CHAPTER 126: CHAPTER 106: GIVING BOW, GIVING MERIT_2

WHOOSH!!

The air currents buzzed loudly, compressed by Chen Ku’s speed, a velocity that seemed to tear through the air itself.

That’s... Shang the Dwarf’s ’Piercing Sound Step’ from the Butcher Court... Yang Luochen observed with slight shock. This kid indeed has a deep connection with Little Shang. He’s already mastered the Piercing Sound Step, Medicine King Hall’s fastest movement technique! He can cover ten zhang in a single leap—half as fast again as an average Inner Qi Martial Practitioner!

Drawing upon his profound experience with Ling’s Butterfly Steps, Chen Ku instantly grasped the knack of the Piercing Sound Step. He executed this ultimate movement technique of Medicine King Hall, his staff halting just inches from Yang Shaoqi’s face.

The outcome was decided.

It’s over! My prestige as his elder brother is in tatters! Yang Shaoqi stared at the staff before him, dumbfounded. Then, a sliver of relief: Luckily, this is just the courtyard, and no outsiders know. Otherwise... I’d be utterly humiliated.

But he hadn’t noticed.

Atop the roof of the Guardian Hall within Medicine King Hall, Chai Bao stood at the highest point of the two-story building. His eyes were perfectly positioned to see Chen Ku’s exchange with Yang Shaoqi in Yang Luochen’s courtyard.

Especially after seeing Chen Ku achieve entry-level mastery of the Piercing Sound Step.

He was even more astounded.

This kid... might be the most talented successor Medicine King Hall has encountered in more than one hundred and fifty years. That difficult Piercing Sound Step, mastered in just one month.

Because of this, an eager thought sparked in his mind.

As a disciple, Chen Ku had his own private room within Medicine King Hall. It was larger than his previous simple, single-bed accommodation and furnished not only with a bed but also a table, flowerpots, a screen, and a tub for bathing.

Usually, when exhausted, he would choose to return to this room to bathe and rest for a while.

After practicing all day at Yang Luochen’s place, he had no time to use his Fire Beak Pot for another attempt at alchemy. Exhausted, he returned to this small room within the hall.

But as soon as he entered, Chen Ku noticed something amiss.

What’s this? Someone’s been in my room!

His expression changed.

He immediately looked at the object on the table—a large box, about two meters long.

He instinctively assumed that Zhao Chuanzu, the one who was supposed to challenge him today, had somehow managed to deliver a written challenge into his room within Medicine King Hall.

Even though he felt it was unlikely, he cautiously summoned the Flower Fox Mink to touch the box, to check for traps.

CLICK!

However, when the box sprang open, revealing its contents, Chen Ku was utterly dumbfounded.

Inside the large box lay an enormous purple-gold bow. Beside the bow were two small booklets and a letter.

The words that caught his eye read:

"Nephew Chen Ku, I couldn’t bear for your talent in the way of the arrow to go to waste... This is a five-thousand-catty Purple-Gold Heavenly Wolf Bow... and the Guardian Hall’s Ultimate Skills: ’Sky Eagle Eight Arrows’ and ’Heart-Piercing Demon Bow Force.’ I hope you will acquire the method, cultivate secretly, and one day achieve great success, bringing glory to our Medicine King."

The signature at the bottom was bold: Guardian Hall Instructor—Chai Bao!

Chen Ku stared at the divine bow and skills that had seemingly fallen from the sky, his mouth agape.

Instructor Chai...

He had thought that after Instructor Chai had merely ’hmm’ed that day, he had completely lost the opportunity to gain further benefits from him. Who could have imagined...

He had merely hinted at his interest, and Instructor Chai had immediately gone all out, handing over his most prized techniques.

Immediately, Chen Ku formed a clear picture of Instructor Chai in his mind: a senior who, though reserved in speech, was upright and acted with integrity.

Sky Eagle Eight Arrows and Heart-Piercing Demon Bow Force!

Chen Ku excitedly turned his attention to these two Ultimate Skills belonging to the Guardian Hall.

Ever since acquiring the sight of the White Feathered Golden Eyes Eagle, he had fantasized about obtaining an archery technique. This yearning had intensified after raising the White Feathered Golden Eyes Eagle to the Transformation Level...

He fantasized about standing atop the great eagle high in the sky, drawing his bow, and precisely striking down opponents on the ground.

At that point, it wouldn’t just be a bow and arrow; it would be like a Sky Arrow—an incredibly potent hidden weapon descending from the heavens, impossible to anticipate or defend against.

Now, he had finally obtained the Archery Technique he had dreamed of.

And it had practically fallen into his lap.

Having talent is just too amazing!

Chen Ku sighed in appreciation of his fortune while leafing through these two Ultimate Skills.

Sky Eagle Eight Arrows, as the name suggested, consisted of eight ultimate archery forms. Much like the Ten Forms of the Furious Ape Mighty Staff, it was divided into different arrow strikes suitable for various environments and opponents.

The Heart-Piercing Demon Bow Force, on the other hand, was a secret technique, similar in principle to the Piercing Sound Step which was fundamental to the Black Tiger Butcher Knife technique.

This so-called Heart-Piercing Demon Bow Force was a special type of energy that could be imbued into an arrow. It granted the arrow not only speed and power but also a unique destructive energy. This energy could shatter armor and bypass defenses, tearing through an enemy’s muscles and bones, and even piercing their internal organs.

According to Instructor Chai’s annotations on the Ultimate Skill, a perfected Heart-Piercing Demon Bow Force, even without being channeled through the Sky Eagle Eight Arrows, could be applied to any weapon, granting it the ability to tear through and penetrate an opponent’s defenses.

This was the ultimate characteristic of this Archery Technique.

Breaking armor and defenses, penetrating everything!

Truly an Ultimate Skill!

Holding the Ultimate Skills, Chen Ku focused, drawing upon his Black Feather Spirit Dove’s acuity, and used his Photographic Memory to silently memorize their contents. Then, he found a brazier and burned the booklets.

After all, he had a subtle understanding of why Instructor Chai had secretly passed the Ultimate Skills to him.

He definitely didn’t want the Guardian Hall to know, and most importantly, he mustn’t let my master find out.

From his vantage point atop a high building in the Guardian Hall, Chai Bao watched Chen Ku emerge from his room. Chen Ku bowed respectfully in the direction of the Guardian Hall’s main building, then, slinging the Big Bow over his shoulder, headed towards the city outskirts. He must be going to practice his archery, Chai Bao mused, then murmured aloud:

It has been passed on.

Chen Ku spent the entire night practicing his Bow Technique. He was starting afresh with a new martial art and didn’t rush to try shooting from atop the great eagle; that would be a shortcut. Without a solid foundation in the Archery Technique, standing on the eagle would be as useless as a child wielding a sniper rifle.

Thus, he practiced the Bow Technique for half the night.

「The next day.」

Chen Ku didn’t forget the Nameless Stance he had secretly learned from Shangguan Yun. He performed it seventy-two times, and all his fatigue vanished. It felt as if his body’s foundation had subtly grown stronger.

What is the origin of this Nameless Stance? Its effects are too incredible! I’ve never heard of a practice that makes you more energetic the more you do it—not only do you not get tired, but your stamina actually increases...

After marveling at this, he had breakfast and headed to the Medicine King Hall.

However, just as he arrived at the Medicine King Hall, he ran into the same situation as yesterday.

"Young Hero Chen," another messenger said, "I am here on the orders of Young Master Zhao Chuanzu to deliver an invitation. He requests your presence at the Twin Rivers Guild for a friendly martial exchange."

Is there no end to this? Chen Ku was speechless. He said, "Didn’t I say I wouldn’t accept his challenge?"

Just as he was about to wave his hand to dismiss the messenger, the man held the envelope high above his head and said, "Please wait, Young Hero Chen! Young Master Zhao has instructed me to tell you that for this friendly martial exchange, he proposes a stake."

A stake? Chen Ku’s hand paused mid-air. Not only does he want to fight me, but he also wants to make a bet?

"Indeed," the messenger said, lowering his head. "Young Master Zhao heard that Young Hero Chen owns an Iron Bank. He proposes the following wager: if Young Hero Chen wins, he is willing to give you a superior iron shop located in Qiu Dragon Mansion. This includes the storefront and staff, valued at One Hundred Thousand Taels. Young Hero Chen can take possession of it then."