The official nodded, “Indeed, it was originally a divine bow. However, its name offended the imperial dignity, so an emperor of the Han dynasty ordered it to be tempered by heavenly fire.”
The legendary ancient divine bow’s true power remained a mystery to all.
The official thought to himself that since he wasn’t the one who placed the bow here, and it had always been stored in the second-class armory, there was no reason to prevent someone from choosing it.
After a moment’s consideration, he still offered some advice, “Young lady, since you excel in archery, you might try your luck with the Bow of the Moon Goddess and the Arrows of Zhulong if given the chance. They’re enshrined in the temple, and anyone who can draw the bow may take it.”
The Bow of the Moon Goddess and the Arrows of Zhulong were legendary weapons used by Hou Yi to shoot down the sun, as everyone knew.
An Jiu fell silent for a moment, her focus entirely different. “So the arrows have names too. What are these two called?”
The official’s gaze shifted slightly as he looked at the two arrows. “The Arrows of Sha Yu. Although they weren’t destroyed, the Subduing Dragon Bow is ruined. No other bow can unleash their true power, so they’re essentially useless now.”
“I’ll keep them as a memento,” An Jiu said with some regret, still harboring a glimmer of hope that they might be repaired someday.
It was rare for her to take an interest in something, even if broken. To her, these were special.
The official ceased his attempts to dissuade her, only reminding her, “You’d best rename them, young lady.”
An Jiu nodded.
Changing the name was merely to avoid drawing attention. If the name of a legendary divine weapon could be easily changed, this “Subduing Dragon Bow” wouldn’t still be called that today.
Leaving the armory, An Jiu parted ways with Lou Mingyue and headed to the library to find Sheng Zhangku.
It was already late, but he hadn’t retired yet.
The door was ajar, and An Jiu knocked a few times.
Sheng Zhangku looked up, his messy hair in disarray, barely lifting his drooping eyelids to glance at her. “The door seems to be open…”
An Jiu was speechless. Was it not obvious that the door was open? Anyone could see that.
She entered without further ado. Unfastening the Subduing Dragon Bow, she walked directly to a chair by the wall and sat down.
“Oh?” Sheng Zhangku’s eyes opened a bit wider. “That seems to be the Subduing Dragon Bow.”
“Yes, the official at the armory said it’s dead, but I still want to learn about it.” Since Sheng Zhangku managed all these items, he should know about this unusual weapon.
“Ah…” Sheng Zhangku propped up his face, dark circles under his eyes. His narrow, slightly curved eyes made him look more like a raccoon dog than a fox. “I threw it into the armory about seven or eight years ago. You’re the first person willing to take it out since then.”
If martial arts heroes saw such a legendary artifact, they would fight over it even if it were broken. However, those trained in the Crane-Controlling Institute had to learn to assess situations carefully to survive longer. Archers relied on long-distance kills in battle, and choosing a heavy, useless bow would not only hinder their strengths but also become a burden.
“There are plenty of techniques in the martial arts world like ‘Dragon-Subduing Palm’ and ‘Dragon-Binding Secret’. The emperor fears the Subduing Dragon Bow because it’s an ancient divine artifact.” Sheng Zhangku yawned, covering his mouth. “Heavenly fire is just lightning. The bow was struck by lightning, and legend has it that divine artifacts have spirits. Who knows if it was damaged by the strike…”
He grinned, “This bow was originally yellow. It turned black after being struck.”
“Can’t it be repaired?” This was what An Jiu cared about most.
“I’m just a lowly worker at the Crane-Controlling Institute. How would I know how to repair divine artifacts?” Sheng Zhangku habitually poked the desk with his brush, leaving an ink stain.
Calling himself a worker was no exaggeration. The position of Zhangku was low-ranking but involved managing various complex affairs. He also juggled five or six other tedious duties, yet received only one salary. He worked tirelessly without complaint and refused promotions, remaining a Zhangku for over a decade. Only once did he reluctantly accept an honorary position as an academician.
Thus, Sheng Zhangku was recognized as the best colleague at the Crane-Controlling Institute.
An Jiu said nothing and didn’t leave, just sitting there staring at him.
“Alright, since divine artifacts have spirits, you could try using internal energy… If you don’t have that, just carry it with you often to nurture its spirit,” Sheng Zhangku said lazily. “I reckon it’s like jade – the longer you keep jade with you, the more spiritual energy it gains. A divine bow should be even more so.”
“Thank you.” Having gotten her answer, An Jiu bowed and took her leave.
Sheng Zhangku watched An Jiu leave, yawning as he thought about finding a place to rest. He noticed the ink stain on the desk and frowned, lifting his sleeve to wipe it. Seeing the cyan color of his official robe, he hesitated, then pushed up the outer sleeve to use the white inner garment to clean the desk. Satisfied, he collapsed onto the table.
…
Mo Sigui had also heard about this trial, but as a rare talent, the Crane-Controlling Institute would rather enshrine him in a sacred hall than let him participate in such dangerous activities.
While everyone else was busy preparing, he idly concocted various poisons and medicines. He gave a set to An Jiu and tried to give another to Lou Mingyue, but it was thrown back at him.
Returning with his arms full of vials and jars, Mo Sigui saw An Jiu preparing her equipment. He plopped down on a stool. “AAn Jiu, can I ask you something?”
“Hmm?” An Jiu glanced at him sideways while stuffing medicine bottles into her pockets.
Mo Sigui said, “Please protect my little Yuyu.”
An Jiu replied coldly, “I thought you were mocking me.”
Lou Mingyue was an eighth-rank martial artist with an excellent sword, while she had no internal energy, had just rebuilt her body, hadn’t even mastered the first level of Duan Jing Palm, and carried a broken bow on her back…
Did he expect her to risk her life protecting the whole world out of love, like Mei Jiu?
An Jiu finished her preparations and left without looking back.
Though she saw no one around her, she sensed people passing by and quickened her pace to the training ground. Her newly forged body’s qualities were several times better than before. With her mental strength already transcendent, she could control her body. Relatively speaking, she would need at least ten more rounds of rebuilding and tempering before her body could barely match her mental strength.
“Hey! Hurry up!” Sui Yunzhu called out.
Most people had already gathered at the training ground. An Jiu was the only one missing from her group.
An Jiu didn’t speed up, maintaining a steady pace as she ran over.
“Li Qingzhi arrived first, so we got a good one,” Sui Yunzhu waved a thick envelope.
All tasks were ranked. The more difficult and dangerous the task, the higher the score. If they reached twenty points early, they could leave the Crane-Controlling Institute and join the Crane-Controlling Army sooner.
Their group was very strong, arguably not inferior to those in the Crane-Controlling Army, so naturally, they chose the hardest tasks.
Lou Mingyue watched as the others grew excited, thinking to herself: Have you considered how others might feel…
Sui Yunzhu opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of papers filled with information. She read through it once, “The target is right here in Bianjing City, living on Pan Lou Street in the east…”
Pan Lou Street intersected with Imperial Street, not far from the imperial palace. The street was lined with shops, surrounded by mansions of the nobility, and was one of the most prosperous and wealthy areas in Bianjing. Land there was extremely valuable, so buildings were packed tightly together. Making someone disappear without a trace in such a place would indeed be challenging.