Chapter 49: The Tenth Day Arrives
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
The entire Liang Province garrison was buzzing with excitement over this lively wager. Most bet on Wang Ba’s victory, while a small faction stood by He Yan’s side. Occasionally, when passing by, one could hear He Yan’s supporters arguing fervently with the opposition: “What’s wrong with He Yan? To dare the impossible—that’s the mark of a true man!”
He Yan, who accidentally overheard this: “……”
However, regardless of what was said, the bets revealed people’s true inclinations. Only three pieces of dried flatbread had been wagered on He Yan’s victory—one each from Xiao Mai, Shitou, and Hong Shan.
Beyond that, to He Yan’s surprise, there was also an anonymous person who had staked ten pieces of beef jerky on her.
“Who could be so extravagant?” Xiao Mai pondered deeply. “To bet so much on Brother He—they must be quite wealthy.”
“Not just wealthy, but also very discerning,” He Yan mused. At last, someone in the barracks had shown some intelligence.
Hong Shan shot her a glance. “Too bad their brain’s fried.”
“Brother Shan, you can’t say that. This person must truly admire Brother He to support him like this. If I had that much jerky, I’d bet on Brother He too.”
“Alright, a small wager is harmless, but don’t take it too seriously.” He Yan took a swig from her water flask and stood up. “We’ll be heading to the Martial Arts Field soon. Let’s warm up first.”
Shitou asked her, “Are you really up for this?” His eyes were full of doubt.
“Like I said, my luck’s always been good.” He Yan smiled.
When they arrived at the Martial Arts Field, they found Instructor Liang already surrounded by a crowd. The moment He Yan appeared, someone shouted, “He Yan’s here!” Instantly, a sea of people surged toward her.
“Where? Where?”
“He actually didn’t run away—he really came!”
“Quick, did you all bring your dried flatbread?”
He Yan: “……”
This star-of-the-show treatment was a bit hard to get used to. Instructor Liang watched coldly. Private gambling in the barracks was strictly forbidden, but since they were using dried flatbread and the situation was what it was, the head instructor had no intention of stopping it. Liang Ping, too, refrained from comment. Besides, even he felt a surge of excitement, eager to see how this would turn out.
After all, deep down, everyone had a bit of a gambling streak.
As He Yan approached, she noticed a young man in licorice-yellow robes standing beside Liang Ping. The youth had rosy lips and pearly teeth, brimming with vitality, and looked oddly familiar. He Yan couldn’t quite place where she’d seen him before and stared at him.
Noticing her gaze, the young man broke into a wide grin and strode over enthusiastically. “So you’re the famous He Yan!”
Was he here specifically to see her? But judging by his attire, he didn’t seem like a new recruit or an instructor—more like a young noble from the capital.
“I’ve heard all about you. I admire you! Let’s swear brotherhood—from now on, we’ll be brothers. What do you say?” he declared.
He Yan was baffled. This guy was proposing brotherhood out of the blue, and she didn’t even know his name.
At that moment, Instructor Liang stepped forward and said to the yellow-robed youth with a smile, “Young Master Cheng, the Commander asked you to stay away from the crossbows.”Xiao Jue? He Yan suddenly remembered where she had seen this young man before. She and He Yun Sheng were at the training grounds when she secretly intervened to teach Young Master Zhao a lesson, causing him to vent his anger on his beloved horse and attempt to kill it in the street. Xiao Jue had stopped him, and this fair-skinned, delicate-looking young master had been accompanying Xiao Jue at the time.
Huh? He actually followed Xiao Jue to Liang Province’s garrison?
“Uncle is just being overly cautious. What’s the big deal? The arrows won’t hit me,” the boy muttered but obediently stepped back a little.
Uncle? He Yan was even more surprised. This boy was Xiao Jue’s nephew? But the Xiao family only had two sons and no daughters. What kind of convoluted family relation was this?
Before He Yan could figure it out, a familiar voice rang out, “You’re here!”
It was Wang Ba.
Today, he had also come fully prepared. He had taken off his outer red martial attire, wearing only a red sleeveless jacket, bare-armed, with a long red band tied around his forehead—looking every bit like he was ready for a martial arts tournament.
His voice was booming, and it was said that his tentmates had given him all their food last night to ensure he had full energy today.
He walked over to the crossbow and stood beside He Yan, giving her a challenging look. “Ten days are up. Now it’s time for you to fulfill your promise.”
“I remember. No need to shout,” He Yan rubbed her ears. “You go first.”
Wang Ba snorted and leaned closer to He Yan, lowering his voice. “You can still beg for mercy now.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to say to you,” He Yan replied calmly.
“Looks like you’re asking for death!” Wang Ba sneered, taking a big step forward. “He Yan doesn’t dare go first, so I will!”
Murmurs rose around them. He Yan shrugged and stepped aside. Hong Shan whispered to her, “A-He, are you nervous?”
“I’m not nervous,” He Yan replied helplessly, patting the visibly tense Hong Shan. “So you really don’t need to be nervous either.”
“I’m afraid he’ll perform too well…”
In truth, Wang Ba performed well every day—there was no such thing as “too well.” He stepped forward, set up the crossbow, and placed his fingers on the arrow. Because of this bet with He Yan, Wang Ba had practiced archery even more diligently these past days. He Yan could feel that his strength had improved compared to ten days ago, and his shooting had become steadier.
The arrow was aimed at the straw target. Just then, the sun was covered by clouds, casting a brief coolness. Wang Ba took a deep breath and suddenly released his fingers.
Everyone looked—the arrow struck the bullseye squarely, knocking the target down.
Steady. Just like the results of Wang Ba’s daily practice these past days. Maintaining such archery skills was already no small feat.
A glint of satisfaction flashed in Liang Ping’s eyes. Whatever the outcome today, Wang Ba was an excellent prospect. Someone like him would be valued even under other instructors.
Wang Ba clapped his hands, put the crossbow back, and walked over to He Yan with a triumphant smile. “Well? Now it’s your turn?”
He Yan smiled without answering and turned to step forward.
“Here we go!” Cheng Li Su excitedly craned his neck, muttering to himself, “Brother He Yan, I bet ten pieces of jerky on you. It’s not much, but it’s this young master’s heartfelt support. Don’t let me down!”He Yan was unaware that she still owed Cheng Li Su ten pieces of dried meat. From the moment she approached the crossbow, the surrounding chatter ceased, and all eyes were fixed on her.
Was this young man simply boasting? Or did he possess extraordinary skills?
Yet in this world, true miracles were exceedingly rare. Apart from a small minority who hoped for miracles, most people were merely there to witness a spectacle.
He Yan picked up the bow.
(End of chapter)
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