Bow Drawn to the Full!

"How... How can this boy be so impressive?"

"My heavens, he drew it all the way to a full circle, and he still seems to have strength to spare."

"Lin Lin? He's Lin Lin! The young master of the Lin Family. He only joined Pine Wind Martial Arts School at the beginning of last year!"

Someone in the crowd seemed to recognize the boy. The moment the words "joined the martial arts school" were spoken, the crowd erupted.

Pine Wind Martial Arts School had extremely strict requirements for bone structure and aptitude. Those who were admitted were all exceptionally gifted, with excellent bone structure.

For a while, the crowd buzzed with talk. "Young genius," "Little Hero," "Future Martial Master"—such praise filled the air.

Amid the crowd, Lin Yin's expression darkened slightly. He silently watched the spirited boy onstage, whose appearance bore some resemblance to his own. Memories churned in his mind, leaving him in a rather foul mood.

Meanwhile, Lin Lin stood onstage, basking in the reverent gazes. He cupped his hands toward the crowd below, and, with a casual glance, happened to spot Lin Yin. His brows knitted slightly, but he quickly resumed his composure.

"Young Hero Lin truly has world-shattering divine strength. This one-stone bow belongs to you."

Behind him, Liu Er's voice was tinged with admiration. Even Liu San, standing beside him, regarded Lin Lin with a solemn expression and nodded.

"Boss Liu, Senior Brother Liu!"

A flash of pride crossed his eyes. Lin Lin cupped his hands to Liu Er and Liu San in turn, then straightened up.

"I'm not much, but I can just barely draw the bow."

"Little Brother Lin, since you've drawn the one-stone bow, how about trying this two-stone bow...?"

"I'm willing to give it a try." Lin Lin held his head high, his voice ringing with confidence.

"Good!"

Liu Er called out in approval, took the two-stone longbow hanging in front of the shop, and tossed it straight to Lin Lin.

Catching the bow with one hand, Lin Lin bent one leg forward, planted his rear heel firmly, and pulled the string with one hand. Twanging! The bowstring, thick as an ox tendon, vibrated with a hum. The crowd below fell silent at once, holding their breath.

This was a two-stone bow, after all. The burly hunter beside them was already built beyond the ordinary, and years of hunting had made him skilled with bows and crossbows.

Lin Lin was slender, had only just joined Pine Wind Martial Arts School, and wasn't even sixteen yet. If he could draw the bowstring, it would be astonishing.

Lin Yin watched too, his expression darkening slightly.

Even the one-stone bow hadn't looked easy to draw. The boys who had gone up before were called boys, but each was built like a calf.

Most of them came from hunter families. They hardly looked like boys, yet they still couldn't draw the one-stone bow into a full circle—let alone this two-stone bow.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the bowstring slowly drew back: a slight curve, half an inch. Someone in the crowd already had his mouth hanging open, while Lin Lin's expression grew increasingly grave.

As the bowstring bent farther and farther, his two fingers began to tremble.

When the bowstring nearly reached a full circle, Liu Er's brows lifted slightly. Even Liu San, who had been silent and expressionless, looked tense.

Beside them, the hunter's thick brows furrowed. He knew just how tough the bowstring was; even now, his arms still ached and tingled.

Twanging—

The half-inch-thick bowstring gave a tremendous hum. At the final moment, Lin Lin's breath faltered and the string slipped from his fingers. He had fallen just short!

The crowd gasped.

Seeing this, the onlookers didn't mock him. Instead, every face showed amazement, and praise poured from their mouths.

Clap... clap-clap-clap!

Liu San even gave a light round of applause, cupped his hands to Lin Lin, and called out, "Junior Brother Lin, what an arm!"

"Just drawing a two-stone bow is no small feat. Even if you didn't quite manage a full draw, that's still remarkable!"

Lin Lin could only force a smile. He cupped his hands to Liu San and Liu Er, let the corner of his eye pass over Lin Yin, then went down from the platform on his own.

The result wasn't what he'd hoped for, but compared with certain people, it was the difference between heaven and earth!

The crowd below began to clamor and disperse.

After all, someone had already won the one-stone bow, and only the two-stone bow remained on display. It was hardly realistic to expect another person under sixteen to step forward and draw it.

Watching the slender figure disappear into the crowd, Lin Lin felt pleased. Carrying his one-stone bow on his back, he hummed a little tune and strode away.

Ever since his clan had thrown its full support behind him and he'd entered the martial arts school, the sea was wide enough for fish to leap and the sky high enough for birds to fly. Why should he care about the older brother he'd once had?

They were people from entirely different worlds now!

Thinking this, even the disappointment of failing to draw the two-stone bow faded away, and Lin Lin's mood grew ever brighter.

Watching the crowd below, some lingering and some leaving, Liu Er kept smiling. His mood grew especially smug when he saw the hunters beginning to choose bows and crossbows, and even arrows.

A mere little gimmick had spread the name of Liu Er's Shop. The result couldn't have been better.

As for the one-stone bow that had been won, that too had been arranged by him and his younger brother Liu San.

What ordinary hunter's child under sixteen could easily draw it?

Arranging for Lin Lin to try had let him befriend this newly celebrated young genius, while also boosting his shop's reputation for "honest business and fair prices." It was killing two birds with one stone!

As long as the two-stone bow stayed in his hands, today's scheme would be flawless.

Feeling more and more pleased with himself, Liu Er stroked the whiskers on his chin and turned to enter the shop. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the hunter beside him looking rather unhappy, and gave a quiet snort.

"Foolish!"

"..."

Though Zhang Hu heard Liu Er's words, he didn't dare show his anger openly. He merely looked embarrassed and prepared to leave.

After all, a Martial Artist was standing nearby. Even if he was furious, how could he dare to behave as recklessly as before? He had just turned to go when someone in gray cloth and linen clothes came to the front of the shop.

The hoarse voice shattered the calm that had just settled over the shopfront.

"Does your offer still stand? I... I'd like to give it a try."

"Hm?"

Zhang Hu stopped short, staring in disbelief at the slender figure beside him. Across the way, Liu Er had just stepped into the shop, one foot in and the other still out, when he turned around in astonishment.

Someone was still willing to take the challenge?

The only bow left was a two-stone bow. Lin Lin, who had just spent time training his bones and blood at the martial arts school, had failed. Who would dare try?

Liu Er's brows furrowed slightly. Noticing that the hunters still lingering nearby had turned their attention this way, his fleeting irritation vanished, and his trademark smile appeared.

The newcomer was so slender that even beneath the rough covering of linen, his figure looked frail. Liu Er's smile grew brighter still.

"Of course. Today's offer still stands. Little Hero, step up and give it a try!"

At these words, the figure with linen draped over his body and cloth wrapped around his face didn't move. Instead, he looked toward Zhang Hu, who stood nearby.

Zhang Hu frowned. He wasn't one for tricks, and when he saw how frail the challenger was, he simply replied without much interest,

"I'll honor it too."

"Good..."

The hoarse voice sank. Under the crowd's puzzled gazes, the mysterious boy first let Liu San examine his bones, then went up on his own and seized the bow.

He bent his front leg, braced himself with the back one, and set the arrow to the bowstring. His movements even seemed a little unfamiliar.

Watching this, the hunters below—and even Zhang Hu—couldn't help laughing. Liu Er's smile was impossible to suppress, while Liu San's eyelids drooped as if he wasn't paying much attention.

Taking in everyone's reactions, the person onstage continued imitating the movements and stance of the boy who had drawn the bow earlier, until they seemed almost perfect.

[Heaven rewards diligence, will achieve something]

[Basic Archery Fundamentals (1/100)]

A flash of information appeared in his mind and vanished. The next instant, the bowstring, thick as an ox tendon, was yanked back.

A slight curve, half an inch... a full circle!

The half-inch-thick bowstring held perfectly still between his two fingers, the circle complete and flawless.

Deathly silence!

The crowd, unable to hold back their laughter moments before, fell utterly quiet. Liu Er's smile froze on his face. Zhang Hu's bushy brows shot up, and his mouth fell open. Even Liu San, who had been silent and seemingly uninterested, suddenly opened his eyes wide in astonishment.