Chapter 8: Strength Does Not Allow for Modesty

Moreover, what the officer did not explicitly state is that the targets at eighty paces and one hundred paces are the officer's own practice targets, while those who enlist as archers here are mostly only using targets at sixty paces

Wang Qi nodded blankly, yet did not speak.

The 'senior soldier' at this shooting range is clearly a low-ranking officer skilled in marksmanship, as Wang Qi can roughly assess from the way he walks and the calluses on his fingertips

The clerk felt somewhat dizzy while reading, but finally managed to discern that it stated: Hunter from Wangjia Village, Qiu County, Father Wang Dashan, Mother Wu

Wang Qi's eyes were very shifty; he quickly glanced over the booklet and immediately recognized that this was the roster for the current recruitment.

In other words, the farthest anyone in this training ground could hit the target was at a distance of one hundred paces.

The clerk was evidently not surprised; he simply asked: "Name."

Wang Qi replied, "My father taught me some, and the old village chief also taught me some."

Although he could double that speed if he used his familiar short bow, even so, it left the recruiting officer dumbfounded

Apart from the character '村' being deliberately written as '寸', the rest is truly uncertain how to write... because he does not know traditional Chinese characters

With a full spirit, I set off early in the morning to the recruitment office

In this day and age, what knowledge does a true hunter in the mountains possess? Therefore, he must also appear somewhat dull and timid.

This one demonstration was all it took for Wang to become, in the eyes of the officer, an exceptional talent that could take off with just a little refinement.

In the page he saw, there were nearly thirty people, yet only he had such a note behind him

At this moment, the city gate had just opened, and the recruitment station had also just set up its stall, where several individuals in distinct armor, appearing to be of 'elite soldiers', were preparing.

However, the scribe was quite satisfied with this; it was already remarkable for the rural villagers to recognize a few characters, and it was only natural for their writing to be ugly.

Hmm. Wang Qi quickly expressed his stance, feeling as if he was being regarded differently simply because he could read and write

Do you know how to read and write

However, the scribe said, "This bow of yours should be a hunting bow from the mountains, its material is relatively soft and its power may be somewhat lesser. If you are selected, you will still be assigned a formal battle bow."

Wang Qi was careful to remember Wang Dashan's instruction not to stand out too much... However, he had already halved his performance of his abilities, yet the result was still exceptional

He walked over and stood at the place where the recruitment was taking place, saying nothing, just staring at the 'senior soldier' who was still sorting the banknotes. This was a scholarly-looking person, possibly a scribe.

He believes that he does not need to stand out so much, so most of his arrows are aimed at the target set at eighty paces, ensuring that they all hit the target.

Wang abandoned.

He merely glanced and naturally headed towards the place where the archery target was set up.

The scribe then prepared the classification of archers for him and said, "Go to the training ground; there will naturally be someone to test you. I have too many people here and no time to chat with you."

In this day and age, common people certainly do not have the privilege of possessing knowledge; being able to read and write is already considered quite remarkable.

However, it is quite satisfying that Wang Qi is able to recognize these characters, so after quickly transcribing this information onto another small booklet, he added a note at the end: can read and write basic texts

He was not accustomed to this level of force at that moment, and of course, he did not put his mind to thinking about it

Wang Qi quickly clasped his fists in gratitude and then headed towards the makeshift training ground behind the registration officer

The scribe also said: "It is not easy to know even a little, who taught you?"

Wang Qi looked around and noticed that no one had come over at this time, so he considered himself to have arrived early

However, he is indeed in a difficult position

After all, these individuals have been recruited here for the third day, and even if there are any excellent military resources in Qiu County, they have already been filtered out

The clerk did not take the paper and pen back with the book, but instead said: "Then you write down your place of origin and where you live."

Wang Qi hurriedly complied ... . ... He put down the short bow he had brought with some disappointment, realizing that this homemade bow seemed to be rather unpopular in the army

Since no one has come yet, he is also taking the opportunity to practice the Wang Qi method.

He found it somewhat difficult to write, as he almost instinctively went to add a punctuation mark.

Wang Qi then buried his head and wrote down a line: X Hill X Wang X Inch Hunt X Father Wang Great Mountain Mother None

With a single breath, two arrows can still ensure hitting a target at a distance of eighty paces. How should this performance be described... In terms of accuracy, it is not particularly outstanding, but the shooting speed is indeed impressive, and more importantly, it is stable

Since you can read, you can write your own name, right? Go ahead, write it yourself. The clerk directly placed the paper and pen in front of him

If you do not recognize it, leave it blank. The clerk waved his hand

Saying this, he tossed a wooden plaque with his name written on the front to Wang Qi.

Regarding this round of examination, Wang had long been prepared, saying: "Shooting quickly..."

At this time, he was also becoming familiar with the condition of this war bow, the rate of fire began to increase, and the targets hit were becoming increasingly distant

The scribe was thus satisfied with Wang Qi on a cultural level, and then he asked, "I see you have brought your own bow and arrows and are born of a hunter; are you planning to report to the archers over there?"

He directly picked up a war bow hanging on the rack beside him and threw it to Wang Qi, saying: "Take this bow and shoot twenty arrows in succession"

Please tell me what you are good at

But this was not difficult for him; with the warm internal energy circulating within his body, he effortlessly drew the bow to its full extent, and after a slight adjustment in aim, he released an arrow.

Naturally, the target was not pursued deliberately, as he was currently demonstrating a shooting speed of approximately one breath and two arrows

The clerk felt somewhat pleased and said: "So you are someone who is willing to improve... Indeed, remember my words, getting to know more characters in our camp will be beneficial for you."

Then, when he shot his second arrow, he paused slightly, allowing him to hit the bullseye of the target from thirty paces away

The furthest target in this training ground is beyond one hundred and twenty paces, yet Wang Qi's sharp eyes have already noticed that there are no signs of being shot at on those targets

Wang Qi hesitated for a moment regarding this question, then said: "I only know a little."

What!

He had a restful night at the inn this time, without causing any more trouble, and instead, he slept soundly through the night, completely dispelling the fatigue he had felt before

The officer glanced at Wang Qi and then said with a slightly eased expression: "You do have a pair of skilled arms for shooting; with this condition, even if you lack prior experience, you can quickly develop a decent shooting skill."

He picked up the bow and arrow, and then attempted to draw the string for the first time. Indeed, the power of this standard combat bow was already one and a half times greater than that of his short bow, which correspondingly enhanced its lethality and range

However, that effect can only be achieved when the archer holds the arrows in a special grip beforehand, yet Wang Qi picks up each arrow in succession, nocks it to the bow, and then shoots

Wang Qi continued to nod, perfectly embodying his wooden and clumsy image

The officer was somewhat taken aback, as new recruits who come here to enlist generally claim to be accurate shooters; it was indeed the first time he had encountered someone like Wang Qi who asserted that he was fast at shooting

His handwriting is somewhat ugly, as he has never practiced calligraphy before

Wang Qi revealed a look of difficulty ... This expression was just right

He added, "There are some characters I do not recognize..."

It is not surprising that the连珠箭 can achieve this, and even the complete form of the连珠箭 can shoot five arrows in a single breath

The arrow struck the target thirty paces away, but it lodged at the upper edge of the target, nearly missing the mark.

Wang Qi nodded quickly

Wang Qi did not neglect the task, and picked up the brush to write his name in a crooked manner.

He immediately became interested, or one might say, began the first assessment.

The registrar in charge of the registration tidied up the items in his hands, then looked up at Wang Qi with a hint of curiosity and asked: "Are you here to enlist in the army?"

Just this point made him feel reassured in his heart

At this moment, Wang Qi should be considered the first of the last day