Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 452 - 426: The Triple Test of Entering the Camp

Chapter 452: Chapter 426: The Triple Test of Entering the Camp

Outside the Lingwu Army camp, Zhang San was approaching the camp gate on horseback.

Before he even got close, a warning call came from ahead.

"Who goes there? Dismount and report!"

Zhang San, seeing the distance, realized it was a full one hundred and twenty paces away. Soldiers were already nocking arrows onto their bows and aiming them toward him.

Is the combat strength of this Lingwu Army so high?

"I am Military Chief Zhang San from the Town Martial Office, sent by Imperial Kaihuang’s decree to serve in the Lingwu Army. I have documents here!"

Zhang San said this as he took out the documents from his Gluttonous Bag and tied them onto an arrow, then snapped off the arrowhead with a hand slice.

The archers in the watchtower of the camp thought Zhang San was going to shoot an arrow into the camp, but seeing the distance, they couldn’t help but find it a bit laughable.

At such a distance, I can shoot you, but can you shoot into the camp from here?

Even so, one had already turned to shout down to the soldiers at the main gate, "This newcomer is going to shoot the documents over. Be ready to go out and pick them up."

Those soldiers below surely needed to go out and retrieve it, each making faces, none wanting to go.

Then came a whooshing sound.

Everyone just felt a gust of wind blow past.

This gust swept through the camp’s main gate, past the central army’s gate, eventually reaching the front of the Central Army’s main tent.

It stopped right below the flagpole of a large banner.

With a thunk, all soldiers standing guard at the entrance to the Central Army tent heard the sound and saw an arrow with no head, shot from who knows where, hitting the flagpole dead center.

Though the large banner with "Changsun" embroidered on it fluttered in the wind, at that moment, everyone felt as though the banner itself shook a few times.

Soon, someone brought the shot document to Changsun Bubai inside the Central Army tent.

Changsun Bubai glanced at the arrow, then set aside the documents with a smile.

"Did those three rascals go to trouble the newcomer?"

The Deputy General beside him was inclined to conceal the truth, but realizing it was futile, he nodded in affirmation.

Changsun Bubai sneered and glanced at the Deputy General, saying, "Send someone to watch, and inform me as soon as there are news."

The Deputy General originally thought his lord, Military Envoy Changsun, would object to the three young masters testing the newcomer sent by the Emperor. But now, it seemed his lord was also curious about the newcomer’s abilities.

By this time, Zhang San had already been invited into the camp.

The soldiers knew that in this army, you might be overlooked for your status and background, but never for your strength.

This newcomer, with just his archery skills, could at least be a Brigade Commander in charge of a hundred under his command, or even serve as a Colonel of a whole battalion!

Therefore, the soldiers who received Zhang San were very friendly.

However, a few who were leading the way, introducing themselves with smiles, noticed someone blocking the path ahead and discreetly excused themselves to leave.

Zhang San looked ahead and saw several soldiers blocking the path, and next to them, a few long tables had been set up with thirty-six candles arranged in a neat row on top of them.

In the distance, there was also an archery target.

Once everything was set up, a young man who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old stepped forward, sizing up Zhang San from head to toe.

"You are Zhang San?"

"You are No Diao’er?"

"My name is Changsun Wudiao! Not No Diao’er! Don’t think I don’t understand the dirty jokes of you adults!"

Zhang San originally thought the other person just seemed childish in demeanor, not expecting them to speak in such a childlike manner as well.

"Then let me hear you say a couple adult dirty jokes."

Changsun Wudiao rolled his eyes for a long time and finally squeezed out the word "kidney deficiency."

Zhang San almost failed to suppress a laugh.

He originally thought the boy had some trick up his sleeve, but it turned out to be nothing more than this.

"What do you mean? Are you looking down on me?"

"No, no, no, as a newcomer to the Lingwu Army, your grandfather Changsun Bubai is the Duzhi Military Envoy here, how could I dare to look down on you? You must have seen it wrong."

Changsun Wudiao felt there was logic to what Zhang San said, so he must have indeed seen it wrong.

"Well, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go pay my respects to Military Envoy Changsun first."

"Hold on!" Changsun Wudiao immediately stopped Zhang San and said, "I heard you came from the Capital and are quite capable. Shall we have a competition?"

Zhang San knew that Changsun Wudiao had stopped him for a reason.

"You mean a candle-blown competition? I might win that! It’s precisely because I boasted so much that I blew all the cattle near Daxing City to death, that’s why Kaihuang sent me to the northern Lingwu Army."

Changsun Wudiao gazed at Zhang San with shock, widened his eyes, and asked, "You can boast that much?"

Zhang San nodded sincerely.

The soldiers nearby didn’t have the heart to tell their young master that he was being played with and to not take it seriously.

"The competition I’m talking about is archery. My name is Changsun Wudiao, named so after the time when my grandfather was on a diplomatic mission to the Tujue, pairing with Khan Muzhen for a hunt, and amazed the Tujue people with a shot that took down two eagles. Ever since then, my grandfather hoped that one day people from Great Sui could hunt on the steppes and leave the Tujue without any eagles. Hence he named me Changsun Wudiao! And I, inheriting my grandfather’s grand aspirations, have been practicing archery since I was a child. Do you dare to compete with me?"

Zhang San originally thought Changsun Bubai liked daughters but had a son instead, hence the name Changsun Wudiao, which probably meant the same as when a family named their daughters Zhao Di ("inviting a brother").

He never imagined that this small name carried such grand aspirations.

"Dare I? But if I lose, there won’t be any punishment, right?"

"Of course not! I’ve been practicing archery since I was young, and I definitely won’t bully you. Our competition is very simple; right here, shoot at that target’s bullseye. Just watch me!"

Changsun Wudiao said, took the bow and arrow from his personal guard’s hand, and without further ado, shot an arrow toward the distant bullseye.

Whoosh.

The arrow hit the bullseye dead center, and along its path, out of thirty-six just-lit candles, thirty-five were snuffed out.

Zhang San knew that the arrow had been shot with such speed that it created wind strong enough to extinguish the candles.

"Don’t say I bullied you, out of thirty-six candles, I’ve even left you one chance."

Zhang San didn’t know if Changsun Wudiao was really giving him some leeway or if his limit was only thirty-five.

However, based on his observations of him, the former seemed more likely.

After all, he didn’t seem to be that crafty.

"Well, let me give it a try then."

Zhang San said and reached out to the personal guard nearby.

The personal guard was taken aback, his eyes widened as he stared at Zhang San, unsure of what he intended to do.

"Our competition must be fair! It wouldn’t be right for your young master to use a poor-quality bow and arrow while I use a good one. That would be bullying!"

The personal guard glanced at Zhang San, feeling that this man was trying to imply that his own young master’s bow and arrows were superior and that his were inadequate, hence asking for his own.

The personal guard turned his head and saw his young master already handing over his longbow, leaving him no choice but to take an arrow from the young master’s quiver and hand it to Zhang San.

Zhang San took the arrow, looked it over, and said to Changsun Wudiao, "Your arrow is too ordinary. Later, I’ll personally make you a few good arrows."

Hearing this, Changsun Wudiao perked up and eagerly asked, "How good?"

"Have you heard of the Exploding Arrow?"

Changsun Wugen shook his head.

"Have you heard of the Freezing Arrow?"

Changsun Wugen kept shaking his head.

"You see, you haven’t even seen what good stuff is. Rest assured, later you bring your original bow and arrows to me, and I’ll modify them for you. Although the cost is a bit dear, modifying a single arrow costs one tael of gold, I’m willing to befriend you. I’ll only charge you the cost of the materials; no labor fees whatsoever."

The personal guard gave Zhang San a sidelong look, thinking to himself: How can this guy be such a hustler, with his talk of freezing and exploding... his arrows probably could summon a gust of wind that shatters the target too, right? Does he really expect our young master to believe that?

"That won’t do! If you consider me a friend, you should charge me the same amount for crafting arrows as you charge others. Being friends, I can’t let you suffer a loss."

Zhang San smiled helplessly and said, "Alright then."

Personal guard: ???

At this moment, the personal guard felt annoyed by Zhang San and then watched Zhang San’s posture as he raised his bow and nocked his arrow.

The stance was quite good; anyone could tell that he was an old hand who had practiced archery for many years.

"Zhang San, you’ve been practicing archery for many years, haven’t you?"

Hearing Changsun Wudiao’s question, Zhang San smiled and said, "Actually, not very long, just one month."

After saying this, Zhang San loosed his arrow.

In an instant, the arrow stirred up a fierce wind as it flew, like a white vortex, shattering not just the newly lit candles, but tearing them apart with the gale.

Even the long table bore the marks etched by the Wind Blade.

Ultimately, the arrow hit the bullseye squarely, but the violent wind surrounding it shattered the entire bullseye.

As the arrow fell to the ground, Changsun Wudiao, standing beside Zhang San, was completely dumbfounded.

He had long practiced archery and had seen many masters, but he had never witnessed anyone as impressive.

"Big Brother Zhang, could you teach me archery when you’re free?"

"That’s easy. Come on, let’s head inside while we talk."

"Here, Big Brother Zhang, let me show you the way."

Changsun Wudiao said and almost pulled Zhang San by the hand to move forward, his face alight with excitement and admiration, his eyes shimmering with adoration.

However, they hadn’t gone far before they were stopped again.

At that moment, a young man appearing to be about the same age as Zhang San blocked his path not far ahead.

"I am Changsun Wugen of the Lingwu Army. I’ve heard you, Zhang San, have some skills, but you’ve come to join the Lingwu Army as a mere common soldier and aim to become my grandfather’s right-hand man? Then first, you must get past me!"

With that, Changsun Wugen gestured to his surroundings and said sternly, "There are many weapons here; pick any you like and fight me. If you win, I’ll acknowledge you!"

Upon finishing, Changsun Wugen looked at Zhang San with a grave expression, even frightening Changsun Wudiao into stepping aside.

He knew, his big brother wasn’t frightening, he was easy to talk to, but his second brother was the most terrifying.

Yet Zhang San merely scoffed and retorted, "What does it matter to me whether you accept me or not?"

Changsun Wugen was taken aback.

Under normal circumstances, after laying out such a challenge, shouldn’t his opponent be filled with righteous indignation and engage in an epic battle with him?

This... this... how is this different from what I expected!?