Legend of the Female General

Chapter 50: A Draw

The crossbow was the same as ten days ago, and the archer was the same person as before, yet the atmosphere had changed entirely.

The young man wiped the smile from his face, fingers resting on the arrow as his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the center of the target. The clouds that had obscured the sun earlier had dispersed, and the scorching summer sunlight now beat down on his face. A bead of sweat slowly trickled down his forehead.

The glistening droplet threatened to roll into his eyes, making onlookers tense involuntarily, as if they wished to reach out and brush it away. Yet the young man remained motionless, like a stone, seemingly unaware of the sweat. His focus never wavered.

The bowstring was drawn back—partway, halfway, until it was fully taut. The crowd’s anticipation rose with it, their hearts in their throats, fearing the bow might snap at any moment. Then, abruptly, he released the arrow.

Like a meteor streaking through the night sky, the arrow shot forward with a fierce momentum, accompanied only by the sound of rushing wind. With a sharp thwack , the target toppled over—this time, flung even farther away, making it impossible to see where the arrow had struck.

Just like Wang Ba, she had knocked the target down.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

Eleven days ago, He Yan had stood here, unable to even draw the bow. Ten days ago, she had managed to pull it back—but only slightly. Now, she stood in the same place, drawing the bow to its full extent and felling the target with her shot. Her strength had grown by leaps and bounds in just ten days.

But He Yan was no prodigy. Strength didn’t simply appear out of thin air.

"Brother He is amazing!" Xiao Mai cheered, jumping up and down. "Brother He won!"

"Won what?" A recruit who had bet on Wang Ba, now mourning his lost dried flatbread, retorted indignantly, "He just hit the target—that doesn’t mean he hit the bullseye! If he didn’t, he still didn’t win!"

His words reminded everyone—this wasn’t just about how far He Yan could draw the bow. Perhaps because she had once been so frail she could barely manage even a partial draw, her sudden display of arm strength had stunned them all into forgetting to check her accuracy.

"I’ll go look!" someone volunteered, dashing toward the fallen target.

Wang Ba turned his gaze to He Yan. The young man stood bathed in sunlight, a confident smile playing on his lips—that same infuriating smile he had worn since the very beginning. He didn’t seem the least bit worried, always so self-assured, brimming with a maddening confidence.

But… Wang Ba glanced down at his own hands. Why did even he feel a flicker of doubt?

He was an orphan, raised without parents. As a child, he had been carried off by wolves, and when he was rescued from the den, he had still been suckling from a she-wolf. Later, he followed his rescuers back to a bandit stronghold. Years as an outlaw had honed his archery—countless beasts and birds had fallen to his arrows. He could hit his mark because he had handled bows since the age of seven. By now, he had over twenty years of experience.

This brat, barely fifteen or sixteen, couldn’t have more than a decade of practice even if he had started as an infant. How could he possibly compare? Besides, ten days ago, He Yan’s struggle to draw the bow hadn’t seemed like an act—so he couldn’t have been a seasoned archer from childhood.

With that thought, Wang Ba steadied himself, quelling the unease in his heart. There was no way He Yan could surpass him. No doubt about it.At this moment, the person who had volunteered to retrieve the target had already reached it. He first bent down to examine it but remained silent for a long while. Then, suddenly, he crouched, hoisted the target onto his shoulder, and ran back with it.

The target was merely a straw dummy, light and easy to carry. He quickly returned and slammed the target, still embedded with the arrow, onto the ground, shouting loudly, "See for yourselves!"

Wang Ba's heart gave a sudden lurch.

Everyone turned their gaze to the straw dummy. Right at its center, a fletched arrow had pierced clean through, perfectly and unerringly hitting the bullseye.

Exactly like Wang Ba's shot.

Sweat trickled down Wang Ba's forehead. The astonished murmurs around him seemed to fade into the distance. He saw Liang Ping staring at He Yan in shock, while the young nobleman beside Liang Ping was beaming with delight. He Yan stood beside his friend, not looking particularly surprised, merely smiling faintly as if he had expected this outcome all along.

"You..."

He Yan grinned. "I yield to your courtesy."

"You didn't beat me," Wang Ba said through gritted teeth, his eyes locked onto He Yan. "We achieved the same result. How can you claim victory? At most... at most, it's a draw."

Both of them had knocked down the straw target, and both had hit the bullseye. Determining a clear winner was indeed difficult. For Wang Ba, such a result was expected. But for He Yan, it was different—he had initially seemed like a useless fool, yet now he had managed this feat, turning heads in disbelief.

Upon hearing Wang Ba's words, He Yan didn't grow flustered or argue. Instead, he nodded and said, "I think so too."

Wang Ba felt an inexplicable wave of relief. Admitting it was a draw was fine—at least... at least he hadn't lost. The recruits also wiped the sweat from their brows. Who would have thought He Yan could actually hit the target in the end? If it weren't for the draw, their dry rations would have been lost for nothing. A draw was good, just right—no one lost or won, and they could all treat it as an entertaining spectacle.

But the next moment, the relief in everyone's hearts was shattered by He Yan's words.

He said, "However, when I made the bet with you that day, I vowed to defeat you today. Since the outcome remains undecided, we must continue until I win."

"He Yan!" Wang Ba clenched his jaw. What did this mean? Was he so certain of his victory? That earlier shot was just luck—what nonsense was this kid spouting? What was he trying to do?

Liang Ping also stared at He Yan in surprise.

"When it comes to crossbows, you can propose any challenge you like. I'll take you on until I win. How about that?" He Yan asked with a smile.

"You overestimate yourself," Wang Ba said coldly.

"I don't overestimate myself. I just believe in my luck." He Yan blew a strand of hair from his forehead carelessly. "You should know that luck favors the prepared." And he was prepared at all times.

"So you're saying, in crossbow skills, any challenge is fair game?" Wang Ba asked slowly.

"Absolutely."

"Fine." The scar-faced man nodded, then suddenly hoisted a massive crossbow onto his back from the platform. He took two steps forward, turning his back to He Yan as he said, "Shooting at a lifeless straw dummy is meaningless. On the battlefield, enemies won't stand still for you to shoot. If you truly want to test your archery, aim for living targets—birds and beasts make for good practice."

He intended to use live prey.Everyone was stunned for a moment. Shooting at living creatures was far more difficult than shooting at targets. Ancient legends spoke of hitting a willow leaf at a hundred paces, but even that paled in comparison to the unpredictability of live targets.

"Ah Yan, don't fall for his trick! Don't agree to it!" Hong Shan anxiously kept winking at He Yan.

He Yan looked at Wang Ba, a flash of admiration in her eyes. She nodded, her voice crisp and decisive.

"Agreed."

(End of Chapter)