Jun Jiuling

Chapter 91: Drawing My Bow

Voices announced the bets one after the other.

Perhaps it was because the sum of money was so large, but the attendants voices were especially clear. The atmosphere was getting heated.

“Yanyan, what do we do?”

The girls looked to Ning Yunyan uneasily.

“Do we still bet?”

It was so scary.

Was she still fighting with them?

Ning Yunyan looked at the stage, her lips purple from biting.

The girl on stage was still standing there steadily, her veil not moving the slightest from its place. But Ning Yunyan seemed to be able to see the sneer on her face, a very satisfied sneer.

“Bet it!” Ning Yunyan said as she slapped the window. “One thousand taels, bet it all. Pressure her to death with money.”

The girls looked at each other with dismay and terror. The servant even shook her head.

“Young Miss, we can’t, it’s too much. We can’t continue playing,” she said nervously.

“It’s not much. This is a lot? Our Ning Family doesn’t have a couple thousand taels?” said Ning Yunyan angrily. “Place that bet.”

………

“Young Miss, is it this kind of wooden feathered arrow,” the pitch-pot director asked, pointing at the tray an attendant was carrying.

There were four, rounded arrows.

Miss Jun picked up one and faced the pot without saying anything.

Fang Jinxiu’s hands were clenched in fists. Jinchuan was breathing loudly. Ning Yunyan was squeezing the window frame. Ning Yunzhao was smiling.

The music in the Jinyun Hall became strained.

But Miss Jun was not nervous in the slightest. She appraised the iron pot in front of her and closed her eyes.

On her sixth year with her master, she witnessed master’s outstanding archery skill and wanted to learn.

Of course, Master did as he always did. He didn’t outright refuse her, but he didn’t just consent.

“You must first learn the basics,” he lied through his teeth.

The basics was pitch-pot. Although both pitch-pot and archery used arrows, they were completely different things.

And she did as she always did, neither refusing or questioning. She obstinately complied.

She spent a year doing pitch-pot, over and over again.

Afterwards, she never did learn archery. Father died, Mother died, she became a princess and married, all her efforts meaningless.

Her status made no use of her skills in medicine, and the four arts of zither, Go, literature and painting were just past-times.

She never thought that these past times would have much application one day.

But if it weren’t for the Old Heavenly Father’s justice, what could she do?

Miss Jun opened her eyes and raised her arm.

The wooden arrow pushed through the crowded bamboo arrows and entered the pot. In an instant, the other bamboo arrows splintered and shards flew out of the pot like rainfall.

Only the wooden arrow was left standing in the iron pot.

Like it was the beginning move, a simple in the pot.

“Wow!”

Fang Jinxiu cheered with her hands in the air, jumping up with joy.

Jinchuan applauded cheerfully, her face red.

Ning Yunzhao’s smile stretched the corners of his mouth, his eyes like glorious stars.

The sounds in the Jinyun Hall resounded like thunder.

The clamor came like a rushing wave.

Fang Jinxiu and Jinchuan’s excitement were drowned out in an instant. Though there were exclamations of surprise, there was more annoyance.

After all, one thousand taels of silver was no small amount.

Although they praised this girl’s skill, their praise would have been much more sincere if they hadn’t lost this much money.

But everybody here was cultured, so they maintained their composure.

Except for a few young women.

“This is impossible, impossible.”

Ning Yunyan wrung her handkerchief.

The other girls were too scared to say anything.

“Let’s go Young Miss,” said the servant girl with a tear-stained face.

Ning Yunyan had oil poured on her fire.

“Why do we need to leave? Am I scared of her?” she spat out viciously.

Yes, you are not scared of her, but she is too scary.

The girls were evasive.

“Yanyan, we miscalculated this time,” said a girl. “We didn’t think that she really would be talented. To avoid the sharpened point, we should not fight with her this time.”

Ning Yunyan gripped her handkerchief. If only looks could kill.

Out the window, servant boys on stage were picking up the scattered pieces of bamboo arrows. Jun Zhenzhen was conversing with the director, her raised sleeve covering her mouth. She looked to be smiling.

Smiling. Smiling. A smug smile.

Won money, is in the limelight.

“If this was truly talent, then she wouldn’t be so smug,” said Ning Yunyan. “Her words are a trick, and she told people to bet. She dares to speak of such a trick naturally because she was certain. Being certain of winning is no grand thing. She is just stealing money.”

This seemed very reasonable to the disordered thoughts of the girls. At the moment, the director on stage was giving Miss Jun a funny look again.

“Young Miss really wants to do this?” he asked.

Miss Jun nodded.

“Now that I’ve done it three times, everybody should understand my level of skill,” she said gently. “So changing to this style is much more reasonable?

More reasonable? Fair to have a chance of losing? Is it actually to make everybody continue to bet, to make more bets?

She had just shown her skills three times. Although everybody praised such skill, in the end they couldn’t just throw around money like it was paper. If they played another round, not many people would place bets.

There were many wealthy and powerful people here, but they wouldn’t use their money so freely in this kind of place.

If this young woman was doing it for the fame, then these three times would be enough. If it were for money, she made quite a bit already.

Why wasn’t this girl giving up?

She still wanted to change styles to invite people’s bets.

She seemed very like a gambler, always wanting to win more money.

He could say that she was a little wild because of her age, but this girl’s conduct was always steady and mild. Every word, every action were very obviously deliberate and reflective.

The director was muttering to himself.

“If that’s the case, then I’m afraid the sums might be very big. Young Miss, can you bear it?” he asked.

If the amount betted was big, then if she lost, the compensation would be even better.

A very, very big sum.

As a gambling den… No, no… as an attendant of the Jinyun Hall, he, who never interfered with the choices of the guests, made an exception in reminding her.

Miss Jun was pensive.

“If the sum is too big, can you bear it?” she asked in return.

The director was struck dumb.

She was actually worried about them? It was like she was certain she wouldn’t lose, and was instead worried about whether they would let her win.

Why would they worry about her winning? If the ones playing won more, then they could take a bigger cut.

The Jinyun Hall was a business, not a government office. Would a business turn their backs to more money?

“Young Miss jokes. Everyone here has their pride. Since you want to play then you can play,” he said with a smile. “There is nothing that we cannot bear. Even if everybody cannot take out such money, the Jinyun Hall will not owe anything.”

He spoke gently, but the lines of his face couldn’t disguise his domineering attitude.

Miss Jun nodded.

“Then it’s fine,” he said.

That’s fine. The director did not continue persuading her. He did what he could, that much was obvious.

If she lost, even if she was just a sweet and cute young woman, the Jinyun Hall would not feel pity.

He smiled and paid his respects, then stepped forward once. The musicians’ music swelled upwards.

The hall gradually quieted down. Of course, it was noisier than previously. The murmurs of discussions just couldn’t quiet down.

“The next round…”

At these words, the young men standing by the window couldn’t help but smile.

“Truly an avaricious and insatiable woman,” he said with interest.

“Is she taking this for a gambling den?” said another, shaking his head. “Whatever she says, I won’t be betting.”

There were many people of the same opinion as him, for a time covering the director’s voice.

Ning Yunyan was smiling coldly.

“Seems there are none. Who would be so stupid,” she said.

Anyways, she had already won that much money, it would be easy for her just to stop playing. She already gotten the fame and money, and they had spent quite a bit of money on this.

The other girls smiled obsequiously but did not say anything.

But the director’s voice came loud and clear again…

“… Everybody can choose the trick to lay their bet… this young lady will do it…”

The chatter around the stage immediately stopped.

Actually…

Ning Yunyan’s smirk froze on her face.

The director felt everyone become silent, then his face showed his hesitation.

“Whether or not there is anyone who believes this young miss can win, she dares try. Do you dare bet?” he said what Miss Jun had told him to say.

He had been the pitch-pot director for the Chen Family for ten years, but this was the first time that such challenging words had been spoken in this elegant event.

This was quite embarrassing.

As expected, the silent atmosphere of the Jinyun Hall descended into chaos.

“This crazy brat.”

“She dares try, other people do not dare bet?”

“Where does she get all her confidence from? The roads are wide, the sea of learning has no horizon, who dares proclaim they are omnipotent?”