Chapter 334: An Unexpected Number of Contestants!
As soon as the man spoke, someone immediately stepped forward excitedly, pulling out ten taels of silver and joining the registration line.
“Exactly! This is a rare chance to make a name for ourselves in the martial world. We might not dare to dream of competing in the grand martial arts tournaments held by sect leaders, but are you seriously backing out of this competition?”
With that, another man, gripping his longsword, stepped into the line as well.
Seeing more and more people lining up, Man Feng quickly snapped out of his daze and hurried forward, squeezing his way to the front.
“Brother, could I have a word with you?”
The city guard, who was busy handing out registration tokens, looked up at Man Feng in confusion.
“What is it?”
“I was sent here by the young lady of the City Lord’s Manor…”
Before Man Feng could finish, the guard’s eyes lit up in recognition. He immediately put down his work and called another guard over to take his place before leading Man Feng to a quieter spot.
“The young lady already informed me about you. Did you bring enough people?”
“Yes, I brought 123 warriors! They’re all signing up.”
“Good, come over here. I’ll register them separately.”
Hearing the guard’s response, Man Feng let out a sigh of relief.
It took them over an hour to finish registering all 123 men, each receiving a wooden token engraved with their names and registration numbers.
“You should head to an inn now. If you don’t go soon, there might not be any rooms left. Meet me here again in the evening—I’ll take you to see the young lady then.”
Man Feng nodded gratefully.
“Hey, Man Feng, you mentioned wanting to start a business in Luo City? I have to admit, this place is impressive. No government interference, and way livelier than Feng City. That place is suffocating—every visit empties your purse, and you’re constantly on edge, afraid of offending the wrong people and getting thrown out. But this place… it actually feels livable. If only the winters weren’t so harsh, I’d stay here permanently.”
“Brother Ge, we’ve been drifting across the martial world for years. Instead of constantly taking on missions for others, why not start something of our own? We have over a hundred men here—those with families can bring them over, and those without can live freely. We could drink, earn money, and make connections with other martial artists. What’s not to love?”
“Hahaha! You sure have ambition, Man Feng! But do you really think just anyone can run a business in this lawless land? Forget about finding customers—have you seen the prices in Feng City? Only nobles and powerful clans can afford to spend there. Do we really have the capital to cater to those kinds of people?”
Ge Shan, a rugged man in his thirties with a thick beard, wore a simple short-sleeved tunic. His weapons—two broad-bladed sabers—gave him the appearance of either a butcher or an intimidating warrior.
As the two walked ahead, their conversation reached the ears of those behind them. Some were tempted by the idea, while others disliked the thought of settling down. Some were simply too broke to even consider starting a business in Luo City.
By noon, news arrived at the City Lord’s Manor that Man Feng had returned with over 120 people. When Yu Luo received the updated registration list, she was stunned.
“Three thousand six hundred and fifty-two contestants!”
As she read out the number, her own jaw dropped.
“Yes, Miss! And that’s just by midday. We still have half a day left—who knows how many more will sign up? I’ve already had all the chests prepared for collecting silver, but we might need even more.”
Indeed, with 3,652 contestants, the registration fees alone had brought in over 30,000 taels of silver. The planned prize money of just over 10,000 taels suddenly felt stingy.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Yu Luo cleared her thoughts.
“Are there still long queues?”
“Not as long as in the morning, but we should expect at least a few hundred more registrations by the afternoon.”
Yu Luo nodded. “In that case, we need to expand the competition stage. It has to be wide enough and, most importantly, sturdy. With over 4,000 participants, the first round needs to be divided into morning and afternoon sessions. Each half-day should host five matches, with at least 400 participants per match. Also, the spectator area needs to be expanded.”
Frowning as she thought things through, she turned to Zhang Hu, who sat across from her. “This is overwhelming, Zhang Hu. Help me think—what else do we need to do? My head is spinning.”
“Miss, don’t worry. The numbers are surprising, but the brothers in the city have been working non-stop. We’ve opened ten more inns, ten more restaurants, and three more tea houses—there should be enough accommodations and food for everyone.”
“Have we kept track of how many people have entered the city?”
“Yes, as of last night, the total was around 20,000. Today is expected to be the busiest, since the tournament starts tomorrow.”
Yu Luo exhaled in relief. “Good. Most of them will leave after the competition, but I hope our food and attractions will keep them here a little longer. If they leave and spread the word, more newcomers will arrive in waves. That way, all these new businesses won’t have to worry about running out of customers.”
“Exactly, Miss. Your long-term strategy is solid. We’ve already got plenty of brothers selling street food—grilled meats, spicy hotpot, crispy potatoes, stir-fried snails… the business is booming. And the liquor sales—those martial artists can’t stop praising our brews. It was a great idea to offer discounts on inns during the tournament.”
Zhang Hu hesitated, struggling to find the right word. “Miss, the inns are all… offering… uh…”
“Discounts!”
Seeing him struggle, Yu Luo quickly supplied the word.
Zhang Hu nodded repeatedly. “Yes! Half-price discounts. Forgive me, Miss, I’m still not used to your new terms.”
“Make sure to remember it next time. If you forget, just say the inns are charging half-price.”
Zhang Hu, typically stone-faced, managed an awkward smile under Yu Luo’s instruction. “Understood, Miss. But I have to say, this half-price idea was genius. Even though our inns are already cheaper than Feng City’s, saving money will encourage travelers to stay longer. That means more days spent eating, drinking, and shopping—so their silver stays in Luo City instead of leaving with them.”
