Chapter 518 – The Method for Avoiding a Tracking Arrow
The Method for Avoiding a Tracking Arrow
With the exhaustion of staying up overnight, Feng Yu Heng nearly fell from her horse upon hearing this.
Ban Zou supported her in a timely fashion. Upon seeing that she could not carry on, he simply helped her from her horse. When that horse was relieved of this weight, it immediately dropped to the ground and began to pant heavily.
Feng Yu Heng’s heart sank even more. Her horse had become tired to this degree, and she was the person that weighed the least in the group. If her horse was like this, the other horses would definitely not be able to continue running. She and Xuan Tian Ming exchanged a glance and could see the helplessness in the other’s eyes.
Xuan Tian Ming said: “Let us rest for a day.”
She nodded, “Then we shall rest for one day.”
Bai Ze handed all of the horses over to the ranch owner and had him bring them to be fed. He then found an inn near the ranch for them to rest in.
Rushing around on the road for a day and a night was nothing for these trained hidden guards. Unfortunately, what was lacking this time was preparation. Xuan Tian Ming had two sets of good horses. One set was in the military camp, and one was in the Yu Palace. If they had decided to go to Xiao Zhou when leaving the capital, he would have chosen to ride a horse, but they were set on going to the military camp. The military camp already had horses, and there was no need to bring more from the palace. Only then did they ride these middle-tier horses out.
It was already too late to regret it. Going back to the capital to fetch new horses would not allow them to make it in time. Xuan Tian Ming held Feng Yu Heng while leaning back in bed, advising her: “In any case, get some sleep. Improving your alertness is of the utmost importance. It must be known that as we advance, it will no longer just be a matter of traveling quickly. We also need to be prepared for an ambush at any time.”
As soon as he mentioned an ambush, Feng Yu Heng immediately thought of the danger presented by the divine archery group from Qian Zhou, thus she quickly said: “There’s no time to rest. Gather everyone together. I will teach you how to avoid the tracking arrow.”
Xuan Tian Ming’s eyes lit up and did not dare to believe it, saying: “The tracking arrow can be avoided?”
Feng Yu Heng nodded, “It can! Not only can it be avoided, but the concept is also very simple. The method is also very simple.”
“That’s good.” Xuan Tian Ming immediately stood up and went to the door to inform the guard outside, “Gather everyone here, immediately.”
He then turned around and saw that Feng Yu Heng also got up. He could not help but ask in concern: “How long will it take to learn? I still hope that you can get some sleep.”
“Don’t worry.” She put on a smile, “I will only teach the concept once. It’s very simple. Just a few words will make it clear. None of us knows when the enemy will arrive, thus it would be best to teach this method as soon as possible.”
Xuan Tian Ming did not say anything else. Very quickly, all of the hidden guards, including Bai Ze, Huang Quan and Wang Chuan gathered in this room. This room was not very big, to begin with, and now it was filled to the brim. In fact, even some hidden guards went to hide in beams above.
Before they could understand why they had suddenly been called to gather, they saw their masters’ expressions and knew that there would be some sort of instruction.
Xuan Tian Ming did not speak. He just nodded toward Feng Yu Heng and gestured for her to begin. Feng Yu Heng was not too polite and began to speak. Controlling her voice, she did her best to allow the people inside the room to hear, while ensuring that her voice did not transmit outside. She said: “Presently, our comrades that went in the direction of Xiao Zhou are in danger. This is something that everyone knows. His Highness the ninth prince and I have discussed this matter earlier. We have a good understanding of the abilities of our own hidden guards. To be able to force ten of these hidden guards to flee, we thought that the people pursuing are most likely Qian Zhou’s divine archery team.”
The words “Qian Zhou’s divine archery team” caused everyone’s hearts to sink. Following Xuan Tian Ming’s battle in the Northwest, everyone knew what Qian Zhou’s divine archery team implied. That was a tracking shot that even Xuan Tian Ming could not dodge. If the one attacking this time was the divine archery team, what was the survival rate of the people up ahead?
Everyone’s expressions became a little ugly, especially Ban Zou. He had interacted a great deal with Zi Rui. He had also thought that the people chasing after them might be Qian Zhou’s divine archery team, and his heart was so anxious that it was about to leap out of his throat. He could not help but rush to say: “Then what should be done?” After thinking a little, he added: “If the people from the Divine Intent Army are brought over, is there any chance of shooting back?”
In truth, this question was very unprofessional, but aside from asking this sort of thing as this time, nobody knew what they should say.
However, they saw Feng Yu Heng shake her head and say: “There’s no point in shooting back. Both sides would end up losing. Moreover, there is absolutely no time to return to the military camp to fetch soldiers.”
“Then what should be done?” Someone asked and said: “Is there no chance of victory for us?”
“There is.” Feng Yu Heng’s words caused everyone to become shaken, “You were called over to be taught about how to avoid the tracking arrow and how to avoid being hit by the tracking arrow.”
At this moment, everyone’s reaction was the same as Xuan Tian Ming had been earlier. None could believe that the tracking shot could be avoided.
But the person that had said this was Feng Yu Heng. She was also an expert capable of using the tracking shot. With her saying this, it was far more convincing. Some hope began to fill their hearts. With eyes opened wide, they looked at her in anticipation.
They were tight on time, thus Feng Yu Heng did not waste it. She quickly said: “Truthfully, the concept behind avoiding the tracking arrow is very simple. If you want to avoid it, the first thing you need to do is not dodge.”
“Don’t dodge?” Everyone was puzzled, “If we don’t dodge, how could we avoid them?”
Feng Yu Heng told them: “The so-called tracking arrow is just as the name implies. It just chases after its target. When this arrow is shot, its target is definitely something that is moving, and the trick behind the shot is for it to continue following any movements, and it will move many times faster than its target, eventually striking its target. When it comes to a stationary target, an arrow only needs to be shot out straight. I will say it more simply. A tracking arrow can only chase after a moving target. If you move, it moves. If you don’t move, it loses its effectiveness.”
The hidden guards needed some time to digest what was said; however, Xuan Tian Ming understood. He spoke up and said: “You mean to say that a tracking arrow can only be used against a moving target?” Seeing Feng Yu Heng nod, he continued to ask: “Then if you are moving beforehand and suddenly stop?”
Feng Yu Heng smiled, “This is the key to avoiding the tracking arrow.” Seeing that the hidden guards were roughly able to understand, she continued: “But you need to calculate the distance carefully when suddenly stopping. You cannot stop too close. If you are too far, you won’t be able to hear the arrow. That’s why 30 steps should be considered a limit. As long as you can stop 30 steps away from where the arrow is shot, there is no need to do anything else. You just need to stand in place and not move. I can guarantee that the arrow will naturally fall to the ground. As for when the enemy shoots a normal shot, based on your abilities, there is no need for me to worry.”
Everyone was suddenly able to see the light. Stop, and the tracking arrow will lose its effect. The concept was actually so simple. But if Feng Yu Heng did not say it, even if it was such a simple concept, not a single person would be able to think of it. Or even if someone had thought of it, nobody would dare try. Who could stop while knowing that there was an arrow behind them? And the tracking arrow preyed on this fear. In truth, the people that were struck were people that had run themselves to death.
Bai Ze stomped his foot, “If we knew about this beforehand, master would not have needed to suffer that much.”
Xuan Tian Ming waved his hand, “It can’t be helped. Just treat it as helping this prince meeting with the princess.” With this joke, the atmosphere finally improved a little, but the concern was still present. He looked at Feng Yu Heng and quietly asked her: “Did you bring your bow?” This was a question that only the two of them would understand because Xuan Tian Ming meant to say: Is the bow in your space?
Feng Yu Heng nodded, understand what he had meant. She then loudly said: “Everyone should go back and rest first. Go over what I said in your mind a few times. When we depart once more, search for an empty piece of land. We can try it out a little.”
Everyone nodded, feeling a little bit excited. To be able to avoid tracking arrows, if this method truly worked, they would just need to be a little more careful, and the divine archery team from Qian Zhou would be easy to handle.
The hidden guards once again returned to their own rooms to rest. Feng Yu Heng simply brought Xuan Tian Ming into her space to take a bath. She then got out and went to sleep. She slept until the sky was extremely dark before a knock came at the door. Immediately following this, Wang Chuan called to them: “Your Highness, imperial daughter, you can get up.”
They would be traveling overnight once more. Fortunately, everyone had gotten a chance to rest. They would be much faster when traveling.
Two hours later, the clear moon was high in the sky, and a group of people appeared from the forest.
The horse gradually began to slow. After another two li, she saw Xuan Tian Ming raise his hand and stop his own horse first.
Feng Yu Heng also stopped her horse. Immediately following this, the hidden guards behind them came forward to the front. Everyone had an emotional expression. They knew that they were about to test avoiding tracking arrows.
Looking around at everyone, Feng Yu Heng could not help but secretly nod. The people trained by Xuan Tian Ming truly were brave. In regards to how to avoid tracking arrows, she had just given some instructions. As for whether or not they could truly avoid it, not a single person had seen it personally. But none of the people before her had backed down. Even Wang Chuan and Huang Quan were eager to try. In fact, even Ban Zou spoke up: “Let me have a try!”
With him taking the lead, the others also spoke up for themselves: “Let me have a go! Let me try!”
Ban Zou was a little annoyed and loudly said: “I am imperial daughter’s personal bodyguard. It’s natural that it should be me!”
Huang Quan was dissatisfied: “I am her personal maidservant. Is this not closer than you?”
For a while, everyone was arguing.
Xuan Tian Ming could not help but smile bitterly, “It has not yet been tested. It’s unknown whether or not it works. It may be that this is a job that will take your life, yet you are still willing to do it.”
But someone immediately replied: “Without trying, we really won’t know if it works! If it really does take a life, this subordinate is willing to sacrifice my life for my comrades.”
The others also said the same thing. For a while, it caused Feng Yu Heng’s heart to warm up.
“Don’t worry. Nobody will die.” She spoke emotionally: “I will never do something that I do not have a grasp on, especially when it comes to something that may be life-threatening. His Highness and I both have similar thoughts. That is that subordinates are also people. Servants are also people. To the heavens, all human lives are equal. We cannot seek to protect someone’s life using our own simply because they have a nobler background. That’s why, for this matter,” She looked at Xuan Tian Ming and saw his provocative smile, thus she raised her voice and said: “It will be you!”