Chapter 8: Perfect Shot

An archery class lasts one hour.

After finishing the first lesson, Lu Yunhai felt a bit overwhelmed, nearly losing his confidence as an archery coach and began to doubt the correctness of all he had learned over the years.

Ji Xinghuo made significant progress in that hour.

But you could also say there was no progress at all.

Major progress refers to Ji Xinghuo’s archery movements, which, after correction, became very standard.

From posture and shooting steps to power techniques, as long as Lu Yunhai taught it once, Ji would practice a few times, grasp it quickly, and never make a mistake again; his shooting speed also improved.

No progress because, in the process of correcting and practicing, every arrow Ji shot hit the bullseye, whether his form was wrong or right.

What is the primary goal of archery?

It’s hitting the target!

Since he hits the bullseye every time, achieving perfect accuracy, the correctness of the shooting technique becomes irrelevant.

Even meaningless!

For ordinary people, incorrect archery movements and power techniques could potentially harm the body over time.

But for a ranger, the impact is negligible.

“I should not have signed you up for this class,” Lu Yunhai slightly regretted. “You just need two or three sessions to master archery skills fully. The rest is practicing on your own, forming muscle memory to increase your shooting speed, enhance your distance, and upgrade your bow’s draw weight.”

He could have taught the class’s content privately in his free time and even saved the registration fees.

Ji Xinghuo understood what Lu meant and chuckled, “It’s okay. After all, I used the archery range. Consider it as a usage fee.”

“You don’t have a job. Save where you can,” Lu Yunhai shook his head.

Ji Xinghuo fell silent for a moment.

His finances were indeed tight, but he didn’t need to use much money for the time being.

The Asia-Pacific Community provides excellent citizen welfare, offering monthly aid to unemployed citizens regardless of age, with additional benefits during festivals and holidays. This continues lifelong.

The aid amount isn’t large, generally around 3000 Ya yuan.

If a citizen has made significant contributions to society or the state, the aid could increase but most people only receive the lowest tier.

3000 Ya yuan is enough for one person’s monthly living needs, allowing some savings.

Of course, this money just covers the basic expenses of living; it’s not lavish.

If one desires a more comfortable life, fulfilling hobbies, chasing life dreams, and enjoying a luxurious lifestyle, then personal effort is necessary.

Yet, many citizens with low material desires opt not to work for a lifetime, relying solely on government support.

Consequently, the unemployment rate in the Asia-Pacific Community has never dropped below 35%!

Fortunately, today’s advanced technology and significantly increased productivity over the past two centuries ensure a wealth of resources, well-capable of supporting even billions more citizens. The cost of supporting the unemployed in the community’s budget is never high.

Ji Xinghuo has been receiving this aid since birth, and he spends modestly–his largest monthly expenditures being rent and food.

He saves the remaining money, though it’s not much.

His current savings amount to just over 70,000 Ya yuan.

In the past, this amount would have been sufficient, but now that he has become an altered human desiring to advance faster and further on the evolutionary path, earning more money is necessary.

Cultivating as an altered human is costly, akin to burning money!

Buying altered species is just the beginning.

With enough finances, one could hire an entire cultivation team for support.

This team would include a head coach, martial arts coach, special abilities coach, several sparring partners, a professional chef for dietary needs, a pharmacist for cultivation aids, a physiotherapist for post-training recovery, a private doctor, and a data analyst who continuously collects information about the altered human’s body to tailor a cultivation plan to optimize efficiency, among others.

Additionally, major companies have developed tailored cultivation methods, large machines, and more expensive aids.

Purchasing weapons and equipment also entails significant expenses.

Altered human cultivation is like a bottomless pit; even throwing in billions might not make a splash.

In summary, altered humans must have money!

Conversely, having money could make one a powerful altered human.

Recently, Ji Xinghuo has been considering how to earn money.

For instance, he could use his altered human status to apply for a high-paying job, but even if the salary is high, it won’t amount to much in the short term.

“You keep practicing, I’ll attend another class now,” Lu Yunhai said as he saw Ji silent, patting his shoulder. “Don’t leave in a hurry later. Let’s have dinner together. My treat!”

“Okay.”

Ji Xinghuo watched his good friend leave, dispelled his distractions, and continued shooting with the compound bow.

After training, they left the archery range together.

They ended up at a nearby restaurant, having a hearty dinner and drinking a few bottles of wine.

Although it had been less than a month since graduation, stepping into society from college made them somewhat emotional.

Ji Xinghuo and Lu Yunhai’s alma mater was Fengming Language University, a second-tier university in the country focusing primarily on language majors, including teaching languages from around the world and offering Star Realm language courses.

In fact, Star Realm languages are considered the university’s flagship program.

The Star Realm is vast, with humanity currently having encountered over a dozen civilizations, nearly all with distinct languages.

Ji’s major was “Xinyalac Language.”

This is one of the main common languages among the Star Realm human races. He also minored in “Celestial Language” and “Dragon Tongue,” mastering three Star Realm languages in total with comparatively excellent grades.

By contrast, because of part-time job commitments, Lu Yunhai was a poor student, frequently failing exams, and barely managing to graduate.

“Let’s go back to the school now.”

Lu Yunhai, slightly drunk, pulled Ji and went.

Fengming University was in Qishan District, quite close, so Ji lived there during his school years; he didn’t stop Lu Yunhai.

However, once they reached the school gate, a cool evening breeze sobered Lu up.

Seeing the familiar school gate made them both laugh.

“Haha…” Lu Yunhai laughed a bit sheepishly. “Lately, work stress has been high. I lose my composure when I drink. Sorry for the spectacle.”

“If there’s anything, just tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself,” Ji had noticed it already.

Clearly, Lu Yunhai’s stress wasn’t just work-related but also stemmed from personal issues.

In the hours they spent together, Lu didn’t mention his girlfriend once. She was also a classmate but had another year before graduation.

“Let’s go. Let’s take a walk around the school.”

Ji led the way into the campus, wandering around the athletic field.

Now during summer break, but many students remained on campus. Seeing student couples around, Lu became sentimental and finally said, “We broke up.”

“What was the reason?” Ji was surprised.

During their travel at graduation, Lu and his girlfriend were inseparably close, seemingly headed for marriage.

“What else but infidelity,” Lu self-mockingly smiled. “When she returned from the winter break at the start of the year, she told me someone from her hometown was pursuing her—an altered human. Yet, she firmly refused him. Last week, she went home and suddenly messaged me wanting to break up.”

Ji sighed; these situations were too common.

The disparity between ordinary people and altered humans appears in many aspects of social life, especially in choosing partners. Altered humans possess an overwhelming advantage.

In the choice between ordinary people and altered humans, most make the same decision.

It’s a consensual choice, beyond reproach.

However, when such situations occur to oneself, especially being the one abandoned, it inevitably feels bitter.

“Does she think so little of me?” Lu couldn’t help but feel indignant.

Ji didn’t know how to respond.

Past statistics show that the initial fusion with an altered species has the highest success rate, which plummets by half the second time, and failure becomes more likely thereafter.

By the third and fourth attempts, hopes are nearly non-existent.

And Lu had already failed once.

For his second attempt, he would need to buy the altered species himself, and given his family’s average financial situation, they could provide little support; he was mostly on his own.

His monthly salary at the archery range was over ten thousand, a very good job, but far from enough to save the required amount.

“Just keep trying.”

Ji could only offer this consolation, “We’re still young. Let pain from relationships sit aside for now; becoming an altered human is more important than women.”

Lu nodded firmly.

“Actually, I’ve come to terms with it. I can accept the breakup,” he tried to regain his usual confidence. “I just didn’t expect her to change so quickly. The day before she left for home, we had made plans for me to meet her parents during the summer break. I couldn’t see the change of heart coming.”

“Women…” Ji shook his head. “You’re not a mind hacker, how could you have guessed her thoughts?”

“True.”

Lu fell silent again.

After a moment, he said solemnly, “Someday, I’ll make her regret this.”

They toured the school then parted ways to head home.

Afterward, Ji adjusted his cultivation plan.

Each afternoon, he allocated two hours to the archery range for classes and practice.

Lu Yunhai completed the beginner archery course for Ji in three days, then promoted him to an advanced course without changing the fee, completing the archery knowledge transfer in just ten days.

The rest of the time was dedicated to practice.

Ji’s archery movements and power techniques became more skilled with each practice session, gradually increasing the compound bow’s draw weight to a stable 184 pounds, and his shooting distance also lengthened, from a thirty-meter target to a hundred-meter target.

Within a hundred meters at fixed targets, every shot hit the bullseye!

However, for moving and random targets, only within fifty meters could he guarantee hitting the bullseye; beyond fifty meters, the further the distance, the lower the score.

Even so, Lu Yunhai was stunned.

He had practiced archery for nearly ten years, yet Ji caught up and even surpassed him in just ten days.

When the day’s archery training ended, Lu Yunhai called Ji over and handed him a black package. “Xinghuo, take this.”

“What’s this?”

Ji guessed it roughly as soon as he held it.

Opening it, the contents were a silver-gray compound hunting bow equipped with several practice arrows.

“Your 22nd birthday is coming up, probably the most important one in your life. I don’t have much, but this ‘Yi Feng’ is one of my collected compound bows. Consider it a birthday gift.”

Lu Yunhai smiled and said, “Don’t be formal with me. Just remember to pull me up when you make it big.”

Ji wanted to refuse but hearing this, he could only nod, “Okay, I’ll take it then.”

Yi Feng is a well-known hunting bow brand.

According to ADC evaluation standards, this compound hunting bow is rated as a ‘fine’ one-star, using the best current materials and manufacturing techniques, priced at about 20,000 Ya yuan.

Seeing Ji accepting the gift, Lu appeared very pleased.

“Every good archer needs to have his own excellent bow,” he started explaining some archery theory. “The bows you’ve been using are from the range, requiring parameter adjustments each time and perform quite ordinally, not allowing full potential use.”

“Although Yi Feng is not a supernatural weapon, it performs much better than the range’s bows.”

“You’ll see even more improvement once you get used to it.”

Ji listened while taking out the compound bow and began adjusting it according to his data—pull distance, sight, and draw weight.

Yi Feng’s adjustable draw weight range is broad, from 154 to 287 pounds, likely usable for a long duration.

“Shoot a few arrows to try it out,” Lu Yunhai suggested.

“Alright.”

After Ji calibrated the bow, he immediately held it, the grip feeling quite different.

Since it was for altered human use, the materials and design focused on durability rather than lightness, making Yi Feng much heavier than typical compound bows, over 15 pounds with all the equipment, which was an ideal heft for him.

Nocking the arrow, pulling the string, aiming, releasing.

Snap!

A hundred meters away at the target center, an arrow lodged.

He continued shooting, releasing twenty arrows in thirty seconds, filling the bullseye completely.

Time and time again, every arrow hit the mark.

Lu Yunhai had seen it before, but he was still amazed. He shook his head and said, “With your talent, practice moving and random targets a bit more and you could compete. You’re sure to win a place.”

“What competition?” Ji Xinghuo asked.

Lu Yunhai briefly explained, “Chang’an hosts many archery competitions annually, ranging from amateur to professional levels. They include indoor shooting, outdoor field archery, and online simulated combat among others. They draw large audiences and offer substantial prize money.”

Ji Xinghuo’s eyes lit up, “How much is the prize money specifically?”

Lu Yunhai replied, “Top placements usually earn a prize. The highest-level field archery contest in Chang’an can award hundreds of thousands. Depending on generous sponsors, the champion’s prize money can even reach millions.”

“Millions!”

Ji Xinghuo was immediately interested, “When is the field archery contest?”

“It just took place in May. The next one is not until next year,” Lu Yunhai said with a laugh, seeing Ji Xinghuo’s eagerness, “But there’s a smaller contest next week, the ‘Shoot the Leaf Cup,’ organized by several archery halls in Chang’an, with prize money also in the hundreds of thousands.”

“Are there any registration requirements?”

Lu Yunhai explained, “No restrictions for regular people. Mutants must not exceed a mid-level rank. The Shoot the Leaf Cup is a semi-professional contest, so it’s on a smaller scale.”

“I’ll register.”

Ji Xinghuo thought it perfectly met his requirements.

High-level, large-scale competitions, although with more prize money, also had fiercer competitors. Standing out too much might bring trouble.

These semi-professional, smaller-scale contests were easier to win and drew less attention.

“Alright, I’ll sign you up,” Lu Yunhai said expectantly. “If you win, I’ll get some credit too. After all, I trained you and you’re a member here. The owner might even give you an extra reward.”

Ji Xinghuo nodded.

Winning prize money could be a quick way to earn some cash.