Chapter 53: Call Me Boss
On the Martial Arts Field, He Yan slowly drew her bow.
Blindfolded, she could see nothing. Without sight of her prey, she could only "listen" for it.
And nothing could hear the world more clearly than a blind person.
During her time as a blind woman, she had once been despondent. A blind person faced countless difficulties navigating the world—even taking care of oneself was a struggle, let alone standing out among others. She had always worked hard, compensating for her average talent with diligence. But this sudden calamity had stripped away all her efforts in an instant, turning even "average" into an unattainable dream, reduced to ashes.
She remembered, in her despair, someone had told her: "If you truly strive to be strong, what does blindness matter? Even blind, you can still be the most extraordinary among the blind."
It wasn’t much of a comfort, yet it had somehow stuck with her. As she groped her way through learning to do things without sight, she often reminded herself of those words—"be the most extraordinary among the blind."
She didn’t know if she was the "most" extraordinary, but she was certainly different from ordinary blind people. She could take care of herself, even others. She secretly practiced swordplay behind her servants’ backs, played dice, and even mischievously hid a child’s slingshot to shoot birds in secret.
As a blind person, she had lived better than most.
If she could manage all that while blind, how much easier it was now. She was merely returning, for a moment, to those past days.
The gong in the woods startled countless birds into flight, their silhouettes streaking across the sky. The blindfolded youth smiled, drew her bow, and loosed an arrow—the fletched arrow soared into the clouds, chasing the birds’ trail!
A sparrow chirped as the arrow struck it, sending it plummeting. The green-feathered arrow contrasted vividly with the yellow cloth tied over the youth’s eyes, a striking burst of color.
He Yan reached up and untied the blindfold. Without even glancing at the fallen arrow, as if she had known the shot would land true, she handed the cloth to Wang Ba and said with a smile, "Your turn."
Silence hung in the air. Wang Ba didn’t take the blindfold.
He Yan stood motionless. After a long pause, Wang Ba slumped his head in defeat. Without looking at her, he muttered, "No need. I can’t do it. You’re better than me."
His tone was half frustration, half reluctant admiration. Frustration at losing to He Yan, humiliation at his defeat. Admiration for her skill—blindfolded archery was something he couldn’t do, and even if he trained from now on, he might never match her.
A man had to acknowledge his shortcomings.
The recruits finally snapped out of their daze, but instead of cheers, one voice wailed, "My dried cakes! I lost my dried cakes! This is terrible!"
Another groaned, "I’m worse off—I bet ten on credit, and now they’re all gone!"
Soon, lamentations rose one after another. It seemed no one in the vast Liang Province barracks had bet on He Yan winning. Even with Xiao Mai and the other two’s three dried cakes in support, the gains and losses canceled out, leaving nothing.
Then, a delighted voice rang out, "Ah! I won! I bet ten pieces of jerky! Haha, I told you—Cheng Li Su has an eye for talent!"He Yan was about to leave when the words made her pause. She turned back to look at Cheng Li Su, surprised to find that the one who had bet ten pieces of dried meat was actually him. But upon reflection, who else in Liang Province's barracks would be so extravagant if not Cheng Li Su? Xiao Jue? As if Xiao Jue would ever participate in such a gamble.
Cheng Li Su darted over to He Yan, his eyes sparkling as he said excitedly, "Hey, Brother He Yan, thanks to you, I finally won for once. You have no idea—back in the capital, I was good at nothing. Not literature, not martial arts, not even gambling. I only ever lost money, never won a single time. Today is my first victory, Brother He Yan! I must swear brotherhood with you. Today shall be our oath day, and I’ll treat you to a drink!"
"Ahem," Liang Ping cleared his throat, his fist pressed to his lips. "No alcohol in the barracks."
"Then I’ll treat you to tea!" Cheng Li Su grabbed He Yan’s hand, looking at her as if she were a long-lost relative, his gaze brimming with genuine warmth.
"That really isn’t necessary." He Yan pulled her hand free and stuffed the hair ribbon into his grasp. "I almost forgot—thank you for the ribbon, Young Master Cheng."
"Between us, no thanks are needed!" Cheng Li Su grinned. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned to Wang Ba and called out, "Hey, you there! Aren’t you forgetting something?"
"What?" He Yan was puzzled.
"You forgot your bet, didn’t you?" Cheng Li Su urged. "You wagered that if you lost, you’d become a kitchen soldier, and if he lost, he’d have to call you 'boss.' Now that he’s lost, he has to honor the bet!"
Wang Ba stiffened all over.
The onlookers burst into laughter and jeers. Liang Ping turned away—this was no longer his business to intervene in. Xiao Mai and Hong Shan leaned against each other, watching the spectacle with amusement. He Yan arched a brow and looked at Wang Ba.
Wang Ba slowly walked up to He Yan. He towered over her, making her seem almost frail in comparison. His face flushed crimson, even the old scar on his cheek turning a vivid red, as if it might bleed at any moment.
He Yan noticed his tightly clenched fists and sighed inwardly. Perhaps leaders placed greater importance on pride? Forcing him to call her "boss" might be more humiliating than death itself. Just as she was about to say never mind, Wang Ba spoke in a low voice, "...Boss."
He Yan: "..."
She looked up at him, but Wang Ba, misinterpreting her silence as a challenge, snapped in fury, "I already said it! If you didn’t hear, that’s your problem—I won’t say it again!"
"I heard you." He Yan smiled. "I’m just surprised you actually went through with it."
"A man’s word is his bond. Do you take me for an oath-breaker?" Wang Ba snorted. "You got lucky this time. In the future… don’t provoke me again!" Having said that, he seemed too ashamed to stay any longer and hurried away.
He Yan pondered for a moment. This Wang Ba truly had some backbone—he knew when to yield and when to stand firm.
"Brother He Yan, you’re amazing!" Cheng Li Su latched onto her again. "To celebrate, come on, I’ll treat you to tea!"
Before He Yan could refuse, the exuberant youth had already dragged her away.
...
"Young Master Cheng took He Yan with him," Shen Han reported from the pavilion. "Commander, should we go after them?""No need," Xiao Jue said. Having watched the match, he seemed weary and turned to leave. Shen Han quickly followed, stealing another glance at Xiao Jue while silently calculating in his heart.
The Chief Commander had said He Yan was unruly. At first, Shen Han hadn’t believed it, but now it seemed true. Despite He Yan’s thin and small frame, he had already managed to make a bandit leader call him "boss." Wasn’t that troublesome? If this continued, he might even become sworn brothers with the Chief Commander.
However, Shen Han glanced at Xiao Jue’s indifferent expression and thought—the Chief Commander probably wouldn’t take a liking to this kid anyway.
(End of Chapter)
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