Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

Chapter 117: Chapter 41 On the Road to Kill, Seize the Bow

In the main street, Shen Qing was reluctant to start a conflict with others, always preferring fewer problems over more, so he still offered the other party a way out, hoping to downplay the situation.

As long as the Silver Tael was returned, he wouldn't mind letting the other party off the hook.

Unfortunately, the other party clearly misunderstood his intention, taking him for someone weak and easily bullied.

The man Shen Qing caught tried to smooth things over with an oily smile, "Ah, I'm really sorry, I accidentally bumped into this big tree of yours. I promise to look where I'm going next time. Please don't stoop to my low level, I'll return your belongings right away."

Shen Qing's face was expressionless, as he was about to let go.

A fierce look flashed across the face of the man opposite him, and his other hand quietly reached for his waist, drawing a dagger and stabbing violently at Shen Qing.

In Taiping County, those who made a living as pickpockets and engaged in other such underhanded trades were rarely of good sort.

For them, money was more important than life.

When pushed into a corner, without a second thought, they would kill on the spot, no questions asked.

Their livelihood depended on their ruthless determination.

Shen Qing had already keenly detected something amiss with the man before him. His Qi-Blood surged throughout his body, and the Dragon Roar Armor instinctively activated.

His muscles suddenly tensed like iron, and a translucent membrane appeared on his skin.

Clang!

A crisp sound emitted from Shen Qing's skin.

The pickpocket looked at the dagger, only to find its tip bent. He was dumbstruck for a moment.

He felt that he had encountered a ruthless character today and hurriedly attempted to withdraw his hand, aiming to escape.

Unfortunately, his arm was as if fixed by Shen Qing, unable to move in the slightest no matter how he struggled.

The pickpocket's heart instantly panicked, and he felt as if he could already smell death, his scalp tingling.

Shen Qing stretched his mouth into a smile, "I clearly gave you a chance. Why force me?"

"Ah?"

Shen Qing gestured with his finger, instantly triggering the Wind Defying Finger.

Bang!

The back of the man's clothes burst open, sending up a cloud of blood mist.

Incredulous, the pickpocket lowered his head to see that his chest had burst open to the size of a bowl under Shen Qing's finger.

No blood gushed from the wound.

Because it was already cauterized.

The pink flesh inside curled up, with white and scorched yellow intermixed, sealing off the veins completely.

Just as the pickpocket was about to let out a piercing scream, Shen Qing moved swiftly to cover his mouth and nose, stifling the sound in his throat.

Then, hooking the man's neck, he dragged him into an alleyway.

The pickpocket, gasping for air, breathed more out than he could take in, resembling a dead rat, and gradually went still.

Seeing another life disappear before him, Shen Qing let out a heavy sigh, "Every time I see this, I always feel a sense of inexplicable sorrow."

Shen Qing surveyed the surroundings to make sure no one nosy had followed or gone to report to the officials. After confirming it was clear, he quickly took the stolen goods with peace of mind and returned to the main road.

Then, he walked down the street as if nothing had happened.

Once he left the main street and reached a deserted place, he opened his chest and looked down at where the pickpocket had stabbed him to find not even a mark.

Unscathed.

"That man seemed to be a martial master too, but he hadn't mastered his craft yet, just reaching the stage where he had condensed a bit of Qi-Blood. Even so, he couldn't hurt me in the slightest. Although the Dragon Roar Armor is difficult to train, the payoff is considerable."

Shen Qing murmured to himself, "Combined with the power of Wind Defying Finger and the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill, slaying such a person is almost effortless for me. But I wonder how it would be against a martial master of the same level?"

Somehow, he felt a stirring impulse to test his might.

Shelving those whimsical thoughts, Shen Qing followed his memory along the route towards Ruan Pottery Master's shop.

Ruan Family Kiln.

The old store front was half-open.

Even before Shen Qing approached the Ruan Family Shop, he could clearly hear the "clang clang" of hammers striking the anvil, crisp and forceful.

He quickened his pace, pushed open the large door, and entered. A wave of heat hit him, and the shop was filled with the strong scent of rust and the smell of burning charcoal.

At that moment, the flames in the forge leaped, casting a red glow over the entire shop.

Continue exploring at m|vl-em,py-r

A middle-aged craftsman was vigorously swinging his large hammer, every movement seeming effortless, as if he were one with the world of iron and fire.

Several apprentices were pulling the bellows with difficulty, working as his assistants.

Shen Qing stepped forward and greeted with a clasped fist, "Master Ruan, is my fifty shi bow ready?"

Upon hearing the sound, Ruan Chengbao glanced at Shen Qing and shouted into the house, "Girl, bring out that bow from inside and the finished arrows as well."

Soon, the girl with some freckles on her face that he had seen before came out, holding a bow and arrows in her arms.

She walked in front of Shen Qing, looked him over carefully with her bright eyes, and said, "Here, your bow and arrows, they are a bit heavy."

Shen Qing looked down.

The young girl was holding a fifty shi heavy bow, thick and solid, with a lustrous black sheen, entirely forged from dark iron.

On both sides of the bow, inlaid ox horn as well as delicate patterns were visibly clear, exuding an air of masterful craftsmanship.

Shen Qing took one look and felt exceedingly satisfied.

He reached out to take it.

The heavy bow made of dark iron in his hands seemed no different in weight from other bows and arrows.

Shen Qing knew it wasn't an issue with the bow, but rather the result of the continuous advancement in his cultivation over the past month, significantly increasing his strength.

Excitedly, he grabbed the arrow handed to him by the young girl and asked Ruan Pottery Master, "Master Ruan, do you have a place where I can practice shooting with a bow and arrow?"

"Just go to the backyard and try it out."

Shen Qing strode directly toward the backyard.

An apprentice peeked out and asked, "Do you think he can actually draw that bow? That's a fifty shi heavy bow, and several of us couldn't even budge it."

"Let's go and see for ourselves."

Some bold apprentices put down their work and followed along.

"Master..."

Ruan Chengbao set down the iron hammer in his hands and rotated his wrists, saying, "I'm tired from hammering till now; it's just the right time to loosen my muscle and bone."

Having said that, he also headed to the backyard.

The other apprentices, who dared not act recklessly, excitedly flocked towards the courtyard.

The young girl beside them bit her lip, moved her feet, and silently followed the crowd.

The backyard of the Ruan Family Shop was a large open space, only about thirty meters from front to back.

In front of the courtyard wall at the very front, there stood a crude wooden target, probably used by Ruan Chengbao and the others for bow casting tests on regular days.

Shen Qing stood in front of the target, his tall and sturdy figure silent and immovable like a tranquil mountain peak.

Adjacent to him, Ruan Chengbao with folded arms watched along with several apprentices for some heated action.

"Quick, look, he's going to pull the bow."

Under everyone's gaze, Shen Qing firmly gripped the fifty shi heavy bow, forged of dark iron, drew out a dark iron arrow, and placed it on the string.

He took a deep breath, his arm muscles tensed up, and veins surfaced, appearing like countless little dragons moving between his muscles.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

Shen Qing began to pull the bowstring, which made the sound of steel wire being tightened.

"He's pulled it back, he's pulled it back!" exclaimed Ruan Chengbao and the apprentices around him.

The fifty shi arm bow was effortlessly drawn by him.

"His cultivation must be quite high."

As the tension in the bowstring grew, the air around seemed to freeze, and a powerful aura emitted from Shen Qing's body, sending chills down the spines of those who felt it.

Finally, when the bowstring was pulled to its limit, Shen Qing abruptly released his fingers, and the bowstring shot out with a "hum" like an arrow leaving the string.

The arrow cut through the air, emitting a piercing whistle, and headed straight for the distant target.

With a "whoosh," the arrow precisely struck the center of the target, causing the wooden target to burst open and shatter into pieces.

The arrow didn't stop there, and amidst a roaring sound, hit the courtyard wall.

Boom!

A section of the courtyard wall was directly hit and collapsed, with countless fragments flying everywhere, and dust filling the air.

The commotion surprised everyone present.

Silence fell over the scene.

The potency of the fifty shi bow was beyond even Shen Qing's expectations.

He turned his head to see that Ruan Chengbao's face had turned ashen.

"You're paying for the repairs to the courtyard wall," he stated.

Then he shouted to the apprentices around him, "What are you all standing around for? Is there nothing to work on?"

The apprentices who had come to spectate scattered in shock.

The remaining young girl, looking at Shen Qing, had her eyes filled with a tender mist, her face flushed red, and she quietly left, head bowed.

At that moment, Shen Qing sensed something and a trace of joy appeared on his face.

[Skill: Bow Technique (Small Success)]

[Progress: 303/300 points]

[Status: Can be upgraded]

[Note: The strong are not deterred from striving for improvement! Continuous practice may break through the progress of the Skill, with a certain chance to awaken the Sight for Bow Technique.]