Xing De, a native of Zezhou, was a renowned hero of the greenwood, capable of drawing a heavy bow and loosing a volley of arrows in succession, his skill surpassing all others. Yet, his life was perpetually down on its luck; he possessed no knack for business, and his ventures invariably ended with greater loss than gain. However, due to his formidable martial prowess, merchants from both the Eastern and Western Capitals enjoyed his company, often bringing him along on business trips for a sense of security.

Early that winter, two or three merchants pooled their capital and invited Xing De to accompany them to the Imperial City. Xing De, wholly focused on striking it rich, readily agreed. Knowing a friend skilled in divination, he sought counsel before departing. The friend cast the lots and declared, "This hexagram reads 'Regret.' You will return to your old ways on this journey and make a considerable fortune, but in the end, it will all be for naught." Xing De was greatly disheartened by this prediction. He traveled with the merchants to the capital, only to see one transaction wipe out their entire investment.

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Xing De rode out of the city alone, feeling increasingly bitter as the New Year approached with him penniless. The morning mist clung low to the horizon, obscuring the road ahead. Xing De found a roadside inn nearby to drown his sorrows. He observed a white-haired old man drinking with two young men, while a small boy with disheveled yellow hair waited on them. Xing De sat at a table opposite the elder, sipping wine and scrutinizing the trio.

As the boy poured wine, he carelessly fumbled and knocked over a cup, splashing liquid onto the old man’s robes. One of the young men became enraged, slapped the boy hard, then took out a handkerchief to dutifully wipe the stain from the elder.

Xing De noticed that the boy wore iron arrow rings on both thumbs—half an inch thick, each weighing nearly two ounces. After the meal, the elder instructed the first young man to retrieve a heavy bundle of gold and silver from their baggage, piling it onto the table to be weighed and tallied. After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the youth finished accounting, carefully securing the wealth back into the bundle. The other youth led a lame black mule from the stable, helping the elder mount. The boy led a skinny horse behind them, and the two young men, armed with bows and arrows at their waists, mounted white horses. The four departed.

Xing De watched coldly. Seeing the old man carried such immense wealth, a fierce greed ignited within him. He rushed out of the inn and followed them stealthily. The elder and the boy rode at a leisurely pace, but Xing De took shortcuts to overtake them, drawing his bow, nocking an arrow, and blocking the elder’s path with a fierce glare.

The elder bent down, removed his left leather boot, and chuckled, "Do you not recognize this old gourmand, Old Tao?" Xing De gathered his strength and loosed the arrow; it streaked like a meteor toward a vital spot on the elder. The old man paid it no mind, casually extending his left foot, and with just two toes, clamped down on the arrow. He laughed, "Is this all the skill you possess, daring to make an enemy of me?" Xing De roared in fury and unleashed his signature technique: the volley arrow. As the first arrow flew, the second immediately followed. The elder caught the first shaft, seemingly unprepared for Xing De’s double-shot capability; the second arrow pierced his mouth, causing him to collapse to the ground, arrow held fast in his lips, lying still with his eyes closed. The boy, terrified, jumped down from his horse.

Xing De was overjoyed, believing the elder dead, and stepped closer to inspect. Suddenly, the old man spat out the arrow, sprang to his feet, and clapped his hands, laughing, "Such mischief on our first meeting!" Xing De was utterly stunned. His mount bolted in fright. Realizing the elder was no ordinary man, he wheeled his horse and fled in panic.

After riding thirty-four li, he encountered government escorts transporting treasure toward the capital. Xing De was delighted and forcibly robbed the soldiers, seizing over a thousand taels of gold, feeling invigorated. As he spurred his horse forward, hoofbeats sounded behind him. He looked back to see only the boy, riding the lame mule, chasing him with startling speed, shouting, "Don't run off! Give me half the silver you stole!" Xing De angrily retorted, "Do you not know I am 'Volley Arrow Xing De'?" The boy chuckled, "I just had a taste of that a moment ago."

Xing De dismissed the boy, noting his plain appearance and lack of visible weapons. He drew his bow and loosed three successive arrows, which flew like a flock of birds straight for the boy's throat. The boy remained unhurried, catching two shafts with his left and right hands, biting the third in his mouth, and scoffed, "With such pathetic parlor tricks, don't embarrass yourself out here. I rushed off and forgot my iron bow; these three arrows are useless to me now, so I'll return them." As he spoke, he removed the iron rings from his fingers, stacked the three arrows together, threaded them through the rings, and hurled them with force. The arrows whistled like the wind, shrieking as they sped toward Xing De’s chest. Alarmed, Xing De hastily deflected them with his bowstring. When the string met the iron rings, it snapped with a sharp keng sound. The remaining force of the rings continued, shearing the bow handle in two as well.

Xing De was utterly horrified and had no time to evade; the arrows pierced his earlobe, wounding him and sending him tumbling to the ground. The boy laughed heartily, dismounted, and approached to rifle through Xing De's clothes for the gold. Xing De countered with his broken bow, but the boy deftly dodged the weapon, lightly snapped it, splitting the iron-wood limbs in two, then in four, tossing the pieces onto the ground.

The boy held both of Xing De’s arms with just one hand, bracing a foot against his legs. Xing De struggled desperately, but his limbs were numb, leaving him utterly immobilized. Two thick layers of soft belt were wrapped around his waist; the boy's two fingers pinched lightly, and the belts instantly shredded into powder. He took all the gold, then cupped his hands in a brief salute, saying, "My apologies for my rashness and any offense caused." He then strode away.

Having received such a harsh lesson, Xing De reformed upon his return, dedicating himself to a virtuous life. He often spoke of the humiliation he endured to his friends, never attempting to conceal the truth.