The old Zhang Xiaopang would never have had this much patience, but the events of the past few days had completely changed Zhang Xiaojiang. Like a Mountain Eagle perched on a branch, he observed the Tiger Eagles' flight patterns. He needed to get his eyes used to their explosive takeoffs; as long as he could track their trajectory, he could attack.
In the process, Zhang Xiaopang also came to appreciate the benefits of the Hinayana Bow Technique. At first, the Tiger Eagles were nothing but blurs to him. But as he cultivated while observing them, the blurs gradually sharpened into clear images. This progress made Zhang Xiaopang even more focused.
One was in the tree, the other was under it, both completely absorbed in their tasks. This was probably the first time Zhang Xiaopang had ever found something to be obsessed with besides peeping on Hu Jing while she bathed. Most of the time, the fatty truly forgot about everything else.
Only the Mouse Demon Qiuqiu was on the ground, rolling back and forth out of sheer boredom. Neither of these two guys would play with it. One would hang in the tree all day long, and the other would sit on the ground without ever getting up, just like a rock.
And so, the days passed, one by one. For these two brothers, time had probably never flown by so quickly.
After nearly twenty days, Zhang Xiaopang had become like a fat leaf in the treetops. On a higher branch, a dozen or so Tiger Eagles were perched, chirping away as if no one else was there, completely unaware that a Hunter was right beside them.
Zhang Xiaopang's movements were slow, as if he had become one with his surroundings. The Tiger Eagles still hadn't noticed him. The instant his killing intent leaked out, a Tiger Eagle immediately beat its wings to fly, instantly transforming into a streak of white light as it took off.
But just then, a confident smile touched the corner of Zhang Xiaopang's mouth. 'Once I've locked onto your trajectory, you think it's that easy to run?' He activated his Hinayana Bow Technique and loosed an arrow.
Over the past several days, he had constantly changed locations, tried various methods, and figured out the rules for a guaranteed victory.
First, he naturally had to be able to keep up with the Tiger Eagle's movements.
Second, he couldn't be more than ten meters away from the Tiger Eagle. Otherwise, even if he attacked, it could still escape with its speed.
The fatty was full of confidence in this shot!
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. From nocking the arrow to locking onto the target, his movements were as smooth as flowing water. In his many days of facing off against the Tiger Eagles, the fatty had made significant progress.
It was time to reap the rewards!
The gleam of light locked onto one of the Tiger Eagles. That's right, this was the one that had dropped a load of bird crap on the fatty's head. Its tail feathers were a different color from the others. This was absolutely intolerable. The fatty had a score to settle with this one!
The Tiger Eagle was startled, too. The arrow was infinitesimally close to its rear end. A triumphant smile spread across the fatty's lips.
'Damn you! Let's see you block this invincible arrow from Master Zhang with your life!'
But just then, a green light suddenly flared up around the Tiger Eagle's body. It shot away like a bolt of Lightning, its speed so fast that it instantly broke the fatty's lock.
The fatty's jaw dropped in a daze. '...That's possible?'
BANG~~~~~
The fatty was stunned. He smacked his lips in disbelief. That arrogant Tiger Eagle had slammed headfirst into a tree. The mocking expression on its annoying bird face was frozen in place as it fell straight down.
'That works too?'
The fatty picked up the unlucky Tiger Eagle and stared blankly for a moment before puffing out his belly. "Haha, you must have been intimidated by Master Zhang's King's Dominating Aura! It is your honor to be the first target of the Invincible Archer Zhang!"
"Brother Meng, Brother Meng, I got it! I got it! We can go home now!"
Holding the Tiger Eagle, Zhang Xiaopang rushed over like a bounding rabbit. Qiuqiu shot out from the nearby grass and rolled toward the fatty.
He patted Qiuqiu's head. Seeing Wang Meng still sitting motionless under the tree, Zhang Xiaopang paused. "Qiuqiu, has Brother Meng been sitting there like this the whole time?"
The Little Mouse Demon had been bored to death all by himself. Seeing his master return, he nodded furiously.
Zhang Xiaojiang scratched his head. He hesitated for a moment but decided against waking Wang Meng. He had often heard that disturbing someone during their cultivation was the biggest taboo. Besides, moments of enlightenment were rare; if he missed this one, he might never find that feeling again.
'...But there were only five or six days left until the deadline for the entrance trial.'
Gazing at the serene-faced Wang Meng under the tree, the fatty patted Qiuqiu. "You're on guard duty. Let me know immediately if anything happens."
'To hell with the trial!'
Although Qiuqiu didn't really like such a dangerous place, it still nodded and retreated into the hole it had dug for itself.
Mouse Demons are natural burrowers. The fatter ones, at least, know how to dig a pit.
Zhang Xiaojiang didn't know when Wang Meng would wake up, but the Tiger Eagle in his hands did. Its domineering eyes were locked on this damn fatty.
'To think that I, the Tiger Eagle King of this region, was captured by a stupid fatty. I've brought shame upon my ancestors!'
"What are you staring at? Still not convinced, huh?" The fatty immediately gave the Tiger Eagle a rap on the head. 'No wonder Brother Meng likes doing this. It feels great to hit things.'
The Tiger Eagle King glared at him and struggled with all its might. But alas, without its advantage in speed, a Tiger Eagle was pathetically weak. The fatty could squash it flat with his butt.
After examining the Tiger Eagle King for a while, the fatty lost interest. 'I can't just complete the task for the sake of completing it. Strength is what's most important. This is a test of my Bow Drawing Technique, and just now...'
The fatty felt he ought to have some self-respect.
He lifted the Tiger Eagle King. "I know you're not convinced. We can compete again. Do you dare?"
The Tiger Eagle King stared contemptuously at the fatty, wishing it could peck his head full of bumps.
With a cool flair, the fatty tossed the Tiger Eagle King into the air. With a WHOOSH, the Tiger Eagle King flew away.
...
The fatty stared up at the sky, then suddenly slapped his forehead. 'What if Wang Meng wakes up now? Where am I going to find another bird?'
But a moment later, the fatty could rest easy. CHIRP CHIRP, SQUAWK SQUAWK! A shadow passed overhead, a flock of what looked like several hundred birds. 'Fuck, what idiot told me there weren't many Tiger Eagles? Is this a flock of sparrows?!'
Leading the charge was the very same Tiger Eagle King the fatty had tormented. A flock of Tiger Eagles chased after the fatty like bullets, snapping at him relentlessly. Afraid of disturbing Wang Meng, the fatty took off at a full sprint.
He had learned another truth—to be merciful to your enemy is to be cruel to yourself.
The fatty scrambled and stumbled, diving headfirst into a pool of water to finally escape. But he was covered in bloody bite marks, and man, did it hurt. The fatty was furious now. 'Damn it! If I don't catch that bastard, my last name isn't Zhang!'
In the midst of the confrontation, the fatty gradually came to understand the true essence of the Hinayana Bow Technique. The applications of Elemental Power were incredibly diverse; acceleration and enhancing killing power were just the basics. At his level, the Fourth Layer, he could already perform the most basic form of guidance. But the most important thing for dealing with a Tiger Eagle was still speed. If he couldn't even handle a single Tiger Eagle, what was the point of cultivating at all?
Once he understood the Hinayana Bow Technique, life became difficult for the Tiger Eagle King. Ordinary Tiger Eagles couldn't dodge the fatty's attacks at all; only the Tiger Eagle King could barely manage it. But it was obvious that Zhang Xiaopang's eyes were growing more and more accustomed to the King's speed.
He captured the Tiger Eagle King again. If the fatty hadn't guided the arrow, causing the shaft to strike the Tiger Eagle King instead of the point, the bird's life would've long been forfeit.
Holding the Tiger Eagle King, the fatty was incredibly pleased with himself. "Do you submit now?!"
The Tiger Eagle King hung its head in dejection. It knew it was no match at all for the human before it.
Zhang Xiaopang carried the Tiger Eagle over to Wang Meng, feeling completely justified this time. Wang Meng was still sitting under the tree, covered in a layer of dust and leaves.
Just as Zhang Xiaopang got close, before he could even speak, Wang Meng's eyes opened.
(Today was a day of rushing around. In the afternoon, I attended a conference for the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Youth League, and tonight I was a guest on China Business Network's "Brainstorm." It was a real hassle. In summary, I've come to one conclusion: writing is the happiest and freest job of all!
Since this is a new book, please give me lots of support. Recommendations, adding this to your library, a click, a comment—every little bit is an encouragement to me, Skeleton!)