Be Modest,My Master of Imperial Guards

Chapter 20 She Was Born Competitive

Gu Yunxi and Xiao Xiaoshen happily ran to the Training Field, where the wooden targets were standing.

Xiao Xiaoshen brought a bow and a bunch of Xuanyu arrows and brought the buckskin backpack directly over his shoulder. Then the bow was handed to Gu Yunxi.

Gu Yunxi was almost turned a somersault by the bow.

The first genuine experience, Too heavy.

Xiao Xiaoshen smiled with arms akimbo, and then began to explain in detail,

"The materials used to build the bows in our Eastern Depot are the finest birch in the wood. You can see here. The inside of the bow arm paster is the unique buffalo horn slice in the water town of Nan Province. The most resilient beef ribs are used to make strings. Finally, cast the most moisture-proof paint. Such a great bow in hand, naturally there will be some weight!"

When he had finished speaking, he took an arrow with a falcon feather from the buckskin sleeve on his back.

"Arrows of the Eastern Depot are different from those of the Military Ministry. They are made of black feathers. And there are castings on the arrows. It's here. You must remember." Xiao Xiaoshen pointed at the sharp arrow and showed Gu Yunxi small words on it.

Sure enough, she saw a line of small engraved steel prints on it, Cast by the Eastern Depot.

At that time, Xiao Xiaoshen put the Xuanyu arrow onto the bow in Gu Yunxi's hands and set it up. He helped her to straighten the bow and took a straight posture,

"Now do as what I do. Legs apart, steady steps."

Gu Yunxi obediently followed it.

"Good, very well, you must stand firm! Hold the bow in this hand, and tightly squeeze the arrow feather in this hand... Ok, stay still!"

Xiao Xiaoshen stopped his posture and looked around at Gu Yunxi. Feeling that her posture was fine, he continued to command,

"Pull the string hard. Harder!"

Gu Yunxi followed.

It was weird! She saw the soldiers under the stage pulling the bow easily. But when she did the same thing herself, why was this bow not obedient?

With all her strength, the string made of the beef tendon wasn't pulled out a few inches.

She was exhausted, and both of her arms were fatigued. At the moment when the force was relaxed, the sharp arrow on the bowstring flew out immediately and headed into the dirt powerlessly.

Xiao Xiaoshen tried to comfort,

"Take it easy! Those arrows are heavy. You may not have enough strength since this is the first time you practice it, but it will get better as time goes by."

"It doesn't matter. Practice one more time!"

Gu Yunxi was full of spirit and was not discouraged at all. After taking the second arrow from Xiao Xiaoshen, she put the long arrow on the bow arm as he taught before and grabbed the arrow feather to pull the string hard.

Indeed, as Xiao Xiaoshen said before, the bow made by the finest birch wood was relatively heavy. For a weak girl like Gu Yunxi, it was not an easy thing for her to pull the bow in one hand and hold the arrow in the other hand. She already felt backache after only three shots, and both of her arms were as weak as soft doughy noodles.

Each of the arrows she shot was inserted into the ground less than two meters in front, which didn't touch the edge of the wood target, not to mention the bull's-eye.

Gu Yunxi sat down on the ground and wiped her sweat with panting.

Xiao Xiaoshen squatted next to her and kept comforting,

"You're amazing. You did it for the first time, and it was so far! Yunxi, you don't need to think too much. You belong to the Master. He will do anything to protect you. Why are you pushing yourself so hard!?"

Gu Yunxi frowned directly at the wood target in front of her, and wiped the sweat on her forehead again,

"You don't understand! The Master always protects me from everything, so I can't rely on him! It's my own path, so I have to stick to it. You don't want me to be supported by the Master for the rest of my life, do you?"

Xiao Xiaoshen scratched his backside of the head for a moment and couldn't help laughing, "You are right! Well, you have an ambition, little girl!"

"Of course! Everyone in the Eastern Depot has great ambitions! Now you can just look at me this time and leave me alone!"

Gu Yunxi gulped and stood up, holding the bow and keeping shooting. Soon, the full set of arrows ran out. Xiao Xiaoshen asked the guard to fetch another set and put it on Gu Yunxi's back while teaching her how to fetch the arrows on the back. A figure in blue stood with his hands clasped behind his back on the observation platform gazed at Gu Yunxi, who was practicing hard at the corner of the Training Field. With the long hem of his embroidered robe was blown to the air by the breeze, rustling and fluttering. His long narrow eyes were flashing brightly with satisfaction and praise.

Chiliarch Cheng Wanli and Leng Qingtang stood side by side, looking in the direction of the Master, smiled and nodded,

"This girl is very competitive! It seems that she doesn't need too much protection from the Master!"

Leng Qingtang smiled and said nothing, stepping downstairs.

"Master!" The school guards saw Leng Qingtang and bowed down to him.

Leng Qingtang went straight to the place where Gu Yunxi was practicing.

Xiao Xiaoshen stood up in a hurry from the sand and greeted the Master, and then stepped behind back to his master, Cheng Wanli.

"The Master..."

Gu Yunxi was flustered and even forgot to salute when she suddenly saw Leng Qingtang coming. Especially, when she found that he was staring at her with a spurious smile and a very funny expression while she was holding the bow in one hand, arrow in the other, she blushed.

"Want to learn archery?" He asked with arms around, looking directly at her little face blushed and wet with sweat.

"Yes!"

Gu Yunxi wiped her face and responded straightforward.

Her determined attitude was not matched her childish face but in Leng Qingtang's sight, she was more lovely.

"Silly..."

He was about to say "Silly girl" but suddenly realized that many guards were in the presence, so he quickly altered,

"Silly prentice, archery and martial arts have pretty much in common. Rome was not built in a day. Come here. I will teach you!"

Leng Qingtang then approached, took the bow from Gu Yunxi's hand, and took off the arrow bag on her back with one hand.

"What are you doing?" She was unwilling and reached out, trying to stop him.

"It's too heavy. Do not carry it!" His tone was firm without any negotiation.

Throwing the arrow bag to a guard, Leng Qingtang held only one Xuanyu arrow in his hand, and he was teaching Gu Yunxi while he was posing.

"Feet apart and pay attention to the distance between your feet. Hold the bow in your left hand and align shoulders with target ahead... Tilt your left foot slightly inwards..."

When the arrow was on the string, Leng Qingtang deliberately moved a few fingers on his right hand to attract apprentices' attention. He took a look at the target in front of him and then turned his head to her and said,

"Look here! Buckle the string with your index, middle finger, and ring finger. When the left arm is pushing forward, the right arm is pulling backward..."

Gu Yunxi stood by and looked carefully.

Under the burning sun, the dazzling light hit the white earth, drawing a magnificent slender shadow, who was holding up the bow and pulling the string to the fullest. At this moment, Leng Qingtang's face looked solemn. He slightly narrowed his eyes and stared at the bull's eye.

His eyes suddenly flashed a sharp beam of light. With his mouth half-opened, he shouted, "Shoot!"

The moment when the fingers were released, the Xuanyu arrow was turned into a beam of white light and flashed straight out, until it stopped at the center of the target. The arrow quivered for a moment before it stopped moving.

"Amazing Kungfu, Master! "

"Great skill!"

There was a moment of silence on the field. After the crowd came to themselves, a burst of praise and cheers broke out.

Leng Qingtang had special skills with a solid foundation in martial arts. Archery was something like a game for him. However, those who were excited to give their applause and cried for the cheering were flattering the Master.

Gu Yunxi was amazed and widened her eyes in surprise, staring at the Xuanyu arrow on the wooden target in the distance.

"Wow, I... I could hardly see it clearly..."

She stammered and whispered, knowing that she was distracted just because she had focused her attention on the Master.

Leng Qingtang smiled disapprovingly, beckoning to her, "Yunxi, come here!"

Gu Yunxi came close to Leng Qingtang, looking apprehensive.

It was her turn. There had been more and more guards around, including everyone she knew, captains and Xiao Xiaoshen, so she began to worry about herself to make a fool of herself.

"It's okay. Just do as what I did just now."

Leng Qingtang knew Gu Yunxi's concerns and whispered. He turned his body and spread his arms. The strong and athletic body totally covered small and slender Gu Yunxi as if he had been holding her in his arms.

The pure and fresh gasps continuously and quietly flew into the Gu Yunxi's nose.

She was aware that her back was pressing against his firm chest, and she could clearly feel the warmth of the skin through layers of clothing and the heartbeats deep under that piece of skin.

At this moment, she blushed.

"What are you thinking about?"

Suddenly, a curious question rang out above his head.

From the change of strength in her hand, Leng Qingtang noticed that she was absent-minded, and then he said with an accentuated tone,

"Look up! Keep your eyes in line with arrows and targets. Pay attention. Don't Blink."

He and she were holding a bow with four hands together. Both of his powerful hands helped her pull the string slowly.

Cheng Wanli stood beside and gazed quietly at the close-fitting couple of Leng Qingtang and Gu Yunxi.

In his eyes, the man was tall and handsome and the woman was charming and delicate. They seemed like a perfect match, but...

Vaguely, Cheng Wanli thought of something with a gradually dark and gloomy expression.

"Great! Great!"

The applause awakened the Chiliarch, who fell into solitary contemplation. While concentrating, Gu Yunxi held her bow in the air, and a Xuanyu arrow was pinned on the target.

Cheng Wanli was incredulous. He shook his head hard with his eyes closed and then opened. He looked at it again. Although the arrow didn't hit the bull's eye, it was just hit the target.

On the field, Gu Yunxi got dizzy with success and was shouting with the people surrounding her. She raised her bow and jumped around the Master happily,

"Wow! I made it! I did it! Master, I did it! Did you see that!"

Leng Qingtang smiled silently, quietly peered his eyes with a spoiled expression, and gazed at her while she was constantly screaming and jumping.

Cheng Wanli sighed lightly and shook his head helplessly. He understood by heart that Gu Yunxi could make that because of their kind-hearted Master, who helped her secretly with internal strength. The purpose was pretty simple, just to make her happy, let her feel more satisfaction and pride in success. It seemed that he would be happy if she was happy.

That Master was more childish...

Gu Yunxi took another arrow from guard and was stopped by Leng Qingtang before she was about to put it on the string,

"It's enough for today."

"I am just getting started. I need to practice a little bit more! I'm going to hit the bull's eye!"

"Stop when it's getting better. Practice next time! Let's go back. You're not hungry, but I'm starved!"

He grabbed the bow and arrow and poked gently on her forehead with his index finger. He smiled gently with his thin rosy lips.

Her hands became warm. It turned out that he had held her hand.

Gu Yunxi felt panic in her heart, and her face that had just calmed down blushed again.

Her eyes, as clear as the water, were tossing and turning. She lowered her head and stopped looking at him. She let him hold her hand and take her all the way forward, like a little lamb.

Guards flashed to both sides to make way for them. Pairs of bright eyes were staring at them. However, the Master beside seemed to enjoy it a lot and took her leisurely.

Cheng Wanli frowned and followed the Master behind, keeping walking at a distance with the pair side by side. He coughed once or twice while walking.

Just finished his drama in front of Ming Lan, they were close and sweet now! "My Master, you're not making this real, are you? Not to mention to be her father, you could be her uncle, judging from your age.

Leng Qingtang didn't seem to have heard Chiliarch's prompts, just to walk forward with Gu Yunxi with his handsome face full of cheerful smiles.