Upon hearing this, Wu Fangming smiled faintly. He didn't know how skilled Chuanliu was at archery, but he had witnessed Chuanliu's prowess in throwing knives. Although there was still a significant difference between the two, Chuanliu's suggestion undoubtedly ignited his competitive spirit.
So he nodded and accepted the challenge: "Okay, let's have a contest. I won't hold back."
The guards on the ground acted quickly, and adhering to the principle of watching the spectacle, they erected two wooden planks of equal distance and similar height to an adult as targets on the opposite side of the fence.
The two wooden planks stood there steadily, becoming the center of everyone's attention.
The two men each took ten arrows from their quiver, stood on the watchtower, and faced the target.
The guards stood still, their eyes scanning the surrounding area warily for any movement, while simultaneously watching the two with anticipation. Shouts rose and fell, warming up for the upcoming contest.
Those present were all martial arts practitioners, and their reverence for bravery was something that could never be shaken off, no matter when or where.
"Well then, I'll set an example first."
Wu Fangming scratched his head, his words revealing both humility and confidence.
He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath of the crisp air, inhaling the surrounding restlessness, and then slowly exhaled, leaving only inner focus.
With a deep, firm breath, he suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint in them. The muscles in his arms instantly tensed, coiling around the bow like writhing dragons, drawing the bowstring to its fullest extent.
The arrow rested lightly on his fingertip, as if imbued with life, awaiting its release.
Finally, with a "whoosh," the arrow pierced the sky, leaving a silver trail, and with a sharp whistle, struck the target.
"Sir, one point!"
The guard's voice was loud and clear as he tallied the scores. Although it was just simple numbers, it drew cheers from the crowd.
Because the target was temporarily replaced with a wooden board, which did not have rings on it, the calculation could only be done using the simplest fractions.
However, it was clear from the flow of the river that Wu Fangming's arrow hit the center of the target plate perfectly, without missing a beat.
With such precision, if the wooden board truly had different rings, this arrow would undoubtedly be a perfect score.
As a mercenary, Wu Fangming not only had to learn how to use firearms, but melee weapons were also a required course.
Chuanliu was not surprised by this result.
When it was Chuanliu's turn, she stepped forward gently, her gaze fixed on the target in front of her, as if establishing a subtle connection with it. She slowly raised the bow in her hand, her movements elegant and fluid, like a dance.
As she regulated her breathing, she gathered all her strength between her arms, and the bowstring gradually tightened as she pulled.
The arrows from Chuanliu were much lighter than those from Wu Fangming. With a light leap from her fingertips, they broke free from their restraints and flew straight towards the target in an almost invisible trajectory.
"bite!"
A crisp sound rang out as the arrow struck the target, its fletching swaying.
A hint of surprise flashed in Wu Fangming's eyes, then he laughed heartily, "Girl, your archery skills are impressive! Even those lads down there might not be able to match your accuracy!"
In reality, there aren't many instances in magic that actually involve the use of bows and arrows. Generally, visual illusions are used to mislead the audience into believing that the magician has hit the bullseye.
However, Kawaru's master was a pure old-school magician who believed in having "real skills," so Kawaru endured a lot of hard training when he was young.
She breathed a sigh of relief and said truthfully, "I can't compare to Brother Fang Ming. My strength and accuracy are not good enough."
Indeed, compared to Wu Fangming, Chuanliu's arrows were positioned slightly higher on the wooden plank, and the arrowheads were not embedded as deeply into the wood.
Nevertheless, the crowd did not diminish their cheers.
"Ms. Kawakyuu, 1 point!"
On the contrary, their cheers were even more enthusiastic, even overshadowing the previous applause for Wu Fangming.
They were all martial arts enthusiasts, and they knew how difficult it was to hit the target at this distance. Especially since the arrow's owner was a seemingly frail young girl.
Then, the two of them went back and forth, each shooting three arrows, all of which landed steadily on the target.
"Mr. Wu, 2 points!"
"Ms. Kawakyuu, 2 points!"
"Mr. Wu, 3 points!"
"Ms. Kawakyuu, 3 points!"
"Mr. Wu, 4 points!"
"Ms. Chuanliu, 4 points!"
Wu Fangming's competitive spirit was completely ignited. He shrugged his shoulders and became even more focused, as if he could perceive every wisp of wind and distance.
With fluid movements, he took three arrows from the quiver and steadily placed them on the bow.
As he narrowed his eyes, an indescribable aura gathered, and then his fingers suddenly loosened, and three arrows transformed into dazzling meteors in the night sky, slicing through the air and whistling out.
"Thump, thump, thump!" Three crisp and powerful impacts rang out almost simultaneously as the three arrows pierced the wooden planks with perfect accuracy, their force so great that they pierced right through the thick planks.
However, Wu Fangming did not stop there.
Without pausing, he drew three more arrows from the quiver, his entire being seemingly becoming one with the bow and arrows.
As the three arrows were released again, they intertwined in the air in an incredible way, and finally, with a "whoosh," they almost simultaneously and accurately struck the same spot on the wooden board. Their force was so great that it sent the board flying off the ground, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Mr. Wu, 10 points!"
This scene left everyone present speechless, and after a moment of silence, cheers from the surrounding crowd surged forth like a tidal wave.
"Mr. Wu! Mr. Wu!"
The crowd chanted repeatedly, and the entire venue was filled with excitement.
Chuanliu's eyes revealed admiration. After the competition began, she realized that she could hardly match his confidence and composure in archery, and reach such an amazing level.
But she did not stop competing.
She swiftly drew an arrow from her quiver, and with a crisp twang of the string, the arrow flew straight for the bullseye. Chuanliu did not stop; before the result of the previous arrow was revealed, she drew arrows one after another and shot them out.
The girl's arrow-shooting speed was so fast that it was like a precisely wound-up machine. Every time she drew the bow and released the arrow, it was like a programmed sequence, done so perfectly that it was almost impossible to see her movements.
Arrows fell like a dense raindrop onto the target, all converging at the top of the wooden board.
As the nine arrows accumulated, the target, unable to bear the weight, began to slowly tilt backward.
When the girl shot her tenth arrow, her expression suddenly changed.
The arrow suddenly changed direction, its tip slicing through the raging flames and shooting beyond the boundary line.
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