Chapter Seventeen: Li Forty-Six’s Urgent Passion for Talent

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Li Six-Four's arrow, though, was well-aimed, striking the wild boar squarely on its back. The boar let out a wretched scream, its eyes turning blood-red as it charged straight for Li Six-Four. Clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction, Li Six-Four clearly found his shot lacking. A wild boar’s hide is thick; an arrow of that strength couldn’t possibly pierce it, and the impact was negligible. Grabbing Zhuangzi, he retreated swiftly.

A boar’s heavy body could snap a bone if it barrelled into a person, but it only had that initial burst of momentum; as long as one avoided its charge and waited until it tired, another arrow would eventually bring it down with ease.

But as Li Six-Four was falling back, he noticed Xu Wenshan still standing in place.

“That fool!” Li Six-Four thought angrily. “Just as I suspected—a pampered young master who has never set foot outside his home, probably thinking he can handle a wild boar on his own.”

Ruthlessly, Li Six-Four decided to leave Xu Wenshan to his own devices, let him suffer a little.

But then, to Li Six-Four’s astonishment, Xu Wenshan bent his bow and nocked an arrow, his movements swift and practiced. The arrow shot forth, striking the wild boar right in one eye.

That hit the vital spot; the boar thrashed in agony, and for the moment, was no longer a threat.

In truth, Xu Wenshan had held back—had he killed the boar with a single arrow in front of everyone, it would have been far too extraordinary.

Yet, in Li Six-Four’s mind, Xu Wenshan earned a measure of respect. Calm in the face of danger, striking directly at the vital point—such qualities could only be forged in life-and-death situations.

"Could it be that his hit just now was pure luck?"

Xu Wenshan, unhurried, bent his bow again. This time, Li Six-Four watched his technique more closely and was startled to see the thumb ring on Xu Wenshan’s hand.

“So he is a young master after all! Even out hunting he can’t resist flaunting his family’s wealth, wearing a ring to draw the bow—doesn’t he worry about scraping his finger?” Li Six-Four thought bitterly.

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What happened next only heightened Li Six-Four’s sense of superiority. “Ah, even with talent, without proper training, it’s clear he doesn’t understand archery at all! Archery is far more complicated than you think! Can you shoot a good arrow with your technique?”

Xu Wenshan hooked the bowstring with his thumb, pinched the arrow at the base, took aim at the boar, then released his thumb. The hand holding the bow swung aside quickly, ensuring nothing interfered with the arrow’s flight.

The arrow shot from the string like the wind.

Thud! The arrow struck the boar’s neck, and the beast lost all ability to resist, swaying unsteadily before collapsing.

Xu Wenshan’s shot had exceeded expectations, striking the boar’s vital spot. Now, the animal was entirely finished, staggering before falling to the ground.

Li Six-Four nodded, thinking that though the technique was wrong, hitting the target was what mattered; there would be time for more instruction later.

In Li Six-Four’s view, although Xu Wenshan was currently indulgent and pleasure-seeking, even bringing along a decorative but useless servant; although he loved to show off and even remembered to wear a ring while shooting—at least he was steady and possessed a certain brilliance.

This was precisely what his own son, Li Dazhuang, lacked.

If he could teach Xu Wenshan for a couple of days, perhaps this young master from the landlord’s family would be utterly transformed.

If he subjected Xu Wenshan to his own brand of brutal, relentless, and passionate training for a few months, perhaps the boy would become a veritable archery machine.

He had long heard that the Xu family’s young master avoided women, refusing marriage even at a proper age, and had managed to offend several families during matchmaking. If, through his teaching, Xu Wenshan could reclaim his masculine vigor, who knew what reward the Xu family head might bestow?

Li Six-Four’s thoughts wandered far afield—so far that he didn’t notice Li Dazhuang tugging at his sleeve.

Like the other villagers, he had always thought that with the Xu family having few heirs, if their line ended, the family’s estate would eventually be divided among the villagers.

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He had almost hoped for the Xu family’s downfall.

But now, seeing Xu Wenshan’s potential, he realized the family’s end was not so certain.

Li Six-Four decided to pay Xu Wenshan a compliment.

He knew his own situation well; whether his son Dazhuang could marry in the future depended entirely on whether he, Li Six-Four, could seize an opportunity now. If he could risk his life for a chance, and by luck succeed, Dazhuang’s days would be smooth from then on.

As for what that opportunity might be, Li Six-Four didn’t know. He was no opportunist, but he was certain that forging a connection with the Xu estate could only bring benefits, never harm.

So, currying a little favor with Xu Wenshan was necessary.

But given Li Six-Four’s forthright nature, he was never one to lavish praise or exaggerate. Even when complimenting, he’d mix in seven parts criticism to three parts praise. But today, since he wished to ingratiate himself, he decided to lower the bar—six parts criticism, four parts praise.

“Ahem… Young Master Xu, about your archery technique…”

Just as Li Six-Four was about to speak, Xu Wenshan interrupted, “Uncle Li, your archery technique is incorrect.”

After a pause, he added, “There are at least eight mistakes in your shooting method.”