Chapter Ninety: Mastery of Horseback Archery

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A magnificent steed with a golden-yellow coat, its mane curled like fine strands of gold, stood tall and proud. Jun Ruocheng’s expression remained calm; the setback from the day before seemed to have left no trace upon him.

Lu Liao Liao rode atop his black horse, Cloud Over Snow, patrolling ahead of the suitors competing in the mounted archery contest, like a proud general inspecting his troops. From afar, he spotted Jun Ruocheng, aloof and solitary, standing apart from the crowd, his horse equally dignified.

Cloud Over Snow surged forward swiftly, circling Jun Ruocheng, scrutinizing the splendid yellow horse with a sly gaze. Nodding with approval, Lu Liao Liao smiled warmly at Jun Ruocheng.

“Hmm, could this be the famed Golden Piebald Stallion? Quite impressive. What do you think of my Cloud Over Snow? Perhaps we should pair them up.”

Cloud Over Snow lifted a foreleg, rearing proudly and neighing loudly—just like his owner, full of pride and showmanship. The Golden Piebald remained unmoved, standing steadily, exuding the same confident composure as its master.

“My Golden Piebald is a stallion,” Jun Ruocheng said, suppressing a sudden flare of irritation, his face darkening.

Lu Liao Liao sighed, patting Cloud Over Snow’s neck affectionately. “It’s rare to find a horse worthy of your match. Such a shame it’s a stallion—that’s tough luck for you.”

“Brother Lu, you really are something—both man and horse are quite the charmers,” Jun Ruocheng teased, unable to hold back.

“A young man without charm is a wasted youth. Jun Ruocheng, you’re still young, not yet fully grown. You hide a sword eager to be drawn, yet you pretend to be mature beyond your years. Doesn’t that feel suffocating, tiring, exhausting?”

Lu Liao Liao shook his head at Jun Ruocheng’s serious demeanor.

“Youth should be gentle, modest, and humble, gracious and restrained. If everyone were as bold and unrestrained as you, Brother Lu, with sharp edges exposed, wouldn’t the world fall into chaos?”

Jun Ruocheng scoffed, turning his face away coldly.

“Life’s pleasures must be savored to the fullest; don’t let the golden cup face the moon empty. When flowers bloom, seize the moment—don’t wait till the branches are bare. Our youth should not waste these precious years but forge ahead boldly. I once thought you’d be my worthy rival, but I was mistaken.”

Lu Liao Liao shook his head with a grin and spurred his horse away lightly.

“What nonsense! You don’t see me as your rival yet,” Jun Ruocheng muttered, shaking his head at the phrase “seize the bloom before the petals fall.”

Wealth does indeed speak volumes. For this mounted archery contest, the Wang family had painstakingly constructed a simple racing track circling their estate. At the finish line, a spacious field held several archery targets, and a viewing platform with crowds packed on both sides awaited the competition.

Lu Liao Liao, hearing cheers from afar, leaned down to pat Cloud Over Snow’s head.

“Da Hei, you’ve gotten lazy and fat since arriving in Chang’an. If you don’t run your hardest this time and I don’t take first place, I’ll put you in a stable alone, away from those two pretty mares.”

Cloud Over Snow, ears drooping, suddenly perked up sharply, rearing and neighing loudly, unsettling the surrounding horses.

Another thunderous cheer erupted. Jun Ruocheng’s group had just passed by—could it be that his performance was excellent again? Lu Liao Liao pondered, stroking his chin.

“Damn it! Why must our group always be last? There’s definitely something fishy. Look at us—none from prominent families, just ordinary folk.”

A rough-looking young man spat on the ground in displeasure.

“Heroes always enter last to make a grand entrance. Brother, you look vigorous and dignified—I have high hopes for you,” Lu Liao Liao said with a smile, admiring the rough young man.

“Really? Haha, so that’s the trick. You talk well. Stick close behind me, and when I take the crowd’s cheers, you’ll bask in the glory too.”

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The rough young man scratched his head, grinning foolishly, clearly pleased. Lu Liao Liao smiled silently, nodding repeatedly.

He slung the longbow procured from Pei Wuniang across his back, quiver at his waist. At the signal, Cloud Over Snow surged forward, leaping ahead of the others in a blur, quickly leaving them behind.

After a long time without such a full gallop, Cloud Over Snow raced along the track like the wind, a black shadow barely visible to the eye.

The crowd at the finish line saw a black steed dash into the arena like a startled phoenix, but the rider was nowhere to be seen. Had the poor fellow been thrown off?

With a “whoosh,” an arrow flew from beneath the black horse, striking dead center on the target, the feathers trembling.

The horse’s speed didn’t falter. Like a nimble monkey, Lu Liao Liao vaulted from the side of the horse, stood proudly atop the saddle, and swiftly released another arrow—another perfect bullseye.

Pulling the reins, Cloud Over Snow nearly reared upright. Lu Liao Liao nocked seven arrows in rapid succession, releasing them one after another, each striking the bullseye, forming a perfect circle.

Raising his bow, he looked around triumphantly, awaiting the thunderous applause.

But the crowd remained as still as a dead pond—no cheers, no excitement. Their gazes fixed on Lu Liao Liao as if he were a monster or an alien.

After waiting in vain, chills ran down his spine from their cold stares. Disappointed and embarrassed, he dismounted and led Cloud Over Snow quietly toward his friends.

“Sigh,” Lu Liao Liao sighed, looking pitifully at Gu Xihua. “Could those ahead of me be far better at mounted archery?”

Gu Xihua shook her head slowly. “No, your skills surpass all the others by far.”

“Huh?” Lu Liao Liao looked dissatisfied. “Then why no cheers after I performed?”

“Because you’re too arrogant and cocky, making everyone dislike you. Most of the spectators come from noble and powerful families. They value modesty and reserve, which fits their status and heritage. Naturally, they can’t stand a brash upstart like you,” Gu Xihua said bluntly.

“Bah! They all rely on ancestral prestige to act high and mighty, but what real abilities do they have? I don’t like them either. They’re just jealous of me, that’s why they act this way.”

Lu Liao Liao was visibly upset, unwilling to accept it.

“Yes! You, Lu Liao Liao, shine too brightly—people dare not look you in the eye,” Gu Xihua smiled, amused.

“A tall tree gets cut down by the wind. Seems I’m just too outstanding. But why don’t you guys applaud me?”

Lu Liao Liao nodded earnestly, then suddenly turned, glaring angrily at his friends.

“With your skills, isn’t such a result natural? What’s the big deal?” Hu Laoda looked surprised, silently slapping his horse’s flank, making Lu Liao Liao’s spirits soar.

“Cough cough,” Zhou Liuzi coughed twice, turning his head away.

Pei Wuniang looked disdainfully at Lu Liao Liao. “Bah! With your archery skills, you expect my applause? Dream on. You hide in the stirrups and show off standing on your horse because you haven’t mastered the Nine-Star Constellation Arrow—you can only hit seven arrows at once, so you try to cover it up.”

Lu Liao Liao hadn’t expected the usually dim-witted Pei Wuniang to see through his plan, his face reddening.

“Hmph! In six months, I’ll shoot seven arrows in one shot. What then?”

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At that moment, the rough young man shot nine arrows, all striking the bullseye. Proudly, he looked around, ready to receive the crowd’s cheers.

But there was no applause, hardly anyone even glanced at him.

Feeling a chill, confused, he suddenly spotted Lu Liao Liao, who had left them far behind on horseback, like a lifesaving straw.

“Brother, what’s going on here? Why no cheers for my perfect shots?” the young man approached Lu Liao Liao anxiously.

“Sigh,” Lu Liao Liao sighed, pointing toward the richly dressed crowd on the platform, then at himself and the young man. “Look at who they are—and who we are. No matter how skilled your archery, how can you capture their attention and praise?”

The young man, Chen Lizhen, cast an angry glance at the high platform, frustrated. “I am but a warrior. I don’t expect to marry the God of Wealth’s daughter. I only wished to display my mounted archery skills and gain a chance at recommendation. But look—those nobles don’t even glance at me. Does the Tang Dynasty no longer need warriors like us?”

“Warriors are the backbone of our Tang—they should hold their heads high and look proudly at the world. If you won’t let your skills go to waste, you should join the frontier garrisons. Chang’an is a place for nobles to indulge and lose themselves. Even if you gain favor, you’ll at most become a bodyguard, a thug—not much better than a dog,” Lu Liao Liao said, shaking his head. Chen Lizhen was brave and somewhat clever, but he had come to the wrong place.

“Join the army? Without connections, even with skills, it’s hard to rise. Forget it—let’s see who wins the mounted archery first. Maybe I’ll just go back to farming,” Chen Lizhen said, disheartened, staring at the platform.

Soon, a dignified, vigorous middle-aged man stood at the center of the platform and announced, “Lu Liao Liao wins first place in mounted archery.”

With that, the general-like man quickly stepped back and ended the ceremony.

“Lu Liao Liao first? Who’s Lu Liao Liao? That name sounds insignificant. How can he be first?” Chen Lizhen stomped his foot, unhappy.

“That’s me,” Lu Liao Liao said, standing before Chen Lizhen and pointing to himself.

“Hmph!” Chen Lizhen snorted coldly. “Your horse is swift; I can’t outrun you, I admit. But first in archery? I don’t accept that. If you’re capable, compete with me.”

Lu Liao Liao grabbed Li Sheng from behind Pei Wuniang. “This guy joined the army at eighteen and once shot down a boastful Tibetan general with one arrow. If your archery beats his, come find me for a match.”

Chen Lizhen looked doubtful, scrutinizing the strong, imposing Li Sheng.

“Not satisfied? Then come and try your luck. Loser is a loser.” Though Li Sheng’s archery wasn’t better than Pei Wuniang’s or Lu Liao Liao’s, he looked down on everyone else.

“Bring it on! I’m not scared!” Chen Lizhen was confident in his skill and followed Li Sheng away to compete.

The last contest was the carriage driving. Though chariots had long been obsolete, the skill remained one of the six arts every gentleman should master.

A Wang family servant tried to place a harness over Cloud Over Snow. The horse neighed repeatedly, head held high, refusing to wear the harness.

“My mount is just like me—born to never have a collar put on its neck. I forfeit the carriage competition,” Lu Liao Liao said, stepping forward to stop the servant and gently resting his head against Cloud Over Snow’s neck.