This guy is not Ma Chao

  Although I made a promise with great enthusiasm and determination, when it came to actual practice, I still couldn't muster up the energy. Under my elder sister Ma Wen's guidance, I could never get past twenty moves; whereas my younger brother Ma Dai, due to his physical and mental trauma and lack of love and care, ironically worked hard at martial arts.

  Although he spends most of his time playing with me, during the three periods of morning, noon and evening, he must practice gun skills seriously in the martial arts arena. When we first learned gun skills at the age of eight, we were evenly matched. At nine years old, he could hardly beat me within a hundred moves. This year I will be ten years old, and it has become easier for him to knock down my long spear within thirty or forty moves.

  As I grew older and made obvious progress, apart from physical strength, I only had horse riding and archery skills - all thanks to the big and small birds, rabbits and mountain goats outside the city.

  So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank those flying birds and walking beasts that died under my arrows. Without you, I might have been a complete waste...

  I'm ten years old now.

  It's been ten years since the fire at Ma's and Han's houses.

  It's been only ten years?

  My chest suddenly felt a numbness, as if there was a small mouse constantly scratching, this feeling has been appearing frequently in the past few days.

  I've never believed in premonitions, but now I have no choice but to suspect...

  Isn't there something?

  Looking far away, the sky seems to have some faint dark clouds, slowly spreading out, suppressing my lungs, making me feel like I'm suffocating.

  The horse under me suddenly became restless and let out a loud snort, circling in place. My heart felt even more oppressed, and I subconsciously raised the whip, striking the horse's rump with force. The Xiliu fierce horse let out a whinny, its four iron hooves spreading apart as it galloped towards the city interior.

  Ma Dai and Zhao Zong led a group of followers to hastily turn their horses around and follow me back.

  Inside Jiuquan City.

  General Ma's Mansion.

  Inner court.

  I rushed in, leaping down from the saddle, and pushed open the half-closed door. My mother was still in the courtyard, embroidering something while happily watching two young brothers playing around a pillar beside her.

  I breathed a sigh of relief and hastily paid respects to my mother, but the oppression in my heart could not be driven away.

  "Chao'er, what's wrong with you? Your face looks terrible!" Mother saw me coming in and hastily put down the needlework in her hand, got up to look at me. The personal maid Xiaqing beside her also hurriedly paid respects to me.

  I looked at my mother's still youthful and beautiful face, and suddenly felt a pang in my heart. I tightly hugged her waist, burying my head in her bosom. Only in the warmth of her embrace could I feel a temporary peace.

  "Chao'er, what's wrong with you? Has your father scolded you again?" My mother was startled by my sudden hug and also noticed my continuous trembling, thinking that I had suffered some injustice, and hurriedly comforted me.

  I remained silent, only holding mother tighter.

  I'm afraid that once I open my mouth, I won't be able to hold back my tears and the sobs will roll out of my eyes uncontrollably.

  I know: I'm afraid of losing mom!

  After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the unease in my heart gradually dissipated, and my whole body slowly returned to normal. I reluctantly let go of her hands, rubbed my nose, and looked up at Mother.

  My mother's eyes were filled with loving affection, she stretched out her right hand and gently stroked my still tender face, lightly wiping away the tears from the corners of my eyes. In a soft voice, she said: "My dear son, you'll be ten years old next month, you're a big kid now, why are you still crying?"

  My nose was sour again, I quickly clenched my teeth and shook my head.

  My mother led me by the hand to the seat, picked up that embroidery, which was a hat made of brocade thread. Although it was not yet complete, it had already shown its shape: "Chao'er, come and try it on to see if it fits." My mother pulled the needle out of the hat, and her long fingers lightly tied a knot at the end of the thread, then put the hat on my head.

  I looked up at my mother, and her eyes were filled with a mix of pain, love, and satisfaction. Her own son was gradually growing into a man, although he had been somewhat arrogant and unruly at times, after all, he was her flesh and blood.

  "Very well, Xia Qing, bring that lion head over here." Mother said. The personal maid behind her took out a silver-glinting object from the room and brought it closer, only to see that it was actually a half-iron half-copper lion head.

  The girl drew a mask on the hat and said to me, "Chao Er, you're not young anymore, it's time for you to have your own helmet. You've liked hunting since you were little, so I'll make a lion-headed helmet for you. What do you think?"

  I was speechless and could only nod repeatedly.

  "Mother, I'll go practice my marksmanship first, and come back to accompany you later." I bowed my head and quickly walked out of the inner courtyard. As I closed the door behind me, my eyes became moist again.

  I bit my lip, turned over and got on horseback, going alone to the martial arts arena to practice spear.

  Daughter, from now on, I, Ma Chao, will use the proud family heirloom spear technique to protect you by your side, and no one will be able to touch a single hair of yours!

  －

  For more than half a month, I have been practicing gunplay with extra effort. My elder sister and cousin felt an unprecedented killing aura when they were exchanging moves with me.

  I have to say that I indeed have a hidden talent for martial arts in me, and once I focus on it, this gift immediately starts to show its remarkable effects.

  Ma Dai, although more diligent, gradually could only hold out against me for over a hundred moves. Every time Father saw me exerting myself with the spear on the training grounds, a hint of comfort would appear at the corner of his mouth.

  In the past few days, Pang Yi has come to see Old Dad more frequently. I've seen him and Old Dad several times with anxious expressions, shouting in the side hall. Meanwhile, the time Pang De and his older brother Pang Rou spend practicing guns with me has increased significantly.

  Pang Rou, I had never heard of this person before. He seems to have only inherited his father's elegance and erudition, spending all day staring at a stack of books, without ever practicing martial arts. I really don't understand what Pang Yi was thinking.

  It wasn't until later that I learned from Pond that his older brother, Pond Soft, had a serious illness at the age of three and was always physically weak, making him unsuitable for martial arts training. Even if he forced himself to train, as an adult, he would only be slightly stronger than an average person. Therefore, Pond Wing encouraged his older brother, Pond Soft, to focus on reading classics and taking the path of a scholar-official; while he passed on all his lifelong martial arts skills to his second brother, Pond Virtue, who was born strong and robust.

  －

  The excitement of my tenth birthday slowly faded away amidst all the joy.

  On the fourteenth of July, after lunch, I and my elder sister, cousin, and second brother Ma Xiu, who had just turned eight years old, practiced spear techniques for an hour in the martial arts arena. My heart couldn't help but think of the mountains and rivers outside the city again, so I went to the inner courtyard to inform my mother.

  The girl took out the lion helmet from the closet, and I suddenly felt a gleam in front of my eyes. More than 20 days ago, I wore a cloth inner layer, which only made me feel warm and comfortable. Unexpectedly, after connecting with the lion head, it really added a sense of majesty!

  I put on a lion helmet with great enthusiasm and galloped out of the city on horseback.

  I led Zhao Cheng and several followers with Ma Dian, galloping back and forth in a forest outside the city, the sound of bowstrings echoing from time to time, and the harvest was quite rich.

  Unconsciously, two or three hours have passed. Winter days are short, and the sky has already darkened slightly at the horizon. Zhao Cheng and his followers urged me to return for dinner, saying that after dinner, I should practice my marksmanship again. So I had them gather up the game, turn our horses around, and head back towards Guzang City.

  They were less than a mile away from the city of Lijiang, and they could clearly see the city gate and smoke rising into the air. Zhao Cheng suddenly shouted: "Young master! It seems like there's a fire in the city!"

  We looked up and saw: Oh no! Half of the city seemed to have been dyed into a bright red color, such a big fire, where is the kitchen smoke?

  "Brother, hurry back!" Ma Dai cried out loudly.

  No need for him to remind me, I gave the horse's buttocks a hard whip, and the mount under me spread its four hooves and rushed towards the city at full speed, only regretting that it couldn't jump directly back home.

  As I got closer to the city gate, I faintly heard the sound of clashing steel, and my heart suddenly chilled: Could it be that Han Shui has turned against me so quickly?! Heaven, don't play tricks on me! I've only just seriously learned half a month's worth of gun techniques!

  I spurred my horse on with all my might, and finally burst into the city of Wujiang. The city was already in a state of chaos, with many houses still smoking from fires, and the streets littered with the bodies of the defenders. It had indeed been a fierce battle!

  "Big brother! Look here!" Ma Dai's voice suddenly became sorrowful and indignant, he jumped off the horseback, pulled out a tattered large flag from the corner of the wall with great force, letting the flag unfold in the wind. On this flag, there was clearly a huge "Han" character!

  A dark haze flashed before my eyes, and I swayed, almost falling off the horse's back. Zhao Cheng hastily came forward to support me, but I pushed him away with one hand, took a deep breath with difficulty, and then urged the horse on again, galloping towards home as fast as possible. A hoarse voice in my heart was shouting:

  Girl! Don't get into trouble!