In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

Just as everyone was getting excited, another figure strode out from the ranks.

This time, there was no trace of contempt, but rather an excitement at the prospect of sparring with a master.

The newcomer was dressed in light armor, carrying a large bow made of ox horn on his back. His posture was nimble and upright, and although his eyebrows and eyes were arrogant, he could not hide the burning passion and excitement in his eyes.

It was none other than Wei Shuo, the renowned archer in the army.

Wei Shuo stepped forward at this moment with the heart of a pure warrior. He had seen countless fierce generals on the battlefield, but he had never seen anyone who could use a powerful and heavy sword to create such a powerful and unstoppable force that combined strength and flexibility.

He was itching to have a match; such a high-level duel was a rare opportunity, and he wanted to have a fair and square showdown.

Wei Shuo bowed steadily to the reviewing stand, his voice clear and frank: "General, your swordsmanship is unparalleled, I am truly impressed! I am not skilled in swordsmanship, but I have practiced archery since childhood. I dare to challenge you to a contest of archery!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a great deal of discussion began to take place below.

"The Imperial Guard Captain's archery skills are legendary in the army; he can hit a target from a hundred paces away without ever missing!"

"Our commander's skill with a sword doesn't mean he's also a master archer; those are completely different skills!"

"This is going to be interesting. I wonder if the commander-in-chief can create another miracle?"

"I think our commander will definitely crush him." This person was clearly a newly minted, mindless fan, shouting in a hoarse voice, "The commander will win—"

Surprisingly, this sparked a lot of blind following, with shouts of "The General will win!" echoing throughout the venue.

Cui Yutang stood on the command platform, tossed the Green Dragon Crescent Blade to his right, and it precisely entered the weapon slot. His silver armor reflected the brilliant morning light, and a slight smile appeared on his lips as he uttered only one word.

"Can."

The entire venue erupted in cheers once again.

A hundred paces away, three wooden frames were erected in succession, pulled by soldiers on horseback, their tracks unpredictable and extremely difficult to pinpoint.

Even seasoned sharpshooters in the military might not be able to hit the bullseye with a single arrow against such a moving target, let alone hit it with all three.

Wei Shuo stepped forward, took the longbow handed to him by his personal guard, and his posture was relaxed and experienced.

He concentrated for a moment, discerned the wind and positioned himself, drew the bow, nocked the arrow, and released it—his movements were fluid and seamless.

call out!call out!call out!

Three arrows were fired in quick succession, their piercing sound cutting through the air sharp and shrill.

Three arrows pierced precisely the bullseye of three swaying wooden targets, their fletchings trembling uncontrollably.

"Excellent! Excellent archery!"

Cheers erupted from the troops, and morale soared once again.

Wei Shuo sheathed his bow, turned to the side, and looked up at the command platform. "This humble general has made a fool of himself. Please enlighten me, Commander."

On the high platform, Cui Yutang raised his hand and took a large bow that was entirely black, seemingly made of a fusion of thousand-year-old cold iron and ancient wood, with dark golden cloud patterns faintly flowing on its surface.

Wei Shuo's gaze fell on the large bow in his hand, his eyes widened like copper bells, and his whole body trembled.

"General, could this be the legendary Flying General's magic bow?"

Cui Yutang raised an eyebrow with satisfaction at his discerning eye, and calmly nodded amidst his fervent excitement.

No one saw when he nocked the arrows; they only saw his fingertips twitch slightly, and three long arrows were simultaneously nocked on the bowstring.

He holds a bow in one hand and pulls the string with the other, his arms outstretched, his posture upright and sharp.

Cui Yutang's eyes narrowed slightly as he instantly discerned the air currents from three different directions, accurately locking onto the bullseye that was being pulled along by a horse.

The next second, they let go.

The three sharp, piercing sounds overlapped, almost indistinguishable in sequence.

call out--!

Three arrows shot through the air in parallel, moving so fast that only three afterimages remained, and with perfect accuracy, they simultaneously struck the center of three moving targets.

Wei Shuo's three-arrow volley was already at the top level in the army.

Cui Yutang, on the other hand, fired three arrows simultaneously, all striking the moving bullseye in an instant.

It completely outclasses other sports in terms of difficulty, speed, and accuracy.

The entire stadium fell silent for a moment, then erupted in deafening cheers, even more surging and fervent than before!

"The General's divine skill!!"

"Three arrows hitting the target simultaneously! This is simply divine skill!"

Wei Shuo stared blankly at the target in the distance, paused for a few moments, then burst into hearty laughter, strode forward, and bowed deeply.

This bow was made with heartfelt admiration.

"This humble general has been proud of his archery skills for half his life, but today I realize that there are always those more skilled than you! Your Excellency's abilities are beyond my comprehension; I am utterly convinced! From now on, I will serve you faithfully and obey your every command!"

In two battles, his sword and horse overwhelmed the fierce generals, and his archery skills were unparalleled in the entire army.

From then on, no one dared to question Cui Yutang's abilities.

All suspicion, all contempt, and all dissatisfaction with civil officials commanding troops were utterly crushed by two battles of sheer strength.

Tens of thousands of soldiers looked up in unison at their silver-armored young commander on the high platform, their eyes filled with nothing but awe and trust.

Cui Yutang raised his hand, suppressing the clamor.

A pair of deep, phoenix-shaped eyes swept across the densely packed military formation, across the dark, resolute faces devoid of doubt, and his voice, clear and expansive, carrying with it pure inner strength, resounded throughout the entire training ground.

"My lords!"

"Today, I, Cui, am not competing to display my personal bravery, but simply to show everyone—in this battle, we are not passively going to our deaths!"

"The Southwest is the territory of the Great Tang Dynasty, and territory is dignity. The dignity of the Great Tang Dynasty will not tolerate rebellious traitors carving up and encroaching upon it! The people of the Southwest are also subjects of the Great Tang Dynasty, and will not tolerate the slaughter and trampling of bandits!"

"If we retreat and avoid war today, the flames of war will surely advance eastward step by step, burning through mountains and rivers, bringing calamity to your homelands and homes, and harming your parents, wives, children, and elderly relatives!"

"We donned armor and took up arms, venturing far to the southwest, solely to safeguard the Tang Dynasty's territory, protect its people, and secure its land!"

"Cui Yutang hereby swears: In this battle, I will advance and retreat with the entire army, sharing both joy and sorrow! I will be the first to brave dangerous terrain and the first to fight the toughest battles! I will not return to the capital until the rebel army is defeated and the southwest is pacified!"

As the words fell, his lofty ambition shook the heavens.

Tens of thousands of soldiers were filled with fervent passion, their backs straightened, fists clenched, arms raised, and their roars echoed across the heavens and earth.

"Defend the territory of the Tang Dynasty! Our dignity cannot be violated! We will not return home until the rebels are defeated!"

The roar was deafening, causing banners to flutter wildly and birds to flee for miles.

The morale of the troops was completely united.

The army retreated in an orderly fashion. Cui Yutang removed his armor and changed into a neat blue-black casual outfit.

Although he still appeared to be a young master from a noble family, he subtly exuded an aura of authority and menacing power. He avoided the crowd, using his lightness skill to circle directly behind her.

"My lady, are you satisfied with my performance today?" Cui Yutang approached step by step, a hint of doting smile on his lips.

When Xie Yige saw him approaching, she deliberately raised her small face, but her eyes couldn't hide her smile.

"General Cui was quite imposing today, barely passing grade." She slightly raised her chin, looking extremely arrogant.

"It's passable, enough to fool those soldiers who don't know you well."

Cui Yutang chuckled softly, leaned close to her ear, and said in a low, languid voice, "It seems I'll have to step up my game tonight."

Before he finished speaking, his large hand had already slipped under her knees and lifted her up in one swift motion.

She exclaimed "Ah!" and fell into his arms.

He pressed his forehead against hers, his voice filled with triumphant laughter and blatant ambiguity.

"Tonight, you can choose any position you like—we'll have an in-depth conversation until you're satisfied."