Old Li was not a newcomer to the political scene and immediately discerned Shen Gongbao's intention to negotiate a truce and release the captives.
However, Manjusri and Puxian were his sons' teachers, and by both emotion and principle, he felt obliged to rescue them—but he couldn't resort to force.
In his heart, he thought of his favorite book, *Big Talk of Three Kingdoms*, authored by Nezha and Daji.
It contained a story about the Yuanmen Shooting Spear. Though he didn't see himself as the world's number one military general, and his archery skills could only be described as decent, he believed Heaven's Will would favor his side.
Thus, he said to Shen Gongbao, "Since you, State Preceptor, have objections, why don't we make a wager?"
