On the bustling ground, the laughter of the crowd rose and fell like the tides. Amid this hustle and bustle, Zhao Yuxuan seemed to be in another world. He was deeply lost in thought, motionless like a statue. At this time, Zhao Qiang in the field was like a dazzling star, receiving the victor's reward. It was a shawl, carefully made entirely of black - hawk feathers. Each feather seemed to tell of mystery and preciousness. Under the brilliant sunlight, the shawl glittered with a radiance like scattered tiny stars. Presumably, the title of "Black - Hawk Warrior" also came from this unique shawl.
After Zhao Qiang put on the black - hawk shawl, someone else came forward with a big smile and presented a beautiful garland. The garland was woven with all kinds of bright flowers. The flowers were so delicate and beautiful, exuding a faint fragrance. However, Zhao Qiang didn't put the garland on his head but held it high up. His eyes were full of enthusiasm and reverence as he said loudly, "In my heart, this garland can only be worn by the most beautiful woman in Xiling, and the most beautiful woman in Xiling is Lin Yaxuan from Tianwang Fort. I want to present this garland to her."
After saying that, Zhao Qiang walked towards Lin Yaxuan with firm and somewhat eager steps. Lin Yaxuan stood there like a lily in full bloom in a secluded valley, pure and beautiful. Zhao Qiang gently hung the garland around Lin Yaxuan's neck. Lin Yaxuan had never expected such a sudden move from Zhao Qiang. Her snow - white cheeks instantly flushed, like the sunset suddenly reflecting on the snow - capped mountains. Then, she slowly lowered her head. This shy look of a young girl was like a budding flower in spring, making her look extremely pure and beautiful. Zhao Qiang was momentarily stunned, his eyes only seeing Lin Yaxuan's shy appearance, and his heart was full of admiration for her.
Looking at Lin Yaxuan's expression that was both shy and a little joyful, Zhao Yuxuan sighed secretly in his heart. He thought to himself, yes, Zhao Qiang was a handsome and robust young man. He was as brave as one who could fight tigers in the mountains, and also had the warm and straightforward personality of singing upon meeting people. Such a man should be the ideal lover in every Xiling girl's heart. Regardless of Zhao Qiang's character, he indeed performed very well in many aspects. Among these Xiling youths, it seemed that only he could be barely worthy of Lin Yaxuan, who was like a fairy.
Seeing Zhao Qiang and Lin Yaxuan standing together, the men and women around seemed to be infected by this beautiful scene. Sure enough, many people uttered envious words such as "a match made in heaven". Hearing these words, Zhao Qiang's lips curled up slightly, with a smile on his face and his eyes full of affection. He stared at Lin Yaxuan affectionately. As for Lin Yaxuan, she always kept her head down. Her heart was like a ripple on a calm lake stirred by the wind, a little flustered. No one knew what was on her mind. All that could be seen was that her swan - like slender and beautiful neck also blushed like peach blossoms at this time.
The competition ended, like a grand carnival coming to an end. The onlookers began to disperse in twos and threes. Their figures lengthened in the sunlight and gradually disappeared into every corner of the field. Only then did Lin Yaxuan slowly raise her head. She looked at Zhao Yuxuan and said softly, "Let's go. It's almost time."
Zhao Qiang was so intoxicated by Lin Yaxuan's delicate beauty that when he heard she was leaving, his heart was full of reluctance. He hurriedly said, "Miss Lin Yaxuan, are you leaving so early? Can't you wait a little longer? There will be a bonfire party tonight. It will be even more lively than during the day. At that time, everyone will sing and dance around the fire. The scene will be spectacular. By the way, my father will also come. He is a very kind person. When he sees you, he will surely like you very much."
Lin Yaxuan gently shook her head and said, "No, I promised my grandmother to go back early." Her voice was as clear and firm as a mountain spring.
Zhao Qiang said again, "Then you should at least wait a while. I'll prepare some dry rations for you to eat on the road. I made these dry rations myself, and they taste very good."
Lin Yaxuan shook her head again and said, "I have dry rations with me."
After saying this, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of Zhao Yuxuan staring blankly at the ground as if he were a person lost in his own world. Lin Yaxuan immediately frowned, gave him a disdainful look and said, "Zhao Bad... Zhao Yuxuan, what are you daydreaming about here? Hurry up, if you're too slow, I won't wait for you."
Zhao Yuxuan suddenly seemed to wake up from a dream and raised his head and said, "Senior sister, you go ahead. I want to stay here a little longer."
Lin Yaxuan glared at him, about to speak, but then Zhao Qiang laughed. He walked forward and patted Zhao Yuxuan on the shoulder and said, "Miss Lin Yaxuan, let Zhao brother stay a little longer to watch the fun. Look at him, he's so handsome. He must be very popular with girls. Maybe he can enter the 'girl's room' tonight. Well, Miss Lin Yaxuan, I'm free anyway and also really want to ask you for some advice on antiphonal singing. Why don't I see you off for a while, okay?"
The so - called "girl's room" was a custom among some Miao people in Xiling, which was somewhat similar to the "walking marriage" of the Mosuo people in Huanmeng Lake. In this custom, as long as a man and a woman were attracted to each other, they could set up a tent and enjoy a sweet time together that night. The only difference was that after the second day, those who had a "walking marriage" could leave without any concerns and didn't need to bear too much responsibility. However, if a man entered the "girl's room", it meant that he would have to stay with this girl for the rest of his life. If he didn't go to propose marriage, it meant that her brothers, uncles, and other male relatives would come to his home with machetes and hunting guns, and the spittle of the neighbors could also drown him. This was a very serious traditional custom.
Zhao Yuxuan knew this custom. Hearing Zhao Qiang mention it, he just sneered secretly in his heart. He felt that Zhao Qiang did this on purpose, trying to slander him in front of Lin Yaxuan.
Remembering Zhao Yuxuan's reputation in Tianwang Fort, Lin Yaxuan's eyes indeed showed disgust again. She snorted coldly and said, "Yes, this person is very flirtatious. Given such an opportunity, of course he won't miss it. If he wants to play, he should have a good time. But don't let anyone come to complain at home, otherwise, I will definitely ask my grandmother to drive him away no matter what."
After saying this, she no longer paid attention to Zhao Yuxuan and turned around and left. And Zhao Qiang patted Zhao Yuxuan on the shoulder again, lowered his voice and said, "Zhao brother, don't worry and have fun. It's okay. If anything happens, for the sake of your senior sister, I will help you deal with it later." Then he chased after Lin Yaxuan.
Zhao Yuxuan watched Lin Yaxuan's figure gradually disappearing into the distance. He knew in his heart that Zhao Qiang was wary of his "close - at - hand advantage", and along the way, he would surely fan the flames again. In this way, Lin Yaxuan's impression of him would be even worse. But he was unwilling to explain and didn't care either. In his heart, Lin Yaxuan was indeed an extremely beautiful and charming girl. No man would not like such a woman. However, since the incident with Chen Shihan, he was like a wounded lone wolf and had become indifferent to the relationship between men and women. In his heart, there was only hatred. That hatred was like an unquenchable flame, supporting him to live on.
At this time, Zhao Yuxuan walked towards the place where the "climb a mountain of swords and descend a sea of flames" performance had been held just now. The originally bustling scene there had disappeared. After the crowd dispersed, only a relatively empty space was left. The middle - aged man who had performed was directing several assistants to pack up things. Their busy figures shuttled around the venue.
Zhao Yuxuan didn't say anything. He was like a silent traveler, just silently walked over to help them with the work. There was a firmness in his eyes, as if he could find his own direction in this simple labor.
The middle - aged man soon noticed him. He stopped what he was doing and walked over and said, "Young man, you don't need to do these jobs. Thank you." There was a hint of doubt and gratitude in his voice.
Suddenly, Zhao Yuxuan knelt down with a "plop". He raised his head, his eyes full of eagerness and firmness, and looked at the middle - aged man and said, "Uncle, I want to ask you for the method of not getting your hands and feet cut by knives or burned by fire. I can help you with the work. I can endure any hardship."
It turned out that after watching the "Black - Hawk Warrior" competition, Zhao Yuxuan was deeply touched. Looking at Zhao Qiang's heroic performance on the field, his mind was filled with a thousand thoughts. He knew that he could not rely solely on that boxing manual without any text explanations. In this vast world, there were so many things he needed to learn. And if he could learn the unique skill of making his hands as hard as iron, then the power of his punches would surely be much greater than it was now. More importantly, he remembered when he climbed Lingjiu Peak before, his hands were rubbed until they bled and hurt so much that he couldn't climb any further in the end. He didn't want to experience such a failure again. He was eager to become stronger.