Chapter 4

Chen Qing saw his vicious kick and finally could not bear it any longer. He pushed off the ground with his left foot, leaped into the air, and delivered a beautiful karate spinning kick. *Smack!* It landed precisely on Fu Moshan's face.

Fu Moshan let out a terrible cry, *Ow!* and staggered back several steps, falling to the ground on his back.

Chen Qing did not use his full strength; otherwise, the other side would have lost half of his teeth.

With just this kick, Chen Qing had gauged the other's true capabilities: clumsy body, unstable lower body, poor martial arts foundation, only intimidating in appearance, and possessing only brute strength.

"Damn it, I'll kill you!"

Fu Moshan roared like a wild beast, drew his saber from his waist, and was about to charge forward to kill.

"Fu Moshan, what are you doing?"

Li Jiang, with a dark expression, quickly walked over.

Several generals, seeing the situation was not good, knew that private brawls would be punished by military law, so they immediately restrained Fu Moshan and dragged him away.

"Huanqing dog, just wait and see how I'll deal with you later!"

Fu Moshan struggled and shouted from a distance.

Li Jiang coldly watched Fu Moshan walk away, then took out a soft pancake and handed it to Chen Qing, smiling, "This is a soft pancake I got from the cook. Eat it!"

"Thank you, General Li!"

Chen Qing did not hesitate, took the pancake, and shared half of it with Liu Wu and Zhao Xiaoyi, then sat on a rock and started eating.

Li Jiang sat beside him and smiled faintly, "Do you know why this Fu is causing you trouble?"

"He said it's about competing for the position of scout commander, but what does that have to do with me?"

"I recommended you to the commander-in-chief!"

Chen Qing was taken aback, "Does the general think I'm suitable?"

Li Jiang smiled slightly and asked, "Do you think Fu Moshan is suitable?"

Chen Qing shook his head, "He is very rash and not suitable to be a scout!"

"Not only is he rash, but he is also arrogant. If he becomes my deputy, I will surely be ruined. Chen Yuhou, I recommended you for my own benefit, but it is also an opportunity for you!"

Chen Qing thought for a moment and asked, "How do we compete?"

"There are four competitors. Fu Moshan has the highest rank and will be the main challenger. The other three will challenge him one by one. The last winner will become the scout commander."

"Isn't it unfair for Fu Moshan if he wins two consecutive matches and then faces the third match, considering his stamina?"

"Do you think he will be at a disadvantage?"

Li Jiang sneered, "If he wins two consecutive matches and loses the third, he will still have one more chance."

Li Jiang looked at Chen Qing with great expectation, "What do you think?"

Chen Qing was silent for a moment and nodded, "I'll participate!"

Chen Qing realized that if he wanted to establish himself in the Eight-Character Army, he must seize this opportunity.

...

The open space in front of the main tent was crowded with thousands of soldiers, all watching the challenge match with great interest. In the dull and monotonous days, there were not many things that could excite the soldiers.

At this moment, Fu Moshan was engaged in a fierce battle with a general. Fu Moshan wielded a heavy golden-backed saber, swinging it vigorously and powerfully. The other general also used a saber but was clearly overpowered and struggling to keep up.

Chen Qing nodded inwardly; Fu Moshan had good strength, which might be his greatest advantage.

Li Jiang said, "His iron golden-backed saber weighs forty pounds. Without strong arm strength, it would be impossible to wield it. Therefore, Fu Moshan is known as the strongest in the Eight-Character Army. He can be a fierce general, but not a scout. He can't even read, how can he transmit intelligence?"

"Indeed, he is not suitable!"

Li Jiang smiled and asked, "What is Chen Yuhou most skilled at?"

"Me?" Chen Qing thought for a moment and smiled, "I am skilled in swordsmanship, crossbow shooting, and chess."

Chen Qing was once known as the 'Three Excellences King.' His three excellences were fencing, shooting, and chess. He had even made it to the top three in the national men's heavy saber competition. He had simply changed fencing and shooting to swordsmanship and crossbow shooting.

"Ha ha! I also like chess. Let's play a game sometime!"

Chen Qing smiled, "If the general likes, I am always ready to play!"

He glanced at the main viewing platform, which was just a few large rocks. Wang Yan and several important generals were sitting on the rocks, watching the match.

A tall, thin-faced general kept looking at him, possibly Fu Xuan.

Chen Qing smiled and asked, "General Li, do you have any suitable weapons here?"

"Of course, what kind of weapon do you want?"

"A spear or a spear will do!"

"I happen to have an extra iron spear, I'll give it to you!"

Li Jiang instructed a subordinate soldier, who ran to fetch a long spear.

"This was originally a spear from Commander Yue. Later, General Yue and the commander-in-chief had a disagreement, and he led his troops to join the留守 of Tokyo, Zong Ze. Before he left, he gave me this iron spear. It is a bit heavy for me, so I will pass it on to you!"

It was actually Yue Fei's iron spear. Chen Qing was immediately interested and quickly examined the spear. The spear, including the head and shaft, was made of forged iron, about nine feet long and weighing about forty pounds. It was quite suitable for Chen Qing.

He stood up and swung the spear, immediately noticing the difference between a spear and a spear. A spear has a rigid tip that cannot vibrate, while the tip of a spear can vibrate, making it more suitable for Chen Qing, who was skilled in fencing.

The arena was filled with the sound of drums and shouts. Fu Moshan had already won two consecutive matches, and the final match was about to begin.

Fu Moshan glared at Chen Qing and shouted, "Huanqing scoundrel, come on!"

The crowd immediately booed, and the soldiers whistled loudly.

Chen Qing mounted his horse and lightly swung the long spear.

On the main viewing platform, Fu Xuan whispered to Wang Yan, "Commander, the spear he is using seems to be the forged iron spear left by Yue Fei!"

Wang Yan smiled faintly, "If he can use Yue Fei's eight-foot forged iron spear, it shows he has considerable strength. Your nephew should be careful."

"If he is truly more skilled, I will accept it!"

Although he said that, Fu Xuan still sent a trusted subordinate to warn Fu Moshan to be cautious of Chen Qing's forged iron spear and not to underestimate him.

In the arena, the referee raised two flags and said, "Generals, listen carefully. The competition is to test martial arts, not to harm each other. The one who subdues the opponent wins. Otherwise, military law will be enforced!"

He waved the flags, "The match begins!"

The drums roared, and the soldiers shouted, "Cut off his head! Cut him in half at the waist!"

They were stirring up trouble.

Chen Qing swung his forged iron spear, stood straight, and stared coldly at the opponent.

He spurred his horse and charged forward, and Fu Moshan also spurred his horse and rushed over.

In a moment, they were face to face. Fu Moshan roared and aimed a powerful blow at Chen Qing's shoulder, showing no mercy. He would rather be punished by military law than let this opportunity to avenge the kick to the face pass.

Chen Qing had anticipated his move. Without panic, he ducked at the last moment as the wind rushed past his head, and the saber missed him.

As their horses crossed paths, Chen Qing suddenly abandoned his spear, leaped off his horse, and tackled Fu Moshan to the ground. He had noticed Fu Moshan's weak lower body, and if he couldn't stand steadily, he couldn't sit steadily either.

Before Fu Moshan could struggle, a sharp dagger was already at his throat. Chen Qing said coldly, "Move and I'll cut your throat!"

Feeling the cold blade, Fu Moshan felt a sharp pain in his neck and dared not move.

The referee glanced at Commander Wang Yan. Fu Xuan was anxious, "Commander, this is not a one-on-one fight. Does it count?"

Wang Yan sneered, "They are competing for the position of scout commander. Using this move is perfectly acceptable for a scout. What do you think, General Fu?"

Fu Xuan was speechless, suddenly realizing he had been misled by the forged iron spear.

"Commander, Moshan has fought three consecutive matches. According to the rules, he should have one more chance, right?"

Wang Yan narrowed his eyes and nodded, "Yes."

The referee, seeing the commander nod, immediately waved the flag and shouted, "Third match, Chen Yuhou wins!"

The crowd fell silent, no whistles, no cheers. All the soldiers were stunned, completely unexpected.

Li Jiang's heart was at ease; he had not misjudged Chen Qing.

Avoiding his own weakness in strength, he seized the opponent's weakness in body control and subdued him in one move. This was the best scout.

Chen Qing stood up but quickly swung the dagger backward. An enraged Fu Moshan tried to grab him, but the sharp dagger appeared at his side. If he moved forward, his hand would be pierced. Fu Moshan's hand froze.

This small move caused a burst of laughter from the surrounding soldiers.

Wang Yan couldn't help but laugh; Fu Moshan's mind was far inferior!

...

According to the challenge rules, since Fu Moshan had won two consecutive matches, he had the opportunity to compete with Chen Qing again.

Fu Moshan proposed an additional competition in archery on foot. His lower body was unstable, and his horseback shooting was terrible, so only archery on foot could give him a chance to win.

Chen Qing had never practiced archery, only crossbow shooting, so he proposed using a crossbow on foot. Although Fu Xuan strongly opposed it, Wang Yan agreed immediately.

Wang Yan brought a military crossbow to the arena and pointed to a small tree on the cliff, saying, "That small tree is about eighty paces away. You will compete in hitting the tree. Hitting the trunk is good, and hitting the branch is better."

"I'll go first!"

Fu Moshan stepped forward, chose a two-stone bow, drew the bow, and nocked an arrow.

Archery on foot was the foundation of martial arts. In the Northern Song Dynasty, there were hundreds of thousands of archery societies along the border, and farmers would organize to practice archery during their free time.

Not to mention the powerful Eight-Character Army, almost all soldiers were skilled in archery and had a say.

Fu Moshan drew the bow and nocked the arrow, and a chorus of cheers erupted, "What strength!"

The string was released, and the arrow flew in a parabolic arc, hitting the small tree but failing to stick. It grazed the tree and fell to the ground.

A chorus of disappointed sighs filled the air, but it was still impressive. Hitting a small tree the size of a teacup from eighty paces away was not easy. The round trunk was not a flat target, and the surface area was very small. Hitting it precisely was a challenge.

All eyes turned to Chen Qing.

Wang Yan handed the military crossbow to Chen Qing and smiled, "This is both a crossbow and a bow, so I won't count it as a violation. Give it a try!"

Chen Qing took the crossbow and examined it. His heart was at ease; the structure was almost identical to the crossbows of the future.

The crossbows of the future were made of aluminum alloy, while those of the Song Dynasty were made of jujube wood. This was the first time he had seen a crossbow with such a wide bow.

It would require considerable strength to draw, and the large crossbow was heavy, at least twenty pounds.

Chen Qing held the crossbow with his left hand and pulled the string with his right, using both arms to exert force. He shouted and the string creaked as it was drawn.

Fu Moshan's face changed, and a chorus of gasps filled the air.

"Heaven! He actually drew the divine arm crossbow with his arm strength."

Chen Qing did not know that the crossbow he was using was the famous divine arm crossbow of the Song Dynasty, also known as the divine arm bow. Ordinary soldiers could not draw it, and professional crossbowmen used a foot stirrup to draw it. Even Fu Moshan needed to use his waist strength to draw it with his arms.

Chen Qing, fearless and ignorant, drew the string with his arm strength.

Wang Yan was deeply impressed. He had specifically chosen the divine arm crossbow to test Chen Qing's strength, and the result was beyond his expectations.

Chen Qing loaded the string and smiled, "This crossbow is a bit heavy, I apologize to the commander."

Wang Yan remained expressionless, "Shoot an arrow for me to see."

Chen Qing raised the crossbow and aimed at the small tree on the cliff.

Chen Qing's gaze was calm, and his hand was as steady as a rock. Wang Yan nodded inwardly; such steady hands required at least ten years of hard practice.

All the soldiers drew a sharp breath. Holding a twenty-pound divine arm crossbow with one arm and keeping it steady was something no one in the Eight-Character Army could do.

Archery on foot was simple, but achieving perfection was equally difficult.

Chen Qing pulled the trigger, and the arrow shot out like lightning, hitting the branch of the small tree. *Crack!* The branch broke and fell from the cliff.

Cheers and applause echoed through the camp. No one cared about his background in the Huanqing Army anymore. He had won the admiration of the surrounding soldiers with his skills.

Fu Moshan was dejected, and Fu Xuan gave Chen Qing a cold look and walked away without a word.

Wang Yan handed Chen Qing a bronze token and said, "From now on, you are the second battalion commander of the Eight-Character Army's scout regiment!"