Chapter 965 - 430: Ghost Arrow Yama! Ruthless Bandits Routed, Martial Arts Claimed at the Monument Pavilion, Mysterious Stone

Chapter 965: Chapter 430: Ghost Arrow Yama! Ruthless Bandits Routed, Martial Arts Claimed at the Monument Pavilion, Mysterious Stone

Gong Kuai, the "Divine Cavalry Guard · Silver Cavalry General," one of the Thirty-Two True Guards, is forty-seven years old and holds a position comparable to Xu Shaoqian. He once witnessed Li Xian capturing a thief during a holiday.

On that day, Gong Kuai went up the "Tower of Literary Fortune" with his wife and children. His young child is a student of Jiyin Academy and was about to take an important exam, hoping to be recognized by the teachers if he performed well. Hence, they ascended the tower to pray for good fortune.

The Tower of Literary Fortune is three zhang per floor and ninety-nine zhang tall, symbolizing endless learning. When Gong Kuai reached a high point, his wife and child went inside to pray, burn incense, wash clothes, and draw lots... Gong Kuai, being a martial artist, was not inclined to participate in the prayer. Feeling bored, he decided to gaze out over Jade City.

From afar, he suddenly saw three figures swiftly flashing past on a high building, moving as fast and agile as swallows, stepping on green tiles and kicking red walls, their figures sometimes vertical and sometimes horizontal, escaping in flight from the southeastern, western, and other directions. Gong Kuai, being sharp-eyed, immediately knew the three men were of ill repute. He sighed, saying, "The Thirty-Two True Guards patrol Jade City every day, yet true peace is elusive, as petty thieves continue to harass us. Martial artists violating the law is unsurprising. Our Jade City shines like bright jade, attracting pests and rats, which is normal. But it’s exhausting for us agents."

Given the rare holiday, with his wife and children present, he was reluctant to interfere further. He observed the flying thieves fleeing frantically, thinking that although all guards were meant to protect Jade City, they had different roles when duties were divided - the Divine Cavalry Guard doesn’t usually concern itself with catching thieves. If they happened to encounter such situations during normal duty, they might lend a hand or assist from the side. But today, he sought tranquility, as his child was praying for the big exam, despite seeing the arrogance of the flying thieves, he chose not to meddle and let them go.

Suddenly, he saw a flash of cold light in the sky. An arrow came flying through the air.

In an instant, it hit one thief’s shoulder and fell into a dark alley. Fortunately, there were few pedestrians in the area, and it was gloomy and dark. The act of the flying thief being shot down went unnoticed by the townspeople. If Gong Kuai hadn’t been watching from above, he wouldn’t have noticed it either.

Gong Kuai became excited, as the Divine Cavalry Guards excel at "Mounted Archery," their archery skills being top among the Thirty-Two True Guards, surpassing even the Gold Appraisal Guard in the annual "Grand Shooting." He could not see where the arrow had come from.

Instantly, he focused again, as the second arrow suddenly appeared, this one showcasing a skill, first soaring into the clouds, piercing a hole through the cloud veil, then diving down like a falcon searching for food, hitting the thief fleeing east. The force on the arrow was strong, shattering the shoulder, but the arrow tail snapped with a "crack," shooting to the right, embedding into the right leg’s calf.

One arrow causing two injuries.

Gong Kuai was surprised and applauded continuously! He recognized the previous arrow used the "Feather Splitting Technique." This technique aims to break the arrow shaft through the interplay of strength between the arrow tip and tail as the arrow flies through the air, causing the tip to suddenly change direction, separating the "arrowhead and shaft."

Using a broken arrow to change the direction of the shot.

Gong Kuai also mastered this, revealing it only during target shooting or ceremonial scenarios. In actual practice, it is quite awkward and rather trivial. Li Xian’s recent arrow had already hit the target.

The arrowhead had pierced into the thief’s body. At this moment, the arrow shaft abruptly broke, its trajectory unchanged, while the arrow tail turned and attacked another place, embedding into the flying thief’s leg bone. Causing one arrow to inflict two injuries.

Gong Kuai thought, "Although I know the Feather Splitting Technique, I never considered this application before today."

He was filled with curiosity, his tiger eyes gleaming brightly. If the first arrow caught him by surprise, unable to detect it, that was normal. His focus was on the second arrow, yet he still couldn’t identify the archer, which was unexpected.

His interest piqued, he fixed his gaze on the third flying thief, quietly waiting for the third arrow. The thief was fleeing southward, passing through a bustling area of towering buildings.

Gong Kuai thought, "The thief is actually clever, seeing his companions shot down, he turned towards the tall buildings to escape. This is the scholar’s street in 文侯坊, incredibly bustling, with lots of obstructions everywhere."

He turned his gaze to the distant view. The first flying thief fled west, the second east, the third south, hence the archer must be positioned to the north. He imagined drawing the bow and turning his body, contemplating how he would shoot this thief.

He pondered, "The second arrow soared high before descending from above, which might be a good approach. But this cunning thief has already escaped far, making the situation less advantageous. If the flying thief becomes cautious and uses pedestrians as shields, it would be significantly troublesome."

The thief kept an eye on the sky, his inner Qi surging, ready to grab a pedestrian as a shield in case of disturbance. Suddenly, he heard wind approaching, the sound of this arrow was quite loud. Though he didn’t see it, he surmised it must be coming from the heavens. Spotting a woman nearby, he seized her shoulders with both hands, lifting her overhead.

He was leaping between almost the third and fourth layers, stepping on blue tiles, and soaring through the air. Suddenly, he noticed the left side of a building’s balcony window slightly ajar, he inexplicably looked towards the gap, his gaze pierced through.

He saw guests inside the restaurant having a merry time, with cups and goblets clinking, and the waiters pouring tea and serving water, the place was lively. His gaze extended directly, penetrating the restaurant and landing on a blue building.

This blue building was a place for opera and music performances, the wooden window on the third floor was slightly opened with a gap. Through the gap, he saw three or five family members dressed in blue, red, green, and purple clothes, lightly playing the pipa, their expressions enchanting, while guests below gazed in rapt attention, enjoying the music and beauty.

His gaze once again pierced through the building, stretching forward to a courtyard, within the courtyard stood a three-story pavilion. At the third-floor level of the pavilion, there was a small ventilation hole.