North of Jizhou City, out in the open country.

Li Chi and his companions rode hard, hunting wild game.

This time, Gao Xining and the others had all come along — a rare chance to unwind.

But no matter how much they let loose, the divine eagle and the dog outdid them all. One ruled the sky, one the ground — two undisputed lords of the wilderness.

While the others were off tallying the hunt, Li Chi said quietly to Tang Pidi: “There’s probably no talking him out of it now. And given the way he feels about it — if I said we were going to move our forces south once spring comes, it would offend him. More than offend him — I think he’d actually fall out with us over it.”

Tang Pidi nodded: “When there’s news of him advancing, I’ll move our forces south. No need to consult with him about it — he’d take that as an insult to his pride.”

“For a man like Luo Jing, you can damage anything — but his pride? That’s the same as taking his life. Or rather, he’d probably give up his life before letting his pride be touched.”

Li Chi said: “Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll wait for news of him going south.”

They glanced over at Luo Jing. That fellow had just brought down a wild hare, and looked more pleased about it than if he’d won a battle.

“Say anything more, and we’ll put his back up.”

Tang Pidi sighed: “In his heart, he considers you a brother. And he’s already handed over Youzhou to you — his own heartland. With a bond like that, if you try to stop him, he’ll think you don’t want to see him grow stronger.”

Li Chi sighed inwardly.

Tang Pidi smiled: “Besides, Luo Jing might not actually lose. Right now, Prince Wu’s forces are depleted and short on grain, while Luo Jing’s men are full of fire.”

Li Chi said: “Let’s hope so.”

To be fair, Luo Jing had told Li Chi plainly before: you fight your battles, I’ll fight mine. If the day comes when we must face each other, I won’t hold back — and you shouldn’t spare me either.

In Luo Jing’s view, of all the heroes in the world — whether the commoner Li Jun Hu or the royal-blooded Yang Xuanji — none came close to Li Chi.

And on the Dachu court’s side, his only real opponent was Prince Wu.

Yet Prince Wu was already aging. Whatever his reputation as a battle god, it was a bowstring at full stretch, already past its peak.

Luo Jing rode over, smiling: “You two, if you keep loafing around, don’t expect to beat me today.”

Li Chi said: “Even with a head start, you’d still lose.”

Luo Jing scoffed: “The world yields to no one, and no one matches me — and you think you can let me have a head start and still compete? Think again.”

He pointed into the distance: “Shall we make a wager?”

Li Chi asked smiling: “What are you wagering?”

Luo Jing said: “I just saw your men net a wild deer. Let’s release it — you, me, and Tang Pidi, the three of us give chase. First one to bring it down wins.”

Li Chi asked: “What does the loser have to do?”

Luo Jing said: “What the loser has to do? Work that out for yourselves — how could I possibly lose?”

Li Chi said: “Nothing in the world is that absolute. What if you did lose?”

Luo Jing said: “If somehow I lost, then whenever you need me in the future — no matter what I’m doing, the moment your message arrives, I’ll drop everything and come.”

Li Chi said: “That’s also—”

He hadn’t finished before Tang Pidi cut him off.

Li Chi had been about to say: that’s also not a bad deal.

Tang Pidi smiled: “If we’re going to wager, let’s make it worthwhile.”

Luo Jing laughed: “I love worthwhile wagers — small stakes are no fun.”

Tang Pidi said: “Then here’s the thing — if both of us faced you, it would feel like we were ganging up on you. So let it be me against you. And if either of us loses…”

He looked at Li Chi: “Can I speak on your behalf?”

Li Chi said: “Of course.”

Tang Pidi continued: “If I lose, then the next time the Ning side faces serious trouble and can no longer contend for the world, the two of us will come and serve under you.”

Luo Jing heard this, thought for a moment, and said: “And if I lose — and the day ever comes that the Luo family forces are defeated and I can no longer contend for the world — then I’ll come and serve under the two of you.”

Tang Pidi made a gesture of invitation. Luo Jing said: “I’ve long wanted to test just how strong you really are.”

Tang Pidi smiled and leaped onto his horse, asking: “Any rules?”

Luo Jing thought, then said: “Three arrows each.”

Tang Pidi nodded.

Luo Jing smiled and asked Li Chi: “You’re sure you agree to these stakes?”

Li Chi said: “What he says is what I say.”

Luo Jing laughed out loud and spurred his horse: “The two of you have already lost!”

Tang Pidi rode out right behind him.

Li Chi had his men release the deer. The deer, startled, bolted with all its strength.

Tang Pidi’s horse and Luo Jing’s horse were both of fine breed — in frame and in speed, they were nearly matched.

Luo Jing rode alongside him and said: “You may draw first — if you hit it, count it as my loss.”

Tang Pidi smiled: “You may draw first — if you hit it, count it as my loss.”

Luo Jing said, full of confidence: “Then don’t blame me for taking advantage.”

He pulled the bow to full draw — a bow rated at three and a half shi, enough to leave an ordinary man unable to draw it at all.

Drawn to full tension, what kind of power did that hold?

The moment the arrow flew, it moved like a meteor — the eye could barely track it.

His arrow left, and Tang Pidi’s arrow followed an instant behind.

The two shots were separated by a hair’s breadth — Luo Jing fractionally faster.

Yet even he hadn’t anticipated: an arrow of that force would be caught up to by Tang Pidi’s.

In the distance, a faint sound — the arrows collided in midair and veered off course.

One shot skimmed past below the deer’s neck. One skimmed past above.

The deer barely flinched — perhaps it had no idea how close that moment had been.

Luo Jing’s eyes lit up. Not with irritation — but with a burst of laughter: “Remarkable!”

He reached back and grabbed both remaining arrows at once, nocked them together with three fingers, drew the three-and-a-half-shi bow to full tension in an instant.

“Let’s see you block this!”

A sharp cry — two arrows flew at once.

At the same moment Luo Jing nocked two arrows, Tang Pidi did the same — three fingers gripping two arrows on the bowstring.

The difference: while Luo Jing loosed both simultaneously, Tang Pidi drew and released twice in the space of a lightning flash, the two arrows flying nearly end to end.

The first arrow caught up to Luo Jing’s — one arrow breaking two.

Luo Jing’s eyes went wide.

Tang Pidi’s second arrow swept all three arrows aside at once, and Tang Pidi’s third arrow threaded through the gap left by the collision of the others.

Three arrows colliding, scattering in every direction through the air.

Through the chaos of those three spinning shafts, that one arrow flew out — and with a dull thud, buried itself in the earth.

It had grazed the wild deer’s neck. The deer let out a startled cry and veered sideways.

Tang Pidi smiled: “A shame — just a hair off.”

Luo Jing stared at Tang Pidi with an unreadable expression. After a silence, he laughed with ease: “You win. In archery — you’re better than me.”

Tang Pidi shook his head: “Our wager was whoever brought down the deer. You didn’t, and neither did I.”

Luo Jing laughed: “Ha ha ha ha ha — fair enough. Fair enough.”

Li Chi watched the two of them turn their horses and ride back, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Tang Pidi — truly a man heaven-gifted with effortless stature.

—

After the New Year celebrations in Jizhou, Luo Jing returned to Anyang.

Before parting, Luo Jing said to Li Chi: “That day when Tang Pidi and I competed — a loss is a loss, and I can accept losing…”

He smiled: “So I’ll hold to the wager. If the Luo family forces are ever defeated and I can no longer turn the tide, I’ll come and throw in with you two — eat at your table, sleep under your roof, no mental exertion required. That actually sounds rather comfortable.”

He cupped his hands: “With that — farewell. Next time we meet may be a good while yet.”

Li Chi said: “I’ll arrange for some grain and provisions to be sent to you in a while.”

Luo Jing said: “No need — Anyang is prosperous. My forces are well-stocked.”

Li Chi smiled: “Consider it an investment. Win big, and give me a share of the returns.”

Luo Jing scoffed: “Dreaming!”

He spurred his horse: “And remember your end of it — if I reach the Dachu capital and march into Daxing, you two won’t need to bother fighting anymore. Just come join me. I’ll give you each a princeship.”

Li Chi said: “Your dreams are just as vivid.”

Luo Jing laughed and shook his head, and led his people out of Jizhou.

Tang Pidi came to Li Chi’s side and watched Luo Jing’s retreating figure.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

Li Chi said: “I’m thinking — a man as proud as him, if he ever does come over to our side, would it be a little awkward for him?”

Tang Pidi said mildly: “He’s a man who honors a bet. If he doesn’t take it well… just beat him again.”

Li Chi laughed: “There’s always been something I wanted to ask you — did I miss a class back at the Four Pages Academy?”

Tang Pidi said: “How to look perfect in front of others?”

Li Chi said: “No — how to control an uncontrollable urge to show off.”

Tang Pidi said: “Hmm… then you missed two classes.”

Li Chi said: “You… you absolute—”

—

Several months later.

The Ning forces continued their steady development in Jizhou — opening farmland, supporting the people, recruiting soldiers, stockpiling horses.

Word came from the northwest: Liu Ge was preparing to lead his forces against the remnants of the Eastern Ling Dao forces who had regrouped.

After consulting with Tang Pidi, they agreed this campaign would open up territory toward Liangzhou and was significant enough to warrant attention.

And unless something unexpected happened, Luo Jing would surely try to force a crossing of the Nanping River, making a great battle at Anyang unavoidable.

So Li Chi went north. Tang Pidi prepared to take forces south to support Luo Jing.

Li Chi’s original intention had been for Tang Pidi to lead the army directly and help Luo Jing win the campaign.

But with Luo Jing’s temperament — how could he accept that?

He thought extremely highly of himself. If Tang Pidi truly arrived with an army, Luo Jing would feel that both Li Chi and Tang Pidi were looking down on him.

Moreover, if the opponent were anyone else, Tang Pidi riding in might not provoke as much resistance or resentment from Luo Jing.

But this time the enemy was Prince Wu — and that was his father’s killer.

This battle, regardless of anything else, was one Luo Jing had to fight himself.

Yan was left behind to hold Jizhou, and now with more personnel, the arrangements no longer felt stretched.

Lian Xiwu from Shanzhou remained at Yan’s side to assist — when it came to civil governance, his ideas were more developed.

As for Hu Buyu from Yuyang, who had originally promised Tang Pidi he would come, he still hadn’t arrived. No one knew what had happened to him.

Ye Celeng, coming from Jicheng, would accompany Li Chi north.

And with Ye Celeng came a young man — only fourteen or fifteen years old, Ye Celeng’s wife’s younger brother, named Xu Ji.

The boy was bright-eyed and fine-featured, and though young, he carried a kind of self-possession at odds with his years.

Ye Celeng had quite a reputation in Jicheng, yet toward this young brother-in-law of his, he seemed to have a kind of quiet admiration.

After a few encounters, Li Chi asked Tang Pidi his impression of the two of them.

Tang Pidi’s reply: Ye Celeng is steady and thoughtful. As for Xu Ji — smart. Unreasonably smart.

Too smart, and it shows.

Li Chi thought: a boy of fourteen or fifteen wanting to show off his intelligence — that was perfectly normal.

……

……