Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Pellet Bow
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He propped the Heavenly Divine Solar Bow against the floor on one side. Then he took a deep breath. With his right hand, he gripped the upper limb, and with his left, he seized the string. He put strength into both legs, pressing down hard with his right hand while pulling with his left.
Power exploded from his entire body.
Tendons bulged from his face, neck, arms, and legs. The Heavenly Divine Solar Bow, which hadn't budged at first, began to bend little by little. Ak Muyoo stared at it with an impassive face and poured in his strength.
A peculiar energy enveloped his whole body.
At one point, it bent more than an inch past the mark. The corners of Ak Muyoo's mouth stretched into a long grin. Finally, he strung the bow.
"It's done."
A satisfied smile rose on his face. With the string in place, it looked even smaller. Ordinary bows used in the military were just shy of five chi tall—about 150 centimeters—but the Heavenly Divine Solar Bow was only two and a half chi—75 centimeters.
He stood straight and drew the string.
"If it were me before, I couldn't have even drawn it."
That was a fact. It wasn't just stringing the bow that took effort—drawing the string demanded considerable strength too.
"But I can do it now."
He quickly drew and released the string.
*Twang!*
A clear, resonant sound rang out from the string.
—Bows begin with drawing the string.
Those were the words of a comrade he'd served with in the past.
The friend, nicknamed "Younghochincheon," was an archery expert. Ak Muyoo had learned to shoot from him. What they'd practiced most was rapid fire.
—Bows aren't just for long arrows. There are bows that shoot stones or lead pellets, and those are called pellet bows. Pellet bows are a bit smaller than standard bows, making them easier to carry.
—Can you shoot arrows half the length too?
—Of course. But they need to weigh the same as regular arrows—or even more.
—Lighter means less power, right?
—Exactly. The real issue is they're several times harder to master than regular bows. A normal bow's shaft supports the arrow, but a pellet bow offers no such help. Do it wrong, and the pellet can strike the shaft and snap the bow.
—Makes sense.
—Want to learn anyway?
—Got nothing better to do. Might come in handy.
*Whoosh!*
*Twang!*
*Whoosh-twangs!* *Whoosh-twangs!* *Whoo-twangs!* *Whoosh-twangs!* *Whoosh-twangs!*
Ak Muyoo's hand moved at a terrifying speed.
His hand dropped to his waist, snatched at the air, gripped the string, drew, and released—all in the blink of an eye.
*Twang! Twang-twang-twangs!* *Twang-twang-twangs!* *Twang-twang-twangs!* *Twang-twang-twangs!*
At some point, the sound of his arm moving vanished, leaving only the constant ringing of the released string.
After drawing and releasing the string nearly a hundred times without pause, he lowered the Heavenly Divine Solar Bow.
"Alright. Time to try real arrows now."
Ak Muyoo picked up the Heavenly Divine Solar Bow and headed outside. It had already grown dark.
"Everyone's assembled."
As Ak Muyoo emerged, Jung Tae-rang approached and reported.
"They're gathered in the training yard?"
"Yes."
"Any bows around?"
"Yes."
"Grab five bundles of arrows and some bows. Targets too."
"Understood."
Jung Tae-rang hurried off. Moments later, Ak Muyoo arrived at the training yard. Around six hundred men stood there. For all their titles—Cheonjung Corps, High Citadel Corps, Chaga Corps—they were little more than ordinary commoners. They clustered in small groups, chatting.
"What if... the Cheonjung-High Citadel-Chaga houses fall and get absorbed by another family? What happens to us?"
Someone glanced at his companions and asked.
"Life goes on the same, no?"
Another replied.
"No, it won't."
Ak Muyoo spoke up.
The group turned to him as one.
"Who're you?"
One of them asked.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is what happens to you if Cheonjung-High Citadel-Chaga vanishes. You."
Ak Muyoo pointed at one man.
The man looked at him.
"Who owns the land you're farming right now?"
"I'm the owner."
"And you?"
This time, he pointed to the man beside him.
"I rent from the family head to farm it."
"If Cheonjung-High Citadel-Chaga disappears, you two end up the same. You'll lose your land, and you'll lose your tenancy. Then you'll toil like slaves every day. Warm evenings with family become distant memories. Losing a war means that. It's naive to think just the landowner changes while life stays the same. The enemy is no different from bandits raiding your home. Want to live like before? Only way is to wipe out the bandits."
"But... who are you, exactly?"
"The one who called you all here."
"Th-the family head...?"
"Right."
Ak Muyoo stepped forward to the platform. Everyone in the yard turned to watch. He swept his gaze from left to right. Then his eyes stopped on one spot.
A young woman amid the men.
"Come here."
Ak Muyoo beckoned her.
She pointed at herself, and when he nodded, she stepped up to the platform.
"What's your name?"
"Holan."
"Are you a regular member, or filling in for someone?"
"I'm standing in for my brother."
"He hurt?"
"Not hurt—just weak. I handle heavy work better than him."
Just then, Jung Tae-rang returned with the bows.
He handed the bows and arrow bundles to Ak Muyoo, who tossed one to Holan.
"Nice one, huh?"
"You know how to shoot?"
"Pretty well."
"How far?"
"A hundred paces."
"Jung Tae-rang."
"Yes."
"Set a target a hundred paces out."
"Got it."
Jung Tae-rang dashed off with a target. The crowd parted left and right as he ran.
"Here."
Ak Muyoo handed Holan an arrow and tucked one into his belt.
"The family head's shooting too?"
"I shot five years ago and haven't since—need practice. First time with this bow too."
"It's small."
"Thinking it might be a pellet bow."
"The kind for stones or iron balls?"
"But it should handle arrows too. Shoot first."
"Okay."
Holan nocked an arrow and aimed at the target.
*Thwip!*
The arrow flew from the string and buried itself straight into the target a hundred paces away.
"Whoa!"
Exclamations rose from the crowd.
"Faster!"
Ak Muyoo said.
"Faster?"
"Five times faster than that."
"Possible?"
"Yeah."
"...I'll try."
Holan took a deep breath. She quickly nocked another arrow and fired. But the speed barely improved.
"Step aside."
Ak Muyoo came down from the platform and took her place. He nocked an arrow and slowly drew. Aimed at the target like before and released.
*Shoo!*
The arrow rocketed off. It didn't come close to the target, of course.
"First time stringing it—still adjusting."
He aimed lower for the second shot.
It sailed past the target again.
"Lots of women who shoot well?"
He asked while nocking the third.
"Yeah."
"Want to be captain?"
"Captain?"
"Thinking of forming an all-women unit. What do you say?"
"Not a bad idea. With a big population, no need for women to fight—but compared to other houses, we're weak..."
"You want to defend, right?"
"Don't want to end up slaves."
"Exactly."
*Twang!*
Ak Muyoo released.
*Whiiish!*
The arrow tore through the air at frightening speed.
*Thud!*
A dull thunk followed soon after.
"Got the feel."
Ak Muyoo's hand blurred into motion.
*Twang! Twang-twang-twang-twang!* *Twang-twang-twang-twang!* *Twang-twang-twangs!*
The arrows flew in a steady stream.
*Thuk! Thuk-thuk-thuk!* *Thuk-thuk-thuk!* *Thuk-thuk!*
Every one struck the target.
"Not saying shoot like this. At least three or four times faster than now."
"Isn't it because the family head's a martial artist?"
"No inner energy or anything like that for me."
"..."
"Anyway, you're captain—gather your own members."
"How many?"
"Up to a thousand, fine by me."
"Got it. I'll put one together."
"Good."
Ak Muyoo returned to the platform.
"Members, form ranks by fives and tens!"
Jung Tae-rang bellowed, and the men quickly aligned.
Ak Muyoo turned his gaze right.
"Cheonjung Corps Captain Jung Tae-rang reporting."
His eyes shifted to the center. At the front of the Chaga Corps stood a tall man.
"Chaga Corps Captain Taksin reporting!"
His gaze went left.
"High Citadel Corps Captain Heolchi reporting."
Heolchi was skin and bones.
"I didn't call you for any special reason. I want your opinions. The ones who attacked former Family Head Cha Sawoong belonged to the Four Evils Bandits—a group of brigands. But they don't plunder randomly; they move on commissions. Meaning the former head wasn't killed in some freak accident—he was assassinated on someone's order."
Murmurs rippled through the men at the word "assassinated on commission."
"I didn't know the reason at first. Truth is, Chacha Kingdom isn't worth anyone's greed—it's no great prize. And among its houses, Cheonjung-High Citadel-Chaga was the weakest. Raises a question: what's to gain assassinating the head of the weakest house in the weakest kingdom? Sure, that bastard Cha Jiwoong might betray for the seat. But outsiders had no reason to kill the former head. Then I learned something shocking here. Gold. Vast gold deposits in the mountains owned by our Cheonjung-High Citadel-Chaga."
"No way!"
"Gods above!"
The murmurs swelled.
"That means we might have to go to war with whoever commissioned the hit on the former head. I'll be straight. I inherited Cheonjung-High Citadel-Chaga from my sworn brother, the former head. My wife too—joined by marriage, not Chacha blood. If you don't want us, my wife and I will leave the house my brother begged us to protect. You decide. Come to the house when you have an answer."
Ak Muyoo stepped down from the platform and left.
Ruha stood waiting at the entrance to the yard.
"You're back?"
"Who told you about the gold mine?"
"A woman named Si Ru."
"When did you meet Her Highness?"
"She was the king?"
"Yeah."
"Then Haru is?"
"The princess."
"I see."
Ak Muyoo nodded.
"I've been invited."
"Invited?"
"For dinner."
"How's your relationship?"
"Friendlier than with other houses. Not close enough to bare our souls, though."
"Got it. You going?"
"Can't refuse a king's invitation."
"True. Let's go together."
The two headed for Heavenly Pavilion.
"Nice string job."
Ruha noted the Heavenly Divine Solar Bow.
"Wouldn't at first, but went easy this time."
"You've gotten a lot stronger."
"Seems so. Oh, and I asked Ironwood Old Man to make me a Dark Current Arrow."
"Dark Current Arrow?"
"Yeah."
"He agreed?"
"Gave me this too."
He rolled up his sleeve, revealing the Mad Demon Armor.
"That's..."
"Gaema armor."
"Gaema stuff's ancient history..."
"Came to the Border Wastelands twelve hundred years ago. Its owner came to take down Great Radiant Martial of Solar Heaven Martial Sect."
"Who was Gaema's owner?"
"Fear Heaven's lord, Demon Heaven, one of the Six Absolute Heavens."
"Good lord..."
Ruha stared blankly at Ak Muyoo.
"Ironwood said he'd give me Gaema if I wanted, but I refused. So I keep wearing it."
"Ironwood's from Fear Heaven, then."
"Ancient history. We're here."
They entered.
"Let's talk."
As soon as they did, Mok Bu-seong and Seo Haran approached.
"Perfect timing. I had something to say too."
Ak Muyoo grinned and moved to a spot. Moments later, the three sat across a table.
"Name your terms."
Seo Haran cut right in.