Refusing a Toast and Inviting a Penalty

Whew~

The Revenue Officer blew the foam from his teacup, took a sip of hot tea, and looked at Li Yi before him.

"Not bad, not bad. I never expected Blackstone Town to have such promising material as you. You made such a great contribution the moment you entered the military camp, and were even exceptionally promoted into the archer unit ahead of schedule. Not bad, not bad."

The Revenue Officer's words startled Li Yi, while also adding a few more shades of murderous intent to his heart.

This was plainly telling him that the Revenue Officer had been watching his every move, that he remained under his gaze at all times.

A chill rose from Li Yi's heart.

Even he was being watched in the military camp—then what about his younger brother and sister back home?

Were they still safe?

For a moment, anxiety consumed Li Yi.

No, he definitely can't be certain that I was the one who killed Wang Dagui. Otherwise, he wouldn't be this polite to me.

I need to stay steady!

As thoughts raced through his mind, Li Yi calmed himself completely.

"It is all thanks to Your Excellency's meritorious governance and the appreciation of my superiors in the army that I have been given this chance to improve."

Li Yi answered, neither servile nor overbearing.

Hearing this, the Revenue Officer revealed an interested look.

"Oh? Then I have an opportunity for advancement here. Do you want it?"

The Revenue Officer looked toward the several bailiffs standing behind Li Yi and smiled.

"I see that you are alert and quick-witted. Why not come under my command and become a bailiff?"

"That would be far better than being a common soldier and going to the front lines to die."

"Thank you for thinking highly of me, sir. But I have only just entered the military camp, and my term of labor service has not yet been completed. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will serve you then."

Joining the Revenue Officer's ranks? Wouldn't that be a sheep walking into the tiger's jaws, willingly entering the wolf's den?

Li Yi decisively refused the Revenue Officer's recruitment.

At this, the Revenue Officer laughed heartily and set his teacup on the rosewood tea table.

"This labor service—isn't it merely a matter of one word from me?"

"If I say you've completed it, then you've completed it. Who would object?"

"As for the military camp, I have a little influence there as well. Getting you transferred out would be no more than a word from me."

I absolutely cannot join the Revenue Officer!

The army was dangerous, but it offered countless chances to grow stronger.

If he went under the Revenue Officer's command, even if the man never discovered that he was Wang Dagui's killer, it would still be unacceptable.

Though Wang Dagui had been vile by nature, many of his evil deeds had been carried out at the Revenue Officer's instigation.

If he pledged himself to the Revenue Officer and became a bailiff, he would surely be ordered to commit those wicked acts of oppressing and exploiting the common people.

Having guarded the martial arts school alone for more than ten years, Li Yi had a pride of his own.

He could stop at nothing to survive, but he would never become a villain who bullied the weak and tyrannized the streets.

Li Yi lowered his head slightly, weighing his words as he prepared to refuse the Revenue Officer.

Seated at the side, the Revenue Officer saw that Li Yi remained silent for so long and could not help letting out a cold snort.

"I don't care whether Wang Dagui died by your hand. He was nothing more than a vicious dog I could command at will."

"But dead is dead. My affairs cannot be delayed."

"Since you had the ability to deal with him, then you should also be able to solve my troubles and handle the matters Wang Dagui failed to settle for me, right?"

"Besides, your younger brother has only just recovered from a serious illness. This is precisely when he needs nourishment. Don't let it damage the foundation of his body!"

The Revenue Officer's words were like a thunderclap exploding from level ground. Li Yi's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly raised his head to stare at him.

The killing of Wang Dagui had been flawless. Even if Di Renjie were reborn, he would not be able to find any evidence against Li Yi.

But he had never expected the Chen Kingdom to be rotten to such a degree.

This dog of a Revenue Officer did not even care to look at evidence before directly deciding that he was the murderer.

Even more unforgivable was that the Revenue Officer was actually using his younger brother and sister to threaten him!

The killing intent in Li Yi's heart grew ever more intense!

At this moment, his desire to kill the Revenue Officer was more than ten times stronger than his former desire to kill Wang Dagui!

"Sir, I don't understand what you mean! Though Wang Dagui and I had a grudge between us, he was burned to death in a fire. What does that have to do with me?"

He absolutely could not admit it!

Li Yi forcibly suppressed the killing intent in his heart and feigned confusion.

The Revenue Clerk, however, was in no hurry. He said slowly, "I don't care whether you understand or not. All I know is that if you're willing to serve under me as a constable and do my bidding, I can let Wang Dagui's death go like a fart and wipe the slate clean."

"But if you refuse to do as I wish, then this official will enforce the law impartially!"

Before his words had even faded, the several constables standing behind Li Yi fixed their eyes on him, their longsabers slightly drawn from their sheaths.

Though his longbow was broken, Li Yi still had the Plum Blossom Spear in hand. Killing these constables and the Revenue Clerk would be effortless.

But killing was easy. Afterward, he could only live as a wanted criminal, and his younger siblings and the women of his household would be implicated as well.

At that thought, Li Yi lowered his head.

"My lord, when I was young, I too dreamed of becoming a constable. But joining the army was my late father's wish. Please allow me to remain in the military for a while first."

"When the time comes, I will certainly give you an answer that satisfies you."

Though he had failed to bring Li Yi under his command, Li Yi's response temporarily eased the Revenue Clerk's displeasure.

Training a man was like training a dog—one had to loosen the leash, then tighten it.

In the Revenue Clerk's eyes, his earlier words had already scared Li Yi out of his wits. Now he should give him time to catch his breath, and an opportunity to prove himself willingly.

Wasn't that how Wang Dagui and the others had been tamed into obedient vicious dogs?

"Fine. You're a clever man, so don't do anything foolish."

After hinting that he would be keeping an eye on Li Yi, the Revenue Clerk had the constables send him away.

Less than an hour after leaving the Revenue Clerk's residence, the careworn Li Yi returned to the military camp.

The camp was now brimming with life. Yesterday's oppressive atmosphere had long since vanished like smoke.

"Brother Li Yi, you've really done it! You became famous in a single battle!"

The moment he returned to camp, Li Yi ran into several hunters from Blackstone Town.

He had occasionally dealt with these hunters before, and now they were congratulating him with astonished looks on their faces.

Li Yi froze. Seeing the soldiers constantly greeting him or staring at him, many doubts arose in his heart.

Noticing this, the hunters took the initiative to explain.

It turned out that in the span of half a day, Li Yi's title of [Cloud-Piercing Arrow] had spread throughout the camp. Quite a few veterans had even started betting on how many rounds this [Cloud-Piercing Arrow] could clear in a row, and whether he could seize first place in the newcomer assessment.

Listening to their explanation, Li Yi shook his head helplessly before heading toward his tent.

These empty titles were nothing. He might as well use the time to practice his archery.

In the archers' camp, dozens of soldiers were training.

The sounds of drawn bows and flying arrows rang out without end.

It made Li Yi all the more eager to obtain a new bow.

"Li Yi, come over here!"

Not far away, squad leader Wu Chuansheng waved warmly at Li Yi.

"We're training. Come give it a try too."

Li Yi took the longbow Wu Chuansheng handed him. After inspecting it briefly, he drew it and began shooting at the wooden target in the distance.

Whoosh!

An arrow flew out, striking the distant wooden target in an instant!

Wu Chuansheng, standing nearby, frowned slightly at the sight. He hurried over to Li Yi's side and asked in a low voice, "Is your archery specifically for hunting? You were a hunter before, weren't you?"

Li Yi had never spoken of his background. Wu Chuansheng's words made his brows rise.

"You guessed right, Squad Leader. My family has been hunters for generations, and my archery was passed down through the family as well. But how did you tell?"

At this, Wu Chuansheng showed a look of understanding.

"A hunter's archery is hunting archery, meant chiefly for killing all kinds of animals. But the archery we use in the archer unit is Killing Arrow—its purpose is to kill and wound people. It isn't the same as hunting."

Hunting archery and Killing Arrow?

Li Yi's heart stirred, and he hurriedly listened with full attention.

Wu Chuansheng took the longbow, drew an arrow to the string, and aimed at the wooden target in the distance.

"Li Yi, remember this. Shooting people is like shooting animals—we must also anticipate their movements. And the best way to do that is to imagine yourself as the target you're shooting, and think about how you would dodge..."

"Of course, those are merely small details concerning the target. When you shoot, your spirit, energy, and focus must..."

Wu Chuansheng taught by word and example, holding nothing back as he imparted the archery techniques he had mastered.

[Archery (Proficient): 100/800]

[Effect: Draw a four-stone horn bow; can fire three bead-string arrows in succession]

The experience on the skill panel had directly increased by forty points.

He hadn't expected that listening to Wu Chuansheng pass on his experience could also increase skill experience!

For a moment, Li Yi felt a little more gratitude toward Wu Chuansheng.

"Come on, Li Yi, give it a try."

Hearing this, Li Yi took the longbow and, following Wu Chuansheng's instructions, drew the bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the distant wooden target.

Whoosh~

With a sharp snap, Li Yi could not help crying out in pain. The bandages around the web of his thumb were slowly stained red by seeping blood.

He had not expected the web of his thumb to split open again. Just as Li Yi was tending to the wound, heavy footsteps sounded beside him.

"This is Cloud-Piercing Arrow Li Yi?"

"I'd say he's got an undeserved reputation. He can't even hit an arrow target—what kind of master archer is that?"

Several veteran soldiers stood there, looking at Li Yi with disdain.

Because of the injury to the web of his thumb, Li Yi found it difficult to bring his archery skills into play. That last arrow had been affected by the wound splitting open, causing it to miss the target entirely.

"Old Dog Zhang, what do you mean by that?"

Before Li Yi could speak, Wu Chuansheng stepped forward, glaring furiously at the veteran.

Li Yi merely grabbed Wu Chuansheng and, as though he had not seen the veteran at all, picked up his bow and arrows and continued training as if no one else were there.

With Little Spring Breeze Powder, Li Yi could train a while longer without needing to worry about the injury to the web of his thumb.

Seeing that Li Yi paid him no heed, Old Dog Zhang seemed to find it boring as well. After muttering a few curses under his breath, he left with his men.

After training with the archery techniques Wu Chuansheng had taught him, Li Yi's archery skill gained some more experience.

Huff~

Huff~

Inside the tent, Li Yi sat cross-legged on his bed, silently cultivating according to the practice method of the Gale Breathing Method.

With every breath Li Yi took, streams of air were drawn into his body. Following a particular rhythm, they guided his blood and qi through his entire body, tempering his meridians.

Who knew how much time passed? When Li Yi opened his eyes again, it was already the fourth watch of the night.

[Gale Breathing Method (Not Initiated): 15/100]

[Effect: None]

After cultivating for most of the night, Li Yi could now complete an entire breathing cycle of cultivation in a short time.

Cao Li had not been wrong. This breathing method truly was easy to pick up.

After sensing the changes the breathing method had brought to his body, Li Yi crawled beneath the covers and rested.

His realm was still very low, so he still needed a certain amount of sleep.

Over the next stretch of time, Li Yi nursed the injury to the web of his thumb while constantly improving his strength.

During the day, he trained with Wu Chuansheng and honed his archery. At night, he tirelessly cultivated the breathing method.

Late at night, several strands of moonlight spilled down upon the grass before the tent.

Li Yi sat amid the grass, feeling the cool night breeze brush over him.

This was a small discovery Li Yi had made during cultivation: breathing and cultivating amid different winds could increase cultivation speed to a certain extent.

Suddenly, Li Yi's breathing quickened sharply. Stream after stream of air was swallowed in and expelled by him. His eyes were tightly shut, while a faint rumble arose around him.

Whoosh!

Li Yi suddenly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of stale air.

"After seven days, this breathing method has finally crossed the threshold."

Wiping away the dew, Li Yi returned to the tent and opened his skill panel.

[Gale Breathing Method (Initiated): 5/200]

[Effect: Keen ears and bright eyes, blood and qi like a wolf]

After the breathing method crossed the threshold, Li Yi felt that the acuity of his ears and eyes had improved somewhat. At the same time, he could sense the flow of blood and qi throughout his body more clearly.

This greatly strengthened his control over his body and also made it easier for him to use his archery.

After familiarizing himself with the changes in his body, Li Yi slowly drifted into sleep.

Early the next morning, Han Jia burst into the tent excitedly, carrying a bag of food.

Not long after Li Yi returned to the military camp, Han Jia woke up.

Afterward, he took the initiative to request joining Wu Chuansheng's squad, and in daily life he was now inseparable from Li Yi.

This made the relationship between the two grow ever closer.

Yesterday, Song Qi had even once again used visiting Han Jia as an excuse to probe Li Yi's intentions, only for Li Yi to fob him off with some casual excuse.

"Li Yi, did you offend someone outside?"

Wu Chuansheng took the food Han Jia handed over and asked as he ate.

The question made Li Yi pause, and a person instantly surfaced in his mind.

Seeing Li Yi fall silent, Wu Chuansheng continued, "Over the past two or three days, people have been constantly asking about you, but I kept them all away."

Wu Chuansheng subtly cautioned him, "Your injuries have only just healed. Be more careful in your daily life."

Those words warmed Li Yi's heart.

"Thank you for your concern, Squad Leader. I'll be careful."

After eating and drinking their fill, the group began that day's training under Wu Chuansheng's lead.

After gaining entry into the [Gale Breathing Method], Li Yi's body had gradually begun to transform. He needed extensive training to adapt to those changes, so that he could unleash all of his strength at any time.

Two days later, Wu Chuansheng, who had been summoned to the main camp for a meeting, gathered the newcomers in the archer unit's camp as soon as he returned.

After this period of recruitment, the archer unit had gained over twenty new recruits.

Looking at them, Wu Chuansheng did not waste time and shouted, "Military Officer Cao Li and Centurion Song Jie have decided that the new recruit assessment will be held in ten days!"

Before his words had even faded, many of the newcomers could not help discussing it among themselves.

Seeing this, Wu Chuansheng repeatedly barked out reprimands before the crowd finally quieted down.

Glancing at Li Yi beside him, an inscrutable look crossed Wu Chuansheng's face as he continued, "The reward for first place in this new recruit assessment will be a four-stone iron-backed bow!"