“She wants to compete in archery?”

Training Instructor Liang looked at her inquiringly. Cheng Lisu whispered, “Instructor Liang, is there anything else to compete in archery?”

Instructor Liang shook his head, “This… I’m not sure.” There were quite a few aspects of archery that could be compared, but they were all similar. He Yan had already shot flying birds earlier, and the rest shouldn’t be difficult. But her words suggested she was determined to surpass Wang Ba. What could she do that Wang Ba couldn’t?

Wang Ba was first stunned, then sneered dismissively, “Go ahead and name it!”

At worst, it would just be another tie, he thought.

He Yan smiled slightly. She walked to Cheng Lisu’s side and suddenly reached out to untie the hair ribbon securing his gathered hair.

Cheng Lisu was momentarily stunned. By the time he reacted, his long hair had already fallen loose. He asked, “What are you doing?”

“My apologies, brother,” He Yan smiled, “Since you’re going to become my sworn brother, surely you won’t begrudge me borrowing your hair ribbon.”

“Well, it’s fine…” Cheng Lisu messily gathered his hair with his hands, muttering quietly, “This is too sudden, and besides, why don’t you use your hair ribbon?” He Yan had her own.

“I noticed my young brother’s hair ribbon is much more exquisite than mine. Perhaps it carries good fortune, and I could borrow some of your luck,” He Yan fabricated smoothly without changing expression.

Who doesn’t like hearing pleasant words? Cheng Lisu immediately beamed with joy, saying, “No problem at all! Please use it!”

Nobody understood what she planned to do with Cheng Lisu’s hair ribbon until they saw He Yan slowly wrapping it around her hands and covering her eyes.

“She’s going to…” The crowd gradually understood what she intended to do.

The yellow ribbon covered her eyes completely. She reached behind her head, gently tied a knot, and said, “Ready.”

In truth, He Yan didn’t use her own or others’ ribbons because in the hot weather, after running and practicing archery, they were all soaked with sweat. The soldiers in the barracks weren’t particular, and their ribbons were somewhat dirty. But Xiao Jue’s nephew was different – his clothes were new and fragrant, and his ribbon was spotlessly clean, just like his fastidious uncle. It would surely be much cleaner to use.

It might even be cleaner than He Yan’s clothes. Now that she had tied it on, she confirmed her guess – it even carried a faint scent of pine.

What a particular young master, He Yan marveled inwardly. Truly worthy of being uncle and nephew.

“He Yan, what are you planning to do?” Wang Ba frowned and asked, though he had a guess he dared not acknowledge.

“Let’s compete in blindfolded archery,” she said.

The training ground gradually fell silent. A summer breeze blew past, making the loose ends of the ribbon behind her head flutter, giving the youth in red training clothes an ethereal appearance. She maintained a smile at the corner of her lips as she held the long bow, facing Wang Ba’s direction. “In this round, I will defeat you.”

She spoke those four words lightly yet decisively as if she had already foreseen the outcome.

Wang Ba’s face changed several times between pale and flushed. Before he could speak, someone else spoke first, their tone full of doubt, “Blindfolded archery? Shooting at what? Straw targets?”

He Yan shook her head and slightly raised her face. Though her eyes were covered and she shouldn’t have been able to see the sky, her upturned face seemed to trace the path of sparrows flying overhead. She said, “The same as before – we’ll hunt sparrows.”

The crowd erupted in exclamations.

Was this mere overconfidence? Or was it something more?

He Yan turned back to face Wang Ba’s direction and asked with a smile, “Can you do it?”

Those two words “Can you?” were like when Instructor Liang had asked her earlier, and she had readily answered “Yes.” Now, though the words “I can” had reached the tip of his tongue, Wang Ba couldn’t speak them.

Whether as a bandit or a hunter in the mountains, he had always acted with purpose. Blindfolded archery – he wasn’t blind, and there was no point in doing such a thing. He wasn’t some wealthy young master playing at novelties. If he prided himself on his archery skills, this challenge He Yan proposed was what he was least confident in.

He simply couldn’t do it.

Wang Ba looked at He Yan, who wasn’t rushing him for an answer. But the recruits around were eyeing him with various expressions, leaving Wang Ba in an impossible position. Would he have to lose face here today in front of everyone, to a mere child? What would people say – that the mighty bandit leader couldn’t even accept a child’s challenge?

“Fine!” he gritted through his teeth. Yet he harbored a glimmer of hope that He Yan was just bluffing. This kid was always crafty and mysterious; perhaps she couldn’t do it either but was just putting on an extremely confident act to trick him into giving up first.

Hah, he wouldn’t fall for it!

“You go first in this round!” Wang Ba called out to her.

The youth smiled again, her bearing graceful as she nodded and uttered two words: “Very well.”

…

By the flag platform of the training ground stood a tower adjacent to the Liangzhou garrison, its elevated position offering a complete view of the training ground below.

Two people stood at the tower’s railings, watching the youth surrounded by recruits in the center.

One wore red training clothes with a black cloth belt – it was Shen Han. Beside him stood a young man as cold and pure as ice and snow, his expression indifferent – it was Xiao Jue.

“I never expected two such promising seedlings would emerge from this batch of soldiers,” Shen Han sighed. “That Wang Ba needs no mention – though he’s from a bandit background and hard to control, his archery is truly exquisite, and his strength immense. But most surprising is that the youth is called He Yan. He’s only fifteen or sixteen now, yet already so outstanding. With a gentle temperament that wins people over, after a few more years of growth, he’s sure to become one of the finest among this batch of recruits.”

He recalled his previous conversation with Liang Ping, when Liang Ping had thought highly of He Yan but Shen Han hadn’t paid much attention, thinking He Yan’s qualities too ordinary to be noteworthy. He hadn’t expected to almost overlook such a promising talent.

Seeing that Xiao Jue hadn’t responded, he carefully probed, “What does the Commander think?”

“Gentle temperament?” The young man slowly repeated. After a moment, he smiled faintly. “You may have misjudged. The one who’s hard to control isn’t Wang Ba – it’s He Yan.”

He Yan? Shen Han was somewhat doubtful. He had seen the youth several times, always smiling. Even when Wang Ba repeatedly provoked him, he never showed anger. Truth be told, at this age, youths were typically hot-blooded, fighting at the slightest provocation. He Yan’s behavior showed remarkable cultivation and gentleness.

For the Commander to say He Yan was hard to control? For the first time, Shen Han doubted his superior’s judgment.

“Then…” Shen Han changed the subject, “Does the Commander think He Yan can win this round?”

The young man’s lips curved slightly, his voice soft.

“Yes.”