Now I really have to marry the princess.

The following day, Yang Zhengdao and his party left Luyuan Temple and went to Baojian Temple in Huayuan County.

Yang Zhengdao was uneasy, wondering in what form the person Yuan Tiangang had mentioned would appear.

Just as everyone was about to enter the temple gate, they were attracted by a shout.

"Ten coins! Just ten coins! Beat me up, it'll cleanse my anger, and I'll be more sincere in my worship!"

Look in the direction of the sound.

But then they saw a boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old, shirtless, with a tall and straight figure, though slightly thin. He had sharp features and a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

Although it was March, the spring air was still chilly, but the boy stood tall and straight, as if he were not afraid of the cold.

In front of him was a broken earthenware bowl with a few copper coins scattered inside.

The boy naturally noticed Yang Zhengdao and his group. Seeing that they were dressed in extraordinary clothes, he approached them to ask questions.

"Young men, do you harbor any resentment or anger in your hearts? Do not bring it into the temple. Just call out to us, and we will not care whether you live or die."

As he spoke, the boy straightened his back and patted his chest forcefully.

Yang Zhengdao then noticed that the boy had patches of red and purple and bluish-black on his body.

It must be the new and old wounds he left behind while soliciting business.

Li Ke, not wanting to cause trouble, said to the guard, "Give him twenty coins."

After saying that, he took the lead and was about to leave, but was stopped by the boy.

"Thank you for your kindness, young sir. But if you don't want to pay, then I can't accept this money."

Li Ke raised an eyebrow and looked at Yang Zhengdao.

Yang Zhengdao was also amazed. This young man was so principled. It seemed that he was proud and unwilling to beg.

Upon closer inspection, the wounds on the boy's body were actually quite inflicted in a sophisticated manner.

They managed to avoid the vital points completely.

Yang Zhengdao's first impression was that this young man was exceptionally skilled in martial arts, at least in terms of being able to take a beating.

Or perhaps the two are related; anyone who is good at fighting is also likely to be very resilient.

Yang Zhengdao was overjoyed. The person Yuan Tiangang was talking about must be the young man in front of him.

He immediately became interested: "Young master, my cousin and I never fight those who dare not fight back. How about this: we have a contest, and regardless of the outcome, these twenty coins are yours."

The boy's eyes lit up immediately. He happily accepted the twenty coins the guard handed him and then asked with a burning gaze.

"What if I win?"

"If you win, then I'll give you... I'll give you ten strings of cash."

"Ten strings of cash?!" the boy exclaimed incredulously.

Tan Feng went even further, directly reminding him, "Brother, we didn't bring that much money!"

Yang Zhengdao naturally knew what ten strings of cash meant; it was equivalent to a fifth-rank official's monthly salary.

If it were converted into grain, it would be enough to feed a family of five for three years.

He also knew that even if all of them combined their cash, they wouldn't be able to scrape together ten strings of cash.

Ten strings of cash weighed about seventy or eighty catties.

Yang Zhengdao deliberately took out ten strings of cash as a wager, intending to write an IOU.

If the young man is indeed a master, leaving an IOU will help him lure the young man to Chang'an.

You should know that the people who care about you the most, besides your parents, are your creditors.

College students understand this.

The boy was shocked and felt that the young man in front of him was just boasting.

This young man, living a life of luxury, probably has no idea how much ten strings of cash are.

However, those twenty coins were enough to get medicine for my sister.

So the young man struck a pose: "Young master, what shall we compete in?"

This question stumped Yang Zhengdao, as he knew nothing about spears except for the horse spear!

Jiang Cheng noticed Yang Zhengdao's hesitation and immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "Brother, I'll go to the temple to borrow two long sticks."

Yang Zhengdao secretly admired Jiang Cheng's understanding and smiled, "That's excellent!"

The boy was secretly delighted when he heard that the contest would be fought with long sticks.

His family had been military households for generations, and he himself was a registered soldier in the garrison.

He might not be good at swordsmanship or hand-to-hand combat, but he excels at long-handled weapons like spears and lances.

Before long, Jiang Cheng borrowed two long sticks made of white waxwood.

Unexpectedly, both men received long staffs and used them instead of spears, their starting stances being virtually identical.

Li Ke and his companions stood by with their arms crossed, thoroughly enjoying the scene.

Yang Zhengdao observed that the young man stood steadily, and his hand holding the long stick had distinct knuckles, clearly indicating that he had been trained for a long time.

He naturally dared not be careless, so he roared and preemptively shouted, "Take this!"

At the same time, he pushed off with his feet and pounced forward like an arrow.

The attack was swift and precise, whistling through the air as it aimed straight for the boy's chest.

Yang Zhengdao's horse spear fighting skills came from the system, so they were naturally simple, direct, and efficient killing techniques.

Completely devoid of the flashy moves of scions of noble families, it instead exudes a fierce and ruthless aura of military life.

The young man had not expected that the young man in fine clothes would be so ruthless and cunning.

Shouldn't they have shouted "Take this!" before making their move?

Seeing the long stick with its tricky angle, the boy didn't have time to think and quickly swung the stick to block.

With a crisp clang, the two long sticks collided.

Yang Zhengdao's wrist was numb from the shock, and his hand felt slightly sore.

He felt a tremendous force coming from the end of the stick, and he involuntarily took half a step back before regaining his balance.

He thought to himself, "What great strength!"

This boy is clearly malnourished. If he is fed and clothed properly and his body is strengthened, he will surely become a formidable warrior.

The layman looks at the excitement and the insider looks at the doorway.

The onlookers all glanced at the boy.

Tan Feng couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "Impressive skills!"

Yang Zhengdao, having missed his first strike, did not stop. Having a rare opportunity to spar, he had no reason to back down.

As he shifted his stance, the long staff changed direction and swept towards the boy's lower body.

The boy blocked the attack again, and a plan formed in his mind. He then began to counterattack.

His moves were wide and sweeping, yet exquisite; each strike aimed directly at the vital points, while leaving room for maneuver.

After dozens of rounds, Yang Zhengdao realized that his opponent was deliberately holding back, sparring with him.

After blocking the boy's attack, he retreated and conceded defeat with his hands clasped.

Yang Zhengdao tossed the long staff to Jiang Cheng, rubbed his slightly sore wrist, looked at the boy, and said loudly:

"You've won. I'll give you 100 coins first, and I'll leave you a written receipt for the 10 strings of cash. You can collect it from Xingdaofang in Chang'an a month later."

Upon hearing this, the young man panicked: "Young master, don't take it seriously, ten strings of cash is really not an option."

Yang Zhengdao smiled, and while having Tan Feng bring out the brush and ink, he looked at Li Ke.

Li Ke understood and smiled reassuringly, "Young man, don't worry. My cousin will keep his word and can afford the ten strings of cash."

Yang Zhengdao handed over the written agreement: "It's an honor to meet you today. May I ask your esteemed surname, sir?"

A hint of hesitation flashed in the boy's eyes, but thinking of his family's situation, he gritted his teeth and accepted the document.

He straightened up and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your kindness, young master! My surname is Xi, and my given name is Junmai."

"Xi Jun bought it!?" Yang Zhengdao was completely stunned.

That old man Yuan Tiangang is really something! This is Xi Junmai, the one who can defeat ten thousand enemies with a hundred riders!