Chapter 23: Blocking Arrows with Arrows

Seeing this, Zhao Qiao and Zhuang Yi quickly collected their arrows.

Chen Sansi started to perform the Pile Work in a calm and unhurried manner, coordinating with the Breathing Skill. He stabbed at the Black Bear with the Mei Hua Iron Spear, using the force of the bear's resistance to simulate combat.

It must be said, the strength of fierce beasts like black bears is astonishing.

Even with severe injuries, a swipe of their paw could exert a force of over a thousand pounds, and their charges could be several times heavier.

Despite Chen Sansi's strength index having increased significantly after starting his martial arts training, he was still pushed back by the immense force upon direct contact. Combined with the physical drain from using the spear technique, he soon broke out in a profuse sweat.

However, his proficiency was also increasing at an extremely fast rate.

As the bear acquired one bloody hole after another, its attacks slowed to the point they were hardly worth dodging. The bear was on the verge of collapse from blood loss.

It was then that Chen Sansi drove the spear through the bear's eye, leaving through the back of its skull, creating a through-and-through wound and ending its life.

"Boom—"

The heavy body fell to the ground, life utterly extinguished.

[Cultivation Technique: Basic Soldier Spear Technique (Not Entry-Level)]

[Progress: (47/100)]

[Utility: None]

In just this short while, his progress had increased by nearly ten points, indicating excellent results.

Alas, it was not often that one had such an ideal live target.

"Phew..."

Chen Sansi planted the iron spear into the ground and took deep breaths to steady his state.

Some time passed before Wu Da and the others approached, their expressions a mixture of shock and awe.

Even considering the bear's sluggish movements due to excessive blood loss, it was certainly not something an ordinary person could contend with.

Was this the gap between a martial artist and an ordinary person?

Especially Zhao Qiao, who could hardly believe that the boy who had sought him out not long ago to accompany him to Second Layer Mountain had become much stronger than any of them in just over half a month.

"Uncle Zhao, Wu Da,"

Chen Sansi said, "It's tough, but cut some sturdy wood to make a stretcher. Let's carry the bear back together."

Zhao Qiao and the other two didn't move right away; they stood there looking at him, slightly embarrassed.

"Little... Little Stone."

It was Zhao Qiao who finally spoke up, "Can we, perhaps, take half of the profit?"

In cooperative hunting, the benefits are naturally shared among the participants.

But they really had been… of little help!

From the start, it was Chen Sansi who found the Black Bear's den.

Then, they had been saved by him.

If Chen Sansi weren't there today, the three of them might have ended up dead or seriously injured.

In contrast, even if they weren't there, with some more time, Chen Sansi could have worn the Black Bear down to death with his speed and the heavy bow.

But having just paid their taxes, they were so poor they could barely make ends meet. This trip had also cost them a fair bit in bait; returning empty-handed would be particularly hard...

Of course, if Chen Sansi really didn't share, they could only accept it.

Under their anxious gaze, the young man holding a spear in the sunset smiled radiantly, "What are you talking about, Uncle Zhao? Half is way too little. We should get at least two parts each, shouldn't we?"

"Ah?"

"No, no, no, no!"

Zhao Qiao and the others almost thought they had misheard.

They certainly didn't deserve so much.

They were already too ashamed to accept the generosity offered.

After some vehement refusal, Zhao Qiao and Zhuang Yi insisted on taking at most half each, Wu Da thought about taking a full part, but after a stern look from Zhao Qiao, he obediently followed suit and accepted half.

Chen Sansi didn't press further.

He knew they felt embarrassed and understood that it was only fair for the one who worked the hardest to receive the most.

Besides, seven hundred pounds of bear and expensive parts like the bear paws could sell for at least fifty taels of silver. Half of that would be more than two taels of silver.

In normal times, that would be equivalent to catching over twenty rabbits, so it wasn't as if they had come for nothing.

Chen Sansi didn't feel bad about it either.

After all, before coming, he wasn't sure he could take on a Black Bear alone, so for safety, he had teamed up.

Having made his choice, there was no room for regret.

Now that he understood his own strength, he could simply hunt alone in future.

"Brother Shi, from now on, you are my true brother!"

Wu Da smiled, the scar on his face making him look quite ferocious.

The group swiftly cut sticks, tied them together with rope, and shouldered the massive Black Bear, making their way home.

As they passed by the small stream in the valley.

The hunting dog began barking furiously at the opposite bank, "Woof woof woof!"

Gazing intently, they spotted two robed youths staring at them from afar, their faces clearly showing displeasure at the sight of the Black Bear on their shoulders.

Chen Sansi immediately recognized them.

More than half a month ago, it was these two who had tricked Shunzi into going to work on the Canal!

After the incident, he had secretly gathered information about these two individuals.

One was named Li Hao, the other Zhang Chao, both belonging to the Tai Lei Martial Arts Academy, although they were only servant disciples, even less than Outer Disciples.

After years of study, they might not even acquire the Breathing Skill or cultivate Qi-Blood.

Unexpectedly, they would meet again.

"Woof woof woof—"

As if sensing the malice of the two men, the hunting dog's barks grew louder.

"Little Blackie, stop barking!"

Zhuang Yi hurriedly tried to cover the dog's mouth, "Don't provoke them."

"What are we afraid of, we're not fighting on the opposite bank..."

Wu Da hadn't finished speaking,

when he saw one of the youths draw his bow and loose an arrow, "Damn beast, dare bark at your grandpa?!"

Though he claimed he was aiming at the dog, the Arrow was clearly targeted at a person.

An arrow with a willow leaf-shaped blade whistled towards Zhuang Yi.

The distance between the two parties was only forty to fifty steps, and a Four-Force Bow was more than capable of killing a man with ease!

Zhuang Yi's pupils dilated as the Arrow rapidly enlarged in his vision, his legs went weak, and his heart turned cold.

In the blink of an eye, another Wolf Teeth Arrow flew from the side, precisely hitting and snapping the willow leaf Arrow in mid-air!

Using an Arrow to block an Arrow!

"What?!"

Zhang Chao's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

A moving target, so small and in such a short time.

How... how is that possible?!

"The border army's Second Layer heavy bow?"

Li Hao's face turned ugly, "Is... is that you?"

They both recognized Chen Sansi.

"How did this guy become a soldier?"

"Let's go!"

Li and Zhang exchanged glances and scrambled away in tacit agreement, not even giving Chen Sansi a chance to converse, and only after they had gone some distance did they throw a threat over their shoulders, "You just wait!"

Cowards that bully the weak but fear the strong.

Chen Sansi now, however, had no reason to fear them.

After all, these were people Qin Feng wouldn't even bother with.

From the moment the others had shot their arrows to when Chen Sansi scared them off, the entire sequence had lasted only a few seconds.

So much so that Wu Da and the others took quite a while to realize what had just happened.

"Brother Chen..."

Zhuang Yi's voice was still trembling, "You saved my life, I... I..."

He was at a loss for words, not sure how to express his gratitude.

"It's okay."

Chen Sansi calmly responded, "If I hadn't struck back, their next arrow would have been aimed at me."

Even Martial Arts Hall servant disciples dared to be so brazen.

It seemed that he had to compete for the position of military officer!

If he had a military officer's status for protection, the arrow he had just fired wouldn't have been to block but rather to take a life!

"Let's head down the mountain."

With no harm done, the group carried the bear back to their residence.

The county town was still under martial law, with no clue as to where the barbarians were hiding, as they hadn't been found yet.

Much as Chen Sansi had predicted.

The Black Bear sold for a total of fifty-one taels.

The other men received a little over two taels five maces of silver each.

Chen Sansi kept the bear heart, valued at twenty taels, which he didn't sell, and also kept thirty jin of bear meat, ultimately netting twenty taels of snowflake silver.

"This should be enough for a while."

Carrying the bear heart, still warm in its lotus leaf wrapper, Chen Sansi couldn't wait to rush home.

Bear heart was highly nutritious, and for his recent depletion of Qi-Blood, it would surely be greatly beneficial.