Tested (2)

Qi Qingzheng was already late. Perhaps the boy had just been bluffing and didn't dare to come—but it didn't matter. If he didn't show up, there would be no place for him in Changxiang City anymore.

Just as He Peiyu was losing patience and about to leave, a team appeared at the other end of the training ground.

He Peiyu felt a sense of being fooled. This wasn't the Wind Shadow cavalry but a group of excited teenagers, chatting and whispering, their brightly colored clothes peeking out from under their armor. Some were not even adept at controlling their horses, occasionally needing to steady their reins. The horses were not warhorses but included a few valuable ones like the "Night-Bright Crickets" used in ceremonial parades, known for maintaining an upright posture all day without moving.

Qi Qingzheng, among them, grinned mischievously and shouted from afar, "Hey—sorry, I just woke up!"

"Are you mocking me?" He Peiyu's anger was rising. Regardless of the outcome, this battle would end in ridicule.

"Tsk, tsk, I went to great lengths to gather these people and gear up just to mock you?" Qi Qingzheng was clearly dissatisfied. "Charge, brothers, beat him up!"

He Peiyu's heart sank as he remembered who these people were and who Qi Qingzheng was—these kids were not soldiers but idle noble youths who hung out with Qi Qingzheng. Though not heirs of the Sixteen Families, each bore a recognizable surname. If they got seriously injured, it would be a heap of trouble.

There was no time to call a halt. Qi Qingzheng, oblivious to protocol, charged with his group like a wild race. He Peiyu had never seen such disorder; within thirty yards, the horse team scattered, with the better riders leading and the timid ones lagging behind, shouting breathlessly, "Beat him—"

In the instant of close combat, He Peiyu regained his composure. He waved his hand, and two squads of ten soldiers flanked the Qi family's horse team from both sides, cutting through the middle. The horses in Qi's team, untrained for sudden stops, reared up in shock, throwing their riders to the ground—those in the rear couldn't avoid colliding with the front, causing chaos with boys scrambling to avoid the trampling hooves.

The Wolf Fang seventh division had never faced such humiliation before and never would again. They bore the empire's honor, their proud blades never taking prisoners. They were not big brothers playing with children.

The soldiers lowered their spears, looking to He Peiyu—what next? Help them up?

Qi Qingzheng could play recklessly, but He Peiyu could not. Suppressing his anger, he ordered, "Be cautious, avoid hurting anyone. Today's drill ends here."

"Hah!" came the united response. The He family's hundred-man team merged, pushing the youths' horses aside with their own strength, scattering Qi's team, disintegrating their formation.

But as they reached to help the fallen boys, the youths drew daggers from their sleeves, aiming at the soldiers' chests—soft fabric-wrapped blades tipped with dye, marking a large white spot on impact.

Qi Qingzheng was already in front, sliding under two crossing spears, striking the soldiers' elbows with his wax-wood spear, then standing upright, leaving two white marks on their backs.

An observer on the platform recorded the kills: nineteen to one.

He Peiyu looked at Qi Qingzheng, coldly smiling. How could he be so naive? Did he think this chaotic sneak attack would win? If not for the need to avoid hurting these kids, he could easily defeat them with just ten men.

He Peiyu raised his hand, ready to teach them a lesson.

"Drive the horses!" he ordered.

The white wax spears swung in unison, slicing across the horses' necks with the sound of wind. The youths were stunned, watching their horses' necks bleed, some managing a neigh, others collapsing immediately.

They had been playing, but death had suddenly appeared.

He Peiyu raised his hand again, "Attack—"

The Wolf Fang seventh division soldiers lifted their spears again—muscles rippling under their armor, exuding a murderous intent. This wasn't a fight, just an execution.

The younger boys started crying out—

"Wait..."

"I fell myself! Not because you hit me!"

"Alzheng!"

Some were on the verge of tears.

He Peiyu leaned towards Qi Qingzheng, "Your friends are scared. Tell me, if I keep attacking, will someone wet their pants?"

Qi Qingzheng was only a horse and a half away, but six spears separated them. His subordinates, playing, kept him rolling among the group. Just as Qi Qingzheng turned to shout, He Peiyu swung his spear, knocking off Qi Qingzheng's helmet. Holding his spear, he smiled, "You haven't died yet; you can continue."

Qi Qingzheng held his spear in reverse, pushing his messy hair back, "We'll see who's dead."

"Stubborn... Let's see, nineteen to four, is it?" He Peiyu snapped his fingers, giving a familiar order to the Wolf Fang seventh division, "No prisoners, attack!"

The horse team moved, like a steel claw into loose sand, each Wolf Fang soldier finding the best killing position. They aimed their spears at heads, throats, and backs.

Spears swung, slicing through the air like eagle wings cutting the sky.

Some couldn't parry, some tried to block, but their hollow spears shattered, bursting into a white mist.

Their strength and speed were no match. Some fell from their horses, screaming as they were dragged.

Spears brushed vital points—leaving only white marks but feeling like blades.

Some younger boys tried to leave but collapsed, shaking.

"Now it's... 61 to 19. Qingzheng, the person you chose is not only bad at archery, but also bad at math." He Peiyu took a bow from the saddle, nocked an arrow, drew the bow, turned, and aimed at the person keeping score in the stands. "I counted. You brought 99 people. The last one... is him, right?"

The person in the stands had their face obscured by the scoreboard, making it impossible to see their features or build, but a longbow lying on the ground was clearly visible, perfectly within effective range.

Qi Qingzheng had already considered every possible angle of a sneak attack.

Qi Qingzheng charged towards He Peiyu, but was blocked at the waist by two spears. Grabbing the spears, he shouted, "Stop!"

He Peiyu released his grip, and the arrow, like a shooting star, flew towards the man.

Qi Qingzheng's eyes turned red with fury: "Qingzhi!"

The person in the stands fell off the small wooden stool with a scream: "Brother—"

He Peiyu's mind buzzed. That voice belonged to a seven or eight-year-old girl, and it seemed Qi Xiang's fourth daughter was named Qingzhi. He leapt from his saddle in mid-air and caught the girl—she wasn't wearing any protective armor, just a small white fox fur coat, her chest stained red with blood.

As the girl collided into his arms, blood gushed from her mouth, and her arms hung limply, softly calling, "Brother..."

Qi Qingzheng rolled on the ground, scrambling and crawling over, grabbing his sister's shoulders and shaking her furiously: "Qingzhi!"

He Peiyu restrained him with one hand: "Do you want to kill her? Stop shaking her!"

Qi Qingzheng, with a pale face, struggled: "You beast! Why did you shoot her!"

He Peiyu's face was equally ashen: "You call me a beast? Are you insane, bringing her here? Someone, help—"

Before he could finish, a punch landed hard on his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him, followed by a kick to the back of his knee, then another punch straight to his face. The force of the blow was enormous, completely unlike a fifteen-year-old's strike, more like magma erupting from a volcano, even the air seemed to burn.

"Bang!" Qi Qingzheng's punch hit He Peiyu's blocking arm, piercing through the armor and breaking the bone. He Peiyu's arm, pushed by the force, smashed into his own face, likely breaking his nose, filling his vision with stars. In a split second of negligence, Qi Qingzheng was upon him, driving his knee into He Peiyu's waist, sapping his strength and leaving him lying on the ground, unable to open his eyes.

"Anyone else tries to come up here, I'll cripple them!" Qi Qingzheng, relentless, rained down punches.

The kid was vicious, each punch aimed at joints, giving He Peiyu no chance to retaliate.

He Peiyu could only gasp out a "stop," before his hair was grabbed, his forehead slammed into the ground.

Qi Qingzheng pressed his knee into He Peiyu's waist, twisting his right arm back, panting heavily as he ordered, "Get me a rope, I'm hanging him from the flagpole."

The boys who had been too scared to move earlier now rushed over, some holding him down, others pulling off his armor, kicking him from the edges.

He Peiyu stopped struggling and said quietly, "Let me go."

"What?"

"I said let go, you win." He Peiyu's voice, muffled by his broken nose, sounded like it came from underground: "Qi Qingzheng, don't go too far. Leave some dignity for your father."

Qi Qingzheng didn't stop, tying him up in a humiliating position: "I win? You want me to let you go? Beg me then."

"Fine. You win." He Peiyu took a deep breath, enduring the pain from all over his body: "You know me, and I know you. If you continue to humiliate me, I swear, next time we meet it won't be a drill."

He wouldn't beg, still issuing threats—yet the boys around him understood and took a few steps back.

Qi Qingzheng pondered for a moment, scratched his head—it took a bit of time to make a decision. He finally released his grip, tossed the ropes aside, and slowly stood up.

It took He Peiyu a while to free himself from the ropes, getting up in a disheveled state—he had never been so humiliated. His hair, mixed with mud and blood, hung over his face. His shoulder armor was torn off, and one side of his clothes was ripped open. His shin guards were unfastened, flapping like a dead clam. Despite this, he maintained an air of dignity, making Qi Qingzheng unconsciously take a step back, slightly hiding his blood-stained fists behind him.

"You win." He Peiyu removed his shin guards and helmet, tossing them to his subordinates. Cradling his left arm, he walked forward: "Qi Qingzheng, I will honor my promise to rebuild Lanzhi Academy and I will honor my promise to not wear the He family crest in front of you."

"Heh, at least you keep your word."

"But I will never respect you. Qi Qingzheng, using your young sister as bait, you've disgraced the dignity of soldiers and men alike." He Peiyu lowered his left arm and delivered a fierce punch. The blow landed on the lower jaw, numbing the jaw before the pain set in. Qi Qingzheng, clutching his face, squatted down—a canine tooth broke, piercing his mouth and tongue.

Qi Qingzheng took a long time to stand up, his mouth full of blood. He refused to speak, spitting blood onto the ground, glaring at He Peiyu: "Who needs your respect? You think you respect your sister's dignity? Ha! You're just protecting your own dignity! If you're not satisfied, fight again! All of you, come at me! Who's afraid of who!"

He Peiyu seemed slightly surprised, laughing softly: "You know what? Now I don't even feel like fighting you. You're not worth the effort of having Wolf Fang - Seventh Division discipline you. Leave, I don't want to hold Qi Xiang in contempt as well."

For the first time in his life, Qi Qingzheng tasted such profound contempt. He gritted his teeth, picked up his spear from the ground.

He Peiyu didn't even look at him, turned back, patted the head of the dazed little girl, and slowly walked away.

"Damn it, stop!" Qi Qingzheng charged forward.

He Peiyu stopped without turning back: "You should stop—if you take one more step, I guarantee the Qi family will have to summon the Wind Shadow Riders today."

Qi Qingzheng stood there, dumbfounded—He Peiyu didn't seem to be bluffing.

A heavy cough came from afar: "Useless boy, what's so great about summoning the Wind Shadow Riders?"

The voice, both old and high-pitched, was not loud but incredibly penetrating. Both Qi Qingzheng and He Peiyu turned to see an old man, accompanied by two young girls, walking slowly towards them from outside the formation. The girl on the left was dignified and serene, clearly Qi Qingran; the girl on the right, delicate and charming, like a little elf, clung to the old man's side. Qi Qingzheng was stunned upon seeing her—that was the girl from his dreams.

"Sister!" Qingzhi rushed over, throwing herself into Qi Qingran's arms: "I'm scared."

Qi Qingran opened her fox fur coat to reveal a circle of blood bags and soft armor underneath, showing that the arrow had not actually hurt her. She patted her sister's head and bowed deeply to He Peiyu: "Brother He is righteous. Qingran has no way to repay this kindness, so I apologize on behalf of my brother."

He Peiyu's eyes flicked over her face and then quickly down her chest, as if he had thought of something. He nodded, speaking softly and slowly: "It's no matter. The eldest lady is too polite. Goodbye."

He carried himself with pride, unwilling to lose his temper in front of a young lady but also not letting the matter slide easily.

"Peiyu, wait, you should thank Qingzheng." The old man's voice was filled with authority: "Fifteen years ago, Wolf Fang - Seventh Division fell to Si Kong Zhilong in similar way, and after all these years, you still haven't learned the lesson?"

He Peiyu frowned at the words, turned back, and saluted: "Old Sir!"

"The He family, generation after generation, first honor the heavens, then the flag. Without proper formation, it's not considered a battle. Your uncle was like that, and so are you." The old man shook his head: "The dignity of a soldier is to defend the land. Without defending the land, there is no dignity!"

He Peiyu sneered: "Old Sir, means that Qi Qingzheng was right?"

The old man was Yang Dingtu, the pillar of the current dynasty. He nodded: "Qi Qingzheng, a young boy, ignorant of military strategy, and without the Wind Shadow Riders, captured you with bare hands. Do you think he was right?"

He Peiyu shook his head. "If he wasn't a Qi, his head would already be hanging from the flagpole. A warrior's honor is indeed in defending the land, but alas, Changxiang City cannot be defended through trickery alone, nor by relying on old-timers to press down on others with their seniority. I've seen enough of the Qi family's children and Dianjiang Academy today. Farewell."

Unwilling to say more, he turned and leapt onto his warhorse without using his arms. The Wolf Fang Seventh Division followed him silently and left.

The old man chuckled hoarsely. "Fifteen years... fifteen years... I never thought I'd see the Wolf Fang Seventh Division again. Their prestige remains undiminished."

Both Qi Qingran and Qi Qingzheng called out simultaneously, "Old Sir!"

The old man pointed at Qi Qingran, then at Qi Qingzhi. "Such a mischievous plan doesn't seem like something a man would come up with. Qingran, it was you, wasn't it?"

Qi Qingran blushed and bowed her head. "Forgive me, Old Sir. The Wolf Fang Seventh Division is renowned. I'm afraid even the Wind Shadow Cavalry would be no match. Major General He is formidable and holds family honor dear. It was a last resort."

"Like your father... just like your father," the old man seemed to both praise and scold. "Crafty and ruthless, yet able to justify it, hmph."

The old man then pointed at Qi Qingzheng. "You and your young companions, reckless and naive, coming here to offend the He family. Have you thought about what would happen if things went wrong?"

Qi Qingzheng bowed his head. "I did think about it. But I had no choice, and no one to advise me. After much deliberation, I could only bet that He Peiyu cared more than I did. I could afford to lose; he couldn't. Competing with him in grace, I'd be dead without a trace."

"Hmm, your father didn't intervene?"

Qi Qingzheng pointed at Qi Qingran. "My sister said Father mustn't know. If he did, then I couldn't afford to lose either."

"And your 'Brother Fu' didn't intervene?"

"He..." Qi Qingzheng found it hard to explain Qi Jiafu's situation and thought for a moment. "Old Sir, Brother Fu can't intervene... he defied my mother and was punished with a hundred lashes. The doctor said he would need at least ten days to half a month to recover."

The old man seemed dissatisfied and coughed heavily. "A hundred lashes? The lady of the Shi family knows no moderation. In seven days, the emperor will return to the court... at such a critical time, to incapacitate Qi Jiafu, sigh!"

Qi Qingzheng, noticing Yang Dingtu's apparent appreciation for Qi Jiafu, was overjoyed. "Old Sir, you like Brother Fu?"

"That child is not bad," the old man sighed. "Not long ago, I even discussed with your father that with the emperor's return to court, it would be a good opportunity for our two families to jointly petition to grant Jiafu an official status, so he wouldn't have to squeeze in with the household slaves, making everything inconvenient. Over time, it would only lead to trouble."

Qi Qingzheng was ecstatic and shouted, "Really? Old Sir, is it really true?"

The old man chuckled. "Whether it's true or not depends not only on your father's decision but also on your performance. Qingzheng, you've been stuck at my place for five years, unable to pass even the children's exams. Tell me, where do you expect me and your father to save face?"

Qi Qingzheng was suddenly embarrassed, not knowing how to respond. The girl beside the old man tugged on his arm. "Grandfather, look, didn't he defeat the He family brother today? That should count for graduation, right?"

The old man, who had been watching the battle like a game, suddenly looked radiant when his granddaughter spoke. "Xuetan, what did you say? Oh my, oh my, Qingran, look at this, this child never speaks in front of outsiders."

The girl, as fragile as a drop of water, leaned against the old man like a wisp of smoke by an ancient pine. When praised by her grandfather, she lowered her head again, her face pale and transparent like a soul.

Qi Qingzheng also stared at her without blinking. This girl looked exactly like the one in his dream, except for her icy demeanor. Otherwise, they were identical. He was captivated and asked, "Sister, do you have a small white dog, about this big, very cute?"

The girl raised her head and met his gaze, her voice faint and almost ethereal. "Yes, I had three little dogs before, but they all ran away. I was very sad."

Qi Qingran was secretly delighted. Yang Dingtu's prestige was immense, and his position was high. If Qingzheng could gain his favor, his future would be limitless. She had also heard of Yang Dingtu's granddaughter. From a young age, she was weak and often bedridden during the snowy winter. She liked to paint alone, but later, due to her poor health, even the doctors forbade it. She never spoke to anyone, even with her grandfather, often acting like a mute. The old man had no other close relatives, and treasured her like his own life. Thinking of this, she smiled and said, "Old Sir, it seems Xuetan and Alzheng are really fated. When can we invite the little sister to stay at our house for a few days? We have many siblings and lots of fun things. Maybe if she's happy, she'll be willing to talk more."

"Oh, I dare not, I dare not. Your brother's reputation isn't the best," Yang Dingtu, though pleased, didn't forget the reason behind Qi Qingzheng's fight with He Peiyu. He pointed at Qi Qingzheng's nose and said, "Kid, if you want to walk the right path, don't go down crooked ones. Starting tomorrow, obediently return to the academy and learn from scratch, understand? You've fallen behind too much in your studies, you need to catch up properly!"

Qi Qingzheng, still staring intently at Yang Xuetan, responded absentmindedly, "If I come, will I be able to see you? Sister, how old are you? Do you usually stay at school or at home? What do you like to eat?"

The old Sir snorted, his face darkening, and stomped his foot. "Qi Qingzheng, if you dare to entertain such frivolous thoughts again, I'll discipline your father along with you!"

Qi Qingran ground her heel into her brother's foot with force. Qi Qingzheng seemed oblivious, lost in his thoughts—Is it her? Is it really her? She looks so similar, but why does she seem different? She has little dogs too, but she wouldn't cry like that. She... she... who is the girl I dreamed about?

By the time he snapped out of his reverie, Yang Dingtu had already walked away. The group of kids on the training ground was still waiting for him, ready to celebrate this rare "big victory."