Archery: Entry Level

The next day.

The rooster crowed to announce the dawn, and the morning mist was thin.

Chen Sanshi woke up early, a scorching piece of jade in his arms.

Gu Xinlan, with her rosy cheeks, was still fast asleep, clinging tightly to his arm, almost leaving an imprint.

In a feudal society, a weak woman, without support, could be sold as a plaything at any time, so it was normal for her to lack a sense of security.

It took Chen Sanshi a great deal of effort to pull his arm free.

Since he had taken her body, he had to take responsibility.

Speaking of which, Gu Xinlan was so frail, yet so... fruitful. He really didn't know what was wrong with his original body's thinking, not cherishing her properly.

Because ancient people knew that as long as their status reached a certain level, they could have any woman. If they reached a certain status, they might even be able to have the pampered, tender, juicy, smooth, delicate, soft-spoken, obedient, educated daughters of wealthy families who followed orders. Of course, there were also the beautiful, capable, and competent maidservants who came with dowries. They would even thoughtfully search everywhere to add a few delicate and beautiful concubines for you. Of course, this was all a prerequisite on reaching a certain status.

Something like this, in his previous life, would have cost at least two million to marry!

Formal declaration: The sale of women is prohibited in our country, except for those who are not married. Chen Sanshi tiptoed out of bed, picked up his bow and arrows from the wall, and went to an open space outside the house.

"Whoosh--"

He took several deep breaths, calming his chaotic thoughts. He aimed at a crooked willow tree and began to shoot arrows with concentration.

After a night, or rather, half a night's rest, his spirit and strength had recovered considerably, and his aim was quite good.

Within twenty paces, he could hit the target about half the time.

To reduce wear and tear, he basically only used one arrow for practice. Even so, he had gone through a considerable number in one morning.

Inside the house.

Gu Xinlan, peeking through the paper-covered window, quietly watched Chen Sanshi, who was covered in sweat, and felt inexplicably at ease.

"Shi Ge'er is serious... He really intends to hunt and live with me."

She soon felt heartbroken.

"He was up all night last night, and now Shi Ge'er is up so early to practice archery. What if he gets too tired..."

Gu Xinlan leaned against the wall and limped to start a fire to cook.

"Done!"

With another arrow shot, Chen Sanshi let out a long sigh of relief.

Skill: Archery (Novice)

Progress: (0/200)

Effect: Can draw the Six-force bow, and within forty paces, arrows fly true.

Novice is already this exaggerated? It should at least be proficient.

Just a moment ago, it felt as if some power had been infused into his body. Not only had his physical strength improved significantly, but his archery had also broken through to another level.

Archery Novice!

Chen Sanshi observed the changes on the panel.

Six-force bow, arrows fly true within forty paces.

In the Great Sheng Dynasty, one force was equal to twelve jin, so a Six-force bow was equal to seventy-two jin!

As far as he knew, the archers defending the city also used Six-force bows.

This meant he had already reached the level of an ordinary archer.

After all, in the ancient army, soldiers who could become archers were considered elites!

The second part, arrows fly true within forty paces.

In the Great Sheng Dynasty, one pace was defined as taking one step with the left foot and one with the right foot, making a pace about 1.4 meters. Forty paces was more than fifty meters.

Don't underestimate this distance.

The effective range of ordinary archers in actual combat was about a hundred paces, but that was for raining arrows from above, not for aimed, flat shots.

Normal assessments also had requirements for hit rates at distances of forty to fifty paces.

The archery competitions Chen Sanshi had watched in his previous life usually had targets about seventy meters away, and those were with modern bows.

Moreover, he could hit the bullseye within forty paces, not that he couldn't hit at seventy meters, but he couldn't guarantee a bullseye.

In short, according to the panel, he was almost qualified to be assessed as an archer.

Chen Sanshi couldn't wait to try it out.

He drew his bow and nocked an arrow again, his movements as skilled as those of a veteran.

The Four-force bow, which had felt quite heavy half an hour ago, was now surprisingly easy to draw fully, even effortless.

His physical strength had also greatly improved after his archery skill advanced!

He suppressed his excitement and tried a few shots. His accuracy had indeed doubled, hitting perfectly within forty paces, and his hit rate beyond sixty paces was also not bad.

At this level, he would definitely be able to hit prey if he encountered it again!

The most crucial point was that this was just the novice level.

Chen Sanshi couldn't imagine what would happen if his archery reached Minor Accomplishment or Major Accomplishment.

"Shi Ge'er, time to eat~"

A soft, bone-deep voice came from inside the house.

Chen Sanshi finally put his bow away.

He saw that in just one night, Lan Jie'er had changed greatly. She now possessed an indescribable charm, which, combined with her almond-shaped eyes, made her exceptionally eye-catching.

At the table, there were two bowls of rice. One was rice with cornbread, and the other was half a bowl of congee. The grain bought with one qian of silver wouldn't last many days, and it was clear Gu Xinlan was still reluctant to eat her fill. Chen Sanshi didn't stand on ceremony. He expended a lot of energy practicing archery and would need more energy for going up the mountain later. After giving Lan Jie'er half a cornbread, he ate the rest.

Full and satisfied, he slung his bow over his shoulder and went out.

"Shi Ge'er, be careful. Even if you don't catch anything, don't go too deep. Just get some wild vegetables and firewood back." Gu Xinlan didn't think her man could catch meat just after starting archery practice. Safety first. As long as they could get through this difficult time together, she was willing to work hard to support him even if he had to study full-time in the future.

Chen Sanshi walked out of his home, and the sky was already bright. The neighbors were also starting their day's work. Many people saw him carrying his bow and arrows and found it quite strange.

"Oh, is Shi Ge'er going up the mountain to hunt?" "Can he even do it~" "Look, I told you early on that he can't understand books!" "Get lost, you scabby-head. At least he can hunt. What can you do?" "Little Stone, do you need Uncle Zhao to show you around for a couple of days?" "Be careful. Your whole family is counting on you."

Some villagers made sarcastic remarks, but thanks to the original owner's father having been well-liked, most of them were kind-hearted. Chen Sanshi greeted them one by one, but his pace didn't slow. He quickened his steps towards Tiger Head Mountain.

After reaching the basics of archery, his strength increased, allowing him to draw the Six-force bow. His physical fitness also improved significantly. It previously took him two hours to reach the foot of Tiger Head Mountain, but today it took him less than an hour and a half.

Following a winding path carved by humans, Chen Sanshi arrived at the mountainside, searching for traces of prey. However, after wandering for a long time, he found nothing besides small insects and sparrows. Normally, a qualified hunter would need the assistance of hunting dogs, traps, and other tools, but he was too poor and had nothing but a bow.

No, I must have a harvest, otherwise the food at home will be eaten up soon.

Chen Sanshi closed his eyes and began to recall his father's earnest teachings from his childhood. For example, how to determine what kind of prey could be found nearby based on their droppings; what kind of environment certain animals preferred to live in; the habits of various animals; and how to walk through the forest without startling prey.

Tracking (Not yet initiated) Progress: 3/100 Effect: None

Staring at the few lines of text that suddenly appeared before him, Chen Sanshi was a bit stunned.

"This works too?" "Could it be that as long as it's a skill, I can grind it?" "Alright, alright, it's my destiny to be a hunter!"

He suppressed the joy of discovering he could learn more than one skill and began to search for prey traces with even greater care. He searched for a full half-day. By the time Chen Sanshi sat down to rest, his proficiency had already increased.

Tracking (Initiated) Progress: 0/200 Effect: Keen observation, light footsteps

Chen Sanshi's hearing and sight became sharper. He could easily pinpoint the source of bird calls in the forest and effortlessly observe the movements of tiny insects and ants on the ground, giving him a sense of everything being under his control. He stood up again to search and soon found animal droppings near a patch of bushes. They were small, round, and bean-sized. Next to them, on the soft soil, were oval footprints. A wild rabbit!

"The droppings are fresh, so it should be nearby!" Chen Sanshi followed the tracks forward. Thanks to the effect of Tracking, he made almost no sound. He stepped into a grove of trees and then saw, in the distance, a plump, gray wild rabbit lying there, engrossed in eating grass, completely unaware of any abnormality.

"What a fat rabbit!"

Chen Sanshi's gaze was sharp as a hawk's. He immediately drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and gripped the string firmly with three fingers. The entire recurve bow was taut, like a hungry wolf coiled and ready to strike.

"Whoosh—"

A piercing sound cut through the air.

Within forty paces, his arrows never missed!

In the blink of an eye, the sharp arrow directly pierced the wild rabbit.

He hit it! His first prey in life!