Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Mutie looked at Shamoko suspiciously, his eyes filled with questioning and verification. Shamoko nodded seriously, his face serious, his eyes full of expectations and encouragement for Mutie, as if saying: "Go for it, let them see how powerful we are."

With the leader's approval, Mu Tie confidently surveyed Ma Chao's group. Ma Chao's personal guards, each of them imposing and powerful, stood tall and strong, like towering iron towers. Their aura alone was enough to intimidate anyone. Gan Ning, meanwhile, was a sturdy figure, his every gesture exuding a heroic spirit. It was clear he possessed considerable courage and strength, making it no wonder he was revered as their leader. Wu Anguo and Pan Feng, on the other hand, stood as steady as two small mountains, exuding the majesty of a seasoned warrior, a presence that dared not be underestimated.

Mu Tie pondered the matter, feeling that these men were not easy to deal with. He cast his gaze upon Ma Chao again, thinking to himself: This pretty boy may look handsome and tall, but he certainly doesn't look like those men. He exudes a sense of strength. So, Mu Tie couldn't help but ask again, "Are you sure I can choose any of them?"

Ma Chao looked calmly at the people behind him, then said calmly, "Except for Lu Su, Lu Zijing, who is a pure scholar and can't even tie a chicken, you can choose any of the others."

Mu Tie was secretly delighted when he heard this and asked again, "Can I choose you?" Ma Chao's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile, and he said loudly, "Of course!" Mu Tie's face flushed with excitement when he heard this, and he shouted loudly, "Okay, okay, then I'll choose you. I'll let you try."

Mu Tie's choice drew a look of approval from Shamoke, who was standing nearby. He felt that while Ma Chao looked impressive, he lacked a certain sturdiness compared to the others. However, Mu Tie's choice caused Ma Chao's group, and even the guards behind him, to burst into laughter. This laughter expressed both absolute confidence in Ma Chao's abilities and a mockery of Mu Tie's inability to recognize a great talent, as if they had already foreseen the outcome of the competition.

Mu Tie was so annoyed by everyone's laughter that his face flushed crimson. He shouted angrily, "You Han Chinese, if you really have real kung fu, just show it off. Why are you trying so hard to be so mysterious? Stop pretending!"

Ma Chao, however, remained calm, with a faint smile on his face, and said, "Okay, okay, since you chose me, I will show you my performance." After that, he walked to the center of the field with steady steps and at an unhurried pace.

At this moment, a Shanyue man handed over a bow and arrow. Ma Chao took it and gave it a gentle pull, instantly pulling the bow into a full moon shape. Ma Chao frowned slightly and said with emotion, "This bow is too light." After that, he slowly loosened the bowstring and put the bow down. Then, he took another bow from the Shanyue man and exerted force with both hands. Astonishingly, he pulled both bows at the same time, and the bowstrings once again formed a stable full moon shape. Ma Chao, still smiling, jokingly said, "Isn't there a more decent bow?"

Seeing this, Mu Tie became even more angry and asked loudly, "This isn't a test of strength, why are you being so mysterious?"

Ma Chao remained calm and composed, responding, "Since we're competing in archery, of course I need a bow that suits my skills. Your bow is too soft and doesn't really fit my hand, and you're not even allowed to say anything?" With that, Ma Chao exerted force with both arms, pulling the bowstrings with all his might once again. With two crisp "cracks," both bows broke simultaneously.

This scene was a real eye-opener for the Shanyue people present. The surrounding onlookers were stunned for a moment, then erupted in exclamations of surprise. Even the usually knowledgeable Shamoke couldn't help but reveal a look of shock, and his gaze towards Ma Chao was filled with awe and wonder.

Ma Chao's move was a deliberate display of his skills. Originally, he had sincerely intended to negotiate amicable cooperation with the Shanyue, hoping to convince them with his wisdom and sincerity to join forces against their common enemy. However, Shamoke and the Shanyue, long ensconced in the jungles and mountains, revered the supremacy of force and the honoring of the brave. They displayed little interest in Ma Chao's endless exposition of strategies, plans, and future aspirations for cooperation, their eyes filled with perfunctory dissatisfaction and impatience.

Ma Chao keenly realized that if he didn't first convince them with his strength and show them that he was more than just a facade, the cooperation discussions would be difficult to move forward. So, he decided to demonstrate his exceptional abilities to gain their attention and lay the foundation for further in-depth discussions.

Seeing Ma Chao's skill, Shamoke no longer dared to underestimate him. He approached Mu Tie beside him and asked in a probing tone, "What do you think of this man?" Mu Tie's face was solemn. He nodded slightly and whispered, "He is indeed a formidable opponent." Shamoke's expression froze, and he immediately ordered, "Go and bring me my treasured iron bow."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Shanyue people erupted in excitement, exclamations of amazement echoing one after another. They knew full well that Shamoke's iron bow was no ordinary artifact. Cast from fine iron, it had undergone countless forgings and hammerings, leaving the bow a gleaming black, radiating a cold metallic sheen that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. The bow's back was meticulously carved with ancient patterns, resembling mysterious totems or ancient runes. Each line held a unique charm, as if telling of the passage of time. The bowstring, made of tough ox tendon, was uniform in thickness and had a slightly yellowish hue, yet it exuded an indescribable strength, as if a gentle pull could unleash astonishing power. This iron-framed bow is extremely powerful. Although Mu Tie is an expert in archery, he cannot control it easily. Even the extremely powerful Shamoke can only put one or two sharp arrows that are truly used in actual combat on this bow. Usually, it is collected as a talisman and has little practical significance.

Soon, Ma Chao and his companions saw two mountain dwellers approaching with great difficulty, carrying a large bow. The bow was huge and thick, like a sleeping black dragon, exuding a majestic and powerful aura that was intimidating.

Shamoke fixed his eyes on Ma Chao and said, "Few in my tribe can wield this bow. I can only pull it and shoot one or two arrows. To be honest, it's too heavy and relatively impractical. Chief of the Ma family, can you wield it?" His words were a test of Ma Chao, but also carried a hint of expectation.

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao laughed heartily, his expression unfazed. "If that's the case, I think this bow is remarkable. If so, I'll give it a try." With that, Ma Chao steadily took the iron-framed bow from the two mountain dwellers. The bow felt slightly heavy in his hands, its weighty texture a testament to its exceptional quality. Ma Chao gently stroked the bow, feeling its cool, hard touch, and slowly drew the string. With a soft, creaking sound, the string gradually stretched in his hand, reaching a full moon.

Everyone exclaimed in surprise upon seeing this. The villagers whispered to each other, "This man is incredibly strong!" "How could he pull this iron bow so easily? He's truly amazing!" Exclamations echoed one after another, their eyes filled with shock and admiration for Ma Chao.

Ma Chao already knew the iron bow's performance. Without hesitation, he drew his bow and arrow, exerting force with both arms, pulling the bowstring like a full moon. With a crisp "whoosh" and a muffled "pop," the sharp arrow shot out like a meteor, piercing the target directly and then, unabated, piercing the stone pavement behind it. Looking closely, the arrowhead was almost invisible in the stone pavement. Ma Chao couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "This bow is truly a treasure! If paired with a specially made armor-piercing arrow, it would be even more powerful."

Seeing this scene, Shamoke was deeply shocked. He could no longer put away his previous contempt and could not help but applaud and praise: "Well done, the leader of the Ma family is indeed extremely powerful!"

Ma Chao simply smiled and said, "It's not over yet. Since this is a competition of archery, there's more to it than just this one." With that, he smoothly drew out three arrows with one hand, one for each target in three different directions. Then, his hands danced like a phantom, and he simultaneously drew the bowstring. With three "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" sounds, the three arrows shot out like lightning, piercing all three targets, their tails still trembling.

Before anyone could recover from the shock, Ma Chao quickly glanced at his quiver and discovered six more arrows. With a determined look in his eyes, he grasped all six arrows in his hand without hesitation. He unleashed his arrows in rapid succession, their movements swift and unstoppable. The first pierced the target, the second deftly slipped through the gap, and the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth arrows followed suit, each one precisely piercing the target. Each arrow seemed to have eyes, accurately following Ma Chao's wishes.

Everyone was stunned, their mouths agape, faces filled with disbelief. Even the usually knowledgeable Shamoke was so shocked that his jaw dropped, secretly exclaiming in his heart, "How could this be an ordinary mortal?"

Looking at Ma Chao again, he was seen calmly shaking his already sore arms. Although his body was inevitably a little tired after continuously displaying such high-level archery skills, his face still had that calm and relaxed expression, as if everything he had just done was just a piece of cake.

This scene left the villagers stunned. Their eyes were first filled with deep shock, which then gradually transformed into a near-fanatic admiration. The villagers whispered to each other, and low exclamations of amazement rose one after another. An elderly villager, tears of excitement in his eyes, muttered to himself, "Such miraculous skills, could it be a god sent down from heaven?" The young men nearby were even more filled with admiration and respect, their eyes filled with blazing light as they looked at Ma Chao, as if Ma Chao was the supreme being in their hearts.

In the eyes of these mountain dwellers, Ma Chao was like a god of war descending from the heavens, radiating irresistible majesty and power. His unparalleled archery skills and the calm confidence with which he faced challenges had left a deep impression on them, making them involuntarily worship Ma Chao as a deity, as if, with Ma Chao by their side, all difficulties would be overcome and their future filled with hope.