Volume One, Chapter 8: The Composite Bow, Piercing an Arrow Through a Hundred Steps!

After a brief moment of silence, a burly figure stepped forward from the left, his rugged face flushed with anger. He said, “Great Khan, the Grand Yu Empire has always been deceitful and untrustworthy. This is very likely their scheme.”

“I humbly request to lead the army to reclaim our honor for the Xiongnu, to crush the city of Suiye and avenge our past humiliation!”

Huyan Zhuo resumed his seat on the throne. Folding his arms and closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm his emotions. When he opened his eyes again, the fire of anger had not fully subsided, but there was now a trace of calm determination.

“Left Wise King, heed my command!”

“I hereby order you to assemble the elite forces of your division immediately. At dawn tomorrow, the army shall march to Suiye and strike directly at the heart of the city. We must show the Grand Yu Empire the true might of the Xiongnu!”

As his words fell, the Left Wise King knelt on one knee and respectfully acknowledged the order. “I obey your command!”

...

Under the mingling light of stars and moon, like silver silk spread across the land, the distant mountains and fields were clearly illuminated.

At the southern gate of Suiye, a thousand fierce horses lowed softly, sensing something amiss, their hooves restlessly stamping the ground.

Qin Feng stood with his hands behind his back. Not far ahead, a majestic convoy of supply wagons came into view, moving with overwhelming momentum.

Ten catapults had been dismantled into numerous parts, loaded onto fifty supply wagons, each carrying key components and guarded by a hundred soldiers.

At the front of the convoy, several wagons bore the sturdy main frames of the catapults, their dark ironwood radiating a cold, solemn sheen.

Beside them lay carefully crafted, tough ropes, each as thick as an arm, resembling lurking giant serpents in the night, loaded with immense elasticity.

Especially notable were the massive stone projectiles at the rear — each polished to a smooth finish and considerably larger than ordinary stones.

Thousands of soldiers clad in black armor stood at attention. A commanding officer stepped forward half a pace, saluted Qin Feng respectfully, then turned decisively and left without hesitation.

Qin Feng smiled faintly, turning his head to say, “Bring these catapults onto the city walls immediately and assemble them quickly. As for the supply wagons, dismantle them and hand them over to General Meng to manufacture chevaux-de-frise spears!”

One had to admit, the system was quite generous in certain respects. These fifty supply wagons were substantial resources, essentially gifted to Qin Feng — an unexpected windfall.

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The officer beside him showed a look of excitement. After respectfully accepting the order, he hurried to the supply wagons, running his hand over the catapult components as if gazing upon a peerless beauty.

With these catapults, even if the Xiongnu’s left-wing army arrived, they were confident they could defend Suiye.

The fifty supply wagons rolled grandly into the city. Qin Feng did not leave but turned to the soldier beside him and said, “Send for Li Xiuyuan.”

“Yes,” the soldier replied respectfully and quickly departed.

Soon after, another convoy arrived, carrying the five thousand bows and hundreds of thousands of arrows Qin Feng had exchanged for.

Eager to see what these composite bows looked like, Qin Feng stepped forward.

Ten points were required to exchange for a weapon, but twenty points were needed for each composite bow. These five thousand bows cost him one hundred thousand points, which stung a bit.

Arrows, however, were far cheaper — one point could be exchanged for a thousand arrows. Even if they fired continuously for twelve hours, Qin Feng could easily supply them!

He lifted a composite bow and examined it closely.

The bow’s body was entirely black and lustrous, with a faint oily sheen.

Its core was made from resilient purple sandalwood, tightly wrapped with thick sinews taken from a wild buffalo’s back, and the tips were inlaid with smoothly polished rhinoceros horn.

The three materials blended perfectly, forming a flowing, tension-filled curve resembling a crescent moon poised to strike.

The bowstring was woven from several strands of carefully twisted horsehair — both strong and elastic.

Qin Feng gripped the composite bow with his left hand, picked up an arrow with his right, and narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on a sturdy tree a hundred meters away. He drew the bowstring back with all his might, fully focused.

Whoosh!

Releasing the string, the arrow shot forth like a black lightning bolt, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle toward the target.

In an instant, the arrowhead struck precisely at the tree’s center, its tremendous force piercing through the trunk.

Crack!

A loud crash echoed as wood chips exploded like fireworks, fibers inside the tree torn apart, leaving a bowl-sized hole.

Then, to everyone’s astonishment, the once robust and upright tree began shaking violently, the soil around its roots loosening with a heavy rumble.

With a thunderous crash, the massive tree, requiring three men to encircle, slowly toppled to one side, raising a cloud of dust!

Qin Feng stood dumbfounded, staring incredulously at the black composite bow in his hand.

The power exceeded his wildest expectations — it was several times stronger than conventional bows!

Then he thought again.

Ordinary soldiers lacked Qin Feng’s strength, so fully drawing the bow would be difficult for them.

But even at half draw, the power surpassed that of ordinary bows.

It was easy to imagine: thousands of these composite bows firing simultaneously would leave the Xiongnu left-wing army, even armored, utterly unable to withstand the onslaught — doomed to slaughter!

“Excellent marksmanship!”

At this moment, Li Xiuyuan’s sharp eyes flashed with surprise as he hurried forward, cupping his hands in salute. “Your Highness, shooting with such precision at a hundred paces — I am impressed!”

Qin Feng smiled faintly and handed the composite bow to Li Xiuyuan. “Try it.”

As an archery expert, Li Xiuyuan recognized the bow’s exceptional quality at a glance. Without hesitation, he nocked an arrow and released it — the arrow howled through the air!

Two hundred meters away, the sturdy tree shattered and fell with a crash!

“Wonderful bow!” Li Xiuyuan exclaimed with joy.

No wonder Qin Feng had him select four thousand archery-proficient soldiers for training — everything had been planned well in advance.

Looking at the thousands of bows and arrows on the supply wagons, he could already envision the Xiongnu army suffering devastating losses and fleeing in disarray!

Qin Feng patted Li Xiuyuan on the shoulder, smiling. “Deputy General Li, I’m entrusting all these bows and arrows to you. Have the troops become familiar with their power. If they fail to repel the Xiongnu, I’ll hold you accountable!”

Li Xiuyuan’s expression turned solemn. Standing tall, he saluted. “Your Highness, rest assured. I vow by military order to inflict heavy damage on the Xiongnu!”

Without waiting for further instructions, Li Xiuyuan immediately ordered the composite bows and arrows to be transported inside the city.

Shortly after, Qin Feng ascended the city walls, where Xu Qian, the officer responsible for weapons and equipment, hurried up, his face alight with excitement. “Your Highness, this craftsmanship is truly miraculous!”

“Hmm?” Qin Feng was momentarily taken aback, uncertain what he meant.