Chapter 122: This Arrow, for Beiling!

North Ling Prince’s Mansion. The backyard.

"Zhou Li?!" Su Qingmeng’s face was filled with astonishment at the name.

Li Yunji sat before a desk, speaking in a leisurely tone, "That’s right, it is him. I’ve thought about it all night, and I couldn't come up with anyone else."

"But isn't he a member of the Crown Prince's faction?" Su Qingmeng asked, her brows tightly knitted.

"That was merely our own wishful assumption," Li Yunji said, his gaze deep and inscrutable. "Perhaps we have been misled all along. On the surface, Zhou Li opposes me, but in the shadows, he has been aiding me."

"How do you explain that?" Su Qingmeng was completely bewildered. "During the martial competition in the military camp, his son certainly didn't hold back."

"That was just a facade," Li Yunji said, his expression turning solemn. "In that competition, who was the ultimate beneficiary?"

Su Qingmeng recalled the moment, a flash of realization crossing her eyes. "It was you!"

Li Yunji nodded. "The competition itself was insignificant. The true purpose was to force me to summon my sword spirit in front of everyone. That was his real goal."

Su Qingmeng had a sudden epiphany, her doubts dissipating. "Qingyuan is the Prince’s sword spirit, sharing a soul connection with you. For Qingyuan to accept you means the Prince has accepted you. Zhou Li’s actions were intended to help you solidify your standing within the military."

"Precisely," Li Yunji replied with a slight nod.

No wonder when he had visited Zhou Li’s manor previously, the man seemed indifferent to the death of his son, Zhou Jingzhi, and even encouraged his other son, Zhou Cheng, to draw a blade against him. It turned out everything had been part of Zhou Li’s grand design.

"So, you mean Zhou Li will use his techniques to save us?" As Su Qingmeng finished speaking, a glimmer of hope appeared in everyone's eyes. Archery was the most difficult discipline to master within the martial arts system. As the only third-rank archer in the world, Zhou Li might possess the means to break their predicament.

Li Yunji shook his head, looking out the window. He said in a low voice, "More than twenty-five days have passed outside. If he had a way, he would have acted long ago."

The light in everyone’s eyes dimmed instantly.

"Then what do we do?" Yuntian muttered.

"Wait," Li Yunji said, his gaze firm.

"Wait for whom?"

Li Yunji’s lips curled into a faint smile. "Wait for your father."

...

Outside the barrier, seven days later. The Zhou Mansion.

Fang Zhong hurried into the main hall, where Zhou Li sat at his desk, his brows furrowed in concentration.

Fang Zhong bowed before presenting an ancient book. They exchanged silent glances, and Zhou Li quickly took the book and began flipping through it.

"This is... a manual of arcane arts?" Zhou Li frowned as his eyes scanned the unintelligible characters on the pages.

Fang Zhong nodded. "Prime Minister Su’s intent is for Commander Zhou to send this book into the barrier surrounding the young Prince."

Zhou Li’s expression grew even more grave. "Does the Prime Minister not know that the barrier was cast by a second-rank warlock?"

"He knows," Fang Zhong replied firmly.

"If he knows, then why..." Zhou Li stopped mid-sentence, suddenly struck by a realization. His heart pounded.

The two men stared at each other for a long time. A complex emotion flickered across Fang Zhong’s face, and he nodded slowly.

After a moment of silence, a look of resolve flashed in Zhou Li’s eyes. He reached out, and the glowing Sun-Splitting Moon-Chasing Bow on the wall flew into his palm. The bow body vibrated slightly, the taut string emitting a low, mournful hum.

Zhou Li took a deep breath and gently stroked the bow. His callous-covered hands were uncharacteristically tender.

"This bow has been with me for many years, earning countless honors," Zhou Li said, his tone filled with pride. His thoughts drifted back to that harrowing battlefield of the past. "Back in the war against the northern desert, we even saved the Prince’s life together."

"Old friend," Zhou Li whispered, "today, let us fight side by side one last time."

As he finished speaking, his eyes sharpened like a hawk’s, and the veins on his hand gripping the string bulged. He vanished in a flash of light, shattering the roof and ascending into the clouds.

He drew the longbow, and countless strands of golden light condensed into an arrow! With every half-inch the bow was drawn, Zhou Li’s aura grew heavier. Only when he reached the maximum draw, his fingertips turning white and trembling uncontrollably, did he stop.

Zhou Li took a deep breath, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"This arrow!"

"For North Ling!"

Zhou Li roared. With a fierce gaze, he released the string. The bowstring let out a thunderous howl as the arrow tore through the air, heading straight for the North Ling Prince’s Mansion. Meanwhile, his own body, drained of all strength, plummeted from the sky.

...

North Ling Prince’s Mansion. Study.

"It’s here!" Li Yunji keenly sensed the disturbance outside the barrier. He rushed out, eyes fixed on the sky.

A shaft of golden light was crashing directly into the barrier. It struck with unstoppable force, like a vicious dragon striving to tear the barrier apart!

"What a powerful aura!" Yuntian gasped. "This arrow is approaching the strength of a second-rank practitioner."

"Can it break the barrier?" Chu Qi, unfamiliar with the path of cultivation, asked doubtfully as she watched the barrier remain motionless.

"It will be difficult," Shiyi replied solemnly.

Suddenly, without warning, Li Yunji leaped into the air. Qingyuan unsheathed, and he delivered a clean, sharp sword strike toward the point of impact, attempting to lend his strength to the arrow. The others followed suit.

With their combined efforts, a flicker of change finally appeared at the barrier!

"It’s breaking!" A glimmer of joy appeared on Su Qingmeng’s face. A crack was spreading across the barrier! In no time, it had grown to the size of a palm.

Just as hope swelled in their hearts, the arrow of light suddenly vanished! The crack in the barrier closed instantly.

They returned to the ground, staring blankly at the spot where the barrier had split, sighs echoing all around.

"It seems there is no hope," Yuntian was the first to give in.

"The barrier cracked just now; perhaps another attempt could break it," Su Qingmeng said intensely.

"There won't be another chance," Yuntian’s voice sounded desolate. "Commander Zhou’s strike just now exhausted all of his true energy. After this arrow, there will be no more third-rank archers in this world."

A dead silence fell upon them.

"Where is the Young Master?" Shiyi suddenly noticed Li Yunji was nowhere to be seen and scanned the area.

"The Young Master is over there," Chu Qi pointed toward the study.

Looking through the window, they saw Li Yunji sitting upright, reading the yellowed, ancient book with intense focus. They quickly moved toward the study.

"What is this?" Su Qingmeng asked, looking at the blue-bound volume in Li Yunji’s hand.

"The Heavenly Origin Arts!" Yuntian’s eyes widened, his voice trembling with excitement. "This is the origin of all arts, the Heavenly Origin Arts! All the world’s techniques stem from this book!"

"This book has been lost for hundreds of years! How did you find it?"

Li Yunji did not look up, flipping through the pages rapidly as he said in a low voice, "It was carried within the arrow of light Zhou Li shot. The moment the barrier cracked, the book fell inside."

"How could he possibly have this book?" Yuntian frowned, muttering to himself.

"Now is not the time to dwell on its origins," Li Yunji said, turning to a specific page and asking Yuntian, "Little brother, what do these symbols on this formation mean?"