Winning Is All That Matters

"Director Zhao, you're back."

Jiang Qiu casually wiped the sweat from his face, rose quickly, and walked over. In his eyes, Zhao Gongzheng's weathered face looked like an old locust tree wrinkling with age, his cloudy pupils like black stones sunk into mud.

"Mm, Teacher Wu Shan already told you about the Heavenly Prodigy Project, right?" Bloodshot veins hid at the corners of Zhao Gongzheng's eyes, and it was as though his mouth were pinned beneath ten thousand pounds of stone. He could only squeeze a trace of vitality from his chest. "The Military Department originally said they might add one more spot for the Heavenly Prodigy Project. Tomorrow morning, you'll compete with Liu Yong from No.1 Middle School. Whoever wins will advance to the Military Department for testing.

"I know your potential is tremendous. Once you enter Northwest University, you'll have plenty of time to learn the way of the bow. With Dual Cultivation of Spear and Bow, you won't be inferior to anyone. But for you, after only two days of bow training, to defeat Liu Yong, who has already begun learning archery... that's practically impossible.

"This is unfair. I also hope the Military Department will change its eligibility requirements and conditions. But in reality, the Military Department has to allocate resources to help Tianshan City resist the Crimson Flame Spider Matriarch. Even students who had already joined the Heavenly Prodigy Project can't receive the same resources as before, and many of them can't get Bow Su Xiang at all.

"This chance to join the Heavenly Prodigy Project is difficult to obtain. Even if Liu Yong defeats you, there's a ninety-percent chance he won't pass the Military Department's later tests."

Jiang Qiu's pupils trembled. His dry throat could not even swallow a mouthful of saliva. "So the Heavenly Prodigy Project can't actually add another spot?"

"No."

Zhao Gongzheng looked deeply at Jiang Qiu. "General Mo may not fully believe what I said, but once he gives his word, he won't go back on it. It's just that the Military Department's testing standards are exceptionally high—high enough that they're offering a portion of Bow Su Xiang as a reward, along with access to the Virtual Training Pod.

"Rewards of this level usually mean they intend to train someone against the standards of the Ten Great Heavenly Prodigies. Out of more than a hundred top geniuses, only a dozen or so can seize such an opportunity.

"And as long as you pass the test, you can obtain it without competing against anyone or facing any other challenges."

After a pause, Zhao Gongzheng shook his head heavily. "If Tianshan City's battle situation weren't so urgent, and the resource allocation demands weren't so great, General Mo might have agreed to my testing proposal. He has always valued those with talent.

"But now, not only are the Military Department's martial arts resources tight, No.1 Middle School also happens to have Liu Yong applying for the Heavenly Prodigy Project. That's why you're facing this situation.

"I acted too hastily."

The moment his words fell, Jiang Qiu's chest shook. His lips parted slightly, then closed again. Zhao Gongzheng's complexion seemed like grass ash scattered by the wind. He sighed softly. "Archery cannot be mastered in a day. Don't rush and injure yourself because of my mistake. Treat tomorrow morning's match with Liu Yong as a friendly martial exchange.

"Afterward, rest and adjust for a few days. I'll have Teacher Wu Shan train you in archery, then ask friends in the Central Plains Province Region and Jiangnan Province Region to help look around for any remaining Su Xiang or other martial arts resources.

"That is all I can do. Get a good night's rest, and don't force yourself to practice archery anymore."

Tap, tap.

A broad hand gently patted Jiang Qiu's right shoulder. He clenched his fist and met Zhao Gongzheng's profound gaze. After a moment of silence, his Bright Sight dimmed like a shooting star vanishing into darkness. "Alright."

The Military Department's resources were tight, and the Heavenly Prodigy Project's testing standards were extremely high. It seemed that no matter who won tomorrow, they might not obtain a spot.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It was time to return to the life path set before him and prepare for the college entrance examination.

It was as though Director Zhao's efforts over the past two days had all been meaningless. There was no need to fight over tomorrow's victory or defeat.

Thump, thump, thump—

Jiang Qiu's heart pounded against his chest like a great drum, each beat heavier than the last. Scorching blood surged through his limbs and bones, and the sensation of blood qi roiling after drawing the bow rose to the crown of his head, stirring old memories.

Back then, my parents had hoped I would get into high school too.

They thought I was clever because I could speak when I was only a month old, that I was someone with exceptional talent. In private, they lamented that the family was poor and my gifts were going to waste, yet they were also happy to have had me. They looked forward to me getting into high school—what if I even got into Northwest Martial Arts University?

But they died. They never even saw me put on a high school uniform.

Now, Director Zhao has helped me so much. He hopes I can enter the Heavenly Prodigy Project and begin with better conditions.

Yet it seems all that effort is about to come to nothing, yielding to fate and circumstance.

Even I can't seize this chance to enter the Heavenly Prodigy Project, obtain more resources to practice archery, make further breakthroughs in martial arts, improve further with the Ancient Martial Spear, and even pursue Dual Cultivation of Spear and Bow.

Were yesterday and today's high-intensity bow training all for nothing?

No.

If I haven't given it everything I have, then it doesn't count as losing!

With that thought, Jiang Qiu clenched his trembling fist. His eyes shone like pearls freed from dust. "Director Zhao, I'll win tomorrow, and then I'll take the Military Department's test!"

"..." Zhao Gongzheng's eye twitched. Meeting the youth's blazing gaze, his own dull stone-like eyes seemed to face a spearpoint, and his heart trembled. "Good, good, good. A young man's spirit is wild and unyielding; with wings upon a tiger's ribs, he soars beneath the sun. I did not misjudge you.

"Go back and rest well tonight. Tomorrow morning, give it everything you have. Even if your archery is temporarily inferior to Liu Yong's, in my eyes, drawing the bow already counts as victory."

"Alright."

The [Black Flood Dragon] bow was hung on the wooden rack. Jiang Qiu clenched his fist and walked out of the archery range, a sharp gleam in his eyes like sun and moon piercing the sky.

Without reaching the beginner level, without being able to pierce armor with an arrowhead, he could not defeat Liu Yong. And if he could not defeat Liu Yong, he certainly could not pass the Military Department test with its high standards as Director Zhao had described.

To achieve that, he had to erupt with surging blood qi in an extremely short period of time and force himself to shoot twenty-four arrows!

At that thought, Jiang Qiu took a deep breath of cool air into his chest. It collided with his boiling-hot lungs, and the image of a scarlet bottle flashed through his mind.

Bang!

A steel base fitted with red shields slammed onto the floor of the archery range. Wu Shan clapped his hands and lifted his eyes to sweep across the ten one-meter-tall red shields lined up together. Their interlocking armor plates resembled the back of a Red-Armored Great Lizard.

They were all made from materials taken from Red-Armored Great Lizards. After undergoing special processing, their defensive properties had been greatly enhanced, already approaching those of high-level defensive demon beasts.

Even students who had mastered thirty percent of Subtle Force would find it difficult to pierce them with a long spear. Great strength might leave only a mark; unless one reached the level of Spear Shaft Shatters Armor, they could not be broken through.

Using a Blood Qi Bow would consume a great deal of blood qi in exchange for powerful armor-piercing damage. Someone in the Iron Flesh Realm could indeed shoot through one with a single arrow, but to pierce through ten at once, one had to reach the level of armor-piercing arrowheads.

After a moment of silence, Wu Shan glanced at the two arrow baskets by his feet, then looked toward Director Zhao, who sat on a bench in the distance with his eyes closed in concentration. Picking up the baskets, he walked over. "Director Zhao, the venue for tomorrow's archery match has been set up."

"Mm."

Zhao Gongzheng nodded. His thick lenses seemed coated with dust, blurring his eyes, while his breathing was heavy.

"Jiang Qiu has only practiced archery for two days. He'll lose."

Wu Shan stood before Zhao Gongzheng, his right eye gleaming in the dark like a luminous pearl. "You even used up such an important favor to meet General Mo. Are you really willing to let a genius like Jiang Qiu lose his chance to enter the Heavenly Prodigy Project?

"Jiang Qiu won't face much pressure in spear techniques. He only needs to win at archery.

"I can make the cone-headed arrows in one basket disrupt the Blood Qi Bow's explosive effect. Unless they're martial artists, they won't be able to control the arrowheads' armor-piercing force, and the Military Department rarely has martial artists capable of detecting it."

"No."

Zhao Gongzheng raised his head sternly. A sharp glint swept across his lenses, and his eyes resembled a hunting eagle's. "That would be unfair to Liu Yong!"

"Does fairness matter?" Wu Shan's right brow lowered, and his shout boomed like thunder. "All I know is that Jiang Qiu is my student, and you also believe his potential is extraordinary! Even if General Mo privately promised you that he would give Jiang Qiu some help as compensation when he goes to the Military Department in the future, how many years from now would that be?

"Besides, I can bear the responsibility for the arrows not being properly prepared. It's not a big deal!"

"..."

Zhao Gongzheng's eyes were like blades hidden in fog, his heavy breathing like thunderclouds gathering for a long time.

Wu Shan's right eye bulged like a bead, the slit of his left eye opening slightly, his chest held high.

The two men's gazes clashed head-on.