Chapter Twenty

Although their Changwen Martial Arts School wasn't specifically focused on judo, any 21st-century dojo that stubbornly clung to tradition would have gone out of business long ago. So, they studied all kinds of martial arts—taekwondo, jujitsu, Muay Thai, you name it—absorbing the strengths of each. They also regularly watched other martial arts competitions, so jujitsu was nothing new to them. It just hadn't occurred to them that people in this ancient world might be unfamiliar with it.

Luckily, mealtime arrived soon. The smell of food made Little Wu and the chubby guy absolutely refuse to train any longer, insisting on going to eat. A Xu had the same idea but lacked the courage to voice it so boldly. He quietly slipped away from Xiao Yue and followed behind Little Wu. Sure enough, seeing how much they were fussing, Xiao Ai and Xu Haoyue let them go eat.

Those two stayed behind to practice a bit longer. Xiao Yue had originally wanted to run off with the others but was unexpectedly grabbed by Youyou. Now he was suffering in silence, filled with regret and cursing A Xu a hundred times in his heart.

"Ah, the sun is lovely today," said A Xu, following behind Little Wu and basking in the sunlight after a full meal. Xiao Yue, who had just finished training, passed by and couldn't resist giving him a couple of light kicks. Knowing he was in the wrong, A Xu didn't dodge. He looked up at the blue sky; the sunlight was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. It was perfect weather for going out.

"Little Wu, Xiao Ai. Let's go shopping later. I'm really curious about how the capital city differs from our county town."

Little Wu nodded excitedly in agreement. "Yes, yes! I really want to go too. Staying cooped up in this courtyard is no fun at all. The rooms here are luxurious, but they always feel chilly and stifling."

Xiao Ai felt the same way. "Mhm, I don't like staying in these rooms either. Let's wait for them to finish eating, then we can all go out for a stroll!"

When the group, their bellies full, walked out onto the main street, they found it completely empty. Growing more apprehensive with each step, they were hesitating about whether to turn back when Youyou caught up. He told them that vendors weren't allowed on this particular road; if they wanted to buy anything, they'd have to go to other streets. The seven of them had no choice but to sheepishly follow Youyou as he led them on a detour.

Switching to a different street, it was indeed much livelier. Although roadside stalls were pitifully few, there were at least some shops and taverns, plus the coming and going of crowds. Finally, they got a sense of actually being out shopping.

As they walked, a rich aroma of meat wafted from a tavern. The chubby guy inhaled deeply with great relish and said nostalgically, "Ah, that smells good. Old Jing, I really miss the food stalls!"

Hearing this, Xu Haoyue let out a long sigh. "Food stalls? More than that! I miss crawfish and barbecue too."

"And hot pot!" A Xu wailed from behind.

Little Wu, linking arms with Xiao Ai, also chimed in with a sigh. "Xiao Ai, I really miss cake, and ice cream, and bubble tea... so many things."

Listening made Xiao Ai's mouth water uncontrollably. Xiao Yue even slapped Little Wu's shoulder in anguish. "Stop talking! The more you say, the hungrier I feel." He looked up and saw Xiao Ai's very calm expression, so he couldn't help asking, "Brother Haoyue, don't you have anything you miss eating?"

Xiao Ai adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Of course I do."

"Then what do you miss?" Little Wu asked, finding it rare for Xiao Ai to talk about food.

Xiao Ai closed his eyes and took a light breath, seeming to savor the thought. "Steak." Everyone wanted that too, so they nodded in agreement.

"Stinky tofu." That was indeed a delicious treat as well.

"Durian." Well... that one was a bit of an acquired taste. Some were already unwilling to nod.

"Luosifen." Huh, who knew Xiao Ai's tastes were so strong? To be fair, they couldn't really blame themselves for not knowing. Usually, everyone ate the standard training meals and rarely went out to eat together. And even when they did, their master or Su Heng had already ordered.

Youyou couldn't quite understand what they were talking about and had stayed quiet the whole time. Gradually, seeing them fall silent, he began to explain.

"Actually, the reason I brought you to this street today is because the participants from the other prefectures are staying here. See those inns with the flags? That's where they're lodged. Different flags represent different prefectures."

Little Wu counted in the direction he pointed. There really were eight flags, each planted at a different inn. Each inn was two stories high, and who knew how large they were in the back. If they were all fully booked, just how many people would that be!

"Hey, hey, that Youyou-gege, how many matches are we going to have to fight? It's not like we have to face every single prefecture, right?" Little Wu asked, looking very worried.

Youyou quickly shook his head. "No, it's not like that. There are far more participants than just this small group. You guys only need to compete in four or five matches. However, among these are individual events, pair events, and team events. I'm not sure how you all want to arrange it."

"What? That many events? *Cough, cough*" Little Wu nearly choked, clearly worried about being thrown into the ring. Su Heng glanced at him and nodded. "That's right. This is the Jiuzhou Competition; how could the winner be decided by just one or two matches? Each prefecture is sending at least a hundred participants to compete. Of course, we're only taking part in the martial combat events. We're not involved in the other ones, like the literary or merchant competitions."

Xu Haoyue perked up with interest. He raised his right index finger to adjust his glasses, shot a sidelong glance at Su Heng, and sidled up to him with a faint smile. "So what exactly do they compete in for the literary events? And what's the merchant competition all about?"

"Oh! The literary events, huh? Basically, it's things like poetry, songs, essays, calligraphy, painting—stuff like that. The merchant competition focuses on the way of doing business. After all, a prefecture's strength can't rely solely on military might. If the people don't have enough to eat or wear, no amount of combat power can maintain long-term stability. There's also the tactical competition, which compares the strategic capabilities of a prefecture's generals."

"So that means this competition covers every possible aspect. That being the case, we don't really count for much, so why is it so crucial that we step in?" Jing Yuan asked.

"Ah, Jing Yuan, you can't say that. Every single part, every single segment, is absolutely vital. Besides, although Qingzhou is still the ruling prefecture of Jiuzhou for now, the other eight prefectures have been able to focus on developing various fields over the years. Meanwhile, Qingzhou has had to run around daily dealing with frictions among the prefectures, stretched thin on many fronts. This has caused our talent development to lag far behind the other prefectures. Alas, we had finally managed to gather a full team, and then Cangzhou had to pull that stunt at Gushan Ridge, causing us to lose so many promising talents. With the competition right around the corner, we still need to fill the spots. We're really fortunate you were willing to help us out in our time of need..."

"Alright, alright, Su Heng, let's just skip all that insincere flattery. Just make sure you push that Zhang Da—oh, I mean, County Magistrate Zhang—to find our people as soon as possible, and that'll be fine." Jing Yuan quickly cut him off, afraid he'd ramble on endlessly like that old man in the main hall.