Boiling

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the man's words were spoken in anger, intended to goad someone into stepping forward to draw the bowstring and take the shopkeeper down a peg.

Despite the generous reward, however...

"Sixteen years old, drawing a Two-stone bow... this... this is obviously just a gimmick."

"At sixteen, his bones and muscles aren't fully developed. Forget the Two-stone bow; even a One-stone bow would be impossible."

"Aside from hunters who make their livelihood through archery or archers in the barracks, where would an ordinary person find the strength to draw a Two-stone bow?"

The crowd stirred, buzzing with discussion. The man wore a sneer, but the shopkeeper remained entirely unperturbed, looking calm and collected.

He never expected anyone to actually draw the bow; the gimmick was the whole point. Look, hadn't it attracted such a large crowd in an instant?

This boorish fellow is just crude and impulsive, but he's done me a huge favor for nothing.

Still, one shouldn't push things too far.

Thinking this, the shopkeeper suppressed his smile, put on a solemn expression, and cupped his hands toward the surrounding crowd.

"As this gentleman said, if anyone can draw this bow, the master will gift them ten arrows, and I, Liu Er, will add another five."

"Good heavens... a large bow plus fifteen arrows—that's no small sum of money."

"Forget the bow; those fifteen arrows alone are worth over three hundred wen."

"Three hundred wen... that's three months of food for my family."

The crowd grew restless. Some clicked their tongues in secret, some beat their chests in regret, and others were visibly itching to try.

"For those over sixteen, don't think about trying to pull a fast one. I have a master here who specializes in Bone-setting and Meridian-guiding. If anyone attempts to deceive me, they won't escape a stint in prison."

Seeming to notice the restlessness of certain individuals in the crowd, a sharp glint flashed in Liu Er's eyes. He certainly knew some people wouldn't play fair.

As his voice faded, a middle-aged man wearing a grey long-gown stepped forward. His posture was upright, standing as still as a pine tree, and he cupped his hands toward the crowd with an expressionless face.

"This... is that Liu San? Didn't this guy join a martial arts school?"

"Hiss... a Martial Master!"

"!!!"

The man, who had been full of bluster and aggression, saw the expressionless Liu San and his complexion shifted slightly. His arrogant demeanor instantly vanished, and he turned solemnly to cup his hands toward the man.

In response, the man known as Liu San, suspected to be a Martial Master, merely nodded without expression, as if acknowledging him.

"Damn it..."

"Brother, this guy..." A man standing nearby approached the hunter, his face looking grim. He wanted to say something, but the hunter stopped him just in time.

"It seems this matter is going to end up as nothing."

The hunter sighed slightly, thinking to himself.

He had originally known that the shopkeeper was as cunning as a fox, and feeling indignant, he had wanted to spite the man. Who could have expected that there would be such a figure backing him?

That was a Martial Artist... even for a hunter like him, who had practiced archery since he was a child, it was an existence he dared not provoke under any circumstances.

The previously chaotic crowd seemed to quiet down, with most eyes focused on the man who stood with his hands behind his back, eyes slightly closed.

"What? Is there any young warrior who dares to step forward and give it a try? Liu keeps his word."

Liu Er scanned the onlookers. Seeing that no one dared to step up, he cast a subtle glance at Liu San, who was standing beside him with his eyes closed in rest, and gave an imperceptible nod.

"Perhaps my conditions were too harsh. How about this..."

Liu Er took it upon himself to pick up another longbow from the stall, one that appeared slightly more slender than the two-stone bow from before.

"This is a one-stone bow. Whoever can draw it today, I will still give it to them as a gift, though the arrows are out of the question."

As his voice fell, the crowd, which had filled the shop at some point, suddenly stirred.

Near the left edge.

Lin Yin cast a covert glance, secretly sizing up the Martial Artist standing beside Liu Er. Although he couldn't discern anything specific, he could sense an inexplicable aura emanating from the man.

It was a kind of energy entirely different from that of an ordinary person.

It was very subtle. Especially when the man had scanned the area just now and his gaze had briefly brushed over him, Lin Yin felt a chill in his heart, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

Is this guy a real Martial Artist?

Lin Yin, who had originally been eager to try, became cautious instead.

The shop had a master. The fifteen arrows alone were worth more than four hundred wen, not to mention that two-stone longbow; the two combined were worth nearly a thousand wen.

With such large profits at stake, Lin Yin had to be on guard.

As Liu Er stated his subsequent conditions, Lin Yin raised an eyebrow, a flicker of anticipation rising in his heart, yet he still refrained from being the first to step out.

He simply watched as one or two sturdy youths in the crowd walked toward the platform under the gaze of their families.

"I, Zhang Da Niu, want to try that one-stone bow."

Seeing that someone had finally stepped forward, the atmosphere of the surrounding crowd instantly livened up. The shopkeeper, Liu Er, beamed with a smile and handed the longbow in his hand to the sturdy youth without hesitation.

The next moment, the youth bent his bow, took a stance, pulled the bowstring, took a deep breath, and began to slowly draw the bow.

The previously noisy crowd fell silent in that moment, everyone holding their breath as they watched the scene unfold.

Even a One-stone bow was not something an ordinary person could draw, let alone a sixteen-year-old boy. However, the scene that followed left everyone present with expressions of shock.

The taut bowstring was pulled back slowly, like a strained tendon being stretched.

The bowstring formed a semicircle, vibrating slightly. Cold sweat broke out on the boy's forehead, yet he could not advance even an inch further than the halfway point.

As he released the bowstring, the vitality that had been brimming on the sturdy boy's face seemed to deflate into dejection.

"I can't draw it!"

He instinctively glanced at a man in the crowd. In response, the man nodded without any sign of criticism.

Seeing this, Liu Er wore a faint smile as he stepped forward to pat the boy on the shoulder, casually taking an arrow from the side and handing it directly to him.

"Your courage is commendable, and your strength as a young hero is not to be underestimated. Perhaps in a few days' time, this One-stone bow will not be beyond your reach."

The boy, who had just been feeling discouraged, seemed to be re-energized; he nodded vigorously before walking off the stage.

"Whoa..."

"Even without fully drawing the bowstring, he still gets an arrow."

At this, some people in the crowd could no longer sit still. They began pushing their children forward or offering words of encouragement.

The atmosphere of the entire venue seemed to become completely lively.

Seeing this, Liu Er's smile remained, and his voice was calm: "Only those who draw the string past the halfway point may receive one; those who do not, get nothing."

Although he said that, given the precedent set by the former, the newcomers arrived in an endless stream.

Following this, teenagers stepped up from time to time to attempt to draw the bow. Even Lin Yin mingled with the crowd and moved closer.

One by one, they were subjected to bone-testing by the man suspected of being a Martial Artist. Soon, five or six youths had tried, but not a single one of them managed to draw the string halfway, let alone fully.

Just as Lin Yin was preparing to step onto the stage, a sharp shout exploded across the grounds.

A white-robed youth leaped onto the platform as easily as a nimble deer. He took the longbow from Liu Er's hand and, under the stunned gazes of everyone, pulled the bow with a sudden, violent motion.

Whoosh—

In an instant, the crowd erupted.