Chapter 30: Caster's Sacrifice

  Zhang Zixing was overjoyed and exerted himself again, but this time the bowstring was very uncooperative and suddenly snapped back, almost causing him to lose his grip. He knew something was amiss and after several attempts, he finally discovered that as long as he used the War Soul Technique or the True Martial Spirit Technique, the Shocking Heaven Bow would "fight to the death"; when he tried using the gentle power of the Yellow Emperor's Su Nu Jing, the Shocking Heaven Bow became very cooperative and could be drawn back with almost no effort, and the resistance force of the Piercing Cloud Arrow also disappeared. Zhang Zixing secretly marveled at this - the Shocking Heaven Bow and the Piercing Cloud Arrow were made by the Yellow Emperor, no wonder they could be used easily with the power of Su Nu Jing...

  Zhang Zixing mastered the technique of using the Shocking Heaven Bow, and with a loud whistle, he shot an arrow into the sky. The bowstring sounded, and a red glow enveloped him, as if a meteor had pierced the clouds, disappearing into the distance, even splitting the white clouds in two. The generals outside the palace heard the emperor's long whistle and saw this magnificent sight, and they were all amazed.

  The moon princess gazed at his majestic figure, her eyes shining with a peculiar light. Not only was there admiration and respect, but also a special kind of charm. The Dongyi tribe revered heroes the most, every Dongyi girl dreamed of marrying a hero who could touch the sky and stand on the earth. Although the moon princess was the ruler of a country, she was still an unmarried woman after all, and in her heart, she couldn't help but hide the beautiful dreams that ordinary girls had, only to be covered up by the majesty of being a queen and the fame of being the first archer. But in front of this young merchant prince, the thoughts she had hidden for so long were involuntarily revealed.

  Zhang Zixing turned his head, just in time to meet Yuemei's gaze. Yuemei's usual boldness seemed to suddenly disappear, and she immediately shifted her gaze elsewhere, not daring to look at him again. Her face involuntarily flushed with two red clouds. Zhang Zixing didn't notice this detail, because he suddenly thought of something bad and shouted: "Oh no!"

  The Moon Princess hastily asked the reason, and Zhang Zixing replied with a bitter expression: "I only know that I can break the Nine Infants with the Shocking Heaven Bow and the Piercing Cloud Arrow, but I didn't think that my shooting technique is so sparse, and I basically can't hit two of the nine infants... Just now, I was too excited and wasted one of the three divine arrows, I don't know where it went, now there are only two left..."

  Zhang Zixing's concerns were indeed correct, the divine bow's power was unmatched, and with just one arrow, it had already shot into the sky and disappeared from sight. The remaining two arrows didn't even dare to be taken out for practice, let alone being used to shoot at clouds. Moreover, his archery skills were lacking, and even if he could have countless Cloud-Piercing Arrows to practice with, it was impossible for him to achieve anything in just a few short days.

  He ordered Li Jing to quickly chase after the Cloud Piercing Arrow, while asking Yu Jie: "Your archery skills are exceptional, is there a shortcut that can help me master the Linked Arrows technique?"

  Tsukihime thought back to her childhood, when she had practiced archery diligently, and shook her head: "What shortcut could there be for Tsukihime? Archery is a skill that, although it has techniques, places the greatest importance on familiarity with one's hands..."

  Zhang Zixing thought of the classic phrase "No, but hands are familiar" in the story of "The Oil Seller", and felt very depressed in his heart. If he had known earlier, he should have practiced archery hard a few years ago, instead of taking shortcuts to do something like shooting multiple arrows at once. In fact, there were people in the Shang army who could shoot multiple arrows in succession, but none of them could use the Shocking Heaven Bow. What should he do? Zhang Zixing fell into deep thought.

  After a while, Zhang Zixing suddenly caught sight of Yuemei's concerned expression and asked, "Yuemei, if you can wield the Shocking Heaven Bow, do you have confidence in shooting and killing Jiu Ying?"

  This sudden question made Meiji pause for a moment. After some thought, she replied: "If I can wield this divine bow, I will have a 90% chance of winning."

  Tsukihime's tone was quite certain, her archery skills had reached a realm where the bow and arrow were no longer just tools, but an existence equivalent to a second life. Although she couldn't draw the Heaven-Shaking Bow, merely by witnessing the trajectory and force of the Cloud-Piercing Arrow earlier, her mind quickly simulated the corresponding "parameters" and techniques for using it. If conditions allowed, she wouldn't even need any practice to effortlessly use the Heaven-Shaking Bow and Cloud-Piercing Arrow to hit her target.

  "If I were to teach you the secret art of the Heaven-Shaking Bow, would you be willing to help me kill the Nine Infants?" Zhang Zixing's words left Moon Goddess silent. She could agree to serve or even become a slave, but that didn't mean she was willing to become a "traitorous general" who would betray her own people on the battlefield.

  Zhang Zixing's original intention was to pass on the Huangdi Su Nu Jing to Yuemei, allowing her to also possess the ability to use the Shocking Heaven Bow. He did not expect Yuemei to have a shocking talent and cultivate the Su Nu Jing to a very high level in a short period of time, but rather let Yuemei cultivate the foundation of the Su Nu Jing and become an object of dual cultivation, so as to accept his application of the "Transfer Technique".

  "The Art of Transference" is a relatively advanced secret art in the Su Nu Jing, which can transfer one's own energy to a dual-cultivating partner. Of course, the more power output, the greater the loss to oneself. As long as Zhentian Bow acknowledges the Huangdi power from the same source on Yuexia's body, Yuexia can use it freely.

  He knew that the Moon Princess was struggling internally, and added another sentence: "I know you are conflicted, but this war is not for personal life or death, but for the future of the entire Dongyi."

  "The death of Tsukihime is not worth lamenting, it's just...". Tsukihime smiled wryly, with tears welling up in her eyes, her expression sometimes sorrowful, sometimes resolute, but ultimately unable to make a decision.

  "If you really don't want to, I won't force you..." Zhang Zixing's heart was filled with pity and he sighed, no longer insisting. He thought to himself: Since Moon Girl doesn't agree, he can only rely on Huang Feiyan who is far away in Chao Ge. Although Huang Feiyan's archery skills are not as good as Moon Girl's, she is still a remarkable talent, and her consecutive double arrows are not to be underestimated. However, Huang Feiyan has too little experience fighting enemies, and Jiu Yin is a very ferocious monster. With her impulsive personality, even if she had the Shocking Heaven Bow in hand, it's uncertain whether she would succeed or not.

  As an archer, the most important thing on the battlefield is to maintain a calm mind that is almost frightening, so as not to miss a shot. Just from this point of view, Tsukihime is much stronger than Huang Feiyan.

  "Are you truly willing to eradicate the suffering of the Eastern Yi tribes?" Moon Princess suddenly asked in a low voice, her tone seemingly searching for a reasonable excuse for the "betrayal" she was about to commit.

  Zhang Zixing knew her intention and was overjoyed in his heart. With a solemn expression, he replied: "If there is any falsehood, I will surely suffer heavenly thunderbolts!"

  Upon hearing such a resolute answer, Tsukihime's expression suddenly became firm: As long as it can change the future of Dongyi and let the tribe escape from hardship, what does personal honor or shame matter? She might as well kill herself on the spot after killing Jiu Yin to show her determination...

  "Tsukihime is willing, Your Majesty, please impart your secret art!"

  "In the future, not only you but also the entire Dongyi tribe will be grateful and proud of your decision today!" Zhang Zixing looked at her resolute expression and said seriously: "This technique is extremely special and can only be passed down between a married couple. I hereby appoint you as the Moon Consort, and my promise to the Dongyi people will also be fulfilled in your lifetime. Remember this from now on, starting today, you are already my consort. If you dare to speak lightly of life and death, I will vent my anger upon the entire Dongyi tribe! If I lose my beloved wife because of this, all men of the Dongyi tribe will lose their wives and children... I have always kept my promises, so think carefully!"

  The moon goddess trembled, knowing that her thoughts had been seen through by this man who had secretly admired her. She thought of how he had used the safety of the entire Dongyi tribe to coerce her, just to stop her from having suicidal thoughts. The ice in her heart seemed to slowly melt away. She gazed at Zhang Zixing for a long time, her eyes gradually softening, and a strange feeling that she couldn't quite put into words welled up inside her. Finally, she nodded slightly.

  "As a king, I will use all my power to defend my country and people, and as a husband, I will do my best to love and cherish my wife, letting her live in peace and happiness forever. From now on, when we are alone, you can call me 'husband'!"

  Zhang Zixing gently wrapped his arms around Yuè Jī's slender waist, gently wiping away the tears from her eyes. He even dispensed with formalities like "my humble self": "To be frank, you are willing to submit to me for the sake of our clan, and I also have intentions of using you. Our union today is indeed tainted by ulterior motives. My virtuous wife, your beauty shines brightly, your temperament is gentle and kind, you are a rare woman with a soft exterior and strong interior. In my heart, I am not unmoved by you. As your husband, I hereby make a vow to heaven: from now on, I will cherish and love you with all my heart, and ensure that you attain true happiness..."

  "Ah, husband!" Yuè Jī's heart was moved to tears as she called out emotionally. Zhang Zǐ Xīng opened his arms and held her close, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Yuè Jī's face flushed with a charming red glow as she leaned into his chest. If they were in a different situation, Zhang Zǐ Xīng might have taken the time to slowly cultivate their feelings before making his move, but with the war pressing in, there was no time for that now. Yuè Jī understood this and had secretly harbored feelings for him anyway, so she let go of her repressed emotions and didn't resist his forward advances.

  Zhang Zixing saw the usually strong-willed Moon Queen with a gentle and submissive expression, unable to bear it any longer. He lowered his head and kissed her red lips, and when their lips met, the Moon Queen first trembled, then surprisingly boldly took the initiative to welcome him. If Zhang Zixing hadn't noticed that her kissing skills were awkward, he would have thought she had a lot of experience, but in fact, this was just the expression of a Dongyi woman's bold love and hatred. The two deeply kissed for a while, and Zhang Zixing's hands began to get restless, stripping off the Moon Queen's clothes one by one, revealing her stunningly beautiful body. Although the Moon Queen was bold, she was still a virgin, and when she felt his hand move to a critical area, she couldn't help but tense up and cry out in surprise.

  After the storm, Yuè Jī felt his love and affection, and her heart trembled with joy. Two lines of happy tears flowed from the corners of her eyes, but before they could fall to the ground, they were gently licked away by the man beside her.

  The two of them this time together both publicly and privately, yet also with a husband's feelings and a concubine's intentions, one night they poured out their love and gratitude without restraint.

  Ten days later, Shang Jun and Dongyi Jun faced off again on the plain.

  This time, Wu Jialing, who knew the enemy was powerful, did not hesitate and directly released Feng Huang and Jiuying. After sacrificing some of his tribesmen's lives, the two great demons charged towards the Shang army under the control of Chi You's flag. The Shang army suddenly became extremely frightened and fled in disarray. Although the four generals of the Mo family exerted their utmost efforts, they were still unable to withstand the might of Feng Huang and Jiuying. The originally intact phalanx of the Shang army was torn into several large pieces, no longer forming a battle array.

  Unlike the Witch King who was fully releasing his magic and had no time to spare, the leader of the Allied Forces, Cang Jie, gradually discovered the enemy's abnormality: those fleeing merchants were actually fleeing towards the Dongyi army in a state of panic, as if they had all been frightened out of their wits. Just as Cang Jie was about to speak up to remind them, the situation on the battlefield suddenly underwent a drastic change.