Chapter 96

Perhaps due to the consecutive victories of the pot-throwing player from Fengle Tower, the betting trend in the entire casino leaned heavily towards Wei Feng. Only a sparse handful of people, about five or six, bet on Chen Qing, and the odds for Chen Qing were already at one to twenty.

Hu Yan Tong quickly walked over and lowered his voice, "Wang Bo and the others also bet on the opponent, be careful they interfere."

Chen Qing nodded and stepped up to the wooden platform. The host clasped his hands and said, "You know the rules, right?"

Chen Qing pointed to a red line behind him, "What does this line mean?"

"This is the five-zhang line, used only in rare matches between top players."

"What if I want to choose the five-zhang line?"

The host hesitated for a moment, "Please wait a moment, I'll go ask."

He quickly went down the platform and returned shortly, "You can choose the five-zhang line. According to the rules, the odds are one to five, but you only get three arrows. Do you agree?"

"Sure!"

The host then announced that the challenger had chosen the five-zhang line. The spectators could change their bets. The hundreds of guests were highly excited, and many ran to change their bets, but not to bet on Chen Qing. Instead, they increased their bets on Wei Feng to defeat the challenger.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The bell for the end of betting rang, signaling the start of the match.

Wei Feng, the pot-throwing player with a somewhat lecherous appearance, also walked up to the high platform. He had a blank expression and ignored Chen Qing, standing to one side.

"The match begins. According to the rules, the challenger shoots first. Sir, please!"

A dense drumbeat sounded as Chen Qing approached the five-zhang line, and the table with the copper arrows was moved to the five-zhang line.

The drumbeat stopped, and the surroundings were silent. Chen Qing picked up a copper arrow and weighed it in his hand. He was certainly not a novice at pot-throwing. After several months of martial arts training, he often competed with other martial arts students, and his control over subtle forces was already at a masterful level.

Before anyone could react, Chen Qing flicked his wrist, and the first copper arrow was already in flight.

The copper arrow flew a beautiful high parabola and finally fell almost vertically. Wei Feng's face changed dramatically; he immediately realized he was facing an unprecedented strong opponent.

"Thud!" The copper arrow made a dull sound inside the copper pot.

A murmur of discussion arose in the venue. Many people began to worry. This young man was clearly more skilled than the previous challengers, perhaps even... not inferior to the pot-throwing player.

At this moment, Chen Qing picked up the second copper arrow and flicked his wrist. Suddenly, someone shouted, "General Chen, be careful!"

Wang Bo interfered at the critical moment. Chen Qing glanced back at him and said calmly, "Thank you!"

The copper arrow was then flicked out, and from five zhang away, it accurately entered the pot again.

A group of warriors rushed up the stairs, and the lead warrior sternly warned Wang Bo, "No matter who you are, I warn you, if you interfere with the match, you will be responsible for everyone's losses!"

Wang Bo turned away sullenly. Fengle Tower had a powerful background, being a property of the Qian family. Even if his uncle was the Chancellor, he couldn't afford to provoke them.

The host signaled Chen Qing to continue. Chen Qing flicked his third arrow, which flipped several times in the air and, as if calculated, "Thud!" accurately entered the pot again.

All three arrows hit the mark, and none touched the edge. Wei Feng had no chance of winning; at best, it would be a tie, followed by a tiebreaker.

Wei Feng stood solemnly at the five-zhang line, holding the copper arrow but hesitating to release it. Chen Qing smiled at him, sensing the pressure Wei Feng was under. His three consecutive hits had put immense psychological pressure on his opponent.

Hu Yan Tong squeezed forward and whispered to Chen Qing, "Old Chen, look at the door!"

Chen Qing looked towards the door and noticed that several dozen Jurchen people had arrived, accompanied by a few officials.

The surrounding guests also noticed them and were frightened, quickly moving away.

The appearance of Jurchen people in Lin'an City made Chen Qing suddenly think, could they be envoys from the Jin State?

Chen Qing suddenly noticed a Jurchen man staring at him with wolf-like eyes. His face was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't immediately recall where he had seen him.

Wei Feng's first arrow was already in flight, drawing a beautiful parabola and accurately entering the pot. The surroundings immediately burst into enthusiastic applause.

Wei Feng was already sweating. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, picked up the second copper arrow, and focused on the copper pot five zhang away. His hand trembled slightly, but he controlled his nervousness and shot the second arrow. "Thud!" The copper arrow again accurately entered the pot.

The surrounding guests were jubilant, clenching their fists in excitement. Amid the loud cheers, someone coldly said, "The third arrow will definitely lose!"

All the guests turned to glare, but they saw that a Jurchen person had made the comment. They were stunned; how could there be Jurchen people here?

The hall was very quiet, and no one dared to provoke these Jurchen people. The dozen or so burly Jurchen soldiers held their knives, their eyes fierce. These guests were wealthy merchants who were inherently afraid of the Jurchen.

Chen Qing narrowed his eyes and suddenly recognized the tall, stern Jurchen leader.

This person was none other than his opponent in Linyou County, Wanyan Huonü, the son of Wanyan Lou Shi.

He never expected to meet them in Lin'an, at Fengle Tower. The world was indeed small.

Chen Qing's gaze then fell on Wanyan Huonü's back, where a middle-aged Jurchen nobleman with a golden belt was standing. He had a deep, imposing appearance. Chen Qing wondered, "Who is this?"

Wei Feng's third arrow was still not released. He had already exerted all his effort on the second arrow and could not find the feeling for the third. His vision blurred, and his heart beat strongly, as if it would explode.

Chen Qing watched him calmly, feeling the same as Wanyan Huonü: Wei Feng's third arrow would have a problem.

The arrow was on the string, and Wei Feng gritted his teeth and shot it. As soon as the arrow left his hand, he inwardly cursed, "Trouble!" His heart instantly sank.

"Clang!" The copper arrow hit the edge of the copper pot, making a sharp collision sound. Everyone's hearts turned cold; regardless of whether it entered or not, they had lost.

The copper arrow bounced a few times and slid into the pot. The host helplessly raised the yellow flag, "The challenger wins!"

Hu Yan Tong and Liu Qiong embraced in excitement, twenty to one! They regretted not betting more.

Wei Feng, unable to bear the shame, turned and hurriedly left. Chen Qing bowed to the crowd and turned to leave.

"Commander Chen, wait a moment!"

The middle-aged Jurchen nobleman smiled and walked forward, "Commander Chen's archery skills are truly awe-inspiring. Would you be willing to accept a challenge?"

Chen Qing stared at him for a moment and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Wanyan Chang!"

It turned out to be Wanyan Tanlan, the Jin State's military supervisor. It seemed that the Jin State's mission to the Song Dynasty had significant intentions, sending such a core figure as Wanyan Chang.

Chen Qing smiled faintly, "If it were on the battlefield, I would accept the challenge at any time, but here, I cannot make the decision!"

At this moment, the head manager of Fengle Tower also came out. Several court officials were negotiating with him. Although the head manager was reluctant, he could not afford to provoke these Jin State envoys. As long as there was no trouble, he could provide some convenience.

"Commander Chen, the head manager has agreed," Wanyan Chang said with a smile.

Chen Qing's gaze fell on Wanyan Huonü, "Commander, are you the one who wants to challenge me?"

"Indeed!"

Wanyan Huonü stepped forward, "I want to compete with you in archery!"

"Actually, I hope we can compete on the battlefield!"

"There will be an opportunity, and I am waiting for that day. But today, I want to learn from Commander Chen's archery skills. Will you teach me?"

"Do Jurchen people also play pot-throwing?" Chen Qing smiled slightly.

Wanyan Chang walked forward and smiled, "Pot-throwing is for women. Jurchen men do not play it. In such a short distance, we play a different shooting skill in the Jin State's palace. It's called 'Tianmu Zhe.'"

He turned and beckoned, and several Jurchen soldiers went up to the platform and set up an incense stick at the copper pot.

Wanyan Chang smiled, "Thirty steps away, shoot with a blindfold. If you extinguish the incense, you win. How about it, Commander Chen? Are you interested in this warrior's game?"

"Please wait a moment, Wanyan Supervisor!"

Chen Qing walked to Hu Yan Tong and asked with a smile, "How much did you win?"

"The pot-throwing match at Fengle Tower lost 500 guan, but the side bets won 3000 guan. You won a total of 3500 guan. Old Chen, are you really going to compete with the Jurchen?"

Chen Qing laughed coldly, "Do you think I am the kind of person who flees from a challenge?"

He stood up and said to Wanyan Chang, "Since it's a match, there should be a bet. I bet 3000 guan. Are you in?"

Wanyan Chang smiled and nodded, "According to our rules, the challenger sets the stakes. I brought a golden Buddha statue, weighing 30 catties, which was offered by your Emperor Shenzong. If you win, the golden Buddha is yours. If you lose, your bow and arrows are ours."

Chen Qing suddenly understood. This mission to the Song Dynasty was probably related to Wanyan Lou Shi. They wanted to use this method to reclaim Wanyan Lou Shi's bow and arrows.

"Wasn't the golden Buddha supposed to be returned to the Song Dynasty?"

"You are mistaken. This is my personal item and has nothing to do with this visit. Even if I hadn't met you tonight, I would still take the golden Buddha back."

"I accept the bet!" Chen Qing agreed immediately.