Chapter Fifteen: Unfairness

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“I... I thought you were quite familiar with military strategy as well. I assumed you had also practiced martial arts and horseback archery since childhood. I never imagined...” I watched Ma Wencai staring blankly into the distance, apparently unsure whether to leave or come over.

“You never imagined I was merely a frail scholar, a useless weakling, did you? I told you long ago that I could never live up to Young Master Ma’s admiration.”

That slap had truly hurt. It felt as though all my internal organs had been twisted together. I had better go and ask Wang Lan to examine me, lest I end up like Liang Shanbo, left with a chronic illness and dead from neglect.

Pressing a hand against my back, I walked toward the door. Unexpectedly, Ma Wencai came over and supported me. His way of helping someone was terribly awkward; perhaps this pampered young master had never held anyone up before. I pushed him away.

“I can walk by myself. I’m not so useless that I’ve reached that point.”

Ma Wencai released me. “That wasn’t what I meant. What I admire about you is your strategic insight, not your martial arts. For someone who knows nothing about martial arts to share my views is all the more remarkable.”

I glanced at him helplessly. “Brother Wencai, you really are rather narcissistic.”

“What?”

He clearly did not understand.

I gave a cold laugh. “You think far too highly of yourself.”

I went to the infirmary, where Wang Lan said I was perfectly fine and did not even need to take medicine. Honestly, I was simply being oversensitive, terrified that I would not survive five years in this Jin dynasty.

After lunch, Xie Daoyun began teaching us martial arts. Good heavens, my insides still had not recovered. Why did I have to start waving swords and spears around again?

The first to demonstrate was Zhu Yingtai. She was a refined young lady from a prominent family, and I refused to believe she could come up with anything impressive. Sure enough, after only a few moves, she was defeated. With movements so soft and feeble, how could anyone fail to see that she was a woman? To me, she looked every inch one.

The second person called upon was Liang Shanbo—my dear Brother Liang. He knew nothing about martial arts and could not even hold on to his sword. Good heavens, Brother Liang was truly delicate. Xie Daoyun summed him up in four words: “Sword dropped, man defeated.”

Wang Lantian had not been called upon, but he volunteered on his own. “Teacher, please guide me!”

Swish, swish, swish—the two of them fought with astonishing intensity. To be honest, if Wang Lantian had not been so much younger than Xie Daoyun, I would have thought they made a fine match: a talented man and a beautiful woman. They were remarkably in sync, and neither could gain the upper hand.

“You are not feeling well. You should rest more!”

Wang Lantian cupped his hands. “Teacher, you were gracious.”

Xie Daoyun watched me waving my hands from where I stood and smiled faintly. “Liu Yiqing, you next!”

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I froze. Xie Daoyun clearly knew I was a woman, yet she still wanted me to step forward. Could it be that the original Liu Yiqing had known martial arts? But I certainly did not.

“Teacher, Brother Yiqing was injured just now. He should not exert himself,” Ma Wencai said.

Xie Daoyun looked at me in confusion. It had only been a few hours since I left her room, and I had still been perfectly well then. If she found out that Ma Wencai had injured me, she would surely insist on changing my room. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and go along with it.

“Teacher, I’m fine!”

I took up a sword and walked before Xie Daoyun, then cupped my hands. “This student is unworthy. I ask for your guidance.”

“Watch my sword!”

Xie Daoyun’s sudden thrust startled me. I immediately used a fencing-style counterattack to deflect her blade. After exchanging several moves, Xie Daoyun seemed unable to cope with my completely nonsensical swordplay. I stretched out my arm and began launching a series of continuous attacks, while Xie Daoyun could only defend again and again. In the end, she nearly dropped her sword.

I did not dare continue, lest she discover the flaws in my technique.

“What sword style are you using?” Xie Daoyun asked. “Your posture is strange, and your attacks are fierce.”

I cupped my hands. “Teacher, forgive my offense just now. This is not any particular sword style. I merely practice it for amusement when I have nothing better to do.”

“Yiqing, you have improved considerably since we last met.”

Xie Daoyun smiled.

“You flatter me, Teacher!”

I turned and returned to my place. Ma Wencai was staring at me coldly, the corners of his lips curled in a mocking smile. That expression sent a chill through me.

Xie Daoyun walked up to Ma Wencai. “Ma Wencai, I know you have always been prejudiced against me. You are the finest martial artist among the students. Would you care to spar with me?”

Ma Wencai cast her a disdainful glance, clapped his hands, picked up a wooden sword, and rose to his feet. He sauntered behind Xie Daoyun.

“Teacher, forgive me.”

With a sudden leap, Ma Wencai thrust his sword at Xie Daoyun. But a teacher was still a teacher; she evaded his strike with ease. After several exchanges, Ma Wencai dropped to one knee, while Xie Daoyun’s sword came to rest against his throat.

“Ma Wencai, you lost because you were too impatient.”

Ma Wencai pressed his lips together in unwilling silence. “I do not concede.”

Xie Daoyun smiled calmly and glanced at the archery target. “I know archery is your greatest strength. I will make you lose so thoroughly that you will have no choice but to accept it.”

Xie Daoyun truly lived up to her reputation. Who could have imagined that a noblewoman of ancient times could possess such extraordinary martial skill? I could hardly believe my eyes. I was eagerly awaiting what would happen next.

The two of them took up their bows and stood before the target. Ma Wencai shot first. With a sharp whoosh, his arrow struck the very center. Given such precision, it would have been difficult to place another arrow any closer to the bull’s-eye.

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Xie Daoyun, however, was entirely unfazed. She drew her bow and released the string with a sharp twang.

Her arrow actually split Ma Wencai’s arrow in two.

The kind of scene that existed only in television dramas had unfolded before my very eyes. Believe it or not, I certainly believed it.

Everyone stared blankly at the target. Even Ma Wencai stood dazed for a long while before finally uttering three words:

“I concede defeat.”

Although Xie Daoyun’s archery was superb, I had another opinion. I had always thought the same thing whenever I watched such scenes in modern television dramas. Standing behind the others, I shouted, “Wait!”

Zhu Yingtai looked at me with obvious irritation. “Liu Yiqing, what are you trying to say now?”

Xie Daoyun merely looked at me and smiled serenely. “What opinion do you have this time? Let us hear it.”

“Teacher, I believe this contest was unfair. Ma Wencai shot first, and then you shot afterward. Under those circumstances, even if Brother Wencai’s archery were peerless, he would still have been bound to lose.” That was exactly what I had always thought whenever I saw such contests on television.

“Liu Yiqing, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that Teacher Xie won dishonorably?”

Zhu Yingtai seemed to have it in for me. Why did she have to interfere in everything? Had she never heard that the bird who sticks its head out is the first to be shot?

I gave a cold laugh and turned my head aside. “What a petty mind.”

“You...” Zhu Yingtai glared at me furiously.

Liang Shanbo caught hold of her. “Yingtai, Brother Yiqing does have a point. Let us hear what Teacher Xie has to say.”

Xie Daoyun looked at me thoughtfully. “Yiqing, what do you think would make the contest fair?”

“A loss is a loss. I, Ma Wencai, have no need to make excuses,” Ma Wencai said coldly.

“I would like to hear Yiqing’s thoughts,” said Xie Daoyun.

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