“Chen Song, fire the whistling arrow!”
The piercing shriek faded into the distance, soaring towards the sky!
“Wei Xian, bring me my bow!”
Wei Xian was startled and said, “Brother Ning, why must we hold our ground here? We’ve already given the warning; the army will arrive soon. We might as well temporarily avoid the brunt of the attack.”
“Exactly, Brother Ning! These bandits are vicious. There are only three of us; I fear we can’t match them,” Chen Song, who had just fired his arrow, echoed.
The glory belonged to their superiors, but their lives were their own. With a monthly military pay of less than one tael of silver, it simply wasn't worth risking their lives.
Moreover, no one expected a mere flag officer leading two soldiers to truly block the enemy on this small path. The warning they had just given was enough for the three of them to report back.
Over two thousand men from the garrison were storming the hilltop, while the remaining three thousand troops guarded the main road entrance at the foot of the mountain to prevent the bandits from escaping.
With the whistling arrow fired, the army would arrive soon.
At this moment, the bandits still suspended on ropes also heard the death-knell-like arrow sound close by. Their descent accelerated. If they couldn't reach the bottom of the cliff before the officers and soldiers surrounded them, only death awaited them.
A few impatient bandits simply released the restraints on their legs, allowing the rough ropes to chafe their palms as they accelerated their fall, only seeking to escape with their lives.
Ning Yue said nothing, only reaching out to snatch the mulberry wood bow from Wei Xian's hand and nocking an arrow.
The standard three-stone mulberry wood bow for a flag officer was usually too much for Ning Yue's limited arm strength; he had never fully drawn it before.
But at this moment, the ox-hide string, which had always been stiff and hard to pull, felt exceptionally light.
He drew it open with a single motion, the bowstring instantly pulled taut. The moment Ning Yue released his fingers, the arrow whistled out, swift as a meteor chasing the moon!
“You guys can leave if you want… If you don’t, then collect the spoils for me!”
As his words fell, the iron-tipped arrow traveled a hundred meters, then with a thud, it pierced through a bandit’s chest.
Blood blossomed in the air, a mist of crimson staining the cliff face behind him.
The arrow still had enough force to carry the bandit's uncontrolled body directly into the stone wall!
Chen Song and Wei Xian were so shocked by this astonishing scene that they couldn't close their mouths.
They had known Brother Ning was exceptionally skilled in light footwork, but they never expected his archery to be even more extraordinary. With such martial arts, even Commander Xue might not easily win against him.
Fortune favors the bold. The two steadied themselves, hardened their resolve, and turned to run towards the bottom of the cliff.
“This time, I want seventy percent!”
Ning Yue called out urgently, but the sound of the arrows was even more urgent than his voice!
Arrows flew from the string in quick succession, tearing through the previously silent air, whistling sharply as they sped towards the bandits.
The bandits, dangling in mid-air, had now become lambs to the slaughter. Each one felt a chill shoot from their feet straight up to their necks.
They were already fighting for survival, but they hadn't expected someone to be guarding the bottom of the cliff—and a divine archer at that, capable of hitting a target a hundred paces away. Their minds were in disarray.
With a series of desperate screams echoing through the air, in just a moment, more than a dozen people were struck by arrows and fell to the ground, splattering into a bloody mess.
Chen Song and Wei Xian, familiar with the routine, expertly pulled open the clothes of the corpses and searched them carefully.
Although the bandits were terrified by the garrison's surprise attack and encirclement, they hadn't forgotten to carry their valuables with them as they fled. The two men rummaged through them and found a substantial haul.
A man cannot get rich without ill-gotten gains, nor can a horse grow fat without night fodder. Even after handing over seventy percent of their current earnings, it would still be enough for several years' worth of their salaries.
“Hehehe!”
“Hehehe!” The two laughed with simple joy.
“When we go back, we must feast at the Drunken Immortal Restaurant!” Chen Song declared boldly.
“And then go check out the Hundred Flowers Pavilion! I always hear the girls at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion are pretty, but I’ve never seen them,” Wei Xian, a virgin, added.
“Ah, ah, ah, ah, you dog official, how dare you!”
A bearded bandit, furious, finally couldn't hold back. Thirty zhang above the ground, he roared, flung off his rope, and leaped down.
His seemingly heavy body, as he descended, was like a withered leaf falling with the wind, clinging tightly to the cliff face, spiraling downwards. He used the occasional protruding rock layers to dissipate force, clearly possessing a considerable level of light footwork.
“Chaplain is mighty!”
“Chaplain, avenge our brothers!” The bandits’ gnashing shouts came from below. Everyone was clearly tormented by the soul-reaping arrows.
Seeing their former brothers being shot down like pigs and cattle, and then having their corpses searched, they were already filled with rage. Now, seeing their chaplain step forward, they all cheered him on.
Chen Song and Wei Xian vigilantly looked up. Seeing this, they couldn't help but panic a little, retreating steadily, planning to quit while they were ahead.
But they saw Ning Yue, unhurried, holding his bow. This arrow remained in his hand for three breaths before leaving the string!
With a “whoosh,” the iron-tipped arrow flew towards the bearded bandit at a speed difficult for ordinary people to track.
In a panic, the bearded bandit, suspended in mid-air and unable to leverage anything, could only desperately twist his body, trying his best to avoid vital areas in his chest and abdomen. But the arrow, swift as lightning, struck with a thud, piercing straight through his right arm.
The bearded bandit, man and arrow, was left suspended on the cliff face.
A mournful roar echoed throughout the entire mountain hollow.
Dozens of bandits hung motionless in mid-air, momentarily caught between going up and down.
With such a divine archer, even if they reached the ground, could they truly escape?
The bandits who had been cheering moments ago were now silent, as if their throats had been squeezed.
Chen Song and Wei Xian, suppressing their surprise, continued to diligently search the corpses.
Ning Yue secretly let out a sigh of relief at this moment, easing his somewhat sore arm.
In just a short while, both quivers were already empty.
Still too weak!
He had only shot a few dozen arrows and was already this exhausted; less than three-tenths of his strength remained.
Time to retreat!
Ning Yue looked up at his two subordinates who were still 'hard at work'.
Just as he was about to call out, he caught sight of a tall, lanky bandit, thin as a bamboo pole, who had quietly landed at a corner of the cliff at some point. He drew a blood-stained long saber from his back and charged towards Ning Yue without a word.
“Chen Song, Wei Xian, retreat quickly!”
Ning Yue slung his quiver onto his back and retreated up the slope they had come from, simultaneously nocking arrows and drawing his bow to hinder the enemy's advance.
In his ears, the distant neighing of warhorses echoed from behind, clearly indicating that the officers and soldiers down the mountain had received the message and were hurrying this way.
But this bandit's eyes were bloodshot, completely fearless. Even though an arrow grazed his left arm, bleeding profusely, he continued to close in, utterly unafraid of death.
“You dog official, you deserve to die! Give me back my brother’s life!”
His voice was deafening. The bandit's muscles bulged, almost tearing his tattered clothes, clearly indicating he had reached the Muscle Refining stage of cultivation.
His running speed was astonishingly fast, closing in on Ning Yue to within ten zhang.
But Ning Yue, with his perfected Swift Wind Steps, moved with graceful ease, not panicking at all. He maintained the distance with his footwork and the deadly arrows in his hand, keeping the enemy at bay.
When Chen Song and Wei Xian approached, they didn't know what to do, but then they heard Ning Yue say,
“Don’t get close! Chen Song, go up the mountain and meet the army!”
“Wei Xian, engage him in close combat, but focus on his injured left arm!”
Hearing this, Wei Xian drew his long saber and slowly advanced towards the bandit, distracting him.
Chen Song, without hesitation, dashed towards the slope.
“Brother Ning, you two must hold on! I’ll be back soon.”
The whistling arrow earlier could only indicate a general location. Chen Song was the weakest among them; he would probably be cut down by the ferocious bandit in two or three exchanges. It was better for him to go report.
Wei Xian, on the other hand, had at least achieved minor success in Skin Polishing, making him capable of providing flanking support.
The three fought and retreated, and after less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the bandit grew impatient.
The officers and soldiers were getting closer, yet this flag officer, though seemingly within reach, remained elusive no matter how hard he tried to catch up. Moreover, he had to be wary of the long saber that the junior official in black robes would suddenly thrust at him from the side.
Having fought for a long time on the mountain and then fled in terror for a while, the bandit's strength was already largely depleted. His initial surge of anger, coupled with the unsuccessful pursuit, inevitably gave rise to some hesitation in his heart.
Just then, many other bandits behind him finally landed safely. Seeing their enemy, their eyes burned with even greater hatred.
“Brother Wang, don’t panic, I’m here to help you!”
“Brother Wang, the chaplain died tragically! You must avenge him!”
“Brother Wang, the brothers are here! Let’s all fight our way out!”
Seeing that his distraction was gone and the enemies were all chasing him, Ning Yue's heart sank. He didn't have many arrows left.
Three quivers, and in just fifteen minutes, only six arrows remained!
Ning Yue felt his arms stiff, as if filled with lead.
Achieving great success in Skin Polishing only strengthened his defensive capabilities, making him unafraid of ordinary sword and saber slashes. The increase in strength was secondary and couldn't compare to the Muscle Refining stage.
“Wei Xian, pull back!”
Seeing Wei Xian's movements becoming slower and slower, clearly exhausted, Ning Yue called out.
But Wei Xian raised his saber and chopped, not yielding an inch. “Brother Ning, you go first! I’ll cover your retreat! After I die, please, sir, take good care of my parents!”
“And Xiao Hong from South Nine Alley—good at what she does, not expensive, and young. I hope, sir, you’ll look after her!”
Today, Ning Yue had first generously shared silver, then held off all the enemies with his long bow, allowing the two of them to search the corpses at their leisure, and even promised to only take seventy percent.
In this world, where could one find such a leader?!
Wei Xian was already deeply moved. The empty words of 'dying for a cause' he now intended to put into practice! He even generously shared the secret prostitute he had cherished for so long and was unwilling to share!
Wei Xian was determined to fight to the death. His saber strikes instantly became more ferocious; he was ready to give his all.
More bandits had already closed in.
“The dog official is trying to run! Brothers, chase him down and avenge the chaplain!”
“Kill the dog official to honor the chaplain’s spirit in heaven!”
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
Three iron-tipped arrows flew from the string, accompanied by the bandits' shouts. All hit their mark, taking three more lives in the blink of an eye, deterring the crowd.
Ning Yue retreated while shouting, “Wei Xian, obey orders! Retreat immediately. When I tell you to get lost, get lost! What the hell is with all the nonsense?! It’s not your time to risk your life yet!”
Hearing this, Wei Xian finally, reluctantly, retreated two steps, pulling out of the fight.
The skinny bandit, however, followed closely, intending to cleave the dog official in two. But then he was shocked to see three cold flashes, forming a 'pin' character, shooting towards him.
The arrow flashes were as swift as meteors, as fast as thunder. Faint starlight shimmered on the arrowheads, and a thin wisp of cloud even swirled around the fletching!
The Star Chasing Arrow Secret Technique—Three Arrows Chasing Stars!
In a flash of lightning, the skinny bandit had no time to react. With a thud, he was pierced by three arrows—through the throat, through the heart, and through the lungs—dying on the spot!
The bandit leader, who had been entangled for so long, died instantly. This sudden scene left everyone speechless.
Wei Xian was nearly killed by the arrows so close to him, trembling all over in fright. The bandits were even more terrified, wanting nothing more than to flee for their lives.
What avenge the chaplain? What cut a bloody path?
In front of such a killing god, even the gang leader would likely lose his life if he wasn't careful!
“Excellent archery! Fast enough! Accurate enough! Ruthless enough! I thought Commander Xue’s archery was already the best in the army, but I didn’t expect someone to be even more formidable than him?!”
“Whose subordinate is this?!”
On the hillside, the army gathered, a vast, dark mass.
Chief Commander Chu, riding a yellow piebald horse, with a long, beautiful beard reaching his chest, praised the scene before him.