The Identity of the Household Administrator

"Look, footprints like these were left by Qing Kingdom spies. The cultivation technique they practice makes them swift and diminishes their sense of presence, but it has a flaw—it causes the shape of their legs to change."

"If you see these distinctive footprints in the future, they were most likely left by Qing Kingdom spies!"

In a mountain forest, Wu Chuansheng carefully explained everything to Li Yi.

After unlocking a new trait of the Breathing Technique, not only had Li Yi's injuries healed rapidly, he had also successfully entered the second level of the Body Tempering Realm.

At present, he was following Wu Chuansheng as they carried out some of the archers' routine duties.

Archery, spear practice, cultivating the Breathing Technique, training.

That was Li Yi's daily life.

"Thanks, Brother Wu!"

Li Yi felt deeply grateful as he listened to Wu Chuansheng's patient instruction.

After he had flatly refused Cao Li's recruitment, some people in the army had begun targeting him behind the scenes.

If not for Wu Chuansheng's help, Li Yi would not have had such an easy time.

"We're brothers. Why be so polite?"

Wu Chuansheng smiled, then looked into the distance. "All right, we're here. Everyone rest up for a while, then we'll head back to camp."

Having received Wu Chuansheng's order, several of them, Li Yi included, took out their rations and began to eat.

"Li Yi, when we return to camp later, do you want to send something home?"

An old soldier from the same county in Wu Chuansheng's squad asked Li Yi in a low voice.

"Send something home?"

Li Yi froze.

Once recruits passed the assessment and became official soldiers, they were no longer permitted to leave camp.

Though he had left plenty of meat for his family, Li Yi was still worried about how things were at home.

Hearing the old soldier mention it, Li Yi hurriedly asked, "Brother Yuan, how can I send things home?"

During this time, Li Yi had taken advantage of patrols to hunt quite a few animals. After sharing some with Wu Chuansheng, Han Jia, and the others, much still remained, and it had been made into jerky.

Brother Yuan chuckled and explained to Li Yi, "Whenever Lord Cao's people deliver supplies to the camp, we can go to the yamen runners under him, give them a little something for their trouble, and have them deliver a few things for us."

"But those yamen runners can only deliver things for people from this county, so Squad Leader Wu and the others don't know about it."

A chill ran through Li Yi's entire body as he listened to Brother Yuan.

"Brother, this Lord Cao is...?"

Li Yi suppressed the turmoil in his heart and asked calmly.

"Who else could Lord Cao be? Of course, he's our county's Household Affairs Officer!"

The Household Affairs Officer's surname was Cao!?

Brother Yuan's words struck Li Yi like a bolt from a clear sky, leaving him rooted to the spot.

The Household Affairs Officer was surnamed Cao, and Sima Cao Li was surnamed Cao as well.

The Household Affairs Officer had tried to recruit him, and Cao Li had tried to recruit him too!

Thinking of the two men's actions, Li Yi felt a cold revulsion spread through his body.

He still remembered Cao Li saying that his family wielded enormous influence.

And when Song Jie had wanted to report the Household Affairs Officer, Cao Li had forcibly suppressed the matter!

As the many clues connected, Li Yi arrived at a terrifying conclusion.

This Household Affairs Officer and Cao Li were very likely from the same family!

If that was the case, many of the things he had failed to understand could now be explained!

No, I have to tell Hundred Commander Song Jie about this!

But just as Li Yi's thoughts were spiraling outward, waves of horn calls sounded in the distance.

The old soldiers beside him instantly stiffened upon hearing the horns. They sprang to their feet and looked into the distance.

Wu Chuansheng shouted, "Urgent military orders! Return to camp at once!"

At once, they packed away their rations and hurried back to camp.

Throughout the mountain forest, many patrolling squads were being summoned back to camp by the horn calls.

Startled by the soldiers marching urgently through the woods, countless birds took wing and circled above the forest.

By the time Li Yi returned to camp, the entire military camp was already beginning to move like a war machine.

Weapons were carried out one after another, while auxiliary soldiers wheeled out numerous siege engines. The whole camp was steeped in a murderous air.

Very soon, Li Yi figured out what was happening.

The Qing Kingdom, which had long been clashing with the Chen Kingdom, formally launched a war.

Now, a Qing Kingdom army was steadily closing in on Blackstone Town.

In other words, Blackstone Town had become the Chen Kingdom's front line and would directly face the Qing Kingdom's blade.

"Our squad is responsible for defending Beacon Tower A-7! Everyone, follow me!"

Led by Wu Chuansheng, Li Yi arrived atop the walls of Blackstone Town.

This was Li Yi's first time taking part in a war. Raising his eyes, he saw a black line in the distance, constantly moving.

"The Qing Kingdom's vanguard!"

Watching the banners draw closer and closer, Li Yi understood.

By the time Blackstone Town's walls were manned by numerous soldiers, the Qing Kingdom vanguard had already arrived less than a li away.

It was a force of several hundred light cavalrymen!

Standing atop the beacon tower, Li Yi watched the distant army and unconsciously gripped the Army-Breaking Bow in his hand.

For every enemy killed, one tael of monthly pay could be claimed that month!

Kill five enemies, and one could be promoted to squad leader, with a monthly salary of five taels!

Kill twenty enemies, and one could be promoted to ten-man leader, with a monthly salary of ten taels!

Kill fifty enemies, and one could be promoted to platoon leader, with a monthly salary of twenty taels!

Li Yi unconsciously recalled the rules of the military merit system and quietly took several arrows into his hand.

Woooo—

With a deep, muffled horn blast, the Qing Kingdom light cavalry in the distance slowly urged their warhorses forward.

Several hundred warhorses began to move, charging faster and faster.

The neighing of horses and the roars of men grew ever louder, and the Qing Kingdom light cavalry came closer and closer.

"Prepare!"

Li Yi instantly nocked an arrow to the Army-Breaking Bow and drew it to the full!

Five hundred meters!

Three hundred meters!

Two hundred meters!

Once they had built up speed, the light cavalry closed in on Blackstone Town in the blink of an eye.

When the Qing Kingdom troops came within a hundred meters, a furious roar rang out beside Li Yi's ear.

"Loose!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

In an instant, a rain of arrows blanketed the sky, shrouding the charging light cavalry!

As the arrow rain fell, some cavalrymen tumbled from their horses and were trampled into pulp beneath the wildly galloping mounts.

Yet after facing three waves of arrows head-on, this batch of light cavalry finally charged close to Blackstone Town.

Clatter!

The light cavalrymen swung their arms hard, flinging numerous black spheres onto the city wall.

The moment those spheres landed on the wall, the riders immediately retreated.

The next instant, streams of black mist seeped out from the black balls. The pungent gas made Li Yi instinctively cover his mouth and nose, while many soldiers atop the wall could not help coughing and curling into balls.

"This is Qing Kingdom sorcery!"

Seeing the black balls spreading their dark mist, Wu Chuansheng's expression tightened, and he kicked one off the wall.

But because of the disruption caused by the black balls, chaos erupted atop the walls. Taking advantage of it, the soldiers behind the Qing Kingdom light cavalry pushed forward siege ladders and were now climbing the walls without pause.

Some feared war, while others delighted in it.

Li Yi watched the Qing Kingdom soldiers attack without end, and there was no fear in his eyes.

These were all experience!

Li Yi unleashed the Arrow-Fighting Art once more, and the triple shot that had once stunned everyone reappeared!

With a single arrow fired, three soldiers fell to the ground.

At the same time, [Archery] experience kept increasing.

Spurred on by experience, Li Yi became a humanoid machine gun, firing the iron arrows in his hand as though they cost nothing. Qing Kingdom soldiers fell one after another.

A small pile of bodies even formed beneath Beacon Tower A-7.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

After firing another arrow, a smile appeared on Li Yi's face.

[Archery] skill successfully leveled up!

A new skill trait has been unlocked!