Chapter 26: The Patron Joins the Competition, Daring to Show Off Before Masters

"I will compete myself."
As soon as Xu Wenshan spoke these words, the expressions of those beneath the cool canopy shifted subtly.
Guo Xin exclaimed, "You? You want to compete with these savages in archery?"
"Savages" was the local term of contempt for hunters. Xu Wenshan merely replied calmly, "I said, as long as someone is from Deer Crane Valley, anyone can participate."
Guo Xin let out a mocking laugh, then shouted to his sons behind him, "Look at that! Young Master Xu is so ambitious. You all ought to learn from him!"
At that moment, his third son, Guo Decai, stepped forward. "Father, I often dabble in archery for fun. Why not let me try as well?"
Guo Xin nodded. "If you wish, go ahead."
Guo Decai, just eighteen, was already tall and robust, a head taller than Xu Wenshan. He strode over and said to Xu Wenshan, "Let me try my hand at the range."
His tone was commanding.
Xu Wenshan replied, "If you merely wish to practice, wait until the competition is over. Pay ten coins for entry and have your fun. If you wish to compete, register now outside for a single coin."
Guo Decai, hearing this, looked as though he'd heard the most ludicrous joke. He glanced back at the crowd and said, "Register? You want me to register?"
Xu Wenshan frowned. "Is there a problem?"
"The authorities are all here. Why bother with this formality?"
Guo Decai spread his hands and strode toward the archery platform.
Thwack!
An arrow buried itself in the ground right at Guo Decai's toes, the shaft still quivering.
Everyone turned to Xu Wenshan, who still held his posture from shooting the arrow, paused, then lowered his hand and spoke slowly:
"On my grounds, we play by my rules. If you refuse to follow them, then I must ask you to leave."
Though his words were delivered with gentle composure, without a hint of threat, the Guo family dared not utter a sound.
They sensed danger in the air.
Guo Decai's face went pale; Xu Wenshan still gripped a handful of arrows. Given his speed in drawing the bow just now, should he wish, Guo Decai would be riddled with arrows before he managed to escape the range.
Guo Decai swallowed hard. "I'll go register."

"I... I'll go register."
Guo Decai obediently left. Xu Wenshan, his face pleasant, turned to Guo Xin. "You are a valued guest at our Xiyuan Range, but during the competition, please refrain from interfering with the proceedings. Arrows know no mercy; beware lest you are struck."
On the final word "struck," his pronunciation was particularly sharp.
Guo Xin's face hardened like iron; under Xu Wenshan's pressure, he could only nod in acquiescence.
...
Li Dazhuang entered the so-called "athletes' rest area;" his father was stopped by the "staff" at the entrance.
In truth, it was merely a slightly larger grass hut, previously used as the "coaches' lounge" when he practiced archery here. A dozen or so archers squatted or sat, some tuning their bows, others chatting among themselves, none paying Li Dazhuang any mind.
Li Dazhuang found a seat, about to sit, when someone beside him slapped him and said, "Move along. This seat is saved for my friend. Go sit somewhere else."
Li Dazhuang shifted his position. Apart from that, there were no other seats, so he stood off to the side.
He glanced at Wu Yi, the outsider he'd met previously, who leaned against a wall, arms folded, ignoring everyone.
Beside Li Dazhuang was another fierce-looking fellow, apparently named Lei Tiger, a newcomer to the village.
Li Dazhuang swallowed nervously.
His competitors were formidable. But, he told himself, don't rush; you know this place well, you've trained hard, you have an advantage.
Just then, someone burst in from outside and shouted, "Did you hear? Young Master Xu himself will compete!"
The hut erupted at these words. Someone yelled, "Rich boys know nothing of archery!" Others cried that there must be cheating involved.
The menacing Lei Tiger stood up and shouted, "What are you making a fuss about? Has anyone clarified it yet? Is Young Master Xu competing with us or apart from us?"
The messenger, cowed by Lei Tiger's presence, spoke meekly, "I saw him bring his bow and arrows... He should be joining us, right?"
Lei Tiger declared, "Then what’s there to be afraid of? He’s competing with us. When we stand on the field, whether he hits or misses will be plain for all to see. If he tries any tricks, don’t we all have arrows in hand?"
Only Lei Tiger dared say this; the others thought, Even if Xu tries tricks, what can you do?
Lei Tiger sat down, grunted, "If he dares to fool us, I dare..."
He left the sentence unfinished, but everyone shivered.
Li Dazhuang spoke up, his voice trembling from the pressure, "What if Young Master Xu shoots straighter than you and wins?"

Hearing Li Dazhuang's words, the hut burst into laughter—even Lei Tiger, whose face had been dark, now chuckled. "A landlord’s son? I’m confident I’ll beat him."
Others were less polite: "If you’re afraid of some rich kid, maybe you shouldn’t be in the competition!"
"Look closely, isn’t this the little brat? You could make a fortune just flattering the rich, why fight with us poor folk for first place?"
"Speaking of Young Master Xu, there’s something you may not know," a hunter suddenly said. "Some time ago, when we were hunting in the mountains, he came over and told us our archery technique was all wrong, and showed us how to hold the arrow."
Someone asked, "And then?"
"And then? Hahaha..." The speaker burst out laughing. "We asked him what right he had to criticize us, told him to show us himself. He shot an arrow—and it flew way off, clear out of sight, hahaha..."
"Hahaha..." The hut resounded with raucous laughter, mocking both Xu Wenshan and the "little brat."
Li Dazhuang endured these jeers in silence.
It seemed no one believed Xu Wenshan could outshoot them.
Only Li Dazhuang knew they were all mistaken—terribly mistaken.
At that moment, two people entered the hut, one of them the very Xu Wenshan they had just been ridiculing.
As soon as he entered, all conversation ceased. After all, he was their patron; appearances demanded respect.
Xu Wenshan surveyed the "athletes" in the hut, then announced:
"Now, I will explain the schedule for today’s competition. I advise you all to listen carefully, as it concerns whether you can win the five thousand coins and the title of 'First Archer.'"
"There are two rounds: the preliminary and the final. There are thirty competitors, but only ten spots at the archery platform, so the first round will be divided into three groups, arranged by lottery. In the first round, each person shoots ten arrows—each bullseye earns a point—then the four highest scorers advance to the semifinals; the rest are eliminated. In the final, each contestant again shoots ten arrows; the highest score wins. If there’s a tie, there will be a shoot-off."
"Understood?"
The hunters, no fools themselves, digested the information and answered with a scattered, "Understood!"
Xu Wenshan continued, "And, as you may have heard, I will join you in the lottery and the competition!"