Sure enough, he saw several familiar figures walking side-by-side toward the dense forest...
Besides the familiar Zhao Tianxing, Chen Xuan from the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall, and his Senior Brother Yu Xiao...
Accompanying them was a middle-aged man with a build as burly as an iron tower and a resolute face, exuding the rugged aura of a Martial Artist from the martial world.
An old mory suddenly flashed through Chu Fan’s mind...
He recognized the man as Wang Kaishan, the master of the Mountain Opening Boxing Hall.
In Cyan Yang Ancient City, Wang Kaishan was a figure of so renown.
He rembered that a year ago, when he was making a living by fishing, he had also considered joining the Mountain Opening Boxing Hall to learn martial arts.
Unfortunately, the hall’s tuition was exorbitant and had to be paid every six months. The six-month fee was even more expensive than the Chu Family’s ancestral ho; he simply couldn’t afford it.
In the end, he had to give up on the idea and let it go.
Chen Xuan and Wang Kaishan were both close friends of Cao Feng, the current Gang Leader of the Seven Stars Gang, and their bond had always been strong.
But in the four months Chu Fan had been with the Seven Stars Gang, he had never seen either of them set foot inside its gates.
Seeing them appear together today was a slight surprise.
Chu Fan hurried forward, clasping his fists in salute, and greeted each of them in turn. "Greetings, Master Chen. Greetings, Master Wang. Greetings, Senior Brother Yu."
When Wang Kaishan heard Chu Fan correctly identify him, he was montarily taken aback, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
He had never t this young man before. ’How could he possibly know who I am?’
When Senior Brother Yu Xiao heard Chu Fan call him by na, a look of pleasant surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by a hint of flustered gratification.
That day at the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall, their master, Chen Xuan, had only made a polite introduction, presenting him and a few other disciples to this exceptionally talented junior brother.
He had assud Chu Fan wouldn’t pay him any mind, so he was surprised that the boy not only rembered his na but was also so humble and polite. His favorable impression of Chu Fan grew even stronger.
Chen Xuan looked at Chu Fan. Though his face held a subtle hint of concern, his tone was deliberately reproachful. "Chu Fan, you must know..."
"For any school of Martial Arts, especially a skill like archery that requires such ticulous refinent, you can’t achieve true mastery by shutting yourself away and practicing in isolation."
"When you’re training, if you encounter confusing problems or bottlenecks you can’t break through, and there’s no one around to offer guidance, it’s easy to go astray. You’ll end up with half the results for twice the effort. Wouldn’t that be a terrible sha?"
The underlying aning of his words couldn’t have been clearer...
On the surface, he was chiding Chu Fan for not returning to the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall for guidance after receiving the "Moon Eclipse Arrow" Arrow Manual, warning that fumbling around alone would inevitably lead him astray.
But despite the reproach in his words, the relief and amusent in his eyes were impossible to hide.
He knew full well that Chu Fan’s talent for archery was supre and that he would never slack off in his training. These words were simply an expression of an elder’s concern for a junior.
Beside them, Wang Kaishan, master of the Mountain Opening Boxing Hall, gazed at the composed, sharp-eyed Chu Fan and suddenly recalled what his old friends Cao Feng and Chen Xuan had told him...
This young man had reached the Bone Marrow Forging realm at such a tender age, and his talent for archery was simply extraordinary.
A mix of complicated feelings welled up within him, and a sour taste of jealousy rose in his throat.
He muttered to himself, ’A rare gem of such outstanding talent... how did that old fox Cao Feng manage to snatch him up first?’
’And then he let this scoundrel Chen Xuan get the better deal, passing on his precious Moon Eclipse Arrow?’
’It’s... the heavens are truly unfair!’
’My Mountain Opening Boxing Hall has been open for so many years, so how co I’ve never had the good fortune to recruit such an outstanding disciple?’
Chu Fan naturally picked up on the concern in Chen Xuan’s words. Wiping the smile from his face, he said apologetically, "Master Chen, please forgive . I’ve been completely imrsed in my training lately. I haven’t slacked off on my archery, but I was negligent in not coming to the Martial Arts Hall for your guidance. It was my oversight, and I hope you won’t hold it against ."
Chen Xuan waved his hand dismissively, a forgiving smile on his face and a nonchalant tone in his voice. "It’s nothing. To have such focus at your age is a rare thing indeed."
"The other day, Tianxing ca back to the Martial Arts Hall and told your strength has been advancing by leaps and bounds. While I was happy for you, I was also worried you might be biting off more than you can chew—focusing on other Martial Arts and neglecting your foundation in the Moon Eclipse Arrow. That’s why I made a special trip to check on you and put my mind at ease."
He paused, a look of unconcealable pride spreading across his face. He shot a sidelong glance at the envious Wang Kaishan before continuing, "And on the other hand, I also wanted to show off a little to that old fox, Cao Feng..."
"Under my careful guidance, Tianxing brought his Moon Eclipse Arrow to the Perfection realm last night!"
"That kind of progress is a rare sight among the younger generation of the martial world!"
As he spoke, his gaze shifted between Chu Fan and Zhao Tianxing, his voice filled with emotion. "I’ve taught many disciples in my life, but when it cos to raw talent for archery, I’m afraid only you can compare to Tianxing."
"Even I spent several years of arduous effort to bring the Moon Eclipse Arrow to the Perfection realm back in my day!"
"But Tianxing? He reached Great Success in twenty days and Perfection in less than two months! It’s... it’s truly astounding what the younger generation can achieve. Unbelievable!"
Hearing this, Chu Fan felt genuinely happy for Zhao Tianxing. A sincere smile spread across his face as he offered his praise, "Tianxing has extraordinary talent and was born for the Arrow Dao. With Master Chen’s dedicated tutelage, an achievent like this is truly well-deserved. Congratulations."
Zhao Tianxing stood to the side, trying to keep a straight face and feigning an air of nonchalance, as if reaching the Perfection realm with the Moon Eclipse Arrow was no big deal.
But he couldn’t quite suppress the upward curl of his lips, and the unconcealable joy in his eyes gave away his true delight.
"Alright, enough about Tianxing."
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