heavenly Mountain" was solid and not inferior to Pan Yan's, but Pan Yan's Illusory Spirit Palm was subtle and profound. Once the True Qi entered the body, as long as it slightly dazzled the eyes, it would send him out of the arena, winning this round.

The crowd exclaimed in unison, clapping vigorously, and said: "Indeed, with this treasure as evidence, the rightful owner cannot be mistaken."

She frowned, calculating, and said: "I did not expect that beneath the renowned reputation of Shebo City, there are no brave warriors. How about this: any hero who can step onto the stage and withstand fifty moves from my relatives without being defeated will be considered the victor. They will receive a desired treasure and an additional twenty taels of gold as a gift"

A sudden jolt ran through my heart, and I felt a slight panic. I thought to myself: "This young lady possesses remarkable skills; I should be cautious." However, upon further reflection, I realized that I was in the audience, and as long as I did not go up, that young lady would not likely come out to cause me trouble. Moreover, with the crowd clamoring and many speaking foul words, if I were to act along with the crowd, it was likely that this young lady, being of high status, would not hold the crowd accountable for her anger.

She clapped her hands, and ten individuals emerged behind her, each walking with a steady gait, their movements measured and appropriate. It was evident that they were all skilled experts, their internal strength surpassing that of the young woman. The young woman spoke: "I come from Yinlang Town, having learned that Shebo City is home to hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with countless heroes. I intend to find a capable and promising suitor for my younger sister. Therefore, I have come here to challenge and pay respects to the heroes of Shebo. If anyone among you can defeat five of my companions, my sister will willingly offer her heart and hand in marriage to this hero." The young woman reiterated: "I come from Yinlang Town, having learned that Shebo City is home to hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with countless heroes. I intend to find a capable and promising suitor for my younger sister. Therefore, I have come here to challenge and pay respects to the heroes of Shebo. If anyone among you can defeat five of my companions, my sister will willingly offer her heart and hand in marriage to this hero."

It was also at the age of marriage that she secretly formed a bond with a young swordsman in the army, to whom her heart was already pledged. However, the young swordsman came from a humble background and was not worthy of her; he had no achievements or reputation. Even if he were to propose, it would likely be difficult to succeed, and she was even more concerned that this might lead to repercussions that could ruin his future, leaving her in a state of extreme anxiety and feeling almost at a dead end

The audience below was eager to see a good show, making a loud commotion. Pan Yan said, "Alright, I Tai Yi am not a coward. Who will come forward to spar with me next"

Unexpectedly, the serpent-like figure possessed the true energy of illusion, capable of transforming in countless ways. He discerned the weakness of Wen Chao and had already devised a strategy to defeat the enemy

The crowd cheered loudly, and the young girl, filled with springtime joy, clasped her fists in respect and said: "I see that many fellow villagers and elders are new to this place and may not be familiar with the rules of my contest. I will now reiterate them to clarify for your esteemed ears"

This "Li Ding Tianshan" shouted angrily: "Let's see how long you can keep talking!" With both arms extended to the left and right, he enveloped the area, and it seemed he was about to succeed. Suddenly, he stepped into thin air, let out a surprised sound, and fell outside the arena, knocking several civilians to the ground.

Pan Yan shouted again: "Everyone, do not rush in. To defeat five people in one go is exceedingly difficult. Naturally, we should wait until the end, when these five are either exhausted or injured, to gain a greater advantage."

As the competition began, it progressed smoothly, with many martial artists eagerly taking the stage to showcase their skills, resulting in a spectacular display. However, after several rounds, the participants realized the difficulty of the challenge and speculated that the "sister" was most likely a descendant of nobility, leading to a sense of retreat among them, causing the situation to become somewhat stagnant. Those who were experienced, composed, and highly skilled naturally did not wish to take the stage to test their abilities.

The disguised girl gritted her teeth and thought to herself: "I am magnanimous and will not stoop to your level for the time being." She said to Teng Dao: "Since you are here, how can you leave without showing some skill? Are you perhaps one of those faithless and cowardly men from the south?"

The young girl thought: "If he leaves like this, how can I calm my anger?" She then said: "Your name is Tai Yi, a hero indeed, but you must not take the gold and leave. That is the act of a coward, and we absolutely cannot agree to it." Having been raised in privilege and with strict moral teachings since childhood, she felt both relieved and awkward as she uttered such vulgar words.

The person of interest has gained the title of "Brave Champion of the Serpent Lord". She has revealed her true form and has become betrothed to him. The citizens of Serpent Lord City are known for their fierce character and their reverence for martial prowess; even the lord of Serpent Lord City cannot speak too freely. This is truly a clever strategy that achieves two objectives at once

Pan Yan said: "Having won a battle, where is the gold?"

The techniques of Wen Chao are aesthetically pleasing; with a single strike, the attacks follow one after another. Pan Yan does not evade, instead thrusting with his hand. Wen Chao smiles faintly, grips Pan Yan's fingers, and with a surge of internal energy, intends to defeat his opponent with his profound inner strength

The young girl snorted and said, "Once a word is spoken, there is no turning back." She gave a glance to a strong man beside her, who was a skilled guard of the court, with muscles bulging, known as "The One Who Supports the Tianshan Mountains." Wanting to please the girl, he thought, "This person is a great source of hatred for the lord; he must be beaten to a pulp."