Zhao Cheng looked stunned. His gaze lingered on the Ebony Bow with unmistakable fondness, but he didn't take it. "Uncle Meng, a gentleman doesn't take what another man treasures. I can't accept it."
Meng Wei laughed and cursed. "Damn it, you think I'm giving it to you? I don't believe for a second you can shoot birds from horseback at a gallop! Let's make a bet on it. If you shoot one down, you win, and the bow is yours. But if you fail, you'll have to listen to me from now on. If I tell you to go east, you can't go west. Do you dare?"
Zhao Cheng met Meng Wei's gaze and answered seriously, "I dare."
"Take the bow!"
"Yes, sir."
Zhao Cheng accepted it respectfully. The feel of it in his hands was nothing like that of an ordinary strong bow. He immediately couldn't bear to put it down.
The bow he'd used before was already an Elite Strong Bow, and a powerful one even among its kind. Its draw weight reached fifteen shi, its effective range a hundred paces, and its maximum range only a hundred and fifty paces. At that distance, however, it had already lost most of its force.
Though one shi in the Qin State weighed sixty jin, the shi used to measure a bow's strength didn't directly correspond to its weight. It referred to the bow's resilience when drawn. A one-shi bow required roughly fifteen or sixteen jin of arm strength to pull.
So even an Elite Strong Bow was like a toy to Zhao Cheng. He could snap one with a casual tug.
But the bow in his hands was clearly different. It felt heavy the moment he picked it up. The solid heft of its body and the tough, thick Qianzhong Rhino Leather Bowstring both gave Zhao Cheng the vague sense that some power and archery skill were about to awaken within him.
It was like a sword fanatic encountering the Longquan Sword, or a zither fanatic encountering the Jiaowei Zither.
He lowered his head, his broad palm wrapped around the Ebony Bow as he gently ran his hand over it.
Everyone present watched him in silence. They could clearly see how much he loved the bow, and feel the increasingly powerful, high-spirited energy radiating from him!
It was here!
That feeling of a master had returned!
Meng Wei's tiger-like eyes narrowed as he focused intently.
Then Zhao Cheng suddenly looked up, a smile playing on his lips. His eyes shone with confidence, as fierce as the blazing sun in the sky, and his spirit surged like a famed sword abruptly drawn from its sheath!
"Zhao Cheng thanks Uncle Meng for granting him this bow. Watch as I string it!"
Before his words had even faded, the horse beneath him seemed to sense its master's blazing spirit. It began galloping with all its might, moving so fast that the onlookers started to wonder if it was a top-grade steed!
In the blink of an eye, it had carried Zhao Cheng several zhang away. Horse and rider swept across the Martial Field like a gust of wind!
Just then, four or five sparrows perched on the wall of the Martial Field sensed a tremendous threat and took flight in fright, soaring into the sky!
Zhao Cheng's eyes blazed like torches. He lifted his face, raised the bow, and set three arrows against the string in a single motion!
Then his arms braced open, steady as Mount Tai. The heavy Ebony Bow bent beneath the strain, its curve swelling into a full moon!
By now, Meng Wei's eyes had gone round.
He had never managed to draw the bow fully since obtaining it!
What a lad! He'd pulled it straight to its limit in one go. What incredible strength!
But why had he set three arrows at once? Could it be...
A thought struck him, and he could hardly believe it.
On the Martial Field, the bowstring snapped like a thunderclap, exploding with a roar!
The three arrows leapt from the string and shot away like lightning!
Everyone's vision blurred. High in the sky, the feathers of three sparrows burst apart, and the birds plunged straight down, smacking onto the ground with their heads gone!
Feathers drifted slowly down over the Martial Field. The entire place was silent; one could hear a pin drop.
Meng Wei's face flushed red, and his breathing grew terribly ragged!
At such speed on horseback, he had shot birds nearly two hundred zhang away—and all three arrows from a single bowshot had hit!
Even though he'd prepared himself for the possibility, he was still stunned. In the past, if a storyteller had spun such a tale, he would have scoffed and called it a ridiculous fabrication!
But today, it had happened right before his eyes.
His scalp tingled with excitement...
He'd struck gold!
Strength enough to lift a ding, arrows that brought down the startled swan—this was the bearing of a God of War!
A dazzling general-star had risen before his very eyes, breaking at dawn upon this Martial Field!
How could he not be excited?
Meng Wei stared at Zhao Cheng as he rode back, feeling as though the lad was glowing!
Only then did the Martial Field erupt into an uproar!
"Brilliant!"
"Unbelievable! Shooting birds from a galloping horse—such divine marksmanship really exists!"
"Three arrows from one bow, every one hitting a bird's head! I thought such archery only happened in legends!"
"Even the legends wouldn't dare tell it like this! Even Yang Youji, the legendary archer, only pierced a willow leaf from a hundred paces. Zhao Cheng shot those birds from nearly two hundred paces, didn't he?"
"Our county has produced a genius! This is sure to go down in the history books. We're in the same camp as Zhao Cheng, so we'll be remembered alongside him!"
"Zhao Cheng will be remembered in history. Our names won't appear in the records!"
The soldiers were all flushed with excitement. Anyone who had trained in archery knew the true worth of that shot!
Just that one moment today was enough for them to boast about for the rest of their lives!
Zhao Cheng came before Meng Wei and dismounted. He stroked the bow in his hands, then offered it back to Meng Wei.
"Uncle Meng, it's a fine bow. That was a thrill. Here, take it back!"
Even though Zhao Cheng had never seen a bow like it, he knew it had to be worth a fortune. He'd won the bet, but keeping it would make him the real loser.
The admiration in Meng Wei's eyes deepened. He shook his head and pushed the bow back. "Do you take me for a man who breaks his word?"
"A bet's a bet. You won fair and square. The bow is yours."
"Besides, in my hands, this Ebony Bow would be like a pearl hidden in the dust. Only in your hands can it truly shine."
At that, Zhao Cheng stopped refusing and accepted the Ebony Bow. He truly couldn't bear to part with it.
"Thank you, Uncle Meng."
"With your strength and talent, you've already surpassed the standards for the Elite Cavalry. But according to military regulations, you still need to pass an assessment before you can be added to the military rolls as a full soldier."
"And with your abilities, there's no point joining the local troops under the County Court. If you're going to join, then join the Great Qin Central Cavalry and become a Vanguard Elite! Don't rush; just wait a few days in peace. Uncle Meng will make sure you're placed in a camp where you can earn first-class battle merit."
At those words, Zhao Cheng's heart stirred with gratitude. He clasped his hands before his chest and bowed solemnly. This was exactly what he wanted most right now.
Meng Wei saw the anticipation and gratitude in Zhao Cheng's eyes, and a smile crept onto his face. He was in a splendid mood.
It was the satisfaction of achieving something without needing to claim the credit!
He'd discovered a rare talent, and he couldn't let him languish in his hands. What did giving him a bow matter? He would raise the lad to the position he deserved, let him fight across the lands for Great Qin, and help him build a name for himself!
That, too, was the conduct of a true man!
Meng Wei rubbed the short stubble on his chin and thought, The lad must be so grateful to me now. No need to thank me; this is what Uncle Meng ought to do.
Zhao Cheng thought for a moment, then said, "Um, Uncle Meng, about that venison for a month..."
Meng Wei's expression changed. He hurried off. "I have urgent business to attend to. Go train, and don't slack off!"
Zhao Cheng stared after Meng Wei's rapidly retreating figure, speechless.
Wait, was venison really that expensive?
Before you continue