Chapter 27: The First Battle of High Martial Arts

"A compound bow?"

Luo Wushang glanced at the arrow that had pierced through the iron plate of the large tricycle, her gaze shifting to where the projectile had originated, a trace of excitement in her eyes.

"Have we triggered a quest?"

"It seems so. New map unlocked, naturally there will be new storylines. I wonder what kind of scenario this is."

Zhang Qingwei pulled out the alloy arrow, which was over a meter long, and began to examine it closely. He swung it a few times, his voice filled with amazement. "It looks like we can use these arrows too. The weight and balance are quite good."

"Indeed. If we grind it down, it could serve as a rapier."

Luo Wushang took the alloy arrow and swung it as well, her eyes brimming with joy. Having been in this "High Martial Arts" world for so many days, she hadn't even been able to learn a martial skill she liked, let alone possess a proper weapon; she only had an alloy shovel. She would swing it when bored, feeling as though her swordsmanship was growing rusty. If she could have a rapier—even if it wasn't her preferred blade—it would be far better than having nothing at all.

"137 meters to the southeast. Six people. Four of them are carrying bows," Fang Zhen said, looking up at the source of the arrow. He stated the situation with precise, indifferent calm. "However, these six don't seem to be human. They have wings, and they are all hiding in the abandoned building."

"Everyone, get behind the vehicle!" Lin Qi was speechless at the calm demeanor of the four. He barked the order while quickly reaching for his weapon from the driver's seat.

In the wilderness, monsters were often secondary; the greatest danger came from drifters. Under normal circumstances, stateless drifters would not attack others without cause—especially not a five-person team driving a large tricycle, which usually indicated they belonged to some local gang. Drifters would normally go out of their way to avoid such a group, let alone initiate an attack.

Following Lin Qi's command, the group moved unhurriedly behind the tricycle, acting as if the situation had nothing to do with them.

Just as everyone had taken cover, a loud warning echoed from the distance.

"Hand over the Crocodile-Toothed Rhino, and we, the White Feather Gang, might spare your lives and let you leave safely."

"Don't even think about escaping in that piece-of-junk tricycle. Its speed can't outrun our gliding!"

As the warning rang out, while Lin Qi was still processing the threat, Fang Zhen, Luo Wushang, Zhushen Huanghun, and Zhang Qingwei were filled with excitement and thrill.

"I knew it! We definitely triggered a special event."

"I think I heard about the White Feather Gang in the last scenario. They have a certain amount of influence in the wilderness."

"Could it be that the game is unlocking a new mode, like a wilderness instance raid?"

"It's very possible. I always felt this game was a bit strange—why build such a massive, empty map and craft it so exquisitely, where every frame is art? So this is what they were waiting for."

The four talked amongst themselves, occasionally peeking out to look at the abandoned building in the distance as if they were looking at a gourmet feast.

Lin Qi, who had pulled out an A5-grade compound longbow and black steel arrows, was speechless. At a time like this, these four were still treating the situation as if they were spectators at a show. It truly went to show that one person's crisis is another's entertainment.

"The White Feather Gang?" Lin Qi’s expression darkened at the mention of the name. While not a suburban gang, they were a formidable force among wilderness drifters, ranking roughly within the top hundred. In the wilderness, there were millions of stateless drifters; to reach the top hundred meant the gang had at least several hundred members.

"Master, what should we do now?" Luo Wushang looked at Lin Qi as he readied his weapon, curious to see how the "plot" would develop.

***

"What to do?" Lin Qi fell silent. The current situation was quite unfavorable. The White Feather Gang had six ordinary people, four equipped with compound bows, and they already occupied the most advantageous position. His side had three ordinary people and two who were "under-developed." How were they supposed to fight this?

However, the six members of the White Feather Gang seemed impatient with Lin Qi's silence. Another arrow flew out, piercing the tricycle's battery.

"Damn it! My vehicle! My fifty thousand bits!" Lin Qi was furious as he watched the ruined battery. "Take them down!"

Although they only had three ordinary people and two who were "under-developed," all five had learned martial skills. In a short burst, their strength could reach the level of a limited quasi-apprentice. Lin Qi himself could even hit the level of a full apprentice; he didn't believe they couldn't defeat six drifters.

Upon hearing the order, the four's smiles grew even wider. Finally, new gameplay!

"Master, what about our weapons?" Fang Zhen asked tentatively. Starting a new, large-scale instance was exciting, but it would be even better with weapons.

Lin Qi looked at the four. Besides Luo Wushang holding an alloy arrow, the others were still holding alloy shovels. Asking them to fight the White Feather Gang like that was indeed asking too much.

"Take a look and see what you can use," Lin Qi said, pointing to the two remaining compound longbows and black steel arrows on the vehicle. "You can borrow these for now."

He had originally commissioned Luo琦 to craft three A5-grade compound longbows to ensure safety during wilderness travel. Even quasi-martial artists usually used these for practice. For martial apprentices, they would be a bit strenuous to pull, but their power was certainly greater than the White Feather Gang's bows.

"Great! They even enabled a weapon trial feature."

"But why are there only compound longbows and arrows?"

"Be happy we have anything at all. Don't you see this is a long-range sniping battle? Of course, we use bows."

Fang Zhen, ignoring the complaints of Luo Wushang and the others, was thrilled. He didn't hesitate to pick up an A5-grade compound longbow and a black steel arrow.

"Finally! It's finally my time to shine!" Fang Zhen hoisted the thirty-plus kilogram bow, full of delight. "The handling is amazing. It feels even more realistic than the archery I practice in reality. Is this the power of 100% virtual reality technology?"

"I don't know how to use this bow either," Zhushen Huanghun said, looking at the longbow with confusion.

"If you don't know how to use it, just use the arrow as a weapon. This weight is much better than the alloy shovel; it suits our current strength perfectly," Luo Wushang said, putting away the White Feather Gang's arrow and picking up a black steel one. She looked satisfied. "It can barely pass as a long sword."

"Then I'll take this bow," Zhang Qingwei said, picking up the 1.5-meter, thirty-plus kilogram longbow and giving it a few swings. "It’s not as good as a long blade, but it’s better than nothing."

Watching the four choose their weapons, Lin Qi instantly felt a pang of regret. Out of the four, only Fang Zhen was using the bow as a bow; the others had no intention of doing so.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Three consecutive arrows shot toward Lin Qi and his group. Because of the dim light, their accuracy was clearly poor, and all of them struck the body of the tricycle.

"It seems they are getting serious," Lin Qi said, watching the arrows being aimed at them. "Fang Zhen and I will provide long-range cover. You three find an opportunity to close in."

Lin Qi had some confidence in his archery; living in the era of virtual reality, he had played plenty of virtual games, especially archery ones. Considering his physical limitations, a longbow was the best choice—which was why he had commissioned them in the first place.

But before Lin Qi and Fang Zhen could provide cover fire, Luo Wushang and Zhang Qingwei exchanged a look. One holding a black steel arrow and the other holding a compound longbow, they charged directly toward the White Feather Gang.

"Are they crazy?" Lin Qi felt his head spin at the sight. Did these two even know the meaning of coordination?

As the two charged from the front, the six members of the White Feather Gang, watching from the building a hundred meters away, were stunned.

"Which gang are these people from? Are they all this brave?"

"Gray long-sleeved shirts, and they were holding shovels earlier. I haven't heard of this gang, but judging by their equipment, they must be well-funded."

"Forget about their funding. We'll take these two down!"

The four winged youths of the Feather Race watched the approaching pair with disdain, drawing their bows until they were full crescents.

"The previous shots missed because it was too dark and the distance was too great. Did they really think we were amateurs who didn't know how to aim?"

"Fire together within fifty meters! Take out the one with the compound bow first!"

The leader of the Feather Race, whose collar bore a twin-wing emblem, commanded as the two drew closer.

Fifty meters! At this distance, even in the dim light, they were certain of a hit. In his eyes, Zhang Qingwei must have thought the same, which was why he dared to approach.

The distance closed: 100 meters... 80 meters... 60 meters...

"Now!" the leader commanded.

Four steel-tipped arrows, carrying the sound of tearing air, shot precisely toward Zhang Qingwei. They were so fast that they were impossible to track in the dark.

Seeing the arrows about to strike, Zhang Qingwei didn't dodge or evade, continuing to charge toward the building.

"Is she insane?" The leader watched, thinking Zhang Qingwei must have lost her mind. While dodging four arrows was nearly impossible, any normal person would at least try to struggle.

Just as the arrows were less than ten meters away, Luo Wushang stepped in front of Zhang Qingwei, her black steel arrow swinging violently.

She traced out one, two, three, four black streaks—the light shimmering like exploding stars.

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*

All four steel arrows were deflected, slamming heavily into the ground. Luo Wushang retreated two steps, stabilized her stance, and immediately surged forward again.

"What the hell!"

"Is she human or a ghost?"

The Feather Race leader watched this, his mouth hanging wide open.