"By the way, about that incident at the South Gate Archery Practice Ground—there's been a little development. What do you think we should do?"
Zhao Hu snapped out of his temper and asked.
He told Lu Chang'sheng about the whole staged accident thing.
Lu Chang'sheng chuckled and said, "It's no big deal. In fact, a few new clients have asked me about it these past few days. I told them honestly—I don't know those people! Give it a few days, and their so-called reputation won't be worth a thing!"
"So you had a plan all along!" Zhao Hu fixed his bright eyes on Lu Chang'sheng. "I really don't get what's in that head of yours—sometimes you're so clever it's almost scary!"
Lu Chang'sheng let out an awkward laugh. "Don't overthink it. I just try to stay a bit more alert, that's all!"
Two days later—
South Gate, inside a courtyard.
The sound of porcelain smashing on the ground gave the archery trainees outside a start; they looked anxiously at the largest chamber in the compound.
"Calm down!"
"How do you expect me to stay calm? The guys over at the West Gate really won't even share a single bite of the pie?" A man in yellow snapped, breathing hard, a vicious glint in his eyes.
"That's Three Red Gang territory. If they can run things that big over there, they have to be in league with the Three Red Gang!" A goat-bearded man's eyes flashed slyly.
"Come on, figure something out!"
"Didn't that old guy say the other is really his apprentice? Have him go over and settle things—teacher giving student a lesson, that should be a piece of cake!"
"Good idea!"
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Back at the West Gate compound, Lu Chang'sheng began preparing to move to the Traveler's Inn.
"If I can't find a suitable Archery Master in half a month, we'll just have to teach every other day!"
Lu Chang'sheng made time to write up the rules and guidelines.
A day later, he put together a draft and left it on the table, planning to go over it with everyone in the evening to see if he'd missed anything. Then, he got up, headed to the training field, picked up his bow and arrows, and began practicing.
It had been three months since his last breakthrough. No matter the weather, he made sure to practice for a while every day. His archery had become even more refined.
Meanwhile, at Traveler's Inn, Zhao Hu sat at a table. Before long, the waiter brought him tea as usual and asked if he wanted to order anything to eat.
Zhao Hu nodded and picked a few of the inn's signature appetizers, spending twenty copper coins.
After being shown up by Zhao Qing, Zhao Hu was now fully focused on sorting out Lu Chang'sheng's reading plans—just so he'd have something to look forward to himself.
Soon after the food arrived, a figure hobbled his way over.
"You the one looking for me?" The newcomer glanced at the dishes on the table, clearly eager to sit down right away, but forced himself to keep up a show, not wanting Zhao Hu to think less of him.
"So, you're Master Lin?" Zhao Hu gave him a good look. For some reason, the guy seemed familiar.
But he couldn't quite place him at the moment.
The man was actually Zhang Village. But when he'd returned home, Zhao Hu had already left for Black Mountain Prefecture, so the two hadn't crossed paths much.
Right now, to avoid old troubles catching up, Zhang Village had not only changed his look a little but even gone by a different name.
So, Zhao Hu just felt he'd seen the guy before but couldn't recognize him.
"Please, Master Lin, have a seat!"
As soon as they sat down, Zhang Village scooped up his chopsticks and started in on the food, leaving grease all over his mouth.
Seeing this, Zhao Hu sneered inwardly but kept a smile on his face.
"Looks like life's not treating Master Lin too well!"
"Who says? I just happened to skip breakfast today, that's all!" Zhang Village slapped his chopsticks on the table.
A dangerous glint flashed in Zhao Hu's eyes, making Zhang Village's heart clench; he almost dropped his act.
"Makes sense, makes sense! Anyway, I invited you here today to discuss a possible job." Zhao Hu forced a smile and proposed hiring Zhang Village to teach archery, offering fifty copper coins a month.
Not much, but not nothing. Still, Zhang Village had another motive for coming, so naturally, he wasn't about to agree so easily.
"It's not that I don't want the job—it's just, I'm not that interested in money. What I care about is my future! I've heard some things about your business here. I don't have any other requests—just one: I want to see your young teacher's archery skills for myself!"
"Sure!" Zhao Hu agreed right away; that was reasonable enough.
"No time like the present, Master Lin. This way!"
As Zhao Hu stood up, Zhang Village forced himself to look away from the leftovers on the table, cursing Zhao Hu internally: This clueless bastard—can't he see I want to eat?
Soon enough, they arrived outside the archery courtyard.
"After you, Master Lin!"
Zhao Hu stood at the door and gestured him in.
The gesture had plenty of eyes turning their way from inside the yard.
Zhang Village's back straightened with excitement.
His mission was simple: Show off a few moves in front of the kid, give everyone a taste of what a real old archery master could do.
Then toss out a sneer: That's it? I'm disappointed. Seriously, I'm really disappointed! Teaching with skills like that, you're just misleading your students!
And then, in front of everyone, walk right back to the West Gate.
Mission accomplished!
Bigger crowd?
Even better!
The more people, the bigger the scene when I smack that kid's face!
But just as he stepped into the yard, he instantly spotted a familiar figure practicing archery.
"Come over here, everyone—this is Master Lin, a truly exceptional archer I found elsewhere. Listen up—"
"Hey? Hey~ Master Lin, where are you going? You're heading the wrong way, our archery instructor is over here—" Zhao Hu hadn't finished speaking before noticing the old guy freeze, then turn and just leave.
Lu Chang'sheng, who'd just scored seven bullseyes in a row, turned to look and saw Zhao Hu chasing after the old man, so he put down his bow and followed too.
But as soon as he got outside, he saw Zhao Hu at the street corner looking left and right, then coming back, disappointed.
"That old fellow—it's true, his archery's solid. He said he wanted to check out your skill, but the moment he came in the door, he ran off!" Zhao Hu was puzzled. With that bum leg, how did the guy move so fast?
"That's a shame!" Lu Chang'sheng agreed.
Both felt they'd just missed out on a gifted archery teacher.
To their surprise, two days later, as Lu Chang'sheng was about to move to the Traveler's Inn, a familiar figure came hobbling over, grabbed Lu Chang'sheng's hand, and said sincerely, "Kid! I know I was wrong. Give me another chance, will you?"
"Old man?"
Lu Chang'sheng jumped, thinking, If an enemy managed to sneak up on me like this, that'd be the end of me!
Thank goodness—it's just an acquaintance!
"Exactly, kid, I admit my mistake. You're a once-in-a-million archery talent—trust me, take me on, and it won't be long before I take your skills to the next level!"
Zhang Village, clutching Lu Chang'sheng's hand, thought of everything he'd been through lately and almost burst out crying.
Miserable!
Absolutely miserable!
But he couldn't say it out loud—too embarrassing.
Before coming to Black Mountain Prefecture, he'd totally underestimated Lu Chang'sheng.
"No problem, no problem!" Lu Chang'sheng gave a small smile and helped the old man into the yard.
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