When Song Hao saw Lin Fei agree, a cold sneer curled his lips, and he said with considerable confidence, "Good. Then we'll shoot at three hundred meters!"
The moment he finished speaking, an uproar swept through the crowd.
Both the staff and those who practiced the sport knew that the historical longbow range record, set by a soldier with astonishing arm strength using a bow whose materials and craftsmanship had reached their limits, was only 365.8 meters.
Shooting at three hundred meters was an extremely difficult challenge even for professional world-class competitors.
The people around them buzzed with discussion, surprised by the range Song Hao had proposed.
"Three hundred meters? Is Young Master Song really that confident?"
"Heh, don't underestimate Young Master Song. I heard he has an expert guiding him thanks to the Song Family's connections. I've seen his archery before. It's beyond anything we can imagine."
Yet Lin Fei said casually, "Fine. That way, you can't say I'm bullying you."
"You shoot at the three-hundred-meter target for points. I'll play at five hundred meters."
As Lin Fei's words fell, the entire venue went silent.
Then came a wave of curses, and some people even burst out laughing as though they had heard a joke.
A 150-pound longbow was already a fearsome weapon that only an absolute beast of a man could fully draw, and only then could its range exceed 250 meters. Song Hao was going to use a 180-pound heavy bow, making him practically a humanoid Behemoth-something ordinary people could scarcely imagine.
And Lin Fei was actually saying he would shoot at five hundred meters?
"Fucking idiot!"
"Is there something wrong with his head?"
Quite a few people looked at Lin Fei with contempt, convinced he was simply a fool dreaming the impossible and making a spectacle of himself.
Song Hao was so angry he laughed, saying with utter mockery, "You don't understand archery at all, yet you still insist on embarrassing yourself here?"
"Heh, since you want to lose face, I'll grant your wish!"
A faint smile lingered on Lin Fei's lips. He was utterly unbothered.
Looking at Lin Fei, Song Hao felt his disgust grow stronger and stronger, his irritation reaching its limit.
In his eyes, showing off when you had the ability was called being badass-like himself, for instance.
Showing off without the ability made you a dumbass-like Lin Fei, for instance.
Let's see how much longer you can keep acting so arrogant, Song Hao thought as he watched the staff arrange the targets.
Huaxia people loved watching a spectacle. It seemed to be something of an innate trait.
Especially when it was the Song Family's young master putting someone in their place. Just watching it felt like a show of swagger.
Before long, a sizable crowd had gathered, with socialites and wealthy young men cheering Song Hao on.
Song Hao took the enormous 180-pound heavy bow. His presence was imposing as he roared like a Behemoth and drew the massive bow.
At that moment, the veins in his arms bulged, his muscles coiling like horned dragons, brimming with a fearsome sense of strength and beauty.
Song Hao actually drew the terrifying bow into a full moon. The veins in his forehead bulged as well, and he clenched his teeth tightly, staring fixedly at the distant target.
Cries of admiration rose from many people around him. Many women's eyes shone, deeply drawn to his masculinity.
He had money, power, and such handsome looks. Was it strange for him to be a little arrogant?
Not only was it not strange, it was handsome as hell.
At least, that was what most of the women thought.
Yet Lin Fei merely gave him a casual glance and shook his head lightly.
He had merely trained in external martial arts and scratched the surface of the Body Refinement Realm.
Twang!
The bowstring, stretched to its limit, was released, instantly bursting out with a terrifying sound.
The arrow streaked like a ribbon of black silk, whistling through the air as it struck the target accurately in an instant.
"Seven points!" a staff member immediately shouted.
The entire venue erupted.
"Nice! Looking sharp, Young Master Song!"
"We underestimated Young Master Song. This would be first-rate even in a world competition, wouldn't it?"
Song Hao grinned and shot Lin Fei a provocative look.
His three shots scored seven, five, and six points, respectively, for a total of nineteen.
Song Hao's little lackeys showered him with flattery while casting contemptuous looks at Lin Fei.
"Scared, dumbass?"
"Weren't you bragging about shooting at a five-hundred-meter target? Why are you chickening out now?"
Laughter rang out all around. Everyone was waiting to see Lin Fei make a fool of himself, egging him on to hurry up and begin.
Under everyone's laughing gazes, Lin Fei picked up a two-hundred-pound heavy bow without a change in expression, drawing another round of mockery.
No one believed he had the strength to draw such an enormous bow. They were all waiting for him to embarrass himself.
Yet Lin Fei looked utterly at ease. He even gave the distant target five hundred meters away just one glance before turning his head away and no longer looking at it.
At this, curses were already rising from the crowd.
"Holy shit, what the fuck are you showing off for?!"
"You're not even looking at a target five hundred meters away? Do you think you're an immortal?"
"I get it. This fucker has just given up on himself. Hahaha!"
"I'm dying here. Did something set him off? Is he mentally unstable?"
Yet they had not imagined that something even more outrageous was still to come.
"Song Hao, right? You only got nineteen points with three arrows. I won't bully you. Two arrows will be enough." Lin Fei smiled calmly, spinning the arrows in his hand into several black circles of light, with flecks of silver glimmering around them.
For a moment, Song Hao felt suffocated. He truly wanted to strangle him, and immediately spat through gritted teeth, "Stalling for time and spouting arrogant nonsense! Is this fun for you?!"
The crowd was even more incensed. Had they been holding eggs and vegetable leaves, many would have wanted to pelt Lin Fei to death.
Yet Lin Fei merely smiled faintly, nocked an arrow, and drew the bow.
At that moment, countless eyes widened. Some people even sprang to their feet, crying, "How is this possible?!"
For Lin Fei had effortlessly drawn the two-hundred-pound bow to its fullest extent, like a full moon.
There were no bulging veins, no clenched teeth. He even looked as though he had not exerted himself yet.
Before anyone could recover from their stupor, the arrow had already shot forth.
Twang!
A thunderous crack exploded. The bowstring continued vibrating, blurring into dense white afterimages, until even the tough string snapped.
Before anyone could react, the arrow had already pierced through the bull's-eye five hundred meters away.
In an instant, a deathly silence fell over the entire venue.
With a clatter, the longbow in Song Hao's hands dropped to the ground. He stood dumbfounded, his lips moving without producing a word.
It hit?
From five hundred meters away, it had fucking hit the bull's-eye-and punched right through it?!
Holy shit!
This fucker had to be using cheats!
The onlookers were on the verge of going mad, unable to imagine how Lin Fei had so effortlessly accomplished such an unheard-of feat.
"Luck. It was definitely luck!" Song Hao could no longer save face, seemingly trying his hardest to convince himself.
Meng Zhe recovered and joined in with a bluster that lacked conviction. "Right, definitely luck! Go on, then!"
Lin Fei did not waste any more words on them. He casually swapped out the longbow and fired another arrow.
Twang-
Another bull's-eye. The arrow even passed through the hole left in the center of the target, splitting the tail of the arrow embedded in the wall behind it and tearing it into two halves on the spot.
His interest waning, Lin Fei asked offhandedly, "Twenty points with two arrows at five hundred meters for me. Nineteen with three arrows at three hundred meters for you. Still want to play?"
Meng Zhe's scalp prickled and his legs went weak at the sight. With a thud, he actually dropped to his knees.
He looked at Lin Fei as though he had seen a ghost, falling apart inside. You fucking call this level of skill "knowing a little"?
Song Hao swallowed, his hands and feet also turning numb and cold.
"Holy shit, an expert!"
"What do you mean, expert? That was an immortal-level play!"
"Fuck, you don't even see that in the world's top competitions!"
"No, I have to get his autograph. I've been bowhunting for thirty years and never seen an expert like this!"
"Is he... using cheats?"
The entire venue erupted in a clamor. The feeling of seeing an immortal in one's own field of interest truly drove people wild.
Lin Fei, by contrast, showed not the slightest pride. He merely tossed down the enormous bow and asked Ji Yaoguang, "Hot pot or maocai for lunch?"