Chapter 158: Chapter 108: A Single Punch Shakes Xingning Street; Sufficient Spiritual Essence, Refining the Demon Suppression Stele
"The last time you were here was when you brought that boy, Tianxing, to learn archery!"
Cao Feng roared with laughter and clapped Chen Xuan on the shoulder without ceremony. "Cut the crap! I’m here today to bring you another genius disciple. You’re getting a real bargain, you old dog!"
"A genius disciple?" Chen Xuan was taken aback. His gaze finally landed on Chu Fan, who stood behind Cao Feng, and he looked him over with a critical eye.
You could count on one hand the number of people in the entire Cyan Yang Ancient City that an old, prideful codger like Cao Feng would personally call a "genius."
His nephew, Cao Yan; his niece, Li Qingxue; his disciple, Zhao Tianxing—weren’t they all paragons of talent?
’How can there be so many geniuses in the world, and all of them scooped up by Cao Feng?’
Chen Xuan’s mind raced. His expression shifted, and he asked tentatively, "He... must be Chu Fan?"
Cao Feng raised an eyebrow. "Heh, you’re not as dumb as you look, old dog. Guessed it with just one glance, did you?"
"Obviously!" Chen Xuan retorted, annoyed. "How could there be so many geniuses in the world?"
"That boy Tianxing is training in archery with me now, and five out of every ten words out of his mouth are about Chu Fan. He’s sung your disciple’s praises to the high heavens!"
"He goes on and on about his high Comprehension and how hard he trains. I’m so sick of hearing it my ears are about to fall off!"
He turned to Chu Fan, his gaze growing serious as he asked directly, "Chu Fan, why do you want to learn archery?"
Just as Chu Fan was about to speak...
...Cao Feng had already cut in, "Because archery looks pretty easy."
’Huh? I didn’t say that. I never said that...’ Chu Fan froze.
’Why is Master Cao setting a trap for me?’
The moment he said it, Chen Xuan’s face instantly changed, just as expected.
He was so angry his mustache bristled. "Old Cao! Did you come here just to pick a fight?! Are you even speaking human? Archery is easy? How absurd!"
But Cao Feng just looked nonchalant and cleaned out his ear. "Did I say something wrong? Archery *is* easy. Look at Chu Fan. He just fiddled with it for a bit and got the hang of it, didn’t he?"
"Argh! You’re infuriating!" Chen Xuan was absolutely fuming at Cao Feng’s roguish attitude. "You just can’t help yourself, can you? If we don’t bicker every time we meet, you feel like something’s missing!"
"I was in a perfectly good mood today, and you just had to come and ruin it! Fine! Fine! You say it’s so easy..."
He pointed at Chu Fan. "I see you’re carrying a bow. Fire a few arrows and let’s see what you’ve got!"
"Let me see just how far this ’easy’ archery of yours has come!"
As instructed, Chu Fan unslung the Meteor Bow from his back.
"Huh?"
Chen Xuan’s gaze sharpened as he recognized the bow. "The Meteor Bow? This was crafted by my own senior brother... You’ve just started learning archery and you’re already using a Five-Stone Bow? Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself!"
Cao Feng urged impatiently, "Stop dilly-dallying and get on with it!"
Chen Xuan’s expression was so dark it looked like storm clouds had gathered on his face.
In the decades he had been teaching disciples, he had never seen anyone dare to come to the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall and so brazenly declare that "archery is easy" right in front of its master!
This was a blatant provocation!
If it had been anyone but Cao Feng, a fight would have broken out on the spot.
He gestured casually toward a row of targets in the distance. "Pick one. Shoot!"
Chu Fan didn’t walk over to pick a target. Instead, he drew three Purple Bamboo Arrows directly from his Quiver.
Chen Xuan and the disciples who were gathering around all stared in astonishment—Chu Fan didn’t even take time to aim. He simply turned, his bow arching like a full moon, and the arrows flew like meteors!
"WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!"
The three arrows flew in a near-perfect line, whistling through the air!
In the next instant, three arrows were embedded neatly in the bullseye of a distant target.
Their fletchings were still humming and vibrating. All bullseyes!
The entire Martial Arts Arena fell silent in an instant.
Truth be told, many disciples at the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall could accomplish such a feat.
The problem was, those disciples had been studying archery for a very long time.
But Chu Fan was here to *learn* archery!
All the disciples practicing archery stopped in their tracks. They stared at the target in disbelief, then back at Chu Fan, who stood holding his bow.
Chen Xuan, who had just sat back down, shot to his feet with a SWISH.
His eyes were wide as saucers as he stared intently at Chu Fan, his voice trembling slightly. "You... How long have you been studying archery?!"
Before Chu Fan could answer, Cao Feng jumped in, his tone dripping with pride. "It was right after that boy Tianxing achieved Great Success with his Moon Eclipse Arrow. He ran back to show off in front of Chu Fan. Chu Fan thought the Moon Eclipse Arrow seemed pretty powerful, and that’s when he got the idea to learn archery."
"After that, he just had Tianxing teach him a few of the basics."
"Bullshit!" Chen Xuan exploded, pointing a finger right at Cao Feng’s nose. "Old Cao! Do you take me for a three-year-old you can fool?"
"Tianxing’s Hundred-step Piercing Willow skill is the result of more than a decade of grueling practice, ever since he was a child!"
"From the time Tianxing achieved Great Success with his Moon Eclipse Arrow until now, it’s been just over a month and a half, tops!"
"And you’re telling me he reached this level after only a month and a half of practice?!"
Cao Feng threw up his hands, an innocent look on his face. "That’s right. That’s why I said archery is easy. See? I wasn’t lying, was I?"
"..." Chen Xuan fell silent.
He knew Cao Feng. The old codger loved to bicker and play the rogue, but when it came to a disciple’s talent and the reputation of a Martial Arts Hall, he would never make things up.
And yet, Chu Fan’s casual turn and rapid-fire of three arrows straight into the bullseye had been perfectly natural, without a trace of strain or awkwardness...
’This is definitely not a Realm that can be achieved through sheer hard work in such a short time!’
’A month and a half?’
’How is that possible?!’
Chen Xuan had practiced archery for decades and taught hundreds, if not thousands, of disciples. He prided himself on being worldly and experienced, but he had never even heard of such a monstrous genius in archery!
It completely overturned his understanding of archery training!
Chen Xuan narrowed his eyes, asking Chu Fan with one last shred of doubt, "Before you joined the Seven Stars Gang, had you ever handled a bow and arrow before? For example, was your family a family of Hunters?"
Chu Fan shook his head and answered frankly, "No. After my parents passed away two years ago, I made a living fishing in the Black Water River. I had never touched a bow and arrow. It really was only after I saw Tianxing use the Moon Eclipse Arrow and thought it was amazing that I asked him to teach me the Hundred-step Piercing Willow Arrow Skill."
