Chapter 1368: Who knew that the way of Heaven is as crooked as a bow (Part 2) [Requesting monthly votes]
The boy's eyes suddenly sharpened.
His imposing presence is something that one shouldn't have at his age.
Luo San remained fearless, meeting his gaze head-on, his imposing manner in no way inferior. After a while, the young man who called himself "this old man" lazily closed his eyes. Suddenly, a childish voice rang out from the corner: "That's me! May I ask what brings this righteous man to me?"
In the shadows of the cell next door, a little girl looked up at him.
The little girl wasn't even as tall as his waist, yet she was dressed in adult-sized clothes. To avoid getting caught on her skirt and trousers, she folded and folded her long sleeves, binding them with her original waistband to barely maintain a semblance of decorum. Luo San silently met the little girl's gaze.
Reason told him that Kangguo wouldn't be so crazy as to appoint a six or seven-year-old girl as a prefect of a region. In addition, the girl's tone of voice and demeanor were very different from those of ordinary girls. Luo San roughly guessed what was going on. He said, "I'm here to find you on the behalf of an old friend."
"Old friend?"
"Xiahou Li".
The girl, Miao Ne, thought about it seriously and shook her head.
She had no recollection of the name.
Judging from the support Xiahou Li received in the central continent, she was certainly no ordinary person in the Kang Kingdom's court. And the girl in front of them, who was able to secure a prefectural governorship in the fiercely competitive Kang Kingdom's court as a woman, was also no ordinary person.
Even if the two had never met, they couldn't have never heard of each other.
Luo San wondered if he had the wrong person and asked Miao Ne repeatedly, "Her name is Xiahou Li, don't you know her?"
Miao Ne had no reason to lie to him: "I have never heard of it."
"How could that be? Wasn't Xiahou Li deeply favored by the king? She was also your teacher and friend. How could you, as her student, not have heard of her?"
"This junior truly does not know her, nor has my master ever mentioned this lady... However—this junior's experience in officialdom is still shallow. I previously mingled in the martial world, and in recent years, many capable people have emerged in the court, so it is normal not to know them all." He barely managed to smooth over the awkward atmosphere.
Luo San didn't care about these trivial details.
As long as you don't contact the wrong person, it's fine.
He said, "In that case, come with me."
Lady Xiahou didn't mention bringing anyone else, so they could leave it at that. Miao Ne, however, couldn't agree. Luo San's origins were unknown, and given her current situation, a hasty escape would be suicidal. Seeing that Miao Ne wouldn't budge, Luo San knew she suspected him.
"In that case, I have two requests."
"explain."
"Could you please inform the Kang Kingdom's court about what happened here?"
"Oh? Sure, tell me about it."
Lady Xiahou also entrusted him with an investigation along the way.
At this moment, the boy who had been keeping his eyes closed and silent suddenly said, "Reckless! How do we know he's not a bandit in disguise, deceiving us?"
Luo San wanted to laugh when he heard this.
"You've fallen to this state because you're not as skilled as others. I advise you to stop pointing fingers at me."
If you're going to give orders, then shut up and stop giving unsolicited advice.
The boy got angry as soon as he heard this: "What do you know?"
Luo San gloated, "You got shot down like this by an arrow, what can I say about you? Did you think your opponent's martial arts level was low, so you assumed he was just an ant or a dog, and that if one slap wasn't enough, you'd slap him twice? But you ended up taking an arrow by force?"
The boy's pupils trembled violently, almost widening.
I wonder if they hit a nerve.
"You? You still say you're not a thief in disguise?"
"No need to doubt me. When I became enemies with that scoundrel Yuan Fu, you were probably still playing in the mud somewhere." Luo San spoke with the air of a master, not mentioning at all the dark history of suffering a great loss at the hands of his opponent. The path taken by Yuan Fu and his descendants clearly exceeded the scope of normal martial arts practitioners, so it was quite normal for them to fall victim to his attacks. Yuan Fu himself was at his peak in his very first battle.
"Yuan Fu?"
"The ancestor of the person who hurt you was a short-lived ghost." Luo San calculated the time with his fingers and reminded them, "My time is running out. Either come with me, or hurry up and give me your answer."
Don't miss out!
Miao Ne said, "Senior, please don't be angry."
She recounted her experiences during this period in detail.
During the period immediately following Lin Feng's departure, the situation in Yuanfu County clearly improved. Although local forces resisted, Miao Ne set up a trap, killing several to set an example. With Li Wan providing support from neighboring counties, the situation deterred all factions from taking action.
Miao Ne took the opportunity to eliminate the traitor who was secretly colluding with the enemy.
Everything is proceeding smoothly and in an orderly manner.
Gongyang Yongye, the young man who was challenged by Luo San, went out to visit friends and acquaintances. The incident occurred while he was away from Yuanfu County. Li Wan sent a letter requesting help. After verifying its authenticity, Miao Ne sent troops out of the city and into the neighboring county, where they discovered clues.
He immediately realized that he might have been lured away from his post.
At almost the same time, various families in Yuanfu County joined forces to cause internal strife.
They colluded with the rebels to open the city gates.
She rushed back and ran into Gongyang Yongye, intending to retake Yuanfu County. However, Gongyang Yongye was defeated, and she was captured as well. The two were imprisoned in a dungeon for more than ten days.
"Besides these, is there any other explanation?"
"Yes, please help me deliver this to the Cui family patriarch." In another cell, a slightly haggard young man was locked up. His clothes were covered with wounds of all sizes, many of which were red and festering. In addition to the stench of blood, there was also a putrid smell on his body. He looked very unwell. He still forced himself to get up and took off the token from his waist. "If I die here, at least my father will know who the enemy is."
The girl sternly rebuked him for his unlucky words.
"Cui Houbai, what nonsense are you spouting?"
"Let my father rescue Ximin at any cost. If anything happens to me, consider this my last words." Cui Xiong ignored Miao Ne and stared intently at Luo San. Luo San didn't take it immediately; his gaze fell on the terrifying wrist.
A ring of flesh around the wrist had vanished, leaving only remnants of flesh encasing the wrist bone. Maggots were wriggling in the rotting area, a truly horrifying sight.
"If you still have the strength, senior, may you take him with you?"
Cui Xiong's situation is far from optimistic.
Luo San gave her a deep look: "That works too."
Cui Xiong naturally refused, but his current state left him no room for refusal. However, no one expected that Luo San's prison break wasn't just about taking one person; he also took the young Gongyang Yongye and the girl Miao Ne with him. With a single finger, he severed the shackles from Gongyang Yongye's hands, tossed the stinking Cui Xiong to him, and grabbed Miao Ne by the collar, saying, "Come with me!"
The heavily guarded dungeon was no match for him.
It took some effort to get out of town with three burdens.
Fortunately, they escaped to the outside of the city unharmed.
Young Gongyang Yongye rubbed his wrist: "I'll take my leave now. I have other things to do. We'll meet again later."
Miao Ne knew what he was going to do and grabbed his clothes.
“You don’t even know where Laiqu is being held, how are you going to go back and rescue people? And in this state, forcing your way in is just a dead end.” I couldn’t believe he was more impulsive than a young man.
Xiang Zhao was not imprisoned with them.
"I'm not going to charge in alone! I'll call a few brothers to lend a hand and tear that sorcerer apart alive!" Gongyang Yongye was not a reckless person, so he naturally wouldn't do something he wasn't sure of.
I'm determined to get my revenge for letting myself suffer such a huge loss!
It's not just about Xiang Zhao, but also about his dignity.
Luo San channeled his martial energy into Cui Xiong, who had fainted halfway through the journey, to protect his heart meridian and prevent him from dying on the way. Hearing the commotion of the two, he was about to roll his eyes when suddenly his expression sharpened, and he pushed Cui Xiong towards Gongyang Yongye. Miao Ne, seeing this, also realized that the pursuers had arrived.
As expected—
A red figure quietly stood on the treetop.
Gongyang Yongye was enraged the moment he saw the figure.
He wanted nothing more than to skin the other person alive and tear them apart: "You monster!"
The red-clad figure wore a black-trimmed leather armor and held a bow taller than a man. The bow was extremely thick, engraved with mysterious crimson-gold patterns. The newcomer looked down at the four escapees, scanning the group before finally fixing her gaze on Luo San, who stood at the front. She asked crisply, "Was it you who kicked Yuan Fu's tombstone earlier?"
The first thing mentioned was not Luo San's prison break.
Luo San said, "So what if it's me?"
"Do you have a grudge against Yuan Fu? Or against the Yuan family?"
Luo San said calmly, "We have both."
Instead of being angry, Hongying was pleased: "Since that's the case, I won't hold your prison break against you. Leave on your own, and I won't make things difficult for you."
Now it was Luo San's turn to be puzzled.
"Aren't you a descendant of Yuan Fu?"
The newcomer was a woman in a red robe and soft armor. Although this did not conform to the Yuan family's custom of passing down the family tradition to sons, times had changed. Perhaps this generation of the Yuan family simply could not produce any talented boys, and they could only reluctantly pass the family tradition to a girl.
Hongying said, "I'm not."
Luo San was incredulous, and his gaze quietly shifted to the large bow.
He was certain that the large bow in the red-robed woman's hand was the one Yuan Fu had used back then, a family heirloom of the Yuan family, and he couldn't be mistaken.
The woman in the red robe noticed his gaze and sneered.
“Even those who are not descendants of the Yuan family can practice it.”
To claim that only those from the Yuan family can practice this is nothing but a lie.
If it weren't for this, the Yuan family's legacy would have been stolen by outsiders long ago. That's a profound enlightenment, the accumulated wisdom of generations. It allows one to threaten most martial artists in the world without much arduous training. Although the cost is enormous, its power is immense.
There will always be people who will take risks for profit.
Keeping a secret from outsiders can prevent most people from coveting it.
Luo San was slightly surprised to hear this, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it made sense. If he were Yuan Fu, he would also keep the secret tightly: "This generation of practitioners of the Time Bow technique is quite magnanimous."
If one were not magnanimous, one would not pass it on to a woman who is not related by blood.
Luo San didn't know which word had offended her, but the red-robed woman, who had just been somewhat friendly, raised her hand and thrust her large bow at him, a fierce killing intent quietly surfacing in her eyes. Luo San, seeing this, felt something was amiss—this person before him harbored hostility towards the Yuan family.
"My lady, we have no grudges against each other, so why should we fight to the death the moment we meet? Your archery skills come at a great cost; is it worth wasting so much of your lifespan just to spite me..."
Luo San planned to reason with her, appealing to her emotions and logic; a peaceful resolution would be ideal. To put it bluntly, archery is a life-or-death matter; each archer has a limited number of shots in their lifetime.
Even Yuan Fu, the most talented member of the Yuan family in history, was no exception. He made a name for himself in his first battle, easily killing opponents of the same level with three arrows. Luo San was only caught in the blast of the arrow and almost died. He survived, but was left with hidden injuries.
Because of this hidden injury, Luo San paid a heavy price.
Of course, Yuan Fu also paid a price.
After three arrows, his hair turned white in an instant.
A warrior's appearance doesn't easily show signs of aging; the first sign of aging is the loss of lifespan, which manifests in the hair. Yuan Fu's hair turned white after three arrows, while this archer had already dealt with Gongyang Yongye before that, sending him back to his youth.
A thought flashed through his mind, recalling a detail he had overlooked—even if this woman burned less life force than Yuan Fu in her battle with Gongyang Yongye, she still couldn't possibly still have a head of jet-black, shiny hair, could she?
Realizing this, Luo San cursed Yuan Fu inwardly.
Will this guy's descendants completely solve the problems with the Arrow of Time?
Even if it's not completely resolved, the increased number of arrow shots is still a serious problem. It was already ridiculously powerful, and now it's getting even stronger?!
The woman in the red robe did not miss Luo San's subtle pause.
"Now that you know, then spare your life!"
Time flies like an arrow.
With her other hand, she made a plucking motion, activating the patterns on the bow and instantly filling it with surging martial energy. At the same time, a fierce wind arose around the woman, thunderclouds gathered in the sky, and the power of time devoured and condensed into a phantom silver great bow.
Luo San: "..."
I somewhat regret not kicking Yuan Fu's tombstone in half.
He should dig up the other person's body and whip it.
"How could one know that the way of Heaven is as crooked as a bow!"
Gongyang Yongye's expression changed drastically: "Get out of the way!"
Unexpectedly, Luo San gave the woman in red a thumbs-down gesture and took the arrow head-on. Gongyang Yongye almost laughed in anger at the sight. He thought Luo San was someone with brains, but it turned out the other guy hadn't brought his brains with him at all!
Knowing full well how dangerous the arrow was, how could he still dare to take it head-on?
The woman was also surprised: "You didn't dodge?"
As the smoke and dust from the massive explosion gradually dissipated, Luo San's laughter echoed from the spot: "One arrow takes away sixty years of a person's life. Your Time Arrow is just like Yuan Fu's, the real deal, no deception..."
Theoretically, it can make someone age for sixty years with a single arrow.
However, theory is theory, and practice is practice.
The Arrow of Time first diminishes the target's martial energy, then their age; once their age drops below sixteen, it won't decrease further. Luo San had researched this technique before; to counter it, one either needs to be incredibly powerful at sixteen, possess formidable martial arts skills, or—
He was at his peak 60 years ago!
Luo San casually waved his hand, and the lingering smoke and dust were forcibly suppressed by an invisible force: "Not bad."
Young Gongyang Yongye: "..."
Miao Ne struggled to open her eyes, which were tormented by the wind and sand.
He spat out sand twice: "What's the situation now?"
Gongyang Yongye murmured, "A Marquis of the twentieth rank..."
Miao Ne: "..."
The woman in the red robe: "..."
Who would have thought that the eleventh-rank Right Gentleman would have his strength and cultivation level directly regress to the twentieth-rank Marquis after being devoured by the Arrow of Time for sixty years?
This regression is unacceptable!
Luo San looked with satisfaction at the woman in the red robe whose face resembled that of someone suffering from constipation.
He asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, may we release them? Outsiders may not know, but I do have some knowledge of the Yuan family's archery skills."
He appeared calm on the surface, but was actually uncertain inside.
Yuan Fu fired three arrows simultaneously, while the woman only shot one, yet her complexion remained unchanged. She showed no signs of expending her lifespan, nor even panting. Who knows how many more arrows she could fire in a short time? Luo San didn't want to risk his life here.
Let's at least keep it until Lady Xiahou usurps the throne.
(*▽*)
Last year, or rather the year before, the electric chair I bought during Singles' Day stopped working. I removed the batteries, mailed it back, and got a replacement, and it worked again.
Having after-sales service is great.
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