The first lesson in the Archer Sect was supposed to be about precision, patience, and lethality—qualities that defined an archer’s path. But there was one major problem.

  Elder Jian, the one responsible for teaching battle tactics and archery techniques, was nowhere to be found.

  Instead, all the new disciples were left standing awkwardly in the training field, waiting for a teacher who had clearly abandoned them.

  A single note had been left behind on the training post:

  "Figure it out yourselves. The elder is looking for money."

  Silence.

  Lan Ji whistled. "Well, at least he's honest."

  A sigh came from behind him. A young woman with a refined yet slightly frustrated expression crossed her arms. “Hah… The first day of training, and our teacher has already run off to gamble. Why am I not surprised?”

  The girl’s name was Xue Lian, from the Xue Cn, a well-known family specializing in sword techniques. Despite this, she was one of the new disciples admitted into the Archer Sect. And right now, she looked bored out of her mind.

  Han Ye, who had been expecting something absurd to happen, finally turned toward her and asked, “You’re from the Xue Cn, right? Aren’t you all swordsmen? Why are you here, learning archery?”

  Xue Lian sighed, twirling a strand of her long bck hair between her fingers. “Because I got bored.”

  Lan Ji raised an eyebrow. “Bored?”

  She nodded. “Yes. The techniques I learned at home—it’s all the same. Over and over again. Sure, there are differences depending on affinity or enlightenment, but the core principles never change. After mastering every sword technique my cn had to offer—including the hidden ones—I figured I should try something different.”

  Han Ye was intrigued. "Your cn specializes in sword techniques, right? What’s their signature style?"

  Xue Lian’s expression softened slightly. "The Falling Wind Sword Techniques. It’s an art that harmonizes with the wind, making every movement swift, fluid, and nearly impossible to predict."

  Han Ye internally noted the name of her cn's technique. Falling Wind Sword Techniques… It must have something to do with wind affinity.

  Lan Ji whistled. “Yeah, we’re definitely not messing with you. Genius detected.”

  Han Ye, however, narrowed his eyes. “That’s not your only reason, is it?”

  Xue Lian flinched slightly. “…What do you mean?”

  Han Ye smirked. “You’re a girl from a prestigious cn. And you’re of marriageable age.”

  Xue Lian’s expression darkened. “Wait. How did you—"

  Han Ye shrugged, but inside, he recalled something he had read.

  In imperial w, noblewomen were often married off at a young age for political alliances. The only way to escape was to prove themselves useful elsewhere… or run.

  He didn’t realize he had memorized the entire legal system until moments like this. Is this the mark’s doing?to seek knowledge? even if that knowledge is completely useless? or because of me?

  Xue Lian scoffed. “No, I had to threaten them with something worse than a political scandal.”

  Lan Ji raised an eyebrow. “Dare I ask?”

  Xue Lian smirked. “Let’s just say… certain letters were written. If anything strange happens to me, those letters will be sent directly to some very important people.”

  Han Ye blinked. “You’re scary.”

  “Thank you.”

  The conversation was interrupted when one of the other disciples groaned loudly. “Ugh, we’re wasting time! If Elder Jian won’t teach us, what are we supposed to do?”

  Another disciple mumbled, “I… I’ve never even held a bow before.”

  Han Ye sighed, rubbing his temples. “So, let me get this straight. None of you are getting trained, except for a few people?”

  Lan Ji grinned. “Looks like it.”

  Xue Lian rolled her eyes. “Then we have no choice. We either wait for him to return or—”

  Han Ye groaned. “We train ourselves.”

  And so, whether he liked it or not, Han Ye found himself in charge. But why did he suddenly want to teach them how to use a bow? He didn’t know, but he continued anyway.

  He stood at the center of the training ground, taking a deep breath before speaking loud enough for all the disciples to hear.

  “Alright, listen up! Since our instructor decided to run away, I’ll be teaching the fundamentals instead!”

  The disciples turned toward him in surprise.

  One of them hesitantly raised a hand. “Uh… do you even know how to teach archery?”

  Han Ye smirked. "Before I entered the sect, I was a hunter, so don’t worry."

  He picked up a bow, took a single arrow, pulled back the string, and released it in one smooth motion.

  The arrow hit the center of the target.

  A few disciples gasped.

  One muttered, “That was… surprisingly good.”

  Han Ye shrugged. “Alright, let’s get to work. We have 99 disciples here. If we don’t start training, we’ll all be wasting time.”

  The disciples groaned. “99?!”

  One of them compined, “Aren’t you also a disciple?!”

  Han Ye smirked. “Yes, but since I’m the one teaching, that makes me your instructor. You are the disciples. So, better start now.”

  At first, the disciples hesitated. Most of them had never even held a bow before, let alone tried to hit a target. Han Ye took a deep breath and began with the absolute basics.

  “First, hold the bow properly,” he instructed, demonstrating the correct grip. “Your dominant hand pulls the string, while your non-dominant hand holds the bow steady. Keep your arms rexed but firm.”

  The disciples awkwardly copied his stance, some struggling with their grip. Han Ye sighed. “Alright, let me correct your forms.”

  He walked through the group, adjusting postures and making sure their fingers were positioned correctly. Some held the bow too loosely, while others gripped it like they were strangling it.

  “No, not like that. If you grip it too hard, your shot will be unstable.”

  “But if I hold it loosely, won’t it fall?” one disciple asked.

  Han Ye smirked. “Not if you do it right. Here, watch.”

  He demonstrated again, pulling back the bowstring effortlessly and releasing an arrow that nded cleanly on the target.

  The disciples stared in awe.

  “I see… so you need to maintain control without forcing it too much,” Xue Lian murmured, quickly adjusting her own grip. She mimicked Han Ye’s stance perfectly.

  Lan Ji, on the other hand, struggled. “Why is this so hard? My hand keeps shaking!”

  “You’re tensing up too much,” Han Ye pointed out. “Take a deep breath. Focus. Rex your muscles.”

  Lan Ji inhaled deeply and tried again. This time, his arrow didn’t fly wildly off course—it actually nded near the edge of the target.

  “I hit something!” he cheered.

  Han Ye nodded. “Good. Keep practicing. The rest of you, do the same.”

  an hour just passed, As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the training field became filled with the sounds of arrows being fired—some hitting targets, others missing completely.

  Despite the chaos, Han Ye felt a sense of satisfaction.

  He never expected to be in this position, but seeing everyone improve, even slightly, made him feel… something.

  Maybe he wasn’t such a bad teacher after all.