Chapter 95

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Li Jiao's face turned red, and he shot two more arrows, both of which missed the target. Surprisingly, he failed to hit the target with any of his arrows.

The surroundings fell into a deathly silence. Most people had bet on Li Jiao's victory, and if he lost, they would suffer financial losses. Besides, Liang Xiao was from Jiangdu, making him a foreigner to the people of Chang'an. Li Jiao's family was from Longyou, which was part of Guanzhong, the outskirts of the capital, so the people felt a stronger sense of identity with him. His father was the famous General Li, and naturally, the audience hoped for his victory.

After missing three consecutive arrows, Li Jiao suffered a severe setback at the beginning. Only one arrow remained out of the four in the first round. If he missed again, it would be a disgrace.

No one spoke, afraid of affecting Li Jiao. However, this silence only increased his pressure. His breathing became disordered, and his face turned red. He held the bow and drew the string but hesitated to release it.

Liang Xiao laughed. Li Jiao glared at him fiercely but could not stop him from laughing.

"What are you panicking for!" A voice of reprimand came from the side. The crowd parted, and Li Guang and Li Danghu walked over together. Li Guang's face was calm, but his eyes were stern. He glanced at Liang Xiao and then turned his gaze back to Li Jiao. "It's just a competition. What's there to be nervous about? If you lose, you can win it back. If your mind is scattered, what good are the years of hard training?"

Seeing Li Guang, Li Jiao involuntarily shuddered and dared not even breathe heavily as he listened to Li Guang. Liang Xiao couldn't help but laugh, thinking that the Li family's discipline was quite strict. Li Guang was likely a "wolf father," and while his sons were confident and radiant outside, they were very obedient in front of him.

Strangely, after Li Guang spoke, although Li Jiao's face was still pale, his eyes became determined. He focused on the target, adjusted his breathing, raised the bow, and drew the string, shooting the arrow without hesitation.

It hit the target dead center!

"Hit!" The judge raised his small flag and shouted.

The crowd around him also breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Hearing the judge's shout, Li Jiao exhaled a deep breath, took a step back, and clasped his hands. "Please!" His eyes were fierce, but his manners were impeccable.

Liang Xiao sighed inwardly. The family of archery experts was indeed different, especially in terms of psychological resilience. Just one word from Li Guang, and Li Jiao regained his composure. Having a father like that made a difference; no matter what, the father was like a mountain, strong and unyielding.

Liang Xiao knew he had met a formidable opponent and did not dare to be careless. He adjusted his breathing, focused his mind, closed his eyes, and entered a state of "having the bow in hand but no bow in mind." After more than a year of practice, he was now quite proficient.

The crowd around him closed their mouths in unison. Although they all hoped for Li Jiao's victory, they did not want to win by disturbing Liang Xiao, as that would be an unfair victory. As people of Chang'an, they were not willing to do such a thing. They wanted to win fair and square.

Despite the hundreds of people watching, Liang Xiao heard no noise. He adjusted his mindset, raised the bow, and shot.

Unlike Li Jiao, who paused after each shot, Liang Xiao did not wait for the judge to announce the results. He shot all four arrows in one breath.

The four arrows flew toward the target like a string of pearls, drawing a curve in the air and eliciting a chorus of exclamations from the crowd. Regardless of whether they hit the target, Liang Xiao's speed was impressive.

"Hit! Hit!" The judge looked at the target and shouted twice.

Liang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. Hitting two out of four arrows was a decent performance.

Li Guang was somewhat surprised. "In just a few days, his shooting speed has increased."

Li Danghu responded, "After the Weiyang Langshu, his confidence seems to have grown, and his practice has become even more diligent."

Li Guang turned to Liang Miao, who was standing nearby. "Is that Liang Xiao's mother?"

"Yes."

Li Guang reached out to adjust his cloak and walked up to Liang Miao, bowing. "Madam Li? I am Li Guang from Longyou."

Seeing Li Guang approach, the usually composed Liang Miao felt uneasy, her face turning slightly red as she bowed in return. "I am indeed. I have the honor of meeting General Li."

"Madam Li, you have raised your son well. Liang Xiao has talent and is willing to work hard. He will surely achieve great things in the future."

"Thank you, General Li." Liang Miao's face turned even redder, her eyes brightening as she stared at Li Guang, like a fan seeing a long-admired star, showing a hint of girlish shyness. "I am Liang Miao. Thank you for your kind words, General Li."

Although Li Guang was somewhat surprised, he did not pay much attention. He had experienced such gazes too many times. He politely nodded and turned back to Li Dang, whispering to him. As soon as he left, the light in Liang Miao's eyes quickly faded. She remained silent for a moment, gently biting her lip.

"Rongqing, the wind is strong. I'll go back to the carriage."

Li Rongqing, who was fully focused on the competition, did not notice Liang Miao and responded absentmindedly.

The competition continued. Although Li Jiao was one arrow behind after the first round, he did not panic. In the second round, he performed well, hitting two out of four arrows. Liang Xiao, however, had bad luck, hitting only one out of four arrows, with one arrow passing between the two leather straps holding the target, narrowly missing it.

After two rounds, both had hit three arrows, and the situation became tense again. They were back to the same starting point, and the outcome of the competition would be decided in the final round.

The final round was different from the previous two. Instead of each shooting four arrows, they would take turns shooting one arrow each, which was a greater test of their psychological resilience.

Liang Xiao and Li Jiao each took four arrows. Li Jiao's lips twisted. "This time, you can't show off your four-pearl shot, which is a bit disappointing."

"Not disappointing," Liang Xiao said with a hidden smile. "You saw that I missed one of my shots. Now we're back to the same starting line. If you lose again, you can't blame me."

Li Jiao smiled more confidently. "Don't worry. Even if I lose, I won't blame you. If you have anything else to say, go ahead. I won't let it affect me. Actually, if you're willing to stop using the Li family's name, I can give up the ten gold pieces."

Liang Xiao chuckled. "You saw that I don't care about the ten gold pieces. But that black horse is rare, and I am determined to get it."

Mentioning the black horse, Li Jiao's smile faded. "We'll see if you have the ability."

"I will do my best."

Li Jiao grunted and, without further ado, drew the bow and shot. The arrow flew over a hundred paces but missed the target, falling short by a few feet. Seeing the judge wave the flag, Li Jiao felt some regret. He had been influenced by Liang Xiao and shot the arrow too hastily.

"Thank you for the opportunity!" Liang Xiao laughed.

"Thank you," Li Jiao said through gritted teeth, "I gave you the chance, but it's up to you to seize it."

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