A Martial Arts Contest for Marriage!
And it was the Zheng family's only daughter, renowned throughout the city, who was seeking a suitor.
The next day, the inner city of Five Families City was more bustling than during the New Year celebrations.
The central square was packed to the brim with members of the five great families, their trusted followers, and ordinary citizens.
They all wanted to see which lucky fellow would win the beauty's hand!
Tang Wen and Commander Qian's group were seated in the Duobao Tower.
They carried the Secret Elixir with them, waiting for the marriage contest to end and the Martial Practitioners' Trade Fair to begin.
They planned to exchange the Secret Elixir with the five great families for the Waterwheel Blueprint and trade for grain.
As for the grain trade, Tang Wen held little hope.
Along the way, he had seen the parched fields of this region.
"Brother Tang Wen, are you really not going to participate?" Commander Li came upstairs and urged once more.
Tang Wen shook his head in silence.
Last night, he had already been persuaded by these two for a long time.
They genuinely believed this was a great opportunity.
If it weren't for their advanced age, they would have definitely joined!
Commander Li continued to persuade, "I see that even the ruffians from Black Mountain Camp are participating. Brother Tang, why not give it a try? If you win, we can discuss Commander Zhou's matter. What if the Zheng family is willing to accept her as a co-wife?"
Tang Wen was speechless. The Zheng Family Head's only daughter as a co-wife?
Dream on!
In dreams, anything is possible.
"Old brother, you flatter me. I am dedicated to martial arts and have no interest in currying favor with powerful families."
No interest in currying favor with powerful families?
Still so young!
Wait, isn't your Commander Zhou Bing the niece of General Zhou?
And also a junior of the Queen?
Didn't you already climb that ladder?
Hearing this, Commander Qian also advised, "It's not about currying favor with powerful families, but about forming an alliance through marriage. If you can win Miss Zheng's hand, our camp and Five Families City would become one family!"
Before Tang Wen could retort, he lowered his voice and said, "Brother Tang, I have been a first-class Martial Master for many years. In my younger days, I had the opportunity to awaken a Flame Ability."
"But I didn't dare to try. Awakening is extremely perilous; the slightest mistake could mean death and the loss of all my cultivation. And the Zheng family most likely possesses—Marrow Protection Fluid!"
Marrow Protection Fluid?
Hearing this term, Tang Wen couldn't help but feel a slight stir in his heart.
A first-class Martial Master visualizes the force, training it throughout the body.
The next step is to refine the marrow.
That is, to temper the spine and skull.
Only at this stage does awakening truly begin.
If one can fully temper the spinal dragon before the age of thirty, they can complete the awakening.
But many Martial Masters dare not take this step, as it is a life-and-death gamble.
Commander Qian before him was considered talented.
At the age of thirty, he sensed the Flame Ability, and with a single punch, he could slightly alter the surrounding temperature.
But seeing his seniors consumed by flames and dying tragically before awakening, he couldn't help but hesitate.
Did he truly have the destiny to become a Transcendent?
At that time, he had children and concubines, and after much deliberation, he didn't dare to persist in the "marrow refinement" breakthrough.
Commander Qian's contemporary was General Zhao.
General Zhao was more talented, able to produce small flames before the age of thirty.
He completed the first step of awakening, with his ability just beginning to manifest.
This preserved his chance to become a Transcendent after the age of thirty.
But he only recently made the breakthrough.
Aside from the life-and-death pressure brought by the Tyrant Bear, it was mainly due to years of meticulous effort.
Dripping water wears through stone; bit by bit, he trained the force through his spinal dragon!
Even someone as talented as General Zhao dared not rashly take this step.
Recalling the past, Commander Qian's eyes were filled with regret: "If I had a bottle of Marrow Protection Fluid back then, I could have fought without hesitation. Even if I failed, it wouldn't have damaged my Martial Arts foundation! I wouldn't have ended up with my skills destroyed and my life lost."
"A rare opportunity indeed!" Commander Li chimed in.
Tang Wen shook his head: "It's just a possibility. Even if the Zheng family has Marrow Protection Fluid, and the family hasn't declined, would they give it to an outsider like me?"
The two commanders didn't press further.
Although they saw it as an opportunity, they couldn't possibly ask Tang Wen to fully join the Zheng family.
"Dong!"
A gong sounded downstairs.
"It's about to begin!"
"Look, that's Young Miss Zheng!"
"What a beautiful woman."
Tang Wen and the others fell silent, seated in an elegant private room by the window.
They turned their heads to look.
In the center of the martial arts platform stood a young woman, dressed in black, her skin as white as snow, with a long braid hanging down her back.
Her brows carried a heroic air, and every smile and frown radiated brilliance.
"So, Brother Tang, are you tempted?"
Tang Wen smiled: Tempted?
Of course, he was.
Who wouldn't admire such a beauty? If I were a Transcendent, I would step onto the stage and sweep away all obstacles, making Miss Zheng my equal wife.
Would the Zheng family refuse a Transcendent under eighteen?
But as a second-tier Martial Master, it's better not to stir up trouble.
In the end, it all comes down to insufficient strength!
In this small Five Families City, there are already five Transcendents.
I must train harder when I return. The ice cellar is already full, so I don't have to worry about food.
When I return, I'll focus entirely on honing my Martial Arts.
He speculated that mastering the Mountain-Cracking Cannon Fist would likely allow him to break through to the first-tier Martial Master.
After upgrading the Experience Panel, his Martial Arts path had no barriers, only a smooth road ahead.
What he lacked was time.
That's why Tang Wen could calmly resist the temptation of "Marrow Protection Fluid."
Otherwise, even if they didn't let him participate in the martial arts competition, he would have found a way.
At most, he would have prostrated himself before the Zheng family head and called him "foster father."
In the face of "Marrow Protection Fluid," what is pride worth?
Feeling the gaze of the crowd.
Miss Zheng, Zheng Nanzhu, glanced upstairs.
Seeing Tang Wen with his face covered by a black cloth, she found it strange: His eyes are so captivating, why cover his face? Is he too ugly to show himself?
She didn't dwell on it, the thought fleeting.
The Zheng Family Head, an elderly man with silver hair, stepped forward and delivered some formal remarks.
He explained the rules of the martial arts competition: Any Martial Practitioner under the age of twenty-eight could participate, fighting in pairs, with the winners advancing to the next round and the losers eliminated.
Tang Wen speculated: "It seems the Zheng family wants to use this opportunity to recruit some talents!"
Qian Sanduo nodded: "The drought will inevitably bring chaos. There's no use reasoning with people who have nothing to eat. Even Five Families City senses the crisis and is looking to gather a group of people."
As if to confirm their speculation, some young and ambitious first-tier Martial Practitioners and peak Martial Practitioners stepped forward.
Their eyes burned with passion as they looked at the stage.
Commander Li sighed: "There are always those who want to rise to the top in one step."
Martial Practitioners under twenty-eight were considered somewhat talented and could hold positions like team leaders in the Flame Camp.
They were the backbone of a force, bridging the gap between the old and the new.
Moreover, they were still young, with the potential to become Martial Masters.
Qian Sanduo patted Tang Wen's shoulder: "Brothers like Tang Wen are rare."
After the two of them finished their lament, they pointed to the four men standing at the front below. Commander Qian said, "Those four are the most likely to win the beauty's heart."
"What are their backgrounds?" Tang Wen looked over, not recognizing any of them.
Qian Sanduo introduced them from left to right: "That one, dressed like a scholar with an iron fan, is the seventh leader of the Six Mountains and Eighteen Villages to the east, the Iron Fan Gentleman. He's twenty-seven years old and a first-class Martial Master.
That big, dark fellow is the Black Mountain Devil, Black Fang. He's also a first-class Martial Master, twenty-eight years old."
"The remaining two are young scions from the Five Cities. One is the young master of the Lin Family—Lin Wanqing."
Lin Wanqing was also quite handsome, but his eyes wandered everywhere, giving him a frivolous appearance.
"The last one is Wang Jintong from the Wang family. Don't let his small frame fool you; the Wang family is known for their Tough Skill, and his strength is not to be underestimated."
Martial Masters are sensitive to gazes, and the four men being introduced all looked up at the second floor.
The Black Mountain Camp and Black Fang, seeing Commander Qian and Tang Wen, immediately sneered loudly: "I wondered who was hiding up there with their faces covered. Turns out it's people from the Flame Camp. Miss Zheng is as beautiful as a celestial maiden, yet you don't send anyone to compete. Hiding up there, what kind of schemes are you plotting? Take off your masks and come down to apologize!"
The animosity between the Black Mountain Camp and the Flame Camp was well known to everyone.
His shout drew everyone's attention to the third floor, where Tang Wen stood wearing a bamboo hat and a face covering.
"Is that guy really covering his face?"
"Someone from the Flame Camp?"
"I've never seen anyone dressed like that before!"
Whispers and murmurs spread through the crowd.
Indeed, the situation was somewhat awkward. All the factions were actively participating, even if they didn't have suitable Martial Masters, they still sent Martial Practitioners to join in the fun.
Only Tang Wen and his group remained aloof, looking down from above as if watching a cockfight or a monkey show.
"The Black Mountain Devil is really asking for trouble!" Qian Sanduo narrowed his eyes, his voice turning cold.
(End of Chapter)