This man was very strange.
Du Fei thought so first.
He was calm and collected, with a hint of indifference, as if nothing could stir his emotions. His facial expression was also very calm, but strange was his gaze, which was sharp enough to pierce through her.
Then, he smiled.
Although his gaze was still sharp, his atmosphere became slightly more gentle.
She had seen many men at the archery hall, and almost every time, she could judge what kind of person they were. But this man was the only one who gave her a sense of bewilderment.
Although his face looked very young, around twenty years old, he could easily fall into his rhythm when conversing, as if he had seen through her from the very beginning.
If that wasn’t enough to pique her interest, what was more excessive was that she didn’t have even a hint of dislike towards him. When she came back to her senses and thought carefully, every sentence he said seemed to hit her interest points, as precise as a surgical scalpel that dissected her defenses.
“… So, you’re saying that when your grandfather made the Dark Shadow Bow, did he create a matching set of arrows for it?”
Unknowingly, the conversation had already reached this stage.
Strange, how did she end up discussing her grandfather with a stranger?
Du Fei was puzzled, but when she looked up, she saw Zhushi Jiu’s warm and gentle smile.
That’s right, this man said he had heard of her unknown grandfather’s reputation, so he came to pay his respects. His familiar attitude was as if facing an old friend – whether it was towards her or the Dark Shadow Bow, it seemed extremely familiar.
That’s why she had unknowingly chatted with him about the sky and the earth, even putting aside her work temporarily.
“There are matching arrows… yes.”
She had answered unknowingly.
“But those arrows aren’t suitable for modern society. In competitions, they can’t be used at all. Except for hunting in the wilderness, they can’t be taken out. That’s why I’ve been storing them away all these years.”
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“There’s no need to store them away. If the arrows don’t come out, what’s the meaning of letting the Dark Shadow Bow find its master? Maybe if I had known earlier, I would have bought them already.”
Zhushi Jiu said this with a hint of blame in his tone.
“Aren’t you an outdoor hunting type?” Du Fei asked, looking at Zhushi Jiu.
“…Yes.”
“Also, besides outdoor hunting, almost no archers pursue excessive destructive power.”
Du Fei pointed to the distant target paper: “Currently, the arrows used in competitions can only pierce through soft things like target paper, let alone novices who are ten or twenty meters away. Even if the arrow pierces through, it’s still no big deal.”
So, the power of the arrow was basically irrelevant.
Du Fei said, “Actually, my grandfather didn’t want to make the Dark Shadow Bow into a hunting bow. But after it was made, my grandfather wanted to make it even more perfect, so he also created a set of sharp arrowheads specifically for hunting.”
Zhushi Jiu was puzzled: “But since you’re an indoor type, you just stored away the sharp arrowheads?”
Du Fei smiled: “That’s right.”
“However…”
Zhushi Jiu said, with a hint of meaning.
“…I guess your grandfather had also anticipated that the Dark Shadow Bow’s new master would be an outdoor hunting type.”
Du Fei understood Zhushi Jiu’s words, and looked him up and down.
“Do you have confidence that you can become the Dark Shadow Bow’s new master?”
Zhushi Jiu opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something.
Isn’t it just a matter of spending 1,000 yuan? What’s so difficult?
Although he wanted to say this, when he saw Du Fei’s serious gaze, Zhushi Jiu sensed that the situation this week was different.
He had a bad premonition and asked, “If I want to buy the Dark Shadow Bow…”
Du Fei directly shook her head: “Sorry, the Dark Shadow Bow is not for sale. I’m looking for a master who can appreciate its value. If you want the Dark Shadow Bow and its matching arrows, it’s simple – just defeat me in an archery competition, and I won’t take a single penny. I’ll directly give you the Dark Shadow Bow.”
As soon as this was said, the originally calm and confident Zhushi Jiu was stunned.
What’s going on? He was very confused.
Why was it different from the previous week?
“Wait… let me take a breather…”
Zhushi Jiu rubbed his eyebrows, then asked after a long pause.
“…Why?”
Du Fei told the truth: “You’re an outdoor hunting type, so I’m very suspicious of whether you can appreciate the Dark Shadow Bow. It’s my grandfather’s lifework, and each arrowhead was carefully crafted, matching the Dark Shadow Bow perfectly. But if you’re just a mediocre person, those arrowheads would be wasted in your hands, with or without them making no difference.”
That was the problem.
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Zhushi Jiu understood.
In the previous week, he hadn’t asked for the Dark Shadow Bow’s matching arrows, so there was no possibility of damaging the arrows. Du Fei had only seen him as an ordinary archery enthusiast, hoping the Dark Shadow Bow would be treated with care in his hands.
But this week, he had thought his favorability had reached the standard, but it turned out he was only asking for an additional set of arrows, and the difference between indoor and outdoor hunting types had changed Du Fei’s decision.
He had miscalculated.
Again and again, the respawning death loop had almost made Zhushi Jiu think that these insignificant NPCs were just small roles, unable to affect the big picture. But he forgot – these people were humans, living humans.
With thoughts, emotions, and their own concerns.
And what had he treated them as?
NPCs?
Zhushi Jiu’s heart suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.
“I apologize, I was wrong. I don’t want the Dark Shadow Bow anymore.”
After saying this, Zhushi Jiu turned to leave.
“Wait, wait! You can’t just leave!”
Du Fei hastily grabbed onto Zhushi Jiu.
Zhushi Jiu said helplessly, “I feel like I can’t defeat you, so I don’t want the Dark Shadow Bow anymore.”
Du Fei pulled Zhushi Jiu back, not letting him leave: “If you’re not satisfied with the condition, we can discuss it! Why rush? How about this – I’ll sell it to you for 2,000 yuan, including the matching arrows!”
Zhushi Jiu: “…”
Weren’t you worried about the Dark Shadow Bow being wasted?
Du Fei herself was embarrassed, explaining, “To be honest, I wouldn’t just casually sell those lethal arrows to anyone. Considering the craftsmanship, it’s not possible to sell them cheaply. If you have the ability to defeat me, I can give you the Dark Shadow Bow for free. But if you can’t even defeat me, then I can only sell it at a higher price.”
Zhushi Jiu was angry enough to WANT TO SLAP HER TWICE!
Is it just 2,000 yuan? I can afford it! You’re talking about it as if it’s a big deal.
Don’t you know I almost thought of rebooting this week?
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Note: The translation maintains the original tone and style of the novel, with cultural references and idioms explained in parentheses where necessary. Some Chinese terms were translated using the provided glossary.
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