Chapter 962 - 429: Arrows Startle the Crowd; When I Draw My Bow, Heaven and Earth Watch—The Hunt Belongs to Me (Part 2)

Chapter 962: Chapter 429: Arrows Startle the Crowd; When I Draw My Bow, Heaven and Earth Watch—The Hunt Belongs to Me (Part 2)

Li Xian drew the string for the second time. In the hearts of everyone, a thought flashed simultaneously: "Ah! He’s drawn the string again." Though they couldn’t see it clearly, it felt like a shared intuition. Then the second arrow flew, tracing an arc in mid-air.

The black-clad villain was stunned back to reality and raised his hand to catch it. But Li Xian’s archery was truly formidable, and the arrow nailed into the black-clad villain’s shoulder.

Immediately following, Li Xian moved with fluid grace, shooting three more arrows in quick succession. Though there was a slight delay between the arrows, they seemed to arrive almost simultaneously, pinning the villain’s hands and feet firmly to the wooden stake.

Right after, Bai Qinghao and the other Gold Appraisal Guards quickly ascended the restaurant, seeing the black-clad villain injured by arrows and in a daze. They seized the opportunity to overpower him together with their comrades, capturing the brutal villain and bringing him to justice.

The patrons in the restaurant finally erupted in commotion, some fleeing, others hiding, realizing how perilously close they had been to danger while sitting idly. If the villain had lashed out, wouldn’t there have been a risk of losing their lives?

Jade City, a place full of hidden prowess, had many masters of martial arts and powerful outsiders among the patrons. These individuals, with solemn expressions, instinctively gathered on the terrace, looking toward where the archer had been. Despite the same distance, everything was now blurred beyond recognition — was the archer still there? Reflecting carefully, the gaze and thoughts from earlier... it was as if they had been forcefully directed at that archer.

The hearts of everyone were filled with doubt: "There’s a legend that once someone reaches a certain level in martial arts, they can amaze the world. Could it be today... we actually witnessed it in Jade City? But this level of archery, I’ve never heard of it. Or is it just my illusion?"

Just as clouds of doubt rolled in, a master from "Wang He Dao, West Wolf Ridge" couldn’t hold back and asked Bai Qinghao, "Sir!"

Bai Qinghao apologized, "Brother, it was my oversight earlier that allowed this villain to escape here and cause chaos. The losses in this restaurant will be compensated by the Gold Appraisal Guards!"

The master from West Wolf Ridge said, "This villain looks gaunt and haggard, clearly someone who practices the evil technique. Recently, the Great Wu has become increasingly chaotic, with evil techniques flourishing and evil deeds rampant. If he dared to cause trouble in the restaurant, even without the Gold Appraisal Guards intervening, we, out of Jianghu morality, would never allow him to harm innocents."

Deng Fan said, "In that case, thank you all!" The master from West Wolf Ridge asked, "Was the archer just now a Gold Appraisal Guard?"

All the Gold Appraisal Guards were taken aback.

The events of today must be recounted from this morning.

It was during the morning hour when Deng Fan accepted the Tier Five Task to capture the "Bloodthirsty Frost Demon," obtaining clues that this villain was extremely formidable, possessing a pair of peculiar ears with supernatural hearing. For several days, he had been committing crimes in the Zhou Mountain Square area, and his methods were brutal. Every time he was surrounded and hunted, he always managed to preemptively sense the situation and escape immediately.

This person’s methods were unique and his movements swift. It was rumored that he mastered some mysterious Magic Dao. Even when pursuers were close by, capturing him was extremely difficult, as he always managed to elude capture. He was a remarkably troublesome villain, committing numerous crimes and continuing with reckless abandon.

Feeling it was extremely difficult to handle alone, Deng Fan invited Bai Qinghao and Xu Fan for assistance. The rewards would be shared equally afterward. Bai Qinghao and Xu Feng naturally agreed, and the siege was quickly set in motion, conducted with fervor.

The operation to capture this villain was, of course, a fierce battle!

With Bai Qinghao as the leader, Deng Fan as the left assistant, and Xu Fei as the right assistant, accompanied by thirty Gold Appraisal Guards, they blocked the streets and set up a surrounding formation.

Heroes battled the villain, with blades clashing fiercely. The three chief Gold Appraisal Guards stood their ground, using the Dubhe Saber Technique, Wind-Catching Blade, and Wind-Chasing Hand... each move ingenious, with martial arts techniques emerging in endless variety. Moreover, the Gold Appraisal Guards formed a formation, their battle cries thunderous and overwhelming.

Ingenious devices and flying crossbows also demonstrated their might.

In that setting, drums of war resounded like thunder, and the aura of killing coalesced into reality. Ordinary villains would have long knelt and surrendered.

Yet the Bloodthirsty Frost Demon was truly formidable, and though only in the Second Realm, he was over a hundred years old. Martial artists fear both age and youth— the older, the deeper the foundation, and the more abundant the methods available. His strange and bizarre techniques, the odd treasures from remote corners, were truly hard to defend against.

This demon had once had an extraordinary encounter, drinking a special snake blood. The blood throughout his body became extremely cold, and he mastered a "Cold Blood Technique." When entangled in combat, he could gradually render his opponent cold-handed and lifeless.

Adding a hundred years of accumulated experience, dozens of basic martial arts techniques, dozens of lower techniques, ensured that no matter the danger encountered, he had a means to counter it. His methods, martial arts, and weaponry were extremely comprehensive. He dodged and defended, his figure flashing left and right. If your sword skill was brilliant, his blood technique would break it. If your formation was imposing, he would escape it by flying away.

Though his strength was perhaps not as great as Bai Qinghao, Xu Fei, or Deng Fan, after grappling for a while, the three felt their limbs going numb, their blood growing cold, becoming increasingly hesitant.

This notorious villain was experienced and cunning. Wearing "Black Mud Armor" and equipped with a "Treasure Fan" at his waist, he relied on his formidable martial arts to penetrate enemy lines with composure.

Employing all his skills, battling wits and courage, a painstaking siege was mounted. Just as it seemed all efforts might be in vain, allowing the Bloodthirsty Frost Demon to find an opportunity to fly up to the high balcony and escape far away.

It was then that Li Xian spotted him, leading to the scene just witnessed.

Bai Qinghao asked in confusion, "Shooting arrows?" And questioned, "Wasn’t it a Jianghu hero who assisted, keeping the demon here?"

At this moment, Xu Fan pulled a silver arrow from the demon’s shoulder and shouted, "Brother Bai, it’s a silver arrow, equipped with the Silver Frost Bow when forged, part of the Silver Arrow set."

Gold Appraisal Guards were equipped with "Tiger Blade, Dragon Spear, Black Armor, and Tiger Python Garb," while the Silver Frost Bow required spending three hundred military merits to ask the "Device Cauldron Pavilion" to forge. Those who obtained a Silver Frost Bow could receive "thirty" silver arrows each month.

If depleted, it required spending [1] point of military merit to purchase silver arrows. Those equipped with a "Silver Frost Bow" likely had family support, not lacking in money and silver. Thus, "silver arrows" were rarely traded privately and were exceptionally hard to buy with just silver, only obtainable through "military merits."