This time, Shang Ruyi couldn’t bring herself to cheer.
Such archery skills, didn’t need to be praised with cheers, and moreover, this scene reminded her of the night before last, standing on the opposite riverbank, always parallel with that point of icy light.
At that time, it was Hua Ziyang who kept aiming arrows at her , eventually forcing her onto Huangtu Ridge!
She didn’t consider herself a petty person, but that memory was too oppressive, always making her uncomfortable, so she turned around to leave.
But just as she turned, Hua Ziyang’s voice came from behind—
"Madam, how does my archery compare to your husband’s?"
Shang Ruyi’s steps halted.
She slowly turned back, only to see Hua Ziyang had already put down the longbow and Arrow Tube, walking towards her. As he approached, she could feel the steam rising from his body; in such a bitter cold snowbound place, he still managed to sweat heavily, showing how diligent he was.
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said: "In literature, there is no first; in martial arts, there is no second."
"To compete in literature, you can ask others, but to compete in martial arts, you have to personally engage."
Hua Ziyang slightly raised his eyebrows, probably surprised that she didn’t favor her husband due to her wife’s identity, nor did she flatter and yield because she was in an enemy camp; instead, she spoke some profound words.
When he looked at Shang Ruyi again, his gaze had become more solemn.
He said: "Madam is an expert."
Shang Ruyi said: "I wouldn’t call myself an expert, just have some personal insights."
As she spoke, she looked at the row of targets and arrows hitting the bullseye in the courtyard behind Hua Ziyang, and then said: "Mr. Hua, you’re still practicing at this time, unwilling to relax for a moment. It seems you certainly want to compete with my husband?"
Hua Ziyang said: "To compete with Yu Wenye, who repelled the Turkic army with one arrow, is my wish."
"But, my husband is already missing; your wish, I’m afraid, will fall through."
Hua Ziyang raised his head and looked around. This Warehouse City was vast enough, built on the endless Huangtu Ridge. People’s sight was limited, only able to see the scenery before them, but people’s thoughts could fly everywhere in this place. Hua Ziyang seemed to see thousands of miles away, and when he pulled back his gaze, his eyes were even more fervent.
He said: "I have a feeling Yu Wenye is still on Huangtu Ridge."
"He’s definitely somewhere on Huangtu Ridge; it’s just that we haven’t found him yet—but, it should be soon."
"Because my arrow is itching to move."
For some unknown reason, when Xiao Yuansui sent people everywhere to search, and Kou Junliang watched like a hawk at Luokou Ferry, Shang Ruyi didn’t feel anything, but that simple sentence from Hua Ziyang gave her an inexplicable shudder.
However, she quickly covered up her momentary lapse, smiling faintly: "Maybe."
Without waiting for Hua Ziyang to say anything further, she turned and left.
Back in that room, she didn’t go out again, but the increasingly tense atmosphere outside seeped through the cracks in the door and windows, trying all means to reach her, making her feel restless and uneasy.
But this unease was not brought by the missing Yu Wenye.
Instead, it was born from within Xingluo Warehouse City itself.
After a night’s sleep, the next morning, as soon as Shang Ruyi opened her eyes, she heard voices in the courtyard outside. It seemed to be the guards keeping watch outside and a few noisy women.
"Do you think this time, Lu Yong won’t clash with the leader?"
"Hard to say, they’ve been at odds for a long time."
"In my opinion, the camp has indeed become a bit greedy. This time, when they went to attack Xingluo Granary, they didn’t put out a single cent, but the grain was carted back load after load. Who would be happy with that?"
"I say, why should the leader’s hard-won Xingluo Granary support those idlers?"
They said more, but Shang Ruyi couldn’t hear it after a while. After a moment, she heard someone push the door and come in. As she rose to look, it was the woman who had brought her clothes in the bathhouse earlier. At this moment, she carried a neatly folded set of clothes to the bedside and said coolly: "Madam, the leader asked me to bring clothes for you. Hurry and get up if you’re awake; the food is ready."
Shang Ruyi nodded and said: "Thank you."
The woman said nothing more, turned, and left. When Shang Ruyi looked down, she saw she had brought a slightly newer set of clothes; the material seemed better and warmer than before.