Martial Arts: Starting from a Seemingly Real System

Zhuangyuanlou is the best restaurant in the South City of Luoyang and even in the entire South City. It is located on the west side of the South City main road, closest to the flower stage where the Oiran Contest is held. Sitting in the private room on the second floor is the best place to enjoy the performances of the beauties.

When Qiao Rui arrived at Zhuangyuanlou, the entire South City was already crowded with people. As soon as he arrived at the door of the restaurant, a waiter stopped him.

Qiao Rui didn't waste any words. He took out Tong Hui's jade pendant and asked the waiter to take him to Tong Hui's private room. The waiter did not dare to delay and led Qiao Rui upstairs.

There was a soldier guarding the door of the No. 1 private room on the second floor. The waiter said something to the soldier and went downstairs. The soldier went into the private room to report, and after a while the soldier came out and let Qiao Rui go in directly.

Qiao Rui pushed the door open and walked in. At a glance, he saw four people sitting inside, three men and one woman. One of them was naturally Tong Hui. He didn't recognize the other two men, but they were all wearing embroidered silk shirts, so he must be the sons of top aristocratic families.

The girl was an acquaintance. When their eyes met, the little girl cried out "Ah".

Qiao Rui smiled slightly, "Miss Chu, we meet again!"

A hint of surprise flashed in the little girl's eyes, and then she pouted and muttered, "Big liar, why are you here?"

Qiao Rui didn't know how to respond to her, so he grinned, greeted Tong Hui, and clasped his fists to the other two men as a greeting.

Tong Hui noticed that he and Chu Tianjiao's reactions were unusual, and asked in confusion: "Do you know my sister Tianjiao?"

"Well, we met once on the way to Luoyang!" Qiao Rui found a seat at the round table and sat down, explaining with a smile.

"Oh!" Tong Hui didn't care and introduced: "This is Qiao Rui, the master of the 'Dragon Subduing Palm' who shines brightly in Shushan. He and Miss Yulu are both from Longxing City, so he does his best to help Miss Yulu with strategies to compete for the title of Oiran. He is considered one of our factions!"

I don’t know what Yu Lu said to him last night, but Tong Hui was quite friendly towards Qiao Rui today.

After introducing Qiao Rui, he pointed to the man next to Chu Tianjiao, who looked three-quarters like her, and introduced him, "This is Chu Tianyun, the son of the Xinyi family, Tianjiao's second brother."

"The fat guy is the only grandson of Wang Bowan, the richest man in Luoyang, and Tianjiao's cousin, Wang Fugui!"

Wang Fugui? Is there really such a name?

Every time Tong Hui introduced someone, Qiao Rui would greet him with a fist. When he heard Wang Fugui's name, he paused and said, "Well, there's nothing funny. It's not surprising."

The little fat boy Wang Fugui was quite sensitive. When he saw Qiao Rui's expression, he felt something was wrong for some reason. He couldn't help feeling unhappy and couldn't help but snorted coldly.

Qiao Rui knew that he had failed to control his expression, and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He quickly changed the subject and said, "I've heard Master Tong say several times that I'm from your faction. I wonder what other factions there are?"

When the other faction was mentioned, Tong Hui frowned and said nothing.

"Of course it's Yan Fan's faction from the Prime Minister's Mansion!" Seeing that Tong Hui didn't say anything, Chu Tianyun explained hatefully.

"Back in the Gengshi Emperor's time, the Yan, Tong, and Chu families were all pillars of the imperial court and important officials of the country. Our three families shared weal and woe."

"And now, Yan Fan, relying on the power of his father Yan Jing, is so powerful that he boasts about being the best prince of Daxia and doesn't even take us seriously."

"In order to support Miss Yudie, he forced some well-known prostitutes in Daxia to let their top performers participate in some Oiran competition."

"He wants to promote Yudie to the top, but we won't let him have it easy. We will promote Yulu, who is as famous as Yudie, to go against him."

What do you mean the three important officials share the same honor and disgrace and weal and woe? Perhaps they don't know how to write the word death?

When I heard Wudang Feng Feiyan and Lin Wenyuan mention Emperor Gengshi, would such a great emperor with great talent and strategy allow such a thing to happen?

Qiao Rui didn't bother to pay attention to their childish competition. He smiled and praised them, "So that's how it is. You are all good men who are not afraid of difficulties!"

"This is nothing. When the exhibition opened yesterday, under the leadership of Brother Tong, I gathered the wealthy young men in Luoyang and gave Miss Yu Lu ten first-grade peonies, twenty second-grade orchids, and countless third-grade white jade flowers!" said the fat boy Wang Fugui proudly.

A first-grade peony costs five thousand taels, and ten of them cost fifty thousand taels. A second-grade orchid costs five hundred taels, and twenty of them cost ten thousand taels, totaling sixty thousand taels. Qiao Rui couldn't help but smack his lips.

According to the calculations made during the great changes in the world, Jiang Xueyun and I had worked so hard for so many years, and our total wealth was less than one million, which was only two thousand taels of silver...

Nowadays, these young masters of wealthy families would spend tens of thousands of taels of silver to get a courtesan. It can only be said that poverty has limited Qiao Rui's imagination.

There is no comparison, no way to compare!

"How many flowers did you give to Miss Yu Lu?" Wang Fugui was still bothered by Qiao Rui's expression, so he asked deliberately. As the only son of the richest family in Luoyang, Qiao Rui looked like a poor guy in his eyes just because of the way he was dressed.

"Well, a third-grade magnolia!" Qiao Rui did not hide it and said it openly.

"Hahaha, it's only fifty taels. Are you deliberately getting close to Miss Yu Lu under the guise of helping her? You should know that with the third-grade Qionghua, you can't even enter the first-floor lobby of Yuelai Inn." Wang Fugui was really amused and said sarcastically.

Chu Tianyun also looked at Qiao Rui with disdain, "If you are not a second-grade orchid, you don't even have the qualifications to talk to us. Are you a liar? You cheated Miss Yu Lu and Brother Tong. Oh, by the way, I called you a big liar from the beginning!"

As soon as these words were spoken, several men in the private room looked at Qiao Rui. Even Tong Hui, who was quite friendly to Qiao Rui at the beginning, frowned with a somewhat uncertain expression.

Only Chu Tianjiao hurriedly explained, "I didn't call him a big liar because of this!"

Qiao Rui chuckled and ignored the others. He only looked at Tong Hui and said, "I helped Miss Yu Lu with her plans last night. Didn't you see it with your own eyes?"

Wang Fugui saw that Tong Hui seemed to be interested, so he quickly questioned Qiao Rui, "Humph, we helped Miss Yu Lu because we were at odds with Yan Fan, so why did you help Miss Yu Lu?"

"Don't mention that we are all from Longxing City. There are countless people coming from Longxing City these days, and no one has been particularly supportive of Miss Yu Lu. We are the ones competing for the flower ranking!"

This time, even Chu Tianjiao was silent, looking at Qiao Rui with a hint of suspicion in her eyes, "Could this guy really have other intentions towards Yu Lu? Humph, a big liar, a big pervert!"

"Oh!" Qiao Rui sighed. These playboys were too emotional. They only knew how to get entangled in trivial matters and fight for favors. They were not worth the effort at all.

He stood up silently, glanced at everyone, and finally his eyes fell on Chu Tianjiao. He smiled and said, "You don't believe me either?"

"I...I," Chu Tianjiao's expression changed slightly, and she stammered and couldn't speak. I believe you, I definitely believe you, no matter what reason you give, I will believe you, why are you asking me this?

Looking at Qiao Rui's smile, for some reason my heart suddenly began to beat wildly, as if something precious was about to be lost.

Although he had a smile on his face, his eyes were calm, even a little indifferent. He suddenly became so strange and no longer that big brother.

The little girl's mind was full of mixed thoughts and emotions. She suddenly felt wronged. Her nose felt sore, and she stamped her feet and cried, "Big liar!"