Mountains and rivers are waiting for you to return

Chapter 9: A melon seed

Mingyue Tower has a total of eight floors, with a large semi-circular stage in the center.

This side of the semicircle is made up of layers of stands, surrounded by a low wooden fence, and next to the fence are tea tables.

The first to third floors and the sixth to eighth floors are seats for ordinary audiences, while the fourth and fifth floors are set up as VIP seats because of the best viewing angles, and each tea table is separated by bamboo curtains.

The clerk was honest, and after Pei Nai gave him the silver ingot, he took him directly to the VIP seat on the fifth floor.

There were indeed not many empty seats. The other floors were already full, and only a few empty tables were left on the fourth and fifth floors.

The show hasn't started yet, but the crowd is already making a lot of noise.

Pei Nai found an empty table and sat down. Another waiter came with cups and poured tea. She ordered some fresh fruits and cakes, and then quietly waited for the show to start.

After a while, music started and the crowd gradually quieted down.

Dancers in colorful clothes came onto the stage from the side doors on both sides, dancing gracefully and in unison. Their long sleeves swayed like colorful waterfalls, and they danced lightly to the beat of the music.

It was so neat and orderly, and indeed stunning and stunning, that some male audience members were already applauding and cheering.

The song ended, and a competition followed.

The two contestants have already come on stage and are stretching their arms and legs, eager to try.

Pei Nai's eyes swept over the weapon of one of them and he was slightly stunned.

One of them is tall and the other is short.

The taller one was holding a long axe that was somewhat familiar to Pei Nai, and stared closely at the opponent in front of him.

The dwarf held an inconspicuous long sword, and his eyes lacked confidence.

It seems that the ending is self-evident and obvious.

As expected, the audience was very interested at this moment.

On each floor, there are clerks holding books for recording bets, walking back and forth in the corridors. It is voluntary, and if any audience member wants to increase the bet, they can shout to call the clerk over.

The audience was bustling for a while, but most people placed their bets on the taller man.

When the clerk came over, Pei Nai was nibbling melon seeds. The clerk asked enthusiastically, "Sir, would you like to place a bet?"

Pei Nai nodded and put down the melon seed shells in his hand.

The clerk asked with a smile, "Which one do you want to bet on, young lady?"

"The shorter one, thirty taels." Pei Nai took out the silver from his purse and handed it to the clerk without hesitation.

After saying this, Zhou Ce suddenly became quiet.

People nearby looked over towards the sound, they were very confused.

A man at the next table saw that she was alone and thought that she was new and lacked experience, so he kindly reminded her: "The tall man is Zhou Yuliang, the son of Zhou Mingfang, the Tianfu of Tao Jiang. He was specially invited by Mingyue Tower to help with the fun. You can't be the girl who doesn't know Liujiang, right?"

"I know, but I prefer the swordsman on the other side." Pei Nai responded politely.

The man shook his head, turned back, and looked at the people at the same table, all of them revealing a slightly sarcastic smile.

The clerk was kind enough to say to Pei Nai, "Miss, you have to think carefully. Once the competition starts, the money will not be refunded."

In Pei Nai's opinion, once a decision is made, it is like a crossbow shot out of the machine, there is absolutely no turning back. Besides, she is confident that she will make the money.

"Think about it, just write it down." Pei Nai said. The clerk had just written it down and hadn't left yet.

The bamboo curtain behind Pei Nai was suddenly lifted up from the bottom by a pair of soft hands, and the fingers were cutting jade.

Behind the curtain was a girl who was about the same age as Tang Mingzhi. She had her hair tied up in a bun and was wearing an embroidered dress. She looked a little puzzled, "How can you be so sure that the swordsman will win?"

Oh, beauty, with beautiful eyebrows.

Pei Nai was pleased with the beauty and answered quickly, "Because Tao Jiang Tianfu is easily restrained by swordsmanship, the owner of Mingyue Tower, Madam Xuanwu, is also a wise person. She specially invited an inconspicuous swordsman to be Zhou Yuliang's opponent. This not only deceived the audience into placing bets, but also relied on their own people to manipulate the bets and recover a large amount of gambling money. Since they did this, they must be sure that the swordsman will win."

"But after all, it is Tao Jiangtian's Axe, and this swordsman is not famous. Can ordinary swordsmanship really work? What if it's just a coincidence?" the beauty asked again.

"Sharpening a spear before a battle won't make it shine, but having someone with great guidance will make a difference."

The beauty showed a puzzled look, "What do you mean?"

"Just look at that man's hand. The sword he holds is in the most suitable position for retreating and counterattacking. When fighting against an axe-like weapon, the most important thing is to avoid its sharp edge. The hilt of his sword is new everywhere, and the only wear and tear is hidden by his hand. Someone must have given him targeted training just for today's match."

Another man at the next table couldn't stand it any longer and shouted, "This is just nonsense, all unfounded speculation. Have you ever practiced martial arts? In my opinion, he just changed his sword. What about the position of holding the sword? I have been in the martial arts world for so many years and have never heard of such a statement."

Pei Nai picked up the teacup and ignored him.

The little beauty glanced at the man and asked in a low voice: "Honestly, how do you know that the wear and tear was covered by his hands? What if the sword is newly replaced by him?"

Pei Nai took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, then continued, "Look at his sword guard."

The side of the sword guard close to the sword body was badly damaged. The uneven marks could not be seen clearly from a distance, but it was clear that the luster was gone and only dullness remained.

The little beauty understood instantly.

The tip, blade and spine of a sword can be polished, but the guard cannot. It's not impossible, but few people are willing to spend the effort to clean up their guard.

"Great! I believe you!" The beauty praised, and bid out two more gold ingots, saying to the clerk, "Add some more bets for me too, and I want the shorter guy to win."

Wow, so golden and rich, Pei Nai thought secretly.

The clerk took note of the money and left. The competition officially began. No one talked too much around and everyone focused on watching the competition.

The two men fought fiercely, and the collision of swords and axes made continuous "clang" and "clang" sounds.

Zhou Yuliang raised his axe and chopped, but his opponent put away his sword and dodged, and the axe hit the floor of the stage with a loud "bang".

The opponent raised his sword and slashed in the air. Zhou Yuliang was unable to retract his axe in time and could only let go and retreat, leaving the ancient silver axe stuck in place.

Everyone sighed.

When the audience thought Zhou Yuliang was at a disadvantage, he quickly seized the opportunity of his opponent, jumped up, did a somersault, kicked the axe handle, and rescued the long axe from the gap.

He took the axe nimbly and chopped it horizontally.

The opponent seemed to have been prepared. He bent his waist and lowered his head to avoid the attack. Then he straightened up and used a beautiful set of sword skills to launch a counterattack. In a short period of time, he showed an invincible momentum, which made Zhou Yuliang overwhelmed.

Unfortunately, this fierce sword technique was broken by Zhou Yuliang's axe at the last moment. He used his long axe to block the move, and the sharp axe blade cut off the opponent's sword.

The swordsman on the opposite side looked at the weapon with the head missing and stood there seeming a little confused.

"This is a bit like bullying others by taking advantage of the superiority of your weapons." Pei Nai said lightly.

She picked up a melon seed from the plate, threw it downwards, and it hit a spot precisely on the body of the Sky Axe.

(End of this chapter)