Chapter 55: Archery

“Brother Chu, you’re too kind—I only have a passing interest in archery and charioteering among the Six Arts of the gentleman.”

Guo Ming noticed Chu Danqing’s expression and smiled to explain.

Archery means the bow and arrow; charioteering means driving a chariot.

Upon hearing this, Chu Danqing’s surprise faded.

“I’ve used up all the arrows—where can I replenish them?” Guo Ming stroked Hanquan Zhi Ying, clearly fond of it.

“Don’t worry about it—it’ll regenerate one bullet in about three-quarters of a minute,” Chu Danqing said. “Don’t ask me why—I don’t know either.”

He was still a newbie himself; how could he know the mechanism?

“So convenient? Truly useful.” Guo Ming grew more enamored with each touch.

Seeing this, Chu Danqing’s eyebrow twitched. “If you like using it, you can borrow it for now.”

His terrible gunplay was a waste of Hanquan Zhi Ying’s bullets.

Better to give it to Guo Ming—his nine shots already proved his skill.

As for why there’s no skill on the panel? As he said, he was merely interested, never studied deeply.

Basic skills aren’t so easy to form, or they wouldn’t be this rare.

Chu Danqing only got this set thanks to the Dimension Park—otherwise, he’d never have acquired it.

“Then thank you, Brother Chu,” Guo Ming beamed—he’d been waiting for exactly this.

Mainly because he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

Chu Danqing was also considering: since Guo Ming liked it so much, perhaps let him keep it until they left the trial world.

It wasn’t that he was being casually generous.

His own gunplay truly wasted this fine weapon, plus Hanquan Zhi Ying’s limited bullet count.

After ten shots, he’d be spent and have to wait for recovery.

Chu Danqing wasn’t skilled—keeping it with him meant it couldn’t be fully utilized. Even if he got half the damage out of ten Han Shadow Bullets, that was already overperformance.

Unlike Guo Ming, whose accuracy was so high—adding a ranged attacker would make later battles much easier.

“Ten crossbow bolts total—recovery will take time,” Chu Danqing explained the effect.

This deepened Guo Ming’s delight—he was growing fonder of Hanquan Zhi Ying by the second.

He couldn’t bear to put it down.

Seeing this, Chu Danqing didn’t overthink it—men liking firearms was normal. He asked: “What’s next? What do we do?”

The Mother of Grievances was still unresolved beneath the well—he asked Guo Ming, the expert, for advice.

“Well, it’s up to you, Brother Chu,” Guo Ming said. “Now’s the perfect time to kill her outright.”

“But her obsession won’t be fulfilled—she’ll never rest easy.”

Throwing this head into the well will allow her to die in peace, but once her obsession is satisfied, even without the vengeful infant, she will become immensely powerful.

“Da Bao stands little chance against her.”

Chu Danqing understood Guo Ming’s meaning—it was all about difficulty.

“Let’s recover first. I’ll think about it.” Chu Danqing couldn’t decide right away.

He wanted to grant peace to these suffering souls, but he also had to consider his own situation.

“If Brother Chu can fulfill the Mother of Grievances’ obsession, I have a spirit-guiding incantation that can quell her resentment,” Guo Ming added.

Chu Danqing’s face darkened—great, you’ve just thrown me straight into the fire.

“Since you say that, what can I say?” Chu Danqing grumbled. “Rest for now. We’ll act once your Hanquan Zhi Ying’s bolts are recharged.”

Guo Ming smiled at this: “Brother Chu, rest assured—I’ll cooperate fully with Da Bao.”

He wouldn’t have made this suggestion unless he intended to stay involved.

Chu Danqing pulled out some food and drinks. The battle wouldn’t start soon—perfect time to rest and recover.

Time passed second by second; soon, one hour and forty minutes had passed, and Guo Ming’s Hanquan Zhi Ying was fully reloaded with ten bullets.

Da Bao’s condition was fully restored. The only pity was the crossbowmen had vanished—he’d need to summon them again.

He tossed the rotting head of Yin Ke Chan Master into the well.

Soon, a piercing, wailing female voice rose from the well’s depths.

Even from afar, they clearly heard the sound of bones being chewed—chilling to the bone.

When the chewing stopped, a heart-wrenching wail followed.

【You have been attacked by ???, suffering 1 point of mental damage】

Chu Danqing’s mind reeled slightly; his HP dropped little, but he felt deeply uneasy.

Looking up, a slender, graceful upper body emerged above the well’s mouth.

On closer look, it wasn’t that she couldn’t emerge—her lower body was too bloated, stuck in the well’s mouth, unable to free itself.

Chu Danqing immediately cast a scan spell.

【Mother of Grievances】

Aside from the name, everything else was question marks—no information could be probed.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Guo Ming struck first—ten shots in rapid succession, no hesitation.

The first Han Shadow Bullet struck the Mother of Grievances’ forehead, instantly blooming into a frost flower.

The second Han Shadow Bullet layered another slow effect atop the frost.

All ten Han Shadow Bullets struck the exact same spot—the frost spread rapidly, turning into solid ice.

The Mother of Grievances’ struggles ceased instantly.

Chu Danqing seized the moment, pushing himself to his limit: five energy links, then five life links.

While summoning the crossbowmen, he stabbed himself with his short knife, activated the Tiger’s Roar passive of the Tiger Soul Ring, and in his other hand, already held a medicinal dumpling, ready to eat.

A shadow of a tiger, like a Zhanji Tiger, appeared, leapt along its path, and landed beside the well, roaring upward.

【You dealt 3 points of lethal damage to yourself, transferring 7 points of shared damage to your life-linked target】

When Chu Danqing saw this combat log, he realized the Mother of Grievances was no ordinary foe.

Normally, 3 points of lethal damage would transfer 97 points of shared damage—but due to her strength, it was reduced to 7.

Shared damage isn’t true damage—it fluctuates based on the target’s power.

This applied to both life links and energy links. For example, Chu Danqing had only basic energy, while Da Bao had higher-level Blood Fury.

There was a difference between them—higher energy meant more numerical value and stronger recovery.

Against stronger foes, both skills became inadequate.

He swallowed the medicinal dumpling, then canceled his five life links and replaced them with five energy links.

The crossbowmen and Da Bao handled the damage output, while Chu Danqing continuously cycled energy links—activating and canceling—to drain the Mother of Grievances’ mana.

(End of Chapter)