But he had also seen that Young Marquis Changle knew martial arts. Firing five arrows in a row within five breaths, with every arrow hitting the target, required a formidable combination of strength and skill. It was almost on par with the warrior's examination at the army's Martial Hall. "It's fine." Luo Yun waved her fan. "This is my beloved sword, but as long as everyone's having fun, it's no big deal. Besides, Young Marquis, you may not be able to win it from him." "Not at all." Fire Horses were especially fast runners and even better at carrying heavy loads. The Fire Cloud heavy cavalry of Huoluo Kingdom was fiercer and more battle-hardened than Yunmeng's Iron Pagoda heavy cavalry, all thanks to the Fire Horses' charging power. If Fire Horses weren't so rare even in the Western Regions, Huoluo Kingdom's armored cavalry might well have invaded the Dagan Empire, just as Yunmeng had. Hong Yi knew his own situation well, of course, and wanted to decline. "Ah..." Such strength, accuracy, and speed, when turned into fist techniques, would make for a formidable fighting style. "Bring me a bow." The young noblemen discussed it among themselves, their eyes fixed on Shark Slayer, burning with excitement. A wave of gasps swept through the crowd. "It seems Young Master Hong really did inherit Marquis Wuwen's martial spirit. I wonder if you'd be interested in another match, this time in hand-to-hand combat? The wager will be this Warm Jade Thumb Ring of mine. Young Master Hong can keep his horse on the table." Young Marquis Changle wasn't ready to give up. "I was just lucky." Hong Yi smiled. Still, that was one thing. Though Fire Horses were symbols of status among princes and nobles, they weren't exceptionally rare. You could get one if you were willing to pay enough. "Young Marquis Changle, you let me win." After finishing his shots, Hong Yi handed over the bow and took off his quiver, smiling. Seeing Hong Yi agree, Young Marquis Changle let out a loud shout, displaying a bold, masculine vigor. He took the bow in one hand and slung the leather quiver over his back with the other. Bending at the waist, he settled into his stance, rooted his strength in his lower body, and channeled it through both arms. He drew back the eighty-pound Ox-Sinew Bow and nocked an arrow. Hong Yi considered the matter, preparing to use the bow-drawing technique from the Ox Demon Great Strength Fist and enjoy a proper match with Young Marquis Changle. Hong Yi said nothing. He had already quietly set his spirit in motion, focusing his attention through his eyes as he stared at the bull's-eye. At the same time, he visualized the bow-drawing stance from the Ox Demon Great Strength Fist in his mind, vivid and lifelike. The moment he took the bow, the image fused with his body. Young Marquis Changle's eyes shifted as well. "Wouldn't it be a problem if the princess's sword were won from her?" "Fine, then next month, after the imperial examinations, we'll have a hand-to-hand match. Brother Hong, feed that horse well this month. Don't let it get thin. I'll win it back then." Young Marquis Changle had caught his breath. He also changed how he addressed Hong Yi, from "Young Master Hong" to "Brother Hong," clearly acknowledging Hong Yi's strength and accepting him into their circle. A peerless weapon in hand could increase a martial artist's lethality tenfold. With Shark Slayer, a warrior could fight on equal terms with a Martial Master. Although Hong Yi had combined spirit and soul, and spirit with flesh, through the Daoist and martial arts techniques he used while shooting, his sinews, bones, and skin hadn't yet reached their toughest. He was still a little short of mastery. Drawing the bow repeatedly had already left him with a slight strain. If they fought now, he would surely be at a disadvantage. Just imagine: the moment your swords clashed, your blade snapped your opponent's in two. What fight would there be left? "Archery is one thing, but hand-to-hand combat would be too much. If word got out that people had brawled at my gathering, it would look terrible. Why don't you set a time and have another wager then? Look, Miss Su Mu is here." Princess Zhennan Luo Yun said, displeased, "Today is a gathering. Archery is an elegant pastime, but hand-to-hand combat would be too much." Hong Yi flatly refused, because his hands were aching faintly, and his back hurt a little too. Everyone's eyes widened. They saw Hong Yi hold the bow in one hand while, with the other, he plucked arrows from the quiver as if by magic, set each to the string, drew it back to a full moon, and released. Each shot left a lingering resonance in its wake. The first four arrows all struck the bull's-eye. Only the last, loosed at such speed, strayed slightly from the center, yet still buried itself deep in the target. "Miss Su Mu is coming. Young Marquis wants to show off; I have to admit, I want to show off too." Hong Yi nodded, his heart stirring slightly as he looked at the Fire Horse. Young noblemen from princely and aristocratic houses all had fortunes worth tens of thousands, and had seen every sort of thing, yet the wager between the two still gave them quite a shock. "Young Marquis Changle's martial arts are probably better than mine. But I've trained in the Ox Demon Great Strength Fist, and my foundations are solid. I've trained every muscle and tendon in my body. The best muscle-and-tendon technique in Dagan is only the Daoist Small Heavenly Cycle Strength Training Method, which still falls short. Even if he's reached the level of a warrior, his foundation may still be a little different." The sword of Divine Wind Kingdom was heavy, with a slight curve. It was longer than ordinary swords, and had a blood groove just behind its pointed tip. It was neither quite a sword nor quite a saber, perfectly suited to hacking and killing on the battlefield! The bowstring twanged again and again. After each shot, Young Marquis Changle swiftly drew another arrow from his quiver, nocked it, drew, and fired. He did this five times in a row, and finished within five breaths, just as promised. A weapon like Shark Slayer would be a tremendous asset to these young nobles, who hoped to earn distinction on the battlefield and win noble titles. After speaking, he quickly turned his eyes toward a peerlessly beautiful woman approaching in the distance. "Is that so? Since the princess has said as much, then let the game begin. I won't hold back." Young Marquis Changle studied Hong Yi closely. "A hundred paces, five arrows in five breaths. If you take even one breath longer, you lose. Missing the target counts as a loss too. Accuracy decides the winner. Do you agree, Brother Hong?" "Good!" Firing five arrows in a row did indeed mark him as a skilled archer. But the wager Luo Yun had lent Hong Yi, Shark Slayer, was forged entirely from Chrysanthemum Pattern Cloud Steel. It could shave hair, and was a peerless weapon money couldn't buy. What was more, it was a sword forged in Divine Wind Kingdom, completely unlike the swords of Dagan. "It's just a game, isn't it? That's a pretty hefty wager." Young Marquis Changle was evidently quite pleased with his performance. He handed the bow to Hong Yi, then wiped his hands. What was more, it was obvious at a glance that Young Marquis Changle practiced martial arts regularly and had plenty of real combat experience. Hong Yi's only real fight in his life had been with Hong Gui, and even then he'd caught him off guard. Compared with Young Marquis Changle, his experience was probably far inferior. "You win." Young Marquis Changle stared fixedly at the target, seeming unable to believe what he was seeing. After a long while, he finally said the three words with a pained expression. Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish! Five arrows flew in succession, all striking the bull's-eye. The first one had even pierced right through the leather target. Dagan's swords were flexible and thin, suitable only for dueling and thrusting, not for the battlefield. That was why Dagan's weapons laws prohibited sabers but not swords. Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang! He had borrowed the Daoist art of visualizing the spirit and combined it with martial techniques. In an instant, spirit and soul joined as one, and spirit and flesh became one. "Ah..." The crowd gasped. No one had expected Hong Yi, who looked so unremarkable, to possess such archery skills.
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