Chapter Forty-Two: Sparring

Zhang Xuan was truly speechless at his eldest brother; what on earth was going through his mind? As expected, those who keep bad company are influenced; surely, Grandpa Tong had corrupted him. After all, this was the first time he was meeting Yuwen Chengdu, and the awkward atmosphere was far from ideal—it might even hinder his plan to recruit him into their circle. So Zhang Xuan stood up and said a few words. “First of all, my sexual orientation is perfectly normal; I’m only interested in women. I admit Yuwen is a handsome fellow, but I would never like a man. Besides, big brother, you’re quite handsome yourself, aren’t you? We’ve spent so much time together, and you’ve never seen me act strangely toward you. Secondly, I was just lost in thought just now. When I’m thinking, my eyes tend to fix straight ahead. As for what I was pondering, it certainly wasn’t men, so you can rest assured. Lastly, don’t measure my heart—which is as pure as blank paper—against your own sordid thoughts. That’s all I have to say.” Whether these words had any effect, the answer was clearly no, but that wasn’t Zhang Xuan’s concern. The others listened, and Yang Zaixing and Grandpa Tong each raised a fist, then their middle finger, indicating their disbelief.

Li Yan looked at this group and smiled knowingly. Perhaps this was the atmosphere he’d always desired—a gathering where everyone could chat and laugh without worries. As for the other subject of conversation, Yuwen Chengdu, he was rather reserved around strangers, remaining silent throughout, only laughing a few times at something amusing. By the end of the meal, his presence was even less noticeable than young Zhao Yun’s.

As the meal drew to a close, Grandpa Tong asked his senior brother Li Yan about his plans. After thinking for a moment, Li Yan said he would stay with the Yan family for a while, and invited Grandpa Tong to remain as well. Grandpa Tong nodded in agreement, saying he’d likely stay at the Yan household until spring. He then asked Zhang Xuan and the others about their intentions. Zhang Xuan and young Zhao Yun, both solitary souls, decided to stick with Grandpa Tong; after all, there was food, drink, and shelter—a wonderful arrangement. Yang Bo, Yang Zaixing, and Yang Hu, having nowhere else to go for the time being, chose to stay as well. Once their plans were settled, Grandpa Tong and Li Yan left the table, heading out to the courtyard—perhaps to discuss staying with his father-in-law, to spend time with family, or to arrange accommodation for Zhang Xuan and the others.

Once Grandpa Tong and Li Yan had departed, Zhang Xuan glared fiercely at his elder brother Yang Zaixing. “Big brother, you really didn’t give me any face just now. When we walked in earlier, I saw a training ground in the courtyard. We’ve just eaten, so strenuous exercise isn’t ideal—let’s rest a bit, then head to the training ground. I’ll show you what it means to suffer the consequences of your words. Believe me, I’ll beat you so badly you won’t know where north is.”

Yang Zaixing scoffed at Zhang Xuan’s challenge. “I don’t believe you. All this time, when have you ever beaten me? It’s only when I go easy on you that you manage to exchange a few moves. When I spar with you, I only use sixty percent of my strength. Looks like my leniency has emboldened your arrogance. Since you’re so eager for a beating, I won’t hold back this time. You won’t last ten moves against me. If you can’t, I’ll need to reconsider your training regimen. But I worry you’ll run away and not even show up.”

“Big brother, who are you looking down on? I would never chicken out!”

“Xuan, you’ve done that before, haven’t you?” Yang Zaixing said confidently, and Yang Hu nodded in agreement.

Zhang Xuan recalled for a moment—it seemed that he really had done that more than once, but he couldn’t let his spirit falter. “No way, you must be mistaken. Anyone can talk big, but there’s no point in arguing. It’s been ages since I’ve had such a good meal—actually, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so well. I’m stuffed, so let’s rest for a bit and then get serious. Ten moves? Big brother, who are you underestimating? Let’s make it a hundred moves at least, shall we? Yang Bo, you’ll be the witness.”

Yang Bo, after hearing their exchange, threw Zhang Xuan a look as if to say “good luck,” but privately, he suspected Zhang Xuan would probably find an excuse to avoid sparring, as he often did. At that moment, Zhang Xuan was busy chatting with Zhao Yun and missed Yang Bo’s glance. Yuwen Chengdu listened to the conversation between Zhang Xuan and Yang Zaixing, feeling a stirring in his heart; they were about the same age, and he wanted to join them in sparring. However, since he wasn’t familiar with them yet, he kept his thoughts to himself.

About a quarter of an hour later, Zhang Xuan and his companions arrived at the training ground, where people had already begun practicing. Noticing their arrival, some curious onlookers gathered around, unsure what they were up to.

Zhang Xuan stepped onto the field, making a show of warming up, then cast a disdainful glance at Yang Zaixing. “Do you want to test fists or spear skills? You pick.” Yang Zaixing was at a loss—where did his little brother get such confidence? After just a few months of training, he dared challenge him in both boxing and spear technique. Of course, except for one thing—running—Zhang Xuan’s escape skills really were unmatched. “Whatever, I’m fine with both. As long as it’s not spear versus fist, I’ll take you on. Or we could mix it up. Xuan, not to belittle you, but if you’d trained a bit longer, I might not say this. As you are now, you’re just not my match.” With that, Yang Zaixing extended his hand, curling his finger in invitation.

“Come to think of it, you’re probably right. I really can’t beat you yet—let me train some more, and we’ll settle it next time. Besides, fighting over and over gets dull. Big brother, the weather’s nice this afternoon, and since we just arrived, shouldn’t we go out and explore?”

“Xuan, you were so full of bravado just now, ready for a life-or-death duel, and now you’re backing out? Shame on you.” Zhao Yun had been looking forward to the showdown between Yang Zaixing and Zhang Xuan, but hadn’t expected Zhang Xuan to retreat. Yang Zaixing and Yang Bo, well accustomed to Zhang Xuan’s antics, exchanged “typical” looks.

Zhang Xuan glanced around, his gaze settling on Yuwen Chengdu. “Well, to live up to little Zhao Yun’s expectations, I might as well find some backup. Yuwen, how about you spar with my big brother? I bet you can beat him. Go on, it’s all yours.” Yuwen Chengdu looked at Zhang Xuan, pointed at himself, and mouthed “me?”

“Yes, you. I officially appoint you to spar with my big brother. Just don’t injure him, that’s all. Yang Bo, remember to call it if things go too far. I’ll stand aside and learn.” Zhang Xuan said, moving to Yuwen Chengdu’s side and pushing him toward the center of the field. Then he walked over to Zhao Yun, signaling that Yang Zaixing and Yuwen Chengdu could begin.