The young men were in the middle of a thrilling game of Buzkashi, each fighting to take the sheep. The friendliness they had shown earlier at the table, passing pieces of Nang to one another, had vanished completely. Competition was fierce. To seize the sheep, they even shoved one another on horseback and swore.
Harimu and Jade Mountain River saw nothing out of the ordinary in this. They walked over to Li Long and stood beside him, occasionally commenting on the young men playing Buzkashi.
"Bakhat still isn't strong enough. Look, he's got hold of a leg and still can't pull it away. His horse is good, but he doesn't have the strength!"
"Yilidan is a clever one. Look how he keeps hanging back, waiting for a chance to catch someone off guard. Oh-so close! If Ayibate hadn't been holding on so tightly, he would have got it!"
"That won't do. I think Tangboli is braver, going straight up against Ayibate! That's how Buzkashi should be played. Young men can't just think up sneaky tricks. We Kazakh herders should be open and aboveboard. Even if we can't wrest it away, we shouldn't sneak up on people..."
"In Buzkashi, as long as it follows the rules, it's fine. You judge by the final result. Whatever method you use, all that matters is getting the sheep."
Harimu and Jade Mountain River held different views on Buzkashi, and the two began arguing.
"I think it's good. Some go head-to-head, and some use their brains to find a way." Having lived two lives, Li Long took a middle-of-the-road view. Things in this world were not necessarily one or the other. Both could exist, and both had reasons to exist. There was no need to fight to the bitter end over it.
"All right, all