A palm-sized seal lay on the desk, giving off a faint yellow glow.
The County Magistrate stood behind the desk with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out the window.
Gu Qingshan saw this scene as soon as he entered.
Liu Xunshou reported, "My lord, Gu Xunshou is here."
"Greetings, my lord." Gu Qingshan cupped his fists too.
The County Magistrate didn't turn around, but asked, "Gu Xunshou, what are you best at?"
"Archery, my lord," Gu Qingshan replied.
The County Magistrate seemed intrigued. "I haven't seen how good your archery is. Come, shoot a few arrows for me."
He pointed toward a spot outside the window.
Several hundred meters away stood a large tree, its branches full of sparrows chirping and squawking.
Liu Xunshou took a look and chimed in, "My lord likes game. Whether we get a big plate of fried sparrows for lunch today depends on you, Brother Gu."
Gu Qingshan understood. He stepped forward and stood by the window, examining the scene carefully.
The sparrows were frolicking on the branches, sometimes dropping to the ground, sometimes chasing one another through the air, carefree and full of life.
By now, he had remembered quite a few things, including the archery techniques he'd once learned. He took down his longbow, nocked an arrow, and drew.
The County Magistrate and Liu Xunshou watched in silence beside him.
The bow was drawn effortlessly into a full moon. In the next instant, the arrow shot away like a streak of light.
Bang!
Almost instantly, a deafening rumble erupted from the tree. The whole thing shook violently several times, so hard that it seemed as if it might be knocked right over.
Under the sunlight, leaves fluttered down in a shower.
Startled, the sparrows had already fled the tree, scattering until