Chapter 27: First Battle In The High Martial World
“Compound bow and arrow?”
Luo Wu Shang glanced at the arrow that had pierced through the tricycle’s iron plate, then could not help but look toward the place the arrow had come from, a trace of excitement in her eyes.
“Did we just trigger a plot?”
“Should be. A new map is unlocked, so of course there will be new plot. I wonder what it is this time.”
Zhang Qing Wei pulled out the alloy arrow that was more than one meter long, examined it carefully, then swung it a few times, amazement in her voice.
“It seems we can use this arrow too. The weight and feel are pretty good.”
“For real. Sharpen it a bit and it can be used as a sting sword.”
Luo Wu Shang also took the alloy arrow, swung it twice, her eyes full of joy.
She had been in this High Martial Arts Descend place for so many days. She had not learned a martial skill she liked, and did not even have a practice weapon, only an alloy shovel to swing in her spare time. She felt her swordsmanship had grown rusty.
If she could have a sting sword, even if it was not her usual sword, it would still be much better than nothing.
“Southeast, 137 meters. Six people. Four holding bows and arrows.” Fang Zhen looked up toward where the arrow had been shot from and stated the situation on the other side with precise calm. “But these six don’t seem to be human race. Each of them has wings, all hiding in a ruined building.”
“Everyone get behind the vehicle!” Lin Qi looked at how calm Fang Zhen and the other three were and was speechless. He hurriedly gave orders while quickly grabbing weapons from the driver’s seat.
In the wilderness, monsters were often secondary; the most important danger was the vagrants.
Normally, unregistered nomads would not attack others for no reason, especially not a five-person team driving a tricycle like theirs. Usually that represented some gang faction in the wilderness. When unregistered nomads saw them, they would avoid them, much less take the initiative to attack.
Yet under Lin Qi’s orders, everyone moved behind the tricycle neither fast nor slow, as if this matter had nothing to do with them.
Just as everyone got behind the tricycle, a loud warning came from the distance.
“Hand over the crocodile fang rhinoceros and we of the White Feather Gang can spare your lives and let you leave safely.”
“Don’t think you can drive that junk tricycle away. That junk tricycle’s speed is nowhere near as fast as our gliding!”
As the warning came from afar, Lin Qi had not yet collected himself. Instead, Fang Zhen, Luo Wu Shang, Twilight of the Gods, and Zhang Qing Wei all looked excited and thrilled.
“I knew it. This has to be a special plot trigger.”
“I think I’ve heard of this White Feather Gang in the last plot. They have some power in the wilderness.”
“Could it be the game is unlocking new gameplay, a wilderness dungeon confrontation?”
“Very possible. I always felt this game was strange. Why make such a huge open map and make it so exquisite, every frame a work of art? So this is what they were waiting for.”
The four chatted while occasionally poking their heads out, curiously looking toward the abandoned building in the distance, as if they were looking at a rare delicacy.
Beside them, Lin Qi, who had taken out an A5-grade composite longbow and black steel arrows, was speechless.
At a time like this, these four still had the attitude of spectators eating melon seeds.
One had to say, people’s sorrows are not shared.
“White Feather Gang?” Thinking of those three words, Lin Qi’s expression darkened slightly.
Although the White Feather Gang was not a gang from the suburban district, it was a fairly strong gang among the wilderness nomads, roughly able to rank in the top hundred wilderness gangs.
In the wilderness, there were several million unregistered nomads. To reach the top hundred, a gang needed at least several hundred people.
“Hall master, what should we do now?” Luo Wu Shang looked at Lin Qi holding a weapon, curious how this plot would develop.
“What to do?” Lin Qi fell silent. The current situation was very unfavorable for them.
The White Feather Gang had six ordinary people, four with compound bows, already in the most advantageous position, aiming at them. On their side, they had three ordinary people and two with underdeveloped bodies. How were they supposed to fight that?
The six from the White Feather Gang seemed impatient with Lin Qi’s silence. Another arrow was loosed and went straight through the tricycle’s battery.
“Damn it! My vehicle! My fifty thousand bit!” Lin Qi saw the tricycle’s battery shot to pieces and was furious. “Hit them!”
They might only have three ordinary people and two with underdeveloped bodies.
But all five of them had learned martial skills. The strength they could burst out in a short time reached limit quasi-apprentice level, and he himself could reach apprentice level. He refused to believe they could not beat six vagrants.
Hearing this, the four’s smiles grew even wider.
Finally, new gameplay was unlocked.
“Hall master, what about our weapons?” Fang Zhen asked tentatively.
Now that new gameplay, or rather a super-large dungeon mode, was starting, it was truly exciting. But if they could have some weapons, it would be even better.
“Weapons?” Lin Qi glanced at the four.
Among them, only Luo Wu Shang held an alloy arrow. The others held alloy shovels. Asking them to fight the White Feather Gang like this was indeed a bit much.
“See what you can use.” Lin Qi no longer hesitated and pointed at the two remaining composite longbows and black steel arrows on the vehicle. “You can borrow these for now.”
Back then, to have some safety for wilderness travel, he had specifically asked Luo Qi to forge three A5-grade composite longbows. Quasi-martial artists usually used them for practice. For martial artist apprentices, they were a bit strenuous to use, but their power was definitely greater than the compound bows of the White Feather Gang.
“Great! They even unlocked a weapon trial function.”
“But why are the only weapons composite longbows and arrows?”
“Having them is already good. Don’t you see this is a ranged sniper battle now? Of course we use bows.”
Listening to the slightly complaining Luo Wu Shang and the other two, Fang Zhen was inwardly ecstatic. Without another word, he picked up an A5-grade composite longbow and black steel arrows.
“Finally! Finally my specialty gets a turn!” Fang Zhen lifted the composite longbow of more than thirty kilograms with joy. “This feels really good, better than when I practice archery in reality. Is this the power of one hundred percent virtual degree technology?”
“I don’t know how to use a bow,” Twilight of the Gods said blankly as he looked at the composite longbow.
“If you can’t use it, then just use the arrows as weapons. The weight is much better than an alloy shovel, very suitable for our current strength,” Luo Wu Shang said, putting away the White Feather Gang’s arrows and picking up the black steel arrows with satisfaction. “We can barely use them as long swords.”
“Then leave this bow to me,” Zhang Qing Wei said, picking up the 5-meter composite longbow weighing more than thirty kilograms and swinging it twice. “It’s not as handy as a long saber, but it’s still better than nothing.”
Watching the four finish picking weapons, Lin Qi suddenly felt a bit of regret.
Of the four, only Fang Zhen was using the weapon correctly. The others clearly had no intention of using the composite longbows as bows.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three arrows in a row shot toward Lin Qi and the others, but because it was dark, the aim was clearly poor, and all of them hit the tricycle’s body.
“Looks like they’re getting serious.” Seeing the arrows already aiming for people, Lin Qi directed, “Fang Zhen and I will provide ranged cover. The three of you find a chance to get close.”
Lin Qi was somewhat confident in his archery. After all, in this virtual era, he had played countless virtual games, including many archery games.
Given his physical fitness, a longbow was the best choice, which was why he had asked Luo Qi to forge three composite longbows in the first place.
But before Lin Qi and Fang Zhen could launch a covering attack, Luo Wu Shang and Zhang Qing Wei exchanged glances. One holding a black steel long arrow and the other a composite longbow, they charged directly toward the White Feather Gang.
“Are they crazy?” Lin Qi’s head throbbed at the sight.
Did those two understand cooperation at all?
As Luo Wu Shang and Zhang Qing Wei charged straight from the front, the six members of the White Feather Gang in the distant building over a hundred meters away were stunned.
“What gang are these people from? Are they all this bold?”
“Dark gray long-sleeved T-shirts, and they were holding shovels before. I’ve never heard of this gang, but judging by them, their gang’s treatment must be pretty good.”
“Who cares whether their gang has good treatment? The four of us will take down these two!”
The four winged youths of the winged tribe looked at the rapidly approaching Luo Wu Shang and Zhang Qing Wei with contempt in their eyes, drawing their bowstrings to full.
“Those first shots only missed because it was dark and too far. Do they really think we’re useless newcomers?”
“Volley within fifty meters. Take out the one with the composite bow first!”
A winged youth with a double-wing badge on his collar began giving orders as he watched the two draw nearer.
Fifty meters.
Even in such darkness, at that distance they were fully confident they could hit their target every time. In his view, Zhang Qing Wei must think the same, which was why she approached.
Luo Wu Shang and Zhang Qing Wei drew closer and closer.
One hundred meters… eighty meters… sixty meters…
“Now!” the winged youth leader commanded.
Four steel arrows tore through the air, shooting precisely at Zhang Qing Wei, who held the composite longbow. They were so fast they were impossible to track in the night.
Just as the arrows were about to hit Zhang Qing Wei, she still did not dodge, sprinting straight toward the building.
“Is she insane?” The winged youth leader watched Zhang Qing Wei not even try to evade and decided she must be an idiot.
Even though it was impossible to dodge the four of their arrows, as a human, she should at least struggle.
When the four arrows were less than ten meters from Zhang Qing Wei, Luo Wu Shang suddenly moved ahead of her, black steel arrow in hand, and swung fiercely.
She drew one, two, three, four slashes of black light. The black light flashed like exploding stars.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
All four steel arrows were deflected aside and slammed into the ground. Luo Wu Shang slid back two steps, steadied herself, then charged forward again.
“Holy shit!”
“Is she human or a ghost?”
The winged youth leader stared at this scene, his jaw dropping.
