Thud, thud, thud!
Drums thundered, and shouts rang out in unison.
All the spectators turned their eyes toward the warriors competing in the archery selection at the range.
Their enthusiasm soared the moment the participants made their entrance.
"Who do you think will win the selection this time?"
"Do you even need to ask? It'll be one of the three—Li Mo, Wang Jiu, or Zheng Song. Everyone else is just going through the motions and giving us something to watch!"
"Then which of those three is the strongest?"
"Hard to say. Li Mo is skilled with a bow, while Wang Jiu excels at both boxing and archery. They're both serious contenders."
"So you're leaning toward them?"
"I'm backing Zheng Song!"
"..."
The crowd whispered among themselves, discussing which Squad Leader they supported.
On the raised platform, Han Baichuan and his four sons sat in silence.
Han Cheng and Han Ming exchanged glances, their expressions heavy with barely concealed tension.
Even if their two teams joined forces, they felt they had little chance of stopping Zheng Song from becoming Squad Leader.
But now, all they could do was do their best and leave the rest to fate.
Han Nuo, by contrast, remained composed and unruffled, as if victory were already in hand.
At the marked positions, the archers filed onto the field and lined up in neat formation.
The archery assessment required no drawing of lots and had few rules. They simply took their turns, and those who passed advanced.
Zheng Song was first to take the field. He carried himself with a sharp, confident air, and hit all six shots in a row, getting off to a flying start and ending his assessment early.
Whether that roused the crowd was another matter, but it certainly put considerable pressure on the