“May I?”

‘I don’t think so,’ Liang Ping thought, about to speak when someone said: “Hey, why ask Instructor Liang? Just ask He Yan directly! That kid knows his mind – if he’s willing, they’ll compete; if not, that’s that. Isn’t it simple?”

“That makes sense,” Du Mao nodded and said to Jiang Jiao, “Go ask He Yan directly. However,” he paused, then cautioned, “Competition is fine, but stop at first touch – no injuries.”

With things having reached this point, Liang Ping could only helplessly watch as Jiang Jiao walked toward He Yan.

Arriving at Instructor Liang’s recruit squad, Jiang Jiao immediately spotted He Yan practicing with the spear. It wasn’t that she was particularly eye-catching, but rather her unusually small frame stood out among the group of sturdy men. Jiang Jiao didn’t approach immediately, instead quietly observing He Yan for a while. She wasn’t performing any complex spear techniques, just simple thrusts and withdrawals, but even these basic movements were executed with complete focus, without any slack.

After watching for some time, someone noticed him and asked, “Brother, why are you standing here watching us?”

“I’m looking for someone,” Jiang Jiao replied, then strode towards He Yan.

He Yan was thrusting forward with her spear when unexpectedly someone grabbed the spearhead, causing the person to step back twice. She looked up, puzzled: “Why are you grabbing my spear tip?”

Jiang Jiao forced back two steps by the thrust, felt a hint of surprise. He Yan’s spear work had looked soft and weak, seemingly without much strength, but when gripping the spearhead, he realized how powerful that thrust was. If he hadn’t grown up in a martial arts family practicing spear techniques since childhood, an ordinary person would have been knocked to the ground.

Thinking this, he shed some of his initial contempt and looked at He Yan seriously, “I’ve heard Brother He is peerless in skill. Would you honor me with a spear competition? What do you say?”

He Yan blinked, understanding – was this another challenger?

Hong Shan, standing behind He Yan, slapped his forehead upon hearing this, “This is bad! Fame brings trouble just like fat brings slaughter to pigs. After He won against Wang Ba, I knew this would happen. Look, here’s the second one.”

“There’ll be more?” Little Mai whispered.

“Many more, there’ll be a third, fourth, fifth…” Hong Shan shook his head, “People just love to compete. What’s the point of all this competing?”

What’s the point? He Yan found it quite meaningful. She had been thinking about how to enter the Nine Banners Camp, which required first catching Xiao Jue’s attention by proving herself an exceptional hero. But since Xiao Jue didn’t come to the training ground daily to watch the recruits, she had no venue to display her abilities – unless someone like Wang Ba kept challenging her, building her reputation until it naturally reached Xiao Jue’s ears.

But for some reason, since the archery competition with Wang Ba, no one had challenged her. He Yan guessed the lost bread rations had dealt such a blow to the recruits that they temporarily wanted nothing to do with her. She couldn’t actively seek out people and challenge everyone she met.

Now another challenger had appeared – wasn’t this like a pillow arriving just as one got sleepy? The timing was perfect.

“Alright,” He Yan planted her spear beside her, “How do you want to compete?”

Her quick agreement caught Jiang Jiao off guard. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Just you and me sparring will do, stopping at first touch.”

“Fine,” He Yan said, “Go get your spear, we’ll compete on the training platform.”

“You…” Jiang Jiao hesitated, asking, “Don’t you need ten days?”

He Yan was surprised, finding it somewhat amusing, “It’s not always ten days.”

Did they think she needed ten days to perform some magic? The previous time was truly because her arm strength wasn’t sufficient, but now besides regular training, she hadn’t forgotten to practice with stone locks. Though she couldn’t match a strongman, it was enough for normal archery.

The instructors who had rushed overcrowded together. Someone nudged Liang Ping’s arm, saying, “Old Liang, I told you your recruit probably doesn’t take these competitions seriously – you’re the only one worried!”

Liang Ping: “…”

He had assumed He Yan would refuse, thinking that if He Yan rejected it personally, Jiang Jiao would likely drop the matter. Unexpectedly, He Yan readily agreed – did this kid never learn to say no? Or had she become so confident that she would accept any challenge?

“I’m quite excited,” Du Mao took a drink from his leather water pouch, eyes fixed on He Yan walking up to the platform. “How about we place a bet?”

“No betting,” Liang Ping flatly refused. Last time, the recruits who lost their bread rations had gone hungry for a whole month – it was terrible to watch. Now the recruits weren’t betting, why were the instructors starting?

“Coward! If he won’t, I will!” another instructor said. “I’ll bet next month’s yellow wine ration. I bet on Jiang Jiao!”

Cheng Lisu received news of He Yan’s upcoming spear competition with Jiang Jiao, and his first reaction was to find Xiao Jue in the next room.

He rushed over excitedly, finding Xiao Jue speaking with his guard. Seeing this, Xiao Jue frowned, “Cheng Lisu, what’s with all this running about?”

“Uncle, come watch something interesting!”

Xiao Jue gestured for his guard to leave, then asked, “What is it?”

“My sworn brother, Brother He, is going to have a spear competition with someone!” Cheng Lisu tugged at Xiao Jue’s sleeve, “It’s starting now, at the training ground. Let’s go watch, what do you say?”

“He Yan?” Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow.

He remembered He Yan – in just a few months, this person’s name had spread throughout Liangzhou Garrison. First the running, then progressing from being unable to draw a bow to never missing a shot, and becoming Cheng Lisu’s sworn brother. Cheng Lisu would secretly bring He Yan food every few days, which he’d turned a blind eye to, treating it as children’s games.

However, this person showed a determined spirit. Though of ordinary talent, after the recruits retired for the night, he would still go to the training ground to continue practicing until the third watch of the night before returning to rest.

“Yes, you know my brother!” Cheng Lisu pulled Xiao Jue’s sleeve, dragging him outside, “I heard that guy challenged my brother today. My brother will show him what real spear techniques are!”

Xiao Jue glanced at him, “The sleeve.”

Cheng Lisu immediately released his grip, switching to holding his arm, pleading, “Uncle, just come watch with me. My brother is skilled, no worse than those strongmen in your Nine Banners Camp!”

Xiao Jue snorted, seeming neither to agree nor disagree with his words, but his feet didn’t stop moving, finally accompanying him outside.

Cheng Lisu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking secretly, ‘Brother, this is all I can do to help you.’