Shen Qing, possessing the "Never Forget" Skill, remembered very clearly any book content he had seen, even if he had merely glanced over it once.That day, he had perused the roster taken from the Huang Tian Sect General, and he remembered that on one page, the name "Zheng Yuanqiu" was conspicuously listed.
"Zheng Yuanqiu, thirty-five, corpulent, fond of wealth, cultivation at the Dan Realm. He acts swiftly, accurately, and ruthlessly, is suspicious, and does not make a move without a foolproof plan. Joined the Holy Sect in the second year of Tian Guang, trustworthy," it read.
Could it be that the Chief Officer of the Guardian Martial Department was actually an angel of the Huang Tian Sect?
This was too preposterous.
However, if it was the Chief Officer, sitting in that position would indeed enable him to control the movements of his subordinates and secretly communicate with Taiping County.
Upon careful reflection, this possibility could not be eliminated.
"Lord officers, what is the matter?"
Shen Qing withdrew his thoughts and calmly said, "It's nothing."
"If there's nothing, then I'll get back to my duties."
With that, Liu Sangui no longer lingered in the room and left.
After sending Liu Sangui away, Shen Qing pondered in the room for a while but still couldn't be certain.
Having stayed for about the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, he walked out the door alone.
As he walked into the courtyard, he detected several faint glances sweeping over him from the rooms on both sides of the courtyard.
Shen Qing looked around and noticed that several rooms had their doors wide open, and the clerks of the Guardian Martial Department wearing the usual attire curiously glanced at him a few times.
But after a few glances, they withdrew their gaze and continued joking with their subordinates.
There was neither disdain nor adulation, seemingly indifferent to Shen Qing.
Shen Qing didn't mind and began to casually stroll around the office of the Guardian Martial Department, familiarizing himself with each department.
The Guardian Martial Department did not have six offices; it only retained a few clerks responsible for miscellaneous clerical work such as documents and archives of the Guardian Martial Department.
As Shen Qing passed by, he happened to see a clerk of the Guardian Martial Department organizing paperwork on the desk.
With a thought, he entered unnoticeably, pretending to be browsing.
Noticed by someone, he was dismissed as a new attendant getting familiar with the department.
Shen Qing's eyes darted around and finally, among the documents, he found what he wanted to see—Zheng Yuanqiu's handwriting.
Taking advantage of others not paying attention, he stepped forward, glanced over it quickly, then immediately put it back and walked out leisurely with his hands behind his back.
Upon stepping out of the clerk's office, Shen Qing's complexion involuntarily darkened.
It was confirmed.
The handwriting in Zheng Yuanqiu's notes matched the handwriting on the letter exactly.
He was indeed a spy for the Huang Tian Sect!
His immediate superior was actually a secret agent of the Huang Tian Sect; the waters of the Guardian Martial Department ran deep indeed.
However, knowing Zheng Yuanqiu's identity, Shen Qing did not plan to act hastily.
He had just joined the Guardian Martial Department and had not yet established a firm footing; exposing Zheng Yuanqiu's identity would be disadvantageous and detrimental to himself.
Even if he spoke out, no one would believe him.
It was best to keep this matter to himself for now, be aware of it in his heart, and then look for an opportune moment to act.
...
Time flies, and time passes like an arrow.
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
During this period, Shen Qing had completely adapted to life at the Guardian Martial Department.
He wore the black beast attire exclusive to the Guardian Martial Department, attending roll calls and patrols daily.
Apart from catching a few petty thieves, all was peaceful.
During this time, Tian Xiaohu and Xiao Zhi had also gotten a clear picture of the situation in Yongzhou, and in general, among the Thirteen Lines' bosses, some were strong like the Zhou Family, reaching upwards to the heavens.
The weak, such as the Qian Family, had degenerate descendants, stirring up trouble daily, showing a declining trend.
The overall situation was not as perilous as Wu Sheng had portrayed.
In Xinyi Square, Shen Qing, carrying a heavy bow and wearing a long sword and an arrow quiver, walked down the street with Liu Sangui and four others, looking imposing.
Ordinary people who saw him also stepped aside, not daring to act recklessly.
As usual, after patrolling Xinyi Square, it was soon time to clock off at the Xi hour.
Shen Qing refused Liu Sangui and the others' proposal to have drinks, mounted his Zhui Feng Horse, and left the city before dark to an open area in the mountains.
The sound of the spring water was distant from the hustle and bustle.
Shen Qing slid down from the horse, patted Zhui Feng, and Zhui Feng snorted, lowering his head and wandering off on his own into the brook.
With familiarity, Shen Qing took down his well-known Heavy Bow and walked to an open space with his Arrow Quiver.
He took out an ordinary arrow and aimed at a rock wall ahead, his expression becoming extremely focused.
The city was too cramped to practice archery.
Now that life had stabilized, he had found a quiet, suitable place in the mountains outside the city where he came every day to train in Bow Technique or practice other Martial Arts.
Shen Qing drew the bow, aimed, and released the arrow in one fluid motion.
With a muffled bang, stone chips scattered, and the iron tipped arrow deeply embedded itself into the rock wall.
Shen Qing was expressionless as he drew another arrow and repeated the practice.
The whistling sounds of arrows cutting through the air continuously erupted throughout the forest.
After numerous repetitions, when Shen Qing once again drew the Heavy Bow, his eyes changed.
[Skill: Bow Technique (Great Perfection)]
[Progress: 502/500]
[Status: Ready for Advancement]
[Note: After continuous and persistent harsh training, your Bow Technique has advanced once more, allowing you to break the limits of conventional Bow Technique and comprehend the Limit Breaking Technique of the Bow.] Searᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Finally, it had arrived.
After countless repetitions of drawing and shooting, Shen Qing had finally filled the progress of his Bow Technique, meeting the conditions for further advancement.
He licked his lips without any hesitation and focused on the column for Bow Technique, thinking, "Advance."
As this thought occurred to him, the ink character descriptions for Bow Technique began to refresh and change.
[Skill: Bow Technique (Break Limit)]
[Progress: 2/600]
[Status: Not available for upgrade]
[Note: Heaven rewards the diligent. Through relentless practice, your Bow Technique has broken its limit, comprehending the Break Limit Technique "every arrow hits the mark," ensuring every shot hits its target.]
"Every arrow hits the mark?"
Shen Qing looked at the information, his body shaking in realization.
With his Heavy Bow fully drawn, it could pierce iron and stone at two hundred steps, and dislocate bones and tendons at five hundred steps.
If he could achieve "every arrow hits the mark" even outside of his line of sight, that was indeed quite terrifying.
As he thought about it, the familiar feeling came again, and countless foreign memories surged forth.
Fortunately, after so long enduring hardship, both his body and his divine sense had become much more robust, and the previous symptoms of dizziness and blurred vision did not appear again.
Enduring the discomfort, Shen Qing slowly digested the memories in his mind.
After the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, he opened his eyes.
At that moment, it was as if he had had an epiphany, suddenly feeling an indescribable tacit understanding with the bow as if the bow had become a part of his body, moving at his will.
Shen Qing's gaze shifted slightly, activating the skill [sharp eyesight], and spotted the trace of a wild mountain goat five hundred steps away.
He notched an arrow to the bow without hesitation or aiming.
Almost like breathing or eating, he instinctively shot an arrow.
"Swoosh!"
The arrow flew off the string, with a piercing whistle, turning into a black light that ripped through the void, directly targeting the mountain goat five hundred steps away.
"Crack!"
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As the mountain goat bowed its head to graze, completely unguarded, the arrow arrived instantaneously, inserting itself accurately into its heart; the powerful inertia knocked it to the ground.
In the distance, dusk fell, and the last traces of sunset were gradually swallowed by the greedy darkness.
Shen Qing sprinted forward, looking at the dying mountain goat with a trace of joy, "Tonight there will be an extra dish."