Basic Archery

After he slipped the arrows into his quiver, he saw Luo Xi, who had just woken up, come out through the door.

Seeing his younger sister stagger around in a daze, he took out several black rice balls and handed them to Luo Xi. "Xiao Xi, you didn't eat lunch, did you? You must be hungry. I found these rice balls by the stove. Hurry and eat some."

Luo Xi didn't reach out to take the black rice balls. Instead, she looked at the bow and arrows on Luo Yi's back.

Tears instantly welled in her clear eyes.

"Brother, promise me, okay? Don't go into the Mountain to look for Father anymore. I've already lost Father. I can't lose you, too."

Seeing tears streak his younger sister's face, Luo Yi reached out and ruffled the little girl's hair.

"Don't worry, Xiao Xi. I won't leave you."

"There are only the black rice balls you hid ahead of time left at home. Sooner or later, we'll run out. I'm practicing archery because I hope that one day I'll be able to hunt in the Mountain and bring back some game."

After hearing her brother explain that he wasn't practicing archery so he could go into the Mountain to look for their father, Luo Xi finally relaxed.

She took the black rice ball he offered and began eating it in small bites.

After comforting his sister, he felt the pain radiating from the muscles in his arms and didn't dare continue practicing archery that night.

Back inside, he found an empty patch of ground and lay down, planning to turn in early and get a good night's rest so he could wake early the next day and practice Basic Archery.

After recovering his health, Luo Yi, a modern man, found it hard to fall asleep on the hard earthen floor, tossing and turning.

Moonlight spilled through a hole in the roof and fell across his face. He stared at the large gap someone had smashed into it with a rock.

Whether he wanted to improve his and Xiao Xi's living conditions or continue practicing martial arts, both would cost a great deal of silver. The thought of making money kept surfacing in Luo Yi's mind.

"Soap? Glass? Strong liquor?" Images of the essential money-making skills he'd seen in stories about traveling back to ancient times kept flashing through his mind.

But in this world, where strength reigned supreme, with his current abilities, inventing those things would only mean making wedding clothes for someone else.

Luo Yi clenched his fist. With the system panel, he believed that sooner or later, he would become strong.

The next morning, Luo Yi was still asleep when the sound of an argument outside the door woke him.

His Second Uncle, Luo Wei, pounded on the door as he shouted, "Luo Xi, your father and brother are both gone now. Mister Li is willing to take you as his thirty-fifth concubine. It's a blessing!"

"Once you move into the Li Family home, you'll have more wealth and luxury than you could ever enjoy. You'll never have to live such a hard life again."

Hearing Luo Wei's words, Luo Xi thought of Mister Li, the infamous Old Lecher in town. He was already in his sixties and still wanted to marry her. Wasn't he afraid he'd drop dead in bed?

She hurriedly shut the gate tight, determined not to let anyone in.

The neighbors heard Luo Wei pounding on the door. Knowing he wasn't someone they could afford to offend, they hid at a distance near the mouth of the alley, peeking out to watch.

Noticing the fear in the neighbors' eyes, Luo Wei laughed arrogantly.

"Luo Xi, your father and brother are dead. The deadline to pay the Autumn Tax is at the end of the month. When the time comes, if you can't come up with the money, the tax collectors won't go easy on you."

"When you can't pay your taxes and get sent to the Border Pass for corvée labor, then you'll know to come begging me."

After delivering his threat, he cursed at the neighbors who loved to watch a spectacle. "Bunch of good-for-nothings!" Then Luo Wei led his lackeys toward the biggest brothel in town.

After her Second Uncle, Luo Wei, left, Luo Xi patted her chest and let out a long breath.

Luo Yi, who had been standing by the door, had watched how Luo Xi handled the situation.

He praised her aloud. "You did well, Xiao Xi. From now on, when I'm not home, don't open the door for anyone."

Hearing her brother praise her, Luo Xi smiled happily.

After a simple breakfast, Luo Yi went out into the courtyard.

He finished all his preparations and looked at the system panel. Basic Archery was only 31 points away from reaching the entry level.

His heart filled with motivation. He kept nocking arrows and drawing his bow. Just as only three arrows remained in his quiver, a skill-up message appeared on the system panel.

He silently thought, Open panel:

Host: Luo Yi

Age: 16

Realm: Mortal

Skills: Basic Archery (Entry 1/200)

Traits: None

As Basic Archery reached the entry level,

Luo Yi felt a wave of heat surge through his entire body. Hot breath poured from his nose and mouth, while his height and build changed slightly, his frail, weak frame returning to that of a normal young man.

The whole transformation lasted only two or three minutes. Luo Yi felt the heat gradually fade from his body.

Along with it went the weakness that had plagued his body ever since the Evil Spirit possessed him.

He picked up the bow and arrows from the ground. Before, he'd needed to use all his strength just to draw the bowstring. Now, he could draw it using at most half his strength.

After feeling the improvement in his body, Luo Yi wanted to see how his archery skills had improved now that he'd reached the entry level.

He nocked an arrow, drew his bow, and aimed at the head of a straw dummy in the corner by the wall.

The arrow whistled through the air and struck the head of the straw dummy in the center of the corner.

Worried that it had just been luck, he shot the two arrows left in his quiver as well. All three arrows hit the straw dummy's head.

Realizing that the change came from his improved skill, Luo Yi couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Then he opened the system panel and found that after his skill had improved,

hitting a target's vitals now only increased his proficiency by one point.

That meant he'd have to shoot two hundred arrows to improve his skill again.

At his current level of physical strength, he could shoot at most sixty or seventy arrows a day before his arm muscles reached their limit.

To level up his skill, it would take at least three days.

Thinking of the Autumn Tax Luo Wei had mentioned, due at the end of the month, Luo Yi's heart sank again.

In Great Qi, the Autumn Tax had gone up every year over the past few years.

The year before last, it had been one tael per person.

Last year, it had been one tael and five qian per person.

Who knew what it would be this year?

There were still more than ten days until the end of the month. He and his sister needed at least four taels of silver to be on the safe side.

But there wasn't even a single copper coin at home. How could they possibly find the money to pay the Autumn Tax?

He had to find a way to make money. After making up his mind, Luo Yi found his sister and told her, "Xiao Xi, don't open the door for anyone except me."

After that, Luo Yi strapped on his bow and arrows and headed alone toward Yunling Mountain outside town.

He'd been here for so long, but this was his first time going out. Luo Yi wanted to take in Great Qi's local customs and see the various buildings steeped in an ancient charm.

But the farther he went, the more disappointed he felt. Aside from the Martial Arts Hall east of the village, the houses belonging to wealthy families, and the Taoist Temple and Ancestral Hall to the south, which were built with gray bricks and roof tiles,

the houses where most of the villagers lived were all built of thatch. They were even worse than the place he lived.

As he made his way through the busiest market in town, he listened to the constant cries of vendors along both sides of the road.

Seeing the steaming buns that had just come out of the oven, Luo Yi swallowed unconsciously. Then he felt his empty pockets and could only hurry out of the market.

Just as he left the market, a few vendors who knew Luo Yi began whispering among themselves.

"Didn't they say a few days ago that this man had been afflicted by an Evil Spirit? How did he manage to recover?"

Luo Wei was collecting protection money at the market with a gang of thugs. Hearing the vendors mention an Evil Spirit, he grabbed the nearest one and demanded, "What are you talking about? What Evil Spirit?"

Seeing that it was Luo Wei, the vendor hurriedly replied, "Master Luo, we mean your nephew, Luo Yi. Didn't he get afflicted by an Evil Spirit a few days ago and end up bedridden?"

"He just walked through our market, carrying a Hunting Bow. He looked full of energy."

After hearing the vendor's answer, Luo Wei tossed him to the ground. He questioned several more vendors, and after confirming that his nephew was still alive, a vicious look came over his face.

"My dear nephew, wouldn't it have been better to obediently join your father? Why did you have to jump out and cause trouble for your Second Uncle?"

After speaking, he gave his lackeys a look. The thugs understood at once and quickly ran toward the place where Luo Yi lived.