Chapter 52: A Cloud-piercing Arrow
William stood at the shooting line for the last target. This time, he didn't pull down the blindfold.
He stood on the line, closed his eyes, and cleared his mind. The audience didn't rush him; they were curious to see how he would shoot his final three arrows.
After standing quietly for two minutes, William suddenly fired an arrow. There was nothing special about this shot, at least compared to his previous trick shots. But just as the audience was wondering about this ordinary-looking shot, he fired a second.
The crowd heard a loud *thwack*. Everyone looked at the big screen. They saw only one arrow on the target. Then, the high-speed camera replay showed the image of the second arrow. In slow motion, everyone watched as the second arrow struck the nock of the first, splitting it and embedding itself in the shaft, leaving only one combined arrow stuck in the target.
Before the audience could even react, William had already fired the third arrow. The same thing happened again: the third arrow struck the tail of the second, splitting it as well.
After the shot, William looked at the big screen, then raised his hands and shouted in triumph. He was genuinely excited himself; he hadn't expected to actually pull it off.
William happily high-fived Wilson and patted Harry on the shoulder. By now, the two princes were completely in awe of William. In their eyes, he was the strongest person in the world. He was the first person in the world to display such archery skills.
Diana Rigg, microphone in hand, ran towards William with a cameraman.
"William, what are you feeling right now, and how did you train to do this?" Diana asked excitedly. She was trembling, knowing she was about to become famous. By associating herself with William, she was incredibly glad she had approached him a few days ago. Tomorrow's newspapers and television reports would definitely mention her.
She was confident in her looks; she just needed an opportunity. Now that it had arrived, she wouldn't let it go. She would hold on to William tightly, no matter what.
"Excited and grateful," William replied. "I want to thank my grandfather, Henry, who is in heaven. He taught me all of this. And my mother and my grandmother." He looked up as if speaking to the heavens, "Henry, do you see? I've learned everything you taught me, and I've done even better. You can rest assured, I will take good care of Mother."
As he spoke, he even managed to squeeze out a few tears. *Taught by Henry my ass*, he thought. He was just looking for a plausible excuse for his incredible skills. For abilities he couldn't explain, he could only say that Henry had left behind a special training method and that his own talent was exceptionally high.
"As for how I train, sorry, Diana, I don't really know how to explain it. It's mainly talent."
"When I was very young, I showed a talent for shooting, which surprised my grandfather. He started training me when I was seven. What you see today is the result of more than ten years of training," William said, lying through his teeth.
"Well, although talent is important, can you talk about your training methods? The audience must be curious. You must have some special techniques," Diana pressed, asking the question everyone wanted to know. The live broadcast host couldn't help but nod in agreement.
William considered it. "The basics are similar to current training methods. However, the Devinshire family has some special skills that have been passed down for hundreds of years."
"But I'm sorry, I can't say anything more about that. These are family secrets that I will only teach to my own children. And in this peaceful age, people no longer need these skills. Bows and arrows have been replaced by firearms. At most, these skills can be used in the sports arena."
Hearing William mention the sports arena, Diana eagerly asked, "Since you mentioned sports, have you ever considered representing England in the Olympic Games? I think if you participated, you would definitely win the championship. Does everyone agree with me?"
"Yes! If William competes in archery, he could win the championship without even trying his hardest!"
"Yes!"
"Diana Rigg, you're absolutely right!"
"I don't think we've ever won the men's archery Olympic gold medal," one audience member asked uncertainly.
"I don't know, but I know that the men's archery competition will be dominated by William Devinshire from now on. Who in this world could possibly compete with William?"
The speaker's companion nodded in agreement. He really couldn't imagine anyone who could compare to William in archery.
Seeing the enthusiastic response from the crowd, Diana smiled at William. "Well, William? Everyone supports you participating in the Olympic Games. You can't refuse the wishes of the English people."
William thought about it. If he won a championship, he could use it to motivate his future children. He could bring them his medal and say, "Look at your dad. I'm rich, and I'm an Olympic champion. Now I'm just asking you to work hard. What do you have to complain about?"
Thinking about it, William decided it was a good idea. He nodded to Diana. "I would personally be honored to participate in the Olympic Games, but I don't know if I'm qualified. I'd have to ask the Olympic Committee."
Diana laughed. "William, you don't have to worry about that. I don't think anyone on the English Olympic Committee would dare to refuse you. The citizens wouldn't stand for it."
"Yes!" "That's right!"
"If they dare to do that, we'll vote them out! We don't want idiots leading our athletes to the Olympics!"
Hearing the crowd's response, William waved his hand at everyone in thanks.
Diana winked at William. "See, William? I told you. All of England supports your participation in the Olympic Games."
"Well, it would be my honor to participate. I will work hard to win the championship. Thank you all for your support," William said.
He glanced at his watch and saw that it was 5:30, so he had to say his goodbyes to Diana.
Under the protection of bodyguards and staff, William escorted Wilson and Harry out of the venue and to the parking lot.
On the way, he rejected all requests for an exclusive interview. These reporters were desperate to talk to him, but William had no time and had other appointments to keep.
A three-car convoy left the Olympic Pavilion, heading for Kensington Palace.
That night, England's newspapers and television were once again dominated by William. Everyone was reporting on his feats that afternoon. The reaction from anyone who saw it was the same: impossible. No one expected that the bow and arrow, a weapon that had long been obsolete, could still be so exciting. After that day, sales of bows and arrows across England increased dramatically.
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