Chapter 89

At the high platform in the southern market, Zhao Yougong pulled a table and sat in front of it, while Ajiu held a broken gong, ready to strike it at any moment.

Whenever there was a martial arts competition, there were always people who came to watch the spectacle. In just a quarter of an hour, the area around the platform was already crowded. Without Zhao Yougong having to say anything, those who wanted to apply for the position of bodyguard for the prince's mansion automatically gathered below the platform.

With a loud roar, a burly man slowly walked up to the platform. His steps were steady, and his calves were thick. At a glance, Zhao Yougong could see that this man had excellent lower body skills and was likely trained in external hard-style footwork.

"I am Liu Xinyue from Xiangyang. Gentlemen, who will challenge me?"

His voice was rough and intimidating, and his large face made him look like a reincarnation of the fierce Zhang Fei.

A man in a blue robe jumped onto the platform and bowed. "I am Gao Yonglin from Kongtong. Liu brother, please enlighten me!"

Isn't this the guy who claimed that his Seven Injuries Fist had reached the highest level? Zhao Yougong propped his chin and watched closely, but the result was very disappointing. The Kongtong expert was kicked off the platform by Liu Xinyue after just a few moves. Zhao Yougong, the young prince, was quite disappointed and couldn't help but feel angry. He bent down, picked up a pebble, and threw it at Gao Yonglin. "Get lost, get lost quickly. With your skills, you dare to call yourself a Seven Injuries Fist expert?"

"Everyone listen. I'm telling you, if you don't have real skills, don't come here to make a fool of yourselves. If you end up missing limbs, don't blame me for not caring!"

Zhao Yougong was truly angry. These people were treating him like a fool, thinking he couldn't see through their pretenses!

After the young prince's warning, the remaining people finally got the message. Those without real skills quietly retreated, but those who stayed were all skilled. In the second round, Liu Xinyue was defeated by a man who used a saber.

The platform was filled with intense fighting, and the crowd below cheered loudly. Zhao Yougong was somewhat disappointed. He had seen many people, but none of them were true experts. Especially that guy who called himself "Dare-to-stand Stone of Mount Tai," who was utterly useless. He was knocked out with just a few moves of the Shaolin Long Fist. How could such a person call himself "Dare-to-stand Stone"?

These martial artists were good enough to be guards, but as personal bodyguards, who would protect whom?

Ajiu poked Zhao Yougong's shoulder and shook her head, clearly unimpressed by these so-called experts.

"Ajiu, don't be impatient. Wait a bit longer. There are hundreds of people in the southern market. There must be someone who can catch my eye!"

Zhao Yougong sighed and rubbed his forehead. In fact, the best choice would be to have Lu Zhishen as his bodyguard, but the monk looked down on him. Zhao Yougong's bad reputation was to blame. When they met, the monk didn't even punch him, which was already a sign of respect.

"Wow... what a scoundrel, watch my Wind-Chasing Kick..."

A burly man's words were shocking and fierce. Zhao Yougong was curious and glanced over, instinctively clenching his legs.

The man's right foot shot up from below, aiming directly at his opponent's groin. With a scream, the unfortunate man clutched his crotch and lay on the platform, convulsing.

Just watching made Zhao Yougong wince. This wasn't a Wind-Chasing Kick; it was a castration kick.

The winner proudly bowed and thanked the crowd. Zhao Yougong's face darkened, and he threw a half-eaten apple at him. "Get lost, get lost quickly. That was a groin kick, not a Wind-Chasing Kick. If I hire you as my bodyguard, it would be a disgrace to me!"

The man was pelted with apple cores and rotten vegetables and fled in disgrace.

No man could tolerate such a dirty trick, especially not Zhao Yougong, who frequented brothels and valued his manhood more than his life.

"Everyone listen. If you want to compete, show your real skills. No castration kicks, eye-gouging, or ear-biting."

After the groin kick incident, Zhao Yougong added some rules to the competition, and it finally became more normal.

Bang, bang, bang, the fighting continued, and a burly man with dual hooks remained on the platform. This man was tall and muscular, with sharp eyes and a square face, looking like a fierce beast. He opened his mouth, raised his right hand, and shouted coldly, "I am Chen Fenglei from Bianliang. Who will challenge me?"

Chen Fenglei's dual hooks were fast and bizarre, and his techniques were ruthless. Everyone he fought ended up injured. No one dared to challenge him after hearing his roar.

Chen Fenglei was skilled, but Zhao Yougong didn't want to hire him. His eyes were suspicious, and he was arrogant and greedy, not a loyal person. Such a person might be fine in normal times, but in a crisis, he could be bought and turn against him. Zhao Yougong had to be cautious, especially after the incident with Xiaosan. However, no one dared to challenge Chen Fenglei, so Zhao Yougong had to find a reason to reject him.

Just then, a long laugh echoed, and a young man with a long spear slowly walked out of the crowd.

He was handsome, with a strong and determined look, standing over six feet tall, about 1.8 meters. Though slim, his eyes exuded a fierce determination.

Zhao Yougong was surprised. This young man was about his age and height, and his deep, steady gaze was rare. Regardless of his skills, he seemed reliable. The key was how to win his trust.

"Little boy, I advise you to get down. Don't lose your life for nothing!"

Chen Fenglei, seeing the young man's youth, immediately looked down on him.

"Ha, ha, we haven't fought yet. Who knows who the coward is? Are you afraid?"

The young man leaned his long spear on the ground, tucked his blue robe into his waist, and looked at Chen Fenglei with disdain.

"Good, you have spirit. Little boy, tell me your name. I never harm unnamed people!"

"Yang Zaixing from Linzhou!"

His words were proud, but few people truly paid attention. Zhao Yougong, however, kept repeating the name in his mind. Yang Zaixing from Linzhou, a descendant of the Yang family from Tianbo Mansion. He was truly talented, but in this era where martial artists were treated worse than dogs, he had fallen to such a state.

In the past, Tianbo Mansion had produced many heroes, from Yang Ye to Yang Liulang, Mu Guiying, and Yang Bamei. It had only been a hundred years, and the loyal descendants of the Yang family had fallen to the point of fighting on the streets for a living.

This was the Song Dynasty, the tragedy of martial artists. The glory won by their ancestors' blood was overshadowed by the lies of treacherous ministers.

A fierce saber could not match a true spear. The Yang family's spear was the best in the martial world, not only because it moved like pear blossoms but also because it had once intimidated the Liao people.

Yang Zaixing's hands moved swiftly, his spear strikes were fast and accurate, steady and fierce, and his techniques were both orthodox and unorthodox. He advanced with sharpness and retreated with precision. His long spear transformed into countless forms, and it was said that the longer the weapon, the stronger it was, and the shorter the weapon, the more dangerous it was. Yang Zaixing, however, made his long spear as elegant as a sword.

Zhao Yougong, a martial artist at heart, was deeply impressed by this spear technique. The Yang family's spear from Linzhou was truly well-deserved. Perhaps Yang Zaixing was not outstanding now, but with his talent and perseverance, he would surely restore the glory of Tianbo Mansion.

The dual hooks clashed, trying to trap the spear like a dragon, but Yang Zaixing retreated, turned, and swept his spear backward.

The fifth move of the Yang family's spear, the Black Dragon's Tail. This move was hidden and powerful. Chen Fenglei, who was still dodging, was caught off guard and fell off the platform with a scream.

In just the time it took to burn an incense stick, the young Yang Zaixing defeated the arrogant Chen Fenglei. He stood proudly, and no one in the crowd dared to underestimate him.

"Yang Zaixing from Linzhou, who will challenge me?"

He looked around, but no one stepped forward. The previous fight had shown that Yang Zaixing had defeated Chen Fenglei effortlessly. Who would dare to challenge him?

The competition continued until noon. When the crowd dispersed, the victorious Yang Zaixing came down to meet Zhao Yougong.

"Your Highness, I am Yang Zaixing, here to serve you."

"Hmm, you're good. I'll hire you as my personal bodyguard. Is there anything else? If not, let's go to the mansion and sign the contract now."

Yang Zaixing hesitated, looking embarrassed. He bowed and said, "Your Highness, I need to sign the contract, but I have an urgent matter that requires money. Could you please give me some money first?"

Zhao Yougong thought for a moment. He wasn't stingy with money, but he was curious about why Yang Zaixing needed it.

After a long pause, Yang Zaixing thought he had been refused and became anxious. He extended his hands, offering the silver spear. "If Your Highness doesn't trust me, I can give you this family heirloom spear."

Zhao Yougong smiled but didn't take the spear. He looked at Yang Zaixing's face and noticed that he was blushing.

"Alright, tell me, how much money do you need?"

"Um... one thousand guan..."

Even Zhao Yougong, who spent money like water, was shocked by this amount. One thousand guan was equivalent to 300,000 RMB in modern times. It was a significant sum, even for Zhao Yougong.

After some thought, he took out several banknotes from his pocket, counted ten, and handed them to Yang Zaixing.

"Take the money and do what you need to. But remember, come to the mansion by the ninth hour tomorrow. If you're late, don't blame me. The government will issue a warrant, and you'll have nowhere to hide."

Zhao Yougong led Ajiu away, still holding a large apple.

Yang Zaixing stood there, staring at the figure of the young prince, who was often criticized by the people of Bianliang. His thoughts were complex.

---

The page turns, and the advertisement begins.

The page turns, and the advertisement ends.