Chapter 68

Princess Pingyang was bewildered, but suddenly a thought struck her, and she exclaimed, "Let me see your arrows!"

Luo Shixin smiled awkwardly and said, "I can't hide anything from Princess's keen eyes." He drew an arrow from his quiver and tossed it to Princess Pingyang.

Princess Pingyang took it, and her attention quickly focused on the tail of the arrow. Unlike ordinary arrows, this one had a shallow but distinct groove carved at its end. Thinking of the spinning motion, she asked in surprise, "Just now, you used the bowstring to catch this groove and spun it when you drew the bow? Why go to such lengths?"

Luo Shixin scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "This is a little trick... To be honest, archery is really hard to learn, especially over a certain distance. The path of the arrow is curved and can be deflected by the wind. I know a skilled archer can make effective predictions and even factor in the wind to hit the target. But at my level, once it's out of the effective range, I can't control it. So, I have to use a trick, using the rotational force of the arrow to increase its effective range and power, extending the straight-line range from fifty steps to eighty steps."

In the distance, a female knight was chasing a wild chicken, coming this way.

Princess Pingyang instinctively drew her bow and arrow, positioning the groove on the bowstring, mimicking Luo Shixin's method: slowly rotating...

Heavy!

Strained!

This simple change made it hard for her to draw the bow, the pressure on her arm doubling.

She released the bowstring!

"Ah!"

The bow and arrow fell to the ground!

With a whoosh, the arrow flew like lightning, mercilessly piercing through the wild chicken and carrying it into the air...

"This..."

Princess Pingyang shook her left hand, which felt hot and painful. When the arrow flew out, it rubbed against her fingers, causing a burning pain. She was amazed by the force on the arrow feathers, realizing that this small change had significantly increased the power of the shot.

"Great archery!" Luo Shixin watched the shot and clapped, secretly admiring it. He had noticed the wild chicken but didn't have the confidence to hit it, so he let Princess Pingyang take the lead. At his current level, he needed to aim carefully for a moving target, but for a fleeing wild chicken, he only had a brief moment to aim, which was beyond his ability.

Princess Pingyang, however, drew, aimed, and shot in one fluid motion, a feat that required years of practice.

Princess Pingyang picked up her bow and arrow, her face filled with shock, and asked, "The rotational force means making the arrow spin when it's shot?"

Luo Shixin nodded and replied, "Exactly. Most people use the bow's elasticity and tension, so the arrow flies straight. It might spin occasionally, but not enough to be useful. I rotate the bowstring when I draw, so the arrow is influenced by the rotational force and spins in the air." He used some physics, worried that Princess Pingyang might not understand, and demonstrated with an arrow, simulating the motion in slow motion.

"Rotational force can maintain the speed and stability of the arrow, as well as increase its penetration and range." Luo Shixin's inspiration came from the 17th-century rifled musket. In that era, as bows were phased out, muskets became the main weapon, but they had fatal flaws due to the small and light bullets, which lacked penetration and were easily deflected by the wind. The invention of rifling, which made the bullets spin, solved these problems.

As a beginner, Luo Shixin couldn't accurately hit targets beyond the straight-line range, so he thought of using rotational force to enhance the power and extend the range, deliberately creating a groove on the arrow's tail to catch the bowstring.

Princess Pingyang, being sharp, understood the general idea even though she didn't fully grasp the physics. She was amazed: This was a completely new archery technique... But thinking of the strain from the rotational force, she shook her head: Archery relies on arm strength, and drawing the bow fully already requires significant effort. Adding rotation would nearly double the required strength. Even if the bow could handle it, the arm strength needed would be too much.

Wait!

Princess Pingyang's gaze fell on Luo Shixin's not particularly muscular arm. If others couldn't handle it, could he? With his unusual strength, worrying about his arm strength might be overthinking it.

"I think you shouldn't learn archery from me! I can't teach you." Princess Pingyang said calmly.

"Why? Who can teach me then?" Luo Shixin was frustrated, admiring Princess Pingyang's skilled and stylish archery.

"Yourself!" Princess Pingyang rubbed her forehead, feeling helpless with someone who had a treasure but didn't realize it. She thought for a moment and said, "Let's test it! Use your sword to block my arrows!" She took an arrow from Luo Shixin's quiver, put it in her mouth, and rode her horse a hundred steps away.

"Watch out!" Princess Pingyang bit the arrow and let it fly. Three arrows in quick succession formed a straight line, aiming at Luo Shixin's face. Then, she shot three more arrows in a triangular formation, targeting his head and shoulders. Six arrows in total, precise and fast, leaving no room for defense.

Princess Pingyang knew Luo Shixin's bravery and didn't worry about any accidents, attacking with full force.

Luo Shixin, not understanding the purpose, wasn't concerned about the arrows that were clearly announced and shot from the front. He drew his saber, and with a series of "ding ding ding" sounds, all six arrows were deflected by the blade.

Princess Pingyang felt a bit frustrated, not unprepared, but still annoyed that her signature move was so easily countered. She took the arrow from her mouth and said, "Pay attention this time!" She used the rotational method to draw the bow, but after shooting six arrows, she felt the strain. She gritted her teeth and aimed at Luo Shixin's right arm.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow flew like a meteor. Luo Shixin instinctively moved to the left, narrowly avoiding it, breaking out in a cold sweat...

At that moment, his intuition told him he couldn't block Princess Pingyang's arrow with his saber: He had become complacent after the six arrows, and the last one was much faster and more powerful, leaving him unprepared.

Princess Pingyang, shaking her numb arm, approached and asked, "How was that?"

Luo Shixin said, "The last arrow was scary! I almost got hit."

Princess Pingyang said meaningfully, "This is the kind of archery you should learn. Arrows are for killing, not for show. My archery has many techniques, not for beauty, but to confuse the enemy and achieve the goal of killing. The rotational shooting method can significantly increase the range and power of the arrow, making it hard to defend against. With your enviable arm strength and this technique, why learn from me?"

Luo Shixin slapped his head, understanding. He hadn't thought of this.

"Continue to study the rotational shooting method, improve your basic skills, and if you can get a good bow... then..." Princess Pingyang hesitated, imagining a terrifying scene.

Luo Shixin clearly understood and narrowed his eyes, saying, "Rotational shooting sounds too technical. Let's call it spiral shooting!"

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