Chapter 192 With the Golden Scale in Hand, the Family Joins Forces!

The lake and river are covered in cold snow, an arrow pierces the sky, a talent that is astonishing and brilliant.

The clan elders, surnamed Cao, Lin, and Chu, narrowed their eyes and took a half-step back. Gu Nianjun stared intently for a moment, inwardly marveling, "What a formidable arrow! Such an arrow... I... I've never seen anything like it in my life!"

Madam Wen smiled. Unbeknownst to her, she had developed a particular fondness for watching Li Xian draw his bow and shoot arrows.

Li Xian's archery skills reached their pinnacle. He sculpted his spine to resemble a divine mountain, harnessing the power of his back when drawing the bowstring. When the bowstring was fully drawn, it was as if he were gathering the power of a divine mountain, with his back against a towering peak, aiming a single arrow straight at a formidable enemy.

Zhou Shijie's face twitched, and his hair stood on end. He dared not fight back. Although the arrow was not meant to kill, even the slightest contact would surely cause serious injury. In this critical moment, he disregarded his disheveled state and dived into the lake.

The arrow was shot into the lake. The waves surged, and although eighty percent of its force had dissipated, its momentum remained. The arrow's powerful trajectory was destined to break through the lake and create waves.

This arrow will not rest until it hits the enemy.

Zhou Shijie cursed, "Damn it, how can there be such exquisite archery in this world! Could it be that the bow and arrow are some kind of strange and unusual bow?" Seeing that he could not dodge, he parried with his sword.

Arrow and sword clashed. Zhou Shijie was astonished and speechless, feeling that although the arrow's force had weakened several times, its momentum was still unstoppable!

He fought back desperately, but was pushed to the bottom of the lake by an arrow. He stepped into the mud, turned his sword, and deflected the arrow, thus averting the crisis.

"Such terrifying power, isn't it a monster?" Zhou Shijie's fingers trembled slightly, and his wrist ached. He looked at the lake surface, where ripples spread and fish swam about.

If he shows himself now, he will surely be struck by an arrow. If this boy harbors murderous intent, how could he possibly survive?

“If the surroundings were open and there were nothing to cover me, I… would not be a match for this boy. I, Zhou Shijie, had planned everything, but I never expected that this boy would be my greatest adversary.”

Having previously built up his reputation with the Sinking River Sword and the Wave-Treading Skill, he had toyed with the top talents on the same list, showcasing his prowess. But after this arrow, he was left only in a sorry state.

He swam underwater, not daring to surface, believing himself safe in the water. While pondering a plan, an idea suddenly came to him.

He continued diving into the lake at a great speed. He pounded his chest drum, creating a thunderous sound that shook the surrounding water. Splashes appeared on the lake's surface.

He quickened his pace, and the thunderous sound did not reach the surface of the water. But it frightened the fish and creatures in the lake, causing them to scatter in panic, some even leaping out of the water. In this way, the lake became unusually lively, creating a disturbance.

Li Xian stood atop the tower, calm and composed. The moment he made his move, no one dared to step onto the lake; the view was utterly empty.

Only he and Zhou Shijie remained to confront each other.

Fish leaped out of the water, making the lake seem to boil. Zhou Shijie, who was submerged in the lake, suddenly pushed with both hands, using the "Propelling the Raging Waves" move from his Wave-Treading Kung Fu.

This Wave-Treading Skill is a "mid-level martial art." It is extremely profound and not limited to fist and foot techniques. With a flick of his hands, he stirred up waves several feet high.

He immediately swam to another spot and unleashed his "Powering the Tide" technique. Several times he stirred up high waves, only to make matters worse. On the fourth time, he used the high waves to his advantage, wielding his River-Sinking Sword, and swiftly rushed out of the lake.

He gazed at the top of the tower, contemplating riding the waves to defeat his enemy with a single sword strike. All his actions were aimed at distracting his opponent and getting closer to him.

Amidst the surging waves, countless fish and beasts mingled. The Celestial Tower was nearly ten zhang tall. Zhou Shijie leaped from the lake, his body coated with water, which added no invisible resistance. Moreover, the water was soft, so when he leaped out of the water, he could not fully utilize the power of his lightness skill, making it impossible for him to reach the top of the tower.

Zhou Shijie was quite shrewd. He first used the "Sinking River Sword" to paddle through the water, and with the help of the recoil, he surged out of the lake along with the large waves.

Then, using his lightness skill, he stepped on the fish-beast, channeled his energy, and leaped another ten feet higher.

In this way, he climbed several dozen feet. No one noticed his figure. Zhou Shijie exclaimed happily, "This is my chance!" Having exhausted his strength to climb further, he was about to throw his Jiang-sinking sword.

Suddenly, he saw the cold light of an arrow pointing directly at him, and the bow was already fully drawn. Zhou Shijie's blood ran cold, and he hurriedly pulled his sword back to protect himself.

But knowing he had no chance of survival, a pang of sorrow gripped his heart; his strength had been exhausted. This arrow, once shot, meant certain death.

Li Xian only needed to let go, and he would die instantly.

Li Xian deflected the arrow and shot it in another direction, thus sparing his life.

Zhou Shijie, soaking wet, fell back onto the lake. The tip of the Chenjiang Sword touched the water, making a gentle arc, skillfully using its [Water Manipulation] property to support him on the water's surface, as if he were standing on water.

He said, "Your archery skills are exceptional; I can do nothing about it."

"Brother Zhou's extraordinary skill in manipulating the waves has truly broadened my horizons," Li Xian said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Zhou Shijie said unwillingly, "But in the end, this competition is not about who wins or loses in archery. It's about who can get their hands on that golden scale."

"If you abandon the strange bow and I discard the sunken sword, the true outcome is still uncertain."

Li Xian activated his "Gentle Breeze Leg" technique, employing the secrets of lightness, and leaped off the top of the tower. Zhou Shijie was delighted, realizing that Li Xian didn't know any lightness skills; no wonder he didn't go into the lake to catch fish.

Li Xian said, "No need, the competition is over."

"The end?" Zhou Shijie said loudly, "What does a great man have to fear from defeat? I, Zhou Shijie, am indeed defeated by your archery skills enhanced by the strange bow. However, it is still unknown who will win the Golden Carp."

Li Xian, treading a light boat, rowed towards the lake. He forcefully struck the water, sending spray flying. A long arrow emerged from the water, already piercing the golden scales.

Li Xian drew his long arrow and put it back in his quiver. The golden scales fluttered in his hand, and the arrow wounds on its body were instantly healed.

turn out to be…

When Li Xian spared Zhou Shijie's life, he shot an arrow that pinned the golden scale to the bottom of the lake. He had deceived everyone.

He struck the water with his palm, unleashing the "Smoke Locks the Green River" move of the Azure Palm. The instant the palm struck, more than ten strands of Qi burst forth from it, coiling and binding together.

When it strikes a person, the palm print lingers. When it strikes the lake's surface, the internal energy penetrates the water, creating more than ten undercurrents that stir the lake. This causes the long arrow, embedded in the lakebed, to loosen and then float to the surface.

The golden scales that others fought tooth and nail to obtain were impossible for Li Xian to catch, yet he effortlessly grasped them with a mere wave of his hand.

The difference between them was thought-provoking. They all felt a cold sweat running down their backs; they couldn't see through it, couldn't understand it. Gu Nianjun didn't have a good impression of Li Xian, but after this incident, looking at Li Xian again... he seemed shrouded in mystery, utterly enigmatic.

Li Xian said, "Brother Zhou, the golden carp is already in my hands. What should we do according to your suggestion?"

"You..." Zhou Shijie was speechless for a moment.

Ji Hongyan, Cao Xiuxiu, Chu Mei, Wang Kun, and other outstanding talents were as if in a dream, unable to believe it. The golden scales were incredibly fast and agile, darting east and west, impossible to predict. The assembled talents used every means at their disposal—hidden weapons, iron nets, martial arts techniques, encirclement—yet they could not touch it even slightly.

Li Xian, several miles away, casually shot an arrow, which pinned the golden scale to the ground.

"Hahaha, good, good." Cao Shuang sailed over. The powerful clans of the city all entered the lake, their eyes fixed on the golden scales.

"Heroes emerge from among the young, truly heroes emerge from among the young!" Old woman Cao sneered. "Good young man, quickly bring me the golden scales."

Marquis Yuwen said, "The golden scales appearing in the world are truly a treasure of heaven and earth, lifelike and dazzlingly golden."

Ou Yezi exclaimed, "Excellent, excellent!" and jumped into the lake. Various forces, intentionally or unintentionally, surrounded Li Xian.

Li Xian thought to himself:

"Having obtained the Golden Scale, I have already secured the top spot and fulfilled my promise to the Lady. Although the Golden Scale is desirable, it is not something I can possess alone. I should now... consider a way to escape."

Look around.

The three elders of the Cao family looked rather displeased. The two elders of the Lin family remained mostly silent and indifferent. The Chu and Yuwen families held varying degrees of appreciation and annoyance.

Li Xianliao:

"I come from humble origins, and although I have won the Golden Carp Award, the various clans are ultimately not happy about it, because their clansmen have more or less conflicts with me."

Li Xian said loudly, "Seniors, why are you in such a hurry? Does what Brother Zhou just said still stand?"

Zhou Shijie was a charming man, but not a magnanimous one. He was already resentful and unwilling to accept defeat at the hands of Li Xian, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that Li Xian had cheated.

He said, "I, Zhou Shijie, am but a humble person with little influence. If you seniors are willing to listen, that would be wonderful. But if not..."

What can I do?

On the Dragon Gate Tower.

Gu Nianjun frowned slightly, re-examined Zhou Shijie, and said, "This Zhou Shijie is too disappointing."

Li Xian smiled and said, "Then, seniors, would you be willing to listen to Brother Zhou?"

The Cao family, the Lin family, the Yuwen family, the Chu family, Ou Yezi… a total of more than ten martial arts masters, formed a circle, like a human wall. Their ill intentions were self-evident.

With the protection of the government, Zhou Shijie wields considerable influence outside Qiongtian Prefecture. Furthermore, he possesses great fortune, having obtained the Scale Pearl. Consequently, the various families hold him in high regard and are unlikely to make things difficult for him.

Li Xian's performance was dazzling, but he came from a rural background and had no connections. Furthermore, the Cao family had no goodwill towards him. The various families were constantly at odds, their relationships complex. However, they had always been united in their fight against external enemies. With Ou Yezi present, the families rallied together.

Subtly and gradually, all the different races began to treat Li Xian with no goodwill whatsoever.

“Young Master Zhou is learned and his words make some sense,” said the old woman from the Cao family. “However… you have used underhanded means to undermine his reasoning. In this way, his words are naturally rendered useless.”

Cao Shuang was even more blunt: "Golden carp are precious, yet you, with your ill-fated life, dare to covet them. Isn't that a waste of a precious resource?"

Li Xian calmly said, "So, the powerful clans in the prefectural city are determined to bully me, a mere village boy."

Ou Yezi laughed and said, "No, no, boy, you should know that the strong prey on the weak. You can't bear this blessing. If you give it up readily, you might have a way to survive."

Cao Shuang cupped his hands and said, "Senior Ou Yezi, this boy has committed numerous evils. He has wreaked havoc in the village and harmed many people. He has even colluded with the wicked people on the Red List to massacre a county magistrate. Even if he were to give up this opportunity, he would not survive today."

"Ah!" Ou Yezi said, "I see, I see. Then pretend I didn't say anything."

Li Xian said loudly, "It's one thing for the Cao family elders to be short-sighted, but are they also getting old and blind? I think the Yuwen family should know whether I have harmed the people or not."

The elders of the Yuwen family remained silent, and Yuwen Chengji frequently corresponded with them, so they were quite familiar with the situation in Qingning. However, given the current circumstances, they were unwilling to offend the Cao family.

Zhou Shijie said, “Brother Li, sometimes the affairs of the world are just a matter of ‘fate’. Some people are not destined for that fate, and even if they have some skills, they may still ruin their own lives.”

"Hahaha," Ou Yezi said, "Brother Zhou is right. Things in this world are quite strange. If this golden scale falls on Brother Zhou's head, he will get the scale pearl and achieve fame and success. It would be a great joy, and we will not make things difficult for him."

"How come you are in such dire straits? It's like my forging of weapons. I have some good materials, but I still fail. After thinking it over, it's not a problem with my skill, but rather that the iron is not destined to be forged into a divine weapon by my hands."

Zhou Shijie was overjoyed and said smugly, "Brother Li, you've made a mistake for yourself!"

Li Xian glanced around, knowing that things would not end well. He had expected this, so he remained calm: "Even if the situation is unfavorable, I can still find a way out by using every means possible. We should live life to the fullest."

His eyes held no fear, only indifference.

After laughing three times, Li Xian said coldly, "A scoundrel like you dares to talk about fate."

"You brat, you dare to speak nonsense even when you're about to die!" Cao Shuang roared. The old woman of the Cao family lashed out with her whip, her silver mace aimed at Li Xian.

Li Xian stomped hard, and the boat beneath his feet shattered into pieces. He was about to sink into the lake, and at the same time, he threw the golden scales back into the lake.

The crowd stared in disbelief, about to reach out and snatch it. But the golden scale was still in mid-air when it was nimbly caught by a delicate hand.

Suddenly, Li Xian smelled a fragrant breeze, her hair swirling around her face, and a lifting force came from her, instantly stopping her from sinking into the lake.

"Gentlemen."

"If you bully my young master again, I'll get angry."

(End of this chapter)