pertwk Chapter 40: Archery Skills Improved, Strike Later but Arrive First
Chapter 40: Archery Skills Improved, Strike Later but Arrive First
The following morning, Wu He rode out of the city and headed straight for Baicao Mountain, sixty miles to the west.
Baicao Mountain is the most extensive mountain range within the border region, stretching for a hundred miles from north to south, and is home to a large number of precious plants and animals.
Before Xiongzhou was established, Baicaoshan belonged to the Yingzhou Waqiaoguan government. Now that the Zhenguan Army is stationed there, after Xiongzhou was established, it belongs to the new Xiongzhou Prefecture.
Normally, the government doesn't strictly supervise it; it's just for the people's livelihood, and hunters and herbalists in the surrounding area can make a living this way.
This mountain range is not particularly high, but it is vast. From a distance, Wu He sees it as a wild and savage beast lying on the horizon, its back undulating.
He tethered his horse at a post station near Baicao Mountain, where there were already dozens of bright-coated Khitan horses.
This does not mean that the Khitans were here; the saddle on the horse is enough to prove that it was tied by an officer of the garrison.
The Central Plains are currently facing difficulties in horse administration, and the border troops mainly rely on captured warhorses.
In other words, there must be no fewer than thirty garrison officers on Baicao Mountain.
It seems that General Guo's hidden illness has given many people the opportunity to make some contributions.
Wu He knew what was going on. He took the large bow and quiver off the horse and carried them on his back. He also slung the Plum Blossom Knife at his waist. His armor gleamed, and he was fully armed.
"Sir, are you also here in search of blood ginseng?"
A courier dressed in hemp clothing bowed slightly and greeted them with a smile.
Wu He nodded.
"Baicao Mountain is vast and complex; it's easy to get lost without a local guide. There are a few hunters resting here; would you like to find someone to lead the way?"
"No need, just take good care of the horses."
After Wu He finished speaking, he left the post station.
His main purpose for this trip was to hunt down treasure beasts for future martial arts training. As for the hundred-year-old blood ginseng, he could only rely on luck.
Therefore, no one is needed to lead the way.
After he left, the post station official's face, which had been full of fawning smiles, instantly fell, and his eyes turned sinister.
He turned and walked into the post station. The hunters who were eating and drinking came out of the house, their previous laziness and relaxation completely gone.
They were all solemn and austere.
"How many people are there?"
Thirty-six.
"That's about it."
The post station clerk spoke in a deep voice, pulled a wood-chopping knife from a nearby haystack, and the others followed suit, picking up their swords and knives as they all went to the side room.
"Waaaaah!"
The dimly lit room was illuminated by bright light, and sobbing could be heard from inside. There were seven naked men, bound hand and foot, their eyes filled with terror as they saw the group enter.
……
After sneaking through the mountains for half an hour, Wu He finally found a suitable prey.
It was a dark brown bear, standing six feet tall on all fours, its massive body resembling a small mountain, rubbing its back against a pine tree.
Wow~
Wow~
The pine tree suffered terribly from being rubbed against by this enormous thing, shaking violently and groaning as the snow poured down.
"This physique must be about fifteen years old."
Wu He held his breath and carefully observed his surroundings to make sure there was nothing amiss. Then, he decisively took the large bow from his back.
The arrow was easily drawn to a full moon in an instant, no longer as difficult as before.
The cold arrow emerged from the withered branches and shot out with a burst of speed!
puff!
A sharp whistle rang out, and a shuttle-shaped arrow pierced precisely into one of the giant bear's eyes, with such force that it almost pierced through its head.
"roar!"
The sudden attack made it roar and howl in fury, its face covered in blood, revealing its rage.
But this arrow failed to kill it; its remaining bloodshot eye instantly locked onto Wu He, who was crouching in the distance.
沙~
沙~
It charged in recklessly, its fat body trembling violently.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Wu He immediately stood up, turned to the side, drew his bow, and fired two arrows in quick succession, one into its other eye and the other into its chest.
With a hoarse roar, the enormous creature collapsed to the ground, its mouth uttering only rapid, panting breaths.
After a short while, there was no further movement.
Wu He put away his great bow, drew his Plum Blossom Knife from his waist, and cautiously approached the creature. He only felt relieved after confirming that it was truly dead.
Looking at the enormous bear on the ground, a smile crept onto his face.
"This beast weighs at least 800 jin (400 kg), enough to feed me for a while."
"As expected, self-reliance leads to abundance. I should have kept those military merits instead of spending them on medicine."
Wu He sighed slightly.
Having advanced to the late stage of the Body Refinement realm, he estimated the amount of food he needed for his daily martial arts practice.
If you were to eat meat from a rare beast that's been around for over ten years, you'd need at least a hundred pounds a day just to be full.
After all, he is currently burdened with numerous martial arts debts, and the energy expenditure from practicing martial arts is extremely high.
This giant bear is enough to feed us for several days.
[Progress Completed (Beginner's Guide to Arrow Return): 85/100]
"The previous progress was eighty, which means that hunting down this giant bear will add five progress points."
"Not bad, let's try to master archery today."
Wu He then dug a pit, buried the giant bear's carcass in it, and stuck an arrow in it as a marker before continuing his search deeper into the mountains.
Mountains have always been treasure troves. In the next three hours, in addition to hunting two prey, Wu He also unexpectedly found a precious plant.
Based on the little knowledge he had learned from Wen Qiaoniang at Xichuntang, Wu He recognized it as a ten-year-old poisonous plant called "heartbreak grass".
However, poisons have always been inseparable; if ingested alone, they are extremely toxic and enough to kill one.
However, if taken with other medicinal herbs, it can become a valuable and effective medicine.
The harvest was plentiful.
[Progress Completed (Beginner's Guide to Arrow Return): 95/100]
"Five more to go! We'll basically have enough after just one more hunt."
Wu He drank some water, rested for a while, and then set off again.
By then he had reached the depths of the mountains, where the temperature had dropped considerably, and soon he encountered a spirit deer.
Not unusual, but judging from its size, it must have been about ten years old. Wu He wasn't picky about food, so he immediately drew his bow and shot the animal.
[Progress Completed (Beginner's Guide to Arrow Return): 100/100]
[Have you advanced your martial arts skills: Minor Mastery of the No-Return Arrow Technique?]
"Advance payment!"
[Martial Arts Skill Already Received in Advance: Minor Mastery of the No-Return Arrow Technique]
With mind and eyes united, they cut through the wind silently, arriving first despite being the last to strike.
[Next Stage Preview: Mastery of the No-Return Arrow Technique]
Many arrows aimed at one goal, shooting stars fill the sky.
The great bow in his hand was burning hot, and the essence of archery was deeply imprinted in his mind.
Ten seconds later, Wu He suddenly tightened his grip on the bow, took an arrow, and nocked it.
At this moment, as you draw the bow and aim, the warm blood and qi within your body circulate nimbly, and you regulate your breathing.
call out!
The arrow was launched with great speed; almost as soon as the sound of it cutting through the air was heard, it pierced through the tree trunk a hundred paces away, its speed much faster than before.
"Xiao Cheng's archery skills have some peculiar effects; the speed of his arrows has increased significantly."
Wu He was very satisfied to see this, feeling that his efforts had not been in vain.
These four prey animals, weighing a total of over two thousand pounds, are enough for this trip.
It's time to go back.
He carried the spirit deer carcass on his back, intending to head towards the reserve point he had previously set up.
However, just as Wu He was preparing to pack up and return, a few rustling sounds suddenly appeared around him.
He cautiously put down his prey, used his light-footed skills to leap onto a branch, and looked in the direction of the sound.
A figure flickered at the end of his line of sight, and when Wu He finally spotted it, his pupils involuntarily contracted slightly.
Two men, dressed in ordinary coarse linen clothes, but holding gleaming Khitan scimitars, were following the trail they had left behind.