Cloud-Walking Qi Archery

They got through the night safely.

"Pick up the pace. Finish eating and get moving. We need to reach Blackwater Town before nightfall."

As Luo Shan ate roasted dried rations, he spoke to the others.

"Yes."

After eating, under Luo Shan's command, everyone methodically checked the medicinal herbs and the donkeys before setting off.

When they reached the riverbank and followed the river downstream, they soon spotted a crude wooden bridge.

The planks on the bridge varied in age. The oldest ones had already rotted away.

Walking across it, every step landed in a hole.

"Ke Jun, replace those planks."

Luo Shan pointed at the rotten pieces of wood.

"Yes, Captain Luo."

"You, you, and you lot, come with me."

Ke Jun pointed out several people in quick succession, and those he selected followed him to chop down trees.

Chen Xun was among them.

After working for quite a while, they finally dealt with several logs and replaced the rotten planks.

"Every time we cross this bridge, we waste a good deal of time."

Someone sighed.

There was no helping it. The wood had not undergone any special treatment, and with the damp moisture here, it rotted easily.

There were actually other roads that could lead to Blackwater Town.

But those roads all had checkpoints set up by the authorities, and taxes had to be paid to pass through.

After one trip, they would have worked for nothing.

Over time, all sorts of smuggling routes emerged.

The imperial court turned a blind eye to it as well. After all, those capable of opening smuggling routes all had countless threads tying them to the court.

After carefully pulling the donkey carts across the wooden bridge, everyone could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

They continued onward until noon.

The sun overhead was scorching, but it did not affect Chen Xun's group below.

That was because they were resting inside a gorge.

The gorge was narrow, with hard stone walls on both sides.

Even when sunlight fell into it, it could only form a single thread of light.

"Eat your fill, rest well, and stay sharp. If anything happens later, keep your heads. I'll handle it."

Inside the gorge, Luo Shan spoke in a deep voice.

The veterans in the group all knew what was going on, and their expressions turned solemn.

Only the two newcomers, Chen Xun and Li Peng, looked at each other in confusion.

Seeing this, Luo Shan instructed someone beside him, "Gao Feng, explain the situation to them."

"Alright, Captain Luo."

As Gao Feng ate dried rations, he spoke to Chen Xun and Li Peng. "This place is A Thread of Sky. Mountain bandits often set up checkpoints here to collect tolls."

"If anyone refuses to pay, they block the paths ahead and behind, shoot arrows down from the mountains, and slaughter everyone."

"We've dealt with this band of mountain bandits many times."

"In the past, we always lived in peace with one another. But last time, these bandits suddenly raised the toll."

"Captain Luo argued with reason and fought on solid grounds before making them charge the previous amount."

"So there's no guarantee they won't stir up trouble again this time."

"If they make the same demands again, I'm afraid even Captain Luo's standing won't be enough."

Hearing this, Chen Xun's expression grew grave, while Li Peng looked panicked.

"Then what do we do? Can't we take another road?"

Li Peng hurriedly asked.

"There's no other road. If there were, we would have taken a detour long ago."

Gao Feng shook his head.

At those words, Li Peng immediately pulled a long face, unease churning in his heart.

"To prepare for the worst, we'll enter in two groups. If anything happens, the people in the second group must hold back the bandits. Don't let them cut off our retreat."

At that moment, Luo Shan spoke.

"Now, I'll divide the forces."

"Those whose names are called will remain here to guard against any mountain bandits who might appear."

"Once we reach a safe place, we'll send someone back to call you over."

"Is that clear?"

Luo Shan swept his gaze over everyone, his expression stern and fierce.

"Clear."

Everyone hurriedly nodded.

"Good. Then I'll start calling names."

"Ke Jun, Gao Feng, Sun Cheng, Xue Nan, Chen Xun."

"You five will stay behind."

"Yes."

The five did not object and nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Luo Shan nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Everyone else, bring the medicinal herbs and continue forward with me."

Led by Luo Shan, the others drove the donkey carts deeper into the gorge, gradually disappearing from sight.

"Listen carefully. If mountain bandits appear, don't hesitate. Strike immediately."

"Understand?"

Ke Jun's face was solemn.

"Understood."

Chen Xun and the other four replied in chilling voices.

Afterward, Ke Jun sought out Chen Xun alone. "You're new. You haven't killed anyone, and you haven't practiced martial arts for long. If you encounter an enemy, you'll be in great danger."

"If you fight alongside us, the enemy will easily see you as a weak point to break through. Once you die, we'll be in danger too."

"So if fighting breaks out, I don't need you to join the battle. But you'll need to do something else."

"What?"

"Use this to support us."

As he spoke, Ke Jun pulled a crossbow from a wooden crate beside him.

The axes they had used earlier to chop down trees had also been taken from that wooden crate by Ke Jun.

"When the time comes, you only need to cock the crossbow, aim at the enemy, and fire."

"Do you understand?"

"I understand."

Chen Xun immediately snapped back to his senses and replied.

"Good. This crossbow is yours. Find a concealed spot and lie in ambush. When the enemy appears, catch them off guard."

"Understood."

Chen Xun carefully accepted the crossbow. His face was calm, but excitement surged within him.

"It's actually a blue item."

That was right. The reason Chen Xun had just been stunned was that the crossbow Ke Jun had taken out was actually a blue item.

After getting the crossbow, Chen Xun hurriedly checked its attributes.

[Cloud-Walking Qi Archery Crossbow (Blue)]

[Attribute: Cloud-Walking Qi Archery Cultivation Bonus (Green)]

[Attribute: Cloud-Walking Qi Archery—Mastery (Blue)]

[Attribute: Precision (Green)]

[This is a crossbow meticulously crafted by a master. Someone secretly concealed an archery technique within its crossbow arm, solely to keep it from falling into the hands of an enemy.]

"This is a crossbow with a story."

Chen Xun sighed.

"I just wonder where Ke Jun got it."

Afterward, Chen Xun found a concealed place, took the Iron Shoes from his inventory, and put them on.

At once, a flood of information poured into Chen Xun's mind.

After quite some time, once he had digested it all, his mind now held mastery-level experience in Cloud-Walking Qi Archery.

But that did not mean Chen Xun no longer needed this blue item.

The moment he took off the blue item, those memories and experiences became as though covered by a thin veil, no longer quite real.

They were nowhere near as clear or accurate as when he had the item equipped.

Therefore, unless Chen Xun cultivated a martial technique to the item's limit, he would not casually unequip it.

"I wonder if Vice-Captain Ke Jun would be willing to part with it."

Chen Xun thought as he stroked the crossbow.

Suddenly, a loud cry rang out. "Enemy attack!"

Chen Xun immediately tensed, his expression turning cold and fierce.

"They actually came."

Chen Xun did not dare slacken. He hurriedly loaded a bolt into the crossbow and prepared to meet the enemy.