Chapter 62: Forming a Team to Challenge the Arena
That day, He Yan was surrounded by new recruits eager to befriend her until midnight. She lost count of how many promises she made to teach them swordsmanship before finally getting a chance to rest. Since it was so late, she decided to skip her usual nighttime training at the Martial Arts Field.
Xiao Mai lay facing her, one arm tucked behind his head, his eyes sparkling as he said, "Brother He, you were so impressive today!"
"Tell me," He Yan mused after a moment, "when I was competing with Uncle Huang earlier, did Commander Xiao actually watch until the end?"
She was still thinking about Xiao Jue's reaction from earlier. She had displayed such exquisite swordsmanship, yet he left before it was over? Had all her effort been wasted? Maybe he found her skills too ordinary to be worth his attention.
"Huh?" Xiao Mai hadn't expected this question. He racked his brain before answering, "The Commander came for a while and then left. But the final moments of your match were so intense—we were all focused on you and didn’t notice when he left. He probably... watched until the end?"
He Yan rolled over in frustration.
"Brother He, do you really want the Commander to see you?" Xiao Mai asked.
"Of course! 'Master both civil and martial arts, then offer them to the imperial court.' At the very least, I need to be noticed first. If he doesn’t even watch, how will he know I’m the best in Liangzhou Garrison?"
From the other side, Hong Shan's leisurely voice chimed in, "Your reputation as Liangzhou Garrison’s finest is already spreading. Don’t worry—sooner or later, more people will challenge you to all sorts of competitions. There’ll be countless opportunities for Commander Xiao to see you."
That was reassuring. He Yan closed her eyes.
...
Hong Shan’s prediction was spot-on. Early the next morning, right after the weighted run and before she could even head to the Martial Arts Field for crossbow practice, Liang Ping approached her. "Come with me."
Puzzled, He Yan followed him to a long path behind the Martial Arts Field, where two others were leading three horses. She recognized them—both were instructors at Liangzhou Garrison. One was Du Mao, who often chatted with Liang Ping. The other was a short, elderly man with graying hair named Ma Damei.
"Instructor Liang, what’s this about?" He Yan was confused. Surely they weren’t about to make her an instructor too? New recruits couldn’t become instructors—promotions didn’t work like that. Besides, she had no intention of staying in Liangzhou Garrison as an instructor!
Fortunately, Liang Ping’s next words put her at ease.
Liang Ping said, "Didn’t you declare on the arena the other day that you’d accept any challenge in Liangzhou Garrison, one match a day, and win every single one?"
Though unsure where this was going, He Yan nodded. "That’s right."
"Then today, the three of us will compete with you in mounted archery," Du Mao stepped forward, handing her the reins of one of the horses. "We start now!"
"Eh?" He Yan was taken aback. "You’re challenging me?"
She had set up the arena to make a name for herself among the recruits—she hadn’t expected instructors to join in. What was going on? These men weren’t hot-blooded youths—why were they suddenly eager to prove themselves against her? Was there some scheme at play?
Her wary gaze didn’t go unnoticed. The gray-haired, wiry old man—Ma Damei—laughed. "What’s the matter, young man? Are you afraid to compete with us instructors? I thought you had guts—are you really scared of this?"Ma Damei's laughter creased his face with wrinkles, yet it wasn't unpleasant—rather, it carried the warmth of a kindly elder. However, He Yan knew this man wasn't as amiable as he appeared. Every word he spoke was clearly meant to provoke. But with things having reached this point, if she truly backed out now and earned a reputation for cowardice, someone like Xiao Jue—who tolerated no weakness—would likely never allow her into the Nine Banners Battalion.
With this in mind, she laughed heartily. "How could I refuse? I was only worried about embarrassing myself in front of the instructors. But since you're all willing to teach me, how could I be so ungrateful? Let’s do it—one match is enough."
Liang Ping and the other two exchanged glances before nodding. "Good!"
He Yan had become something of a celebrity in Liangzhou Garrison. Any minor stir involving her immediately spread like wildfire. The moment news broke that the three instructors would compete with her in mounted archery, all the recruits went wild with excitement, eager to watch. However, their own instructors barred them from attending, restricting them to training in the Martial Arts Field.
This was undoubtedly Shen Han's arrangement. Though Xiao Jue had only mentioned testing He Yan, they couldn’t risk the reputation of all Liangzhou Garrison’s instructors. Better safe than sorry—if He Yan won, who would the recruits respect more in the future? Their own instructors or her? Hard to say.
So it was better to keep the match hidden.
The recruits had no way to witness the spectacle, and neither did Cheng Lisu, who wasn’t a recruit. He was locked inside a room at Liangzhou Garrison with guards posted outside, unable to leave.
Unaware of He Yan’s upcoming mounted archery competition, he suddenly found himself confined and assumed something major had happened in the garrison. Pounding on the door, he shouted, "What’s going on? Is there a military uprising? Why won’t you let me out? Uncle, why are you locking me up?"
A guard’s emotionless voice came from outside. "Young Master Cheng, the Commander said you must copy the Zhaoming Anthology three times before you can leave."
"You might as well kill me! Why not just execute me now?" Cheng Lisu fumed as he slumped into a chair. Three copies? He wouldn’t finish even if he spent a month on it!
Outside, Shen Han and Xiao Jue walked away.
Shen Han glanced back. "Young Master Cheng seems quite fond of He Yan. If He Yan truly has ulterior motives, could his closeness to the young master also be part of a scheme?"
"Highly likely," Xiao Jue replied. "It was Cheng Lisu who told him about the Nine Banners Battalion."
Shen Han fell silent for a moment before saying, "If that’s the case, then things are truly dire."
If someone with ill intentions had infiltrated Liangzhou Garrison’s recruits, He Yan might not be the only one. If there were others, they were already at a disadvantage. Worse still, they had no idea—had Xiao Jue not been here to notice the peculiarity in He Yan’s movements, the entire garrison might have fallen into enemy hands without their knowledge.
As they spoke, the two arrived at the edge of the Martial Arts Field’s riding track. There, He Yan and the three instructors stood at the starting line, each holding a horse. First Liang Ping, then Du Mao, followed by Ma Damei, and finally He Yan, mounted their steeds one after another.
He Yan stood at the far end, her horse the smallest—likely chosen to accommodate her stature. She swung onto the saddle with practiced ease, gripping the reins, a quiver and longbow strapped to her back. The imposing figure she cut was a far cry from the frail youth she usually appeared to be.He didn't even have riding attire. The sunlight fell on his crimson martial outfit, casting a unique heroic aura over his delicate features. With a faint smile at the corners of his lips and an air of indomitable spirit, He Yan bore a striking resemblance to the dazzling demeanor of a young general in his prime.
Shen Han stole a glance at Xiao Jue beside him. The latter's expression was indifferent and weary, as if lost in thought. But Shen Han knew—for just a fleeting moment, He Yan had resembled him ever so slightly.
(End of Chapter)
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