Chapter 47: The Ten-Day Challenge
"In ten days, I will defeat you."
The young man's declaration rang clear, his smile radiant as sunlight sparkled in his eyes like gleaming gemstones.
For a moment, Wang Ba actually doubted himself.
The next instant, he was startled by his own fleeting uncertainty and inwardly cursed himself for being intimidated by some wet-behind-the-ears brat. He had lived most of his life—how could he possibly lose to some scrawny weakling? This arrogant, reckless whelp had no idea what he was dealing with!
He snorted coldly. "He Yan, do you even realize what you're saying?"
"Should I repeat it?" The young man grinned. "Since your hearing isn't great, I'll say it again—in ten days, I will defeat you."
"You—!" Wang Ba clenched his fists.
"Is A-He out of his mind…?" Hong Shan muttered. Wang Ba's crossbow skills were something everyone had witnessed firsthand. He Yan might have improved slightly compared to yesterday, but… hitting the target with a single arrow wasn't something one could master in just ten days!
Young people were bold and prone to making rash boasts in the heat of the moment—that much was understandable. But what if he couldn't back up his words later?
"And what if you don't defeat me in ten days?" Wang Ba ground his teeth. He decided there was no point arguing with this brat. He Yan's skin was absurdly thick—mockery just rolled right off him.
"If I don't defeat you, I'll become a kitchen soldier," He Yan replied breezily. "But if you lose to me—"
"I'll become a kitchen soldier!" Wang Ba shouted.
"I never said that," He Yan shook his head. "Even if I wanted you to, Instructor Liang wouldn't agree." He glanced meaningfully at Liang Ping.
Liang Ping, who had indeed been mentally calculating the consequences: "..."
What the hell? How did this kid know what he was thinking? Someone with Wang Ba's talent being demoted to a kitchen soldier—the head instructor would kill him!
"Then you name it!" Wang Ba snapped impatiently.
Suddenly, He Yan recalled his days at Xianchang Academy, where the boys loved making competitive wagers. Xiao Jue, as the academy's top student, had often been pestered with challenges in his youth. What had he said back then? He remembered the young man sitting behind the artificial hill in the schoolyard, dozing off, only to be rudely awakened. Irritated, he sat up and lazily addressed the classmate challenging him to an archery contest: "Fine. If I lose, you can do whatever you want with me. But if you lose—" He smirked. "You have to call me 'Dad.'"
He Yan couldn't help but feel the current situation bore a striking resemblance to that memory.
But he couldn't exactly ask Wang Ba to call him "Dad" either.
"How about this? I heard you're the top leader among the mountain outlaws, their boss. If I defeat you, that means my skills surpass yours—so from then on, you'll have to call me 'Boss.' Deal?" he proposed.
This demand was truly unheard of.
Everyone glanced at He Yan, whose head barely reached Wang Ba's chest and whose arms were as thin as twigs, then at the towering Wang Ba, whose fists were larger than He Yan's face, and fell silent.
"Your ambition is truly something else," Wang Ba said through gritted teeth, his smile not reaching his eyes.
"To be honest, before I enlisted, I once considered becoming an outlaw myself," He Yan mused nostalgically.When she had fled the He family back then, she had hesitated at the city gate at night, clutching her bundle of belongings, torn between two paths. One led south to become a bandit, the other west to join the Pacify Yue Army. Becoming a bandit offered freedom and no restraints, but the downside was the uncertainty—if times were lean and no travelers passed by, she might go hungry, with no guarantee of the next meal. There was also the constant threat of government crackdowns, forcing her to hide and live in disgrace.
Joining the army, though tougher, meant steady rations from the imperial court—a respectable choice.
But neither path accepted women, forcing her to disguise herself. Fortunately, she had grown up adept at playing the young master, which later helped her rise step by step.
Looking back now, it was truly bittersweet.
Seeing He Yan still lost in nostalgia, Wang Ba grew even more furious. This kid looked no older than fifteen or sixteen—why did he carry himself like a jaded old man? Nostalgic for the past? Did he even have a past worth reminiscing about?
"Fine," he ground out through clenched teeth, struggling to keep his rage from making him chop off the boy's head. "If you want to be the boss, let's see if you have what it takes."
"Great!" He Yan cupped her hands toward the surrounding recruits. "I ask you all to bear witness to this wager. In that case, we'll meet again here in ten days to settle it! May luck be on my side!" She snapped her fingers, utterly at ease—whether out of sheer audacity or confidence in her skills, she looked as though victory was already assured.
Wang Ba stormed off.
Xiao Mai and Hong Shan rushed over, crowding around He Yan. The onlookers gradually dispersed, though a few lingered, casting glances at her with a mix of admiration and pity.
Most likely, they all assumed He Yan was doomed to become a cook.
Liang Ping glanced at He Yan, shook his head, and walked away with his hands behind his back. As he left, he mused, Ah, youth—so impulsive, so reckless. But... why did he feel a tiny thrill at the thought?
...
Within half a day, the entire Liang Province garrison had heard of He Yan and Wang Ba's wager.
A secret betting pool sprang up among the soldiers. Since everyone was poor and strapped for cash, they wagered with the dry rations from the mess hall. The odds were ten to one against Wang Ba losing, and two to one against He Yan losing.
In the following days, fewer people ate their dry rations. Training was monotonous, and any diversion was a rare delight.
In the quarters, Cheng Li Su strode in. He wore a brand-new yellow robe, its hem embroidered with a vivid red koi—lively and endearing. The moment he entered, he called out to the young man seated at the table, "Uncle, have you heard about the crossbow wager in ten days? Everyone in camp is talking about it!"
Xiao Jue didn’t even lift his eyes from the book. "I have."
The whole garrison knew—a scrawny kid who wanted to be a bandit leader, and an archer determined to make him a cook. What a pair of oddballs.
"They’ve even started a betting pool. I’m thinking of placing a bet. Want to join?" Cheng Li Su squeezed in front of Xiao Jue, beaming with excitement.
"Cheng Li Su," Xiao Jue set down his book and leveled a calm gaze at him, "are you running a gambling ring in the garrison?"
Though his tone was mild, Cheng Li Su shivered. He threw up his hands in protest. "No, no, not me! Someone else started it. And it’s not even for money—just a few dry rations, something to pass the time and have a little fun! Uncle, I’m just a kid—playing around is normal!"Xiao Jue snorted, "Trifling with toys saps one's ambition."
"I never had any ambition to begin with, so what's there to sap?" Cheng Li Su retorted shamelessly.
This left Xiao Jue at a loss for words.
"Uncle, if you won't go, I'll place my bet alone. I won't use silver coins—I'll just wager my dried meat instead of plain biscuits," he chirped merrily, already heading for the door.
"Who are you betting on?" Xiao Jue's voice stopped him just as he reached the threshold.
Surprised—Xiao Jue had never shown interest in such matters—Cheng Li Su answered obediently after a pause, "Wang Ba, of course! Isn't that Brother He Yan just as much of a failure as me?"
Xiao Jue's lips twitched. "I suggest you change your bet."
"Huh?"
"Never underestimate a hardworking fool," the young man murmured, his autumn-water eyes rippling with emotion as if recalling another figure. "The last such fool I knew... is now a third-rank military officer."
Uncle: I suggest you vote for my wife immediately.
P.S.: Since ancient times, what young man hasn't dreamed of becoming the other's daddy?
(End of Chapter)
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