Do you have the strength to force me to join the Liangshan bandits?

Chapter 290 Niu Gao: Defeat him, and I'll be the Martial Arts Champion! [Combined Chapter 1 & 2]

They traveled day and night, drinking when thirsty and eating when hungry, and finally arrived in Tokyo.

Yue Fei then reminded the two younger ones, Niu Gao and He Yuanqing:

“Nephews, we need to get rid of some of our old habits when we go to the city.”

"This is Kyoto, but it can't compare to being in the mountains."

Niu Gao asked nonchalantly, "Does everyone in the capital live off silver?"

Yue Fei shook his head: "How would you know!"

“This capital city is not like a desolate village or small county. There are many officials, ministers, princes and nobles coming and going here.”

"If we act rashly and cause trouble, we will not only harm ourselves, but also ruin my elder brother's important plans!"

He Yuanqing, being a reckless fellow, said: "That's fine!"
"We won't say a word once we're in town, we'll just keep quiet!"

Wu Song laughed and said, "No need for that. I've already been to the capital twice with my elder brother!"
"With each journey, the elder brother left behind a beautiful story!"

Yue Fei simply shook his head. He was a cautious man, but unfortunately, everyone in the army except him was lawless.

Moreover, he was young and had little prestige, so even though he was highly skilled in martial arts, few people listened to him.

He couldn't help but look at Cai Fu's back with admiration, wondering when he could be as powerful as his elder brother with just one sentence.

Cai Fu didn't hear the children chattering behind him; he was talking to Fang Jie about his past in Tokyo.

Fang Jie listened with great interest:

"Brother-in-law, whose ear are we cutting off this time?"

"Was it Cai Jing or Tong Guan?"

He often heard passersby say, "I wield the knife right under the emperor's nose, and I can slice off the Grand Commandant's ear with a single stroke," which was simply too extravagant!
Cai Fu coughed lightly: "Don't talk nonsense. I, 'Sai Xuande,' have always won people over with virtue!"

……

This time, entering the city gates was actually easier, as martial arts candidates from all over the country came in droves.

"Yeah!"

Cai Fu smiled and pointed to Yue Fei, Niu Gao, He Yuanqing, and the other younger ones:
"These nephews and nieces of mine are all martial arts candidates. I sent them here to take the martial arts championship!"

The guards looked at Yue Fei and He Yuanqing and thought they were just little kids.

Niu Gao looks old, but you can tell he's still a greenhorn the moment he opens his mouth.

Even if a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy is physically developing early, a polite greeting, a glance, or a gesture can easily reveal whether he is a child or not.

As for the travel permit issue, Cai Fu resolved it with silver:

"They're all in the carriage, which is lagging behind."

"We country folk don't know the rules, please make an exception and let us in first."

"When the carriage arrives..."

The guards took the silver, which weighed about five taels in their hands, and frowned, saying:
"What if the carriage doesn't come?"

"Don't worry, I've left the butler here as a prisoner!"

Cai Fula handed Shi Qian over to the gatekeepers:
"I'll take a few kids inside for a look around first."

“The carriage will definitely come. If it doesn’t, you can hold my steward accountable.”

Shi Qian patted his chest and declared, "I will be held accountable! I will be held accountable!"

The guards were then relieved and allowed Shi Qian to stand aside.
"You'll stand here until the carriage comes!"

Shi Qian: "Yes, yes, yes..."

Cai Fu and his group slipped inside. The gatekeeper pointed two fingers at his own eyes and then at Shi Qian:

I'm watching you!

Shi Qian stood to the side with a big smile on his face, bowing and scraping.

Is this tofu guaranteed to be cooked through?

The guards had just taken advantage of a tofu-selling auntie who had come to town, and when they turned around they saw:
What about people?

……

They got in so easily?

Han Yiyun was dumbfounded:
So outrageous!
If all soldiers are like this, what will happen when the Liao soldiers come? What will happen when the Jin soldiers come?
Fortunately, we still have our Western Army!

Han Yiyun followed behind Cai Fu, pondering a suitable opportunity to leave Cai Fu and go to the palace to report the news.

But he didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he always felt that there was a pair of sneaky eyes staring at him.

Therefore, Han Yiyun did not dare to make any rash moves along the way...

After entering the city, Cai Fu didn't seem to care, but Yue Fei, Niu Gao, He Yuanqing, and Fang Jie were all dumbfounded.
Is this the capital city?

It's so bustling!

Cai Fu led them to a very luxurious hotel to stay in.

Han Yiyun deliberately suggested, "Brother, why don't we find a secluded inn to stay in?"

Cai Fu chuckled: "You don't understand. In Tokyo, the bigger the hotel, the safer it is!"

Han Yiyun was puzzled; this was indeed beyond his comprehension.

Cai Fu checked into the best guest room and ordered the staff to prepare the finest banquet.

I would like to thank Wang Jiang, nicknamed "Little Black Saburo," for his generous sponsorship...

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Cai Fu tipped the waiter who was straining the wine and then casually inquired about something:
"This year's martial arts exam is quite lively!"

"Isn't it?"

Once the waiter had received the money, Cai Fu began to speak at length, telling him everything he knew:

"There are many more military candidates this year than in previous years, and His Majesty has appointed four chief examiners—"

"One is Privy Councilor Tong, one is Grand Commandant Gao, one is Minister of War Wang, and one is Prefect of Kaifeng Zhang..."

Good guy!
Upon hearing this, Cai Fu exclaimed: Tong Guan, Gao Qiu, Wang Duo, Zhang Bangchang—what a treacherous group of officials!

In the original novel, the four chief examiners for Yue Fei's cohort were Zhang Bangchang, Wang Duo, Zhang Jun, and Zong Ze.

The other three all accepted bribes from Xiao Liang, Wang Chai, and Gui, but at least Zong Ze was fair and honest.

This year's competition is terrible; everyone's a villain. No wonder the martial arts examinations have failed to select many capable fighters year after year!
Cai Fu, Wu Song, and the others chatted with the waiter about the martial arts exam. Niu Gao listened with great interest and also wanted to take the exam.

He had no intention of serving the imperial court; he simply wanted to know his standing in the national martial arts examinations.

The problem was that he wasn't qualified to take the martial arts exam. Niu Gao was so eager to participate that he couldn't sit still, so he used the excuse of needing to urinate to slip away.

After leaving the store, Niu Gao wandered aimlessly until he stopped at a three-way intersection, unsure which way to go.

As luck would have it, two teenagers walked towards them.

A boy dressed in white, eight feet tall, with a round, white face.

Another boy was dressed in red, was seven feet five inches tall, and had a pale red face.

The two walked hand in hand, chatting and laughing.

The boy in red said, "Brother, I've long heard that the Xiangguo Temple here is very lively!"
"There was a famous rebel named 'Flowery Monk' Lu Zhishen, who came from the Great Xiangguo Temple!"

"Shall we go and take a look?"

The young man in white said, "If my brother is happy, I'll gladly keep him company!"

Niu Gao slapped his thigh upon hearing this:
Oh my god! Isn't my master from the Great Xiangguo Temple?
I also wanted to see the place where my master practiced, so I went with the two of them who knew the way!
So Niu Gao went with them to the Daxiangguo Temple.

All sorts of people were there, doing business and making a fuss, it was quite a lively scene.

The boy in white and the boy in red entered the Heavenly King's Hall, just in time to hear someone telling stories, so they squeezed in to listen to what was being said.

Niu Gao followed behind and squeezed in.

It turned out that the gentleman was telling the story of the Golden Spear Falling on the Horse from the Northern Song Dynasty.

When Emperor Taizong was tricked into going to Youzhou, the Liao people mobilized troops from seventy-two islands, forming a million-strong army that completely besieged Youzhou. It was only through the intervention of General Yang and his nine sons that the emperor was rescued.

The storyteller, spitting as he spoke, slammed his gavel and shouted:

"This is what they call the Eight Tigers' Adventure in Youzhou!"

Without saying a word, the young man in white took out two silver ingots and presented them to the young man.

The boy in red came out and asked the boy in white:

"Brother, those two ingots of silver aren't much to you."

"But if people from the capital see this, they might say that you are a country bumpkin."

The young man in white said, "Brother, haven't you heard that my ancestors, father and sons, numbered nine and were invincible among a million soldiers?"
"Not to mention two ingots, even ten ingots would be worth it!"

The two boys moved to another place to continue listening to the story, and Niu Gao followed them. This time, the story being told was about the rise of the Tang Dynasty.

The storyteller was just beginning to say: "Qin King Li Shimin went to the Five Dragons Meeting at Jiasuo Mountain."

"Luo Cheng, the seventh hero in the world, was ordered by the military advisor to capture Wang Shichong, the King of Luoyang, Zhu Can, the King of Nanyang in Chuzhou, Gao Tansheng, the King of Baiyu in Xiangzhou, Dou Jiande, the King of Xiaming in Mingzhou, and Meng Haigong, the King of Songyi in Caozhou, all by himself."

"Luo Cheng is determined to succeed and hold the mountain pass."

At this point, the storyteller skillfully cut the story short.

The boy in red immediately took out four silver ingots and presented them to him.

After he came out, the boy in white asked him:

"Brother, you said it was too much when I gave you two ingots of silver, so why did you give me four ingots?"

The boy in red said, "Brother, didn't you hear him say that my ancestor was ruthless?"

"My ancestor 'locked five dragons with one spear' in Niukou Valley!"
"Unlike my elder brother's ancestors, who had nine people protecting one emperor, even that couldn't guarantee their lives."

"In retrospect, my ancestor was more ruthless than yours, so I gave him two extra ingots of silver."

The white-robed youth's face darkened: "Are you trying to bully my ancestors?"

The boy in red waved his hand with a grin: "It's not that my ancestor bullied my brother, it's actually my ancestor who's more ruthless."

The white-clad youth snorted coldly: "Fine, let's go back, put on our armor, mount our horses, and have a martial arts contest at the small training ground!"
"If we win, we'll stay and compete for the top scholar title!"
"If your martial arts skills are poor, go back now and try again in the next exam!"

The boy in red: "That makes sense, that's exactly right!"

Niu Gao was a muddle-headed man, and upon hearing this, he thought to himself:
"Luckily I was here to hear this. It turns out that these two scoundrels are fighting over who will be the top martial arts champion this year!"

Niu Gao rushed back to the hotel and went upstairs to find Cai Fu and the others still eating and drinking.

Without informing Cai Fu, Niu Gao returned to his room, donned his armor, and went downstairs alone with his double maces.

He wasn't qualified to take the martial arts exam, but he wanted to see what level the martial arts champion was at.

If the martial arts champion is defeated by him, wouldn't that prove that "Black Rakshasa" is the uncrowned champion?
As Niu Gao was going downstairs, someone grabbed him. When he turned around, he saw that it was He Yuanqing.

He Yuanqing was only ten years old, the age when he was a mischievous child. When he saw Niu Gao sneak out, he followed him out.

"Where are you going, senior brother?"

He Yuanqing was Lu Zhishen's second disciple, and Niu Gao treated him like family.

"Junior brother, let's snatch the martial arts champion!"

He Yuanqing: "Let's go together!"

So He Yuanqing also donned his armor, picked up two large iron hammers, mounted his horse, and slipped out of the hotel with Niu Gao.

Upon reaching a three-way intersection, Niu Gao, unfamiliar with the route, saw two old men pointing and discussing the landscape under a large tree. He called out from his horse:

"Hey! Old man, I'm asking you, where does the small drill ground lead?"

The two old men were stunned with anger. Niu Gao was about to shout again when He Yuanqing slapped him on the back of the head.

"My uncle said, no matter how astonishing your purple bag is, you must dismount and ask him if he deserves a beating!"
"Your father-in-law is old enough to be your grandfather, don't you think you deserve a beating?"

He was born with superhuman strength, and with one slap, Niu Gao's head was buzzing, and he only remembered one sentence: "My uncle said."

No, what did Uncle say?
But then He Yuanqing dismounted, walked up to the two old men, bowed respectfully with his hands clasped, and asked:
"Greetings, gentlemen. My brother is young and doesn't know any better, so please don't take offense at his behavior."

The two old men's expressions softened considerably. They glared at Niu Gao and gave He Yuanqing a thumbs-up.
"You're such a sensible child. How could your brother be so rude?"

Upon hearing this, Niu Gao was about to erupt in anger again, but He Yuanqing turned around and glared at him, causing Niu Gao to quickly tumble off his horse.
"I've dismounted, I'm not asking for a beating anymore!"

The old man gave He Yuanqing directions, and He Yuanqing mounted his horse and went to the small training ground with Niu Gao.

Meanwhile, in the Grand Tutor's mansion, Cai Ya was applying makeup in front of a mirror.

After drawing her eyebrows, Cai Ya looked at herself in the mirror and pursed her lips in satisfaction.

His gaze fell on the dead fish eyes, and he couldn't help but sigh.

She also has big eyes, but they don't have that bright, sparkling quality that others have...

Even if she wasn't a beauty of unparalleled grace, she could still be described as having a beautiful face.

It's these big, lifeless eyes that are holding me back.

I don't know if my owner will like it even with makeup on...

Just as Cai Ya was thinking about this, she suddenly heard two squeaking sounds outside the window, like mice fighting.

Cai Ya's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly went to the window, only to find a letter on the windowsill that had appeared at some point.

The envelope was decorated with a drawing of a large, ghost-headed sword.

Cai Yayan's red lips curled up, and as she picked up the letter and opened it, even her dead fish eyes seemed to come alive.

After reading the letter, Cai Ya took out some rouge and chose the one she usually used most often, applying it to the letter.

Cai Ya placed the letter on the windowsill, sat back down to continue applying makeup, and when she looked again, the letter was gone.

……

Meanwhile, Niu Gao and He Yuanqing ran to the small training ground. Their attire clearly indicated that they were martial arts candidates. During the martial arts examination, candidates were allowed to perform martial arts at the small training ground, so the government troops did not stop them and let them barge in.

Two boys were seen riding horses and brandishing spears, engaged in a fierce battle in the small training ground.

Niu Gao was about to intervene, but He Yuanqing grabbed him.
"Senior brother, let's wait until they've decided who's the winner!"

"Right!"

Niu Gao slapped his forehead: "I'll beat up the guy who snatched the top scholar!"
"Defeat him, and I'll be the top scholar!"

He Yuanqing remained silent; he didn't understand the matter either, since neither of the two fellow apprentices was well-educated.

Niu Gao said that they would compete for the top scholar title here, and He Yuanqing took it seriously.

Two mischievous kids, one dares to say it and the other dares to believe it.

The red-clad boy's ancestors were indeed more powerful than the white-clad boy's ancestors.

Unfortunately, his ancestors had been dead for too long, and the spear techniques passed down to him were in disarray.

He relied entirely on his talent to fill in the gaps in his marksmanship through his mind.

He's fine for bullying ordinary people, but when he's in a one-on-one fight with the boy in white, he falters after just thirty rounds.

Seeing that the red-clad youth's marksmanship was gradually becoming erratic, the white-clad youth laughed and his marksmanship became even more ferocious.

The boy in red could only parry and had no chance to retaliate, and was finally defeated after fifty rounds.

"I have been defeated!"

The boy in red's face turned a deep purple.

"You're the top scholar this year!"

The young man in white smiled and said, "You flatter me!"
"It's clear that my ancestors were no less than yours!"

The boy in red was speechless, when a loud shout rang out from the side:
"What title is yours?"

"Did you ask me, Old Niu?"

(End of this chapter)