The Legend of Song Jiang in Water Margin

Chapter 118 Martial Arts Arena: Divine Archery Showdown; Heroes of Qingfeng Village Shoot Geese

The banquet quickly ended in a cheerful atmosphere. Since Song Jiang and his men had fought a great battle with Wang Ying and others from Qingfeng Mountain that day, Hua Rong sent people to arrange rooms for everyone to rest.

The next morning, after everyone had finished eating, they arrived at the Qingfeng Village martial arts arena. Hua Rong, holding the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Bow and carrying the Big Dipper Seven Star Arrow on his back, was already waiting there!

Pang Wanchun didn't have a very good bow and arrow, so Hua Rong laughed and said, "I once acquired a bow that Yang Youji used when he was young. It's called the Yang You Bow. Since Brother Wanchun is known as the Little Yang Youji, why don't I give it to you as a gift!"

"This!" Pang Wanchun hesitated. As the saying goes, one should not accept a reward without merit, especially such a valuable gift!

But this bow seemed to exist solely for him, waiting for its master, and he really didn't want to refuse!

After hesitating for a moment, Pang Wanchun finally spoke up, "I'm really embarrassed to accept such a valuable gift!" Pang Wanchun's words were quite persuasive; it was up to Hua Rong to say what he would say!

Hua Rong laughed and said, "Brother Wan Chun, don't worry. You've always been by Brother Gongming's side. As the saying goes, a good bow is given to a hero. Besides, with this bow, Brother Wan Chun can better protect my Brother Gongming!"

Pang Wanchun also felt that continuing to be polite would be hypocritical, so he took the Yangyou Bow. He saw that the bow was dark green and he didn't know what material it was made of. It was like a crescent moon, simple and ancient!

As Pang Wanchun gripped the bow, he suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he had become one with the bow, filled with a special emotion!

Pang Wanchun touched the bow, and the bow seemed to have found its master, emitting a joyful sound!

Hua Rong laughed and said, "It seems this bow is destined for Brother Wan Chun. How about we compare?"

Pang Wanchun also laughed and said, "I'm willing to listen to Brother Hua Rong!"

Hua Rong raised his bow and said, "How about we have three rounds: multiple shots, scatter shots, and long-range shots?"

Pang Wanchun laughed and said, "I'd rather accept your offer!"

Hua Rong said, "In that case, please let Brother Wan Chun go first!"

Pang Wanchun didn't stand on ceremony; a soldier brought over a quiver filled with arrows!

Pang Wanchun took out three arrows, nocked them onto the bowstring, drew the bowstring taut, and with a "whoosh," shot them out!

From a hundred paces away, three targets hit the bullseye!

Pang Wanchun drew five more arrows, this time moving laterally to shoot them. One hundred and fifty paces away, the five arrows hit the bullseye, and the five arrows trembled violently!

Even though these soldiers were used to Hua Rong's excellent archery, Pang Wanchun's skill still surprised them greatly!

Pang Wanchun drew seven more arrows, suddenly fell to the ground, and shot them out!

Two hundred paces away, all seven bullseyes were hit by arrows, and the soldiers cheered!

Pang Wanchun lowered his bow and smiled, "Brother Hua Rong, please!"

Hua Rong praised, "Brother Wan Chun, your archery skills are truly excellent! I've made a fool of myself!"

After saying that, Hua Rong picked up the Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon Bow in his right hand, put his left hand in his mouth and whistled. Suddenly, a pure white steed rushed over. Hua Rong took a step, jumped onto the white horse, drew out seven Big Dipper Seven Star Arrows, nocked them on the bowstring, and drew the bowstring taut!

No sooner said than done, in the blink of an eye, the seven arrows shot out like lightning, unstoppable!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!" Seven arrows hit the bullseye of the target, then, as if they were nothing, they pierced through the bullseye and hit the white wall behind the target. The Big Dipper arrows shot into the white wall before stopping their advance!

Pang Wanchun was completely convinced and said, "I lost the first round. I've heard of Li Guang's archery skills, hitting the bullseye every time. Today, seeing you, my brother, your archery skills are in no way inferior to Li Guang's. No wonder you're called 'Little Li Guang.' I humbly admit defeat!"

Hua Rong humbly replied, "I only relied on my superior archery skills; Brother Wan Chun's archery is in no way inferior to mine!"

Pang Wanchun said, "Although the arrow is sharp, Brother Hua Rong has ultimately won!"

In fact, when Hua Rong's Big Dipper Seven-Star Arrow pierced the target, Pang Wanchun was bound to lose the round. Hua Rong not only pierced the target but also fired seven arrows at once, while Pang Wanchun started with only three arrows. He hadn't touched a bow in a long time and needed time to adjust. But the battlefield is different. The ever-changing situation doesn't care whether you haven't trained or touched a weapon for a long time. So Hua Rong won the first round!

Both were straightforward and generous people, and they quickly started the second round of the competition!

The difficulty of the first round lies in shooting multiple arrows and hitting the same target. It not only tests eyesight, but also requires mastery of bow strength, balance, and technique. Only these two are rare archers in the world, which is why they were able to achieve this!

In the second round, fifteen lanterns were hung at the shooting range, and the goal was to shoot them down within a set time. Whoever shot down the most lanterns won!

Only one soldier has about twenty seconds to run from the east side of the training ground to the center. He must fire at least two arrows at a time, but can only fire one arrow at a time. This round tests the ability to fire arrows in rapid succession. When the time is up, whoever fires the most lanterns wins!

This time, Hua Rong went first. A soldier shouted "Start!" and Hua Rong instantly drew an arrow and shot it. Then, one Big Dipper arrow followed another!

The arrows hit their mark perfectly; all three shots struck the lantern in one smooth motion, taking less than two seconds!

Hua Rong fired five more arrows in quick succession, all of which hit the lantern!

Hua Rong's move truly shocked everyone present. No one had ever seen an arrow shot like that before. Even Song Jiang in later generations had never seen anything like it. It was like a scene from a video game!

But the real show had only just begun when Hua Rong fired seven arrows this time! The seven arrows seemed to transform into the Big Dipper's arrow beams, each seeking its own target!

Swish, swish, swish! Everyone felt as if they were dancing a snowstorm, and before the dance was over, the lantern fell to the ground, while the soldier had only just run to the middle of the training ground!

Clap clap clap! Song Jiang led the applause. Many people seemed to have never seen clapping before, but those in Liangshan knew it. They joined in the clapping, and the applause went from sparse to thunderous, resounding like gongs and drums all around!

Pang Wanchun gave a wry smile. Hua Rong's archery skills were strong, truly too strong. However, he couldn't easily admit defeat, otherwise he would be unworthy of the nickname "Little Yang Youji"!

After calming himself down, Pang Wanchun picked up his bow and went to the training ground.

Pang Wanchun took a deep breath, picked up the Yangyou Bow, and walked to the center of the training ground!

A soldier shouted "Go!" and Pang Wanchun, as swift as lightning, drew an arrow and shot it out. Then, one arrow after another followed. He actually shot six arrows in a row!

Six arrows, like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, were thrown at the six lanterns!

The six lanterns, like a rainbow piercing the sun, fell to the ground and shattered!

The crowd cheered loudly, never expecting that Pang Wanchun would shoot nine arrows in a row this time!

Nine arrows, like nine stars in a row, hurtled towards their target!

"Thump thump thump thump," the nine lanterns fell to the ground in agony, powerless to struggle!

But the soldiers arrived first and stood beside Pang Wanchun, watching him intently!

Pang Wanchun let out a breath and said with a wry smile, "I've lost again!"

Hua Rong said, "Brother Wan Chun won the second round. I can only shoot a maximum of eight arrows in a row, but you managed to shoot nine, which gives you the edge over me!"

Pang Wanchun shook his head and said, "But the soldiers are already beside me! In terms of speed, I was ultimately a little too slow!"

Hua Rong laughed and said, "With so many people protecting Brother Wan Chun amidst the vast army, how could anyone get close to him so easily!"

Before Pang Wanchun could speak, Song Jiang said with a smile, "Both of you brothers are unparalleled archers. How about we call this a draw?"

Hua Rong laughed and said, "Let's do as you say, brother!"

Seeing that Song Jiang had spoken, Pang Wanchun clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Alright, thank you for your consideration, Brother Hua Rong!"

At this time, more and more soldiers came to the training ground, and even soldiers from other battalions came to watch the two compete in archery!

After all, witnessing two unparalleled archers clash is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Seeing that more and more people were gathering, Hua Rong glared at them and shouted, "Aren't you all supposed to be training? Guarding the camp? What are you doing here watching?!"

Song Jiang laughed again, "Brother, your archery skills are so superb that they are rarely seen these days. Now that we have a friend like Brother Wan Chun, why don't we let them watch? They should take you two as their role models and practice even harder in the future!"

Hua Rong, upon hearing Song Jiang's suggestion, did not object. He simply told the soldiers, "In that case, after Brother Pang and I finish our contest, we must each return to our positions!"

The soldiers, seeing that Hua Rong had agreed, exclaimed happily, "Thank you, General!"

Hua Rong smiled and said, "It's early autumn now, and wild geese fly by every day. For the third round, we'll have a goose-shooting competition!"

Pang Wanchun nodded and said, "As you wish, brother!"

Hua Rong said to a soldier, "Bring me six arrows made of bamboo!"

The soldier responded and brought over six bamboo arrows!

Hua Rong laughed and said, "Brother Wan Chun, with our archery skills, shooting a goose is not difficult! The real skill lies in shooting it down without leaving a scratch!"

Pang Wanchun thought for a moment and then said, "I really don't know how to shoot this, I hope you can teach me, brother!"

Just then, a flock of geese flew in from not far away!

Hua Rong took a bamboo arrow and shot it at the wild geese in the sky.

Truly: The magpie-drawn bow curves like a full moon, the eagle-feathered arrow bursts forth like shooting stars. The grip is strong, the release swift. Geese fly in formation like taut swans, arrows are released like unfurled glued poles. Their shadows fall in the clouds, their cries echo in the grass. The geese's flight across the Milky Way is startled and broken, yet heroes joyfully join their ranks.

The wild geese were calling in the air when they were suddenly hit by arrows. Hua Rong fired three arrows in quick succession, and the three wild geese fell to the ground!

A soldier rushed to the spot where the geese had fallen, and when he returned, he saw that the three geese were indeed unharmed!

It turns out that when the wild goose opened its mouth to call, Hua Rong shot an arrow that hit the goose's lower throat. The goose's mouth was still open and had not yet closed when the arrow pierced its throat. The goose fell down because its mouth could not close. This kind of goose is called the open-mouthed goose. Legend has it that Xue Rengui made a living by shooting open-mouthed geese when he was in a cold cave during the Tang Dynasty!

Everyone present, except Song Jiang, was astonished. Hua Rong's archery skills were truly unprecedented and unparalleled throughout history!

Pang Wanchun hesitated for a moment, then said, "Brother, I have never shot this 'opening goose' before, so I will make a fool of myself today!" He then picked up a bamboo arrow.

The arrow shot out like a swift fire or a meteor!

"Thud thud thud!" Three geese fell down!

A soldier went to the spot where the goose had fallen and returned to place it on the ground.

The crowd went forward to investigate and saw that an arrow had pierced the center of the goose's head, and the other two were also open-headed geese!

The crowd cheered, and Pang Wanchun said with a wry smile, "In the end, my brother is still stronger!"

Hua Rong humbly replied, "Brother, you hit the target on your first try! You're better than me!"

Seeing Hua Rong's humility, everyone admired him even more!

Pang Wanchun wasn't a petty person; he knew Hua Rong was just trying to comfort him, so he didn't dwell on it!

After Hua Rong dismissed the soldiers, he called Song Jiang and the others back to the hall for a banquet. Song Jiang called Li Kui over and whispered something in his ear. Li Kui nodded and quickly ran out.

The next day, following Song Jiang's instructions, Hua Rong sent someone to fetch Liu Gao to the mansion for a banquet!

After receiving Hua Rong's letter, Liu Gao sneered, "That Hua Rong has always relied on his superior martial arts skills to look down on me. Today, he's come to invite me to his residence. It's like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—he's up to no good!"

The servant respectfully said, "A brother from Magistrate Hua's village has come looking for him. He learned that you and he are at odds, so he has come to invite you to his residence to resolve the misunderstanding between you!"

Liu Gao snorted and said, "What merit or ability does that man have to interfere in my affairs? He's just being arrogant! In the entire Qingzhou, apart from Prefect Murong, I don't need to give face to anyone else!"

The servant said, "This person isn't from Qingzhou, but it seems he has prepared a generous gift for you!"

Liu Gao's eyes lit up, and he said, "In that case, why don't I go see what Hua Rong is up to!"

After making some preparations, Liu Gao led his wife to Hua Rong's residence in a sedan chair!

Song Jiang had already pulled Hua Rong to wait behind the door. Hua Rong was very unwilling, feeling that Song Jiang had no need to lower himself!

Song Jiang laughed and said, "As the saying goes, a gentleman has things he will do and things he will not do. My good brother, what does temporary honor or disgrace matter? This is just a small matter right now, don't get angry!"

Hua Rong had no choice but to hide the disdainful expression on her face.

After waiting for about half an hour, with Hua Rong and Song Jiang still talking, Liu Gao finally arrived late with his wife Shan Shan!

As soon as Liu Gao got off the sedan chair, he saw a short, dark-skinned man with a sincere smile. Hua Rong was right next to him. Although his expression was normal and he did not show any anger, Liu Gao still keenly sensed that Hua Rong was harboring resentment!

Liu Gao laughed smugly and looked at Song Jiang. For some reason, although the short man in front of him was not good-looking, he had an invisible aura of killing intent that was faintly intimidating him!

Liu Gao shook his head, thinking it was just his imagination, and brought Madam Liu to Hua Rong!

Hua Rong cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Prefect Liu!"

Liu Gao ignored Hua Rong and asked, "And who is this?"

Hua Rong said, "This is my brother, Song Jiang, the clerk of Yuncheng!"

"Oh!" Liu Gao snorted, but inwardly he was somewhat disdainful. So he was just a clerk, a mere minor official.

Song Jiang could sense that Liu Gao looked down on him from the bottom of his heart; that contempt for him came from the inside out.

However, Song Jiang really didn't care. Sometimes you can broaden your perspective and think long-term. There's no need to bother with these insignificant people, especially since he was about to die!