The Director magnanimously waved his hand again.

Tie Ci was somewhat surprised and glanced at Rong Wei, but saw him looking in some direction.

Tie Ci followed his gaze and saw Wei Xuan standing to the side, her fair face delicately flushed. One of her female companions was whispering in her ear. With her good hearing, Tie Ci heard her say: “Ah Xuan, Master Rong is looking at you. Did he join because of you, afraid you’d get hurt, so he made an exception to participate himself?”

Wei Xuan gently hit her and whispered: “Don’t talk nonsense. He probably just saw Ye Shiba had no one to help him and joined out of sympathy.”

Her companion laughed: “Him this, him that – how intimate you sound. But who is he? I don’t understand?”

Wei Xuan seemed to pinch her.

A burst of soft, charming laughter.

The sunlight was bright, and silk tree blossoms drifted across Fragrant Lake, spinning and floating in the circles of light.

The young lady extended her crystalline fingertip to catch a petal, her eyes reflecting this brilliant and passionate summer.

A young girl’s heart is always poetry.

Tie Ci looked away.

Yes, it was sympathy.

Rong Wei put on his own soft armor and took another piece, walking over. “Eighteen, this one is for…”

Tie Ci strode past him, reached into the basket to fish out a piece, and put it on.

Rong Wei was stunned for a moment, but when Tie Ci turned back to smile at him – bright and clear like sunlight – that instant of awkwardness was smoothed away by that smile, making one doubt whether their own suspicions were petty-minded.

Someone brought over a lot box for drawing. The order was Qi Yuansi first, Senior Student Mu second, Tong Rushi third, Tie Ci fourth.

Qi Yuansi’s expression was solemn today, not at all spring-breezy – his attempt to make peace with Tie Ci had failed, and if Tie Ci got another “excellent” today, he’d have to eat shit.

This concerned dignity and toilets – success or failure hung on this single move.

Most of their group were children from Shengdu, some Tie Ci even recognized. The noble young masters had upright bearing, each mounting their horses with agile grace, drawing cheers from countless students.

Qi Yuansi arranged a simple formation – left wing, right wing, and center – three groups entering from different directions, taking different routes to avoid horses colliding during galloping.

Horses like swimming dragons, riders like pines – straight-backed young men wielding bows galloped into the field. In the rolling dust, their robes and sashes fluttered beautifully. Leading the charge, Qi Yuansi was fastest, controlling his horse at full speed. Before oncoming teammates had even raised their bows, he had already drawn his bow to full moon, shooting whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh at several targets in succession.

A row of arrows whistled through the air, embedding beautifully in a line on the targets.

Continuous cheers came from outside the field.

The start was quite good. Qi Yuansi played it safe, choosing tactics of slow trotting, each occupying territory, everyone avoiding each other, giving warnings before shooting. Though slow, it was steady. Swarms of arrows covered the sky like locusts, and the targets were soon densely covered.

But as time shortened and people offered commentary and criticism, some gradually became restless. Some, confident in their superior archery and horsemanship, felt stifled having to wait for others to shoot in batches. Someone – no one knew who – rushed out to shoot an arrow before the previous batch had finished. Rushing too fast, he knocked down a target, and his unexpected arrow caught a right-wing teammate in the chest. Both were penalized and removed.

With two eliminated at once, the remaining felt unsettled. Trying to save time for better results, they all ran faster, resulting in two horses colliding and another two penalties.

The remaining six found it easier to move and shoot, but someone was blinded by dust and shot an arrow into a teammate’s shoulder – another penalty.

Qi Yuansi ran about the field shouting, restraining, and reminding until his voice was hoarse, but couldn’t stop morale from quickly plummeting. Because he had to manage the team, even he – the best at archery and horsemanship – couldn’t fully perform, even missing targets.

The bell rang, ending the quarter-hour. Someone came forward to change targets and count. Qi Yuansi’s team had hit one hundred ten arrows total.

With thirty arrows per person, this result didn’t even reach half.

But no one mocked them. After one round, this exam was more difficult and dangerous than they’d imagined. Never mind the stumbling and mutual interference – arrows could cancel each other out. An arrow that hit a teammate’s chest was deflected by another arrow from the side, nearly injuring the archer’s eye. When horses collided, the thunderous crash created dust that didn’t settle for ages, and several had to be dragged away.

But the students’ fear was quickly dispelled by Senior Student Mu’s group – several people in that team seemed to have practiced this formation, very skillfully. They arranged no formation and didn’t wait for batches. They charged forward madly from the start, a row of arrows darkening the sky like storm clouds. With thudding sounds, the first batch of arrows embedded in targets, immediately revealing each person’s strengths and weaknesses.

Someone in the field gave a whistle, and several riders spurred their horses into a mad gallop. In rolling dust, they circled those targets once at extreme speed, racing alongside the targets without touching them from start to finish. Just as everyone was about to cheer, they saw that where those riders had passed, several students suddenly fell from their horses.

Immediately people entered the field to carry those students away. Everyone’s attention was on the field, but only Tie Ci turned to see those people take the injured into the forest.

Everyone outside sighed, wondering what to do with suddenly fewer people. But then they heard a whistle from inside, and Senior Student Mu raised his hand to signal shooting.

Someone shouted: “Senior, you don’t have enough people. Do you need us to help make up numbers!”

Senior Student Mu laughed: “What use are waste products for making up numbers!”

Before everyone could react, they saw hoofbeats rolling inside, arrows whooshing. Several people galloped recklessly, only avoiding targets and flying arrows, not caring what others were doing or waiting for others to shoot. That Senior Student Mu took the lead, pulling his bow on his own – shooting while galloping, shooting while standing, shooting close to ground, shooting with his back turned… turning an archery exam into his personal archery show.

The two behind him followed closely with the same style, just without his flashy tricks – more steady, accurate, fierce. The whooshing sounds in the air never ceased.

Under their unrestrained wild style, others followed suit, only seeking to hit targets, not caring about teammates, especially not about teammates with weaker archery.

Senior Student Mu and several others brought this realistic style to its full expression. Whoever had good archery and horsemanship would be brought into their protection, helped to clear the field, helped to block stray arrows. But teammates with weak archery were abandoned like worn shoes. One person in the field was startled by this wild style, lost his composure, and shot an arrow askew. Senior Student Mu rode up, and as the two horses brushed past each other, that student suddenly cried out and fell from his horse.

Someone outside exclaimed: “They’re shooting so crazily, it’s easy to accidentally injure teammates. With insufficient numbers, won’t the arrows hitting targets still be inadequate?”

Someone said: “Can’t you see? They’re doing it deliberately! Deliberately driving the weak off the field!”

“But that arrow…”

Senior Student Mu suddenly reached out and snatched the quiver from the fallen student’s back, dumping it into his own quiver with a clatter. While spurring his horse forward, he shot rapidly again – arrows falling like meteors.

The field erupted in uproar.

This could already be described as unscrupulous.

The academy emphasized equality, universal love, respect, and self-discipline. Never had anyone acted so improperly.

But madness was most contagious. With Senior Student Mu leading the way, others followed suit. The sounds of shouting and neighing never ceased, and anyone slightly weaker had their arrows taken by teammates.

Arrows whistled through the sky, tracing dark wooden streaks. The targets shook ceaselessly as if beaten by sudden rain. Everyone watched those densely packed targets but felt cold in their hearts.

The bell rang, ending the quarter-hour. Five people remained, circling the field once. No one cheered.

Two hundred seventy-one arrows.

Tie Ci watched coldly: “Where did this mad dog come from?”

Dan Shuang said: “It will be hard for us to win.”

Tie Ci turned to see the Director frowning, obviously somewhat surprised.

After a long while he said: “Loving fellow students is proper duty. How can one be so cold-blooded and heartless? This result…”

“Are you planning to renege on this result?” Senior Student Mu walked over. “Director, following rules is also academy regulations. Which rule did students violate in your earlier guidelines? Since students violated none, you cannot be unfair.”

The Director looked at the remaining two teams with difficulty.

Tie Ci smiled: “Director, you need only rest assured – we won’t do such things.”

Tong Rushi characteristically said nothing.

The Director could only rub his forehead and sigh.

Tong Rushi then led his group to mount horses. His team had yet another style – everyone seemed neither particularly outstanding nor too weak. Each person appeared very cautious, steady and methodical. They had neither Qi Yuansi’s team’s flashy formations nor Senior Student Mu’s team’s sudden advances. Naturally there was no scene of arrows falling like locusts and rain. They proceeded calmly and methodically, advancing in interlaced patterns, steady as old dogs.

So much so that everyone watching became bored and started yawning.

But after finishing their unremarkable shooting and withdrawing, the count was actually two hundred sixty-five arrows, scattering everyone’s drowsiness as they discussed animatedly. They regretted that Tong Rushi’s team lost to Senior Student Mu by just a few arrows – if only someone had been more careful.

But Tie Ci shook her head after hearing this. More careful? How could they be more careful?

She had faint doubts in her heart. Others couldn’t see the subtlety of Tong Rushi’s team, but she could see they’d used a formation from a famous general of the previous dynasty – circular rotation, cyclical and continuous, the most energy-saving yet most efficient method. Only he had dismantled this formation so it looked like everyone was acting independently.

So his hit rate was actually controllable. He very likely deliberately missed those few arrows.

Why?

But there was no time to think about it now. It was her turn.

Tong Rushi came down from the field, removed his face mask, covered in sweat, making his skin appear extremely pale and his eyes black as ink. When he looked over, he didn’t seem to have the aura of a living person.

Tie Ci cupped her hands, wanting to congratulate him on his excellent results, but Tong Rushi’s gaze slid indifferently over her face and walked past.

Tie Ci wasn’t embarrassed either. Her raised hand naturally grasped the reins as she leaped onto her horse.

She gazed at the targets. The arrows were light, and the targets were relatively simple – not-thick wooden boards below, sharpened and stuck in the mud.

Someone brought over a quiver. Tie Ci weighed it and said: “Director, I’m accustomed to using heavy arrows. May I change arrows?”

The Director glanced at her with surprise: “No. The targets are ordinary wooden boards. If you use heavy arrows, the targets might not withstand it. If they shatter, the results can’t be counted. And if heavy arrows injure someone, soft armor might not stop them.”

“No matter, I have discretion.” Tie Ci said: “If I injure anyone, I voluntarily withdraw and accept defeat, taking responsibility for compensation until the other party is satisfied.”

The Director was still shaking his head when someone came over – it was Rong Pu, who usually didn’t participate in archery class.

The sunlight was intense. He held a green paper umbrella painted with light flowing clouds. Sunlight filtered through the thin spots of those flowing clouds, making his features misty and serene, his whole person glowing faintly like jade.

The same academy green robes looked particularly elegant on him, his sashes fluttering in the wind.

He spoke quietly with the Director and handed over a quiver of heavy arrows. The Director looked and finally nodded.

“Then as you wish.”

Heavy arrows were quickly brought – black arrow shafts more than twice as thick as ordinary ones, the arrowheads heavy in hand. But the arrowheads had somehow been thinly and tightly covered with a layer of skin, perfectly meeting Tie Ci’s requirements.

Tie Ci satisfactorily put them in her quiver and nodded to Rong Pu in thanks. Her gaze swept around in a circle.

Li Zhi looked somewhat uneasy, Fatty Tiger hadn’t reacted at all, Wei Xing looked down at ants on the ground, Wei Xuan was quietly instructing him to follow her and stay away from Tie Ci.

Little Round Face was giving thumbs up: “Domineering!”

Dan Ye and Huyin were eager to try, seeming to want heavy arrows too.

Her gaze finally slid past Rong Wei, but she despised herself inwardly.

Knowing clearly this person wouldn’t be afraid, why did she still want to see his reaction?

Rong Wei seemed to sense something, looked up, and shot her a flirtatious glance, placing his finger in a bow-drawing gesture for distant shooting.

Tie Ci was stunned and hadn’t reacted when the bell rang.

She spurred her horse and entered the field first, but left behind a phrase: “Please wait for us!”

One rider galloped into the field like a whirlwind.

When an expert makes a move, you immediately know if they have skill. The field erupted as sitting people stood up and standing people jumped.

What about the promised Ye Shiba being poor at archery?!