But what Ma Dai may not have expected is that Zhang Ren did look down on him at first.
But once his archery skills were shown to be equal to or even slightly superior to his, Zhang Ren no longer dared to look down on Ma Dai.
Now Zhang Ren only has one thought in his mind, no matter what, he must get involved with Ma Dai.
Qiao Shan stepped forward to say something, but Zhang Ren waved his hand directly to him and told him to stay aside.
The aggrieved Qiao Shan didn't dare to say anything, so he could only withdraw to the side in dejection, leaving the opportunity for the two of them to talk.
Ma Dai thought that Zhang Ren couldn't accept it and couldn't save the face to apologize to him, so he showed a relaxed expression and said to Zhang Ren:
"Don't worry, General Zhang. Our bet was just a casual mention of our bet. I have long heard that General Zhang is superb in archery. Since I came to Chengdu, I naturally wanted to take this opportunity to compete with you. In fact, General Zhang
Your skills are truly impressive."
"Since we are so close to each other, if I bring up any more trivial bets, it would be very disrespectful to my seniors."
"No……"
Ma Dai originally wanted to give Zhang Ren a step so that they could discuss the future affairs more easily after Zhang Ren went down.
Now that they have to stay in Chengdu for a while, they will have many opportunities to get closer to Zhang Ren.
However, Zhang Ren shook his head and said to Ma Dai:
"I am willing to admit defeat. I, Zhang Ren, have never been a person who likes to break my promise, but judging from the skills you have shown today, little brother Ma, not only did I lose unjustly, but even if you hadn't saved my strength, I would have only
The loss is even more ugly, and based on this alone, this bet cannot be settled."
"As a lesson from heaven and earth, I, Zhang Ren, have never lost so miserably in front of a person in my life. This can't help but make me a little hard to accept, and it also made me suddenly realize another thing..."
"I have become a little insensitive after staying here in Shu. I have lost a fair understanding of my abilities. So today's loss is also a wake-up call for me, little brother. You gave me a hard wake-up call.
For me, based on this alone, little brother, you are my benefactor, Zhang Ren."
"ah?
This... General Zhang has exaggerated. I am just a warrior. Compared with General Zhang, who has served as a veteran, it is simply like the stars in the bright moon... with your outstanding achievements.
General, I think it's a bit exaggerated for a young boy like me to admit defeat."
Ma Dai really didn't expect Zhang Ren's attitude to change so quickly.
The other party not only admitted defeat but also planned to regard himself as a benefactor. This time Ma Dai couldn't bear it.
And Ma Dai himself is not the kind of thoughtful person. He just thought of a temporary way to establish a relationship with Zhang Ren. It depends on how Cai Zhaoji and the others decide if they really want to negotiate later. He would not dare to accept such a big gift.
.
However, Zhang Ren saw Ma Dai's modesty and thought more highly of him.
He smiled, first clasped his fist at Ma Dai, and then showed a meaningful smile and said:
"Don't shirk it anymore. If you keep shirking it, you will not give me the face of Zhang Ren. However, the previous bet does seem to be inappropriate now."
"That's right, that's right! I just said..."
Ma Dai felt a little relieved after hearing what Zhang Ren said. He scratched his head and was about to talk to the other party about something else. However, Zhang Ren suddenly looked at Ma Dai seriously and said:
"This competition is of great significance to me, Zhang Ren. You are my benefactor, Zhang Ren. It's too simple to just kowtow to my benefactor and call him grandpa. It won't hurt you and you won't get anything. In this way, I
I remember you said that a group of you will stay in Chengdu for a while. In this case, I will invite you and your companions to my house for a while. I owe you a favor today.
If there is anything I, Zhang Ren, can do to help you, just ask me - as long as I can do it, Mr. Zhang will go through fire and water, no matter what!"
Ma Dai was so shocked that he couldn't close his jaw. The main reason was that he didn't expect that Zhang Ren would take the initiative to stick to him.
This is such a good relationship. He and Zhang Ren formed such a close partnership after just one competition. I really wait for something to happen to them in Chengdu... If nothing else, as long as Liu Zhang doesn't want to kill them, with this man here,
Then any trouble is no longer trouble.
Seeing that Ma Dai had no expression on his face and just opened his mouth, Zhang Ren thought that Ma Dai was not satisfied, so he asked tentatively:
"Little brother, do you have any other requests?
No problem, just say it, I, Zhang Ren, have this temperament, and I am determined to make you my friend."
"Ah...no...it's nothing. I can't believe it for a moment. General Zhang is so interested in this boy. I can't believe it. With General Zhang's words here, I won't be polite. I'll see you at home another day!"
"
"Hahaha, good...very good! This is right!"
Hearing that Ma Dai was no longer evasive, Zhang Ren finally smiled and at the same time expressed a question he had always had:
"But speaking of which, there is something that little brother seems to have not finished talking about before?"
"ah?
What's up?"
Ma Dai looked confused and had only a partial understanding of what Zhang Ren mentioned.
Zhang Ren saw that Ma Dai seemed to have forgotten, so he reminded him a little, with a kind of expectant light in his eyes, as if he really wanted to know the answer to something:
"It's about your life experience, little brother!"
"To be able to educate a heroic boy like you, your family background must not be simple, right?"
"Zhang dared to ask, where did my little brother come from and who did he study under?"
Listening to what Zhang Ren said, Ma Dai thought about their current relationship... and remembered Yi Xiaotian's previous instructions: explaining one's background is also a key step to win the trust of the other party, just like Cai Zhaoji and the others did... in gaining Pang.
Before Xi trusted him, Cai Zhaoji had revealed their details to the other party bit by bit, just like fishing, constantly using bigger bait to arouse the other party's interest.
So Ma Dai felt that the time was ripe and there was no harm in telling the other party, so he said a little flatly:
"I come from the Ma family of Fufeng Maoling. Two brothers are somewhat famous in the Yongliang generation, and I have a sister who is not in Shu now. Perhaps General Zhang has heard of the names of the two brothers?"
"Wait...wait a minute!"
Hearing this, Zhang Ren suddenly felt something was not right.
Fufeng Maoling, this place is familiar to him... When he was young, during the Yellow Turban Troubles, he followed the former state pastor Liu Yan to fight against the rebels, and later followed Zhang Lu for a period of time in the Hanzhong area... During that time
, they fought fiercely with the Yellow Turban Army, but they knew that there were several heroes in the Yongliang generation who commanded the cavalry called Xiliang Iron Cavalry, and they made a great name in this troubled time.
Coincidentally, Zhang Ren was lucky enough to have an encounter with a certain Xiliang cavalry unit. That was when Zhang Lu was still in Hanzhong, and he was sent to clear out the bandits entrenched in the Chencang area... but he didn't expect that at that time
Because he was young and mistakenly fell into the enemy's siege, he fell into deep trouble.
At that time, a fierce cavalry force came out from behind the enemy and easily defeated the Yellow Turban Army, which had plunged them into a bitter battle, and finally saved his life.
It was also at that time that the fledgling Zhang Ren remembered this terrifying cavalry.
Therefore, when mentioning Fufeng Maoling, one cannot avoid the Ma family that currently controls the Xiliang cavalry.
"Could it be that...you are the younger brother of Xiliang Jin Machao?"
"It's my brother."
Ma Dai replied casually, but Zhang Ren was excited and incoherent.
