Chapter 718 - 33: The Powerful Arrow
"Hero, what are you doing?"
Facing the attack of a mammoth, Gao Yao was already struggling to maintain control.
Because his fighting style kept him at a distance, he noticed Bi Kai in danger, but he was like a clay bodhisattva fording a river, unable to protect himself, let alone assist others.
Seeing Chen Zhou rushing to help and saving his comrade, Gao Yao was naturally pleased.
But now, seeing Chen Zhou luring another mammoth towards him, almost forming a pincer attack, Gao Yao was flustered.
He could tell Chen Zhou had plenty of stamina and feared that due to earlier rudeness, Chen Zhou might be harboring resentment, using this chance to lead both mammoths to him and then escape on his own.
Gao Yao’s martial arts style differed from Bi Kai’s, focusing more on external strength rather than technique. Due to his regular training, he could endure a bit longer.
But even so, having lasted this long, his strength was nearly exhausted. If truly surrounded by two mammoths, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
In his fear, he blurted out the question.
...
Mindful of the Brown Armored Man’s longbow and the urgent situation, Chen Zhou had no time to listen to what the young man was saying. From a distance, he reached out and shouted.
"Give me the bow and arrow!"
Hearing this, Gao Yao hesitated slightly—
Killing the giant beast depended entirely on this bow and arrow. Without them, the only weapon on him was a meat-cutting dagger, which couldn’t pierce the tough beast hide, offering no protection.
But on second thought, given the dire situation, it seemed better to hand it over. Even if the skills of this mysterious expert were poor, at least it would lighten his burden a bit—
The bow and the arrows in the quiver were indeed heavy.
In a matter of seconds, Gao Yao finished considering and made his decision.
"Catch it!"
He shouted, then tossed the longbow towards Chen Zhou.
As a renowned archer in the martial world, Gao Yao naturally had incredible arm strength. Though this longbow wasn’t a twelve-stone strong bow, it was an eight-stone one, and few martial experts could draw it, let alone fully draw it.
Normally, with steady footing and full power, Gao Yao could draw the bowstring nearly fully and shoot three consecutive arrows, securing his status as the top marksman in the martial world.
But now, fleeing from the giant beast, it was difficult even to shoot a few arrows, let alone exert full power.
...
The bow flew horizontally through the air, landing firmly in Chen Zhou’s hands before it could hit the ground.
At this moment, the two of them were very close, less than seven meters apart.
The two female mammoths had merged, leaving just over a meter gap between their bodies, forming a thick wall pressing towards them.
Gao Yao tightened the quiver, keeping an eye on the mammoth charging towards him while looking for an opportunity to undo the copper button at his waist and throw the quiver.
...
After receiving the bow and arrow, Chen Zhou didn’t immediately draw the string to shoot but instead changed directions, first luring the female mammoth chasing him elsewhere.
Otherwise, having the Brown Armored Man nearby would be a hindrance and easily involve him. If he fell into danger, Chen Zhou would have to find a way to assist—
The same old problem, he didn’t know which of the two men could tame beasts, and until receiving his reward, he needed to keep both alive as much as possible.
Once he figured out who the "key man" was, who lived or died would depend on whoever was more useful.
Living on the isolated island long ago turned Chen Zhou into a pragmatist. Sometimes, he would follow his heart about whether he should do something, but most times, he would consider "whether it’s beneficial."
...
Seeing the other giant beast moving away from him, Gao Yao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As for whether the bow and arrow in the expert’s hands would be effective, he had no time to worry.
In such a situation, surviving the giant beast’s attack required utmost attention. He only hoped that this seemingly unrefined man could make some difference with his bow.
The giant beast was showing signs of fatigue. If the man could stall a little longer, once the beast’s strength was exhausted, he and Bi Kai might not be able to kill it but could at least escape, turning danger into safety.
...
Chen Zhou and Gao Yao’s actions didn’t go unnoticed by Bi Kai.
Seeing his partner and the helper working so hard, Bi Kai, unable to contribute, felt deeply ashamed.
He wanted to rest a bit and muster enough energy to stand again, but having exhausted all his strength, he suffered internal injuries. If he managed to stand despite his damaged organs, he could hold on a bit, but after collapsing, he found it hard to regain his energy, let alone return to battle.
Yet, seeing both his partner and the brave expert battling valiantly while he watched coldly was truly difficult for Bi Kai.
After some thought, Bi Kai realized that although he couldn’t exert strength, he could observe the entire situation from afar and still be able to shout warnings.
Thus, he focused intently on the two being pursued by the giant beast, ready to shout warnings at the first sign of danger.
In swordplay, facing an opponent requires full concentration, especially when the enemy is armed. Only by watching the enemy’s weapon, arms, body, and footwork can you counter their moves.
Having practiced swordsmanship since childhood, Bi Kai couldn’t avoid developing his observational skills. Though now almost crippled, he could still make use of his eyes.
Focusing intently, he first looked towards Gao Yao.
Without the longbow, Gao Yao had no means of attack. He didn’t even take out his meat-cutting dagger, as if fearing the short weapon would be ridiculed by the beast.
Yet, without weapons and having shed much weight, Gao Yao’s situation improved a lot; he could run more lightly.