24: Chapter 24 First Arrow

After everyone left, Liu Chunmei began to clear the bowls and chopsticks on the table.

Mo Shoutian carried the borrowed long bench into the courtyard, preparing to return it to the neighbor tomorrow.

Liu Chunmei carried a stack of bowls past him, walking a few steps before stopping.

"Are you really planning to take them into the back mountain?"

"Let's get used to the heavy crossbow first; we haven't decided when to go yet."

Liu Chunmei turned around and looked at him.

"You know how many people have died in the back mountain."

"I know."

"You know and you're still going?"

Mo Shoutian leaned the bench in his hand against the wall.

"Since the heavy crossbow has already been bought, we definitely have to try it out."

Liu Chunmei naturally knew why he wanted to hunt a large beast.

But hearing those people talk about dead people just now, she still couldn't help feeling worried.

"Then be careful yourself, don't lead a group of people and think you're afraid of nothing."

"I have it under control."

Liu Chunmei didn't try to persuade him further and carried the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen.

Mo Xiaochuan had been Cultivating in his own room all along.

Ever since reaching the Late Stage of Qi condensation, his senses had grown sharper by the day.

Although the people at the wine table were separated by a room, Mo Xiaochuan heard everything they said.

Especially when Mo Mancang asked what they should do if someone didn't come back, the originally steady Qi in his body fluttered in disorder for a moment.

After everyone in the courtyard left, Mo Xiaochuan took out the broken jade.

"Master."

"What is it?"

"Will my dad and the others be in danger when they go to the back mountain?"

Qingli said:

"Going into the mountain to hunt large beasts will naturally be dangerous."

"Then buying a heavy crossbow won't work either?"

"A heavy crossbow can only be used to kill large beasts; it can't save their lives."

Mo Xiaochuan didn't speak.

Qingli continued:

"Your dad didn't go into the mountain immediately and even found so many people to practice with. He is already much more prudent than those who dare to risk their lives against large beasts with just a knife."

Mo Xiaochuan asked:

"Then what can I do?"

"You can't do anything right now."

Qingli's words were still as direct as ever.

"If you follow them into the mountain, not only will your dad have to guard against large beasts, but he will also have to split his attention to protect you."

"Cultivate properly. When you have the ability, you won't need to let your dad, a Mortal, look for these Cultivation supplies for you."

Mo Xiaochuan lowered his head to look at the broken jade, and after a while, he put it back into his arms.

The next day after breakfast, Mo Shoutian loaded the heavy crossbow and six crossbow arrows onto a horse-drawn cart and drove it to the west end of the village.

Mo Xiaohu was already waiting there.

Seeing the cart coming, he quickly walked up to meet it.

Mo Shoutian asked:

"Did you not drink too much last night?"

"What's that little bit of wine?"

Mo Xiaohu walked a few steps alongside the cart and reached out to lift the burlap cloth covering the heavy crossbow.

Mo Shoutian said:

"Don't touch it yet. Wait until everyone arrives to talk about it."

Mo Xiaohu had no choice but to pull his hand back.

The others arrived at the west end of the village one after another.

Mo Mancang arrived the latest.

Mo Shoutian asked:

"Did you tell your wife?"

"I told her."

"What did she say?"

"She told me not to show off, and to run if I can't win."

The few people nearby laughed when they heard this.

Mo Mancang also smiled along and went over to help Mo Dashan lift the burlap cloth on the cart.

Everyone lifted the heavy crossbow down together.

Mo Chenghai walked around the wasteland ahead and finally pointed at a thick tree.

"Let's hit that one; nobody walks behind it."

That tree grew on the edge of the wasteland and was a circle thicker than a rice bowl's mouth.

Everyone carried the heavy crossbow to a spot about twenty paces away from that tree.

Following the method taught by the clerk of the Dasheng Cargo Firm, Mo Shoutian had people steady the wooden frame.

Mo Dashan and Mo Mancang squatted on both sides to hold down the wooden frame.

Mo Shoucheng and Mo Shouyi began to set the crossbow string.

After setting it, Mo Shoucheng squatted aside and reached out to test the crossbow string.

"It's got enough kick."

Mo Shouyi took out a heavy arrow from the burlap and placed it into the arrow groove.

He leaned over the back of the crossbow body and looked for a moment.

"Move it a bit to the left."

Mo Dashan and the others lifted the wooden frame and moved it a bit to the left.

Everyone moved it back and forth twice more, and Mo Shouyi closed one eye to aim at the tree, saying:

"That's about it."

Mo Shoutian first walked to the front to look around, making sure there was no one behind the tree and no livestock nearby, before returning to the side of the heavy crossbow.

"Fire."

Mo Shouyi pulled the trigger.

With a "bang," the wooden frame under the heavy crossbow also shook slightly.

The thick and heavy crossbow arrow flew out from the arrow groove, passing through the tree trunk in front in the blink of an eye.

A few pieces of wood fragments and bark flew down onto the ground.

After passing through the tree, the crossbow arrow flew another dozen paces before finally stabbing obliquely into the wasteland.

Everyone stood for a moment and then all walked toward that tree.

In the middle of the tree trunk appeared a transparent hole going straight through, and the bark all around had split open quite a bit.

Mo Xiaohu reached out and touched it.

"If this hit a tiger, wouldn't it pierce straight through?"

Mo Changlin also leaned in to take a look.

"If it hits the head and chest, it definitely won't survive."

He straightened up and glanced toward the place where the crossbow had just been set up.

"But a tiger won't stand here and wait."

Mo Xiaohu didn't retort after hearing this.

Everyone walked to the front and pulled out the crossbow arrow stuck in the ground.

The arrowhead was covered in mud, but the shaft wasn't broken.

Mo Shoutian had people carry the heavy crossbow to the side and set it up again.

Next, everyone tried it a few more times.

Mo Dashan, Mo Xiaoshan, and Mo Mancang were responsible for moving the heavy crossbow, Mo Shoucheng helped organize the crossbow string, and Mo Shouyi stayed behind the crossbow to aim.

After a few times, who did what gradually became settled.

Only Mo Chunhe had been standing aside the whole time, unable to find what he should be doing.

He watched for a moment and couldn't help asking:

"Then what am I going to do?"

Mo Changlin looked at him, then looked toward his own son.

"You go to the front with Qingshi."

"What are we doing at the front?"

"If we really enter the back mountain, someone has to lure the large beasts over here."

Hearing this, Mo Chunhe's face, which had been quite relaxed just a moment ago, changed immediately.

"Why is it me?"

Mo Changlin said:

"Because you run fast."

Mo Chunhe thought for a long time, but couldn't think of anything to retort with.

Mo Qingshi asked:

"Then what about me?"

"You go along with Chunhe."

Mo Qingshi glanced at his father.

"Didn't you complain that I don't know the way?"

"Chunhe runs fast, but he enters the back mountain rarely. You go with him, and don't let him run around blindly if he panics."

Mo Changlin picked up a twig, drew a line on the ground, and drew a fork on each side.

"After luring the large beast in front of the heavy crossbow, the two of you cannot run in the same direction."

"One goes left, one goes right."

"Neither of you is allowed to cross in front of the heavy crossbow."

Mo Chunhe squatted beside and watched for a moment.

"What if it doesn't follow us here?"

"If it doesn't follow, so be it."

Mo Changlin threw the twig onto the ground.

"You are going to lure the large beast, not to risk your lives fighting it."

"If it deviates in direction or gets too close to you, saving your own life is what matters most."

Mo Shoutian had Mo Chunhe and Mo Qingshi run back from a distance to try it a few times.

The first time, both of them ran to the left and almost collided.

The second time, although they separated, everyone else turned their heads to look at them, and the area around the heavy crossbow became chaotic instead.

Mo Shoutian could only have everyone start over.

For the rest of the afternoon, they didn't shoot any more arrows.

Everyone moved the heavy crossbow back and forth, steadied the wooden frame, pulled open the crossbow string, and practiced by loading wooden sticks without arrowheads.

When the sun was about to set, Mo Shoutian finally let everyone stop.

Mo Dashan and the others' shoulders were rubbed red by the wooden frame. Mo Chunhe and Mo Qingshi had been running all afternoon and sat on the ground for a long time without getting up.

Mo Xiaohu asked:

"Brother Shoutian, how much longer do we have to practice?"

Mo Shoutian glanced at everyone.

"Continue tomorrow."

"Practice for three to five days first. When everything is in order and no longer chaotic, then we will enter the mountain."