Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

"Clatter clatter clatter!"

Shen Qing slung the heavy arrows over his back and, spurring his horse, charged into the city.

The sound of the horse hooves echoed through the streets, appearing exceptionally urgent and loud.

Shen Qing looked ahead to find that the originally bustling shops were now in complete disarray.

The shopkeepers were panicking, some hurriedly rolling up their bedding, others frantically stuffing the goods from their shelves into carts.

Everywhere were the anxious whispers of women and the heavy sounds of men hauling.

The air was filled with an ominous premonition.

"I heard that the Huang Tian Sect is coming. They pillage, kill, and commit all kinds of evil deeds. They've just slaughtered all of the county town's Guardian Martial Department officials clean. We better run for our lives now!"

"Yes, yes, we must leave before it's too late."

...

A few well-dressed merchants gathered together, speaking in low voices.

The street was noisy, and though their voices were not loud, Shen Qing, who was passing by, heard them clearly.

He could not help but frown, his nerves tensing.

Shen Qing knew that the Huang Tian Sect would come, but he had not expected them to arrive so soon.

He must find Xiao Hu early and take him away.

Delay could lead to disaster.

Not daring to delay even slightly, he clenched his legs tighter around the horse's belly to hasten its pace and headed straight for the courtyard house.

Along the way, Shen Qing encountered many ragged people, dragging their weary bodies through the crowd, begging for food or shelter.

Unfortunately, the passersby were in a hurry, and no one paid them any heed.

After turning several streets, Shen Qing finally approached the familiar courtyard house.

The gate was half open, so he dismounted swiftly, casually tying the reins to an old locust tree outside, and rushed into the courtyard in large strides.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, Shen Qing's steps halted abruptly, his gaze quickly locking onto the center of the yard.

There stood an old man dressed in a gray short jacket, looking like a servant, with numerous bloodstains on his body.

His eyes, hidden within wrinkles, flickered with a sinister light, indicating malice.

"Is this Mr. Shen Qing in person?"

"Who are you?" Shen Qing asked in a deep and alert voice, full of caution.

He looked around and, finding no one else but this uninvited guest in the yard and no traces of Shen Xiaohu, his heart sank immediately.

The old man slowly raised his head, his mouth curling into a calm smile, "I'm an old servant under the fifth young master of Yongzhou's Zhou Family, ordered to claim Mr. Shen's life."

Having obtained the 'Never Forget' ability, Shen Qing had no recollection of this Zhou Family's fifth young master. His face coldly expressed, "I have no acquaintance with your young master; no recent grudges nor past conflicts. I wonder, what offense have I given to your master that he seeks my life?"

"No grudge is needed; my young master merely wishes to borrow Mr. Shen's head for a while. If the gentleman agrees, this old servant can grant a swift end."

As the words fell, the Zhou Family's old servant's clothes stirred without any wind.

Shen Qing's pupils shrank suddenly, reflecting the faint swirl of Qi surrounding the old servant.

This servant, with Qi flowing freely inside his body, was able to form a protective barrier indicating his cultivation had reached the Qi Cultivation Realm, or at least, one foot into the Qi Hai Realm.

In Taiping County, such strength was considered top-notch, yet he was willing to serve as a servant of the Zhou Family.

What exactly was Yongzhou's Zhou Family's background?

Shen Qing took a deep breath to calm the waves inside him and said indifferently, "I have a question for you?"

"Oh? What is it? Let's hear it," responded the servant.

"Have you encountered my cousin and what have you done to him?"

Glancing down at the bloodstains on the ground, the old servant replied, "Just now, I indeed killed a few young men near your house, about your age. Now that I think about it, one of them did bear some resemblance to you..."

"Then you damned servant, you really deserve to die!"

Shen Qing's entire body trembled, and he lashed out instantly.

Streams of Qi gathered at his fingertips and with a muffled 'thud', they transformed into a fierce wave of Qi Force, shooting straight at the Zhou Family's old servant.

The Zhou Family's old servant looked surprised.

In his haste, he gathered his Qi into an invisible shield in front of him, causing even the air to warp.

Bang!

The Qi Force from Shen Qing struck the old servant, forcing him to stagger back repeatedly, his hastily conjured shield dissipated.

A look of shock filled the face of the Zhou Family's old servant.

"Qi Cultivation Realm, are you also a martial master of the Qi Cultivation Realm?"

His heart could no longer remain calm in an instant.

To know that he had served the Zhou Family diligently all these years, it was only with many years of hard work that he obtained a top-notch Martial Arts manual complemented with some Elixirs to reach his current level.

Even this, was already something many people envied but could not achieve.

Yet, this young man in front of him came from a hunter's background and practiced Martial Arts in a place like Linfeng Hall, which certainly did not have his resources available.

Frankly speaking, the Cultivation Resources that leaked through the Zhou Family's fingers were beyond Linfeng Hall's reach even if it waited eight generations.

How did he accomplish this?

Impossible, absolutely impossible, it must be an illusion.

The Zhou Family's old servant's face turned fierce, and he no longer held back his strength.

With a twist of his foot, his body swayed and he charged in front of Shen Qing, throwing punches at him.

"Die!"

Thump thump thump.

Shen Qing turned his fingers into palms, clashing with the old servant's punches, emitting a dull collision sound.

The servant's fists were like the wind, and each punch seemed to carry the might of moving mountains, powerful enough to break through paper, and incredibly fast.

Even for the Wind Defying Finger technique, which was known for its movement, this was somewhat difficult to handle.

Shen Qing repeatedly took several punches.

Fortunately, he had practiced the Dragon Roar Armor, and with the Golden Silkworm Armor on his body, the fierce power of the Zhou Family's old servant seemed unable to break through even the outer layer of defense on his skin.

The longer Zhou Ji's old servant fought, the more apprehensive he became, noticing the opponent's continuous, relentless Inner Strength and terrifying defense.

He struck with all his might over several punches, yet the other party seemed unscathed.

If this continued, he would deplete all his Qi Force.

Is this guy even human?

The two exchanged a series of blows in the courtyard, with the continuous dull explosions echoing in the yard.

The Zhou Family's old servant's punches grew fiercer, but Shen Qing stood like an unbreakable wall, keeping his Qi Force out.

"Is this all you've got, and you still want to kill me? Who gave you the courage?"

"Hmm?" The Zhou Family's old servant suddenly looked up and met Shen Qing's eyes.

Shen Qing's eyes were filled with a beast-like ferocity, so bright they were blinding, making the servant shiver.

"You..."

Whoosh!

In an instant, Shen Qing extended two fingers towards the Zhou Family servant's chest.

Accompanied by a piercing whistling sound, they swiftly hit the old servant.

"Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill, Fourth Transformation! Condense!"

A scalding and burning breath burst forth from the two fingers of Shen Qing.

The brutal Qi Force exploded at the chest of the Zhou Family's old servant, centered at one point.

Bang!

The Zhou Family's old servant screamed, as he got hit by the force like a kite with a broken string, flying back and crashing against the courtyard wall.

His heart trembled violently.

No good, I have to leave, or I will die here.

The Zhou Family's old servant gritted his teeth, leapt onto the rooftop, and with his Qinggong, he desperately fled.

Shen Qing slightly narrowed his eyes.

He took the Heavy Bow off his back and notched a dark iron Heavy Arrow.

With sharpened eyesight, he activated his Skill.

Shen Qing's perception was immensely amplified as he locked his gaze on the fleeing Zhou Family old servant, grasping his trajectory in an instant.

He gathered all his strength into his right hand, pulling the bow to its full extent.

The next moment, Shen Qing suddenly released his hand.

With a "whoosh," the dark iron Heavy Arrow flew like lightning from the bowstring, tearing through the sky with a whistling sound heading straight for the old servant.

The Zhou Family's old servant sensed the threat of the arrow, his face filled with shock and terror.

He turned his head, only to see the heavy arrow growing rapidly in his pupils.

In the end, with a "thud," it pierced through his chest.

The Zhou Family's old servant's body stiffened mid-air, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his eyes gradually losing their luster as he fell from the sky like a powerless bird.