Chapter 25: Mr., You Are Truly Talented

The maids of the inner courtyard hurried along, their steps light and silent on the ground, carrying white paper to the martial practice ground set aside for honing archery, then bent down and unrolled a scroll of white paper, one meter long and one meter wide, beside Li Guanyi, after which they brought out the finest of the four treasures of the study.

Li Guanyi picked up a brush and moistened it on the Hui inkstone.

Then he lifted the brush and set down the formulas, first lining up the various data on one side.

The symbols originally assumed were replaced with characters such as Heaven, Earth, and Man.

His calligraphy had also been taught by his aunt; in the lean years, he had practiced by dipping his finger in water and writing on a stone table, by taking a branch and writing on sand dampened with water—always legible. Now, as his brushstrokes appeared, the idle chatter of those around him quieted down.

Huh? He's actually got some real skill.

A great many people had gathered around Li Guanyi.

Some of the Xue family youngsters who had come to watch the excitement even ran off to call over friends who weren't here.

Teaching martial arts through mathematics—such a thing had never been seen before. Today, whether it was opening their eyes or simply watching the fun and spectacle, it certainly wouldn't be a bad thing.

Xue Shuangtao looked at Li Guanyi, her eyes blinking slightly, curiosity rising unbidden in her heart, wondering how Li Guanyi meant to go about it.

Only Xue Changqing still held a bow; even when he couldn't hit the target, he drew and shot with tireless enthusiasm. After all, he was only eight years old, and even though he had practiced the Xue family's internal skill since childhood, the strength in his bow arms was insufficient, his archery lacking; he couldn't yet perform the Xue family's divine bow techniques, and his arrows fell around the target, before and behind, left and right.

Those who could practice archery here were all Xue family youngsters.

They naturally all knew the situation of this young master of the Xue family. Now that this mathematics Mr. had spoken such grand words, they were all very curious, and even deep in their hearts, in places they themselves had never noticed, carried a strong sense of disapproval, even a touch of contempt.

This lack of recognition came from their long-held experience.

And so the older they were, the more they rejected and resented it.

Archery is an extremely profound martial art! To hit the target requires thousands, even tens of thousands of repetitions.

They had all gone through this process.

How could mere paper and brush decide it? Murmurs rose around them; even if they were whispers, with so many people, it grew noisy all the same.

Li Guanyi lifted his brush, glanced around at those curious, appraising gazes, yet showed no sign of timidity. He simply rested the brush and said with a smile: "Alright, that's about right."

Xue Changqing had shot many times, not once hitting, a little frustrated, and said:

"If you win, I'll naturally go back obediently with you and learn mathematics."

"Even… even I can give you an extra string of cash every day!"

He lifted his chin and puffed out his chest: "I'll pay more!"

"But if you lose?"

Li Guanyi said with a smile: "If I lose, then I won't force you to study. How about it?"

Xue Changqing's eyes lit up, and he said: "It's a deal!"

Then he paused. He should have been excited and looking forward to not having to study mathematics, but then he thought—if Li Guanyi won, wouldn't that mean he really could use mathematics to help himself hit the target? Wouldn't that be a happy thing too? For a moment, he didn't know whether to hope Li Guanyi would win or lose.

And under these complicated feelings, Li Guanyi had Xue Changqing nock an arrow and shoot, while he himself remained seated in place, determining the angle and direction from the side. After estimating, Li Guanyi said: "Raise the arrowhead three fingers' width, mm, then lower it just a touch—that'll do."

"Draw the bow full, and loose."

That's it?!

Is he messing with me?! Xue Changqing's fingers loosened instinctively.

The arrow flew out in a high arc.

The others laughed as they watched the show. When shooting, elders teaching disciples always stood beside them, helping them stabilize their form; the angle of the shot was a matter of feel—how could it possibly be done from the sidelines?

Just as expected, unreliable. Even the Young Lady has been hoodwinked by this fellow.

Just a snot-nosed kid…

Thud—a muffled sound, and the Xue family martial artists' thoughts sharpened slightly.

The low murmurs of conversation that had been there a moment ago, gathering together, had been noisy.

Now, in an instant, silence.

The shift was too abrupt.

One could even hear the faint trembling of the arrow's fletching after it struck the target.

Xue Shuangtao's eyes widened slightly as she looked at the arrow that had hit the target, then turned her gaze to the young man over there, a glimmer of admiration flashing in her eyes. Xue Changqing, even more, stared at the arrow in disbelief, murmuring: "I—I hit it?!"

"I hit it!"

"Sister, I hit it!!!"

The Xue family youngsters discussed among themselves—surprise in some eyes, unwillingness in others, some thinking it was just luck, each reaction different.

Li Guanyi was about to rise when his movement paused slightly.

A trickle of warmth flowed from the area over his heart.

The bronze cauldron hummed; the jade liquid had already, soundlessly, begun to increase slowly. This meant… Li Guanyi lifted his head slightly, did not see the old man, yet seemed to hear, at his ear, the low growl from a fierce tiger's throat. A tiger's paw, as large as the lion-head knocker at the gate, pressed down beside Li Guanyi.

Heaven only knew how he could read both elegance and languor in that simple motion.

The youth in blue robes sat cross-legged, his gaze without the slightest ripple.

Around him, white paper lay spread out, covered in characters written in clear, handsome, powerfully boned strokes. A massive, majestic Bai Hu paced in a circle around the youth, its tail slightly raised like a long whip, its blue eyes fixed on Li Guanyi.

The Xue family patriarch had come.

Li Guanyi abandoned his earlier plan to stop once Xue Changqing hit the target.

Now that the fish had taken the bait, heavier bait was needed.

He lifted his brush and once more calmly went through his calculations, then suddenly said: "Nock an arrow."

The Xue family youngsters, who had just begun discussing and arguing among themselves, broke into an uproar, exchanging uncertain glances.

Hadn't he already hit the target? What more did he intend to do? Only Xue Changqing obediently listened, excitedly drawing his bow. Li Guanyi observed from the side, confirmed the angle, and still gave simple instructions. Xue Changqing released the bowstring, and the arrow flew out in a high arc—this time, it struck the tail of the previous arrow, splitting open that earlier arrow's fletching.

A sixteen-year-old Xue family youth murmured: "…A string of arrows?"

A string of arrows tests not strength or power, but skill and precision. Some people can split open a mountain rock with one shot, but ask them to fire a string of arrows and they find it very difficult—that's the brute-force approach. Yet this advanced technique had just appeared in a child who, half an hour ago, couldn't even hit the target.

Li Guanyi said again: "Nock an arrow."

Xue Changqing fired two more arrows, and they too struck the fletching of that previous arrow. Four arrows, each connected to the last. As for mathematics and physics, once the parameters are fixed, the result is the same. Li Guanyi could only sigh—martial artists truly were different; they could guarantee the stability of their shots.

The rest of the Xue family could hardly believe it.

Xue Shuangtao's voice was clear and crisp: "【San Lian】."

One arrow released in front, followed by three arrows in quick succession, each arrow connected to the next, like a string of linked pearls.

An examination technique from the Six Arts of the Gentleman; what it tests is not the power of the shot but the precision of control.

Their hearts were already deeply shaken, and the defiance in their eyes vanished completely.

Li Guanyi, however, had already dipped his brush in ink again and said calmly: "Draw the bow, nock the arrow."

The expressions of the Xue family members unconsciously tightened.

Again?! Another three shots.

This time, the arrow marks and the marks from the first arrow formed four intersecting points in the shape of a well.

Xue Shuangtao's eyes lit up slightly, and she said softly: "【Jing Yi】."

Four arrows pierced the target, arranged like the pattern of a well.

Also one of the Five-Shot examinations in archery.

Only the sound of arrows splitting the air remained.

【Hitting the Target】

【Lian Zhu】

【San Lian】

【Jing Yi】

In the Xue family's martial arena, it had become utterly silent; only Xue Changqing's faint breathing could be heard, as Li Guanyi said calmly: "Draw the bow, nock the arrow."

The Xue family disciples' breath hitched.

For some unknown reason, they suddenly felt that the young man sitting cross-legged over there had become immensely tall; those four words, spoken in a calm voice without even a change in tone, carried an indescribably powerful pressure, making them feel as though they could barely breathe.

Only Xue Changqing was immensely excited, immediately drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, while Li Guanyi confirmed the angle.

He lowered his eyes, head bowed as if calculating something, and said: "Release the arrow."

The arrow flew out.

It spun through the target already filled with arrows, struck the bullseye dead center, and with seemingly sufficient force, pierced through the already rather brittle target.

After a long while with no sound, Li Guanyi picked up his brush.

The expressions of the Xue family members all changed at once.

The young man calmly set the brush down on the brush rest.

Xue Changqing said: "Mr., are we not practicing anymore?"

What else is there to practice? Your hands are already shaking.

Li Guanyi shook his head and said: "Out of ink."

Only then did the Xue family disciples notice that the ink in the inkstone before the young man had already dried up.

Just at this moment, the main gate suddenly opened.

Outside was the vast, distant blue sky; an old man with a full head of white hair and beard walked in. The wind blew, causing the white paper covered in ink writing beside the blue-clad youth to flutter in the breeze. The young man sat upright amidst it all, his gaze still calm, his clothes and palms bearing not the slightest ink stain.

"Hahahaha, what a fine arithmetic Mr., truly brimming with talent."

The Xue family disciples all wore expressions of reverence and respect.

"Ancestor!"

Xue Changqing, bow in hand, ran up quickly: "Grandpa, Grandpa, I hit the target! I succeeded! You have to teach me the《Divine Bow Thirteen Forms》!"

The old man laughed heartily, reached out to ruffle his grandson's hair, and said affectionately: "Good, good, good, my Changqing is also a great talent. It seems that in this generation, that【Cloud-Breaking Heaven-Shaking Bow】of my family, sealed away for a hundred and thirty years, finally has someone who can wield it."

《Divine Bow Thirteen Forms》

【Cloud-Breaking Heaven-Shaking Bow】? Li Guanyi was curious and rose to greet him with a bow.

The bronze cauldron's jade liquid had been warmed and nurtured to more than half.

It was just a pity that Xue Changqing had already reached his limit; otherwise, Li Guanyi could have stalled for more time, but it wouldn't be good to hurt the child for this. Still, reaching seventy percent was enough; with more time later, it would surely be complete within a month.

The old man looked at him, admiration in his eyes, and said:

"Mr. Li Xiao, truly impressive skill."

Li Guanyi replied: "It's merely arithmetic."

The old man laughed heartily: "Merely arithmetic? Never have I heard of such arithmetic; this old man is rather curious."

He thought for a moment, then said: "I wonder, would you take a stroll and chat with this old man for a while?"

Li Guanyi looked at the old man and the Bai Hu beside him.

The old man's expression was composed, but a trace of curiosity could be glimpsed on the face of the Bai Hu Dharma Aspect. Li Guanyi pondered; the Dharma Aspect, it seemed, unlike the true body, could not conceal its emotions or scheming thoughts. He gathered his composure and replied with a smile:

"Naturally."

At this moment, the bronze cauldron's jade liquid had reached seventy percent.

(End of chapter)