Archery Takes Shape

As time passed.

The effects of the fish tide gradually spread throughout the Water Army.

In this spectacular windfall, Qing Province's fishing industry was not the only beneficiary. The River Bureau also reaped abundant rewards.

The Water Army's battalions had heard the news and sprung into action, making preparations at all times.

The Archery Battalion was no exception. Besides training diligently as usual, it had turned the news into a tangible incentive.

To secure the profits from the fish tide, every archer in each battalion would receive an extra ten ironwood arrows.

Not long after the news spread, Li Mo took Yu Bin to the main camp to collect the arrows.

"Why is every person short two arrows?"

Yu Bin counted the number of arrows already handed out against the names on the roster.

When he finished, his expression shifted. He turned to the person in charge and asked.

The person in charge seemed to have expected this. He replied in a muffled, bitter voice, "There weren't any missing at first, but you came late. The Second Team took extra."

"Why didn't you stop them?" Yu Bin asked, struggling to contain his anger.

The Third Team had nearly forty archers. Two arrows short per person meant almost eighty arrows.

That was no small number. If they could pool them during the fish tide, they might increase their earnings by several tiers.

But now they had all fallen into someone else's hands. Wouldn't that cut off their hopes for nothing?

Knowing he was in the wrong, the person in charge grew even more helpless. "It's not that I didn't try to stop them. The Second Team insisted on taking them by force and said you could go complain to them if you had a problem."

"I'll go settle the score with them!" Yu Bin flew into a rage. He flung down the arrows and was about to go demand an explanation.

Li Mo shook his head and stopped him. "Yu Bin, let it go."

"It's not that I want to let it go, Li Mo. They've gone too far this time!" Yu Bin protested, at the end of his patience.

The Second Team had always targeted them. Whenever something displeased them, they would use their numbers to bully them.

Putting up with a little grievance in ordinary times was no big deal. But the fish tide was about to arrive, and everyone's monthly pay was at stake. How could they take this lightly?

Li Mo stood by his decision. After a moment's silence, he spoke with slightly more force. "What happens after you confront them? If we make a big fuss, they'll have trouble explaining themselves. But will Squad Leader Han have an easy time explaining it?"

Yu Bin fell silent at that.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered all this. He had simply let his anger get the better of him. He'd focused on venting and forgotten about Han Ming's predicament.

Han Ming had only just arrived. He was already being given a hard time at every turn for encroaching on the interests of his eldest brother, Han Nuo, and second brother, Han Cheng. He had yet to establish himself.

If he heard about this, he would surely stick his neck out for them and reclaim what was rightfully theirs. But he would be making a mountain out of a molehill and earn a reputation for throwing his weight around against his juniors.

Apart from giving people something to gossip about, it would also give his two brothers a handle to seize on, letting them make an issue of it and deliberately cause trouble.

By Commander Han Baichuan's principle of handling matters with tact, in the end, the ones who would suffer would be them and Han Ming.

Seeing Yu Bin come to his senses, Li Mo added, "Those missing arrows won't make much difference. We can borrow some from the Fishing Team when the time comes. They won't need them anyway."

"Ugh!" Yu Bin knew it was the only thing they could do. He sighed and said no more.

The two of them then carried the shorted arrows back.

An uninvited guest came to visit outside the Third Team's barracks.

"So it's Instructor Huang! What a rare visitor!"

Han Ming was a little surprised to hear that Huang Chun had come to see him.

Then he noticed the unusual state of the other man's face and couldn't help asking, "Instructor Huang, what happened to your face?"

"I got hurt while out some time ago. It's nothing serious," Huang Chun replied with a faint smile.

As his smile spread, the scar running across half his face twisted like a venomous snake, making him look especially ferocious.

Seeing that Huang Chun did not wish to say more, Han Ming tactfully let the matter drop and invited him inside for a chat.

"Instructor Huang, people don't come calling without a reason. What brings you here to see me?"

Inside, Han Ming had someone brew tea for Huang Chun. After they had chatted for a while, he changed the subject and asked about the real reason for his visit.

"To be honest, Squad Leader Han, I've come to ask a favor. I'd like to request a man from you." Huang Chun stopped beating around the bush and revealed his true purpose.

Han Ming feigned surprise. "Oh? Who is it that would make you ask in person, Instructor Huang?"

"The man's name is Hong Ming. Would you be willing to let him go and send him to Squad Leader Huang Zhang's command?"

As he spoke, Huang Chun took a palm-sized, finely crafted wooden box from his robes and opened it gently, showing his sincerity.

Inside were three ten-tael ingots of snowflake-patterned silver!

Huang Chun added, "It's only a small token, nothing worthy of your notice. I hope Squad Leader Han will grant my request!"

His words were modest, but his offer was generous.

Thirty taels of silver was not much to him, but trading it for an ordinary archer was well worth the price.

He had likely already smoothed things over at every level. Huang Chun probably wouldn't even need to appear in person; all it would take was for him to ask, and the transfer would be done.

Han Ming did not agree right away. Instead, he asked nonchalantly, "May I ask, Instructor Huang, is Hong Ming the only one you want?"

If Huang Zhang's unit needed men, there was no need to go to such lengths to come to the Second Battalion for one. As long as he made the offer, plenty of Water Soldiers in the Preparatory Camp would be willing to join him.

Besides, the one who had come to request a man was Huang Chun, not Huang Zhang. That made it all the more intriguing.

Han Ming had a vague guess, but wasn't certain. He waited for confirmation.

Sure enough, after a moment's thought, Huang Chun gave a small nod.

"So Hong Ming must have offended Huang Chun!"

Han Ming reached that conclusion at once.

The reason he suspected Huang Chun personally rather than the Huang Family was that, if the latter had wanted to target Hong Ming, they would have had no need to go through him.

That was a dispute at a higher level, beyond the reach of a Squad Leader.

Once he understood the situation, Han Ming considered it carefully.

Though this was Huang Chun's personal matter, offending him on Hong Ming's behalf would hardly be wise.

Yet Hong Ming had joined the Archery Battalion largely because of him.

Han Ming had made an exception and recruited him to repay a favor. Sending him away now would be improper.

That was what he thought, but he did not give an answer on the spot. Instead, he mused, "Instructor Huang, Hong Ming is one of my men, and he's only just joined the camp. To cast him aside so hastily would be improper. I'll need to give this some careful thought. I'll give you an answer in a few days. How does that sound?"

"In that case, I'll do as you say, Squad Leader Han." Huang Chun had picked up on Han Ming's inclination.

He was somewhat dissatisfied with the other man's excessive caution, but still expressed his understanding.

Before leaving, he made sure to add, "If you're willing to let him go, Squad Leader Han, I'll be deeply grateful. The Huang Family will be deeply grateful too!"

He deliberately mentioned the Huang Family to ease Han Ming's concerns and improve his chances.

He meant to make it clear that the Huang Family was also backing this matter.

Han Ming had already reached that conclusion from their conversation. The reminder did not trouble him much.

But he maintained an appropriately cautious and serious expression, saying he would give Huang Chun an answer as soon as possible.

After seeing Huang Chun off, he called over one of his subordinates. "Help me investigate someone!"

The sun sank toward the western hills, and dusk deepened.

Yet in the training grounds, a brilliant light like dawn's first break gradually rose.

It belonged solely to the figure in the field, who had devoted himself to perfecting his craft.

[Piercing Willow Archery (Beginner 496/500)]

[Piercing Willow Archery (Beginner 499/500)]

[Piercing Willow Archery (Minor Achievement 2/1000)]

In a single instant, that dawning light became tangible, and, as hoped, took the place of the progress bar.

At last, Piercing Willow Archery broke through and reached Minor Achievement!