Chapter 109: What

"Dad!" Zhou Jing'an rushed over, bearing the pain in his hand, and helped his father up from the ground.

The father and son supported each other and stood up.

Xiao Jieyun asked, "How are the injuries?"

The Zhou father and son quickly replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty, I am unharmed."

After Lord Jinghai and his son's attempt, everyone around fell silent, and no one dared to volunteer to pull that iron spear.

Xiao Jieyun stared at the iron spear for a moment, then looked down and asked Tuan Tuan, "Tuan Tuan, they all failed; who can actually pull it out?"

Tuan Tuan tilted her little head in thought while slipping her small hand into her mouth, like a typical child sucking a finger.

She furrowed her brows slightly, then withdrew her finger from her mouth and clenched it into a tiny fist.

She called softly, "Daddy!"

Xiao Yuanhang immediately crouched down; having risen early and traveled, the child must be tired, and said, "Are you weary? Let Xiao Er take you back to your mother's tent to rest for a while, okay?"

Tuan Tuan shook her head, "Daddy, you try it, pull it out."

Xiao Yuanhang was startled.

Tuan Tuan opened her father's hands, extended her tiny fist, and brushed each of his large palms with her small hand.

Xiao Yuanhang's pupils contracted as two vivid red streaks suddenly appeared in the palms of his hands.

He looked at his daughter in astonishment, "Tuan Tuan! You?"

Tuan Tuan slipped into his arms, clutched his neck, and whispered into his ear, "Daddy protects Tuan Tuan, mother and brothers protect so many good people, fighting villains."

"Let it also protect Daddy. Daddy, go pull it out."

Xiao Yuanhang looked at his daughter, nodded, and stood up, "His Majesty, I am willing to try!"

Xiao Jieyun looked at him, then glanced at the Xiao Tuanzi beside him, and nodded.

Xiao Yuanhang walked to the iron spear, took a deep breath, extended his hand, and gently grasped the rough, rusted shaft.

It was icy cold to the touch, not warm at all; he didn't even exert force to "pull", merely a thought, a slight upward lift.

Like a wanderer returning home, a treasured sword sheathing, a sense of bloodline connection, as if arm and finger moved in unison, arose spontaneously.

Buzz—!

A clear, resonant clang like a dragon's chant rang through the heavens!

The rust and dust coating the spear peeled away inch by inch, exploding into powder.

A dazzling golden light shot upward from the spear, tearing the clouds and bathing the entire hunting ground in brilliance!

As the glow subsided slightly, everyone finally saw that what Xiao Yuanhang held was no longer mere broken copper and rusted iron.

It was clearly a spear of dark gold throughout, with a simple yet majestic ancient design—a Divine Spear!

The shaft bore faint cloud‑dragon patterns, the blade glimmered with a chilling sheen, and the aura of sharpness it exuded made nearby onlookers' breath catch.

Xiao Yuanhang brandished the Dragon Chant Spear, and with a casual swing a soft tone rang in the air.

He felt the spear's immense power and surging battle spirit, a heroic vigor rose in his chest, and he couldn't help letting out a booming laugh!

Xiao Jieyun was the first to raise his palm and shout, "Excellent! The Divine Spear acknowledges its master, Heaven blesses my Great Fierce War God!"

Tuan Tuan clapped her tiny hands and jumped up, "Daddy, you're awesome!"

The officials only then recovered from their shock and began to echo:

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, Heaven blesses the Great Fierce!"

"Congratulations, Prince Ning! Fortunate to obtain a divine artifact!"

Only Lord Jinghai and his son, eyes blazing red yet faces as pale as paper, remained silent.

Xiao Yuanhang tossed the Dragon Chant Spear to Xiao Er, scooped up Tuan Tuan, and held her tiny hand with tenderness; had it not been for the drop of blood the girl had smeared on his palm, he could not have pulled the spear at all.

"Your Majesty, I will first send the Princess back to the tent to rest."

Xiao Jieyun nodded, "Go ahead."

The next day, at dawn, horns blared, the Emperor fired the first arrow, and the autumn hunt officially began.

Masses of troops surged into the forest like a tide, yet Xiao Yuanhang did not follow the carriage; instead he entered the Training Ground beside the hunting field with Tuan Tuan and Xiao Er.

Inside the Training Ground, many sons of generals were already sparring and honing their skills.

Zhou Jinhua and Zhou Jing'an stood prominently at the front, faces grim, evidently still harboring resentment over yesterday's Divine Spear recognition.

Prince Ning arrived, and everyone together saluted and greeted, "Honored to see you, Prince Ning!"

Zhou Jinhua forced a smile, "Prince, you are indeed idle; Your Majesty's autumn hunt is the time to display valor, yet you are here teasing children."

Zhou Jing'an, standing aside, interjected sarcastically, "Father, Prince Ning only just obtained the Divine Spear yesterday, at the peak of his pride; even if he doesn't accompany the carriage, who would dare to speak up?"

Xiao Yuanhang didn't even lift his eyelids, and replied coolly, "Lord Jinghai, if you have idle time to joke here, you should think more about how to improve yourself, lest you get blasted away again next time."

Tuan Tuan recalled the huge crash when Zhou Jinhua hit the ground yesterday and his rolling, crawling way of getting up, and couldn't help letting out a giggle.

Many of those present had also seen it yesterday, and all wore mocking smiles.

The faces of Zhou Jinhua and his son turned an instant iron‑blue.

Zhou Jing'an, youthful and hot‑blooded, immediately shouted angrily, "Prince! Do not underestimate my Lord Jinghai manor!"

He inhaled deeply, raised his voice, and boasted, "Today, let my fellow officials see the weapon my manor has just forged: the Three‑Arrow Bow!"

Having said that, he waved his hand, and his attendant immediately presented a uniquely shaped stiff bow.

The bow's grip was not a single curve but featured three side‑by‑side concave grooves.

Zhou Jing'an took three arrows, skillfully lodged them into the three grooves, drew the bow, and aimed at the target a hundred steps away.

"This bow has two marvels!" he said loudly while aiming, "First, it can fire three arrows simultaneously, doubling its lethality!"

"Second, with these fixed grooves even a raw recruit can shoot easily, without fearing the arrows slipping!"

As his words faded, he relaxed his fingers.

Swish swish swish!

Three Arrows formed a tiny fan shape and whistled out, thud thud thud, and though none hit the bullseye, they were all firmly nailed to the target!

Cheers and words of admiration rang out around instantly.

"Good!"

"Brilliant!"

"The Jinghai Marquis Residence is truly impressive; they can craft such exquisite bow and Arrow!"

"Indeed! If we mass‑produce this Bow for our army, wouldn't we be unstoppable!"

Several Ministry of War officials kept nodding, whispering to each other, clearly very intrigued.

Zhou Jinhua watched everyone's reaction, modestly brushed his short beard, and looked at Xiao Yuanhang: "Prince, what do you think of this little gadget of our Marquis Residence?"

Xiao Yuanhang's expression remained calm, and he nodded slightly: "Indeed good, well crafted."

What's so good about it! Compared with the one drawn on Feng Zhou's blueprint, it's clearly far inferior!

Why doesn't Father bring it out? Doesn't want those two rascals to see it?

Tuan Tuan tugged at her father's sleeve, and Xiao Yuanhang scooped her up: "What's wrong, Tuan Tuan?"

Tuan Tuan whispered in his ear: "Father, the one on Feng Zhou's blueprint is so much better than this! Why not bring it out and compare them?"

Xiao Yuanhang smiled faintly: "That one, indeed we made a single one."

"But during test firing, it often gets jammed."

"Oh!" Tuan Tuan thought for a moment, "Father? Did you bring it? I want to see."