novelraw Chapter 81
Chapter 81
SPLASH!
As if the heavens had heard Su Wangchuan’s silent prayer, a fish suddenly burst out of the water in the distance, rolled once in midair, and vanished back beneath the surface.
WHOOSH!
With 15 points of Agility and an additional +15 Speed, Su Wangchuan’s reaction was anything but ordinary.
The instant he noticed the ripples spreading across the water, he had already drawn his bow and nocked an arrow.
At the very moment the fish broke the surface, the Poplar Wood Bow had been drawn into a full moon. Without the slightest hesitation, he released.
The fish disappeared beneath the water almost as soon as it surfaced.
Yet at the same instant it plunged back down, an arrow followed in pursuit, piercing into the water at an even greater speed.
PFFT!
A faint bloom of blood spread across the surface.A second later, the fish struggled weakly and floated back up with the arrow lodged in its body. Gradually, it stopped moving.
The scene sent a chill down the spines of the players inside the cargo hold.
Almost everyone stood up and leaned over the railing to look into the distance.
“My heavens!”
“That far?”
“I did not even see it…”
“He hit that?”
“A master!”
“Are we even playing the same game?”
“I am utterly convinced. I would kneel and kowtow to him!”
“……”
Even the sharp-eyed player from earlier stared at the fish floating with the current more than a hundred paces away, his face filled with disbelief. His mouth opened and closed for a long time, but no words came out.
This was absolutely not the level of someone who needed to practice by shooting fish.
His Archery…
And his strength!
How could this be a newcomer fresh out of the village?
He was clearly an archery master.
Su Wangchuan was in an excellent mood.
At last, his Experience Value was increasing.
Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplarhad reached Entry-Level. The next realm, Minor Mastery, was now 1/100.
“Just as I thought.”
“Only by striking targets beyond a hundred paces and achieving an effective kill can I increase the experience of Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar.”
Now that he had confirmed the path to improvement, all he needed to do was become a merciless fish-shooting machine.
The cargo ship continued forward.
As they entered a region dense with aquatic plants, the number of fish indeed increased.
Many fish even swam lazily near the vessel.
The players all saw them.
But the master at the bow of the ship did not spare them a glance. His eyes remained fixed on the distance.
“Why does he not shoot the fish nearby?”
“Is it because the closer targets are too easy?”
“He is here for fun, not for practice…”
The players reached that conclusion.
Su Wangchuan shot down thirteen targets beyond a hundred paces in succession.
The ship eventually left the weed-filled waters, and the number of nearby fish dwindled.
He was not worried.
This was not even the area with the most fish.
Near the Nu Tao Gang’s water stronghold, there was a section that had been specially enclosed—an inner lake teeming with fish, intended specifically for cultivation and training.
That was his true destination.
After another half hour, the cargo ship approached the dock of a water stronghold.
The captain, Old Qian, pointed to the left.
“Room Master, that enclosed inner lake over there is ours. There are plenty of fish inside. It is easier to train there. I will remain on the ship. If you need anything, just call.”
“Very well. Thank you, Senior.”
“Ergou, let us go!”
Su Wangchuan picked up his Poplar Wood Bow and headed toward the lake.
Chen Ergou followed closely behind.
Once the two had left, the captain turned and shouted into the cargo hold.
“We have arrived! Before sunset this afternoon, all of you and the ore you have mined must be back on board. If anyone is late, I will set sail without you!”
The players hurried off eagerly.
……
The dock of the Nu Tao Gang water stronghold was fairly crowded. Most of those overseeing the area were disciples of the Yulong Gang.
Not far away stood two men dressed in the uniforms of Constables from the Six Gates. They yawned lazily and did not even bother questioning those wearing the black attire of Yulong Gang disciples. The atmosphere was rather lax.
Su Wangchuan soon arrived at the inner lake.
It was a small body of water, barely over a hundred meters across, but the fish within were plentiful.
From time to time, several fish would flash their silver scales in the sunlight, and they were not small, either.
The one guarding the lake was an ordinary Inner Disciple of the Yulong Gang. Seeing Su Wangchuan approach with a bow on his back, he stepped forward to inspect his gang token. After nodding, he said:
“Gang rules. Anyone training in archery must pay one tael of silver per day. If you wish to take the fish you kill with you, that will cost extra.”
He glanced at Chen Ergou.
“It is just me practicing. I will not be taking the fish.”
Su Wangchuan tossed over one tael of silver along with five Copper Coins. The disciple’s expression softened into one of approval.
“Very well. Go ahead.”
Chen Ergou stood to one side and began arranging the arrows.
Su Wangchuan stepped back, found a slightly elevated position, and began searching for targets beyond a hundred paces.
TWANG!
The crisp sound of the Poplar Wood Bow immediately drew the attention of the Inner Disciple guarding the lake. His gaze grew noticeably more serious.
When he saw that Su Wangchuan had deliberately retreated to shoot at targets beyond a hundred paces, he muttered to himself:
“So he is training a First-Rank archery art. I did not expect him to be a master.”
He picked up a fishing rod and began retrieving the fish that had been struck.
The inner lake was rich with fish.
Even when they did not leap from the water, Su Wangchuan could easily find his targets.
The Poplar Wood Bow possessed formidable draw strength. With Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar, almost every arrow struck true.
His Experience Value rose rapidly.
Before long, a system notification rang out:
“Ding!”
“Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplarhas advanced from Entry-Level to ‘Minor Mastery.’ Reward: +1 Strength.”
Su Wangchuan stopped shooting.
A sudden surge of insight washed over him, as though something had been triggered. Immediately afterward, a second system notification sounded:
“Strength attribute has broken through to 20 points.”
“You have officially advanced from the identity of Villager to the combat profession ‘Martial Artist’!”
“Profession reward granted! +4 Free Attribute Points.”
Ecstasy filled Su Wangchuan’s eyes.
At last, he had broken through to Martial Artist!
He immediately summoned his Status Panel. It had changed significantly.
Wangchuan: Male (Hunger 70/100)
(Life Profession: Blacksmith)
(Combat Profession: Martial Artist, Unranked)
Strength 8+12; Attack 6–7;
Agility 8+7; Defense 3; Speed +15;
Stamina 8+3; HP 110/110;
Spirit 8: (Not Activated).
Free Attributes: 4 (Available for Allocation)
Life Skill “Hundredfold Steel Forging Technique”: Entry-Level Mastery; Next Realm “Integration” 118/2000;
Combat Skill “Archery”: Practice Makes Perfect; Next Realm “Entry-Level Mastery” 0/500; (Tap to expand)
First-Rank Martial Art “Hundred Paces Piercing the Poplar”: Minor Mastery; Next Realm “Practice Makes Perfect” 0/300; (Tap to expand)
(Some martial arts have been folded.)
He had obtained the Martial Artist identity.
He had gained 4 Free Attribute Points.
Exhilarating.
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