"Why bother with ten paces?"
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As Zhao Cheng spoke, he raised the bow and fired. He drew an arrow, nocked it, and pulled the bowstring back until the bow was as round as the full moon. The arrow flew like a shooting star!
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The movements flowed like water, crisp and clean, too fast to follow—so fast they seemed to leave afterimages. Yet there was an indescribable beauty to them that left Meng Wei staring in a daze!
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The arrow flew so fast it was almost impossible to see. With a piercing whistle, it crossed more than sixty zhang in an instant and struck the very center of the target, passing straight through!
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It pierced the wooden bull's-eye and kept going, fierce as thunder. With a thunk, it sank into the earthen wall, leaving only its tail quivering!
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The County Commandant stared, dumbstruck.
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More than sixty zhang, straight through the bull's-eye, sinking into the earthen wall!
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His stance, movements, strength, and accuracy were all flawless—so exquisite they seemed to reach the pinnacle of perfection!
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What the hell, he had to have gotten lucky!
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That wasn't how he'd shot before!
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He had to have gotten lucky!
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If horsemanship could be mastered in appearance through some strange talent for speaking horse, the County Commandant could barely accept that.
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But archery? Absolutely impossible!
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Even a naturally gifted person couldn't suddenly leap several levels through a flash of insight and reach this level.
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Archery was complicated. Hitting a bull's-eye from this distance involved far too many factors.
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You had to know the bow, the arrow, and your own strength. You also had to calculate the angle, the wind, even the arrow's rotation. The slightest tremor, the tiniest deviation, even a shallow breath, could affect where it landed.
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So this kid had just gotten lucky!
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Meng Wei nodded and praised him. "Not bad for a lucky shot. Remember how that felt. Your movements just now were textbook. You have to remember that feeling."
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"Shoot again. Copy what you just did."
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Zhao Cheng scratched his head. He understood why Meng Wei didn't believe him.
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But he had already spent fifteen years practicing archery in his simulations. Even when he used his heart as a bow, he'd practiced thousands upon thousands of times.
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With a bow in his hand, shooting felt as natural and easy as breathing.
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Within range, nothing could stop his arrows.
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In the blink of an eye, another arrow shot out, flying in a straight line. It passed through the hole in the target made by the first arrow, then went straight into the tail of that arrow. It sank into the earthen wall, its tail still quivering!
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Meng Wei swallowed, baffled.
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Could this really happen!?
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He'd gotten lucky twice in a row, right down to the same spot. Could he actually be good?
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Unwilling to believe it, he said, "You. Do it one more time. Let me see."
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Before he'd even finished speaking, a third arrow had sunk into the tails of the first two, going straight into the earthen wall. Its tail still quivered!
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The clerk, who had shrunk into a faraway corner, trembled so hard his eyes bulged like copper bells!
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No, seriously? You nearly killed me just now, and now you're a master archer!?
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What were you doing before!?
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Something was wrong!
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Had I done something to provoke him? Was he using archery as an excuse to kill me?
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The more the clerk thought about it, the more worried he became. After a few spiraling thoughts, he was already considering quitting and going home to farm!
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I can't afford to offend this Sha Star. But I can still run!
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Meanwhile, Meng Wei was truly dumbfounded!
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Could something like this really happen?
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He'd lived this long and never seen anything like it!
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It couldn't be!
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He looked Zhao Cheng up and down, thought for a long while, and finally came up with a plan.
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"How about this? You shoot from horseback at a gallop. If you hit the target again, well... I'll make sure you get venison at every meal for a month!"
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At that, Zhao Cheng's eyes lit up.
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"Really?"
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"Of course!"
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Zhao Cheng was delighted. He looked up and saw a sparrow darting into the distance.
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Under the clear blue sky, a gentle breeze ruffled the sparrow's feathers and brushed past his hair. Zhao Cheng's brows brimmed with confidence. "Shooting from horseback at a gallop? That's nothing, Uncle Meng. I'll show you a real trick!"
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At a thought from him, the horse understood and began racing ahead in perfect sync with him.
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As the horse surged beneath him, Zhao Cheng faced the sky, his upper body as still as if it were carved from stone. His eyes locked onto the target, steady and unwavering. Only the lower half of his body flowed with the galloping horse, his movements impossibly free and graceful!
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As the horse raced forward, Zhao Cheng had already nocked an arrow and drawn his bow. His keen eyes sharpened, and the sparrow's fine feathers came into clear view, each one distinct!
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Strength, angle, wind direction—everything welled up in Zhao Cheng's mind as naturally as flowing water.
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After a hundred million draws, the certainty of a hit had become part of his soul and blood!
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This arrow would hit!
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The bowstring strained to its limit!
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Meng Wei's eyes widened further and further. All his attention gathered on that single arrow.
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This kid was going to shoot a flying bird from horseback at a gallop!!
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How could that possibly be done!?
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And yet, why was he so full of confidence?
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Even I feel like there's no way he can miss!
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Those movements, that stance, that gaze... it was art!
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At that moment, everyone on the Drill Ground, new recruits and veterans alike, was drawn to that figure brimming with confidence.
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Countless young men felt their hearts stir with admiration, thinking that this was how a true man should be!
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But just then!
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Snap!
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The bow burst apart!
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The ox sinew snapped and the bowstring shattered. The deafening bang spooked the horse, which reared up on its hind legs.
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Zhao Cheng was startled, but he pressed one hand down on the horse's head and gave a soft snort, forcing it back down.
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He looked at the hard bow, now broken into several pieces in his hand, and couldn't help feeling at a loss.
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He'd practiced with his heart as a bow for so long that he'd forgotten how fragile the bow in his hands was.
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Never mind. The target was closer, anyway.
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Zhao Cheng rode back.
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Everyone stared in astonishment, then felt a pang of regret.
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They hadn't expected such a breathtaking shot to end before it could even be released.
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Instinctively, they'd wanted to see the arrow fly and bring down the bird in the sky.
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But it really was too far.
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Watching Zhao Cheng ride back, Meng Wei felt a little regretful too.
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That bow... really had held him back.
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The entire training ground fell silent.
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But soon, everyone came to their senses.
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What the hell am I regretting for!?
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That guy just snapped a bow by drawing it!!
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Is he even human?
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Zhao Cheng turned his horse around at a leisurely pace and stopped in front of Meng Wei. The confidence between his brows had settled into calm composure.
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"Uncle Meng, I accidentally snapped the bow. Does your offer still stand?"
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Meng Wei was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Of course. That was the bow's fault, not yours."
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Zhao Cheng nodded and smiled. "Then bring me another bow. As you said, I'll shoot at the target from horseback."
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Seeing the boy's calm expression, Meng Wei felt oddly uncomfortable, though he couldn't say why.
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He nodded, then suddenly shouted, "Bring me my bow!"
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A guard immediately went to fetch the strong bow Meng Wei usually used.
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Meng Wei looked at it but didn't take it. "Not that one. Bring me the bow I keep in my collection!"
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The guard froze. "But you hardly ever use it..."
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"Less talk."
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"Yes, sir."
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The guard soon returned with another strong bow.
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It was black all over, with ends shaped like deer antlers and ox sinew wrapped around the limbs. The string was as thick as a rope. The guard's arm veins bulged as he carried it, making it clear the bow was no lightweight.
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Meng Wei took the bow and handed it straight to Zhao Cheng.
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"This blackwood strongbow has a core of Green Paulownia Wood, a specialty of Chu State, Jiang Mi antlers for its nocks, and Qianzhong Rhino Leather Bowstring. It has a refined-iron frame and weighs one hundred and twenty jin. They say its range reaches two hundred and forty paces."
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"Take it and try shooting down a flying bird from horseback at a gallop. If you can, the bow is yours!"
Before you continue