Horned Python Bow

A war bow was different from an ordinary bow, just like how a sports
car was different from an ordinary car. An ordinary bow could be made
out of bamboo by anyone at home. But a war bow was a bow that could be
used on an actual battlefield, an environment where the demands for a
bow’s quality and power were especially strict.

Due to the
materials needed and time constraints in producing a war bow in this
era, it was amongst one of the most expensive weapons. Among the weapons
 of the same level, the price of the war bow was more expensive than
other weapons of similar quality. A slightly better war bow could easily
 cost more than ten taels of gold. It was not something that just anyone
 could afford.

The bow bag was made out of precious rhinoceros’ leather. It was
entirely green and covered with beautiful patterns, and resembled the
shape of a half-crescent. The entire bow bag was very long, as it could
almost reach Yan Liqiang’s chin when it stood on the ground. Putting
everything else aside, just the materials and craftsmanship alone would
cost a lot.

Zhou Yong opened up the bow bag and took out the bow.
Upon seeing the bow, Yan Liqiang couldn’t help but be shocked. “Brother
Zhou, could this bow possibly be the legendary Horned Python Bow…?”

“Hahaha!
 So, Master Yan also has heard about the Horned Python Bow before. Not
bad! This bow is indeed the Horned Python Bow…” Zhou Yong lovingly gazed
 at the black war bow as his hand gently caressed the sleek body. “This
was obtained by one of my good brothers on a battlefield. He later
gifted it to me. It requires the draw strength of at least five piculs
for anyone to be able to use this bow. It is too strenuous for me to use
 but with Master Yan’s superhuman strength, this bow will surely fit
you…”

The frame of that black bow was sleek, exquisite and had a great
texture as it had spiral patterns covering its body. Touching it felt no
 different from touching metal.

In the eyes of many, the Horned Python Bow was not simply just a bow, like how the Rolex wasn’t simply just a watch.

During
 the construction of an average qualified war bow, the required
materials were wood, horn, sinew, glue, silk, and paint. Not only were
the materials expensive, the process of making it was complex and
required the considerations of various climate’s influence. The wood of
the bow staves was cut in the winter, the horn was treated in the
spring, the sinew was treated in the summer and the materials were
assembled in the autumn. The limbs of the bow and everything else on the
 frame of the bow were all formed at the onset of winter, the appearance
 of the bow was refined at the onset of frost. The time for a war bow to
 be constructed to its completion would require at least three years.
And this was also the factor that held the most contribution to the
sky-high price of a qualified war bow.

Despite this, the Horned
Python Bow was even more expensive than those war bows that were made
from this crafting procedure. The only reason for its value was because
of the fact that entire frame of the Horned Python Bow was all natural,
and not man-made.

The frame of the Horned Python Bow was made from the entire skull of a Horned Python.

The
 Horned Python was a rare beast that existed only in this world.
Compared to a normal python, the Horned Python grew a pair of long horns
 similar to cow horns on its head. Those long horns growing on its skull
 made a fine and slender bow frame. This was the reason why it was named
 Horned Python.

The horns that grew out of the Horned Python’s
head were different compared to the horns that grew on the heads of
other species. Those horns on the Horned Python’s head were directly
connected to its skull, making it entirely whole and extremely firm.
Other than its firmness, its two horns were extremely tough and had an
elastic attribute. Under a great force, the horns would deform, but the
moment the force was released, the two horns would spring back to its
original position.

The
 features of these twin horns on the Horned Python’s head were even
better than the features of a man-made war bow. It was also due to these
 features that the head of a Horned Python became the best material for
the frame of a war bow while the sinew of the Horned Python became the
best matching bowstring.

Zhou Yong said that he couldn’t draw this powerful bow of five
piculs. Yan Liqiang had naturally found it to be embarrassing to show
off in front of him. That was why he had used another bow that only
required the strength of two piculs when he practiced archery in the
barracks just now.

Thirty jin was about thirty catties, one
hundred twenty catties was equivalent to a picul. Every picul was 120
jin, which was equivalent to sixty kilograms. A pull strength of at
least three hundred kilograms would be needed in order for one to be
able to draw a powerful bow of five piculs. It was simply impossible for
 an ordinary person to draw this type of bow.