When mentioning the two words "Archery Dao," Gui Xuanqing’s eyes lit up, clearly very proud.
"Oh, really? Then I must see it for myself." Liang Xin’an said with a smile.
Gui Heshu’s heart immediately tensed up, wanting to stop him.
However, Gui Xuanqing, already eager, had made a firm decision.
"Alright, Uncle Liang, come with me, I’ll show you my skills."
At this moment, Gui Xuanqing was like a child eager to show off a new toy to an adult, leading Liang Xin’an to the back mountain.
Gui Heshu wanted to stop them but was too late, so he could only sigh and follow along.
He understood that his son, Gui Xuanqing, still did not know Liang Xin’an’s true identity.
So it was understandable to do such a thing.
Moreover, this might even be a good thing.
After seeing what he wanted, Liang Xin’an might leave directly.
In that case, it would save a lot of trouble.
With this thought, Gui Heshu followed them to the back mountain’s target range.
The target range wasn’t fortified, just prohibited people from entering the woods to prevent danger.
This was also why Gui Xuanqing dared to bring his father and Uncle Liang here.
Once they arrived, Gui Xuanqing eagerly went to his usual training spot and pointed towards the distant woods.
"Uncle Liang, Father, you see, there’s a watermelon-sized target hanging about a hundred paces from here. I can hit it in the bullseye with one arrow."
Liang Xin’an said with a smile, "So confident?"
"Of course!" Gui Xuanqing said proudly, then carefully removed the pack from his back and took out the Mechanical Crossbow.
Seeing this old but spotless Mechanical Crossbow, a glint flashed in Liang Xin’an’s eyes, but externally, he showed no reaction.
Gui Xuanqing lovingly polished the bow, then took a Crossbow Arrow from the pack.
Upon seeing this Crossbow Arrow, Liang Xin’an’s expression finally changed.
Because he instantly recognized that this Crossbow Arrow was not from the Mechanical Sect, but an imitation.
Nonetheless, it was by no means crudely made.
On the contrary, from its straight shaft and the gleaming arrowhead, one could tell the quality of this Crossbow Arrow was excellent.
Gui Xuanqing skillfully set the arrow, then took a half-squat position, holding the bow, aimed briefly, and directly pulled the trigger.
For Gui Xuanqing now, a hundred paces was a piece of cake, naturally needing no strenuous aiming.
Sure enough.
The Crossbow Arrow flew through the air at great speed, hitting the bullseye.
Gui Xuanqing raised his head, wearing a proud expression, waiting for praise.
Gui Heshu naturally needed to support his son, clapping first, "Good! Excellent archery!"
Liang Xin’an thoughtfully glanced at the distance, then pointed towards a farther target.
"Can you hit that one?"
Gui Xuanqing looked up and saw Liang Xin’an pointing to the two hundred paces target, chuckling.
"Of course, you just watch, Uncle Liang."
Saying this, Gui Xuanqing took another Crossbow Arrow, just about to load it when Liang Xin’an suddenly spoke.
"May I see this Crossbow Arrow?"
"What do you want to see this for?" Gui Xuanqing asked curiously, but still handed the arrow over.
Liang Xin’an took it, weighed it, and inspected the shaft carefully.
"Where did you get this Crossbow Arrow?" Liang Xin’an asked.
This question hit Gui Xuanqing’s itch, and he chuckled.
"My monk junior and I made it together, isn’t it impressive?"
"You guys made this?" Liang Xin’an was finally shocked.
He had been speculating whether this Crossbow Arrow came from a Mechanical Technique family, but did not expect it was made by Gui Xuanqing and someone else.
"Yes!" Gui Xuanqing said with pride.
"Can you show me how you made it?" Liang Xin’an asked.
"This..." Gui Xuanqing hesitated.
The target range could be freely observed and wasn’t guarded.
But the making of Crossbow Arrows wasn’t for everyone’s eyes.
This Gui Xuanqing could understand clearly.
Senior Zhao Ya even allocated a separate courtyard for their arrow production, highlighting its importance.
Liang Xin’an naturally noticed Gui Xuanqing’s hesitation, chuckled, and said, "Hand your Mechanical Crossbow to me for a moment."
Gui Xuanqing, although reluctant, trusted Liang Xin’an and handed over the Mechanical Crossbow.
Meanwhile, he reminded, "Uncle Liang, you must be careful, this thing is delicate, if a little... ."
Before he could finish, he saw Liang Xin’an, upon receiving the crossbow, swiftly disassembled the bowstring, proceeding to dismantle the Mechanical Crossbow with dazzling technique.
Gui Xuanqing was startled, reaching out to stop him, but was held back by Gui Heshu.
"Father!" Gui Xuanqing was extremely worried.
Gui Heshu shook his head, "Don’t worry, your Uncle Liang knows what he’s doing."
Nonetheless, Gui Xuanqing was incredibly anxious.
For every Crossbow Team member, the Mechanical Crossbow was not just a weapon, but also a loyal companion.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Gui Xuanqing even placed his crossbow by his pillow while sleeping.
And usually, it allowed no one’s touch.
Unexpectedly, it was dismantled by long-absent Uncle Liang, naturally heightening his anxiety.
Not only him, others at the target range also looked grave.
Some even gathered, casting unfriendly glances at Liang Xin’an.
At this point, Liang Xin’an had completely disassembled the crossbow, taking out its most crucial components.
The Archery Dao and the sight.
He held them to his eyes, glanced briefly, then said, "When you shot earlier, something felt off. Your arrow didn’t travel in a straight line, purely from experience it hit the bullseye, but if you look closely, the hole on the bullseye isn’t round, it’s slanted."
"This isn’t noticeable within two hundred paces, but beyond that, the arrow’s path becomes erratic, and the root of the problem lies in this Archery Dao."
Gui Xuanqing was astounded.
Everything Liang Xin’an stated was, indeed, true.
"You... I...."
Gui Xuanqing stammered, unsure what to say, while Liang Xin’an fine-tuned the sight, saying,
"This Archery Dao hasn’t been maintained properly, worn over time, it’s no longer straight, so these issues arise. Without tools, I’ll just slightly adjust the sight for now."
Saying this, Liang Xin’an swiftly reassembled the crossbow, loaded the arrow, aimed at the three hundred paces target, and fired the trigger directly.
Bang!
The target that used to cause Gui Xuanqing multiple misses was now hit accurately.
Only then did Liang Xin’an nod, "Now that’s right; the arrows fly in a straight path this way."
Handing the crossbow back to the dumbfounded Gui Xuanqing,
"Your turn to try!"
Though shocked, Gui Xuanqing quickly composed himself, took the crossbow, loaded the arrow, and aimed at the three hundred paces bullseye.
Moments later, he pulled the trigger, accompanied by a bang, also striking accurately.
"How was it?" Liang Xin’an asked.
Gui Xuanqing’s eyes started to brighten.
"Definitely feels much better than before!"
No comparison, no harm.
After this trial, Gui Xuanqing finally experienced what it’s like for arrows to fly straight.
Upon hearing him, the other Crossbow Team members also started a commotion.
Liang Xin’an simply smiled, then raised his head, looking towards the distance.
"Since you’re here, why not show yourself?"
Hearing this, everyone turned to look, only to see a shadow flicker as Zhao Ya appeared at the range.
"So it was an expert from the Mechanical Sect, my apologies for the neglect!"