Chapter 360 Triple-shot Archery

Yan Huaiwen gently patted Xiao Er on the top of her head.

Her hair bun had come loose and was tilted to one side.

He did not know if this girl realized it or not, but there were blood spatters on her hair, her face, her clothes, and her shoes. Not just him, even the Gufeng garrison soldiers on either side, as long as they came a bit closer, could smell it…

His Xiao Er was a child with a strong heart.

Just now, the moment they first met, she had been like a wounded little beast, not yet able to rein in that trace of ferocity. When she saw him, her uncle, her eyes turned red with grievance…

That had been her true feelings spilling over.

But now…

He would have to ask Xiao Er to wash this robe clean for him.

…

The moment they saw the Wolf-Smoke Signal lit, the Northern Rong pulled back at once.

But before leaving, they wanted to win more time for their tribesmen.

So they planned to head to that new village and rendezvous with them. On one hand, they would have enough men to keep delaying along the way, on the other, they could cover the grain transport.

Yet as soon as they reached that village, they knew at once that something was wrong.

Even though Xiao’an Village had cleared the battlefield, the heavy stench of blood still hung in the air.

That made them realize the tribesmen who had come here before had probably already been killed.

The discovery sent the Northern Rong into a rage.

They went mad with fury, determined to storm into Xiao’an Village and find out what had happened.

At first, only the south Arrow Tower was in danger. Everyone followed Xiao Er’s instructions and focused on defense, only loosing an arrow or two from time to time, just enough to keep the enemy outside the village.

But when the Northern Rong discovered that the villagers had linked rafts together at the riverbank to form a wooden bridge, it was like someone had stabbed them right in the lungs.

The east Arrow Tower by the river had to split its attention, half on stopping the Northern Rong from charging up, half on covering Luo Da and his men working at the riverbank with Crossbows. On the tower, Hu Da wished he had eight arms. At the base, Qi Si, who was blocking the entrance, was under immense pressure.

After several door planks had been smashed apart in a row, there was no cover left in front of him. A wooden staff wrapped in iron was his only weapon.

With nothing but flesh and blood, he held the entrance and did not yield an inch.

He was powerful and unmatched in bravery, but many ants can kill an elephant. Countless blades hacked at him, from head to toe, vicious to the extreme, always targeting the spots he could not easily guard.

By now Qi Si was… covered in wounds.

Yet he still stood there like a wrathful Vajra^[1], unmoving as a mountain.

Luo San led men in several charges. When they truly could not hold out, they fell back again, then gritted their teeth and forced themselves forward once more.

Everyone had blood on them by now.

“Dad! Fourth Uncle Qi over there can’t hold on much longer! Let’s go help!” Da Tie could not see how Qi Si was doing, but he could see there were an awful lot of Northern Rong swarming around that Arrow Tower, more and more of them…

The arrows raining down from the tower could not stop the Northern Rong from closing in. They were blocked right at the doorway, and there, only Fourth Uncle Qi was holding the line.

Right now, Luo Da and the others were all in the water, guarding the rafts.

As soon as any Northern Rong dared to climb up, they hacked at their feet with knives.

When the Northern Rong shot arrows at them, they hid beneath the rafts.

If the Northern Rong tried to cut the ropes linking the rafts, they used Bamboo Crossbows and shot the bastard full of bolts.

The raft bridge was already joined. They were just waiting for Xiao Er to bring back reinforcements.

Luo Da and his men had been soaking in the water for quite a while. Every one of them was pale, their bodies stiff with cold.

“Wait a bit longer…” Luo Da kept looking toward the opposite bank. “Xiao Er will be back any moment now.”

He added, “That child Xiao Er is reliable. She’ll definitely bring reinforcements back.”

The men soaking in the water answered him with muffled grunts.

This battle of Yan Xiao’er’s had left an incredibly deep impression on Xiao’an Village. It gave everyone a strange illusion: as long as they trusted her and listened to her, the Northern Rong were like chickens and ducks, to kill or slaughter as they pleased…

The Scholar really had taught this child well.

No, that was not quite right. Of the three Yan Family children, only Xiao Er was this quick-witted.

And with that strength of hers, she really was a fine farm girl of their own.

Just look, now that Xiao Er was not here, they were finished. They had no way at all to deal with the Northern Rong.

Luo Da once again looked toward the opposite bank.

He rubbed his eyes with one hand and wiped the water from his face.

“Everyone, look that way. Is that Xiao Er? Is it her?”

The men in the water all turned their heads in unison.

“Can’t see clearly, but it has to be, that’s our Xiao Er!”

“Xiao Er is back, our village is saved!”

Da Tie clung to the raft, straining to scoot himself toward the opposite shore.

He shouted at the top of his lungs, “Xiao Er! Xiao Er! Did you find… reinforcements?”

Yan Yu’s ears perked up at once.

“Uncle, listen, that’s Brother Da Tie!”

“Brother Da Tie, it’s me! I’m back with Uncle! The lord in Gufeng City sent troops to rescue us! Did you hear me? The reinforcements we’ve been waiting for are here! The village is saved!”

Yan Yu shouted herself hoarse, not caring that she was gulping down cold night air.

She was already a bit light-headed from shouting, yet she was still worried Brother Da Tie might not hear her clearly.

“Uncle, faster, faster!” Yan Yu urged.

Yan Huaiwen’s own heart was just as eager to be home.

“Hyah!”

He leaned his body forward, bow upright, standing in the stirrups.

In an instant, the horse’s head surged ahead, hooves kicking up a trail of dust.

…

Yan Huaiwen was the first to dismount. After lifting Yan Yu down, he tossed the reins aside without even sparing the horse a glance.

With one look, he could see how dire the situation was.

Drawing bow and loosing arrow came in a single smooth motion.

A cloud-piercing arrow shot into the sky, tracing a beautiful arc before falling.

It struck a Northern Rong who was just about to draw his bow, right in the center of his chest.

Swish, swish, swish, three arrows were caught between his fingers.

He pulled hard on the bowstring, his fingertips whitening with the force.

Holding the bow sideways in front of him, his gaze was as cold as a blade.

Shoot!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Three Northern Rong on the far side went down.

Yan Huaiwen stepped onto the raft bridge that his fellow villagers had risked their lives to lash together. The rafts bobbed up and down with the current, very unsteady.

But every one of his steps was firm. With each step forward, he felled a man with an arrow.

An incoming arrow brushed right past him. He twisted aside to avoid it by a hair. It sliced through the front of his long robe, exactly at the spot Yan Yu had just “soaked with tears.”

“Scholar, look out!” Da Tie shouted from the water, arms spread wide.

Yan Huaiwen gave him a nod.

“I am fine. Do not worry.”

On the bank, Yan Yu was so anxious she was jumping up and down.

Her uncle had already charged out. Why were these garrison soldiers not following?

It was too dangerous for one man alone.

She did not know that the Gufeng garrison on the bank were simply stunned.

They had already seen that Household Registrar Yan’s archery was very good.

But they had not expected that “very good” was an understatement. To perform Triple-shot Archery, every arrow a killing shot, very few people in the world could do that.

Those who could were all experts devoted to this path, who had practiced bitterly for many years to gain such a peerless skill.

Yet this Household Registrar Yan was a scholar. With such a background, his skill seemed all the more astounding.

Soldiers worship strength.

The Gufeng garrison watched, their blood boiling.

The young officer in the lead was especially stirred, his emotions surging beyond control.

“City guard, hear my order! Muster three hundred men and charge with me!”

The Gufeng city guards had long since been unable to hold themselves back. As soon as they heard the command, they scrambled onto the raft bridge one after another, feet pounding as they ran, almost flying forward.

They charged ahead, howling.

(End of this chapter)