Nightfall

The thunderous howl from the hammer awoke Ning Que, but the next moment, it knocked him out again. Buried in his dream, Ning Que could hear thunder, rain and laughter.

After a while, he woke up and rubbed his eyes. He found himself leaning on the wall of the smithy the blaze in the furnace was put out by dirt, leaving the room no longer warm. No one else was in the room.

He rubbed his sore shoulders, rose on his foot and came to the window. A wooden box was lying on the table next to the window. Ning Que was surprised because there was no such a thing yesterday.

The box was oblong, with a length of an arm. Ning Que opened the box and saw about six strangely shaped metal pieces. These metal things were dark on the surface, but when he had a good look, he found countless seams on the surface. These things were woven in countless thin metal lines. Its great tenacity was clear even at one look.

Ning Que stroked the surface of the metal. His eyebrows rose when he felt the rough but strong feeling from his fingertip.

Due to their strange shapes, the usage of these metal was not clear. The three tiny pieces of metal were the most strange, which were even too light to hit people, let alone the tiny-teeny silver tray on them, in which there was a shiny diamond stuck to them. All this made them not like a weapon at all, but like…

“Are those wedding rings?”

Ning Que muttered, with his starry eyes full of happiness. He already knew what they are used for. He started to assemble them without anyone guiding him how to do it because his hands were very familiar with the bow and arrow and very flexible.

Clinks from the metal being put together sounded one after the other. Only after a short time, a dark metal bow was made. Ning Que held it in his left hand, his right hand drawing the eight specially-made lines out and putting them on the bow.

It was finished. Ning Que put the bow on the table and looked at the dark arrow holder beside the box. He breathed deeply and pulled out an arrow from it.

This was an arrow made of alloy.The shaft was long and thin. Despite the fact that is was actually hollow, it was still very heavy.

Ning Que restrained his excitement and held the arrow with both hands. His left hand slowly moved towards the arrow bunch at its end and felt the special touch from it.

He was very careful and didn’t miss the strong, unbreakable feeling from the shaft. He looked at it carefully too. By the morning light from the window, he saw the scalelike lines on the shaft. No one knew how many times it took the hammer to hit it and how many layers it had to make such a wonderful shaft.

Between those tiny lines, there were some even deeper and more delicate lines woven together. However, the emptiness at the bottom made you feel that as though was one line missing. If only the emptiness had been filled, then these lines would have been more alive.

Holding the heavy bow, Ning Que walked out of the smithy. He walked toward the bright sunshine and took a deep breath to refresh himself.

The sound of snoring wafted from the grasslands between the house and Jing Lake. Ning Que looked ahead and found Senior Brothers sleeping under the trees beside the lake with a few wine bottles scattered around. Among them, Chen Pipi was the deepest sleeper, he was even drooling. Seventh Sister was leaning on the tree and sleeping. In her hand, was a wine bottle shaking around. It was as if she was fishing. On the other side of the tree, Second Brother, who was the most elegant in dressing and always kept his crown straight, gave no attention to his tilted crown.

Ning Que looked at his Senior Siblings in silence, he could guess what they had done last night just for him. His chest became warmer and warmer. He was so impressed that he didn’t know what to say.

Second Brother woke up and straightened his crown. He signed to Ning Que to follow him to the lake, worried that those fast-asleep guys would be disturbed.

Standing beside the lake, the two were bathed in the sunshine. After a moment of silence, Second Brother said seriously, “Remember, on the journey to the Wilderness, you shall not dishonor our Academy. You are a famous person now, remember to mind your behavior. ”

Ning Que said with a smile, “I am not a famous person, I am just an average person.”

Second Brother stared at him, and said with approval, “I like your words, you don’t care about fame, even when you are surrounded by it, you can see yourself. If our Senior Brother heard your words, he would see you as his bosom friend.”

The Senior Brother was the Eldest Brother of the Academy.

Ning Que was in a daze, he felt a little shy somehow.

“Thanks a lot, Second Brother. I know you all have worked really hard for me. If it wasn’t you, I would need Professor Huang He to help me.”

“I am no expert of Talisman Taoism. But your master, Yan Se, is the leading character in this area. If even he can’t help, then turning to professor will be in vain.”

“Speaking of that, I don’t even know where these professors in our Academy live.”

“Professors are all guests of our Academy. Most of them are foreigners. They live in seclusion in different places in the mountain.”

“Why have I never met any professor in the mountain?

At this time, Second Brother said something nonsensical, “Because the mountain is big.”

Then he turned around and looked at the dark bow on Ning Que. “Do you want to give it a shot?”

Ning Que nodded his head.

Eleven Senior Siblings gathered around Ning Que. Some stopped sleeping, some stopped picking up flowers, pine trees or flutes. Even Third Sister, Yu Lian, who seldom met people, was also present. They were talking and discussing in excitement. Some were joking that they weren’t interested in this at all, and the reason why they were here was just that the noise had woke them up.

Ning Que put the long arrow on the steel bow. He took a deep breath, lifted the bow and aimed at the sky as if he wanted to shoot down the sun under the horizon at the other side of the grasslands.

A squeaking sound was heard. The bow, which looked so strong, bent a little, the strings were tense and buried in the middle finger and ring finger of his right hand. Because of the significant meaning of this shot, he chose to use Three Finger Controlling the String way, which he was not very familiar with.

As he was doing it, the discussing sound stopped suddenly. Senior Siblings of the Second floor of the Academy was staring at his finger excitedly and nervously.

The lake was as clear as a mirror, so much that you could even see the fish swimming in it.

A proud goose was sitting at the other side of the lake and cleaning his chest.

The tense string rubbed against his fingertip at a fast speed and shot ahead at a velocity that couldn’t be seen by the naked eye when Ning Que relaxed his arm.

The sharp arrow bunch moved forward from the bow where his hand was to a point where the diamond rubbed against the shaft as if a pen wrote on paper and left a line on it.

The last line it left filled the empty space in the shaft and it was, the last stroke of the Talisman Taoism.

The end of the arrow left the bow and a string of white liquid came out either because it was moving too fast or the Talisman Taoism was activated.

Then…the arrow disappeared!

No one could see clearly the track of the arrow and its position in the sky. Only Second Brother squinted and looked into the sky.

Until then a blast of wind wafted over making Ning Que’s clothing flutter in the wind. The group felt cold suddenly. Dew appeared on Ning Que’s left hand, in which the bow was held.

The fish in the lake swam slowly.

The white goose finished cleaning himself and was ready to sing.

After a while, people were still trying to find the track of the arrow. It was until then that they saw an empty hole appearing in the middle of a fluff of cloud, through which blue sky could be seen!

Senior Forth Brother said in a quivering sound, “Is that because of the shot?”

Senior Sixth Brother replied in a quivering sound too, “That is because of the shot.”

Senior Seventh Sister said in surprise, “Is that really because of the shot?”

Senior Second Brother said matter-of-factly, “That is because of the shoot.”

The expression on everyone’s face changed and a sigh of joy was heard from the group as they looked at the hole in the sky. Senior Sister Yu Lian furrowed brows loosened and a smile flashed across her face. The idea that this arrow could fly so high and could be so powerful didn’t even cross her mind.

At that time, Chen Pipi rubbed his chubby face, looked at the sky with difficulty and asked a very crucial question, “Where is the arrow?”

That was actually a very important question. But at that moment, when everyone just witnessed the first real Talisman Arrow invented, no one paid any attention to his question. Ninth Brother said in amazement, “How can we not have music at such a happy moment?”

Tenth Brother nodded his head, put his fingers on the strings of his Chinese zither and said, “Arrows can’t exist without strings.”

Eleventh Brother lifted the heavy hammer at his feet, and said in a silly manner, “That is not right. The arrow was made using my hammer by Second Brother.”

Seventh Sister said happily with a needle pinched in her fingers, “I also contributed a little.”

Ninth Brother put his flute to his lips and played a joyful tune. When everybody started to join him singing, a squeal came from the sky and covered the music from the flute. It was as if a celestial being from heaven was playing the flute.

Those of the Second floor of the Academy were normal human beings, but they were the cleverest ones. They knew what caused the sound right after the sound was heard. With a changed expression, everyone ran away at their fastest speed from Ning Que like a flock of animals looking for a safe shelter.

While Ning Que himself had no idea what was going to happen. His mind was full of excitement. In a daze, he stared at the sky even without a blink.

Second Brother and Chen Pipi flanked him and looked at the sky with different expressions.

The sharp squeal came from the remote sky to the lake then a black dot appeared in Ning Que’s sight. It was the arrow! It was moving ao fast as if it could stab through his skull in the next second!

Second Brother waved his sleeve making it flutter like a flag. It caught the black shadow that was about to land towards the ground. He tugged at it and changed the direction of the Talisman arrow which was moving at a terrifying speed and force.

His sleeve made a hissing sound and tore up.

A boom was heard, and half of the pavilion collapsed.

Ning Que looked very pale. He realized now what had happened. Looking at the dusty lake, he muttered, “Jesus.”

Seventh Sister ran back wearing a pot on her head. Looking at the pavilion, she also said, “Jesus.”

Second Brother frowned and glanced at her.

…

…

The group gathered at the lakeside again and started discussing in excitement

Fourth Brother looked at the lake and flashed a satisfied smile. He walked through the wooden bridge, and when he came back, he was holding the arrow and a small box in his hand.

“It is such a genius idea, using a diamond to finish the last stroke of the Talisman. But it is a pity that one arrow can only be used once. Although last night, together with Sixth Brother, we made a repairing tool we haven’t tried out yet. If you need to repair the arrows in the Wilderness, you can give it a shot. ”

He handed the box to Ning Que and said seriously, “These Talisman Arrows are made of very valuable material and it took such trouble to make them. There are only 13 of them in the holder, so, remember to save them for the crucial times.”

Ning Que said, “Don’t worry, I will. I won’t use them up at one time.”

“You are not even able to shoot all these arrows at one go, ” Second Brother said when he was washing his hands in the lake. He stood up and looked around, “At your level, three arrows are the limit. Your body can’t bear more arrows. ”

Ning Que looked at the Talisman Arrow in his hand, frowned, “Then what should I do?”

Fourth Brother looked at the Talisman Arrow, said, “What a creative new design. It is not too much to say it starts a new era in weapon designing. Unfortunately, it can’t be known and used by the whole world.”

“Why not?”

“Because the Talisman written by Ning Que can only be used in coordination with his Psyche Power. That means to use the Talisman Arrows, the archer must be a good Talisman Master. There are few people in this world who can write such a Talisman, and even fewer of them are good archers. It is not that easy to use an iron bow.”

It was only upon Ninth Brother bringing it up when Ning Que started to feel the sore and pain on his right shoulder. The muscle there might have been injured because of the move he used before.

Fourth Brother said, “Brother, you designed this arrow. Why don’t you give it a name?”

Ning Que looked at him and said, “Please name it, Fourth Brother.”

Fourth Brother said, “OK, then. Since you put your favorite silver in it, shall we call it Silver Arrow?”

Ning Que’s face changed when he heard the name.

Second Brother said, expressionlessly, “Let’s change it.”

Chen Pipi pointed to the say, and asked, “What about Breaking the Cloud Arrow?”

First, an arrow broke through the cloud and then a big war would break out. Ning Que thought about this and shook his head.

Second Brother thought for a while and said, “The Talisman Arrow works on the Qi of Heaven and Earth. In this world, there are only 13 of them. coincidentally, Our youngest Brother, Ning Que is the 13th student. So…let’s call the arrows Primordial Thirteen Arrows.