Chapter 38

"Mr. Liu, you flatter me. My teacher was misled by a villain, and his body was injured. Even if he has a wealth of knowledge, he has no chance to serve in the court. I dare not call myself a fine material. Even if I were a fine jade, it would take ten years of carving to become a valuable piece. I am at most an unverified piece of jade, and I do not deserve such high regard from you."

Liu Ling turned around, sat on the swing, and stroked the rope made of hemp, a faint smile on her face.

"Mr. Liang, you are too modest," Liu Ling slowly swayed the swing, her clothes dancing with the movement. "Although you are young and your archery skills are not yet fully developed, you have extraordinary talent and a great teacher like Mr. Huan. It is only a matter of time before you become an excellent archer." She paused and added, "Perhaps you could even rival Feng Ji in foot archery."

Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow, understanding Liu Ling's meaning.

Indeed, he had strong arms and a great teacher like Mr. Huan. It was entirely possible for him to become an excellent archer in the future. However, he was only exceptional in foot archery, and he was still far from being a skilled horse archer. The biggest problem was that he did not have a suitable mount.

Currently, the Han Dynasty was not short of horses, but they were mostly owned by the wealthy. Poor families could not afford to raise horses, let alone warhorses suitable for battle.

The cost of raising a good horse was beyond what a family like Liang Xiao's could bear. Even a wealthy young man like Hu Lai was proud to own a fine warhorse and would show it off to Liang Xiao.

However, if he entered the Prince of Huainan's mansion, none of these would be problems. Liu Ling could provide him with a fine warhorse, and he wouldn't even need to take care of it himself. There would be dedicated people to serve him, and he could focus on practicing his horse archery.

This was one of the benefits of becoming a guest at the Prince of Huainan's mansion, and it was the condition Liu Ling offered. For a commoner like Liang Xiao, it was quite generous.

Hu Lai, so far, was only a servant knight by Liu Ling's side.

If it weren't for knowing the ambitions of Prince of Huainan, Liu An, and his ultimate fate, Liang Xiao would have no reason to refuse.

At the same time, his pride began to stir. If he really wanted to enter the Prince of Huainan's mansion, he could be a gift, but being under someone else's control had its drawbacks. However, he didn't want to enter the Prince of Huainan's mansion at all. How could he be treated as a gift by Liu Ling again and again?

I am a proud穿越者, and to be compared to a spoiled brat like Hu Lai is an insult.

Liang Xiao hid his displeasure and smiled lightly. "In terms of archery, perhaps as you say, Mr. Liu."

Liu Ling's eyes flashed. She heard the disdain in Liang Xiao's voice again. She smiled. "I know Mr. Huan comes from a military family and is well-versed in military strategy and training. However, as far as I know, he hasn't had many opportunities to engage in battles."

Liang Xiao's heart stirred. Mr. Huan indeed came from a military family, was well-versed in military strategy, and had led troops. However, he had few opportunities to fight, which was why he was not well-known in later generations. Liang Xiao still couldn't recall who Mr. Huan was.

"The military knowledge in my teacher's mind is not something outsiders can know," Liang Xiao said with a deep, mysterious smile.

Liu Ling continued to sway the swing slowly, only slightly bowing without much sincerity. "May I ask for your guidance."

Liang Xiao's eyes darted around and caught sight of Liu Ling's fluttering clothes and her slightly visible calves. Clearly, Liu Ling was still afraid of the heat. Her neck was covered, but her calves were cool, and she wasn't even wearing pants.

"Let's take the swing, for example," Liang Xiao walked behind Liu Ling and gently pushed, making her swing higher and higher. "Mr. Liu, can you roughly estimate whether it takes longer to swing high or low?"

"Of course, it takes longer to swing high," Liu Ling replied without hesitation.

"Not necessarily," Liang Xiao pushed a few times, bringing Liu Ling to the highest point before letting go and stepping back, smiling at her. Then he noticed something was wrong and frowned.

Two white, long legs flashed in front of Liang Xiao and disappeared.

Liu Ling's face changed dramatically. She let out a small cry, let go of the swing, and stumbled forward, falling into Liang Xiao's arms. Instinctively, Liang Xiao reached out and tightly held her to prevent her from falling.

The two were in each other's arms, their faces inches apart, their lips pressed together.

Tears streamed down Liang Xiao's face, but not because he felt the sweetness of a young girl's lips, but because his nose was hit and felt both sour and painful.

"Ah—" Liu Ling screamed, broke free from Liang Xiao's embrace, and felt a sharp pain in her nose. She covered her nose and turned to leave. Liang Xiao, unable to chase after her, also covered his nose and squatted on the ground, sighing deeply.

My first time, and it happened like this.

Lei Bei, hearing Liu Ling's scream, leaped over and protected her with one hand while drawing his sword with the other, pointing it at Liang Xiao. Liu Ling quickly pulled him back. "It's nothing, nothing. We just bumped into each other accidentally."

Lei Bei relaxed, looked at Liu Ling, and saw both of them covering their noses and tears in their eyes. He couldn't help but laugh, but he dared not laugh out loud and had to suppress it.

Liu Ling stood for a moment, her nose feeling better. Recalling what had just happened, she realized what had transpired and blushed. She wanted to be angry, but seeing Liang Xiao still squatting on the ground and covering his face, she felt it was too much to blame him.

However, thinking that Liang Xiao might know her true identity and had acted intentionally, she felt a surge of annoyance.

This guy, who looks talented, is so despicable. The more Liu Ling thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. Without saying a word to Liang Xiao, she turned and returned to the hall, sitting opposite Liang Miao. Liang Miao, seeing Liu Ling's red and swollen eyes, was puzzled.

"Mr. Liu, what happened? Did Xiao offend you?"

Liu Ling blushed and was embarrassed to say anything, so she changed the subject. "Madam Liang, it's nothing, just an accident. Please allow me to take my leave for a moment to pay my respects to Mr. Huan."

Liang Miao agreed. Liu Ling stood up, came to the door of the western room, bowed deeply, and stood still.

"Mr. Huan, I am Liu Ling, and I have come uninvited. I intended to convey the Prince of Huainan's regards to you. Whether you see me or not is not my place to comment. However, I humbly request that you consider Liang Xiao. Even if you have a wealth of knowledge, how many opportunities can you provide for him? Mr. Huan, the past cannot be changed, but the future can still be pursued. I hope you will let bygones be bygones, broaden your horizons, and allow the Prince of Huainan to make amends, fulfilling your lifelong wish. Would that not be beautiful?"

Liang Xiao, still covering his nose, walked out from the back courtyard and saw Liu Ling bowing deeply at Mr. Huan's door, her slim waist and round hips making him pause.

Liu Ling heard the footsteps and saw Liang Xiao's lecherous look out of the corner of her eye, feeling both embarrassed and angry. She forced herself to remain calm and bowed twice. "Mr. Huan, I will take my leave. If you are willing to see me within ten days, please send someone to the Hu family. I will come at once to listen to your teachings."

Just as Liu Ling was about to leave, Mr. Huan, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

"Come back when you understand the principle Liang Xiao mentioned."

Liu Ling was taken aback, then her face lit up, and she bowed again. "I dare not disobey."

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