The situation was pressing, and even if the independent cultivators wanted Luo Jiujiang to stop, they couldn't.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Luo Jiujiang, the young man gritted his teeth and walked back to the group of casual cultivators to whisper a few words. It was unknown what they were discussing. Soon, the young man returned with a handful of small, hard, rounded metal and stone pieces that could be used as marbles. "Little brother, do you have any marbles that are suitable for you?"
The marbles were of unusual shape, evidently improvised. Luo Jiujiang had already made plans and wouldn't need these "food and fodder," but he still appreciated the favor. "Thank you, fellow Daoist, but I don't have any use for them yet."
He turned around and looked at an orange blossom tree behind him. In full view of everyone, he plucked a handful of buds, turned around and said with a smile, "That's enough."
There was an uproar in the crowd.
The buds Luo Jiujiang had picked weren't particularly rare or precious. This plant, called "Liuyunxia," bloomed in profusion, its colors gradually shifting from light to dark, resembling a dazzling display of fireworks and clouds. It thrives in the shade, but is not picky about soil or water, making it a common ornamental plant.
It's also known as the "fruiting flower," a reference to another characteristic besides its beauty: the shape of its buds is virtually identical to its fruit, and only upon touching it do you discover the fruit is several times harder. Furthermore, this plant has a long flowering period, so it's not uncommon for a single tree to produce both buds, flowers, and fruit.
The young man who had just come forward stared blankly at Luo Jiujiang, seemingly at a loss for words. The arrogant young man, Qiu Changyun, was already laughing. The young man glanced at Luo Jiujiang awkwardly, mindful that Luo Jiujiang had volunteered to help. He couldn't bring himself to say anything too discouraging, so he swallowed hard and said, "Hey, little brother, don't you really want to trade for some marbles?"
Although these independent cultivators had low cultivation levels, they were still willing to ask the students to borrow their bows and arrows. While their abilities might not be exceptional, they did have some understanding of archery. You have to know that whether you're using a bow and arrow or a slingshot, if you want to shoot high, not only does the bowstring need to be tight, but the arrow itself needs to be heavy enough to avoid a strong wind overhead and the arrow could be blown off course.
It would be fine if Luo Jiujiang rejected them because he had more effective marbles, but picking a few flower buds so lightly like this... is he teasing them?
Qiu Changyun, who was standing by, clapped his legs and laughed so hard that he almost fell to the ground with laughter at this funny scene.
Or... making the enemy laugh before the competition is also a tactic?
The atmosphere among the cultivators suddenly became extremely awkward. They exchanged glances, suspicion written across their faces. If they hadn't known that the Xuanzhu students didn't need to go through such a long detour to tease them, they would have suspected Luo Jiujiang was a spy sent by the other party just to amuse themselves.
"It's okay." Luo Jiujiang said with a calm smile, "Using 'Liu Yunxia' will make it easier to see."
Clear? After hearing this, everyone was completely confused and didn't understand what he meant. Some even concluded in their hearts that Luo Jiujiang was just trying to attract attention and pretend to be profound.
"Okay, let's end this ridiculous bet quickly. I've wasted too long on you guys." Qiu Changyun glanced at him, obviously he had laughed enough and was impatient with this entanglement which he thought was very cheap.
He picked out ten long arrows with sharp, new tipped ends, untied the bow from his back, and flaunted it before Luo Jiujiang's eyes. "The Qingyu Bow, a top-grade treasure, was my reward for winning the championship in the Archery Club last time. Tsk, if I hadn't brought a spare bow with me today... using it against a casual cultivator like you would be a waste of talent."
Luo Jiujiang's smile remained unchanged as he flashed his slingshot in front of the other person. "It's just a small slingshot, not of high quality. I just used it out of boredom. It's just right for you, my lord."
"..." Qiu Changyun glared at Luo Jiujiang and sneered, "Sharp-tongued! I want to see if your tiny, boiled chicken-like body after you strip naked can live up to your sharp tongue!"
Luo Jiujiang glanced at him, not even bothering to respond to the defeated man. The man who had criticized him for his empty talk had already had his heart shattered by a single blow of his sword. Now, along with the entire deadly area, he was annihilated in space. It was likely that not even a trace of him could be found.
In the eyes of everyone, Luo Jiujiang's act of casually taking out a small broken slingshot was considered a deliberate provocation, but he himself did not actually mean to be contemptuous.
Under normal circumstances, unless someone's behavior was so despicable and sinister that it offended him, Luo Jiujiang would not tease or play with his opponents. He might exchange a few provocative words with others, but in actual combat, he was always decisive. If the opponent was weaker, he would hold back and be more subtle and polite. If the opponent was evenly matched, he would engage in a full-throated fight.
After all, the opponent was also at the third level of foundation building, and was good at archery. He had just watched the arrow shot at the divine heron and it looked very professional. Luo Jiujiang was ready for battle, and then he took out his best slingshot.
This slingshot may look shabby, but its material is actually quite remarkable. The branch he used to make it was painstakingly cut from a frost tree in a dangerous place. Frostwood is naturally tough and impervious to swords and spears, and after he polished it, it became even more resistant to force. As for the string, it was given to him by Xie Chuncan, and was actually a spare for his own Fallen Feather Bow.
Although the entire slingshot is crudely made and looks shabby, judging purely by the material, it is actually no less capable than Qiu Changyun's bow and arrow.
However, Luo Jiujiang has no obligation to inform his opponent of this.
Qiu Changyun had originally intended to show his courtesy and let Luo Jiujiang draw first. After all, he was a well-known Xuanzhu student in the academy. If he even attacked a casual cultivator first, how would he still have the dignity to do so? However, this black-robed youth was so provocative. Qiu Changyun, who was already short-tempered, took the blow and simply drew the bowstring himself. Only after the arrow had flown away did he realize he shouldn't have taken the initiative.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com