Chapter 10: The Contest of Archery

The descendants of the ancestral home quickly brought forth a lacquered white bow, adorned at both ends of the bow body with carvings resembling animal feathers

How could this young man possess such grandeur? He couldn't help but murmur to himself.

Zu Zhao glanced at the withered tree ahead and then observed the current wind direction

Zhang Yuan followed the northwest wind, approaching the crooked-neck tree head-on. After getting within a hundred paces, his steed slowed down, and he took the reins in his mouth, freeing his hands to draw the bowstring. Since this was a contest, the first arrow was crucial. He held his breath, focused, and aimed. When he advanced to about seventy paces, he suddenly released the bowstring. With a "whoosh," the first arrow shot forth like a thunderbolt, striking the upper half of the wine gourd.

Zu Zhao similarly chose to advance in the direction of the wind. However, when he was just a hundred steps away, he quickly released the reins, aimed almost not at all, and drew his bow to shoot the first arrow. This arrow had no curve, flying straight towards the wine gourd. Yet, this arrow also held no suspense, as it did not even graze the edge of the wine gourd, but instead pierced directly into the trunk of a crooked-necked tree behind it.

Several descendants of the ancestral family sighed softly, bowing their heads and shaking them in disapproval

Zu Zhao squinted his eyes and fixed his gaze on Zhang Yuan. Since Zhang Yuan had brought up the comparison with archery and chose to hang a wine gourd from the treetop, it was evident that the other party must possess considerable skill in this regard. He truly wanted to witness the abilities of this leader of the wandering heroes from Anyang Pavilion.

In the distance, the crowd of onlookers grew larger, with many people whispering among themselves. In their view, it was evident that this was clearly superior to the archery techniques of the renowned Zhang Yuan.

Zu Zhao and Zhang Yuan's groups left the West River Bridge and headed towards the northwestern countryside

Zhang Yuan ran around the crooked-neck tree and returned to his starting position. He looked at Zu Zhao with pride, not saying much frivolous, but simply pointed at the crooked-neck tree with his antler bow and said: "It's your turn"

Zuzhao Dao: "There is a hierarchy of age, with the elder brother taking precedence."

A group of people rode slowly for two or three miles, and ahead lay an expanse of barren wilderness, dotted with a few desiccated and lifeless solitary trees

Zhang Yuan ignored Zu Zhao and once again rushed towards the crooked-neck tree with the deer antler bow. This time, he approached within sixty steps, did not take much time to aim, and raised his bow to shoot an arrow at the wine gourd. This arrow was slightly weaker than the first; although it still hit the wine gourd in the end, it was much more off-target than the first arrow. Just as he was riding back, the second arrow unexpectedly could not withstand the wind's sway and fell down dismally.

Zhang Yuan, who was standing to the side, initially intended to step forward and tease Zu Zhao a bit. However, upon seeing Zu Zhao's calm demeanor, he suddenly felt a surge of strange thoughts. At Zu Zhao's age, he had always been competitive, especially since the current contest was instigated by him repeatedly. Anyone with a bit of youthful vigor would typically act impulsively, yet the opponent appeared remarkably composed for his age at that moment. Reflecting on the swift draw and release of the bow earlier only deepened the mystery surrounding him. At Zu Zhao's age, he had always been competitive, especially since the current contest was instigated by him repeatedly. Anyone with a bit of youthful vigor would typically act impulsively, yet the opponent appeared remarkably composed for his age at that moment. Reflecting on the swift draw and release of the bow earlier only deepened the mystery surrounding him.

Unfortunately, just a few days ago, he was adjusting the size of the saddle and stirrups, and the mount provided today does not come equipped with this set of gear, leaving him with no advantages whatsoever; he can only rely on his accumulated basic skills to compete. In this regard, Zhang Yuan truly holds a slight advantage.

The people coming and going at the Xihe Bridge had long been startled by the commotion caused by Zu Zhao, Zhang Yuan, and others. Even though the ordinary common folk generally kept to themselves and were reluctant to stir up trouble, there were still those who mistakenly believed that something significant was about to happen. Especially upon recognizing the Zhang brothers, Zhang Yuan and Zhang Yu, and knowing that they were wanderers, it was concluded that a storm of bloodshed was imminent. With a sense of curiosity, these individuals followed at a distance, pointing and discussing various speculations.

Upon witnessing this scene, the wanderers immediately erupted in a chorus of boos. The members of the ancestral family exchanged glances in small groups, completely unable to comprehend what had happened to the eldest son, as it was unlikely for him to miss his target twice in a row. Zhang Yuan still harbored some doubts in his heart, but he couldn't help but let out a cold laugh; regardless, the fact that he had missed the target twice was undeniable, and the outcome was already determined.

At this moment, one of the descendants of the ancestral family rode up to Zuzhao and inquired, "Eldest Young Master, which bow shall we use today?"

Zhang Yuan took all the arrows out of the quiver, leaving only three arrows. He held the bow and turned to Zuzhao, asking, "Who will come first?"

It was Zuzhao's turn. He remained calm and composed, fiercely drawing his bow and striking the horse's flank, accelerating forward. He still raised his bow for a rapid shot when he was just within a hundred paces, releasing the arrow with incredible speed, a mere shadow flashing by. Unfortunately, this arrow also failed to hit the wine gourd, instead nailing itself to the trunk right next to the first arrow.

"Young Master, while it is indeed a comparison of archery skills, merely following the rules to shoot at a straw target is evidently dull. I have never seen an enemy foolish enough to remain stationary while you shoot arrows at them. Let us engage in a more practical contest," he said with a confident demeanor, as he spoke to Zuo Zhao and unfastened the wine gourd hanging from the side of his horse. "Tie this wine gourd to that crooked tree ahead. We will each shoot three arrows, and whoever hits more wins. What do you say?"

Zhang Yu is the younger brother of Zhang Yuan, and there is an age difference of about four to five years between the two. However, Zhang Yu exhibits even more of a rogue demeanor than his elder brother. After taking the wine gourd, he tugged at the reins and kicked the horse's belly, heading towards a withered tree approximately two hundred steps ahead. Upon reaching the tree, he did not wait for his mount to come to a stop, but instead leaped down effortlessly to the ground. He then climbed up the trunk to about halfway, securing the wine gourd to a branch that extended outward.

Very good. Zhang Yuan smiled lightly, turned around, and tossed the wine gourd to Zhang Yu, who was not far away.

The young heroes immediately followed with a loud commotion, occasionally throwing provocative remarks at the group of descendants from prominent families.

Zhu Zhao returned on horseback. Although the arrow missed its target, his expression remained remarkably calm, displaying an almost unfathomable tranquility. Several members of the Zhu family quickly gathered around; some hurried to take the bow from the eldest son's hands, while others attempted to change the subject to offer comfort, believing that a single misfire was not a significant issue. However, many others appeared dejected, bowing their heads and sighing.

Zhang Yuanleng smiled and said no more unnecessary words. With one hand gripping the reins and the other twisting the deer horn bow, he charged towards the crooked-neck tree. Zhang Yu and the group of wandering heroes immediately cheered and raised their bows and swords, lending their support with great enthusiasm. This prompted many onlookers behind to stretch their necks in curiosity.

Zhang Yuan tightened the reins and glanced back, only to see that about thirty to forty curious onlookers from the nearby countryside had gathered three hundred paces behind him, most of whom had come for a bit of novelty during the midday farming break. There were young men carrying farming tools, old men with bundles, women balancing baskets and jars, and even a few children. Upon witnessing this scene, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, hoping to make a good impression.

With the quiver properly adjusted, Zu Zhao took a slow breath and urged his horse towards the crooked tree. The other members of the Zu family also began to shout loudly, and due to their large numbers, their momentum was even more overwhelming than that of Zhang Yuan and his companions. The onlookers in the distance, seeing this, could not help but take a few steps forward.

Zu Zhao's expression was calm as he politely inclined his body towards Zhang Yuan, and then said to the previous member of the Zu family: "Fetch the winged bow"

The once eager and enthusiastic descendants of the ancestral home suddenly felt as if they had fallen into an icy abyss. Zhang Yuan, Zhang Yu, and other wandering knights burst into unrestrained laughter. Zu Ji, holding back his anger, turned crimson, glaring at Zhang Yuan with gritted teeth.

The wine gourd shook violently, and the feathered arrow embedded in its body resembled the proud tail feathers of an arrogant rooster

What my elder brother said is indeed very reasonable, so I shall follow his words. Although it is quite challenging, Zu Zhao has no room for retreat. Fortunately, he has been diligent and serious in his training, and he still has a certain level of confidence in his fundamental skills

A ranger rode up to Zhang Yuan and handed him a deer antler bow and a quiver. Zhang Yuan took the bow, tested the string, and then made careful adjustments until the string felt just right.

There is still a small amount of liquor in the wine gourd, yet it cannot withstand the push of the strong winds across the plain

The wanderers were initially taken aback, but soon joined in the exuberant cheer.

This wing bow is a commonly used bow for Zu Zhaoping's daily practice of archery. The bowstring has a draw weight of approximately 8 sheng, making it a typical medium-sized bow. For him, since he is not equipped with a saddle or stirrups today, using the most familiar bow allows him to perform at his best.

Nevertheless, Zhang Yu still shouted at the top of his lungs: "Elder brother, your archery skills are impressive!"

It is indeed the season of chilly autumn winds, with the northwestern cold wind having blown continuously for several days. Although the wind today is not particularly strong, it is quite capricious, shifting from west to north, varying in intensity, making it truly difficult to grasp its patterns. The wine gourd hanging from the tree trunk sways unpredictably in the wind, and coupled with the small target, it truly tests one's skill.

Zu Zhao came prepared for this trip, bringing along three different types of bows: light, medium, and heavy. He remained composed and said, "There is no rush"

Zhu Zhao smiled and said: "It is of no concern; if it has not hit, then it has not hit. There is no need for unnecessary excuses"

Zhang Yu was the first to shout loudly: "Good!"

Zu Zhao steadied his mount, looked at Zhang Yuan, and smiled, saying: "Elder brother, it is your turn."

Zhu Ji urgently asked: "Young Master, what is this?"