Chapter Thirty-Two: The Archery Club

Whether it was a score of 92 or 80, both were heights unattainable for Wu Yi and Lei Tiger. What was this, gods clashing? Wu Yi forced a bitter smile and said, “I won’t go on, I won’t compete anymore.” Lei Tiger echoed, “Nor will I.” What was the point? Might as well go home and cry. If they couldn’t even surpass the young master from the landlord’s family, who had never set foot in the mountains, what business did they have shooting arrows at all?

Li Dazhuang’s eighty points had crushed them, and Xu Wenshan’s ninety-two points had overwhelmed them completely. How could such a taste be anything but bitter?

Li Dazhuang approached the edge of the archery range, head bowed. “Father, I lost.” Li Sixteen replied, “It’s alright, you’ve already done very well.”

“Haha! Nobility and power, is there a birthright to them? Haha…” The young man nearby suddenly became disheveled and muttered, “Ninety-two… ninety-two… what does ninety-two matter? It’s all cheating, landlords are never decent, haha, haha…” He rambled as if something inside him had come loose.

“You’re wrong!” Li Dazhuang replied earnestly. “Xu Wenshan is my teacher. I’ve been learning archery from him lately. It’s normal for his score to be higher than mine.”

Everyone stared, wide-eyed. Only then did they recall that, some time ago, this had indeed happened, though they’d all dismissed it as Li Sixteen currying favor with the landlord.

The hunters slung their bows and, dejected, prepared to leave. But Xu Wenshan suddenly spoke: “Hunters, please stay!”

They paused, curious to hear what the chosen one had to say.

“In truth, there’s a reason your scores were low this time,” Xu Wenshan said, sweeping his gaze over them. “Recently, I learned a bit about how you hunt, and discovered your technique of controlling the bowstring is quite immature. That’s why I held this competition—to exchange archery skills with you.”

The hunters felt a complex mix of emotions. Had Xu Wenshan said this before, they would have scoffed. Our bowstring technique, wrong? Don’t be ridiculous. What do you know, anyway?

But now, with his scores staring them in the face, they had nothing to say.

Xu Wenshan continued, “The key mistake in your bowstring control is missing something—this.” He raised his finger, showing them the thumb ring he wore.

“With this, your archery movements become complete. This afternoon, after lunch, I’ll be teaching the Li family father and son here. If you have time, feel free to listen in; it might help your hunting in the future.”

“Lastly, as I said before, though you didn’t win the five strings of cash this time, don’t fret. Next year, at this time, as long as the archery range remains, the competition will be held again. Then, the champion will receive ten strings!”

“You all know my word is good as gold.”

...

After the event, Wu Yi glanced at Lei Tiger and moved closer, ready to strike up a conversation. Their shared experience in the competition had brought them closer.

“How are you? Will you come this afternoon?”

Lei Tiger replied, “Of course I’ll come.”

Though both had withdrawn at the last moment, it didn’t mean they’d admitted defeat. Neither was one to surrender easily.

...

The VIP seats were already emptied of the Guo Xin family. Guo Xin, always eager to challenge Xu Changshui’s authority, would never give the Xu family a chance to mock him.

After Xu Wenshan put down his bow, the first to greet him, as expected, was Xu Changshui.

“Son, well done. After today, I suppose you can pick any woman you like from Deer Crane Ravine.”

Xu Wenshan gave an embarrassed smile. “Can we not talk about marriage yet?”

People gradually dispersed from the archery range, but the events of the day left an indelible mark in their hearts. They would speak of it for years to come.

Xu family set up an archery contest, the hunters were defeated one after another, and it was the outsider hunter who dared to flaunt his prowess. Li Dazhuang of the Li family stepped forward, his overwhelming score besting all others, but in the end, he still lost to the Xu family’s young master.

Xu Wenshan, appearing as the final boss, had his image reversed—from one extreme to another. Everyone agreed: the Xu family’s young master had hidden his skill for years, and held this contest to showcase his extraordinary archery, achieving the effect of remaining silent until a stunning display. Though his archery was flawless, he was just unbearably smug!

Xu Wenshan himself could only laugh and cry at the villagers’ attitude. He hadn’t held the contest just to show off.

In the afternoon, the sun was high. It was the time when Deer Crane Ravine villagers, after lunch, would rest in the shade of trees. Yet a crowd began to arrive at the Creek Plain archery range.

Silently, they filed in—it was the hunters of Deer Crane Ravine. Nearly every hunter was present.

No hunter doesn’t wish for superb archery, just as no woman doesn’t wish for beauty.

“Welcome, welcome,” Xu Wenshan awaited beneath the awning, the morning’s tea tables and stools still in place. “You all have aspirations, and I’m glad you didn’t stubbornly cling only to your own technique, continuing to look down on more refined archery.”

The hunters listened, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. They acknowledged Xu Wenshan’s skill, but didn’t believe their own method of drawing the bow was wrong.

“But I didn’t call you here to teach you how to shoot,” he said, “I’m here to discuss business with you.”

At this, the hunters were surprised. Lei Tiger asked, “What business do we have to talk about?”

Xu Wenshan replied, “I’m going to establish the ‘Deer Crane Archery Club,’ and I’d like to invite you to become members.”

“Club? What’s a member?”

Xu Wenshan smiled. “No hurry. Let me explain it to you in detail.”