Breathing Technique!

Li Yi nodded. He was definitely going to learn the breathing method, because it was the foundation upon which he would survive in this world.

Even if Wu Chuansheng had not mentioned it, Li Yi would have sought out Cao Li to learn it.

After they were dismissed, Li Yi did not go straight to Cao Li. Instead, he headed to the medical camp.

After entering, he walked all the way to the innermost area before finding Han Jia.

An old military doctor was currently tending to Han Jia's injuries.

Seeing Han Jia lying on the bed, Li Yi's face showed a trace of worry.

"Doctor, is he all right?"

During the battle to purge the rebel faction, Han Jia had shielded him and risked his life to block the rebel leader's attack, resulting in him being beaten unconscious by the rebel leader.

"Kid, don't worry. He won't die." The old military doctor glanced at Li Yi and replied flatly.

"Still, this kid's got a tough life. He was born with a strong body. These injuries will only leave him unconscious for a while. He should wake up by tomorrow afternoon. After resting for a few days, he'll be a fine, sturdy man again."

Hearing this, Li Yi felt considerably relieved.

"All right, all right. This old man still has other people to treat. Stop getting in the way here. Go on, get going!"

The old military doctor waved him off impatiently, lowering his head to examine another patient.

Li Yi could not say much in response. After looking at Han Jia a few more times, he left the military tent.

For now, setting aside the bad blood between Cao Li and Song Jie, this campaign against the rebels had been nothing short of a nightmare for many newcomers.

But none of that had anything to do with Li Yi.

Thanks to his performance in battle, Li Yi had been directly assigned to the archers under Wu Chuansheng's command.

At present, they were merely recruits and had yet to pass the new recruit assessment, so they were not qualified to earn promotions through military merit.

Even though Li Yi had killed more than half of the rebels, he had received only twenty taels of silver.

Otherwise, with his accomplishments, he would at least have been made a squad leader!

After this period of large-scale recruitment, the military camp covered a considerable area. Li Yi walked for quite some time before reaching the archers' encampment.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The moment Li Yi stepped into the camp, an old soldier with a bow slung across his back stopped him.

Since his bow had broken during the earlier battle, Li Yi could only carry a spear, looking entirely different from these archers with their longbows on their backs.

"Brother, my name is Li Yi. I am a new recruit in Squad Leader Wu Chuansheng's squad. Please inform him of my arrival."

Neither servile nor overbearing, Li Yi calmly stated his identity.

"You're Li Yi? Get in here, quickly!"

The old soldier was greatly startled. He looked Li Yi over curiously, then turned toward the camp and shouted:

"Brothers, that Li Yi is here!"

Led by the old soldier, Li Yi walked into the encampment.

Groups of three to five old soldiers kept poking their heads out from the tents, watching Li Yi with curiosity. Snatches of discussion also reached his ears.

A moment later, Li Yi arrived before Wu Chuansheng.

"Squad Leader Wu!"

Wu Chuansheng, who had been maintaining a longbow, looked up at the sound. When he saw Li Yi, he immediately broke into a smile.

This kid had killed the rebel leader in his very first battle. His talent was no small thing!

To old hands like them, a good soldier was a rare treasure.

"Since you're here, rest for a while first."

Wu Chuansheng set down his longbow and began arranging Li Yi's next steps.

"Although you were exceptionally allowed to join the archers ahead of time, you are still, by nature, a recruit. Until you pass the recruit assessment, you may arrange your time as you please."

"Of course, you can also ask the old soldiers for guidance."

After a pause, Wu Chuansheng added:

"During this time, there's no need for you to stay in the recruit camp. Share a tent with me for now."

The recruit camp packed more than a dozen people into each tent, while the archer unit had one tent per squad. It was far more comfortable than squeezing onto a communal bunk.

"Thank you, Squad Leader!"

There was naturally nothing bad about staying somewhere better.

However, recalling the discussions he had heard on his way here, Li Yi took the chance to ask Wu Chuansheng about them.

Wu Chuansheng burst into laughter.

"You don't know yet? You're famous throughout the camp now. They're all talking about your archery!"

"If I remember correctly, they even gave you a title: Li Yi, the Cloud-Piercing Arrow!"

Li Yi, the Cloud-Piercing Arrow?

Li Yi felt nothing about the title.

It was merely some illusory honor outside oneself. Only strength was the foundation upon which one stood.

Seeing Li Yi's lack of interest, Wu Chuansheng added, "Many people think you can take first place in this newcomer assessment. They've all placed their bets on you."

"First place in the newcomer assessment? Isn't it enough to pass the assessment and become a regular soldier? Is there some benefit to taking first?" Li Yi was puzzled. Why was the Chen Kingdom's army different from what he remembered?

"You're right. Taking first place earns you certain rewards, and those who stand out may even be directly granted an official post!"

Seeing a little more interest on Li Yi's face, Wu Chuansheng became even more eager to talk.

"If you intend to seize the top spot, you'd better make more preparations. The newcomer assessment differs every time, and so do the rewards, but one thing never changes: only the strongest group has the right to contend for first place!"

Only the strongest were qualified to take first place?

Li Yi frowned. It seemed he had to improve his strength as quickly as possible!

As the two chatted idly, a fragrant smell drifted from the center of the camp. Worn out after a full day, Li Yi's stomach rumbled at the scent.

"Come on. Time for the evening meal."

Led by Wu Chuansheng, the two headed toward the center of the camp.

"Our archers get treated pretty well. Every now and then, we even get extra meat. You're lucky today—one of the fellows caught a huge wild boar, and the cookhouse stewed up a whole pot of wild boar mishmash. It smells incredible!"

Just like in Li Yi's previous life, people here also liked to build camaraderie over meals.

With Wu Chuansheng's introduction, Li Yi soon got to chatting and laughing with the other men in his squad, and he also made himself familiar to some of the veteran soldiers in the archer unit.

Archers were rare soldiers no matter where they were, so despite the size of this archer unit, there were fewer than a hundred men. Its highest-ranking officer was merely a Tun Commander who commanded fifty men.

The army cookhouse's food could hardly be called tasty, but it was at least edible. Since martial training consumed enormous amounts of energy, Li Yi ate two large bowls of wild boar before finally putting down his bowl and chopsticks.

"You'll sleep here."

Wu Chuansheng assigned Li Yi a spacious corner.

Several veteran soldiers from the same squad also came over to help Li Yi make up his bed.

Barring any surprises, Li Yi would be living here for a long time.

"Where is Li Yi?"

Just as they finished making the bed, a shout came from outside the tent.

Who was it?

Li Yi raised a brow. After exchanging a glance with Wu Chuansheng, he walked out of the tent.

A strong, brawny soldier stood some distance away, a large saber hanging at his waist.

With just one look at the soldier's equipment, Wu Chuansheng showed a look of understanding.

"Li Yi, he's one of Sima Cao's personal guards. Be polite in a moment."

Cao Li?

Why had he sent someone looking for me?

Li Yi was deeply puzzled, but he immediately strode toward the guard.

Whatever it was, he would talk first.

And since the guard was obviously here for Li Yi, Wu Chuansheng merely watched from afar rather than accompanying him.

"Brother, I'm Li Yi."

"You're Li Yi?"

"I am Song Qi, Sima Cao's personal guard."

Song Qi raised his chin as he looked at Li Yi, his eyes carrying a trace of scrutiny.

"May I ask what business Sima Cao has with me?"

Li Yi recalled the argument between Hundred Commander Song Jie and Sima Cao during the day.

Could he be here to demand an accounting because I helped Song Jie wipe out those rebels completely?

Li Yi's thoughts ran wild.

Song Qi released the hilt of his saber, reached into his clothes, and took out a porcelain vial white as jade, tossing it to Li Yi.

Smack!

Li Yi's gaze sharpened. He raised a hand and caught the vial, giving it a light shake. A faint rattling came from within.

"May I ask what this means?" Li Yi asked curiously.

"I heard that you suffered some injuries while killing the rebel leader today, so Sima Cao sent me to check on you."

So he had come to offer his regards?

But unsolicited kindness concealed either treachery or theft.

Li Yi became even more wary.

Song Qi paid no mind to Li Yi's stray thoughts and continued:

"This bottle of Little Spring Breeze Powder can rapidly heal external wounds. Just take it out and sprinkle it over the wound. Change the medicine once a day, and at most three days later, you'll be fully recovered."

Fully recovered in three days?

The medicine was that effective?

When he had killed the rebel leader with two consecutive shots, not only had Li Yi's bow snapped, but even the web between his thumb and forefinger had been split open by the tremendous force.

According to the old military doctor, he would need at least ten days of rest to recover completely.

Yet the moment Cao Sima made a move, he produced such a miraculous medicine.

For a time, Li Yi's favorable impression of Cao Li deepened by several degrees, though so did his wariness.

"Brother Song, please thank Lord Cao Sima for his kindness on my behalf!"

After a turn of thought, Li Yi decided to accept the Little Spring Breeze Powder. As for what came afterward, he would adapt to circumstances as they arose.

Having made up his mind, Li Yi became somewhat more cordial and even invited Song Qi into the tent for some hot tea.

In his previous life, Li Yi had gone through no shortage of such situations. After just a few words, he persuaded Song Qi to enter the tent. Over hot tea, Song Qi offered Li Yi some pointers and taught him several small tricks for avoiding injury in battle.

As for the others in the tent, Wu Chuansheng had long since found an excuse to lead them all outside, leaving only Li Yi and Song Qi within.

After some casual conversation, the two grew considerably closer.

Taking a sip of hot tea, Song Qi asked as if in passing:

"I heard one of your friends was injured and fainted, so you went to ask Hundred Commander Song for help?"

"Hundred Commander Song is meticulous to the last hair. He didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"

Hundred Commander Song Jie?

The instant he heard that, Li Yi jolted awake and immediately understood Song Qi's purpose.

So the visit was a pretense—the real goal was to probe his thoughts!

Seeing this, Li Yi switched into playing dumb and said directly:

"Haha, Brother Song is right. Hundred Commander is indeed meticulous to the last hair, but fortunately Han Jia was injured for the sake of the Chen Kingdom. Hundred Commander is magnanimous, and he directly ordered the military doctor to treat him carefully."

"I'm only a newcomer who just joined the camp. Why would Hundred Commander even notice me, much less make things difficult for me?"

Song Qi's eyes narrowed. With a chuckle, he continued, "By the way, why did you join the archers? Your archery is impressive, but I can tell your fist and footwork aren't bad either. Why didn't you consider joining Hundred Commander's personal guard?"

"I hear Hundred Commander has connections that reach far and wide. Even my lord wouldn't dare offend him lightly."

Still probing!

A personal soldier of Cao Li speaking ill of his own master behind his back—either he had been ordered to do so, or he was an idiot.

But clearly, Song Qi, who could see at a glance that Li Yi was skilled in unarmed combat, was no idiot.

Li Yi merely laughed it off and answered perfunctorily, "My father hoped I would carry forward our family's archery, so I'm not interested in anything else for now. I only want to do something for the Chen Kingdom in the archers."

After several verbal exchanges, Li Yi's answers remained watertight.

Seeing that he truly could not pry anything out of Li Yi, Song Qi chatted a little longer before preparing to take his leave.

"Oh, right. Cao Sima said he'll be at the main camp tomorrow morning. If you have time, you may go see him."

Having just stepped out of the tent, Song Qi turned back and said this to Li Yi.

"Thank you, Brother Song. Please tell Lord Cao that I will certainly come pay him a visit tomorrow!"

As a Sima, Cao Li had no shortage of matters to attend to. He could not receive these newcomers whenever he pleased.

After seeing Song Qi off, the night was already deep. Li Yi spoke with Wu Chuansheng for a while, then went to bed to rest.

These past few days, Li Yi had been making love with Liu Fang every night. Suddenly sleeping alone, he found himself somewhat unaccustomed to it.

As he lay there, the flash of pale brightness at Liu Fang's chest when they had set the traps kept surfacing in Li Yi's mind.

Then, in the next instant, Li Yi's thoughts suddenly turned to Liu Ru.

As the saying went, if you wanted to look pretty, dress in mourning white.

Though Li Yi had never seen Liu Ru dressed in mourning clothes, her figure and mature charm were still deeply imprinted in his heart.

"I wonder how Xiaoxin and Xiaoyue are doing."

Thinking of those refugees forced into submission by the rebels, Li Yi could not help worrying about his younger brother and sister.

Wang Dagui had been dealt with, but the Household Affairs Officer behind him was still there!

Grain had always been the most important resource.

With the Chen Kingdom's situation unstable, even the army fighting for the nation did not have an abundance of food.

Two filling meals a day were already decent. As for breakfast, they could forget about it. If they got hungry, they could only find a way to deal with it themselves.

After sprinkling the Little Spring Breeze Powder Song Qi had sent over onto his wounds and wrapping them in gauze, Li Yi took out several rice balls Liu Fang had made for him from his pack and silently began eating.

These rice balls contained strips of wild boar meat. Not only were they filling, but they also provided enough nutrition to give Li Yi the strength to complete a full day of training.

Without his longbow, Li Yi was temporarily unable to practice archery, so he took out the Plum Blossom Long Spear and began drilling in the camp.

In yesterday's battle, Li Yi had faced the rebel leader, who had fought one against twenty and, with black qi enveloping his body, had been unstoppable. It gave Li Yi a deeper understanding of the martial path.

Some of the doubts he had harbored during his past spear training were also swept away like clouds before the wind.

[Gale-Rending Formation-Breaking Spear] (Beginner): 30/200

[Effect: The spear strikes like a dragon; can thrust three times in rapid succession in an instant; arm strength increased]

After digesting these insights, the [Gale-Rending Formation-Breaking Spear] improved somewhat further.

When his morning training ended, Li Yi gave himself a quick wash, then left the archer unit's camp and headed toward the main camp.

After yesterday's battle, quite a few newcomers had been injured or even killed.

This gave the newcomers in the camp a much greater sense of urgency. They trained one after another in the martial field, while some wandered about in every direction, trying to find a way forward.

Before long, Li Yi arrived at the main camp.

Song Qi, whom he had met yesterday, was standing at the entrance to the main camp.

"Brother Song, please report for me. I wish to see the Sima and learn a breathing technique!"