Chapter 61

Feng Ji rushed out of the city gate, galloping on his horse.

His expression was not good.

The secret agent set up inside and outside Qingyunli had been shot dead, right in the middle of the street. He was hit by three arrows, one of which pierced his throat. Feng Ji was convinced that Liang Xiao was behind this. If it were Huan Yuan, he wouldn't have needed such effort; one arrow would have been enough to solve the problem.

However, this made Feng Ji even more worried. Liang Xiao used to use a small crossbow, and he had only started learning archery a few months ago. To achieve such skill in just a few months was truly astonishing. Hitting a person was not difficult, but piercing the throat with one arrow was not an easy feat. Without a certain level of skill and confidence, an ordinary person would not choose the throat as a target.

From this, it could be seen that although Liang Xiao's archery might not be outstanding, he had the confidence to hit his target when he released the arrow.

Feng Ji was also an archer, and he knew how important such confidence was.

Feng Ji felt a mix of excitement and worry. He spurred his horse, leading seven subordinates, and they galloped forward without slowing down, even in the darkness.

He wanted to reach Wuwangchi as quickly as possible. Liang Miao had bought offerings and had not returned home late at night. She must have accompanied Li Rongqing to Wuwangchi to pay respects to Li Yunming. At this point, Feng Ji confirmed that the information he received was incorrect, and the secret agent had been deceived. The person who accompanied Liang Miao out was not Tuhua, but Li Rongqing.

Capturing Liang Miao would surely bring Liang Xiao. Capturing Li Rongqing would make it impossible for Liang Xiao to clear his name in Hu Lai's death. Even if she was forced to confess, he would make Li Rongqing implicate Liang Xiao. Of course, Feng Ji did not plan to interrogate her; he had only one goal: to kill Liang Xiao directly and eliminate all future concerns.

Feng Ji galloped, feeling a sense of joy as he thought about the task being almost complete. Suddenly, he felt a tightening in his chest and instinctively ducked, shouting, "Scatter!"

These seven subordinates were not from the Hu family but Feng Ji's own troops. They had worked together for years and were very默契 (cooperative). When Feng Ji suddenly ducked, they reacted immediately. Some sped up, some reined in their horses, and others steered their horses to the sides, breaking up the formation that had been head-to-tail.

However, their reaction was still a bit slow. Three arrows flew past Feng Ji's back, one hitting his horse's buttocks and another hitting the neck of the horse behind him.

Feng Ji lay flat on his horse, passing under a tree, drew his bow, and shot back at the tree.

Just by the sound of the arrows, he determined the attacker's position and immediately retaliated without hesitation.

"Thud, thud, thud!" Three arrows hit almost the same spot, their tips deeply embedded in the tree trunk. If the tree had not been thick enough, any one of those arrows could have injured Liang Xiao.

Liang Xiao held his breath, ignoring Feng Ji, and drew his bow again, shooting continuously at the person who was reining in his horse and preparing to dismount.

He knew Feng Ji's archery was excellent and was aware of the danger of standing in a high place, but this was the best choice he could make. Only by standing on the tree could he avoid being surrounded and maintain a high vantage point, giving him the initiative. Only in this way could he shoot without having to dodge at the same time.

He had not yet reached that level, and moving would significantly affect his accuracy.

Once a choice was made, there was no room for regret. Regret would not help and would only make him hesitant, missing the few opportunities he had.

In battle, one should not exceed three shots. This was a principle Huan Yuan had repeatedly told him, though the meaning was different, it was equally important. If he could not inflict as much damage as possible in the first round, he would have almost no chance of success.

From the start of the attack to when Feng Ji's subordinates dismounted and completed the encirclement, Liang Xiao completed three rounds of arrow shots, firing a total of nine arrows.

Nine arrows, seven hit their targets. Three arrows hit two horses, and four arrows hit two people. One person was hit by three arrows and died on the spot, while the other was hit in the arm but did not lose his fighting ability. He pulled out the arrow, threw it aside, and drew his sword, joining the encirclement.

"Liang Xiao?" Feng Ji circled his horse, one hand holding the bow, the other drawing an arrow. His horse snorted and kicked the ground, the arrow in its buttocks swaying.

"Your eyesight is pretty good." Liang Xiao hid behind the tree and laughed lightly.

"Thank you for the compliment." Feng Ji laughed. "Climbing a tree to ambush me, you really are putting yourself in a desperate situation, worthy of being Huan Yuan's disciple."

"I'm ashamed. I couldn't kill you with one arrow. Now, there's only death, no life."

"Good to know." Feng Ji raised his bow and slowly drew it to full. "Tell me, where is Huan Yuan?"

Liang Xiao laughed loudly. "Behind you. Turn around, and you'll see him."

"Don't play games with me. I may not be a professional archer, but I'm not that easy to fool. Tell me, where is he?"

"Do you fear my master so much?" Liang Xiao chatted with Feng Ji while keeping an eye on the enemies trying to climb up and being cautious of Feng Ji's arrows. The situation was tense, and he was a bit talkative. This was a habit from his previous life; he usually didn't talk much, but he would chatter nervously. He found an opportunity and shot an arrow into the thigh of a man just climbing the tree, sending him falling.

He paid a price for this. Feng Ji took advantage of the moment when Liang Xiao's arm was exposed while shooting and shot him in the left forearm, nearly piercing it. The sharp arrowhead cut through his flesh, and blood gushed out, causing Liang Xiao to break out in a cold sweat.

"Good archery! To reach this level in just a few months, you are indeed a genius."

"Great teachers produce great students. Who can blame me for having an extremely skilled master?" Liang Xiao hid behind the tree, watching the enemies trying to climb up while keeping an eye on Feng Ji, waiting patiently. Facing an opponent like Feng Ji, he could not afford to be careless.

"Unfortunately, your master is a coward, too afraid to face me himself, only daring to hide in the dark."

"My master is not afraid of you; he just doesn't think it's worth it to compete with you." Liang Xiao said. "He is paying respects to Li Yunming at Wuwangchi. If you have the courage, go find him."

"Ha, you're still trying to trick me. Your master paying respects to Li Yunming? He's lucky if he doesn't kill him." As he spoke, Feng Ji drew his bow again and shot an arrow with lightning speed. The arrow pierced through the chaotic branches and aimed at Liang Xiao's back.

Hearing the bowstring, Liang Xiao turned and slid down the tree trunk, barely avoiding the arrow. Before he could steady himself, he drew his bow and shot three arrows in quick succession.

Feng Ji "hmm"ed, seemingly surprised by Liang Xiao's reaction. He deflected one arrow with his bow but couldn't control his horse in time. Two bamboo arrows almost simultaneously pierced the chest of the warhorse. Feng Ji seized the opportunity and shot back, an arrow piercing Liang Xiao's thigh.

Liang Xiao grunted, almost falling from the tree. He quickly grabbed the tree trunk and hid again.

Feng Ji sneered. "Liang Xiao, it seems Huan Yuan doesn't really consider you a disciple. At this moment, you still have the nerve to shoot my horse?"