The Importance of Archery

It was late at night by the time they returned to Wuqiao Town.

The two parted ways at the town entrance.

Xie An returned to the small room in the back of the pawnshop, while Chen He drove the horse-drawn carriage back to the pharmacy next to the entrance of the Chen Martial Arts School.

The pharmacy was lit.

As soon as he entered, Chen He saw his elder brother, Chen Lei, sitting in the shop, tending to an oil lamp, looking very anxious and glancing out the door from time to time.

"Brother, why are you here?"

Although Chen Lei was two years older than Chen He, his aura was robust from years of martial arts training, and he didn't look old. He possessed an imposing presence that commanded respect. This was a true Guan-level Martial Artist.

"Third Brother, why are you only getting back now? You had me worried sick. I was afraid something might happen to this batch of medicinal herbs."

"The horse bolted halfway, which delayed things. Fortunately, the medicinal herbs are fine." Chen He felt incredibly fortunate. Although Chen Lei treated him well, if he had lost the medicinal herbs, he likely wouldn't have been able to continue staying at the Chen Martial Arts School. This distant relative he relied on would be of no use anymore.

"That's good then." Chen Lei let out a sigh of relief. He followed Chen He out to the horse-drawn carriage to inspect the medicinal herbs.

The Chen Martial Arts School produced a large quantity of medicinal supplements, which were needed to cover the expenses of the entire martial arts school's instructors and students. Each trip to the county town to procure raw medicinal materials involved sums of hundreds of taels. It was a top-priority matter where no accidents could occur.

While helping to unload the medicinal herbs, Chen He subtly asked, "Brother, I heard people talking about the Giant Whale Gang in the county town today. Have you heard of the Giant Whale Gang?"

Chen Lei didn't notice anything unusual and casually replied, "The Giant Whale Gang is a gang established in the last few years. They've developed very rapidly, with six to seven hundred members, and they even have knights. They are a major menace in Qingwu County. It's said that their leader is a master from another county and is quite formidable. He ambitiously wants to compete with the Tiger Wolf Gate and the Heavenly Saber Society."

What?

Chen He was dumbfounded. He never expected the three robbers he encountered tonight to have such a powerful background.

A gang of six to seven hundred people was already terrifying. Not to mention they had cultivated knights... which meant cavalry.

No wonder Xie An had told him not to mention the encounter with the robbers to anyone tonight.

Even his cousin Chen Lei, if he knew... he would probably scold him, and might not even help him conceal it. He might even tie him up and force him to apologize to the Giant Whale Gang to de-escalate the situation.

Fortunately... he had listened to old Xie.

Seeing Chen He's strange expression, Chen Lei asked, "What's wrong?"

Chen He quickly made an excuse, "Perhaps I caught a chill from the cold weather."

Xie An returned to the small room in the back courtyard, took a bath, and washed the bloodstains off his clothes. Only then did he lie down on the bed to ponder.

There was one detail that Xie An had not told Chen He.

That was that Li Wei was the illegitimate son of the Giant Whale Gang leader's mistress.

These were words Wang Wu had muttered to himself, but Xie An had overheard them.

This was not good at all.

However, Xie An carefully reviewed the events of the night and felt that he hadn't left any details that could reveal his identity. It would take the Giant Whale Gang a considerable amount of time just to find the bodies of the three individuals.

If there was a loophole, it did exist... that was the Yong'an Pawnshop.

If Li Wei had colluded with people from the Yong'an Pawnshop, then those people would know that Li Wei had been robbing him.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy Xie An became, feeling like a thorn in his side.

Xie An, having lived to his age, sought only caution. He believed in nipping all dangers in the bud. Any potential danger made Xie An uncomfortable.

"I'm still too weak to deal with the Giant Whale Gang. Although I have the Lifelong Legacy, which allows me to continuously increase my lifespan, my strength cannot transform overnight. If I had a greater backing than the Giant Whale Gang, I wouldn't have to worry."

At this thought, Xie An thought of Zhang Lin, the guard supervisor at the black market.

"Zhang Lin has the Tiger Wolf Gate behind him. No matter how strong the Giant Whale Gang is, they are no match for the Tiger Wolf Gate. Zhang Lin has already shown interest in recruiting me... This is not a bad option. It not only resolves the crisis with the Giant Whale Gang but also provides me with many cultivation resources. It's much better than struggling alone."

"However, before I join, I need to improve my strength significantly to seek a better position and treatment. I also need to inquire about the Tiger Wolf Gate's style of operation. I don't want to join a gang that appears benevolent on the surface but practices robbery and murder in secret."

With his mind made up, Xie An felt less conflicted and began to review the combat process from that night. He finally reached a conclusion.

"Archery suits me perfectly! From now on, practicing archery will be my top priority."

After the events of tonight, Xie An realized more and more that he disliked taking risks. Close-quarters combat didn't suit him. Archery allowed him to eliminate enemies from a distance outside of their threat range, making it an excellent choice.

"However, archery has its requirements for the environment. It must be used in relatively open areas to exert its power. It won't work in a room... Therefore, in addition to archery, I urgently need to cultivate a close-combat martial art. This will ensure that even if an enemy gets close, I can still counter-kill them."

"I haven't practiced any martial arts or fighting techniques. My biggest advantage is my strength. A saber is undoubtedly the most suitable close-combat weapon. But a saber is too conspicuous and attracts attention, which is not enough. Besides saber techniques, I also need to learn a small weapon that is not easily noticed by outsiders. This way, once an enemy gets close, besides resisting with the saber, I'll have a hidden skill to surprise and kill the enemy. This way, there won't be much risk."

Small weapons...

Daggers, short swords, or perhaps a soft sword that could be hidden within a belt...

Xie An felt they were all too conventional.

Not the best choice.

He felt something was missing...

"Never mind, I'll think about it slowly..."

For the next few days, Xie An continued his routine of waking up early to inspect the pawnshop. Seeing that the pawnshop was operating normally, he would return to his small room in the back courtyard to practice his health-preserving exercises and archery.

He also vigilantly monitored the town for any outsiders inquiring about the deaths of the Giant Whale Gang bandits. He also privately inquired about the Tiger Wolf Gate from some people.

One day, after a strenuous day, Xie An brought up his status panel.

[Fetal Breathing Technique: Three Forms Method (6/100)]

[Five Animal Play: Spirit and Form Combined (9/100)]

[Remaining Years: 16 years.]

The information on the panel had changed; the prompt "Cultivated to completion, lifespan +xx years" was gone.

At first, Xie An thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but after checking the panel several times, the result was still the same. He could only accept it.

As long as the remaining years were displayed, he wouldn't panic.

"It's still too slow. I need to gather the ingredients for Tang Qingfeng's unique prescription. I'm only missing the last one, Bear Heart."

As dusk settled, Xie An, carrying a hefty sum of two hundred and ninety taels of silver, headed to the Blood Ling Black Market.

Because he had the token Zhang Lin gave him, the guards at the canyon entrance and exit let him pass without question. They waived the stall fee and entrance fee, and their attitude became much more respectful.

Tonight's black market was even more bustling than the last time.

Hundreds of stalls, big and small, with a constant stream of merchants and customers. It seemed Zhang Lin's efforts to clear out the surrounding bandits were starting to pay off. With better order and increased security, more people were coming to trade.

Besides the stalls, there were also some houses around, simple tea houses, eateries, and the like. In the distance, there were a few more distinctive courtyards, likely places where Zhang Lin and his associates stayed when conducting business.

Xie An, familiar with the layout, went to the area selling beast hides, sinews, organs, and bones. He found a Bear Heart and, after some haggling, the stall owner's lowest acceptable price was sixty taels.

Helplessly, Xie An took out a silver ingot to pay.

Just then, a familiar voice called out.

"Haha, Old Brother, you're here quite early."

It was Zhang Lin.