Chapter 90: Drawing the Bow

The hidden sentry at Jingjiagou crawled out of his pit, jumped up and shook the yellow dust from his clothes, then headed toward the open sentry.

The open sentry was on a rooftop at the village entrance; on the surface he was treading the tiles with full concentration, but inside his mind had long since drifted into the village with his nose, sniffing the aroma of stewing meat.

He didn't even see the hidden sentry walk right up beneath his feet.

"Hey, dreaming about some woman?"

The hidden sentry had sauntered over, tossed his crossbow under the wall, stepped back a few paces, kicked off the wall corner, and climbed onto the roof.

The sudden voice beside him scared the open sentry so badly he nearly tumbled off the roof; he shoved his half-drawn saber back into its scabbard and cursed, "You're not at your post keeping watch, what the hell are you doing here — trying to scare your old man to death?"

"I keep watch from a pit just so you can stand on a roof and daydream about women?"

The hidden sentry paid no mind, walked up a few steps, slapped his backside down on the roof ridge, sniffed the air, and shook his head. "There's not a single prick-hair on the official road — what the hell is there to watch? When do we eat?"

"I was just wondering the same thing. Hungry a whole day and night — the fire's burning way too slow."

The open sentry glanced into the village, then simply sat on the roof ridge too, faced the village, and sighed, "Look at that courtyard — looks like a wealthy household. A two-courtyard compound, beautifully built, just a bit old."

"No kidding. This godforsaken place doesn't look any better than Jingbian — where'd they get the silver to build a two-courtyard compound?"

The open sentry stood up, took a couple of steps across the roof, kicked two tiles loose, stood on tiptoe and craned his neck to peer into the village, speaking absently. "Maybe their ancestors built it. I heard there used to be coal mines here.

Hey, tell me — why do these wealthy households build their compounds with two courtyards? Marry a fine woman, and while she's still young, lock her away in the rear residence — no one gets to see her, and she doesn't get to see anyone. What kind of lifeless life is that?"

The hidden sentry sneered. "What the hell do you know? Your woman can go anywhere — she can pull a plow in the fields and push a millstone in the workshop. Now that's a lively life — livelier than a donkey."

"Why you son of a — screw your mother!"

The hidden sentry watched his comrade turn his head and curse, and was just about to dodge the blow with a grin.

Then he saw the open sentry's gaze had already passed right over him, his richly expressive face frozen — who knows what he'd seen, but it was filled with terror, sheer terror.

"Bandits — the bandits are here!"

He spun around in a panic. The valley road at the village entrance, empty moments before, was now somehow filled with human figures.

They were like demons suddenly bursting from the cracked fields, closing in on the field ridges before anyone knew it.

Almost at the same instant the open sentry cried out, the infantry surged aside like a tide, and on the cleared official road, two columns of cavalry suddenly spurred into a gallop.

The horsemen wore arrow coats of various colors and felt hats, carried tasseled lances, sabers, and shields, bore bows and arrows, each with bells hanging from their waists.

From a distance you couldn't hear them, but when those warhorses broke into a gallop, the crisp, soul-seizing ringing nearly scared the sentries out of their wits.

The hidden sentry had meant to climb over the wall and retrieve his crossbow, but the horsemen were too fast — before he could even get down, they were already within a hundred paces.

In his haste, he turned to ask the open sentry what to do, but when he looked, he saw his brother-in-arms lose his footing and tumble from the roof with a shriek.

With the cavalry about to charge into the village, the hidden sentry had no idea what to do — he dared neither stay on the roof nor jump down.

By the time he finally made up his mind and jumped, hoofbeats were already outside the courtyard. The rider at the front swept past the compound, leaving only a flash of chestnut-red mane in the hidden sentry's eyes.

But before his heart could ease even a little, just as that rider was about to race past the courtyard, the man suddenly twisted around, drew his bow, and loosed an arrow.

The arrow struck the hidden sentry square in the shoulder. A cry of "Aiyo!" rang out, and he plummeted from the roof.

Liu Chengzong turned back around, a trace of displeasure on his face.

Switched bows, and now his aim was off.

He'd clearly aimed for the head — how did it hit the shoulder?

His seventy-jin war bow had been lost during the escape on the western slopes of Qingliang Mountain.

Guo Zhashi had found it while sweeping the battlefield, but it had already been trampled and broken by the pursuing banner troops.

The one he used now was a war bow that had belonged to a garrison brave — slightly lighter draw weight, sixty jin.

But it handled beautifully. Maybe because he'd been eating well lately and his physique had improved, or maybe lighter things just always handle better.

With this bow he could easily loose four arrows in rapid succession and never miss.

Thwip! Thwip-thwip!

Dozens of warhorses thundered into formation. The government troops waiting to eat in the village rushed out of the compound in terror, only to be met by volleys of sharp-feathered arrows.

Several soldiers who dashed out with drawn blades were shot down flat on their backs the moment they stepped out, sending the others scrambling behind walls, screaming for their armor.

The company commander in the courtyard kept a clear head, shouting orders. A few armored soldiers charged out to protect the cannons on the drying ground.

These men became the target of every arrow. In the blink of an eye, several shafts struck them, every single one bouncing off their brigandine.

They bulled through the rain of arrows and the charging horsemen, heading straight for the drying ground.

Liu Chengzong's attention was fixed on the large compound across the drying ground.

He'd seen it clearly from the mountain earlier — this was the very center of the village, where the officers of these two units were. Both company commanders were inside, with the largest cluster of troops gathered around them.

If he could bottle them up in that compound and wait for Cao Yao's men to bring up the cannon-carrying donkeys from the rear, this battle was as good as won.

Now, watching those soldiers charge out head-on, every one of them bristling like a hedgehog, arrows dangling from their bodies as they rushed the carts —

His eyes lit up.

He thought to himself: What fine armor!

His original plan had been to wheel the cavalry in a circle around the drying ground and pin them down with arrow volleys.

But now these government troops were blocking the column's path. The dozen-odd riders at the rear had already stowed their bows, pulled out the red-tasseled lances hanging from their left arms and braced under their saddles, ready to force open a way forward.

Liu Chengzong was no exception — in fact, he was a little anxious.

Such fine armor plates — he couldn't let them get ruined by red-tasseled lances.

At that thought, Liu Chengzong reined in, yanked his red banner, and broke out from the column. Behind him, Wei Qian'er and the others, not understanding why, turned their horses in confusion and followed with lances ready.

They saw him, twenty-some paces away.

Liu Chengzong pulled several arrows from his quiver, clutched them in his hand, and rode another seven or eight paces. The saber-wielding soldier was just three steps from lunging and cutting him down.

He suddenly reined his horse to the right, wheeled around, and drew his bow full from a sideways stance.

One arrow.

Two arrows.

Every arrow struck the face.

Two helmeted, armored soldiers clutched their faces, shrieking in pain as they rolled across the ground.

The cavalrymen behind them stared, dumbfounded.

Wei Qian'er was just as stunned — until he was nearly charging into the crowd, about to crash straight into a soldier's swinging flail. He hurriedly thrust his spear to parry it aside and reined left, yet even then he couldn't resist glancing back.

One look back, and he was even more dumbfounded.

Liu Chengzong, circling away on horseback, had actually switched his bow to his right hand, nocked an arrow with his left, and twisted around to shoot behind him.

He loosed four more arrows in quick succession.

Ambidextrous archery!

The same scene all over again!

Three soldiers lay sprawled on their backs, convulsing and groaning.

Another man clutched his bare, empty scalp, let out a bizarre shriek, spun around, threw down his saber, snatched up his arrow-pierced helmet, and fled toward the compound.

The remaining three, gripping their blades, axes, and flails at the edge of the drying ground, stood paralyzed with shock and doubt, exchanging glances.

In the end, no one knew who started it — but the moment they saw Liu Chengzong wheel through half a circle and charge at them again, all three turned and fled in panic.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Watching their backs as they scrambled toward the manor, Liu Chengzong burst out laughing and reined in his horse. He glared fiercely left and right; Red Flag reared up on its hind legs, letting out a ringing neigh.

He pointed his bow hand at Wei Qian'er, who was pacing his horse by the courtyard wall, mouth slightly agape, face utterly blank, and lifted his chin slightly. "What are you standing there gawking for? Dismount and unload the cannon. Aim it at the courtyard... They dare come after me!"