Chapter 107 Unrivaled Archery Skill, You're Too Late

The very next day, Zheng Ziqi immediately set off for Yihe Manor with a large sum of money and valuables. She wanted to pay another visit to the madam to discuss the matter of the merchant guild buying her life.

He adopted a very humble posture, which prevented him from provoking a fight, but his presence was not of high enough caliber, and he was unable to see the lady.

Zheng Ziqi felt utterly defeated. He had been a powerful young master in the gang since childhood, and he was a force to be reckoned with in the Blackwater Harbor area. Now, he knew that the person who killed his brother was in the manor, but he was unable to take revenge.

They were about to return via the same route.

Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better. The head of the guards, Hua Hanying, secretly sent a message to them, informing them that Li Xian was not in the manor, but had been dispatched to Heihe Village. It was a remote and impoverished place, and if they wanted revenge, they could go there without anyone stopping them.

Zheng Ziqi was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately returned to the Blackwater Gang to inform them of the situation.

"What!"

Zheng Xuezhang slammed his hand on the table and stood up, asking, "Are you saying that Li Xian is in Heihe Village? I was only injured recently, and he has already been sent to be stationed outside Heihe Village?"

"They've been running right under our noses for months, and we've been completely unaware!?"

Zheng Xue's applause was like thunder. Even though he had just recovered from a major injury and his strength was not what it used to be, the foundation for his transformation after entering the "Eating Essence" realm remained.

His angry outburst caused everyone present to tremble and dare not breathe.

“Father, yes…yes. It was my stupidity that allowed him to live for several more months.” Zheng Ziqi said, “If I had sent someone to investigate earlier, that Li Xian would surely be a member of the Renfan gang by now. My brothers and I would have been able to vent our anger much sooner.”

Zheng Xuezhang shook his head and said, "This is not your fault."

“I was injured, and that woman’s attitude is unclear. In this sensitive situation, how dare you go and find out? If you offend that woman again, your father may not even survive.”

"But now it seems... that woman's decision to send Li Xian out of town was somewhat of a favor to my Blackwater Gang."

Having said that, he stroked his beard, quite pleased.

"The hatred of killing my son must be avenged!" Zheng Xuezhang said. "Not only the hatred of killing my son, but also the torment and pain I have endured during these past few months of recuperation must all be attributed to this brat!"

“Father,” Zheng Lüxiu stepped forward and said, “I volunteer to personally arrest Li Xian and have him punished according to the gang rules!”

The remaining sons stepped forward one after another, saying, "We are also willing to volunteer to avenge our seventh brother!"

"Good, good, good children, you are all my good children." Zheng Xuezhang was very pleased. "I am very happy that you have this intention. If Caiqi has a spirit in heaven, she will definitely be happy."

"Although Li Xian is young, this enmity is great!"

"Not only do you want to go, but I... also want to go!"

"Issue my order: each of the twelve flag bearers, along with fifty gang members, shall wait at the port. My Blackwater Gang... with all its strength, shall enter the mountains together to capture Li Xian."

"Let this scoundrel have nowhere to go, neither to heaven nor to hell!"

Zheng Xuezhang's eyes gleamed with excitement, and he slammed his fist down, causing cracks to spread across the mahogany chair.

Something big is happening at Blackwater Harbor. The gang members have gathered, are fully prepared, and are just waiting for the order to head into the mountains.

The onlookers were all surprised and curious, but dared not approach for fear of being affected by the chilling aura.

Before long... the twelve flag bearers, each with extraordinary martial arts skills, appeared one after another to lead the team. Zheng Xuezhang's six sons, their faces full of murderous intent, rode on fine horses, their chests high and proud, exuding an imposing aura.

The Blackwater Gang's elite forces are all here.

Zheng Xuezhang emerged last, carrying a long sword on his back and riding a brown, fine water horse. Legend has it that this horse is a rare breed, with webbed hooves that allow it to walk on water.

"Let's go! Capture that traitor Li and turn him into a human sail!"

Zheng Xuezhang roared and marched to the front of the group. The hundreds of people then drove into the depths of the mountains and forests.

"Tenth flag bearer, you will lead fifty men westward, traveling fifty li to form an encirclement."

"Fourth flag bearer, you will lead fifty men eastward to meet the tenth flag bearer."

Zheng Xuezhang made arrangements in an orderly manner.

This is a very common naval warfare strategy.

The Blackwater Gang had many lightweight wooden boats. If they wanted to fight someone on the river, they would send their members on the shore to carry the boats around to the rear of the other boat from both banks.

They then entered the river and surrounded it again.

The boat, cumbersome in the water, had no time to defend itself against multiple attacks. It was naturally defeated. Even a martial artist with exceptional skills would find it difficult to handle this situation.

Trapped in the water.

The Blackwater Gang doesn't fight you head-on; instead, they use every means possible: besieging, harassing, shooting arrows, setting fires, and poisoning you.

However, Zheng Xuezhang was eager for revenge and was unaware of the complex terrain in the mountains. Since both teams were unfamiliar with the terrain, they were tasked with taking a detour, and it is likely that most of them would get lost.

"Smash Heihe Village!"

Zheng Xuezhang roared.

As they drew closer, it was already evening. Zheng Xuezhang ignored them and led hundreds of his men to attack.

“Father,” Zheng Ziqi suddenly said, “Heihe Village is the tenant of Madam Yihezhuang, and belongs to her.”

Zheng Xuezhang nodded, "I know what I'm doing. That lady spared my life and even sent the person who killed my son here. She's very careful in her actions. I have to consider her feelings."

"We should avoid killing the people of Heihe Village if possible."

"Hmph, if it were my old self, I would have gathered everyone in this village into the sails and made them wait on the ship for a reunion."

Heihe Village is located in a remote area, with mountains and forests interspersed throughout, making the terrain complex. Sometimes, while walking, a large mountain will suddenly block the way.

Some mountain peaks have trails that allow direct crossing, while others are so steep that there is nowhere to set foot, forcing one to take a detour.

After traveling for an hour, they still hadn't reached Black River Village, and darkness was falling. Zheng Xuezhang, consumed by revenge, didn't notice anything amiss. But Zheng Ziqi had a bad feeling.

“Father, shall we rest here for the night and then…” Zheng Ziqi asked.

“No, if we rest for one night, what if he hears the news and runs away?” Zheng Xuezhang’s mind was made up.

The group continued marching and came to the foot of a mountain. To the right were towering mountains, and to the left were dense forests.

Suddenly, a loud rumble came from above, and a huge rock rolled down the mountain. Zheng Xuezhang shouted, "Not good! Get out of the way!" He spurred his horse and galloped to one side.

A boulder crashed into the road, and several screams were heard as several people were trapped under it.

"Who!" The Blackwater Gang members immediately became alert.

Just then, a flickering fire appeared on one side of the woods, as if someone were holding a torch. Zheng Xuezhang cursed, "Playing tricks! Kill them!"

Several flag bearers led their elite troops and immediately chased after the firelight, rushing into the forest.

The noise was quite loud, but the number of people gradually decreased, and soon the sound disappeared.

"who!"

Zheng Xuezhang was furious and gave chase himself. However, after traveling several miles, his right foot suddenly slipped and he almost fell into a pit of splinters. He had practiced light footwork, so he used it to lightly step forward and pull back.

This resolved the crisis.

"Father!"

Zheng Ziqi said solemnly, "There are many traps here. Several flag bearers have fallen into the traps, some seriously injured, and some died on the spot!"

"Good! Good!" Zheng Xuezhang roared, "That brat Li Xian, he knew we were coming to find him, so he set up a trap long ago!"

“Father, the road ahead may be even more dangerous. Perhaps we should reconsider?” Zheng Ziqi already felt uneasy.

Fighting in the mountains and forests is not something the Blackwater Gang is good at. Moreover, the falling boulder and the firelight used as bait were clearly not something that could be done by one person alone.

That Li Xian... may not be all alone.

"Take it a long time?" Zheng Xuezhang sneered. "Isn't that exactly what he wants?"

"If I can't eat the meat now that the lady has brought it to my mouth, I'll really lose all face."

"Hurry up, don't let that kid get away!"

The Blackwater Gang advanced instead of retreating. Zheng Ziqi frowned, deeply surprised. Even with the blood feud over her son's death, why was her father acting so impulsively? Could it be that his personality had changed after his serious injury?

How could Zheng Ziqi know?

Zheng Xuezhang was injured by his wife and initially harbored deep resentment. However, after months of suffering from the pain, he realized how formidable his wife was with each treatment. His resentment gradually faded.

Instead, he felt admiration for her. When he was in pain, he couldn't sleep well, and sometimes he would dream of her face. Unconsciously, he became infatuated with her.

After recovering from his serious illness, he learned that his wife had sent Li Xian to be stationed elsewhere. This move seemed to be intended to allow him to take revenge, and he was overjoyed, even more so than seeking revenge.

This act is both revenge and...

Zheng Xuezhang saw this as an opportunity to demonstrate his power to his wife. Therefore, he mobilized a large force, deploying all his elite troops. It seemed as if he were flaunting his martial prowess and ambition, and even using it as a way to woo her.

Even if we do this, we still won't be able to catch Li Xian.

Doesn't that mean I, Zheng Xuezhang, am a piece of trash?

Therefore, no matter how many traps and dangers lie along the way, Zheng Xuezhang must brave them, and quickly at that.

...

...

Li Xian remained calm, mentally estimating the location of Zheng Xuezhang's palm strike.

"I will have to fight this person sooner or later; there's no way to avoid it."

He gazed into the distance, then patted the "Golden Leopard Bow" and the guard's narrow knife on his body.

This time… facing the massive battle against the “spirit-consuming” martial artists, he remained extremely calm and confident.

"Uncle Li, we're all ready."

“We’ve activated all those traps and mechanisms. Hehe, that should give them a run for their money.”

"Also, we're all trained. Uncle Li, you saved our lives, so this time you can use us as soldiers! Killing one is no loss, killing two is a huge gain."

"I'll die to repay your kindness!"

Uncle Fu, leaning on his cane, gathered all the hundred or so men in the village. They were armed with iron nets, spears, and iron shields…

He had already mastered the farmer's bandit-annihilation formation taught by Li Xian.

At this moment, they were full of imposing momentum, seemingly no less than the Blackwater Gang.

"No need."

"You should hide in the back mountain to avoid being accidentally injured. The Blackwater Gang is ruthless, so you should avoid them if possible. This matter is my personal grudge."

Li Xian said calmly.

“Grandpa, this…” Uncle Fu frowned.

"Go."

Li Xian waved his hand.

Hearing this, the villagers had no choice but to obey and hid in the back mountain. Li Xian, alone with a bow and a sword, climbed to a hilltop, where he had a wide and unobstructed view.

Looking into the distance, he could vaguely make out the Blackwater Gang's men. He took out some dried tiger meat, chewed it slowly, and waited quietly.

Too much time.

The sound of horses' hooves drew closer; Zheng Xuezhang had arrived. Behind him, the Blackwater Gang had suffered nearly 40% casualties and were in a sorry state.

"You bastard Li Xian, come out and face your death!"

Zheng Xuezhang condensed his Qi and roared, his voice like thunder.

"Hahaha, you killed my child, so I will weave you into a human sail!"

Zheng Xuezhang roared again.

The remaining six of us shouted and cursed, "Li Xian of Renfan, why don't you come out and kneel down to thank us? We'll spare your life and make you regret it for the rest of your life on the sail."

"That's right. If you're thirsty, I can even give you a piss to drink."

"I'll break your hands and feet, pull out your tongue, but I won't gouge out your eyes. Hehe, let me show you what happens when you offend me."

The crowd shouted.

A whooshing sound rang out.

The sixth son suddenly fell from his horse, his legs kicked out, and he died instantly. An arrow was found stuck in his heart.

Zheng Xue's palm twitched; even with his sharp eyesight, he couldn't tell where the arrow had come from.

Li Xian's voice came through:

"The hatred for killing one's son? Is that it?"

Another arrow came... but this time it didn't kill instantly. Instead, it struck the right arm of the fifth son, Zheng Lüxiu.

With a "bang".

The immense force blasted Zheng Luxiu's right arm apart. However, the force was applied with exquisite precision, leaving her torso unaffected.

"Ah..." Zheng Luxiu screamed in agony. It was him who had just shouted that he would cut off her hands and gouge out her tongue.

Several more arrows were shot, accurately striking Zheng Lüxiu's limbs. She fell off her horse, screaming in pain, but the moment she opened her mouth, her tongue was pierced through, pinning her head to the ground.

Zheng Xuezhang's expression changed.

The sky was pitch black, obstructing the view, but Zheng Xuezhang was no ordinary person; he should have been able to discern the location by sound and know where the arrow was coming from.

However…

He was completely unaware of it.

There are only two possibilities: either this person's bow and arrow are extraordinary, possessing unique effects; or this person's archery skills are exceptional!

"That's it!"

Just as Li Xian fired his fourth arrow, having already killed most of his son, Zheng Xuezhang finally saw Li Xian's figure by the moonlight.

The young man had already drawn his bow to its fullest extent, the golden string reflecting off the bow like a full moon.

An indescribable sense of exhilaration. The arrow is on the bowstring, and so is he.

You dare to dodge my flying arrow?

The arrow was aimed directly at Zheng Xuezhang. Although the arrow had not been released, the intent within it had already gripped his throat and immobilized his body.

Li Xian smiled confidently and said, "Blood Palm brat, you're too late!"

The arrow has left the bow!

[Skill: Archery]

[Proficiency: 1156/50000, the pinnacle!]

(End of this chapter)