Yuchi had yet to alight from the carriage when he already heard a man's furious roar, causing goosebumps to rise all over him. "Buddha bless, please let the scene not be too stimulating later," he thought.

Clasping his hands in prayer in his heart, wondering if last-minute prayers would do any good, he disembarked from the front of the carriage first, then extended his hand to gently help Bu Tingyue down.

He then turned his head. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Yuchi saw the arena for the martial arts tournament for marriage.

Two women clad in bright red wedding dresses were engaged in armed combat. It was evident that one of them had already been knocked off, while the other, slightly out of breath, held her sword high, raising her right hand. The sleeve slipped down, revealing her fair arm. Beside this woman stood a burly man — it was he who had just shouted, "Is there anyone else?" But... but what on earth is this all about?

Why couldn't he understand?! Why were two women fighting each other? Could it really be as he had thought — two women in bridal attire fighting? But that couldn't be right either; there were no men around as far as he could see. It seemed they were fighting just for the sake of the fight?

And then...

Things got even more exciting. The victorious woman picked up the woman on the ground, held her directly in her arms, and then, in front of everyone, gave her a deep and passionate kiss. The other woman was fully cooperative, appearing bashful yet eager — it was utterly exaggerated.

The audience erupted in cheers.

Yuchi: "???"

He wiped his nosebleed and showed a silly grin. He was completely baffled by it all, so could someone please tell him what exactly was going on here?

Of course, the situation was explained quickly and simply by the onlookers around him, and Yuchi soon understood the rules of the event.

Essentially, the tournament was indeed a martial arts tournament for marriage as the name implied, but unlike what had been commonly agreed upon before, it had twists. For example, if one like Yuchi arrived at the venue, he could look at the other girls present. If he found a girl he liked, he could propose a duel.

Such a duel required silver, and if the girl agreed, she would personally change into the bridal gown provided by the organizers and engage in an actual combat with Yuchi on the spot. No Spiritual Qi was allowed during the fight; it would be a straightforward match as mere mortals.

If Yuchi won, he could take the girl with him on the spot; if he lost, he would simply forfeit his silver.

"So, this tournament is about choosing a wife or husband, then going up to fight each other? What's with Cuncha City sounding all literate when its customs are so fierce?!"

"But from what just happened to the woman who lost, it seems clear that if you undertake it, you must see it through. If you're not up for it, just reject the others' offers from the start — after all, nobody is forcing anyone."

There's a bit of fun in this.

Yuchi immediately went into a bystander's mode, though unfortunately, there were no stalls selling snacks, drinks, or water nearby. Otherwise, he could watch such matches all day.

While Yuchi was still cheerfully pondering, the next pair on stage was ready!

A man in a red robe and a woman in a red wedding dress came out together, causing even Yuchi to join in the enthusiastic applause. This kind of spectacle was truly intriguing. First, both checked their Spirit Roots under everyone's watchful eyes, as there was a place set up specifically for that. Once it was verified neither had Spirit Roots, the fight could commence!

The burly host began his narration: "This time, it's Heroine Liu Yueyue who initiated the fight. She seems quite interested in this Hero Li Pao, proposing a challenge worth ten thousand taels, which the hero decisively accepted!"

"Let's wish the two of them the best. No matter who wins, the victor will never lose out, while the loser might feel a bit wronged!"

"Clap clap clap."

"Clap clap clap clap!"

Applause and cheers surrounded the entire arena, a platform about three zhang square. On both sides of the platform were weapon racks, and atop them were various arms. As the man stepped forward, he grabbed a meteor hammer, while the woman chose a spear!

"Spear in hand, dare to meet the Azure Dragon!"

"Mister, you're mine now!"

Man: "Your ten thousand taels of silver, I'll take it and head straight to the Courtesan, hahahaha!"

How impressive...

Yuchi hadn't felt such a pure sense of spectatorship in a long time, truly enjoying the experience: "Even though I came to Cuncha City to earn some money, having made it here after much hassle, I couldn't possibly spend every day in misery. Some entertainment is necessary!"

Bu Tingyue decisively donated two taels of silver to the organizers. Now was the time for the final donations; if the audience enjoyed themselves, they could contribute. This was the source of the organizers' silver — after all, the venue, personnel, and aptitude-testing stones all required financing.