The Shooting Range

As they walked, Xu Qing suddenly stopped and looked back across the street. A boy was watching them.

"What's wrong?" Xu Xin turned around too, and met the boy's gaze.

Xu Xin's heart gave a little jump. It was him.

When the boy saw Xu Xin turn around, he nervously looked away and hurried off with his friend.

"Sister Xin, he's the boy who's been staring at you for a year. Do you think he likes you?" Xu Qing asked.

Back in their first year of high school, they'd been in the same class as that boy. He often stared at Xu Xin.

Xu Xin gave an embarrassed smile. "Not at all. If he really liked me, why wouldn't he say so?"

"Really? I think he probably does like you. Otherwise, why would he keep staring at you?" Xu Qing blinked. He might not understand much, but he could sense a lot of things.

"Enough, Xiao Qing. You're still young. You don't understand this stuff." Xu Xin stopped him from going on, feeling rather embarrassed.

Xu Qing thought for a moment. "But I'm only a few months younger than you, Sister Xin. And I always place in the top three in my grade. I think I understand."

Xu Xin laughed at that. If only your expression matched what you were saying, you might be convincing. But with that adorable, vacant look on your face, who would think you understand?

Seeing Xu Xin laugh, Xu Qing scratched his cheek. He felt that he knew a great many things.

Usually, he looked as if he were spacing out, but he was actually thinking. Really.

"Then, Xiao Qing, is there anyone you like?" Xu Xin asked.

Xu Qing thought seriously, then answered, "I like the people who like me."

"Pfft... I see. I knew you were still young, Xiao Qing. Come on, let's go. When you're really grown up, I'll find you the best girlfriend." Xu Xin smiled at him.

"Mm... I think I can find the best girlfriend myself," Xu Qing replied innocently.

"Forget it, Xiao Qing. I'm afraid you wouldn't even know if someone tricked you. I'll handle it."

"No, I understand this stuff. I won't get tricked."

"All right, all right. You won't get tricked. But you'll still listen to me."

"Oh, okay."

As they talked, they crossed the intersection and entered a small alley.

A high-end car was already waiting there. When the two of them approached, an old butler in a black uniform stepped out and opened the door. "Miss."

Xu Xin nodded to the old butler and got into the car with Xu Qing.

The car soon drove out of the alley and sped toward the city center.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped outside a huge manor.

As the massive iron gates opened, a wide, straight avenue came into view, stretching all the way to the depths of the manor.

The car carried Xu Qing and Xu Xin into the manor.

It stopped in front of a huge fountain, and Xu Xin and Xu Qing got out.

"Miss," the servants and maids in the manor greeted them with bows.

Xu Xin nodded to them, then led Xu Qing into the grand, luxurious mansion.

The Xu Family belonged to the Underground Alliance and was one of the alliance's several prominent families in the country.

The Underground Alliance was a coalition of powerful families and financial groups from America, Europe, and many other countries. It controlled the world's economy, and even the governments and militaries of various nations could only maintain peaceful relations with it.

The Xu Family wasn't among the top families in the alliance, but it was still a second-tier family with considerable wealth.

In the beautiful garden, Xu Xin and Xu Qing sat at a table laden with exquisite desserts.

Xu Qing had one in each hand and ate until cream was smeared around his mouth. He looked like a silly little glutton.

The maids nearby found the sight amusing.

They hadn't worked for the Xu Family long. They'd heard that the young miss had once had several playmates, but in the end, only Xu Qing had stayed by her side. He'd remained with her ever since, and she treated him like her own little brother.

In their eyes, aside from his decent looks and good grades, Xu Qing didn't seem to have any other virtues. As for being adorable and vacant, whether that counted as a virtue was debatable.

Still, he was quite cute.

"Are you full?" Xu Xin asked with a smile.

Xu Qing wiped his mouth and nodded. "I'm full."

"Then let's go to the training ground." Xu Xin stood and led him toward the back courtyard.

There was a large training ground in the backyard, and Xu Xin led Xu Qing inside.

It looked like a shooting range, but it wasn't for guns. It was an archery range.

As soon as Xu Qing arrived, he went straight to a table. Many metal longbows lay on it, in different sizes and designs.

Beside them were several dozen metal arrows, gleaming with a cold, dim light.

The bows and arrows were all made of Kro Alloy. They were expensive equipment used by Warriors.

Xu Qing picked up a black longbow and an arrow, then nocked it and drew the bow in one smooth motion. In that instant, his entire bearing changed.

A brilliant glimmer flashed in his clear eyes, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky.

Whoosh!

The next moment, the arrow left the bowstring and shot forward, tearing through the air with a deafening sonic boom that echoed across the training ground.

Xu Xin stood some distance away, looking toward the far end. Five hundred meters away stood a thick wall of Kro Alloy, and the arrow was embedded in it.

"That's amazing. Xiao Qing has never had any professional training, yet he's already this good," Xu Xin exclaimed.

She'd only discovered by chance that Xu Qing had physical abilities far beyond those of an ordinary person.

It had happened on the road. A child had nearly been hit by a sports car speeding past. The car was moving so fast that an ordinary person wouldn't have had time to react.

But Xu Qing had leapt out, scooped up the child, and jumped straight across the street, preventing a tragedy.

The whole thing had happened in the blink of an eye, like a dragonfly touching the water. Many people hadn't even noticed what had happened.

Xu Xin had been terrified afterward. When she asked Xu Qing how he'd done it, he said he wasn't sure. He could just do it, and it felt easy.

From that moment on, Xu Xin knew Xu Qing had the potential to become a Warrior, but she hadn't told anyone.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three arrows flew out and stuck into the wall in the blink of an eye, forming a perfect triangle.

Then came four, five, six, and seven arrows. Before long, they'd formed the shape of a flower on the wall.

After firing those rounds, Xu Qing lowered the longbow. He wasn't even breathing hard. To him, it was just like playing.

No one had taught Xu Qing this archery. He'd figured it all out himself, simply as a hobby. As long as he put his mind to it, he could get results.

"Xiao Qing, do you want to become a Warrior?" Xu Xin clapped as she walked over.

"A Warrior?" Xu Qing blinked. He'd heard of Warriors. They seemed to hunt monsters.

He also knew Warriors had different ranks, like Fighter and War General, but he didn't know much about them.

To him, it was just a slightly unusual term.