Chapter 2509: Chang'e

Now it was the big man's turn to be surprised. He stared wide-eyed at Zu'an. "How do you know?"

The Saintess looked at him with similar confusion, seemingly puzzled as to how he knew that name.

Zu'an was speechless.

It really was Chang'e. It seemed this big man was the legendary hero from the myths who shot down the sun.

"My friend, you wouldn't happen to have any connection to Chang'e, would you?" Seeing that Zu'an didn't respond, the big man's gaze grew somewhat dangerous.

Sensing the growing hostility, Zu'an quickly reacted. He chuckled and said, "You're overthinking it. Since you said she's the most beautiful Saintess of the Chang clan, then naturally her fame would spread far and wide. It's quite normal for me to have heard her name."

"Is that so?" Hearing his reply, the big man sighed in relief. He scratched his head and chuckled. "I didn't expect her to be so famous already. You don't even know about the grudges between the Wu and Yao tribes, yet you know her name."

Zu'an secretly wiped away a bead of cold sweat. "Haha, just a coincidence, a mere coincidence." He then seized the opportunity to ask, "Are you two very close? Have things progressed to the point of a marriage proposal?"

The big man looked at him strangely. "I haven't even met her yet."

Now it was Zu'an's turn to be dumbfounded. "You're proposing without ever meeting her?"

"Of course, the most beautiful woman should be matched with the strongest man in the world," the big man said, flexing his biceps. Then he glanced at the Saintess beside him and added with a hint of embarrassment, "Your woman is also very beautiful, but in my heart, the most beautiful, of course, is my future wife."

The Saintess rolled her eyes, thinking, "Thanks a lot, I'd rather you hadn't explained."

Zu'an empathized deeply. "Your way of thinking, my friend, proves you're a person of true feeling and character. I'm impressed."

Praised by him, the big man couldn't help but smile. He became more enthusiastic and continued to tell the story of himself and the Saintess.

"Actually, we're not entirely unrelated. Back then, the elders of my clan and the Chang clan had already arranged a childhood betrothal."

"So it was an arranged marriage," Zu'an and the Saintess suddenly understood.

The big man sighed. "Unfortunately, not long after the engagement, our clan suffered a great catastrophe. Most of the clan members died in battle, and the entire tribe declined. I had long reached marriageable age, but I didn't want my future wife to feel wronged, so for years, I deliberately went out and made a name for myself. Only then did I go to propose. This way, I wouldn't disgrace Miss Chang."

Zu'an immediately pictured a story of a struggling youth who, relying on his own abilities, gradually became renowned throughout the land. It was practically the protagonist template from web novels in his previous life.

The Saintess then spoke, "If that's the case, then surely you, my friend, are very famous in this world."

The big man patted the longbow beside him and declared proudly, "I wouldn't dare boast about other things, but when it comes to archery in the world, if I rank second, no one dares to rank first."

A glint flashed in the Saintess's eyes. She then chuckled softly, "What a coincidence, my elder brother also happens to be skilled in archery."

The big man's eyes lit up with excitement at the challenge. "Oh, what a remarkable coincidence! Brother Fengdu, where is your bow? Let's have a competition."

Zu'an glanced at the Saintess in surprise, wondering why she would intentionally say that. Do women subconsciously dislike their lovers being outdone?

"There's no need for that; she was just joking." With important matters at hand, he certainly wasn't in the mood to compete with the other party.

The big man frowned and said, "Since this young lady says your archery is excellent, it must indeed be very good. How can a man disappoint his woman? No need to feel pressured, just shoot for fun. We're not trying to offend anyone." As he spoke, he casually pointed towards a flock of birds in the distance. "Those fierce birds are quite cruel; they enjoy eating the brains of young children. Let's compete with a single arrow to see who can hit more of them."

Seeing that he had pressed the matter so far, Zu'an found it difficult to refuse any longer. He could only take out the Sun-Shooting Bow.

As soon as he took it out, he felt a twinge of regret. The other party seemed to have a deep connection with the Sun-Shooting Bow. After all, historically, he was said to have used the Sun-Shooting Bow to shoot down the nine suns in the sky.

Seeing the red bow, the big man's eyes lit up. A hint of eagerness appeared in his gaze. "That's a magnificent bow!"

Zu'an had initially worried that he might covet the Sun-Shooting Bow, but seeing that the other man's admiration was purely genuine, he couldn't help but feel relieved. "Please, friend, you go first."

The big man's expression was odd. "If I go first, I'm afraid you might be at a disadvantage. You go ahead."

Zu'an also smiled awkwardly. "If I go first, you'll also be at a disadvantage..."

"In that case, let's go together!" The big man laughed heartily. Then he drew his bow, notched an arrow, and the arrow shot out like a streaking meteor.

The Saintess watched, dumbfounded. The arrow instantly pierced the eye of one fierce bird, then struck another. What was even more bizarre was that the shot arrow could curve. No matter how the startled birds scattered and fled, that strange arrow always managed to catch up to them. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, it had already killed half the flock.

Just then, Zu'an's arrow arrived. With a flash of light, all the remaining birds, whether nearby or scattered far away, were instantly blasted into dust.

The big man was startled at first, then burst into hearty laughter. "You killed exactly one more than me. You win!"

Zu'an shook his head slightly. "I just had an advantage because of this bow. Just now, your speed and skill surpassed mine."

The big man, however, didn't mind. "Possessing this bow is also a testament to your strength. In that case, how about we call it a tie?"

Zu'an, however, felt a stir of admiration. This Hou Yi truly had a magnanimous and generous disposition.

While the two men were admiring each other, the Saintess, in a corner of the deck, lowered her gaze, her face somewhat pale, and her fists clenched tightly within her sleeves.

They continued chatting like this throughout the journey. Before they knew it, they arrived near the Chang clan. The big man cupped his hands towards Zu'an. "Thank you both for accompanying me. I've arrived. We shall meet again."

Although Zu'an was somewhat curious about the appearance of the legendary Chang'e, he had important matters to attend to now. Moreover, after spending these past few days together, the two men had become friends. One does not betray a friend's wife.

"I wish you, Brother Hou Yi, an early reunion with your bride," Zu'an cupped his hands in farewell.

"Haha, when I get married, I'll definitely invite you to the wedding banquet," the big man said, quietly transmitting a message as he embraced Zu'an in farewell. "Be careful of the woman beside you; she has the aura of the demon tribe."

Zu'an was startled. Before he could fully react, the other man had already burst into laughter and leaped off the flying vessel, leaving behind only a waving back.

Zu'an looked at the Saintess, who was somewhat dazed, not far away. Hou Yi truly possessed fiery-golden eyes, to be able to discern that Sister Ling'er's current body originated from the demon tribe. Yu Momen Beiqing was originally a demon tribe Saintess. What else could she be if not a demon? Due to the conflict between the Wu and Yao tribes of this era, Hou Yi inevitably held some prejudice against the demon tribe.

"What did he just say to you?" The Saintess walked over.

"Nothing much, just wishing us a long and happy life together," Zu'an smiled. Naturally, there was no need to trouble her with such trivial matters.

Hearing his words, the Saintess offered an unnatural smile. A faint blush spread across her cheeks, but her eyes held a hint of bewilderment and apprehension.

Meanwhile, the big man traveled all the way to a town at the foot of a large mountain. Just as he was about to step forward and announce himself, he found the Chang clan in a state of disarray, seemingly searching for something everywhere.

He grabbed a person and asked, "What's going on here?"

"What the..." The person was about to get angry, but feeling the oppressive aura from the big man, he quickly said, "The Saintess has disappeared!"

"What?" The big man was greatly surprised. "How could she just disappear?"

The person replied instinctively, "I heard that the Saintess's childhood betrothed was coming to propose today. Legend has it that he's ten feet tall, with a waist also ten feet around, eats ten cows in one meal, and never brushes his teeth or bathes. Our Saintess has such a delicate body; how could she possibly marry such a brute? She naturally eloped, of course."

The big man's eyes instantly widened. "What nonsense are you spouting!"