The official nodded, "Indeed, it was originally a divine bow. But because its name offended the heavens, a certain emperor of the Han Dynasty ordered it to be tempered with Skyfire."
As for how divine this legendary ancient bow truly was, no one could say for certain.
The official thought to himself—it wasn’t him who had placed the bow here. Since it had been left in the second-class weapon vault all this time, there was no reason to forbid anyone from choosing it.
Still, he couldn’t help offering one last piece of advice, "Young lady, since you excel in Archery, if fate permits, you might try for the Moon God’s Bow and the Candle Dragon’s Arrows. They’ve been enshrined in the temple all this time. Anyone capable of drawing that bow may take it away."
The Moon God’s Bow and Candle Dragon’s Arrows were legendary weapons used by Hou Yi to shoot down the suns—a tale known to all.
An Jiu fell silent for a moment, but her focus was entirely different. "So the arrows have names too. What are these two called?"
The official’s gaze shifted to the pair of arrows. "The Feather of Slaughter. Though they weren’t destroyed, the Dragon Subduing Bow is now ruined. No other bow can unleash their true power anymore. Now, they’re as good as scrap."
"I’ll keep them as mementos," An Jiu said regretfully, though a sliver of hope remained in her heart. Perhaps one day they could be restored?
It was rare for her to take a liking to something. Even if broken, it held a different significance for her.
The official didn’t press further, only adding, "Young lady, it would be best if you changed its name."
An Jiu nodded.
Renaming it was merely to avoid unnecessary attention. If legendary divine weapons could be so easily renamed, this "Dragon Subduing Bow" wouldn’t still bear its original name to this day.
After leaving the weapon vault, An Jiu parted ways with Lou Mingyue and headed to the library to find Sheng Zhangku.
It was already late, but he still hadn’t retired for the night.
The door was ajar. An Jiu raised her hand and knocked a few times.
Sheng Zhangku looked up, his disheveled hair loose, barely lifting his drooping eyelids to glance at her. "The door… doesn’t seem to be closed…"
An Jiu was speechless. It was obviously open—anyone with eyes could see that.
She stepped inside and decided not to engage further. Unfastening the Dragon Subduing Bow, she walked straight to a chair by the wall and sat down.
"Oh?" Sheng Zhangku’s eyes widened slightly. "That looks like the Dragon Subduing Bow."
"It is. The official at the weapon vault said it’s dead, but I still wanted to learn more about it." Since all such artifacts fell under Sheng Zhangku’s purview, and the Dragon Subduing Bow was no ordinary weapon, he surely knew something.
"Ah…" Sheng Zhangku propped his chin on his hand, dark circles under his narrow, slightly curved eyes, making him look more like a raccoon than a fox. "I must’ve tossed it into the weapon vault seven or eight years ago. You’re the first person since then who’s been willing to take it out."
If martial heroes were to lay eyes on such a legendary divine weapon—even a broken one—they’d fight tooth and nail for it. But those trained in the Crane Control Institute had to learn to assess situations carefully to survive longer. For those who practiced Archery, combat relied on long-range strikes. Choosing a heavy, useless bow would only hinder their strengths and become a burden.
"The martial world is full of Dragon Subduing Palms and Dragon Binding Techniques. The reason the emperor feared the Dragon Subduing Bow was because it was a divine artifact passed down from ancient times." Sheng Zhangku covered his mouth as he yawned. "Skyfire is just lightning. This bow was struck by lightning. They say divine weapons have spirits—who knows if the lightning ruined it…"
He grinned. "This bow used to be yellow. Now it’s black after being struck."
"Is there no way to repair it?" That was what An Jiu cared about most."I'm just a lowly errand-runner in the Crane Control Institute. How would I know about repairing divine artifacts?" Sheng Zhangku habitually tapped his brush against the desk, soon leaving an ink blot behind.
Calling him an errand-runner wasn’t far from the truth. The position of a storekeeper wasn’t high-ranking, yet it involved managing a multitude of trivial tasks. On top of that, he juggled five or six other tedious duties—all for a single salary. Despite working tirelessly for over a decade and refusing promotions, he remained a mere storekeeper. Only once had he reluctantly accepted the empty title of an Academician.
Thus, Sheng Zhangku was universally acknowledged as the best colleague in the Crane Control Institute.
An Jiu didn’t speak, nor did she leave. She simply sat there, staring at him.
"Fine. Since divine artifacts have their own spirit, try channeling your Inner Force into it—or if you don’t have any, just keep it close to nurture its energy." Sheng Zhangku yawned lazily. "I figure it’s like polishing jade. The longer you wear it, the more spiritual energy it absorbs. A divine bow should be even more so."
"Thanks." Having gotten her answer, An Jiu bowed and took her leave.
Sheng Zhangku watched her go, yawning repeatedly as he searched for a spot to nap. Glancing down at the ink blot on his desk, he frowned. He raised his sleeve to wipe it but paused upon seeing the emerald green of his official robe. Instead, he rolled up the outer sleeve and used the white fabric of his Inner Garment to clean the stain. Satisfied, he slumped onto the desk.
......
Mo Sigui had also heard about this trial. However, as a rare specimen, the Crane Control Institute practically wanted to enshrine him like a sacred relic—naturally, he couldn’t participate in such dangerous activities.
While everyone else was busy preparing, he idly concocted various Poison Pills and Medicine, giving a set to An Jiu and another to Lou Mingyue—only for the latter to throw it back at him.
Mo Sigui returned with his pockets full of bottles and jars, spotting An Jiu as she packed her gear. He plopped onto a stool. "A Jiu, can I ask you for a favor?"
"Hm?" An Jiu tucked a Medicine Bottle into her pouch while shooting him a sidelong glance.
"Protect my little Yu Yu," Mo Sigui said.
An Jiu replied coldly, "I thought you were mocking me."
Lou Mingyue was an eighth-rank martial arts master wielding a top-tier sword, while An Jiu had no Inner Force whatsoever. Her body had just undergone Reforging, she hadn’t even mastered the first level of the Tendon Severing Palm, and she carried a broken bow on her back...
Was she supposed to act like Mei Jiu, throwing her life away out of love to protect the whole world?
Once ready, An Jiu strode out without looking back.
Though she saw no one around, she sensed people passing by intermittently and quickened her pace toward the training grounds. Her newly Reforged body was several times stronger than before, and her Mental strength had already reached the Transformation Realm, granting her absolute control over her physique. That said, she’d need at least ten more rounds of Reforging and tempering before her body could barely match her Mental strength.
"Hey! Hurry up!" Sui Yunzhu called out.
Most of the group had already gathered on the training grounds—An Jiu was the last to arrive.
She didn’t speed up, maintaining a steady jog.
"Li Qingzhi got here first, so we secured a good one." Sui Yunzhu waved a thick envelope.
All missions were graded—the more difficult and dangerous, the higher the score. If they accumulated twenty points early, they could leave the Crane Control Institute ahead of schedule and join the Crane Control Army.
Their team was exceptionally strong, easily holding their own even within the Crane Control Army, so they naturally aimed for the toughest tasks.
Lou Mingyue watched the excited faces of her teammates and thought: Have any of you considered how others might feel...? Sui Yunzhu opened the envelope and pulled out a stack of papers filled with information. After unfolding and reading through them, she said, "The target is in Bianjing City, residing on East Panlou Street..."
Panlou Street intersected with Imperial Street, not far from the imperial palace. Lined with shops and surrounded by the mansions of nobility, it was one of the most prosperous and affluent areas in Bianjing. Every inch of land there was worth its weight in gold, and the buildings were naturally constructed very compactly. Making someone disappear without a trace in such a place would indeed pose some difficulty. (To be continued...)
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