I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 31 Sharpshooter!

It was agreed that you would pass the level if you stayed for three breaths.

Xie An held the stone lock for six breaths, and only when his waist and arms began to feel strained did he put it down.

He had slowed down a lot in lowering the stone lock, but because it was too heavy, it still made a "bang" sound when it hit the ground, and the ground shook.

"Good! Good!"

Elder Tang shouted "good" twice in succession, showing his shock and joy.

If it were a county town, lifting 700 kilograms wouldn't be a big deal. But this was Wuqiao Town. Because of its remote location, even the talented people from the Tiger and Wolf Sect were reluctant to come to Baiyu Hall.

This hall has always been short of talent.

Zhang Lin finally felt relieved when he heard Elder Tang's evaluation. He was originally worried that Elder Tang would not approve of Xie An, which would implicate him.

Now that Elder Tang has said this, even if Xie An encounters some problems in actual combat later, I think Elder Tang will not accuse him of being biased.

Elder Tang, who had returned to his chair, was in a much better mood. "Have you ever practiced with weapons?"

Xie An did not hide the fact, "I have only practiced archery."

Elder Tang looked gloomy.

The second part of the test was supposed to be actual combat. Tongshan and Xie An were to fight against each other to test their combat skills.

It was probably because Elder Tang was fond of talented people and felt pity for Xie An's old age. He was worried that he would be accidentally injured by Tongshan during the fight, so he thought it would be a good idea to test the old man's archery skills.

If the archery skills are good enough, it is equivalent to actual combat.

"You've never practiced with weapons, so it's not fair to pit you against Tongshan, who's skilled in swordsmanship. Archery is equally important. What size bow do you usually use?"

Xie An said, "Two stones is the safest."

Xie An could lift 700 jin with one arm, and according to the Daqian Kingdom's measurement, a stone bow had a pulling force of 200 jin. Of course, he could pull a three-stone bow.

By exerting force with both arms, a four-stone bow can be pulled open.

But heavier bows don't necessarily improve your shooting skills. If you have trouble drawing the bow, it can easily lead to excessive muscle contraction throughout the body, causing unsteady hands and feet, and a restless heart. This makes aiming a big problem.

Xie An estimated that the two-stone bow was just right for him and would not affect his accuracy.

Elder Tang nodded and said, "Tongshan, go get a two-stone heavy bow."

"Yes, elder."

Tongshan entered the room and quickly brought out a heavy bow and a quiver with five arrows, and handed them to Xie An.

Xie An thanked him and took the bow. He gripped the bow handle with one hand and pulled the bowstring with the other. It wasn't too strenuous, just right.

Elder Tang pointed to a poplar tree outside the courtyard and said, "There are two little sparrows on the treetop, about a hundred meters away from here. Try it."

"Yes."

Xie An agreed immediately, then stood firm, aimed at the sparrows on the treetops, drew an arrow, put it on the bowstring, and slowly drew the bow until it reached the full moon.

Drawing the bow is effortless, and the arm muscles do not need to be overly contracted, which does not affect the accuracy.

Next comes aiming.

The Daqian Dynasty's Ershi bow had a draw weight of 400 kilograms and could shoot 200 meters, but its power decreased significantly in the second half of its range. Coupled with the effect of gravity, the bow's parabola drooped sharply in the second half, making aiming very difficult.

But the speed is the fastest in the first 100 meters, the parabola's droop is not obvious, and aiming is not difficult.

Elder Tang obviously knew the ins and outs of this, which is why he chose a 100-meter shooting range as the test.

Hitting a target as small as a sparrow at a hundred meters would make one a sharpshooter, even in the military. The archery test for the provincial military examinations was only limited to a range of one hundred and twenty to thirty meters.

Xie An knew that as long as he could shoot the little sparrow, he would be able to pass the actual combat test. Then he could become a deacon of the Tiger and Wolf Sect and embark on a new stage in his life.

The future, success or failure...all depends on the next arrow.

The pressure is really great.

Xie An had to take it seriously and took several deep breaths in succession, trying to keep himself calm under the pressure.

Xie An knew that many people, though normally quite capable, would often underperform under pressure, often because their mindsets weren't in a good place and they couldn't handle the pressure. For example, in his previous life, many high school seniors would rank highly in mock exams, only to fail the college entrance exam.

This is also true for the imperial examinations in this world.

It's simply because the pressure is too great. The exam results have such a huge impact on one's future life that candidates tend to be hesitant and indecisive.

In a word, you think too much.

Xie An told himself that he didn't need to overthink it and just needed to demonstrate his abilities. Even if he failed, the worst that could happen was that he could become a deputy deacon or live a few more years. It wasn't a big deal.

The art of war says: A general should worry about defeat before he thinks about victory, so he can fight a hundred battles without danger of failure.

No wonder the Tiger and Wolf Sect established a merit test hall, where they tested the officers and soldiers in real combat. Besides verifying their strength, it also tested their mentality.

Knowing that the consequences of failure were acceptable, Xie An no longer hesitated, and all distracting thoughts were swept away. In his eyes and heart, there were only the arrow in his hand and the bird on the treetop.

Soon, Xie An entered a state of almost 100% dedication.

He was waiting, waiting for the two little sparrows to stand in the same straight line.

Shooting one is shooting, shooting two is also shooting.

If you want to shoot, why not shoot two?
In this way, Elder Tang's appreciation of me will surely double.

The three people on the field saw that Xie An had not shot an arrow, and they thought that Xie An was under too much pressure and was not sure of his aim. Zhang Lin couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for Xie An.

Xie An didn't care about what others thought and just waited patiently for the opportunity to come.

Finally, the two little sparrows adjusted their positions and stood in the same straight line.

It's now!

Xie An suddenly released the bowstring in his hand.

hum!
The bowstring rebounded with a sharp buzzing sound, and the arrow shot through the air, hurtling towards the top of the poplar tree outside the courtyard. The two sparrows that had been chirping suddenly stopped, their calls pierced by the arrow at the same time.

The arrow did not stop after piercing the two little sparrows. Instead, it continued to rush forward with full power, and finally with a "snatch" sound, it was stuck in a branch at the top of the tree.

Branches as thick as wrists were pierced with a loud bang, causing the poplar trees to shake violently and the accumulated snow to fall.

Seeing this, Xie An put away his bow and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Withstood the pressure and performed at the level expected.

The other three people in the courtyard were all warriors who had entered the realm of seclusion. They had extraordinary five senses and extraordinary eyesight, so they naturally saw the situation on the treetops.

Zhang Lin was shocked, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Xie An was different. He had thought that this old man had only reached the strength comparable to the Bronze Skin Realm, and that after joining him, he could control him and even act like a big brother.

I feel a little guilty now.

Tongshan nodded repeatedly at Xie An, showing his agreement.

"color!"

Elder Tang stood up again and cheered, "He passed the actual combat test with this archery skill. Zhang Lin, you recommended a sharpshooter to our Tiger and Wolf Sect. Tongshan, bring the list."

Tongshan took out the list and pen. Elder Tang took it and was about to write Xie An's name on the list when he suddenly remembered something and said, "Yes, I don't know your name yet?"

Xie An glanced at Zhang Lin next to him from the corner of his eye, then moved closer to Elder Tang and said in a voice that only Elder Tang could hear, "I am Xie An."

Elder Tang did not ask about Xie An's age or background. Adhering to the fine tradition of the Tiger and Wolf Sect of recruiting talents regardless of background or age, he immediately wrote Xie An's name on the roster, followed by a line of words: Deacon of the White Feather Hall.

Then, Elder Tang asked Tongshan to take out a box of ink and said, "Press your handprint on this list. From now on, you will be a deacon under my Tiger and Wolf Sect."

"Yes, Elder Tang."

Xie An bowed and then pressed his right thumb into the ink box, staining it with red paint, and then found his name on the list.

That line of words was particularly eye-catching: Xie An (Deacon of Baiyu Hall).

Xie An suppressed his excitement and pressed his fingers down hard.

He knew that from now on, his life had entered a new stage.

(End of this chapter)