Chapter 81 Wandering Silk and Jade Dance Amidst a Riot of Flowers
"Sound the gong! The competition begins!"
A sudden burst of gong sounds, like raindrops, rang out. The contestants mounted their horses, and the entire training ground was filled with swirling dust. Cheers and applause, along with the booming drums, spread across the sand.
"Watch closely, I'll go first!" Zhong Lishuo arrogantly tossed his head at the crowd, then pulled on the reins and galloped across the training ground. As its name suggests, Fei Mo swept across the training ground, leaving only streaks of ink in the air.
Zhongli Shuo swiftly drew his bow and nocked an arrow, then leaned back abruptly. Before anyone could react, a "snap" was heard, and the arrow struck the target squarely, causing it to sway back and forth before finally coming to rest.
Thunderous cheers and applause erupted in the arena. Zhong Lishuo's adjutant even pointed at the target that had been hit and shouted, "The bullseye! General Yude hit the bullseye!"
Zhongli Shuo twirled the bow twice in his hand, then pulled on the reins and sat up, grinning broadly at the crowd around the arena. He tossed his head and asked, "How about it?"
Bai Ming smiled and raised his bow, "You've got some skills."
He spurred his horse, leaned forward onto the galloping steed, nocked an arrow, turned sideways, and squinted at the target.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the arrow in Bai Ming's hand. He pointed at the target, and with a "snap," the arrow left the bowstring, hurtling past with the wind, heading straight for Zhong Lishuo's arrow.
After the strong string sound, there was another sound of bamboo breaking. Everyone looked closely and saw that Zhongli Shuoyuan's arrow on the bullseye had been split open, and Bai Ming's arrow was also firmly stuck in the bullseye.
The drill ground erupted in cheers, and Zhong Li'an and Qi Kun couldn't help but walk onto the field, clapping enthusiastically.
"My lord, Master," Yang Xiao pulled on the reins and approached the two men, smiling as she pointed to the two who had finished their competition, "Look at those two, they didn't give me a chance at all."
Before she could finish speaking, Zhong Lishuo rode up on horseback, his Fei Mo neighing triumphantly. He smiled at Yang Xiao and tossed his head, "Lingyu, why don't you admit defeat, and Zhao Qing and I will have another match, how about it?"
"That's impossible," Yang Xiao laughed and waved her hand at him. "Let me think about how I can beat the two of you."
Qi Kun glanced at Zhong Li'an, then looked up at Yang Xiao with a smile, "By the way, Lingyu, I have an idea for you."
"Oh?" Yang Xiao tilted her head at Qi Kun with interest. "Please speak, Master."
Qi Kun raised his hand and touched his chin. "The Northern Qiang Princess is renowned for her prowess. Legend has it that she possesses a famously wildness in battle, like strong liquor. Whether it is a major battle or a minor one, she holds the belief that she will win every battle. Every time she swings her sword, she can knock the enemy off his horse. This is how she stood out from the group of sons of the Qiang King and made countless military achievements."
"Wildness?" Yang Xiao nodded and pondered for a while, then turned back to look at Bai Ming beside her with a smile, gently shaking her head. "When I'm in battle, I rarely feel that way. In my opinion, strategy is still the most important thing on the battlefield, but now..." Yang Xiao looked up at Qi Kun with a smile, then pulled on the reins and spurred her horse back. "Thank you for your guidance, Master!"
Before anyone could react, Chi Lian shot out like a streak of fire. Yang Xiao shouted "Giddy up!" and then lay down on the horse's back, gritting his teeth and using all his strength to draw back the bow. With a sudden release, the arrow shot out like a swooping eagle.
With a loud bang, the arrow struck the bullseye. The wooden stake suddenly lurched backward, then barely managed to stand upright again.
"Good!" Another cheer erupted as the Eagle Squad rushed to the target, looking at it from both sides for a long time before waving and shouting with unbridled joy, "It's through! General! The target is through!"
The bow in Yang Xiao's hand seemed unable to withstand such strong force, humming incessantly. She breathed a sigh of relief, straightened up, reined in the bow, and ran towards the crowd with a light laugh, "How is it, everyone?"
"You've got some skills!" Zhong Lishuo nodded approvingly. "I underestimated you."
Bai Ming also rode up to greet her with a smile, "As expected of you, but..." He stood beside Yang Xiao, "You've never used such force before. How is it, does your hand hurt?"
Yang Xiao shook her head with a wry smile and gently shook her hand. "A little bit. I didn't control my strength when I drew the bow, and my arm went numb when I let go." She chuckled and glanced back at the target lying crookedly in the ground. "But the effect was good."
"Yes, that arrow was indeed powerful." Bai Ming echoed, gently squeezing her arm.
Yang Xiao tilted her head and looked at Bai Ming, teasingly asking, "How does it compare to you?"
"This..." Bai Ming looked up and hesitated for a long time, "Judging from the results alone, it seems that we each have our strengths."
Everyone burst into laughter upon seeing this. Cen Xun looked up at the three of them with a smile, "So the three of you haven't decided who's the winner yet?"
“Yeah,” Zhong Lishuo said, crossing his arms in protest, “No, let’s have another round.”
“All three of you hit the bullseye, and each of you has your own strengths.” Zhong Li’an chuckled and patted Zhong Li’s shoulder. “Yu De, you excel in speed, Zhao Qing in skill, and Ling Yu in strength.”
Qi Kun chuckled softly, "It feels like these past three years together, not only have your personalities become more complementary, but your martial arts skills have also become more diverse."
“That’s right,” Yang Xiao nodded confidently at him. “But I still need to work on my strength. My arm was throbbing with pain as soon as that arrow left the bowstring.”
“Hey,” Zhong Lishuo tilted his head at Yang Xiao and joked, “How about we have another match, this time a contest of strength?”
Before Zhong Lishuo could finish speaking, Yang Xiao glared at him and said, "Don't even think about it."
The crowd burst into laughter. Zhongli An looked up at the group and waved his hand with a light laugh. “It seems that my favorite generals are still evenly matched. In that case,” he chuckled and turned around, raising his hand to touch one of the boxes, “I will reward everyone for the three excellent arrows just now.”
“Oh, but brother, you told me earlier…”
Zhongli Shuo had just opened his mouth when Zhongli An stopped him with a smile, "However, I will have to rely on you all to take this treasure that I have collected for a long time."
Bai Ming paused for a moment upon hearing this, then looked at Zhong Li'an with interest, "What does my lord mean by this...?"
"Look, everyone." Zhong Li'an smiled and raised his hand, pointing to the towering tree beside the training ground. Above the thick treetop, a glimmer of light, shrouded in mist, hung.
“This jade disc was a gift from the former governor, and it holds profound significance for me.” He said, letting out a heartfelt sigh, and put his arm around Bai Ming’s shoulder. “Having established this business for so long, you all have been my right-hand men, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call you my confidants. Therefore, I’m letting this jade disc express my heartfelt sentiments and serve as the prized possession for this competition.”
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao followed Zhong Li'an's hand and looked towards the treetop. "My lord, this... is far too precious..."
"Compared to you all, what is this jade pendant?" Zhong Li'an chuckled and shook his head. "This jade is right on the treetop, so please feel free to take it."
Cen Xun looked up at the jade disc and sighed with emotion, “Jade is used to express feelings, and martial arts are used to pacify the world. As the moon sets, all things are born.” She smiled and pointed at the three people in front of her, “You lot must not disappoint our lord’s wishes.”
“That may be true,” Zhongli Shuo chuckled and patted Cen Xun’s shoulder, “taking it down with a bow and arrow would be extremely difficult. Ah, brother,” he nodded toward Zhongli An, “why don’t you open the gift box first and satisfy our curiosity?”
Zhong Li'an smiled and nodded, then gently opened the box with a flick of his finger. "The contents of this box are just some small items I can think of to give you. They are ordinary, but please take a look."
"Thank you, my lord. Then we won't stand on ceremony." Yang Xiao nodded to Zhong Li'an, then followed Bai Ming to his side.
A box overflowing with a dazzling array of items appeared before everyone's eyes. Silks, gold and silver utensils, and famous teas filled the entire box, and when the sunlight shone on it, it became even more dazzling.
Among the many gifts, Bai Ming immediately noticed a piece of red silk in the corner.
The silk was fiery red, and its folds flowed like rosy clouds across Bai Ming's eyes. Its red was lively and unrestrained, yet the shadows accentuated a touch of composure and grandeur.
But it just lay there in the corner, not vying for attention with the dazzling lights, but leaning there with the air of a strongman, proudly waiting for someone destined to appreciate it.
Bai Ming felt a surge of emotion and couldn't help but turn to look at Yang Xiao beside him. When he met those eyes as beautiful as Liu Xia's, a flame suddenly ignited in his chest, as if Yang Xiao and that piece of silk were entangled by an invisible bond.
He laughed heartily, as if he had made up his mind, and held up the silk with both hands, cupping his fists towards Zhong Li'an, "My lord, I have made my choice, thank you."
"So fast?" Yang Xiao looked up at him with interest, and also reached out to touch the red silk. "A piece of silk, could it have some kind of meaning?"
Bai Ming smiled and nodded, then gently put his arm around Yang Xiao's shoulder. "Xiao, there's a solution to the jade pendant on the tree."
"Really?" Before Yang Xiao could finish her question, another cheer erupted from the side, and Zhang Ping rode his horse and carried a bow from afar.
Bai Ming patted Yang Xiao on the shoulder, then turned and ran to the side, holding the red ribbon.
Zhang Ping dismounted and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd. "My lord, strategist, everyone," he said, slightly out of breath, "I have won."
"You won?" Yang Xiao smiled happily and patted Zhang Ping on the shoulder. "Why aren't you sleepy this time, Eagle Team's number one crossbowman?"
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this, and Qi Kun chuckled and patted Zhang Ping on the shoulder, "Here, this is the lord's gift. All the winners get a share, right?"
Zhong Li'an nodded. "That's natural."
Seeing this, Yang Xiao smiled and looked at the contents of the box. "Hey, Zhang Ping, wait a minute," she said, her eyes flashing as she took out the box of tea leaves and tilted her head at Zhang Ping. "Compared to the other items, you should take the tea leaves and drink them. Don't be sleepy every day."
Zhang Ping accepted the tea leaves with both hands, then chuckled and scratched his head. "General, you really don't give me any face in front of our lord." As he spoke, he still sincerely accepted the box of tea leaves with both hands. "My lord, General, then I shall respectfully accept your offer."
"Ah Xiao!"
Yang Xiaogang handed the tea leaves to Zhang Ping, and then saw Bai Ming sitting on the saddle bridge, looking at her with eyes full of excitement.
Sunlight shone on the boy's back, highlighting the golden glint in his smiling eyes.
"Hey, he's here!" Yang Xiao hadn't seen Bai Ming so excited in a long time, so she quickly waved and mounted her horse to greet him. "Could it be that our General Bai has already come up with a good plan to retrieve the jade?"
Bai Ming chuckled and shook his head, then looked up at Yang Xiao with tenderness, "Although I wouldn't dare to shoot it down rashly, but..."
He loosely tied the red ribbon to the arrow's tail and handed it to Yang Xiao as if coaxing a child, saying, "Look, this is a ribbon."
"Mmm," Yang Xiao responded cooperatively, tilting her head to wait for him to continue.
Bai Ming smiled, then looked up at the jade pendant on the treetop. "That's jade. And then..." He raised his hand to draw his bow, squinting at the jade pendant with one eye. "Look."
The red ribbon, which Bai Ming had just chosen, was now hanging on the arrow's fletching, gently swaying in the breeze. The next moment, the arrow flew towards the center of the jade pendant, trailing the light, flowing red ribbon, slowly traversing the sky.
The arrow was slowed down by the red ribbon, which itself billowed forward with the arrow's momentum. Sunlight filtered through the dragon-like red ribbon, flashing a glint on the arrowhead and warmly reflecting onto the jade disc that shimmered with a soft glow.
The wind whistled past their ears, and everyone's gaze fell upon the red ribbon. The arrow easily leaped through the hole in the jade disc, while the red ribbon at the arrow's fletching gently fell, resting on the center of the hole, reflecting the warm light and fluttering softly in the breeze.
The sudden burst of cheers seemed to disappear from Yang Xiao's ears. She looked up and stared blankly at the jade pendant with the red ribbon hanging from it. A warm feeling washed over her, and her mind went blank, with only the sound of her heartbeat that had been missed for half a second ringing in her ears.
Bai Ming, standing beside her, breathed a sigh of relief. He turned and smiled at Yang Xiao, "Only then can we truly celebrate Qixi Festival."
Yang Xiao looked back at the jade pendant and red silk hanging on the tree and couldn't help but laugh. "So," she said jokingly, pointing to the tree, "not only is the jade pendant still there, but the silk is also hanging on the tree now."
Bai Ming was taken aback upon hearing this, as if Yang Xiao had suddenly dragged his previous clever idea and joy into reality. He pointed at Yang Xiao, both amused and annoyed, "Ah Xiao, you're such a blockhead."
"Hey, hey, just kidding, how could I not understand?" Yang Xiao quickly patted his back and coaxed him gently, then looked up at him solemnly, "I understand your feelings, and I promise you, as long as the jade is not broken and the silk is not cut, I will always, always stay by your side until the candle burns out and my heart stops."
Bai Ming sighed with relief and nodded earnestly, "Okay." His last words caught in his throat, turning into tender affection in his eyes, flowing straight into Yang Xiao's heart.
"Look at you, hanging 'Lingyu' on the tree, hurry up and save me!" Yang Xiao patted his chest and coaxed him with a smile, but then suddenly felt something hidden in Bai Ming's chest. Reflecting his warm body temperature, it entered Yang Xiao's hand through the fabric.
"What is this?" Yang Xiao tilted her head curiously, only to see a hint of a smile flash in his eyes. He gently raised the corner of his mouth, covered Yang Xiao's hand, and slowly pressed it against the object on his chest through the fabric.
He smiled and gently rubbed her palm. "This is clearly the jade pendant you gave me. How could you forget it?"
"A jade pendant?" Yang Xiao looked at Bai Ming with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "Why are you wearing it so close to your body?" Her gaze fell on the shadow of the jade pendant on Bai Ming's chest, and she gently touched it with her hand. Her eyes were dark and unfathomable, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she looked at Bai Ming with delighted eyes, "I know how to take it off."
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