Instructor Lin held his neck high and said, "Gao Du Yu Hou, you are the commander of the army. You must know the rules of the army, right? Only those with a token can enter the martial arts arena. If you can't produce it today, you will not be allowed to stay here."
Gao Yanei was furious. "I don't care about tokens or not. You can come as you please and leave as you please. How dare you, a mere instructor, point fingers in front of me? Grandpa will kick you out of the barracks tomorrow. Do you believe it or not?"
"Hey! What's wrong with you, Brother Gao? Who made you so angry?" A voice came from behind.
Zhang Shixun turned his head to look at the man. It turned out to be He Ji, the eldest son of He Guan, the chief officer of the Imperial Guard Infantry Division. They had met each other in the Lotus Pavilion that day. Zhang Shixun had an impression of He Ji because he heard Gao Yanei say that He Guan was the best archer in the Song Dynasty.
When Gao Yanei saw that it was He Ji, he said, "I brought Brother Zhang here for a stroll today. I didn't expect this thief to ask me for some token... He Dalang, don't tell me you came here with a token."
"You're right, brother. I'm a rule-abiding person, so of course I bring my token with me when I come to the martial arts arena." He Ji chuckled, flipped his hand and took out a bronze medal, waving it in front of Gao Yanei.
Gao Yanei was speechless, his face flushed red as he said, "It's your business to follow the rules, but I won't. Let's see if this thief dares to kick me out... No, your father is from the Imperial Guard's Infantry Division and has his own training ground. Why don't you go to his place?"
"Hehe! I often go to the other training grounds too. The Tianwu Army's training ground is bigger, so it's where I like to go." He Ji shoved the token into his arms with a grin and asked him, "You're so rare to come to the training ground. What evil wind brought you here?"
Gao Yanei pointed at Zhang Shixun and said, "Brother Zhang wanted to learn archery and horse riding, so I brought him here."
Zhang Shixun cupped his hands and said with a smile, "I am the Demonic Wind."
He Ji laughed heartily and bowed, saying, "Brother, you showed off your prowess in the Lotus Pavilion that day, beating those minions to the ground. It was truly an eye-opener."
"I'm so ashamed! They are just a few lackeys. It's not decent to fight with them. It will make He Yanei laugh at you." Zhang Shixun said politely.
He Ji turned his head and said to Instructor Lin, "Old Lin, please, for my sake, please be flexible today. I'll be their guarantor. Don't ask them for the token. This won't happen again. What do you think?"
Instructor Lin hesitated for a moment, then bowed very reluctantly, saying, "With Young Master He as your guarantor, I can certainly make an exception. However, next time you come, Gaodu Yuhou, please bring your token. This is military rule, so please don't make it difficult for me."
Gao Yanei looked up at the sky without even looking at him.
"Thank you very much, Coach Lin." He Ji was very polite.
Instructor Lin said nothing and turned away.
"What a stubborn donkey!" Gao Yanei spat on the ground.
"He is doing things according to the rules, so don't bother with him." Zhang Shixun likes soldiers like Coach Lin.
He Ji asked Zhang Shixun, "Master Zhang, are you planning to practice archery and horse riding?"
Zhang Shixun said, "I'm going to take the military examination soon, so I'm sharpening my sword before the battle."
"Oh? Master Zhang is going to take the military exam?" He Ji said excitedly, "Brother Zhang exudes a heroic spirit and must be skilled in archery and horsemanship. Today is a good opportunity for me to see him."
Zhang Shixun blushed and said, "To be honest, Brother He, I know nothing about archery or horsemanship, and I want to learn."
"This..." He Ji touched his chin, feeling a little amused. The exam was coming up soon, and he had to learn and apply what he had learned?
Are you kidding me? Is it so easy to learn archery and horse riding?
Gao Yanei was a little impatient and said, "He Dalang, we brothers are not outsiders. Stop standing here and talking nonsense. Go find a bow and let him try his hand."
"Oh! I wonder how big a bow Brother Zhang can pull?" He Ji asked Zhang Shixun playfully.
Just treat it as playing with him and seeing his jokes.
Zhang Shixun said, "Mr. He, please tell me the requirements for the military examination. Gao Yanei's explanation is not very clear."
He Ji said, "The martial arts exams are divided into archery on foot, archery on horseback, and weapons. The equal category exam is divided into two levels: the first level is one stone and one dou of bow on foot, and seven dou of bow on horseback; the second level is one stone of force on foot, and seven dou of bow on horseback. As for the peerless category, the bow and crossbow are two stones on foot, and five stones on crossbow."
Interestingly, there is actually a "Juelunke".
As the name suggests, since it is called Jue Lun Ke, it must mean unparalleled martial arts skills.
"Then let's start with two stones." Zhang Shixun said without hesitation. If you want to play, play the most intense one.
"Two crossbows?" He Ji asked in surprise, "Are you sure, Brother Zhang? If you can pull it, you'll pass the Juelun exam immediately. As for the others, you'll pass regardless of whether you take the test or not."
Gao Yanei also said: "Brother, I know you are strong, but you are too ignorant of your own limitations. You asked for two stone bows right away."
"If it can't be pulled, just change it." Zhang Shixun said casually.
He Ji hurriedly ordered his followers to get Ershi's bow.
"Let's go! Let's go to the shooting range over there." He Ji also wanted to see if he could pull a double-crossbow. Some people are born with great strength, so maybe he could really pull it.
Of course Zhang Shixun could pull it, he had just tried it with Wang Dong.
"Brother He, do you often come to the martial arts field to practice martial arts?" Zhang Shixun asked as they walked.
"Yes, yes. I can't even slack off. My father is very strict with us brothers. He regularly tests our archery and horsemanship. If he finds that our martial arts skills are not good enough, he will beat us with military sticks."
"Haha! As expected of a military family, military law is enforced in every family, including Gao Yanei's." Zhang Shixun glanced at Gao Yanei.
Gao Yanei's fat face turned red and he pretended not to hear.
Of course, Zhang Shixun would not tell anyone about the feather duster incident. It is best not to slap someone in the face in public. One should always save face for others.
He Ji said, "The ways military families raise their children are largely similar. As the Palace Commander, it's not uncommon for General Gao to have a military staff at home."
Gao Yanei laughed dryly but said nothing.
Zhang Shixun changed the subject, saying, "I've heard that General He is the foremost archer in the Song Dynasty. I admire him greatly. Mr. He comes from a family of learned men, and he must have inherited General He's true teachings. Regarding archery and horsemanship, I hope you will be willing to teach me."
"Thank you for the compliment, Young Master Zhang. My father is truly accomplished in archery." He Ji mentioned his father, a proud smile on his face. "As for me, I've only just begun to glimpse the art. Compared to my father, I'm a far cry from him. I'm deeply unworthy of your guidance. If Young Master Zhang wishes to learn, we can exchange a few words."
"Brother He, you are too modest. I haven't even touched a bow and arrow, so there is no way we can talk about sparring with each other."
A few people came to the shooting range while talking. There were several bows on the weapon rack beside the shooting range. Zhang Shixun picked up one at random and took a look.
"Brother Zhang, this is the bow I usually use." He Ji said from the side.
"How big is this bow?" Zhang Shixun pulled it and felt it was light.
"This is a bow weighing one stone." He Ji saw that he pulled it effortlessly and praised him, "Brother Zhang is born with supernatural strength. I can't compare to him."
"Brother He, please teach me archery." Zhang Shixun asked humbly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
