Chapter 44: An Arrow at First Sight!

On the official road, about four or five miles away from the Golden Sands Beach of Mount Liang, a group of more than ten riders approached.

The one leading the group was a young military officer.

What did he look like?

White teeth and red lips, with handsome eyes, eyebrows slanting into his temples and always looking bright; a slender waist and broad shoulders shaped like an ape. He could ride unruly horses and loved to fly Eastern Gyrfalcons. A divine arm capable of piercing a willow leaf from a hundred paces, drawing his bow like the autumn moon in clear outline, sending feathered arrows whistling like cold stars. Upon his body, a battle robe embroidered with gold and kingfisher feathers; around his waist, a jade belt inlaid with mountain rhinoceros horn. A dark green turban with small double rings, and civilian-military patterned boots with low green hems.

Truth be told, the people of the Hua family were exceptionally good-looking. Whether it was Hua Rong or Hua Yun, each stood at the absolute pinnacle of physical attractiveness for their respective genders.

Compared to Hua Rong, was Ren Yuan considered handsome?

Well... one could only say that Ren Yuan's majestic and domineering appearance belonged to a different kind of handsomeness... perhaps.

Hua Rong led these dozen or so riders, all of whom were his most trusted confidants, galloping all the way from Qingfeng Fortress.

Along the journey, his emotions had been turbulent.

Had it not been for the human-skin mask of his younger sister enclosed in the letter he received previously, Hua Rong would never have easily believed that his sister was already residing at Mount Liang.

In particular, the writer of the letter, Ren Yuan, claimed to be the "Tyrant Bow" who had challenged him at the Hua household years ago, and accurately recounted the general scene of that past encounter. Such details could only be written by someone who was actually present.

However, just to be safe, Hua Rong still intended to test Ren Yuan shortly.

As long as his younger sister was completely unharmed, there would be no major issue. But if any harm had come to his sister, he would fight Mount Liang to the bitter end without reconciliation!

"Commander, should I have one of the brothers go ahead to scout the path?"

One of Hua Rong's confidants leaned in and asked in a low voice.

"No need. This is already the territory of Mount Liang. If this Ren Yuan truly intended to capture me, he would have made his move long ago."

Upon reaching the outskirts of Mount Liang, Hua Rong was already astonished to find that the area was not strewn with corpses due to the rise of this great stronghold; instead, the common people were living and working in peace and contentment.

Fairly speaking, he did not harbor prejudices against these outlaws, because some heroes of the greenwood were truly driven by desperate circumstances to become bandits.

Yet in the current Song Dynasty, it was sometimes truly difficult to flatter oneself into believing this was a peaceful and prosperous era.

Among the outlaws of various mountain strongholds, quite a few were genuinely like evil demons, committing all sorts of atrocities that violated human ethics.

Therefore, Hua Rong had previously been deeply worried about his sister's safety.

But upon later reflection—oh, it was Heaven-Shattering Pillar Ren Yuan! He knew of this person; Ren Yuan enjoyed a great reputation in the martial arts world, with an exemplary public standing, quite incomparable to those low-lifes and scum.

Upon further consideration, Ren Yuan might even be an old acquaintance of his. Although truth and falsehood were yet to be verified, he felt somewhat more reassured.

Now, observing the condition of the common people along the road, Hua Rong felt even more at ease.

Spurring their battle horses to a gallop, they quickly arrived before the Golden Sands Beach. From afar, Hua Rong saw a considerable crowd gathered there.

The one at the head was mounted on a tall, fine steed, appearing exceptionally grand and imposing.

As the distance between them gradually closed, Hua Rong slowly gained a clear view.

Except for a slight difference in height, the person before him was virtually identical to the figure in his memory!

It was truly him!

"Brother Tyrant Bow! Ah, no! Brother Ren, you have caused your younger brother to search bitterly! Look at the arrow!"

Although Hua Rong had won that archery contest years ago, he clearly remembered the vast difference in strength between himself and Ren Yuan, who had then used the alias Tyrant Bow.

Therefore, after Ren Yuan departed, he had diligently practiced his physical strength for a period, attempting to narrow that gap!

It was precisely because of this rigorous training that Hua Rong had compensated for his final minor flaw, truly becoming the premier divine archer of the Great Song!

The three concepts of the master archer Zhou Tong—rapid-fire archery, divine-accuracy archery, and powerhouse archery—had miraculously fused together within Hua Rong!

Hua Rong was a super-archer who combined speed, precision, and immense strength!

Drawing the magpie-painted bow until it was round as the full moon, Hua Rong pulled out a feathered arrow, aiming while galloping on horseback. Then, with a sharp whistle, the long arrow flew straight toward Ren Yuan, drawing a chorus of gasps!

"What is the meaning of this? Is this a greeting gift?"

Ren Yuan naturally saw the arrow shot by Hua Rong. Amidst the surrounding exclamations, he agilely raised a hand and firmly caught the arrow right out of the air! With his other hand, he signaled the crowd not to move!

"Commander Hua possesses remarkable archery skills!"

Ren Yuan steadily grasped the shaft of the arrow, speaking in a loud voice.

"Damn it, I showed off a bit too much."

Feeling the formidable force transmitted through the arrow in his hand, along with the shaft that was still vibrating incessantly, Ren Yuan cursed inwardly with bitter wryness.

Over the years, Hua Rong had truly not wasted a single day! His strength had increased tremendously! If this continued, he himself would not dare to catch arrows shot by Hua Rong bare-handed in the future.

"Hahaha! Brother Ren possesses remarkable martial arts! If I remember correctly, back then you also caught my arrow bare-handed! I truly never imagined that the person who came to challenge me years ago was actually the renowned Heaven-Shattering Pillar. Why did you insist on using the alias Tyrant Bow back then, causing me to search high and low for you afterward?"

The horses moved swiftly. Not long after releasing his arrow, Hua Rong had already ridden up before the group. Pulling hard on the reins, he halted his steed, truly looking like a youthful hero—handsome and extraordinary!

"Brother Hua, you flatter me. It was purely luck, purely luck."

Ren Yuan first tossed the arrow back to Hua Rong, then cupped his fists, offering a bitter smile of apology.

"Back then, my master forbade me from revealing my real name. Later, while studying martial arts under my master, I had indeed thought of returning to the Hua household to reunite with Brother Hua. However, fate had not yet aligned, and we were unable to meet again. Ren truly did not know that Brother Hua had been searching for me privately; I ask Brother Hua to please forgive me."

However, Ren Yuan guessed that these explanations offered by Hua Rong were not the fundamental reason.

Firing an arrow right upon meeting was undoubtedly punishment for his perceived lack of martial ethics in abducting the younger sister up the mountain.

Yet Heaven and Earth as witness, he truly had not abducted the sister up the mountain; she had followed him of her own accord! May he be struck by lightning if he spoke a single falsehood!

"Commander Hua, the two of us have met before. Rest assured, your younger sister is completely unharmed. Here at Mount Liang, this is surely the safest place. You must not act rashly."

Shi Qian sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat amiss and hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over.

"Rest assured, your great chieftain dared to catch an arrow of mine bare-handed from fifty paces away two years ago, let alone from that distance just now!"

Hua Rong naturally understood their intent and said nothing more. After all, he had already shot an arrow at Ren Yuan, which served to vent his frustration; he could not push matters too far.

He casually slipped his bow back into its quiver, then cupped his fists and asked Ren Yuan:

"Brother Ren, may I now ascend the mountain to see my younger sister?"

"An elder brother coming to visit his younger sister is only right and proper. Brother Hua, please follow me."

Seeing this reaction, Ren Yuan knew that Hua Rong was no longer holding a grudge over previous events, and he finally felt a wave of relief in his heart.

After all, having spent so many days getting along with Hua Yun, to say that Ren Yuan had no romantic feelings whatsoever would certainly be a lie.

Since those feelings existed, Hua Rong was his prospective brother-in-law. It was only right to yield to him somewhat; what else could he do—get into a brawl with him?

Both sides finally relaxed their postures. Since the two leaders showed no intention of fighting, everyone could happily become good friends.

Consequently, the procession beat drums and gongs, boarding the boats amid great jubilation to head toward the main stronghold.

Along the way, Ren Yuan and Hua Rong stood side by side at the bow of the boat. After a long silence, Hua Rong let out a long sigh, cupped his fists toward Ren Yuan, and spoke with sincere earnestness:

"Brother, please accept a bow from your younger brother."

Ren Yuan was so startled he nearly strained his lower back; he hastily stepped aside and reached out to support Hua Rong.

My good brother, you just shot an arrow at me, and now you change your tune and call me 'elder brother'? Are you playing games with me?

"Brother Hua, why such a gesture? This is truly unacceptable."

"How could your younger brother dare to style himself senior before you? Brother, you rescued my younger sister from dire peril; you are Hua Rong's supreme benefactor! Our parents passed away early, and my sister and I have depended on each other since childhood. If any mishap had befallen my little sister, Hua Rong would have had no face to face our parents beneath the earth in the future. By saving my little sister, Brother has essentially saved Hua Rong!"

Ren Yuan understood instantly!

No wonder! That was why in the original narrative Hua Rong obeyed Song Gang so utterly; there must have been a profound debt of gratitude involved!

"Then what about that arrow just now?"

Ren Yuan asked out of curiosity.

"Brother, imagine if you had a younger sister, and one day a complete stranger approached you with a letter saying she had gone up a mountain bandit stronghold—would you be angry?"

Hua Rong asked with a sincere and honest expression.

"It was indeed my oversight. I offer my deepest apologies to Brother Hua."

Ren Yuan had nothing to say in rebuttal; indeed, the man had a valid point.

"I also know my sister's stubborn temperament; this matter was most likely her own idea. But as an elder brother... Brother can understand, right?"

Understood, understood. Could he possibly say he didn't understand?

Ren Yuan could only nod in agreement.

"However, Brother, ever since our parting years ago, Hua Rong has followed your advice and diligently practiced his strength. This rare gathering at Mount Liang presents an opportunity. If Brother does not disdain my skills, how about sparring with Hua Rong once more?"

As a master archer, Hua Rong had long lacked an opponent capable of stirring his competitive spirit. Ren Yuan's effortless catch of that arrow earlier had thoroughly ignited his desire for victory.

After all, Hua Rong was even younger than Ren Yuan; being a young man, his vigor ran high.

"If Brother Hua wishes to spar, any time is fine!"

Ren Yuan laughed heartily. Once everything was cleared up, all was well. Besides, what was wrong with an archery contest? He certainly wasn't afraid!

At worst, he would just lose another match!

It wasn't as if he had never lost before.

"Brother! Brother! I'm over here!"

Just as the boat was about to dock, the two heard Hua Yun's voice calling from the shore.

Turning their heads, they saw Hua Yun, accompanied by Pan Jinlian, cheerfully waiting for Hua Rong alongside other chieftains of Mount Liang.

Noticing that Ren Yuan was right beside her brother, Hua Yun took advantage of the moment when others weren't looking to playfully pull a face at Ren Yuan.

Seeing that his sister was safe and sound, Hua Rong finally broke into a smile. He turned and made as if to kneel and kowtow to Ren Yuan once more.

Ren Yuan hurried forward to support him.

Cough, cough... Look here, with Hua Yun watching right in front of them, this kowtow really could not be accepted.

Once the boat was securely moored, the brother and sister naturally went off to exchange greetings and chat, and Hua Yun seized the opportunity to introduce Pan Jinlian to her brother.

Ren Yuan took this chance to step aside and rest for a moment.

This encounter with Hua Rong had truly been as thrilling as riding a roller coaster.

"Brother, how did your meeting with Commander Hua go? Was it smooth?"

Zhu Wu waved his folding fan, quietly walking over. Glancing around to ensure no one else was near, he asked in a low voice.

"It went all right... He shot an arrow at me the moment we met..."