Chapter 25 – Drawing the Bow and Shooting Arrows (1/2)

Grandpa Zang was finally shocked. “Natural superhuman strength!?” Then he shook his head. “I forgot. You practise external martial arts, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary for you to have slightly greater strength!”

“You won’t be able to shoot arrows with just strength. Take it.” Grandpa Zang removed the hunting bow from his back and tossed it to Li Qingshan.

“This is grandpa Zang’s ox horn bow. It has the force of a stone!” Grandpa Zang was purposefully making things difficult for this kid. Drawing a bow was different from tossing some stone dumbbells.

A stone was sixty kilograms. Regular hunting bows did not pursue power but greater accuracy and dexterity. Bows with such a heavy draw weight were rare. Even if a heavier draw weight came with greater power, the accuracy and shooting speed of the bow would be horrible unless the archer could control it properly.

If they came across a vicious beast in the mountains, they would miss their first shot. Before they could fire their second, the beast would have arrived already. They would only end up dead. However, all the hunters who could handle a bow with such a heavy draw weight were marksmen. It was nothing difficult for them to hunt tigers or leopards in the mountains.

Li Qingshan weighed the bow in his hands. This was a superior oak wood bow, wrapped in beast hide and then silk. Its bowstring was made from cow sinew, so it was light yet extremely powerful.

He followed the method that grandpa Zang had described, sinking down with his hips into a horse stance. He drew the bowstring in one swift motion, and his muscles and bones rippled with it.

To grandpa Zang’s surprise, his form was actually very proper. Then he remembered that Li Qingshan had been watching on from the side earlier. Grandpa Zang guided him a little more with the essentials and Li Qingshan absorbed it all. In just a while, he seemed like he had already put in three months of hard work.

It was difficult to learn archery with a bow that was too heavy. People usually started with a lighter draw weight and would shoot many arrows to practise, gradually correcting their form. Only then would they increase the weight of their bow.

Grandpa Zang directly gave Li Qingshan his ox horn bow in an attempt to set him back mentally. Sure, you have a lot of strength and you can draw it, but it’s useless if you can’t hit anything. However, Li Qingshan’s performance surprised him once more.

It had nothing to do with whether Li Qingshan was actually better at learning than other people. The Ox Demon’s Fist of Great Strength taught him the most basic principles to using his qi and utilising his strength. Regardless of the weapon, as long as he grasped the essentials, he would be able to master it very quickly.

This sure is a good way to train my strength. Although it’s also very tiring when I practise punching, the punches aren’t hitting anything. I need to buy a heavy bow in the future for the purpose of training my strength. It’ll definitely be very beneficial to me.

“Alright. Aim at the target and shoot an arrow for me!” Grandpa Zang ordered.

Li Qingshan placed down the bow and rested up slightly before picking up an arrow and drawing the bow once more. He aimed at a target fifty paces away.

“Settle your mind. Don’t fire in a hurry. Look at the target!” Grandpa Zang guided from one side.

Li Qingshan stared right at the centre of the target, and his eyes suddenly lit up. However, as it was daytime, no one noticed it. Under his full concentration, the target seemed to expand, no longer so unreachable anymore.

In the legends, ancient marksmen trained their archery by tying a louse to a string before staring at it day and night. They would see the louse gradually expand. At first, it would be as large as a cartwheel before growing to the size of a mountain, filling up their view. Just by firing a single arrow, they would pierce the louse.

Currently, Li Qingshan felt such a sensation. He knew that it was probably due to the ox’s tears, which allowed him to see the fast slowly, the far close, and ghosts clearly.

Hit! A thought flashed through Li Qingshan’s head, and the arrow left the bowstring, flying towards the target.

Thud! The arrow became deeply embedded in the wooden target. It did not hit the centre but the edge instead. He had barely hit it.