My Cultivation Starting from Archery

Back at the creek,

Chen Sansi saw Zhao Qiao and several others lifting a goat, it seemed that today's harvest wasn't too bad.

"Brother Chen also bagged a goat."

Zhuang Yi waved from a distance.

"That's a deer, and it's an Exotic Beast!"

Zhao Qiao corrected.

"Good gracious."

Wu Da craned his neck, "How much silver would that fetch?"

"Be satisfied with the goat."

Zhao Qiao was quite content.

The group descended the mountain.

Upon reaching the tavern, Chen Sansi was invited into a VIP room to slowly settle accounts.

Deer blood wasn't easy to preserve, so they left behind five kilograms.

The best parts of the antler were all taken.

There was only one heart, which they also took.

Each type of animal had valuable parts that differed; for example, the gall of the White Deer comparatively wasn't worth much, and such internal organs were all sold off.

The sinews were also kept.

Then it was the meat of the deer.

The meat of an Exotic Beast would greatly diminish in efficacy if left too long.

Chen Sansi himself kept around a hundred kilograms.

In the end, what could be sold was sold, showing a total of two hundred and eighty taels on the books.

Plus the treasure Zhuang Zhan sent that sold for sixty taels,

This sum of money was enough for an ordinary person to live affluently in the Prefecture City.

But for those practicing Martial Arts, it was merely a resource for a certain phase.

Over three hundred taels of silver had to be bundled to fit.

Chen Sansi, carrying the heavy silver, rode the White Horse to the garrison's Forge.

"This sinew?!"

Niu Gai, holding the white sinews and gently pulling them, said: "You actually managed to get the sinew of a White Deer? Great stuff, I'll definitely make you a bow of over ten stones; come back in thirty days."

After giving his instructions, Chen Sansi inquired about the Witch God Sect.

"It's been said."

Wang Zhi chewed peanuts as he drank, "Households Commander Xiang got so angry that he slammed the table on the spot and ordered Luo Dongquan to continue the investigation, ensuring it must be clarified before the new county magistrate and Selection Officer arrive."

"Selection Officer?"

Chen Sansi asked, "Weren't they supposed to come after spring began?"

"Don't know the reason, but it's been moved up this year."

Wang Zhi squinted, "I estimate it's not for you, but rather for a general purge."

"A purge?"

Chen Sansi remarked, "Similar to an imperial envoy coming over for inspection?"

"Yes."

Wang Zhi nodded, "Every year, the Selection Officers travel thousands of miles to various counties and prefectures, not just to receive people, but more importantly, to enforce military discipline and execute a few beyond saving."

"Just last year, the garrison's Households Commander next door took bribes and secretly replaced someone's eligibility for Selected Points, and when discovered, was directly sent to Liangzhou to die in a suicide squad."

"If Hundred Households like him are found out, there are those who get executed on the spot."

"Otherwise, why do you think they fear the Governor Mansion, and why do the people from Martial Arts Hall dare not touch you?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Chen Sansi said indifferently, "Worried about you."

"Worried about me?"

Wang Zhi pondered the meaning behind the words and suddenly understood, "You think I'm also beyond redemption?"

"Am I so disreputable in your eyes?"

He defended himself vehemently, "The silver I gather has its legitimate uses." Your next read is at empire

"When the Selection Officer arrives, don't talk nonsense!"

"When are they coming?" Chen Sansi asked.

"Don't know exactly, but definitely before it starts snowing," Wang Zhi replied.

That said, wasn't the Selection Officer also going to participate in the spring conscription?

Chen Sansi inquired about the attitude of the Governor Mansion regarding this matter.

"As far as I know, the Governor Mansion does not approve," Chen Sansi said.

Hundred Households Wang was well-informed, "But this matter was approved by the Ministry of War, and you know who is above the Ministry of War, don't you? I suspect that the reason the Selection Officer came early was to see if it was possible to stop them."

Above the Ministry of War were naturally the Emperor and the Regent Crown Prince, and perhaps a few key decision-makers at most.

"That damn Xiang Tingchun!"

Hundred Households Wang tapped his fingers on the table, "He wants to use this chance to join the forces under the Crown Prince Faction, using us brothers as stepping stones!"

The Crown Prince?

Was Xiang Tingchun trying to ingratiate himself with the Crown Prince Faction?

Ever since the thirtieth year of Longqing, the Emperor had begun to cultivate Daoism, delegating the governance to the Crown Prince.

Now in the seventy-second year of Longqing, the Crown Prince had been governing for forty years.

Now with the Emperor's tacit approval and the Ministry of War's endorsement, the Crown Prince had started selecting military officers from the border to cultivate his confidantes, clearly targeting the Governor Mansion.

"Don't worry, this isn't the first time this has happened."

Hundred Households Wang saw through his thoughts, "In the fifty-seventh year of Longqing, His Majesty once believed slanders and had the Governor imprisoned in the Imperial Prison. And what happened then?

"That same summer, an external enemy attacked the south, and without the Lord Governor, seven cities fell within a month!

"Even our Eight Camps... suffered a devastating defeat, with the Black Tortoise Camp completely wiped out!

"Wasn't he reinstated as the Governor, and within half a year, turned the dire situation around?

"Three years ago, when the barbarian tribes were restless, it was Supervisor Sun who presided, keeping the barbarian tribes at bay to this day."

"So let them fuss, anyone in the Great Sheng Dynasty could be replaced, except for Sun Dushi," Hundred Households Wang concluded triumphantly.

Chen Sansi did not know much about these matters.

If it was true, this Supervisor Sun was indeed formidable.

But the more formidable he was, the more the Old Emperor probably feared him.

"There's also one most crucial point."

Hundred Households Wang took a deep breath, speaking gravely, "Since you are obsessed with Martial Arts, do you know who has the world's number one spear technique?"

"Supervisor Sun?"

Chen Sansi didn't even need to guess.

"Correct."

Hundred Households Wang spoke with admiration, "If you want to reach the pinnacle in spear technique, there's no better teacher than Supervisor Sun. You mustn't change your mind about going to the Eight Camps just because of some villains' scheming."

"I haven't planned on changing my mind."

Even knowing the risks, Chen Sansi was still very likely to go to the Eight Camps.

Where else could he go? Follow Xiang Tingchun?

"Speaking of which, was Hundred Households Wang previously from the Eight Camps?"

As Chen Sansi gradually became more familiar with him, they could chat on different topics, "Which camp were you in and what position did you hold?"

"I was in..."

Hundred Households Wang began to speak, then swallowed his words and chuckled, "Forgot! It's been so many years, who remembers?"

He clearly did not want to talk about it.

Chen Sansi did not ask further.

He reiterated his request for the other party to keep an eye out for any cases of missing people, then busied himself with his own matters.

He returned home.

Ate the cooked deer heart.

A feeling entirely different from that of bear heart or tiger heart spread throughout his body.

Ever since the "Blood Birth Phenomenon," each time Chen Sansi practiced his spear technique, the pain felt doubly severe, as if not blood but flames flowed through his body, constantly burning him.

But after eating the deer heart, strands of refreshing coolness continuously flowed from his stomach to his limbs and bones, healing his damaged body.

Thus, Chen Sansi became more and more spirited with each practice, not needing to rest at all.

His proficiency also improved rapidly.

No wonder a deer heart was worth two hundred taels, the effect was many times better than that of a fierce beast's heart and not only beneficial for cultivation but likely also great for maintaining health.

"Continue!"

Chen Sansi was unaware that it was already deep into Midnight.

...

Inside the house,

Sister Lan had long changed into her newly sewn mandarin duck-style top and was sitting quietly at the bedside, waiting.

According to the usual pattern, every time the young man consumed a beast heart, a hectic night ensued; she had grown accustomed to it.

Why was today out of the ordinary?

She waited until the late hours of the night until, unable to keep her eyes open, Gu Xinlan fell into a deep sleep, drowsy and groggy.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om