Chapter 19: A Contest of Strength

After the man entered the room, Heifu got a clear look at him: a fellow with whiskers flaring under his chin and three red birthmarks on his left cheek much like leopard spots, in his early twenties, his hair soaked with rain. The man was not particular about manners; he kicked the door shut with his heel and grumbled as he spoke: "What are you lot still standing there dumbstruck for? Quick, pass me a cloth to wipe down!"

At this moment Heifu noticed that the people who had earlier been startled by his reputation, risen and then sat back down, had all stood up again. In particular, Ping, Ke, and Buke, the three who lived in the county seat, came forward practically like servants and handed their own cloths to the man.

"This is Bao, he lives inside the east gate of the county seat, everyone calls him East Gate Bao. He's had a name for daring and ferocity since he was young, and after he inherited his father's rank of Gongshi, no one dared provoke him..." Zhi leaned in and said to Heifu and the other man; it was plain to see that everyone in the room was somewhat afraid of Bao.

"So those two latecomers have arrived?"

By now East Gate Bao had also noticed the newcomers. He walked over, glanced at Ji Ying with open disdain, then raised a pair of thick eyebrows and began sizing Heifu up.

East Gate Bao truly did resemble a leopard, the three birthmarks on his face much like leopard spots. Although he was extremely brawny, he stood only seven chi tall, half a head shorter than Heifu, yet his gaze was not the least bit yielding. He glared at Heifu for a few moments, his eyes lingering on the topknot atop Heifu's head, before saying: "You are also a Gongshi?"

"That's right, this is Heifu of Cloud Dream Village, who was appointed Gongshi just today for capturing bandits!" Ji Ying, indignant at East Gate Bao's rudeness toward him, answered huffily.

"Did your father ask you?" East Gate Bao's eyes bulged, utterly ferocious, scaring Ji Ying into retreating half a step.

"This Gongshi." Heifu spoke up as well, still unhurried and calm: "We are all comrades serving together; is there anything that cannot be said civilly?"

"Who is comrades with you lot?"

East Gate Bao let out a cold snort. He sprang onto a straw mat in one stride, puffed out his chest, and with hands on his hips declared: "Your father has said it long ago: in this rotation service, I am going to be the squad leader. You lot are all my subordinates!"

Ping, Ke, and Buke chimed in agreement at once; Little Tao shrank fearfully into a corner; Zhi and Mu remained silent; even the older Chao Bo was furious but dared not speak.

Heifu understood now. It seemed that on this first day of assembly, East Gate Bao had already seized leadership in the room and become the boss here; everyone had to be careful and defer to him. Once he became squad leader, for the month to come they would all have to follow his lead.

Ji Ying was the first to refuse to accept this. He said: "I've heard that anyone who holds the rank of Gongshi can serve as a military officer. My brother Heifu is also a Gongshi! And one who earned the rank through real merit."

"Heifu?"

East Gate Bao had clearly heard about Heifu's deeds. His bluster subsided slightly, and he nodded: "So you are Heifu. If you truly have the skill they speak of, I'll let you be a squad deputy. How about that?"

Unexpectedly, Heifu merely smiled and said: "And what if I said I want to be squad leader too?"

"Then you are my adversary!"

East Gate Bao was a hot-blooded youth with a fiery temper. First he froze, then, finding his goodwill rejected, flew into a rage and immediately pointed at Heifu: "Come on, come on! Let's you and me have a contest, and let me test whether that skill of yours — fighting three bandits alone and seizing a blade barehanded — is real or fake!"

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and came striding over with menacing momentum.

Everyone in the room was greatly shocked. Chao Bo by the wall shook his head as well; this was already who knew how many times he had served rotation duty, and all he wanted was to get through it peacefully and without incident. Yet these young men were about to come to blows over a trifle...

He was already planning that once the two started fighting, he would gather the other seven and go lodge a complaint with the centurion and platoon leader, so as to prevent the whole squad from being punished under collective liability.

Heifu, however, did not meet East Gate Bao head-on. He stepped back and raised a hand to stop him: "Hold on!"

East Gate Bao pressed closer step by step, his mouth still taunting: "What, scared now?"

"Not scared, but thinking on your behalf." At these words from Heifu, East Gate Bao finally halted.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you not know the laws and ordinances of Qin? Those with military merit shall each receive high rank according to their rate; those who engage in private feuds and fights shall each be punished according to the severity! If you and I brawl in this room, regardless of who wins or loses, once discovered, we will both face the law's sanction and be subjected to the shaving punishment — our sideburns and beards will be shorn off."

Heifu stroked his own smooth chin and said with a smile: "As for that, I don't much care either way. But you — those whiskers you've grown on your face for who knows how many years will be shaved clean off! Wouldn't that be a pity?"

East Gate Bao looked at a glance like someone fond of brawling and violence, with the air of a Chu or Yue wandering swordsman; it was a wonder how he had survived so many years in law-strict Qin. But once Heifu had woken him up, he too stroked his beard, somewhat hesitant. If his beard were shaved, wouldn't he be laughed at by the people of his neighborhood for a lifetime...

"Furthermore." Heifu pointed at the others in the room and said: "We have already been organized into one squad and share one room, so our fortunes and misfortunes are linked. According to the collective liability system, if one man commits a crime, the whole squad is punished. It would be easy for you and me to fight a bout at the cost of the shaving punishment, but to drag everyone else down with us — why do that?"

At these words, the impression everyone in the room had of Heifu immediately improved greatly. Even Chao Bo nodded slightly, feeling that this young man was very considerate.

In truth, what Heifu was more worried about was that the moment the two of them started fighting, the others, especially that Chao Bo, would certainly go report them at once to escape guilt themselves. He had nearly been struck twenty times by that Centurion Bin even when he was innocent — how could he be so foolish as to walk right into the spear's point?

"But no matter what, there is only one squad leader." East Gate Bao was still unwilling to let it go.

Having with difficulty dispelled his notion of deciding by force, Heifu seized the chance to say: "I have a method that will let us determine who is superior without violating the ban on private feuds!"

"What method!" East Gate Bao's eyes lit up.

Heifu rolled up his own sleeve and said with a smile: "How about we settle it with an arm wrestle, a contest of hand strength?"

Everyone knows arm wrestling; it is a game every male has tried countless times since childhood. After school or work, you clear the odds and ends off a desk, plant two elbows on the table with a friend, and have a duel on the spot. It was even more so at the police academy; sometimes the school sports meet would even organize an arm-wrestling tournament for the students.

But if one were to trace back exactly when this game first began, I'm afraid no one could say.

Yet Heifu had now made a great discovery, because after he proposed arm wrestling, East Gate Bao not only raised no objection but accepted gladly. He plopped down onto the ground, rolled up the narrow sleeve on his right arm, and planted his elbow on the earthen platform — a posture that clearly showed he knew how it was played.

"It seems the history of arm wrestling can be traced back at least to the Warring States period," Heifu thought to himself. He too sat cross-legged on the ground, pulled back the sleeve on his right arm, and revealed that eye-catching scab of blood...

"Your right hand is injured?" In the last remaining light before nightfall, East Gate Bao saw the wound on Heifu and frowned.

"Injured a few days ago while fighting those three bandits. It's nothing, nothing." Heifu seemed not to take it to heart and made as if to place his elbow on the earthen platform.

"How can that be!"

East Gate Bao, however, recoiled as if his hand had been scalded, immediately pulling his right hand back and muttering: "Wouldn't that mean I'm taking advantage of you! No, a true man must act with openness and honor. Even if I beat you today, it would be a hollow victory. How would I, East Gate Zong, have any face left to stand in Anlu County then?"

East Gate Bao might be a brute who bullied the weak and didn't know the laws well, but in all matters he was open and aboveboard, rejecting any unfair contest. This was the code of conduct for such rustic "shi" of the Warring States era.

Now, for Heifu to arm-wrestle him with an injured right arm — how could that not affect the outcome? This was practically looking down on him! East Gate Bao would rather not have a squad leader position won this way.

"In that case," Heifu said with a smile, "how about you and I use our left hands instead?"

"Left hand?" East Gate Bao found this quite novel. "I've never arm-wrestled anyone with my left hand before. That's excellent!"

East Gate Bao, suspecting nothing, switched to his left hand and fixed Heifu with a gaze full of confidence!

Heifu, however, smiled inwardly. This fellow, beneath that ferocious exterior, was indeed an honest man. Although East Gate Bao's left hand was still thick and powerful, Heifu had been left-handed in both his past life and this one. This way, he had every advantage — it would be hard to lose even if he tried!

It wasn't that he was deliberately scheming; it was just that Qin law stood as it was. In dealing with a brute like East Gate Zong, since he couldn't beat the other man into submission, he'd have to outwit him using the simplest, most convenient method.

And so he too planted his left elbow on the earthen platform, his left arm crossing East Gate Bao's to form an X...

"Ji Ying, who do you think will win between the two of them?" Off to the side, the short, round-faced Zhi was asking Ji Ying, only to find Ji Ying struggling to hold back a laugh. Ji Ying coughed twice before saying:

"Brother Heifu will win, of course! Who is he? The fierce warrior who fought three bandits alone and seized a blade barehanded!"

"But East Gate Bao is also a renowned strongman in the county seat. They say that during his last service, he once carried a roof beam on his shoulder alone and walked a full three li..." The two brothers Ke and Buke had more faith in East Gate Bao.

They were chattering away, inclined to place a bet, but in the end didn't dare, for Qin strictly forbade gambling, and violators were heavily punished.

Just then, Heifu's and East Gate Bao's left hands began to clasp together.

"Let me see whether you, this bandit-catching brave, truly have any real skill!"

East Gate Bao deliberately spoke provocatively while exerting force with his hand, intending to teach Heifu a lesson.

But to his surprise, Heifu was not outmatched at all — his rough left palm suddenly exerted force too, wrenching in the opposite direction!

"Damn, this bastard's left hand is incredibly strong!"

Dongmen Bao felt the force from that palm, his face draining of color in shock. He hurriedly poured on more strength, yet not only did he fail to overpower Heifu, the sudden immense force pressed down on his wrist and elbow instead!

Then came a crisp "Crack!" By the time Dongmen Bao realized what had happened, his left hand had already been forced down by Heifu, the back of his hand slamming heavily onto the earthen platform!

And Heifu, his expression utterly relaxed at this moment, was looking at him with a beaming smile...

In a mere instant, victory and defeat were decided!

(End of chapter)