Chapter 23: A Stormy Night of Exceptional Skills

  Shi Jin had not yet entered the kitchen when he heard the shouting inside growing more intense. The chaotic noise was a jumbled mess of curses and shouts, but amidst it all, one person's loud, sinister laughter stood out.

  Shi Jin led a group of over ten people, turning around the wall and entering the courtyard gate of the Huo family's house.

  "Look at the big shot!" The umbrella holder pointed his hand upwards.

  Shi Jin gazed along the edge of the eaves, his eyes fixed on a young man standing on the rooftop of that house, dressed in black and masked. If not for the light from the torches, he would have almost blended into the night. The young man had probably been standing there for some time, his entire body drenched in rainwater, his clothes soaked through and clinging tightly to his skin. Not only did he not appear disheveled, but in Shi Jin's eyes, he seemed exceptionally lean and agile.

  Shi Jin stood at the gate, not entering, but only gazing at him with his eyes. He saw that young man, also ignoring the curses of the people in the house, only laughing and teasing with a sharp, fine voice. From time to time, he would pick up a tile and use a strange and bizarre technique that even Shi Jin had never seen before to knock it down, startling the courtyard into another burst of shouting.

  Shi Jin glanced around, a faint smile spreading across his face: "What a mischievous monkey, look at my clever move." He then led the crowd into the courtyard.

  In the courtyard, dozens of rascals had already gathered, and were driven out in a semicircle by the bricks and tiles thrown from behind. At this moment, there were still several people who didn't know where to move the wooden ladder, set it up on the edge of the roof, and quickly climbed up.

  But unexpectedly, the man in black was extremely agile, and on this rainy and slippery roof, he was also as swift as a flying bird. With just a few leaps, he arrived at the ladder. He grabbed hold of the wooden ladder and chuckled to himself as he descended.

  Shi Jin thought to himself that this guy was not good. His skills were extraordinary, and he had managed to seize the initiative. Looking at the situation, it seemed certain that he would push over the wooden ladder and send these few people tumbling to the ground.

  The man in black grasped the end of the wooden ladder tightly, shook it violently, and looked at the several rascals clinging to the ladder below, shrinking in embarrassment, covering their stomachs and laughing loudly again. He didn't overturn the ladder, but sat lightly on the roof ridge.

  Those rascals saw the black-clad man change his appearance and humiliate him, feeling angry in their hearts, they plucked up courage and rushed up to the house along the wooden ladder.

  Shi Jin looked at the black-clad man's legs and feet, and didn't know what kind of move it was, but felt a flash in front of his eyes. One came up and one fell, one pair came up and one pair fell. Without even moving his body, he kicked several people off the roof, and with a swing of his legs, he clapped his hands in delight.

  Shi Jin couldn't help but laugh at his mischievous appearance. After all, Shi Jin was still a young man under twenty, and the playful nature in his heart was also stirred up.

  At this moment, a small leader in the crowd saw Shi Jin coming and deliberately wanted to show off. He searched for a bow outside and drew an arrow, ready to shoot the man down from the house.

  Shi Jin took one glance and hastily gave orders, but it was already too late.

  With a twang of the bowstring, an arrow shot towards the man in black.

  The man in black sitting on the house saw him draw his bow and was immediately on guard, watching the trajectory of the arrowhead, and with a slight swaying of his waist, he deftly dodged the arrow.

  Shi Jin looked on with admiration and couldn't help but exclaim: "What a fine skill! Now it's my turn!"

  Everyone was shocked and made way for Shi Jin to come forward. Shi Jin took the bow and arrow from the side, drew it into a full moon shape, but didn't shoot. He loudly asked the person on the roof, "Who are you? Report your name first."

  The black-clad man on the roof heard this and burst out laughing, his voice as sharp as a mouse's: "If you want to shoot, then shoot, what's with all this nonsense?"

  Shi Jin didn't get angry, instead he teased him saying: "Not even leaving behind a surname before dying miserably from an arrow, wouldn't that make County Magistrate Liu lose face?"

  The man in black stood up, put his hands on his waist and laughed: "What kind of thing is Liu County Magistrate, I don't care to know. But if you can hit me with your arrow, even if I die, I'll tell you my name in a dream."

  Shi Jin listened, thinking to himself. It seems that this person is not from Huayin County, but on a rainy night like this, why would he not be at home relaxing, and instead wear black clothes and a mask to come to the heavily guarded restricted area of the government office?

  Shi Jin speculated but didn't guess it right, and now is not the time to pursue the matter.

  "Alright then, let's play a few rounds. For each arrow I hit, you'll answer one of my questions. How about that?"

  The man in black looked at Shi Jin's arrow suspended in mid-air and said, "This is quite interesting, I'll listen to what you have to say."

  Shi Jin looked at him without any fear, but a hint of confident smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he shouted loudly: "Be careful, here comes the first arrow!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, his two fingers lightly released the bowstring, and with a "whoosh" sound, it shot straight up against the cold wind of the rainy night.

  That man in black saw that the arrow was not shot towards his heart, and couldn't help but let out a sound of surprise. In the past, when he had provoked others, they would shoot arrows at his vitals, but this person seemed to be a kind-hearted master.

  This thought had just occurred to him when his hands slowed down for a moment, and that arrow stuck to his calf, tearing off a piece of his pants and piercing into the tile behind him.

  Shi Jin looked at the man in black who had glanced at the arrow and shouted: "How's this arrow of mine?"

  The man in black carefully looked at Shi Jin and said, "Just now I was distracted, that's why you were able to succeed."

  Shi Jin listened to this and was both angry and amused, just as he was about to say "Well, let's have another arrow" when he heard the person on the roof say: "However, this arrow has a biased tip, it's quite cunning, and can be considered top-notch. I'll be generous for once, and let you ask one question first."

  Shi Jin listened intently and felt that although this young man was dressed in black and had his face covered, he knew the importance of keeping promises. This made Shi Jin feel a bit more favorable towards him.

  "In that case, I asked, who sent you?"

  "I've always been carefree and at ease, coming and going as I please without anyone directing me."

  Shi Jin was somewhat puzzled and asked again: "Why did you come to my village in this attire?"

  The man in black raised his arm and said: "This is the second question. You shoot another arrow at me, if you hit again, I will tell you."

  Shi Jin looked at him getting wet in the rain and still speaking with such a pretentious tone, couldn't help but feel a mix of laughter and tears. He said: "Alright, let's go along with your refined taste. Here comes the second arrow."

  With a whooshing sound, another arrow was shot.

  That person didn't panic, and with a light flick of his foot, the nearby tile seemed to come alive, flying up into the air and quickly flipping over, perfectly intercepting the incoming arrow in mid-air.

  Shi Jin took a look and couldn't help but feel admiration, what a pair of agile legs. The angle and speed were calculated to be extremely accurate.

  Shi Jin drank a loud voice, took three arrows from the quiver, and strung them on the bow. He aimed at his pants and said, "Be careful this time!" After finishing speaking, he fired three arrows in unison. When the bowstring rang out, Shi Jin shouted loudly, "Hit!"

  The man in black saw the three arrows coming in a row, and this was the first time he had seen such a shot. The force of this bow was divided among the three arrows, and if it were not arranged carefully, it would be a waste of arrows. Under the gaze of so many people, if it were someone else, I'm afraid no one would dare to play this trick with their dignity.

  In his heart he thought so, but the black-clothed man also didn't dare to be careless, hastily thinking of a countermeasure, and immediately responded.