Competition

William's archery was what everyone present most wanted to see first. Thorva had partnered with William for a long time, and the two worked together seamlessly. Naturally, this was a coordinated performance. Yes, a performance.

William stood back-to-back with Thorva, bow in hand. Thorva suddenly tossed a bowl into the air, and William swiftly spun around and fired three arrows in rapid succession.

Bang!

Bang! Bang!

The first arrow knocked the bowl toward the edge of a pillar. The second and third arrows pinned the bowl neatly against it, the shafts embedded in the wooden pillar while their fletching continued to tremble.

"Good!"

Marshal Shao took the lead in shouting his approval.

"Good!" The soldiers applauded and cheered as well. Even among the elite Shadowless Imperial Army, there was no such master archer. No wonder they cheered so fervently.

Xiao Hen nodded as well. For an ordinary human to develop such formidable archery skills was indeed no easy feat.

After showing off his skills, Marshal Shao had William and Thorva sit down to eat. Having gone so long without a proper meal, the two immediately began wolfing down their food.

While the two of them took their seats to eat, the so-called competition on Xiao Hen's side had yet to begin.

Just as Xiao Hen watched William take his seat in confusion, Lin Mei rose to her full height and tossed a sword to Xiao Hen. Then she drew her own blade, its tip aimed directly at his nose. "Draw your sword! Let me see just how strong you really are!"

Xiao Hen caught the longsword and drew it slightly. The refined iron blade gleamed with a cold light, like a clear spring—sharp and icy.

Shing!

Xiao Hen drew the sword completely and tossed away the scabbard. Holding the blade in his right hand, he pointed it diagonally toward the ground, his expression calm.

"Hmph!" Lin Mei had assumed Xiao Hen would attack first, but his sword tip remained pointed at the ground. Clearly, he intended to let her make the first move. It was a gesture of courtesy.

Anger rose in Lin Mei's heart. Since that was the case, she would let him taste her strength.

Having grown up in the Imperial Army from the age of five, Lin Mei had trained in martial arts, commanded troops, and fought on battlefields under Marshal Shao's guidance since childhood. In terms of individual strength, she was undoubtedly among the strongest few in the entire Shadowless Imperial Army. She was not to be underestimated.

Lin Mei advanced in quick, light steps and thrust her sword toward Xiao Hen's chest. Her swordsmanship was indeed exceptionally fierce.

Xiao Hen raised his sword to block. With a clang, he shifted aside. Their blades struck, their bodies passed one another, and the two switched places.

"Again!" Lin Mei cried softly as she slashed once more. Xiao Hen's sword moved like an extension of his arm, fluid and effortless, easily blocking every one of Lin Mei's attacks.

Not bad swordsmanship, and her reaction speed is quite fast too. All things considered, Lin Mei's Combat Power should be around eleven to twelve. Xiao Hen casually countered Lin Mei's attacks. As he intercepted the flashing blade light, he calculated her strength, the angles and force of her strikes, and even the series of changes that would follow. That was the terrifying nature of battle instinct.

With battle instinct combined with his terrifying physical qualities, Xiao Hen could already be considered a martial arts grandmaster. Compared to true martial arts grandmasters, his physical abilities were even stronger. The only things he lacked were experience and worldly insight, and those could not be made up for.

Lin Mei's strikes grew faster and faster, and her swordsmanship gradually took on a trace of killing intent. Clearly, after failing to break through for so long, she had grown anxious. This had only been an ordinary spar, and she had not intended to hurt Xiao Hen. She simply wanted to see how strong this formidable man truly was. Yet she could not probe the depths of his strength at all. Her impatience grew, and her attacks naturally became more aggressive.

"It's time to end this..."

Xiao Hen's gaze sharpened, and his sword speed suddenly surged. The longsword in his hand became a blur of light. With a smack, the blade flashed like a streak of radiance and knocked Lin Mei's sword from her hand.

"You lost." Xiao Hen placed the tip of his sword against Lin Mei's neck and spoke softly. Then he withdrew his blade and flicked it casually, sending it flying to embed itself in a distant pillar. The sword trembled, drawing the attention of every soldier present.

"Good!" Marshal Shao's eyes gleamed as he rose to his feet and applauded vigorously. "I truly never expected this. I never expected our Shadowless Imperial Army to have such a powerful expert! Captain Xiao, your swordsmanship has truly opened my eyes!"

"You flatter me, Marshal Shao. I merely practiced these sword techniques on my own. They are hardly worthy of display," Xiao Hen said humbly, cupping his hands in salute.

"You are very strong." Lin Mei pressed her lips together and gave Xiao Hen a complicated look. Then she picked up her fallen sword, sheathed it, and returned to her seat with a calm, indifferent demeanor.

Is this woman angry? It doesn't seem like it. She always has this expression. But why do I feel like she's angry? Xiao Hen wondered to himself.

The soldiers naturally handled the cleanup. Once it was done, everyone began eating and drinking in high spirits.

After the meal, everyone returned to their respective posts. Some stood watch on patrol, while many others went into their rooms to rest. The patrol assignments had naturally already been arranged.

Although this was Xiao Hen's first time serving as an officer in an ancient army and he was somewhat unfamiliar with military affairs, he had never eaten pork, but he had seen pigs run. Besides, among the thousand-man force guarding this tower were several deputies. With them around, they could naturally help Xiao Hen command the troops more effectively.

According to the Plot, tonight Marshal Shao will take Lin Mei and over a dozen soldiers to patrol the Great Wall. Then they'll encounter a lone Taotie that has climbed the wall. Should I intervene to save Marshal Shao from dying or not?

Xiao Hen considered the question carefully for a while before deciding not to interfere.

"This is necessary for the Plot's development, and it is also what I need..." Xiao Hen was cold at heart.

When the Taotie hollowed out the Great Wall and invaded Bianliang, their rear would be left exposed. That would also be the moment for him to enter Gouwu Mountain.

"However, if that happens, I can complete the Main Quest, but the Side Quest—helping the Shadowless Imperial Army defeat the Taotie—may become impossible to complete."

Xiao Hen stood stunned for a long while before lying down on the bed and going to sleep.

The next day, white mourning banners draped the entire Great Wall in remembrance of Marshal Shao's death. The mourners sang sorrowful songs that resounded through the heavens and shook the Great Wall. Every soldier was moved to tears, grieving bitterly.

Countless sky lanterns rose into the air, carrying those mournful songs into the clouds. An indescribable sense of tragedy filled the space between heaven and earth.

That day, Advisor Wang gathered all the generals and explained the special relationship he had discovered between magnets and the Taotie. Everyone was shocked.

Xiao Hen quietly withdrew. Advisor Wang had already uncovered this secret. Next, according to the Plot, William would capture a Taotie, which Lord Shen would then take back to the Imperial Capital, Bianliang, leading to the Taotie's massive assault on Bianliang.

Main Quest, this is an opportunity—and probably the last one!

Xiao Hen muttered to himself. Then he quietly left the tower, glanced back at the Great Wall, and leaped over its edge. He descended from the wall and headed beyond the city, toward Gouwu Mountain—the birthplace of the Taotie.