My Cultivation Starting from Archery

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This arrow shot significantly increased his proficiency.

Chen Sansi was thoroughly satisfied.

If he were to encounter an opponent like Old Song the Fifth again, there would be no need for a drawn-out battle, just one arrow would kill.

It was indeed worth fifty taels of Silver.

He took his leave and headed to the pharmacy to purchase medicine.

As his realm improved, his need for supplemental medicine grew increasingly high.

Each stage of martial arts practice corresponded to specific medicinal ingredients.

Therefore, Blood Replenishing Soup was of no help for bone training, and the efficacy of Replenishing Essence Soup had greatly reduced. There was a specialized Bone Nourishing Soup available for consumption, with the original price of each prescription being ninety-eight taels—twice as much as Replenishing Essence Soup.

Even when purchased in the military camp, it would cost fifty taels of Silver.

There was also a more expensive medicine bath, costing a hundred taels of Silver for two baths.

Chen Sansi originally thought that with over two hundred taels in savings, he could be considered wealthy, but now he realized he was still poor.

These medicinal ingredients were so expensive partly because they truly were rare and often required decades of cultivation.

On the other hand.

Practicing martial arts was a way to transcend social class.

If the poor could easily turn their lives around, what would the lords do? With only so many resources available for enjoyment in the world, how could they possibly give them up easily to those beneath them?

It was not impossible for the poor to rise up, but they often had to pay a hundred or a thousand times the price.

Being a lackey in a martial arts hall or selling one's life in the army, each step was fraught with hardships.

"If you don't have Silver, you can exchange for it with military exploits, but there's some time before the battles begin; I can't just sit around doing nothing."

"I still need to find a way to make money."

"Tigers and black bears aren't found everywhere in great numbers. Relying on quantity isn't reliable. It would be best to capture an Exotic Beast."

According to "Records of the Mountains and Rivers," the Hutou Mountain Range originally had seventeen or eighteen kinds of Exotic Beasts, but now only two or three remain, with the White Deer being one, and another being an old monkey that mimics human weapon use, although it hasn't been seen for over twenty years.

But it was still an idea.

Especially since Chen Sansi possessed "Tracking and Concealment," what others couldn't find, he might be able to.

In the end, although vast, the Hutou Mountain Range was still somewhat barren.

Chen Sansi heard that in the areas around the Eight Camps in Liangzhou, there were boundless mountain ranges teeming with Exotic Beasts, and the number of ferocious beasts was countless.

It seemed he had one more reason to head to the Eight Camps.

Staying in a godforsaken place like Po Yang, advancing in refining internal was the limit; there simply were no higher-level cultivation resources.

"Wang Zhi told me that the Selection Officer would arrive before long."

"I must hasten to improve my strength."

Chen Sansi gritted his teeth and spent a huge sum of a hundred taels to order two servings of Bone Nourishing Soup.

"My lord!"

Just as he was preparing to go back for a meal, Wang Li found him: "Lord Chen, many folks from Po Yang County have gathered outside the military camp, clamoring to see you."

"To see me?"

Chen Sansi puzzled: "What's the matter?"

"Our Thousand Households is well-off and looking to recruit soldiers to fill vacancies. A lot of people have come, but they're all insisting on seeing you."

Wang Li explained: "They're saying, in all their years, they've never seen an official who still cares about the life and death of the folks from his hometown, nor someone who would kill a martial arts hall's beast in the street."

"How many people have come?"

"Over a hundred!"

"So many?"

Chen Sansi hurriedly followed him.

At the entrance of the military camp, there was a recruitment desk that was now surrounded by an impassable crowd.

Zhao Qiao, Wu Da, and Zhuang Yi were all among them.

And it wasn't just people from Yanbian Village, it seemed that more came from the surrounding villages.

"My lord, your fame has spread throughout Po Yang these past two days!"

Xu Wencai was quite excited: "I haven't even written anything yet, and so many have come. This is a great opportunity."

"Silence!"

Luo Dongquan, with a saber at his side, stood in front of the desk and shouted at the crowd: "I've said it, those who wish to join the army register one by one, the official here will make arrangements afterward!"

"We want to enlist, but we'll only follow Brother Shi!"

Wu Da, at the forefront, had a loud voice: "Let us in to see him."

"This matter isn't for him to decide!"

No matter what Luo Dongquan said, it was ineffective, as the cacophony nearly drowned him out.

"Brother Chen!"

Zhuang Yi, with keen eyesight, was the first to spot the newcomer.

"Have you all thought this through?"

After a brief exchange, Chen Sansi asked seriously: "War is imminent if you follow me, death is a possibility."

"Brother, we'll die even if there's no war!"

Zhuang Yi's face was still bruised: "If it weren't for you, we would have been beaten to death by the martial arts hall's scum already."

"Right."

```

Zhao Qiao also said, "I've discussed it with my family, and with winter approaching, we simply can't survive without joining the army, even though there's only a meager soldier's pay. Moreover, since we've come here, we all certainly want to follow you."

"I also want to learn martial arts!" Wu Da clenched his fist, "Someday, I'll kill them all."

"As long as you all have thought it through."

Chen Sansi paused for a moment, "But I'm currently only a flag leader and can only take in about forty people under my command. First, have everyone line up to register; what a mess we look like, all in disarray."

As soon as he said this,

even as Luo Dongquan had been yelling to no avail, the villagers really stopped their clamor and quietly queued up.

Seeing this,

Luo Dongquan frowned.

Not only that,

but once the spots were filled, the commotion started up again.

"Make it clear; we're only following Chen Zongqi from Yanbian Village!"

"What nonsense!"

Luo Dongquan said angrily, "He's just a flag leader, who can have at most fifty men under his command."

"So what if there are a few more?"

"Exactly, exactly."

"If it really comes down to it, why don't you just promote him?"

"Is an officer position something you can just bump up on a whim?"

Luo Dongquan looked at them with contempt, "The army has its own rules. You country folks should stop making a scene here."

"Go to hell!"

A hot-tempered villager cursed, "Disdain for us country people, huh? If you're so capable, then why post notices everywhere, begging us to join the army?"

"What rank are you even? Are you jealous because we're enlisting with Chen Zongqi instead of you?"

"Just get out of here!"

"..."

"Damn it!"

Luo Dongquan, seething with rage, drew his blade, raising his voice several times higher, "If you want to join the army, follow the rules, or else get the hell out of here!"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Seeing the murderous knife, the villagers finally felt frightened, retreating en masse and daring not make another sound.

"We knew it... you dog officials don't see us as humans!"

"Right, promises of soldier's pay must also be a lie; it's common knowledge that military camps are in arrears."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

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"Let's go, let's go!"

They really had no intention of continuing to register and stamped their marks, and they turned to leave.

Chen Sansi glanced at Luo Dongquan.

Helpless.

After all, he was indeed just a mere flag leader.

He had no obsession with how many men he led.

But with this kind of attitude, it would probably be difficult for the Thousand Households office to reach full strength.

"Fellow villagers, wait a moment!"

Xiang Tingchun suddenly appeared, blocking the way of the dispersing crowd.

His face wore a gentle smile that somewhat clashed with his temperament, "I assure you, not only will the soldier's pay not be delayed, it will also increase!"

No one answered.

It seemed very few believed him.

After all, the reputation of the Po Yang Thousand Households had been rotten for hundreds of years.

Xiang Tingchun spoke again, "I can also promise that all of you will be under Chen Zongqi's command. How about that?"

Upon hearing this sentence,

the people who were about to leave paused.

"Lord Thousand Households?"

Luo Dongquan protested, "One flag leader, how can he manage more than a hundred men? That doesn't conform to the rules, does it?"

"Rules can be changed. In times of need, who says we must stick to rigid standards?"

Xiang Tingchun beckoned, "Chen Zongqi, I leave this matter entirely in your hands."

"Understood."

Chen Sansi bowed with cupped hands.

On the side, he oversaw the villagers as they pressed their handprints one by one.

Once everyone was registered, he gathered them all at the Martial Arts Arena, organized them into lines, and checked their names against the list.

It was then that a familiar sensation stirred within him.

A panel appeared before his eyes.

[Skill: Commanding Soldiers (Untrained)]

[Progress: 0/100]

[Utility: None]