Archery Skill Matures

Time passed.

The influence of the fish tide gradually permeated the entire Water Army.

Under such grand circumstances, it was not only the fishing industry of Qing Province that benefited; the River Bureau also stood to reap a bountiful harvest.

Every battalion of the Water Army had long since moved upon hearing the news, preparing at every moment.

The Archery Battalion was no exception; beyond their daily rigorous training, there was now a tangible incentive.

To secure the profits from the fish tide, every archer in each battalion was permitted to collect an additional ten ironwood arrows.

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

"Why are there two arrows missing for everyone?"

Yu Bin counted the already distributed arrows according to the number of names on the roster.

After finishing the count, his expression shifted slightly, and he questioned the person in charge.

The person in charge seemed to have anticipated this, replying in a muffled, bitter tone: "There weren't supposed to be any missing, but you arrived late, and the Second Team took a few extra."

"Why didn't you stop them?" Yu Bin asked, suppressing his rising anger.

The Third Team had nearly forty archers; two arrows missing per person meant nearly eighty arrows in total.

This was by no means a small number. If they could be concentrated during the fish tide, it might have increased their yields by several layers.

Now that they had all fallen into the hands of others, did this not pointlessly sever their hopes?

The person in charge knew he was in the wrong and became even more helpless: "It's not that I didn't try to stop them, but the Second Team insisted on taking them by force and left word that if you had any objections, you could go find them yourselves."

"I'll go settle the score with them!" Upon hearing this, Yu Bin was furious. He immediately threw the arrows down, intending to go and demand an explanation.

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

"Li Mo, it's not that I want to let it go, but they are truly bullying us too far this time!" Yu Bin said indignantly, unable to bear it any longer.

The Second Team had always targeted them, and whenever they felt displeased, they would rely on their superior numbers to oppress them.

It was one thing to suffer some grievances on ordinary days, but now, with the fish tide approaching and everyone's monthly salary at stake, how could this be treated as a trivial matter?

Li Mo stood his ground. After a moment of silence, his tone became slightly firmer: "Go see them, and then what? If we blow this matter up, it will be difficult for them to answer for it, but will it be easy for Team Leader Han to answer for it?"

Hearing this, Yu Bin was suddenly struck dumb and fell silent.

It was not that he hadn't considered these things, but he had been blinded by rage just moments ago, focused only on venting his anger and forgetting Han Ming's situation.

Han Ming was a newcomer who was already being made things difficult for because he had encroached upon the interests of his eldest brother, Han Nuo, and his second brother, Han Cheng. He had yet to truly establish a firm footing.

If he learned of this, he would surely step in to stand up for them and reclaim their rights, but by losing the big picture for the sake of a small one, he would inevitably earn a reputation for bullying the weak.

Not to mention the gossip it would invite, his two brothers would seize the handle and use it as an excuse to deliberately stir up trouble.

Adhering to the slick, worldly-wise principles of Battalion Commander Han Baichuan, it would ultimately be they and Han Ming who suffered the loss.

Seeing that Yu Bin had regained his clarity, Li Mo added: "These missing arrows won't have much of an impact. We can just redistribute some from the Fishing Team later; they have no use for them anyway."

"Sigh!" Yu Bin knew this was the only way, so he sighed softly and said no more.

The two then took the short-handed batch of arrows and returned.

Outside the Third Team's camp, there were uninvited guests.

"So it is Instructor Huang. A rare guest indeed!"

Han Ming was somewhat surprised to learn that Huang Chun had come to visit.

Suddenly noticing the unusual appearance of the man's face, he couldn't help but ask: "Instructor Huang, what happened to your face?"

"I suffered some injuries while out a while ago. It's nothing of consequence," Huang Chun said with a light laugh.

As his smile stretched, the scar running across half his face twisted like a venomous snake, appearing exceptionally hideous.

Seeing that Huang Chun did not wish to dwell on it, Han Ming tactfully moved past the subject and invited him into the tent for a chat.

"Instructor Huang, you wouldn't visit without a reason. I wonder what brings you to seek out Han today?"

Inside the tent, Han Ming called for someone to pour tea for Huang Chun. Once the pleasantries were nearly exhausted, he shifted the conversation to the main point.

"I won't hide it from Team Leader Han. I have indeed come uninvited because I have an important matter to request of you. I would like to ask Team Leader Han for one of your men." Huang Chun stopped beating around the bush and stated the true purpose of his visit.

Han Ming feigned surprise and asked in return: "Oh? I wonder who it is that would make you, Instructor Huang, speak up in person?"

"The man is called Hong Ming. I wonder if Team Leader Han would be willing to part with him and send him under the command of Team Leader Huang Zhang?"

As he spoke, Huang Chun took an exquisite, palm-sized wooden box from his robes and opened it gently, revealing his sincerity.

Inside were three ingots of snowflake silver, each weighing ten taels!

Huang Chun then added: "A mere trifle of a gift, I hope you will not take offense. I truly hope Team Leader Han will grant this favor!"

His words were humble, but his sincerity was substantial.

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

He didn't even need to show his face; Huang Chun had surely smoothed over every link, and the transaction would be complete the moment he opened his mouth.

Han Ming did not rush to agree, but instead asked calmly: "May I ask, Instructor Huang, is it only this Hong Ming you want?"

If Huang Zhang's team were short on men, there would be no need to go through such trouble to demand someone from the Second Battalion.

As long as the other party were willing to extend an olive branch, there would be no shortage of Water Soldiers in the Preparatory Camp willing to defect.

Moreover, the fact that it was Huang Chun who came to demand the person, rather than Huang Zhang, made the situation even more intriguing.

He had a slight guess in his heart, but he was not certain and waited for verification.

Sure enough, after a moment of contemplation, Huang Chun nodded slightly and gave his reply.

It seems this Hong Ming has offended Huang Chun!

Seeing this, Han Ming made an instant judgment in his heart.

The reason it was Huang Chun and not the Huang Family was that if the latter wanted to target Hong Ming, there would be no need to go through his hands at all.

This was a conflict at a higher level, one that a squad leader could not participate in.

After confirming the situation, Han Ming began to ponder deeply.

Although this was Huang Chun's private matter, it would truly be unwise to offend the other party for the sake of Hong Ming.

Yet, the fact that Hong Ming was able to come to the Archery Battalion had a great deal to do with him.

He had recruited him as an exception to repay a favor; to send him away now would be inappropriate.

Thinking this way, he did not give an answer on the spot, but instead pondered: "Instructor Huang, Hong Ming is, after all, a soldier under my command, and he has only just joined the battalion. If I were to discard him like a worn-out shoe so rashly, it would be improper. Regarding this matter, I need to consider it carefully. How about I give you an answer after a few days?"

"In that case, we shall do as Squad Leader Han says." Huang Chun heard the hesitation in Han Ming's words.

Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with the other party's excessive caution, he still expressed his understanding.

Before leaving, he did not forget to make his stance clear: "If Squad Leader Han is willing to release him, I would be deeply grateful, and the Huang Family would be deeply grateful!"

He deliberately mentioned the Huang Family to alleviate Han Ming's concerns and increase the success rate.

His intention was to show that there was also the backing of the Huang Family behind this matter.

Han Ming had already formed his judgment from their conversation earlier, and now that he was being reminded, he did not care much.

On the surface, however, he displayed a perfectly measured attitude of caution and importance, stating that he would definitely provide an answer as soon as possible.

After seeing Huang Chun off, he called for his subordinate: "Help me investigate someone!"

The sun set behind the western hills, and the twilight grew thick.

Within the training grounds, however, a brilliant dawn, as if breaking through the darkness, gradually ascended.

It belonged solely to that figure in the field, who was painstakingly devoted to his craft.

[Piercing Willow Archery (Entry 496/500)]

[Piercing Willow Archery (Entry 499/500)]

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

In a certain instant, the dawn turned into substance, living up to expectations as it replaced the progress bar.

With this, Piercing Willow Archery broke through, stepping into the realm of Minor Accomplishment!