Chapter 94

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Liang Xiao was very troubled. Liu Ling was truly adept at stirring up trouble. Why did she have to set up a gambling match like this? Now, they had encountered a formidable opponent. This Xiu Chengzi Zhong demanded a hundred gold pieces right off the bat, directly forcing Liu Ling into a corner.

Even for Liu Ling, five hundred gold pieces was no small amount. A marquis with a fief of a thousand households only earned twenty gold pieces in annual rent. In the "Biography of Merchants" by Sima Qian, it was mentioned multiple times that many successful merchants only made a pure profit of twenty gold pieces after a year of hard work.

Losing five hundred gold pieces at once would definitely deal a severe blow to Liu Ling.

Whether for Liu Ling or for himself, this match had to be won. But facing Li Jiao in a hundred-step archery contest, he had no confidence at all.

Just as Liang Xiao was feeling uneasy, someone else was drawn over.

Han Yan rode a peach-blossom horse, wearing a light purple cloak, and appeared before Liang Xiao with several attendants. Seeing Dongfang Shuo present, he glared at him fiercely, then looked at the scene. An attendant went forward to inquire about the situation and reported back to him. After hearing the report, Han Yan's eyes flickered, and he called out loudly, "I bet on Li Jun to win, a hundred gold pieces!"

The crowd was once again in an uproar. With the appearance of Xiu Chengzi Zhong and Han Yan, the match had completely changed, turning into a high-stakes gamble. The two of them, working together, had directly cornered Liu Ling, leaving her no room to maneuver.

A loss of a thousand gold pieces was something Liu Ling could not afford on her own. Even if she sought help from her father, it would take several months. It was clear that neither Xiu Chengzi Zhong nor Han Yan would give her that much time to raise the money.

Xiu Chengzi Zhong sat on his horse, looking down at Liu Ling from a height, a smug smile on his face. Liu Ling frowned slightly but kept her composure. She walked to Liang Xiao's side and said with a smile, "You don't need to worry. This is my own gambling match. The outcome has nothing to do with you."

Hearing this, Liang Xiao did not feel much more relaxed. He could tell that Liu Ling was actually panicking. She was just trying not to affect him. Liang Xiao felt his fingers tingling. He took a deep breath, turned to look at Li Jiao, and suddenly had an idea.

Li Jiao's expression was indeed somewhat unnatural, his temples damp as if he had just been caught in the rain. Seeing Liang Xiao look at him, Li Jiao forced a laugh, trying to appear relaxed, but it was very unnatural.

Liang Xiao suddenly felt a bit relieved, his tense mood easing. It turned out that Li Jiao also lacked confidence. They were on equal footing.

In archery, the key is the mind. A steady mind leads to a steady hand. If the mind is in turmoil, even the best archery skills can only be used to a third of their potential, almost guaranteeing defeat in a match between experts. Li Jiao was indeed a skilled archer, but he was not so strong that he could win easily. There was still a chance for Liang Xiao to win, though the odds were slim.

The biggest issue now was who could withstand such immense pressure. Whoever could handle the pressure and perform normally had a better chance of winning.

While they were talking, someone had already set up the target and other equipment at a hundred steps away. Li Jiao seemed to often engage in archery contests and had brought all the necessary equipment, not skimping on anything.

Taking this time, Liang Xiao focused his mind, cleared his thoughts, and slowly adjusted his breathing, trying to calm himself down.

At this moment, Liang Miao, Li Rongqing, and Hu Xijun also arrived. Seeing the scene, she remained relatively calm and comforted Liang Xiao, "Xiao'er, you have only been learning archery for a year, and you are already competing against an expert like Li Jun. Even if you lose, it will be an honor. If you win by chance, it will be a great achievement. There is nothing to lose, so why worry? Consider it an experience. As for the bet, it's not a big deal. Just give the double-sided brocade technique to the princess. A fine young man like you, do you fear not becoming wealthy?"

Hearing his mother's words, Liang Xiao truly put down his burden and faced the challenge with ease.

Liang Xiao and Li Jiao stood side by side. Someone drew two crosses on the ground, which were the positions for the archers, called "wu." Standing at the intersection of the crosses, Liang Xiao and Li Jiao looked at each other. Li Jiao sneered, "Thank you, Lord Liang, for the gold. Lady Liu will suffer a financial loss because of you."

Liang Xiao smiled in response. "Thank you, Lord Li, for the horse. This black horse looks even more magnificent than the one given by your brother. I truly feel unworthy of it."

Li Jiao's eyes twitched. He knew that Li Danghu had given Liang Xiao a horse. Although that horse was good, it was just an ordinary mount, worth no more than eight thousand, and could be bought anywhere. How could it compare to his black horse, which was worth ten gold pieces? If he lost this black horse, even if he had ten gold pieces, he would not be able to buy such a good horse in the short term.

More importantly, he could not afford to lose. If he lost, the Li family would truly become a sacrifice to Liang Xiao's rise to fame. Unless his father, Li Guang, personally challenged Liang Xiao. But Li Guang, a well-known figure for many years, could not challenge a junior proactively.

Li Jiao handed the bow to his right hand and wiped his left hand on his clothes to remove the cold sweat.

"Is Li Jiao nervous?" Liang Xiao observed, not missing any opportunity to undermine Li Jiao.

"Are you not nervous?" Li Jiao glared at Liang Xiao, retorting.

"I am nervous," Liang Xiao smiled. "But my hands are not sweating. Lord Li, your hands must not sweat. If they slip, with your bow strength, the target keeper might be in danger."

The target keeper stood near the target, responsible for reporting whether the arrow hit and where. To avoid being accidentally injured, a shield made of leather was usually placed in front of him. Even if the arrow pierced the shield, its force would be greatly reduced, preventing serious injury. The shield was several steps away from the target. Liang Xiao's concern for the target keeper implied that Li Jiao would miss the target, and by a significant margin.

Li Jiao was furious. As he put on his finger guard and thumb ring, he hissed, "You should worry about yourself. A fine man, using such petty tricks, don't you find it shameful?"

Liang Xiao slowly put on a bone thumb ring on his right thumb and said calmly, "You attacked without warning, ambushing me. Isn't that shameful?"

Li Jiao had already drawn the bow, aiming at the distant target, and was about to shoot. Suddenly hearing this, he was momentarily stunned. Strictly speaking, he had indeed attacked without warning today. Normally, a challenge would never force the opponent to accept it on the spot; it would be agreed upon in terms of time and place, usually decided by the challenged party.

Why did he challenge on the spot today? Li Jiao was momentarily confused.

The difference between a bow and a crossbow is that a bow cannot be held for long after being drawn; it must be fired immediately, especially for those using a strong bow. Holding the bow for a long time not only consumes physical strength but also affects the bow's power. The moment the bow is fully drawn, its power is at its strongest. If one can quickly draw the bow to full strength, the elasticity of the bow can increase the range, known as "quickly drawing the bow, lightly releasing the arrow."

Li Jiao was about to release the arrow when Liang Xiao's words distracted him, missing the moment to fully draw the bow. Normally, he should have relaxed the bowstring and started over to ensure the continuity and completeness of the action. However, with so many people watching, and it being his first shot, if he did so, it would be seen as a sign of weakness, even giving the impression that he dared not shoot the first arrow.

Li Jiao's face turned purple with anger. He glared at Liang Xiao, took a deep breath, and forcefully drew the bow to full strength, releasing the string.

"Buzz!" The arrow flew off the string.

As soon as the arrow was released, Li Jiao had a bad feeling. This shot was too forced, lacking sufficient power. It would not even reach the target, let alone the hundred steps. Sure enough, the arrow lost its momentum after flying about eighty steps, slowing down. At that moment, a gentle breeze blew, causing the arrow to spin and land on the ground, still several steps away from the target.

"Ah—" The crowd was in an uproar, the exclamations like slaps, hitting Li Jiao's face and making it burn.

Li Gan, who was supporting Li Jiao, also stiffened. For Li Jiao, missing the first shot was an unprecedented situation. He should have consulted the auspiciousness before leaving home today.

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