Chapter 898: Chapter 37 Batron Section_2
Yan Shi was startled and asked, "We can also participate?"
Tubari laughed, "Of course you can. Our Yalan tribe respects those with skills, and besides, all the contests come with rewards. The prize for the horseback riding contest is two fine horses. The wrestling contest offers the best reward; the winner can choose any unmarried girl over eighteen years old from any of the three tribes to take home as a wife, so the competition is extremely fierce. Many young men want to show off to everyone during this time, to win not only reputation but also the heart of their beloved. As for the archery contest, I believe the reward is money—rumor has it that it’s as much as fifty Gold Coins."
Hearing about the prize horses, everyone’s eyes immediately lit up, and Yan Li couldn’t wait as he said, "I, I’ll participate in the horseback riding contest, buddy, hurry and take me to sign up."
Tubari laughed heartily, "Brother, I haven’t seen your horse though!"
Yan Li was taken aback and sheepishly said, "I didn’t ride my horse here, what a pity. Ah—" he lowered his head in annoyance.
Tubari smiled heartily, "No problem, how about this, I’ll lend you one of my family’s horses, and if you win the contest, you’ll also be bringing honor to me."
Hearing this, Yan Li was overjoyed and said, "Great, then thank you so much, big brother."
Tubari took Yan Li to choose a horse and register. Yan Shi shook his head and said, "This kid! The moment he hears about horse racing, he gets overexcited." When they were in the Pu Yan tribe, Yan Li would always participate in horse races whenever there was one.
Xuan Yue giggled, "If Brother Yan Li wins, we’ll have horses to ride without spending any money. Isn’t that perfect?"
At that moment, the chieftains of the three tribes were conducting some kind of ceremony in the arena, which Ah Dai and the others couldn’t understand. Ah Dai’s attention was mostly focused on the fragrant roasted meat; eating was always one of the most important things for him. Although Yan Shi’s mood had brightened up in the past few days, he usually remained quiet. After the tragic death of his wife, he had become much more composed, and now his gaze was fixed on the three chieftains in the center of the arena. The most excited among them was Xuan Yue, who constantly looked around, soaking in the festival atmosphere of the Yalan tribe, indescribably delighted.
In a while, Tubari returned and said, "Brother Yan Li’s riding skills are really good! He could tell a good horse at a glance and picked the best one we had. I hope he can win this contest."
Ah Dai inquired, "Brother Tubari, how is the horseback riding contest conducted?"
Tubari explained, "It’s actually quite simple. Starting from here and heading east, there’s a red flag ten miles away. Whoever gets it first and brings it back wins. Although the rule is simple, the actual competition is very difficult. Even if you manage to get the red flag smoothly, you might not avoid being chased and blocked by other contestants. So, the first person to get the red flag is not necessarily the winner. I participated once five years ago and didn’t even see a shadow of the red flag, haha."
Tubari’s modesty made the trio like him even more. Ah Dai, who had seen Yan Li’s riding skills, confidently said, "Brother Yan Li will definitely make it. He is the best rider I have ever seen."
Tubari laughed, "I hope so. The horseback riding contest will start in a while. Let me take you to have some fun in the meantime. There’s an archery contest and a wrestling contest over there. Let’s go take a look."
Sure enough, several spaces had been cleared out in the arena, with the largest one having ten targets all at a distance of over 500 meters. The other areas were taken over by dozens of wrestling rings. The Yalan tribe’s archery contest measured accuracy, while the wrestling contest was a bit more complicated. Anyone could participate; as long as they defeated three people in a row, they could move on to the next round until a final winner emerged. Led by Tubari, the three stepped into the open area. With a large crowd watching the contest, Ah Dai, concerned for Xuan Yue’s safety, took her small hand and kept her protected in the crook of his arm.
As expected, most people were gathered around the wrestling competition, packed in layers that were hard to squeeze through. The body odor mixed with the smell of cattle and sheep from the Yalan people made it difficult for the trio to adapt. Yan Shi spoke to Tubari, "Let’s go to the archery side instead, it’s just too crowded here."
Tubari smiled apologetically, "Indeed! Who doesn’t want to become a warrior and win a beauty? All these young men feel that way." As they spoke, the group extricated themselves from the crowd and made their way to the archery field nearby. There were far fewer people here; the five-hundred-meter distant targets appeared as tiny black dots. It was incredibly challenging not only to aim but even to shoot at such range. Even those with profound qi-strength would struggle to draw a bow capable of a straight five-hundred-meter range. Therefore, competitors usually chose bows with lighter pull and aimed using a parabolic trajectory. Although there were fewer competitors here, each was an archery expert, and arrows flew towards the distant targets like locusts.
Tubari explained, "This year, it seems that fewer than fifty people have joined the archery contest. In the first round, each person gets ten arrows, and the ten most accurate shooters advance to the second round to compete for the final victory. The contest just started; do you want to give it a try?" Saying this, he turned his gaze to Yan Shi. With his tall and powerful build, Tubari was curious to see what skills these outsiders possessed. However, to his surprise, Yan Shi shook his head, seemingly uninterested in the contest.
