TGWM Ch. 11

Chapter 11: Horseback Archery at a Hundred Paces

After leaving Yanyu Tower, the hostility in Lin Aoxue gradually faded.

On the way back, Beichen Ji was still caught up in the shock from earlier. It took him a long moment to recover before he leaned in toward Lin Aoxue, both surprised and amazed, and exclaimed, “Wow, who would have thought! Our Lin-laoge isn’t just skilled in martial arts but also versed in music. Such a well-rounded talent! Ah, I’m truly impressed!”

In response to Beichen Ji’s praise, Lin Aoxue merely shot him a sharp look. It was Shang Wu, walking behind them, who asked, “Lin-xiongdi, your martial skills alone are already exceptional. How do you still find time to study other arts?”

Lin Aoxue did not avoid the question but answered openly, “After my parents passed away, I became restless, consumed by the thought of revenge. My obsession ran deep. To help me calm my mind, my master taught me to play the qin. But I was dull-witted and never grasped its essence, only managing to learn the basics.”

Beichen Ji knew that Lin Aoxue’s master was Master Hongming. He had heard his father, Beichen Long, mention that before Master Hongming withdrew from worldly affairs, he was indeed a scholar and warrior of exceptional talent. It wasn’t surprising that Lin Aoxue, as his direct disciple, possessed both martial prowess and musical skill.

Hearing this, Shang Wu looked on with admiration. However, being a straightforward man with no interest in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, he refrained from asking further questions.

The three of them slowly made their way back to the military camp. By the time they arrived, the sky had already darkened. After parting ways with Beichen Ji and Shang Wu, Lin Aoxue headed to the training grounds and, as expected, saw Lu Sheng practicing alone.

He was mounted on a chestnut horse, bow drawn to its fullest, an arrow nocked. With a sharp twang, the arrow whistled through the air and struck the outer edge of a target a hundred paces away.

Though his accuracy was still lacking, it was a significant improvement compared to a few months ago when he couldn’t even pull the bowstring.

“Platoon Leader!”

Noticing Lin Aoxue’s arrival, Lu Sheng swiftly dismounted, slinging his bow onto the saddle before leading his horse toward her.

As Lu Sheng drew closer, Lin Aoxue’s expression remained neutral, but her tone was noticeably less cold. “You’re planning to compete in the horseback archery event?”

Next month, the military camp would hold a major competition. Platoon leaders and squad leaders could participate in the horseback archery event. Those who ranked in the top three would earn a military merit, while the first-place winner would receive a high-quality spear personally awarded by the grand general.

Hearing Lin Aoxue’s question, Lu Sheng scratched his head somewhat sheepishly.

“I don’t expect to place in the top three, but I want to see where I stand among the others in the camp.”

Lin Aoxue nodded. Accuracy could be improved with practice, and the competition was a great opportunity to spar and measure one’s skills. It was indeed not something to be missed.

“The military strategy book I gave you last time—how far have you read?” As she spoke, Lin Aoxue retrieved the bow and arrows from the horse’s back, testing the bow’s strength in her hands.

It had been a month since the conflict between Lu Sheng and Liang Hui. By now, he should have finished reading the book Lin Aoxue had given him. She was testing his comprehension.

Lu Sheng always took Lin Aoxue’s instructions seriously. He had read the book more than three times and had pondered over the lingering question for a long time before finally reaching a new understanding.

“I’ve finished reading the book, sir.”

Lin Aoxue turned to him, her expression slightly more serious. “Oh? Then tell me—what was your mistake back then?”

Standing tall and unwavering, Lu Sheng met Lin Aoxue’s gaze directly and answered without hesitation, “I was too independent, unwilling to integrate with others, and failed to build relationships. Fighting alone, I could never accomplish great things.”

Not bad.

Lin Aoxue’s gaze softened slightly—at least Lu Sheng wasn’t completely hopeless; he could still be shaped and refined. It seemed he had come to understand this himself, which was likely why he had decided to participate in the horseback archery competition.

She gave a slight nod. “It’s good that you understand.” With that, she grabbed the saddle, swung herself onto the horse, and nudged its sides with her heels. As the horse started galloping, she pulled the reins and steadied herself. Raising the bow in her hand, she called out loudly, “Watch closely!”

The chestnut horse dashed forward. When Lin Aoxue reached about a hundred paces from the target, she swiftly drew her bow, nocked an arrow, and released it in one fluid motion—precise and decisive, without a hint of hesitation.

The arrow shot through the air with a sharp whistle, and in the next instant, it struck dead center on the target’s red bullseye.

Lu Sheng was in awe, slamming his fist on his thigh in admiration of Lin Aoxue’s archery skills.

Lin Aoxue rode two more laps around the field, releasing two more arrows—both hitting the bullseye with pinpoint accuracy. She then dismounted, walked back to Lu Sheng, and tossed the bow to him. “Did you see clearly?”

Lu Sheng, full of respect and eager to learn, responded humbly, “Yes, sir, I saw clearly.”

Lin Aoxue nodded, giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder before leaving.

“Train well.”

***

One month later, the day of the military competition arrived, with Grand General Beichen Long personally overseeing the event. The competition consisted of three main events: archery, combat sparring, and a hunting contest.

Ordinary soldiers could participate in stationary archery, while squad leaders and platoon leaders competed in horseback archery. After the archery events, company commanders and battalion commanders engaged in combat sparring. As for field marshals and high-ranking generals, they would proceed to Xingbei Hunting Grounds for the spring hunt.

The first event, stationary archery, was reserved for regular soldiers. Participants stood in rows on the training grounds, spaced twenty paces apart, with targets set a hundred paces away. Each soldier had three arrows, and their best score determined their ranking.

After stationary archery came horseback archery. The logistics officers removed most of the targets, leaving only three placed at different positions around the field. Squad leaders, platoon leaders, and other eligible competitors entered the arena on horseback, trotting once around the field. As they passed each target, they had to fire an arrow from outside the designated boundary. Their ranking was determined by how close their best arrow landed to the bullseye.

Lin Aoxue’s two squad leaders were both participating in the horseback archery event. As three horses were led forward by a guard, Lin Aoxue’s brows furrowed. Among the three horses, one stood out—its physique strong, its energy vibrant. It was clearly meant for Lin Aoxue.

Of the other two horses, one was passable, while the last looked sickly and sluggish.

Lin Aoxue shot a sharp glare at the guard and asked coldly, “What’s the meaning of this?”

The guard, intimidated by Lin Aoxue’s presence, coughed awkwardly before explaining, “The good horses were sent ahead to the hunting grounds. The remaining decent ones were set aside for the platoon leaders. All that’s left are these lower-grade horses.”

The implication was clear: there weren’t enough good horses to go around. The fact that one fine horse had been set aside for Lin Aoxue was already a courtesy. As for her squad leaders, they would have to make do with inferior mounts.

Liang Hui and Lu Sheng exchanged looks. Seeing the situation, Liang Hui volunteered to go first. Lu Sheng didn’t contest him, while Lin Aoxue, her expression dark, seemed lost in thought. She let Liang Hui take the better of the two subpar horses.

Liang Hui rode into the field, his horse’s hooves kicking up clouds of yellow dust as he galloped forward.

He was physically capable and had been diligently training over the past few months. All three of his arrows hit the target, with one landing just an inch outside the bullseye—a rather commendable performance.

From the elevated viewing platform, Beichen Long nodded in approval as he observed the match.

After finishing his lap around the field and shooting three arrows, Liang Hui turned back with a provocative glance at Lu Sheng.

Lu Sheng, however, remained calm, showing no sign of impatience. He glanced at Lin Aoxue, who responded with a slight nod. Then, to his great surprise, she handed him the reins of the finest horse.

Lu Sheng stood frozen for a long moment, only snapping out of it when the guards on the field urged him forward. His voice trembled as he called out, “Platoon Leader…” His own skills were weak to begin with, so he had never cared about whether his horse was good or bad. If Liang Hui wanted to steal the spotlight, so be it—Lu Sheng had no intention of fighting over it.

But Lin Aoxue was different. With her abilities, securing a top-three placement should have been as easy as reaching into a bag to retrieve something. However, if a poor mount hindered her performance, Lu Sheng knew he would be riddled with guilt, unable to rest easy. Standing in silence, he refused to take the reins from her hand.

Lin Aoxue shot him a glare. “I told you to go, so go! Stop dawdling!”

Under her piercing gaze, Lu Sheng clenched his teeth and stubbornly argued, “This horse is meant for you, sir.”

Without a change in expression, Lin Aoxue tossed the reins toward him and said flatly, “Just watch.”

Lu Sheng pressed his lips into a thin line, still wanting to protest, but before he could say anything more, Lin Aoxue swung onto the sickly horse. With a sharp kick to its sides, she urged it into the field.

Liang Hui’s expression shifted the moment he saw Lin Aoxue riding the feeble horse.

As expected, the sick horse was weak in its legs, running in erratic bursts of speed—sometimes fast, sometimes sluggish—making for an incredibly rough and unstable ride. When Lin Aoxue released her first arrow, it missed the target entirely, leaving the watching soldiers stunned.

Sensing that something was off, Beichen Long frowned and muttered in confusion, “What on earth is Lin Aoxue doing?!”

Since Lin Aoxue’s enlistment, she had trained diligently, held herself to strict standards, and proven herself as both fearless and strategic on the battlefield. Beichen Long had long since taken notice of her abilities. In his eyes, even if she didn’t take first place in this horseback archery competition, she should have at least secured a top-three spot with ease.

Never in his wildest imagination did he expect Lin Aoxue to miss the target entirely!

From a distance, Lu Sheng witnessed the scene unfold. The murmurs of the crowd grew louder, their voices filled with astonishment. Even though Lin Aoxue herself remained composed atop the horse, Lu Sheng’s face had already turned pale with guilt.

His fists clenched tightly, his teeth grinding audibly. Regret flooded him—why hadn’t he fought for the chance when Liang Hui volunteered earlier?

Inside the field, Lin Aoxue ignored the murmurs from the spectators. She continued riding, approaching the second target.

Once again, she drew her bow and nocked an arrow. With a sharp snap, the arrow struck the target—but it was still far from the bullseye.

The onlookers’ whispers grew even louder. Yang Jin’s face darkened, while Beichen Long’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief, his rage boiling over.

Gritting his teeth, he seethed in a low, furious voice, “If that brat dares to mess around with his third shot, I’ll have him flogged with military canes!”

But Lin Aoxue, the focus of all this uproar, remained as calm as ever. She steadily rode toward the third and final target, her eyes glinting subtly. After testing her first two arrows, she had finally grasped the rhythm of the sick horse’s movements.

This last shot—this was the one where she would show her true skill.