"Dong... dong... dong..."
With three gongs resounding, Zhou Fugui finally rode a black warhorse, galloping out of the camp gate like the wind and arriving at the training ground.
"Whoa..." Zhou Fugui reined in his mount.
The warhorse stopped abruptly, kicking up a gust of wind that made the black cloak on Zhou Fugui's body rustle.
The black cloak billowed in the wind, making Zhou Fugui appear exceptionally heroic and dashing.
His features were chiseled and handsome, his sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards into his dark hair beneath his temples, his eyes like brilliant stars, sharp and profound, surveying the training ground with an air of disdain for the world. Below his high nose were thin lips, adorned with a neat handlebar mustache, and a short, full beard below his chin. A smile played on his lips, giving him an air of sinister charm.
He had a tall and sturdy physique, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He wore a two-piece scale armor that accentuated his perfect build. On his head sat a black helmet, with three feathers, whether from a chicken or a duck, inserted into its crest... in any case, far inferior to the goose-feather plumes worn by Yan's Great General of the Left Guard, Pu Yijian.
Zhou Fugui's entrance exuded an aura completely opposite to that of Pu Yijian. Pu Yijian was clad in shining armor, mounted on a fine steed, his bright armor gleaming. Naturally, it was more beautiful and pleasing to the eye than the dull, dark scale armor. Moreover, Pu Yijian's reputation had earned him a thunderous applause.
However, Zhou Fugui's physique, appearance, and age were far more pleasing to the eye than Pu Yijian's short, stout, and old frame. The difference was like night and day, immeasurable. Added to this was Zhou Fugui's gaze that seemed to look down upon the world.
Of course, in a life-and-death combat on the training ground, it wasn't looks, physique, or age that mattered...
After all, pretty boys were usually all style and no substance...
"What a valiant general!"
"Zhou Ying will, a fine son of Great Yan!"
"Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!"
"Excellent, excellent!"
"I like him so much..."
"You slut, just you wait until I deal with you later..."
"..."
Zhou Fugui's appearance also garnered a thunderous applause, though it was mostly from the shrieks of the female spectators... The women praised him, yet also felt a deep sense of pity. Even Empress Murong Qing's delicate eyebrows slightly raised as Zhou Fugui's horse galloped towards her.
No matter how handsome and heroic he was, he would likely become a corpse before long. And a corpse, no matter how handsome or heroic, was a cold, lifeless thing, destined to rot until it turned to dust, earth, and air, vanishing without a trace.
The men on the training ground gritted their teeth in envy and hatred.
A face as beautiful as Pan An's was bound to evoke jealousy, especially among men.
"He is Zhou Tingzhang?" Great Yan's Eldest Princess Murong Xiaoxiao's beautiful eyes lit up, full of stars, as she fixed her gaze on Zhou Fugui in the training ground. "What a pity. Sigh, can't we just call it off?"
During the Jin tent ceremony, Murong Xiaoxiao had other matters to attend to and was not present in the tent.
"What do you want?" Murong Huiying asked Murong Xiaoxiao, her face proud yet extremely wary.
"I don't want anything. Don't tell me, sister, you... hehe..." Murong Xiaoxiao immediately detected something and asked Murong Huiying with a smile.
Murong Huiying's face flushed slightly, and she paid no further attention to Murong Xiaoxiao, as the duel on the training ground was about to begin.
Murong Huiying stared anxiously at the arena, her gaze fixed entirely on Zhou Fugui.
"Are you Zhou Fugui, the commander of the Han Army's White Tiger Battalion?" Great General of the Left Guard Pu Yijian asked, holding his Dragon Scale Great Bow and urging his horse forward, looking down at Zhou Fugui with disdain and coldness.
Yan's Great General of the Left Guard, Pu Yijian, felt he was suffering undeserved misfortune, utterly bewildered. He had been enjoying himself, embracing his beautiful wife and concubines, when a holy decree arrived, ordering him to compete in archery against this unknown nobody on the training ground?
Pu Yijian was renowned, while Zhou Fugui was virtually unknown. What good would victory bring him? At best, it would be like adding a few tiles to his roof or bricks to his wall. But defeat... defeat would be a serious matter, severely damaging his prestige, undermining his authority in the army, and tarnishing his image in the eyes of Emperor Yan Murong Xi, leading to a chain of negative consequences.
The saying about a thirty-year-old woman failing to breastfeed her child or a boat capsizing in a ditch was not impossible.
However, Pu Yijian was quite confident in his archery skills and did not expect such an event to occur.
"It is indeed this subordinate!" Zhou Fugui, on his horse, holding the Moon Chasing Bow, cupped his hands in reply. "This subordinate has also offended the Great General by imperial order. I beg your forgiveness, Great General! And please show mercy!"
Zhou Fugui's humble and polite demeanor, or rather, his apparent nervousness, caused Pu Yijian to slightly lower his guard. He nodded and said, "I am older than you, young man. It would be unfair to fight you. However, duty calls, what can be done? How about this, I will let you shoot first."
This was not Pu Yijian intentionally giving Zhou Fugui an advantage. Pu Yijian wished he could shoot and kill this man who had dragged him away from his pleasurable pursuits and caused him such trouble.
Strike first and you gain the advantage, but if your first strike fails, you are likely to be suppressed by the second.
Pu Yijian allowing Zhou Fugui to shoot first was intended to assess Zhou Fugui's archery skills, find his weaknesses, and then end his life with a single shot.
As for Zhou Fugui's initial shot, Pu Yijian, a seasoned veteran of countless battles, who had faced thousands upon thousands of arrows, was not afraid of this mere shot? Even if Zhou Fugui hit him, as long as it wasn't a vital spot like the throat or face, he could remain unharmed thanks to his superior Mingguang armor.
Pu Yijian was quite confident about this.
"Swoosh!"
As soon as Pu Yijian uttered the word "allow," Zhou Fugui shot an arrow like lightning. The arrow, like a shooting star, flew directly towards Pu Yijian's throat.
At this moment, they were less than ten paces apart, and the arrow's speed was like a flash of lightning. An ordinary person would have been unable to dodge.
However, Pu Yijian, the Great General of Yan's Left Guard, lived up to his reputation as a veteran of the battlefield. His reaction was extremely sharp. Pu Yijian saw a glint of an arrow flying towards his throat and, almost instinctively, he crouched down on his horse.
"Swoosh!" The arrow grazed Pu Yijian's helmet, knocking off the three goose feathers from its crest. Pu Yijian immediately broke out in a cold sweat, then became enraged, so furious that he was beside himself.
In a normal duel, both parties would first exchange pleasantries or engage in a verbal sparring match, then separate to a certain distance before officially commencing the fight.
But Zhou Fugui did not play by the rules. Not only did he not appreciate Pu Yijian's "generosity," but he also took advantage of his unpreparedness to launch a surprise attack, intending to kill him in one blow. How could Pu Yijian not be enraged? How could he not be beside himself with anger?
When it came to matters of life and death, allowing the opponent to strike first was akin to giving them your life. Zhou Fugui certainly did not believe the other party was being generous, and he himself would never show mercy.
"Ah?!"
"Oh?!"
"What a pity!"
A chorus of exclamations and sounds of regret, or even fear, erupted from the spectators' stands. Why the fear? Many people had bet large sums of money or valuable possessions on Pu Yijian. If Pu Yijian were to be shot dead by Zhou Fugui, their considerable fortunes would also vanish. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Ah? Haha, Pu Yijian almost fell into this fellow's hands." As the duel officially began, Emperor Yan Murong Xi's attention was also focused on the arena. Seeing this, he pointed at the two and laughed heartily, "Zhou... Fugui's sneak attack failed, and his situation is not looking good!"
Murong Xi had almost forgotten Zhou Fugui's name.
"Great Chanyu, this minister does not think so," Murong Bole replied, shaking his head.
"Hmm? What does the Left Virtuous King mean?" Murong Xi asked.
"Great Chanyu, please observe..." Murong Bole pointed to Zhou Fugui, who was galloping his horse in the arena. "Commander Zhou did not expect this arrow to kill Pu Yijian. Having missed his target, he rode away, creating distance between himself and Pu Yijian."
"Hmm, in that case, why did he do that?" Murong Xi pondered.
"To disrupt the enemy, he is employing a strategy of disruption!" Murong Bole replied. "Commander Zhou's actions have already enraged Pu Yijian. And when enraged without restraint, he will inevitably become restless, even losing his composure. If Pu Yijian truly loses his composure, Zhou Fugui will have an opportunity."
"Oh, is this a military stratagem?" Murong Xi asked again.
"What the Great Chanyu says is true," Murong Bole nodded. "To disrupt before battle is a primary tactic of warfare. Regardless of the outcome of this duel, Pu Yijian has already lost the first round."
"Hmm, in that case, is Zhou Fugui's consistent success not merely a matter of luck?" Murong Xi mused.
Murong Bole glanced at Murong Xi and then nodded. "This man is exceptionally skilled at leading troops, possessing the ability to turn the tide. This was true in Guangling Commandery, and it is true in Luyi!"
It seemed the Great Chanyu had not forgotten the merits of the Yan generals he had reported, Murong Bole thought to himself.
During the Battle of Guangling Commandery, Zhou Fugui had feigned an attack to create a diversion, allowing him to enter the city smoothly. Murong Bole still found it amusing, but he still believed the plan was brilliant!
"Hmm, since the Left Virtuous King esteems this man so highly, can this Han man be of great use?" Murong Xi asked again.
Murong Bole pondered for a moment, then slightly shook his head.
"Hmm..." Murong Xi nodded.
Murong Bole's shake of the head meant he was uncertain, but Murong Xi interpreted it as meaning he could not be of great use, or that he could not be used by Great Yan.
If that were the case, no matter how great Zhou Fugui's abilities, what use would they be to Great Yan?
"Ah? What a pity! Such a stupid pig!"
Zhou Fugui almost killed Pu Yijian with an arrow, causing Yan's Crown Prince Cheng to jump up and curse.
After some hesitation, Murong Cheng had finally bet on Zhou Fugui. At this moment, he wished Zhou Fugui had shot Pu Yijian dead with an arrow. Since he had missed, he cursed Zhou Fugui as a stupid pig.
Generally, foolish people believe they are the smartest in the world, and everyone else is a stupid pig.
"Ah? What a pity!" Murong Huiying truly felt regret for Zhou Fugui, patting her thigh in frustration.
"Sister Ziyue, you're patting my leg..." Great Yan's Eldest Princess Murong Xiaoxiao said with a pout.