"Excellent archery!" Hu Ruilin exclaimed, appreciating that while outsiders see the spectacle, experts see the underlying skill. This arrow flew perfectly straight, showing formidable bow strength, like a crossbow bolt.

Li Muzhan smiled and nodded, "Grandmaster Hu overpraises me."

He picked up another arrow, nocked it to the bowstring, and shot again. With a faint hiss, it pierced the green cucumber right next to the first one.

The first arrow was knocked out, landing inside the courtyard wall behind the peach tree.

"Great archery!" the crowd cheered.

Li Muzhan smiled, picked up a third arrow, lightly nocked it, drew, and released. With a dull thud, this arrow replaced the second one; the previous one met the same fate as the first, being driven into the wall.

"Superb marksmanship!" the crowd cheered again. Xiao He clapped her small hands until they were red.

The first arrow might have been luck, but the second confirmed it: this was genuine skill.

"Truly divine!" Hu Ruilin gave a thumbs-up of praise, but Hu Xiaofeng watched him coldly, a sneer playing on his lips.

He was boiling with anger inside. This Li Wuji certainly loved to steal the spotlight. It was just archery; it might suffice against ordinary folk, but against martial arts masters, it was suicide. Before the second shot was even loosed, a master would have already closed the distance.

Li Muzhan chuckled, shaking his head, "Grandmaster Hu, you amuse me!"

Hu Ruilin sighed in admiration, "This is the first time I've witnessed such archery; truly eye-opening. Feng'er, you need to learn from this!"

Hu Xiaofeng snorted, "Father, this archery is only for showing off; it serves no other purpose!"

"Feng'er!" Hu Ruilin’s face darkened.

Cao Ya waved his hand, smiling, "Come now, Brother Hu, Feng'er isn't entirely wrong. Archery is useful for commoners, but against martial arts experts, you need an entire contingent of archers; one or two men are useless."

Hu Ruilin sighed, "This boy is too arrogant; he cannot tolerate anyone better than himself!"

Cao Ya smiled and waved his hand again, "Weren't you the same when you were young, Brother Hu? It's inevitable that young men are full of fire."

Hu Ruilin gave a wry smile, "This boy truly has no prospects!"

"Father—!!" Hu Xiaofeng’s eyes widened, and he huffed in dissatisfaction.

Hu Ruilin glared at him, "You insolent brat! With your trifling martial arts, you’d be dead the moment you met a true master, yet you put on such airs, as if you were the world's foremost expert!"

Hu Xiaofeng retorted, "Can a person exist without backbone?"

"That isn't backbone, that's pure arrogance!" Hu Ruilin said testily, shaking his head at Li Muzhan. "Wuji, don't let him bother you!"

Li Muzhan smiled and picked up another arrow. Hu Xiaofeng squinted at him, looking as if he were watching a monkey perform, waiting for Li Muzhan's next act.

Li Muzhan smiled, nocked the arrow, pulled back hard, suddenly spun, and shot directly toward Cao Ya. A dull thud sounded, followed by a hiss as a dark streak shot over everyone's heads toward the main house—"Uh..." came a muffled groan, then a thump, sounding like something heavy hitting the ground beneath the main house window, where the lantern light didn't reach, leaving it dark.

"Watch out!" Hu Ruilin reacted instantly, flashing forward to shield Cao Ya. He waved, "Feng'er!"

Hu Xiaofeng sprang from the pavilion, landing in two swift bounds before the main house. He cautiously steadied himself, then bent down to pull a man in black from the ground. He bounded back to the pavilion in two steps and tossed the figure out: "Father!"

A man in black lay sprawled on the ground, an arrow sticking from his chest. Only the fletching remained visible; as he was thrown, the arrow shifted back slightly. His face was covered by a black kerchief, only his eyes glaring furiously at the group, his gaze venomous as fire. (ShuShuWu)

"What are you glaring at!" Hu Xiaofeng sneered, ripping off the kerchief to reveal an ordinary, unremarkable face, looking to be about forty. Blood was bubbling from his mouth.

"Hmph, no wonder he didn't make a sound!" Hu Xiaofeng scoffed, turning to look at Hu Ruilin.

Hu Ruilin nodded. Hu Xiaofeng rapidly pressed several points on the black-clad man’s chest, then pulled a small porcelain vial from his inner coat. He poured out a single black pill, crushed the wax seal, and pressed it into the man's mouth. He then struck the man's back once to help him swallow the pill.

Li Muzhan picked up another arrow, nocked it, and slowly drew the string back until it formed a perfect full moon, then released it gently.

"Boom!" A sound like exploding thunder startled everyone. They turned to look, having been distracted from Li Muzhan by the man in black.

Li Muzhan was staring intently behind the group. "Boom!" Another dull thud sounded. Hu Xiaofeng’s eyes widened. Before Hu Ruilin could speak, he bolted from the pavilion toward another section of the house.

"Boom!" Another thunderous report. Li Muzhan had loosed a third arrow, just above Hu Xiaofeng’s head. "Uh..." A dark silhouette dropped from above.

Hu Ruilin broke out in a cold sweat. He watched a figure in black materialize silently, about to strike Hu Xiaofeng. He couldn't reach him in time, but Li Muzhan’s arrow arrived, striking down the ambushing assassin.

Hu Xiaofeng inexplicably looked up sharply. The figures by the wall had doubled from one to two. He turned to look, and Hu Ruilin barked, "You brat, keep your eyes open and your ears sharp!"

Hu Xiaofeng impatiently waved his hand, then snatched up the two figures in black, one in each hand, and tossed them into the pavilion. They landed heavily, both masked, the arrows in their chests trembling slightly. He casually tore off their kerchiefs—two more ordinary faces, middle-aged, the type easily lost in a crowd.

Hu Ruilin snorted, "Boy, check if there are any more!"

Hu Xiaofeng nodded and slipped out of the pavilion, then stopped suddenly, turning to glare at Li Muzhan. "Li Wuji, don't butt into other people's business!"

Li Muzhan smiled; his hand already held an arrow.

Hu Xiaofeng sprang onto the roof, looking down at the surroundings under the moonlight. Just then, "Boom!" Li Muzhan loosed another arrow.

"Uh..." Amidst a muffled grunt, Hu Xiaofeng suddenly twisted his head to see a dark figure slowly falling down behind him, rolling off the ridgepole with a thump onto the ground below.

Hu Xiaofeng broke out in a cold sweat. He hadn't detected the man in black so close by. These attackers were strange, appearing silently like shadows, completely unnoticed until they were nearly upon him.

Li Muzhan picked up another arrow. "Boom!" A thunderous impact sounded just as a dark shape swooped down from the air. The arrow struck the shadow, batting it away with a thwack as it hit the ground. Li Muzhan loosed another arrow; another assassin was knocked down in mid-air. Simultaneously, several more black figures lunged at him. Even as he shot, he couldn't possibly hit so many at once.

"Wuji!" Cao Ya urged.

Li Muzhan turned and charged toward the pavilion, nocking and firing arrows as he ran. "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" Four thunderous reports sent four figures flying backward. The four struck felt deeply aggrieved, sensing something unnatural. When they watched Li Muzhan shoot, their bodies tensed, preparing to dodge or counter, but they never expected his arrows to arrive so fast—the moment they left the string, they were already upon them, giving no chance to react. They felt a formidable force wrenching them backward, and amidst the blur of vision, a sharp pain in the back, followed by a heavy landing.

By the time Li Muzhan ran into the pavilion, he had loosed four arrows. Of the six figures who had pursued him, only two remained; Xu Bo and Xiao He had engaged them.

Li Muzhan stopped, nocked his bow, and fired again. "Boom!" "Boom!" Two sharp cracks sounded. The remaining two assassins, just engaging Xiao He and Xu Bo, were pulled back by the arrows and sent flying.

Li Muzhan let out a breath and lowered his bow, shaking his head. "Who are these people?"

"Amazing! Amazing!" Hu Ruilin shook his head with a bitter smile. "What formidable archery; truly divine!" He had never seen such peculiar marksmanship—the speed of the shot rivaled hidden weapons used by martial arts masters, and the power was even greater.

Li Muzhan asked, "Grandmaster Hu, do you know who they are?"

Hu Ruilin shook his head. "They must be after Brother Cao. Brother Cao, it seems he means to pursue this to the death."

Cao Ya's expression remained calm as he stroked his beard quietly. "Cutting the grass and eradicating the roots is only natural."

"Now it seems there is only one path," Hu Ruilin sighed.

Li Muzhan asked, "What path?"

Hu Ruilin said gravely, "Brother Cao and that fellow are irreconcilable enemies. I will resolve him!"

Li Muzhan frowned, pondering, "Teacher, are you sure who sent them? Could someone be trying to reap the spoils?"

Cao Ya slowly replied, "I have resigned my official post and can no longer threaten others. The one who wants me dead can only be him."

"What if someone is seeking revenge?" Li Muzhan countered.

Cao Ya considered, then nodded. "We cannot entirely discount that possibility."

Li Muzhan had finished off all the immediate attackers with those few arrows. Any others who realized the situation was unfavorable would not rush in to die. Hu Ruilin also lost interest in pursuing them further.

Hu Xiaofeng returned, shot Li Muzhan a few angry glances, and turned to his father. "Dad, who were those people?"

Hu Ruilin pointed at the bodies on the ground and sighed, "They are from the Hall of Justice."

"Hall of Justice?" Hu Xiaofeng's expression changed drastically. "Someone hired them to kill us!"

"They were here to kill your Uncle Cao," Hu Ruilin nodded. "And they intended to slay us as well, incidentally."

Hu Xiaofeng’s sword-like brows furrowed, his face grave.

"Hall of Justice?" Cao Miao asked, "Is that the one that only recognizes money and not people?"

"That's them," Hu Ruilin nodded. "The Hall of Justice only cares about payment, but they employ many experts. If they fail this time, they likely won't stop. Our lives won't be easy going forward!"

Li Muzhan smiled, "With Grandmaster Hu here, what do we have to fear!"

Hu Ruilin shook his head with a bitter smile, "Wuji, you think too highly of me. I can barely handle the Hall of Justice myself. It seems I must summon allies."

He looked toward Cao Ya, who hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. "Very well."

"They are already waiting for Brother Cao's summons!" Hu Ruilin said cheerfully.

Cao Ya shook his head. "My greatest wish was never to disturb them, but now I have no choice. Fine, I will summon them."

"Brother Cao, rest assured, they will arrive soon," Hu Ruilin said with a smile.