Chapter 26: The Universal Language

Chapter 26: The Universal Language

Identifying a true expert is simple—just observe the size of the crowd around them. Skilled individuals always attract attention.

Chen Shouyi wasn’t in a hurry to practice. Instead, he took his time observing each archer. His steps paused when he noticed a large group gathered ahead. Even several coaches from nearby Archery Halls couldn’t help but glance over frequently.

The center of attention was a cold-faced middle-aged man with a lean, muscular build. His exposed arms, visible beneath his casual athletic short sleeves, were tightly corded like braided steel wires. Every arrow he released emitted a sharp, piercing whistle.

His movements carried a rhythmic cadence, as if following an unspoken tempo. Though his shooting speed was neither rushed nor sluggish, it gave off an effortless, flowing sensation.

Chen Shouyi watched quietly for a long while before retreating to the rest area. Leaning back in his seat, he closed his eyes as if meditating. He remained like that for two hours. By the time he reopened his eyes, the middle-aged man had already left.

But it didn’t matter. He had already gained what he needed.

"Can I help you with anything?"

"I need a 300-pound bow."

After collecting a bow and three quivers of arrows, Chen Shouyi made his way to an empty shooting lane. Testing the bow’s draw weight, he found it slightly light for his current strength. Still, he didn’t plan to exchange it—300 pounds was already the standard for male Martial Artist Apprentice assessments.

Generally, an average adult could only handle a 20 to 23 kg (45 to 50-pound) recurve bow. Bows exceeding 45 kg (100 pounds) surpassed hunting bows and entered the realm of war bows. At 136 kg (300 pounds), the power at mid-to-short range rivaled that of a rifle.

Like Swordsmanship, Archery had its own set of standardized stances and techniques, though it was far simpler. It relied more on eyesight, instinct, and anticipation. There weren’t many tricks—beyond natural talent, it came down to relentless practice.

For someone like him, already proficient in Swordsmanship, mastering the basics posed no difficulty.

Closing his eyes, he recalled the middle-aged man’s muscle memory from the Memory Space.

The next moment, he opened them and immediately drew the bow.

His movements were seamless, flawless.

The arrow shot forward with a sharp whoosh—vanishing without a trace.

Chen Shouyi shook his head and fired again. This time, it hit the target, though only scoring a single ring.

The third shot missed entirely.

The fourth landed in the third ring.

By the fifth, he was consistently hitting the target.

He continued firing without pause. His current stamina was immense, and the 300-pound bow posed almost no strain. He barely felt any exhaustion.

In no time, all three quivers were empty.

After retrieving his arrows and adjusting the target distance, he resumed shooting without rest.

For safety, each shooting lane was partitioned by walls, allowing archers to collect arrows at any time.

His progress was visibly rapid. By the time the Archery Hall closed, his Archery Level had risen from (Uninitiated) to (Beginner: 10).

…

At 9:30 p.m., he returned to the hotel, briefcase tucked under his arm.

Just as he was about to ascend the stairs, the front desk called out, "Handsome, your package has arrived."

"Oh, thank you!" Chen Shouyi expressed his gratitude, took the items, and hurried back to his room.

He closed the door, sat on the bed, and tore open the package, revealing three thick books inside.

Common Dialogues for Communicating with Barbarians

Dictionary of the Otherworld's Common Language

Learn Barbarian Language with Pictures

For some inexplicable reason, within all the regions currently explored by human nations, the Otherworld seemed to have only one language. No matter how far apart two barbarian tribes were in spatial distance, whether they worshipped deities or not, or even among other intelligent creatures entirely different from barbarians—their languages were nearly identical.

This was an utterly incomprehensible phenomenon, defying human logic.

Numerous scientists had conducted countless studies on this, and only in recent years, with the rapid advancement of genetics, had a somewhat credible explanation emerged. Research revealed that their genes contained an excessive number of functional segments related to language—almost dozens of times more than humans—yet their linguistic abilities were no stronger than humans'.

From an evolutionary standpoint, this phenomenon represented severe waste, a massive redundancy.

Some scientists proposed a startling hypothesis: their genes might be capable of inheriting linguistic information.

However, since its inception, this hypothesis had remained highly controversial because it led to an even more bizarre conclusion.

That all creatures in the Otherworld originated from a single source.

This origin was not like Earth's, where the first organic molecules emerged from the primordial oceanic soup.

The "origin" of Otherworld creatures must have been at least an intelligent being capable of language. After "its" demise, "its" cells and genes began to spread. Countless lifeforms evolved and diversified from this foundation.

And "its" language was inherited through genes.

...

But for Chen Shouyi, no matter how mysterious or unbelievable the origin of Otherworld creatures might be, at least he didn’t have to worry about the Shell Woman speaking some obscure, untranslatable dialect.

Thinking of the Shell Woman, Chen Shouyi quickly unzipped the brand-new briefcase he had recently purchased.

From inside, he retrieved the bound Shell Woman.

He peeled off the tape covering her mouth and cut the bindings on her hands and feet.

The Shell Woman flexed her limbs, shot Chen Shouyi a resentful glare, then turned her head away, clearly sulking. However, when Chen Shouyi handed her a multicolored glass bead, her expression immediately brightened.

She held it up to the light, mesmerized by the shifting, iridescent colors, growing fonder the longer she looked. Sitting on the edge of the table, her legs began to swing back and forth unconsciously.

These glass beads were cheap children's playthings, part of a stringed set. A large box cost only thirty yuan, and Chen Shouyi had bought one—containing at least hundreds, if not thousands, of beads in various colors.

Chen Shouyi estimated they would last a long time.

After feeding her some honey, he placed her by his pillow, turned on the TV, and switched to a cartoon channel.

Then he left her to it.

She was utterly obsessed with TV now, especially cartoons. Even though she couldn’t understand the dialogue, the visuals alone captivated her, holding her gaze unblinkingly.

As for Chen Shouyi, he picked up the simplest book—Learn Barbarian Language with Pictures—and began earnestly studying the Otherworld’s language.

After a while, he suddenly turned to the Shell Woman and said, "Bozhalokebado!"

According to the book, this phrase meant: "We are friends!"

But the Shell Woman seemed not to hear, her eyes glued to the cartoon, completely absorbed.

Chen Shouyi grabbed the remote and turned off the TV, then repeated the phrase again.

The Shell Woman was furious. She stood up with her hands on her hips and shouted loudly: "Bei Qi! Bei Qi! Bei Qi!"

She wasn’t as afraid of this giant anymore. As long as she found enough golden sand for him, he wouldn’t bother her no matter how unruly she acted—except, of course, when she was tied up and locked away.

"Bei Qi?" Chen Shouyi paid no mind to the Shell Woman’s anger. He listened carefully to the faint sounds, silently repeating them in his mind. He quickly pulled out a dictionary and searched for the meaning based on the pronunciation, but after a long while, he still couldn’t figure out what it meant.

Was the pronunciation off?

"Bei Qi, Tai Qi, Pei Qi, Pei Qi!"

"Pei Qi!"

Then it suddenly dawned on him—the cartoon she had been watching earlier. A flash of insight struck him: "Peppa Pig!"