Volume 1, Chapter 51: Young Master Li's Heart Stirs, Generous Words Spill Forth

Li Shandong was also distracted by Wang Ruxin's remark and looked toward the main hall. His position was rather off to the side and not directly facing the hall entrance, so he could not see the scene inside. Knowing the story of the Feast at Hong Gate, he could not help thinking to himself, "With two people dancing, are they trying to stage a Feast at Hong Gate?"

Most of the people in the courtyard had also heard Wang Ruxin's words. Those who had been cheering and drinking all fell silent and turned their gazes toward the interior of the hall.

The faint, rustling sound of the drizzle could once again be heard.

Li Mi, Wang Bodang, and the others turned around. Before Li Mi could reply, Wang Bodang's loud voice rang out.

Wang Ruxin said, "Brother Bodang, I was speaking with Duke Pushan, not with you."

Wang Bodang smiled and said, "Brother Ruxin, your surname is Wang, and my surname is Wang. Two 'Wang' characters cannot be written with a single stroke of the pen. For me to accompany you in a dance, there is a fitting term for it, which is called 'Twin Wangs Sword Dance'. The two of us, both surnamed Wang, performing a dance as a tribute for Duke Zhai, Duke Pushan, and the rest of the gentlemen to watch—wouldn't that also be a joyous occasion?"

Yang Defang, Zheng Detao, and the others hurriedly forced smiles and chimed in to support Wang Bodang, all saying, "True, true, a most joyous occasion!"

Cai Jiande and a few other personal guards of Li Mi stationed on the veranda stepped forward a few paces and crowded close to Li Mi, some standing straight with their hands on their knife hilts, others craning their necks to look into the hall. Seeing this, Zhai Rang's guards who remained on the veranda also stepped forward one after another, reaching the vicinity of the hall entrance.

No matter how dense the people in the courtyard were, by this point they vaguely sensed that something was amiss. Some immediately grew tense and reached for the swords hanging at their sides; others stood up; while those with poorer adaptability looked around blankly, not knowing what to do.

Li Shandong secretly cursed, "Oh shit!" Thinking to himself, "Damn it, surely my arrival isn't going to cause the internal bloodshed to happen ahead of time, is it?"

Li Mi had only just joined the faction, and they still depended on him to drive the development of Wagang forward. At a juncture like this, an internal armed conflict must be avoided at all costs.

His mind raced as he desperately wanted to ease the tension, but given his low status, it was not his place to speak. Just as he was growing anxious, Xu Shiji's voice rang out.

They heard Xu Shiji laughing aloud and saying, "Brother Ruxin, Brother Bodang, please forgive your younger brother's bluntness, but I must say a few words to you two virtuous brothers. If you wanted a sword dance, why not dance earlier? Right now, all of us brothers have already drunk quite a bit of wine. To say nothing of a sword dance, even just walking—to tell the truth, younger brother here is already swaying and can barely walk straight! No matter how good the wine capacity of you two virtuous brothers is, I doubt it exceeds mine by much. How could you possibly still perform a sword dance?

"...Duke Zhai, we all know that Brother Ruxin is an expert at the sword dance; although we have yet to witness Brother Bodang's sword dance, we can presume it is executed exceptionally well. As Brother Bodang said, 'Twin Wangs Sword Dance, presented to the gentlemen', it is indeed a joyous occasion, but let's let it go for tonight. How about another day, when we invite Brother Ruxin and Brother Bodang to dance opposite each other, and Duke Zhai, Duke Pushan, and all the other senior brothers can watch and enjoy it then?"

Shan Xiongxin had discarded his pike, returned to the hall, and chimed in, "Big Brother is right. We've all had too much to drink; what sword dance are we talking about? Ruxin, if you want to dance with swords, do it another day!"

Wang Ruxin said, "My request to dance opposite Duke Pushan is not merely to liven up the drinking mood for the virtuous brothers here; I am also doing this out of consideration for Duke Pushan."

Shan Xiongxin asked with a hearty laugh, "Ruxin, tell us, how is this also showing consideration for Duke Pushan?"

Wang Ruxin's words came out of the hall loud and clear, and everyone in the courtyard heard them distinctly. He said, "We are all rough men of the rivers and lakes, different from those officials in the yamen. Those officials in the yamen only need to put on airs and shout back and forth to get by. What kind of place is our stronghold? We make our living by licking blood off the blade's edge and seizing tributes! It's not something that can be accomplished just by wagging tongues and putting up a front. While I have long admired Duke Pushan's great reputation, now that he has entered our stronghold, if he doesn't display a couple of genuine skills, I fear the lads in the stronghold won't be convinced."

Shan Xiongxin stroked his beard and laughed, "Ruxin, what kind of talk is that! Duke Pushan joining us was something Duke Zhai personally agreed to. Which of the lads in the stronghold would dare be unconvinced?" Carried away by his drunken state, he turned back toward the courtyard and shouted loudly, "Is there anyone here who is unconvinced?"

His question sounded as though he were refuting Wang Ruxin, but if one savored the underlying meaning, it was actually sabotaging Li Mi.

The saying "good intentions lead to bad results" probably referred precisely to this sort of situation.

Fortunately, before Wang Ruxin could seize upon Shan Xiongxin's words and make a big issue out of them, Fang Yanzao spoke up in a timely manner. He offered a cupped-fist salute to Zhai Rang, who occupied the main seat in the hall, and respectfully said, "My Lord, a gentleman establishes his character through virtue, not through valor. Although our stronghold is situated in the wilderness, we place the utmost importance on righteousness, and righteousness is also a form of virtue. However, among the Six Arts of a gentleman, there are also archery and charioteering. What Brother Maogong said is entirely correct. Now, being after wine, if we were to engage in a sword dance without measuring our force, I fear it might harm the harmony. If Brother Ruxin insists on it, in my humble opinion, why not replace it with archery instead?"

Xu Shiji laughed and said, "Brother Fang, perhaps you do not yet know this, but when it comes to archery, if Duke Zhai claims second place in our stronghold, no one would dare claim first."

Zhai Rang's voice finally rang out. Li Shandong and the people in the courtyard heard him say, "There are quite a few brothers in the stronghold who are skilled at archery; how would I dare claim first place? Very well, since Duke Pushan is joining us today and everyone is in high spirits, let us set up an archery target, and I shall shoot a few rounds to liven up the drinking atmosphere for the brothers!"

Xu Shiji, Shan Xiongxin, Jia Xiong, Huang Junhan, and others in the hall, along with the leaders in the courtyard, shouted their approval in unison.

The banquet tables in the courtyard were immediately moved aside, and an archery target was erected fifty paces away.

Other attendants brought forward bows and arrows.

Li Mi, Wang Bodang, Fang Yanzao, and the others, who had been standing at the doorway without entering, split to the sides. Surrounded by Xu Shiji, Jia Xiong, and others, Zhai Rang, attired in a crimson robe, walked to the hall entrance, put on his shoes, slid the thumb ring onto his thumb, and picked up a carved bow. The leaders in the courtyard had long since cleared a path. Under the flickering firelight, Zhai Rang briefly glanced at the target fifty paces away, nocked an arrow to the bow, drew the string to its full length, took a breath and released it, and the arrow shot forth like a shooting star!

The bow was a powerful one, and the arrow traveled with extreme swiftness. The onlookers' eyes simply could not keep track of it. With a single thud, they hurriedly looked toward the target and saw that the arrow had struck dead center in the bullseye.

Xu Shiji and the other leaders in the courtyard cheered in unison.

Li Mi praised, "Duke Zhai's archery is truly superb!"

Zhai Rang took two more arrows in hand, nocked them together onto the bow, drew the string back once more, and amidst an exhaled breath, the two arrows shot forth with immense force one after the other.

Both struck the target as well!

The three arrows were clustered tightly together. Not only were the latter two arrows touching, but even the very first arrow fired still had its feathers gently vibrating at that moment.

A thunderous roar of cheers erupted, deafening to the ear.

Li Mi clapped his hands in praise, "You are truly a divine archer, My Lord!"

Wang Ruxin had also reached the outside of the hall. Seeing that Zhai Rang had hit the target with all three arrows—especially the last two, which were fired in rapid succession like linked pearls—he beamed with elation and cast a sideways glance at Li Mi.

At the doorway, on the veranda, and in the courtyard, dozens of stronghold leaders, along with guards and attendants totaling no less than one or two hundred people, all fixed their gazes upon Li Mi.

Li Mi took the bow, unhooked the jade thumb ring hanging from his jade-adorned belt, slipped it onto his thumb, and walked slowly to the firing position facing the target. He picked up a single arrow and waited for the minor bandit underling to pull out the three arrows Zhai Rang had shot. With unhurried composure, he nocked the arrow and drew the bow. The arrow sped forth like electricity, and the first arrow was already loosed! Before the leaders in the courtyard could react, the second and third arrows were fired in rapid succession. Upon inspection, everyone saw that all three arrows had hit the target as well!

Dozens of leaders in the courtyard, including Li Shandong, instinctively looked toward Zhai Rang, Xu Shiji, Jia Xiong, and the others.

Li Shandong clearly perceived that Wang Ruxin's expression changed instantly, while Fang Yanzao, Wang Bodang, and others all wore smiles.

Zhai Rang gazed deeply at the three arrows that had also hit the bullseye, turned to Li Mi, clapped his hands, and laughed, "You hit the bullseye every single time! Excellent archery!"

Only then did the leaders in the courtyard burst into cheers.

Li Mi returned the bow to Zhai Rang's attendant and said with modest humility, "Compared to your divine linked-pearl archery, I am far inferior."

Was it that Li Mi did not know how to shoot linked-pearl arrows? Li Shandong was not the only one to harbor this doubt, but nor was he the only one to quickly answer it for himself: most likely, that was not necessarily the case! Perhaps, so as not to overshadow Zhai Rang's glory, Li Mi had deliberately feigned inferiority.

Yet this Wang Ruxin, after all of humble origins, had never previously crossed paths with Guanzhong aristocratic scions like Li Mi. Consequently, he did not know that Guanzhong aristocrats such as Li Mi's family were inherently a military-merit nobility. The turbulent eras prior to the Sui dynasty had lasted for centuries, and how many years had passed since the founding of the Sui dynasty until now? Not only did the martial tradition of these families persist, but it remained intensely vibrant. For scions of the Guanzhong aristocracy like Li Mi, archery and horsemanship were hereditary skills. To say nothing of stationary shooting, Li Mi was also quite proficient in mounted archery.

Wang Ruxin's move amounted to a blunder; intending to belittle Li Mi, he instead ended up giving Li Mi an opportunity to shine and steal the spotlight.

At this very moment, there is no need to elaborate on how furious Wang Ruxin was.

Seeing that the situation had calmed down, Jia Xiong smiled and said, "My Lord possesses divine archery, and Duke Pushan has also hit the target three times out of three. The Yang Youji of ancient times or the Zhang Sunsheng of the present day could do no better than this. Maogong, Xiongxin, are these six arrows not worth six cups of wine from us?"

Shan Xiongxin waved his large hand and laughed boldly, "Six cups are not enough! Duke Zhai, Duke Pushan, please return to your seats in the hall. To honor these six arrows shot by the two dukes, I shall drink six cups by myself!"

With Zhai Rang leading the way, followed by Li Mi, and accompanied by Xu Shiji, Jia Xiong, Wang Bodang, Fang Yanzao, and others, the company re-entered the hall.

Before long, Shan Xiongxin's toast-proposing voice, along with the voices of Zhai Rang, Li Mi, and others, drifted out from the hall, signaling that the banquet inside had resumed.

Cai Jiande and the other guards on the veranda all stepped back and returned to their original posts.

The drizzle lightly tapped against the rain canopy, the target was removed, and the banquet in the courtyard resumed as well.

The banquet lasted until the third watch before breaking up amidst merriment.

Li Shandong was half-drunk. With the night rain continuing unabated and having no desire to return to Phoenix Island, he headed back to stay in that mountain valley.

Upon reaching the valley, Gao Chounu brought a basin of clean water and was just about to serve him for washing when Li Shandong suddenly slapped his thigh.

Gao Chounu jumped in fright, nearly dropping the basin, and asked in a panic, "My Lord, are you about to vomit?"

"Beyond my expectations, I never imagined this Li Mi would actually be a divine archer. Chounu, after watching him shoot tonight, do you know what I was thinking?"

Gao Chounu asked, "What was my Lord thinking?"

Li Shandong looked up at the night sky and sighed deeply, "Among those who manage to leave their names in history, which one is not an outstanding hero?... Help me up!"

With Gao Chounu supporting him, he pressed his knees and stood up. Pacing back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back in the rain before the thatched cottage, he said, "Mortals are bound to die, but the three immortal pursuits are virtue, achievements, and words. I too am a stalwart man. Having entered a chaotic era and witnessed and experienced the outstanding heroes of an era firsthand, even if I am inferior at present, how can I willingly resign myself to lagging behind and ultimately end up casting my white bones into the yellow earth?"

He turned around, placed his hands on his hips, raised his head, and breathing out the scent of alcohol, asked Gao Chounu, "Chounu, do you think I can also leave my name in history in the future? To be respected and admired by future generations?"

A gentle breeze blew. Under the hazy moonlight, in the quiet valley, the leaves and branches of the peach trees swayed in the wind, and petals danced away with the rain.

This question was driven by the alcohol, yet it was also a heartfelt, magnanimous utterance inspired and provoked by Li Mi's mastery of both literary and martial arts.