Chapter Forty-Three: A Draw

Yang Zaixing and Yuwen Chengdu both glanced at Zhang Xuan, utterly speechless at his maneuver. Then, turning to his opponent, Yang Zaixing took a deep breath and addressed Yuwen Chengdu: “I can tell you’ve had proper training. At the dinner table earlier, I thought it would be interesting to spar with you, but I didn’t expect it to happen like this—quite dramatic, really. Thank you for the match.” Yuwen Chengdu nodded in acknowledgment. Yang Bo looked at the two, while those originally on the field had already become spectators at the front. He said, “Let’s keep it friendly,” then gestured to both sides. They responded, and the duel officially began.

Watching from the sidelines, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but wonder: Is this really the ‘butterfly effect’ I caused? Or are these two really just people with the same names? After pondering for a while, he dismissed the thought—it was useless to dwell on it, and thinking too much just gave him a headache. Since he was here, he might as well go with the flow; if things truly became chaotic, so be it.

Zhang Xuan found a stool in the courtyard, dragged it over, and asked the onlookers if there were any sunflower seeds or peanuts—he didn’t even bother asking about popcorn. But the locals had no idea what this young man was talking about, so Zhang Xuan gave up. He even felt a bit nostalgic; back then, he’d hated hearing the calls on the green train for sunflower seeds, peanuts, eight-treasure porridge, or fast food. If they had any, he’d have bought out the whole cart. Now he could only reminisce. So he sat upright on the side, awaiting the start of the battle.

He looked to his left—his eldest brother, Yang Zaixing. If time really had become scrambled, this was a famous figure from history, a renowned general who fought against the Jin invaders, wielded a golden spear, and possessed extraordinary martial prowess. Originally a subordinate of Cao Cheng, he later surrendered to Yue Fei and became one of his commanders, fighting bravely against the Jin army. He once tried to capture Jin Wuzhu single-handedly, failed but still managed to escape alone. Later, he led troops to rout the Jin soldiers, killed several foreign generals, and while pursuing the fleeing Jin forces, attempted to take a shortcut to annihilate them—but mistakenly entered Xiaoshang River...

Looking to his right—Yuwen Chengdu, the second-ranked hero among the Eighteen Heroes of the Sui-Tang era. Emperor Yang had appointed him as the Grand General of the Sui Dynasty, bestowed upon him the gold plaque declaring him “the bravest, undefeated under heaven.” He had defeated the fifth-ranked Wu Yun Zhao at Nanyang Pass, and at Siping Mountain, bested the fourth-ranked Xiong Kuohai, Wu Yun Zhao, and the sixth-ranked Wu Tianxi, even when they joined forces against him. He was truly a formidable figure.

Both men possessed exceptional martial skills and striking looks—the creator surely favored them. Yet, it seemed both their stories ended in tragedy. As Zhang Xuan recalled their images from his memory, the sparring match between Yang Zaixing and Yuwen Chengdu was about to begin.

Neither chose a weapon; they started the first round barehanded. The exchange was intense, neither gaining the upper hand, and the spectacle was truly impressive. However, Zhang Xuan, having seen countless scenes of fantasy and martial arts duels, found these fights a bit dull. He wondered if his own sparring sessions with his brothers had been just as boring—no wonder Old Man Tong always slipped away, refusing to watch, perhaps finding it tedious as well.

Halfway through, Zhang Xuan already lost interest. At this rate, the two might fight until exhaustion without any resolution. Yet, seeing the crowd grow larger and knowing he had a prime viewing spot, he felt reluctant to give it up, a bit conflicted. He considered learning something from their sparring, but after watching so long, hadn’t absorbed anything—he hadn’t studied the Nine Yang Divine Skill, nor possessed a prodigious memory. Such thoughts were dangerous and best abandoned.

He glanced at little Zhao Yun and Yang Hu, who were watching the duel with rapt attention. The others crowded around, cheering now and then. Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but think, “A group of children who haven’t seen much of the world—how pitiful!” Yet despite his complaints and lack of interest, opportunities to witness such ‘master’ duels—especially ones crossing eras—were rare. So, after venting, Zhang Xuan continued to rest his chin in his hands and watch the fight.

He didn’t know how much time passed, but it felt like a long while. Then, Yang Zaixing and Yuwen Chengdu struck each other’s chest simultaneously, both falling to the ground and gazing up at the sky, not rising for a long time. Yang Bo, acting as the referee, approached them, first asking Yang Zaixing if he wanted to continue. Yang Zaixing shook his head, saying he was spent. He then asked Yuwen Chengdu, who gave the same reply. Thus, the bout ended in a draw—whether it was truly so, that’s how it appeared to the others.

The crowd gradually dispersed, returning to their own affairs. Yang Zaixing and Yuwen Chengdu lay on the ground for a while before Yang Zaixing sat up first, looking at Yuwen Chengdu: “Kid, how long have you been training? Your skills are decent—better than little Xuan here.”

Yuwen Chengdu, hearing this, struggled to sit up: “When I was young, I fooled around a bit. Last year I met my master and have been training with him ever since.”

Zhang Xuan came over, with Zhao Yun following behind carrying two cups of water, which he handed to the two men. Yang Zaixing affectionately patted Zhao Yun’s head, and Yuwen Chengdu thanked him as well.

“Big brother, did you enjoy the fight? If not, how about you and me spar now? Don’t hold back—at least I won’t. Heh heh,” Zhang Xuan shamelessly suggested to Yang Zaixing.

“Go find somewhere cool to sit,” Yang Zaixing was drinking water and nearly spat it out. “I don’t want to fight with you. If you want a match, go spar with Brother Hu, not me. Maybe tomorrow, though—wanna try?”

“Let’s just forget it then.”

“How can you put things off until tomorrow, big brother? You know the saying: ‘Do today’s work today.’ And ‘Tomorrow and tomorrow—how many tomorrows are there?’ You can’t use tomorrow as an excuse. Come on, it’s rare for me to take the initiative to challenge you—it’s your chance to beat me up. Such opportunities are fleeting, big brother, so you have to seize them!” Zhang Xuan continued his lively persuasion, addressing the seated Yang Zaixing and Yuwen Chengdu.

“Little Xuan, drop it. Today, I admit defeat, all right? Didn’t you say a real man knows when to yield and when to stand tall? And listen—while you can laugh, laugh more. In the coming days, I hope you’ll still be as happy as you are now.” Yang Zaixing stood, dusted off his clothes, and extended his hand to Yuwen Chengdu. “Glad to meet you. Will you be staying here for a while?”

“My master said we’ll likely be here for many days. I heard at dinner you’ll also be staying for some time. Please look after me during this period.” Yuwen Chengdu took Yang Zaixing’s hand, rising with his help.