Unexpected Bad News

[Archery (Minor Mastery): 30/3200]

[Effect: Draw a Seven-Stone Bow, master Five Stars in a Row!]

After entering the Minor Mastery realm, Li Yi had successfully mastered the skill trait granted by perfected proficiency: Gale Arrow!

This skill trait was a fusion of the [Gale Breathing Method] and [Archery].

When this arrow technique was used, the arrow would fly swifter and carry the effects of wind-rending and armor-piercing.

Li Yi nocked three arrows onto the Army-Breaking Bow and immediately felt a tremendous difference.

The winds between heaven and earth were all communicating with Li Yi.

There were even faint breezes that drifted of their own accord around the arrowheads, making the iron arrows lighter.

This shot would fly farther!

The thought rose in Li Yi's heart. The next instant, he released his hand, and the three iron arrows shot forth in accordance with his will.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The three arrows flashed like lightning. Mere three breaths after leaving the Army-Breaking Bow, three light cavalrymen two hundred paces away fell from their horses.

"There's a master archer!"

In an instant, chaos erupted among Qing Kingdom's vanguard. Once many of the light cavalrymen realized there was a master marksman present, they retreated again and again.

Li Yi glanced at the increased skill experience, without the slightest thought of mercy, and took out another three iron arrows.

Three breaths later, three more light cavalrymen were shot dead.

With Li Yi's help, the area around Beacon Tower A-7 gradually stabilized, suppressing the invading Qing Kingdom infantry beneath the city wall.

But farther away on either side, the situation was far from encouraging.

With the help of the black spheres thrown by Qing Kingdom, many soldiers were left dispirited. The Qing Kingdom soldiers seized the opportunity to climb the city wall and engage the defending soldiers in close-quarters slaughter.

As a ranged infantry unit, the archers were directed by their respective squad leaders to stay away from the close combat.

Forced by the situation, a large number of archers gradually gathered at Beacon Tower A-7. Dozens of archers clustered together and, under Wu Chuansheng's command, formed three groups that took turns firing.

Every second, a rain of arrows poured down, killing the Qing Kingdom soldiers pressing forward.

Li Yi, meanwhile, fought freely. Relying on his superb archery, he continuously finished off the soldiers who had luckily avoided the arrow rain.

"My lord, we've run into a hard bone!"

A Qing Kingdom scout, his face filled with terror, reported the battle at Beacon Tower A-7 to a centurion overseeing the Qing Kingdom troops.

This Qing Kingdom centurion held a rank equivalent to a hundred-commander in the Chen Kingdom.

The several hundred Qing Kingdom soldiers attacking Blackstone Town were under this centurion's command.

Watching his own soldiers more than two hundred paces away being suppressed as their morale steadily sagged, the centurion's expression hardened.

"Bring up the secret thunder!"

"Kill them for me!"

As the vanguard, if the centurion failed to swiftly capture Blackstone Town, he would be dealt with under military law.

At the centurion's command, a group of sturdy soldiers pushed a small cart over to his side.

"On my command, press forward!"

The Qing Kingdom soldiers moved again, and the morale that had been low moments ago began to surge the instant the cart appeared.

"What is that?"

After the [Gale Breathing Method] had broken through and advanced, Li Yi's five senses had become sharper, and his eyesight had improved as well.

Focusing his gaze, he saw the Qing Kingdom soldiers, led by the centurion, continuously pressing forward while protecting a small cart in their midst.

The cart was not large, and it was covered by a huge sheet of black cloth.

Never mind. Just kill them!

Though he had no idea what the cart was, Li Yi instinctively knew that he could not let it approach the city wall!

At once, Li Yi aimed his arrows at the cart and repeatedly unleashed triple shots.

But these soldiers seemed willing to throw away their lives, using their bodies to shield the cart. Even when the shields in their hands were shot through, they refused to yield a single step.

After the time it took to burn an incense stick, the cart had reached within a hundred paces.

Rustle!

The black cloth was pulled away, revealing an extremely small catapult in Li Yi's sight.

"Such a tiny catapult?"

Li Yi immediately thought of the black spheres the Qing Kingdom light cavalry had thrown earlier, and a sense of dread welled up within him.

"Everyone, be careful!"

Li Yi shouted, but before his words had faded, a sphere the size of a human head was placed atop the catapult.

Whoosh!

At the Qing Kingdom centurion's command, the catapult sprang into action. With a smack, a round sphere slammed into Beacon Tower A-7.

The instant the sphere struck the stone slabs, it burst apart.

Jets of black water splashed everywhere, and screams immediately rang out across Beacon Tower A-7.

"It's Qing Kingdom soul-eroding water!"

An old soldier recognized it. This was a special weapon crafted by Qing Kingdom secret arts masters—the Soul-Eroding Water Thunderbomb!

Seeing their comrades corroded by the black water, flesh rotting and festering away, the archers went pale and hurriedly scattered.

These archers had all cultivated breathing techniques and reached the Body Tempering Realm.

Yet under the erosion of the soul-eroding water, even Body Tempering Third Layer martial artists could only scream as they collapsed to the ground.

In just a few breaths, nearly ten soldiers had died miserable deaths, while many more were wounded by the soul-eroding water.

Watching the panicked archers, Wu Chuansheng hurriedly shouted:

"Don't panic! This soul-eroding water is difficult to refine; the enemy definitely doesn't have much left. Hold your formation and don't give them an opening!"

After steadying the archer squad, Wu Chuansheng turned to Li Yi and said solemnly:

"Brother Li Yi, see if you can find a way to destroy that catapult."

Everyone had witnessed Li Yi's extraordinary long-range archery in the battle just now.

Not only did the Qing Kingdom soldiers consider him a divine archer—even the veteran bowmen of this archer squad thought Li Yi deserved that title.

"Brother Wu, I'll do my best!"

Beside the Qing Kingdom centurion, a squad of soldiers was carefully placing a Soul-Eroding Water Thunderbomb onto the catapult.

Not good!

Seeing this, Li Yi immediately drew his bow and nocked an arrow, firing at the catapult.

That last shot of soul-eroding water had already wiped out nearly half of Beacon Tower A-7's fighting strength. If another came, most of the beacon tower would be crippled.

Without the archer squad's rain of arrows to suppress them, Blackstone Town's low walls could never stop the Qing Kingdom vanguard, fierce as wolves and tigers.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three arrows flew out. The soldiers operating the catapult were flung to the ground, while one arrow even struck the catapult itself, leaving several cracks on its frame.

But the soul-eroding water sphere atop the catapult was also launched, wobbling unsteadily through the air.

"Squad Leader!"

Beacon Tower A-7 instantly fell into chaos. Li Yi turned his head and saw four or five soldiers with their flesh melting away. Amid the crowd, more than half of Wu Chuansheng's body had also been splashed with soul-eroding water.

"Brother Wu!"

At the sight, rage surged into Li Yi's heart, and his entire body began trembling instinctively.

The soul-eroding water was so potent that even Body Tempering Third Layer martial artists could not withstand it—and Wu Chuansheng happened to be at the Body Tempering Third Layer.

In a few swift flashes, Li Yi rushed to Wu Chuansheng's side, ready to help him up.

"Don't!"

Lying half-slumped on the ground, Wu Chuansheng endured the pain and raised a hand to stop Li Yi.

"This soul-eroding water is incredibly powerful. Don't come near me!"

In only a moment, Wu Chuansheng's face grew ever paler, the wounds on his body deep enough to expose bone.

"Li Yi, I know your future will not be confined to this tiny Blackstone Town."

"I won't survive. This battle bow that has accompanied me for so many years... I give it to you!"

The soul-eroding water's power was terrifying. The pain left Wu Chuansheng unable even to speak properly.

Those few short sentences exhausted all of Wu Chuansheng's strength.

Li Yi picked up Wu Chuansheng's battle bow from the ground, grief written across his face.

Wu Chuansheng had treated him well, yet after only their first battle fighting side by side, he had died at the enemy's hands.

"Squad Leader, I'll carry this bow onward!"

"I absolutely won't let you down!"

Looking at Wu Chuansheng, more than half melted away, Li Yi made a solemn promise.

Hearing Li Yi's words, Wu Chuansheng seemed to want to smile. But before the smile could fully form, he quietly breathed his last.

Looking at Wu Chuansheng's corpse on the ground, Li Yi held the bow with a solemn expression.

Yet the flames of fury in Li Yi's heart only burned hotter and hotter.

Wu Chuansheng's iron-backed bow was a superior five-stone bow, several grades better than the four-stone bow awarded for first place in the newcomer assessment.

During training, Li Yi had handled this bow many times.

Feeling the countless marks upon the iron-backed bow, Li Yi suddenly turned around and stared fixedly at the Qing Kingdom army in the distance.

After killing a large number of Qing Kingdom soldiers, Li Yi's [Archery] skill entered the Minor Mastery realm. Not only did it unlock the Gale Arrow technique, it also allowed Li Yi to wield a five-stone bow with ease.

Thrum!

With a dull snap, the iron-backed bow in Li Yi's hand was drawn to full tension.

Triple Shot!

Three arrows were nocked upon the bow.

Gale Arrow!

The moment the arrow technique was unleashed, countless whirlwinds gathered around the arrowheads, making the shafts incomparably light. At the tips, winds spun rapidly, granting the armor-piercing arrowheads even greater destructive power.

Arrow-Fighting Art!

Li Yi gave his wrist a slight shake, and the three arrows resonated in unison, their tips shifting slightly.

[Gale Breathing Method]! Bloodrage!

In an instant, Li Yi's blood and qi surged into a frenzy. Waves of strength poured from within him, continuously empowering the iron-backed bow.

After Wu Chuansheng's death, Beacon Tower A-7 briefly descended into chaos. The archers fought on their own, and their scattered arrows could no longer halt the Qing Kingdom soldiers' advance.

As he watched the enemy troops draw ever closer, the momentum gathering around Li Yi grew increasingly intense.

"Those who kill shall themselves be killed!"

When his momentum reached its peak, Li Yi let out a low roar, and the arrows in his hand shot forth in an instant.

Under four layers of enhancement, Li Yi's three arrows actually triggered sonic booms.

Boom!

With a thunderous blast, soldiers from both kingdoms turned their attention toward the arrows.

"Protect the centurion!"

"It's the master archer! He's still there!"

The sonic booms drew the Qing Kingdom soldiers' notice. Many infantrymen raised their shields, sheltering the centurion behind them.

Bang!

The first arrow struck a shield, its tremendous force directly cracking it apart.

The next instant, the second arrow hit the very same spot, blasting the shield to pieces and exposing the centurion in iron armor behind it.

"The shield's broken! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

The infantrymen hurriedly shifted their shields, preparing to cover the centurion again.

But bolstered by the Arrow-Fighting Art, the third arrow followed tight on the second. Before a new shield could be raised, it struck the centurion squarely in the chest!

"Argh!"

The centurion let out a miserable cry. Looking down, he saw that the wind blades carried by the arrow had already torn open his chest. As for his iron armor, it had long since been pierced through.

This third arrow was one of the three armor-piercing arrows Old Zhang had given him!

After the armor-piercing arrow entered the centurion's body, the gale carried within its shaft exploded at once, shredding his internal organs.

The centurion opened his mouth as if to speak, but only spat out countless fragments of viscera.

Thud!

The centurion collapsed straight to the ground. In an instant, the Qing Kingdom vanguard fell into utter disarray.

Seeing this, Li Yi hurriedly drew and nocked another arrow, shouting at the same time:

"The enemy commander is dead! Everyone, the chance to avenge Squad Leader Wu is here!"

The archers had usually received much kindness from Wu Chuansheng.

Now, led by Li Yi, the many surviving archers fired in succession. Wave after wave of arrows once again suppressed the Qing Kingdom soldiers.

Song Jie, the Hundred Commander stationed at Blackstone Town, seized the opportunity and sent out his personal guard in a single charge. Before long, they slaughtered all the Qing Kingdom soldiers on the city wall and pushed the battle line back.

The setting sun was red as blood, while black crows wailed.

After Song Jie personally joined the battle, the Qing Kingdom vanguard, having lost its centurion's command, suffered a crushing defeat and fled Blackstone Town in disarray.

Watching Li Yi gather Wu Chuansheng's remains, Song Jie's eyes were filled with appreciation.

"Li Yi, you deserve the foremost credit for repelling the enemy this time!"

Looking at the remaining archers, Song Jie announced:

"From this day onward, you are the archers' ten-man leader! Your monthly pay shall be ten taels!"

According to Chen Kingdom's military merit system, killing five enemies earned one a promotion to squad leader, with a monthly pay of five taels.

Killing twenty enemies earned one a promotion to ten-man leader, with a monthly pay of ten taels!

Because the recent battle had been a chaotic melee, it was difficult to tally Li Yi's exact number of kills. But everyone had witnessed his contributions.

Therefore, even though he had been exceptionally promoted to ten-man leader, no one raised any objections.

The Qing Kingdom's invasion was a large-scale assault stretched across a long front.

Besides Blackstone Town, many other places also faced the Qing Kingdom's advancing blades head-on.

After repelling the force attacking Blackstone Town, the town was able to enter a relatively peaceful period.

During this time, aside from training, Li Yi led his soldiers on constant patrols.

"Squad Leader Li, someone's here to see you."

Having just finished training, Li Yi returned to camp and saw an old soldier waiting at the entrance to the main camp with a boy in tow.

"Dog Boy, why are you here?"

This boy was the nephew of the Liu Fang sisters.

The moment Dog Boy saw Li Yi, tears began streaming down his face. Seeing this, the old soldier tactfully left.

"Uncle Li, something happened at home!"

"What?"

At Dog Boy's words, Li Yi was greatly alarmed. He quickly brought him back to the tent and had him explain what had happened.

It turned out that yesterday evening, a group of masked men had suddenly broken into Li Yi's home and forcibly abducted Liu Fang.

Li Erniu, who had rushed over after hearing the news, tried to stop them, but was beaten so badly that his injuries worsened.

Li Yi's younger brother Li Xin and younger sister Li Yue had also vanished amid the chaos.

Masked men?

Listening to Dog Boy's words and learning that his younger siblings and other family members had all come to harm, Li Yi flew into a towering rage, his blood and qi surging throughout his body.

It must have been the Household Officer!

In almost an instant, Li Yi identified the Household Officer as the one pulling the strings behind this.

After all, in Blackstone Town, only the Household Officer and Cao Li were at odds with him, and the Household Officer and Cao Li appeared to be family.

Whether it was Wang Dagui trying to offer Liu Fang to the Household Officer, or Li Yi repeatedly refusing the Household Officer's recruitment and obtaining evidence of his collusion with the Qing Kingdom—

The Household Officer and he were already mortal enemies.

Who the mastermind was was as obvious as lice on a bald man's head.

You forced my hand! You actually dared lay hands on my family!

In his fury, the blood and qi throughout Li Yi's body suddenly tightened, then surged like a great river, coursing through him and even breaking open many meridians and acupoints.

[Gale Breathing Method] increased!

The blood and qi in his entire body doubled. He was now only a few steps away from the third level of Body Tempering!

But Li Yi had no mind to rejoice over his improved cultivation. Looking at Dog Boy, he instructed him, "Wait here in the tent for me."

After calling over one of his men to keep watch over Dog Boy, Li Yi headed straight for Song Jie's main tent.

"Brother Yi, what brings you here?"

Han Jia, standing outside the main tent, asked curiously.

"Something happened at home. Hurry and announce me—I need to see the Centurion!"

Seeing Li Yi's grave expression, Han Jia did not dare delay. He quickly brought Li Yi before Song Jie, where Li Yi laid out everything Dog Boy had told him, along with his own suspicions.

"That dog of a Household Officer actually lost his mind enough to go after the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled!"

Song Jie frowned. "The Household Officer bears a grudge against you. It is only natural that he would seek revenge. What do you intend to do?"

Li Yi gripped the iron-bodied bow in his hand tightly and raised his head to look at Song Jie. "I beg you, sir, grant me a few days' leave. I want to return home and settle this matter! He dared provoke my family—I will make him pay the price!"

Hearing this, Han Jia was filled with righteous indignation and also said to Song Jie, "Sir, please allow me to return home with Li Yi and deal with that Household Officer who colluded with the enemy kingdom!"

Seeing the rage rolling off Li Yi, Song Jie slowly nodded.

"You have rendered service to the army. I cannot ignore this matter."

"Very well. I grant the two of you three days' leave to depart camp and handle this affair."

"If anything goes wrong, give them my name!"

Li Yi was overjoyed at Song Jie's words and thanked him repeatedly.

Night was already drawing near, but Li Yi's heart had flown home like an arrow. He left the military camp that very night and hurried toward Qinghe County.

Blackstone Town was a major town under Qinghe County and lay close to the Qing Kingdom. Li Yi's home stood between Qinghe County City and Blackstone Town.

Rushing all the way, Li Yi and the others returned home in just over an hour.

The house was in complete disarray. The traps Li Yi had set before leaving for the military camp had already been triggered, and faint bloodstains could be seen lingering within them.

At the sight, Li Yi forced himself to calm down and used [Scouting and Concealment] to search for the information left behind.

These masked men were strong and powerful, but their steps were disordered. Clearly, they had ample food to eat, yet had never trained in martial arts.

After gathering all the information from his own courtyard, Li Yi and the others went to Li Erniu's home.

"Li Yi, I've wronged you."

Facing Li Yi, Li Erniu was overwhelmed with shame.

Liu Ru, who had luckily escaped disaster because she had gone out to mend someone's clothes last night, was tending to the injured Li Erniu at this moment.

It was also Liu Ru who had sent Dog Boy to notify Li Yi.

Li Erniu had been bedridden for years, his qi and blood already depleted. After suffering this ordeal, his condition had worsened even further. He was also covered in many fresh injuries.

"Brother Erniu, I'm the one who dragged you into this. Don't blame yourself."

Li Yi did not reveal his feud with the Household Clerk. He merely took out a bottle of [Little Spring Breeze Powder] and had Liu Ru apply it to Li Erniu.

"Where are my younger brother and sister? And those people—could you tell who they were?" Li Yi asked.

With a sigh, Li Erniu recounted his experience in detail.

"After those people beat me down and injured me, they dragged Liu Fang away."

"Li Xin and Li Yue insisted on chasing after them to take Liu Fang back. They never returned after that."

As Li Yi listened to Li Erniu's account, the fury in his heart grew ever more intense.

Suddenly, Li Erniu seemed to recall something and said excitedly:

"When they knocked me down and tied Liu Fang up to take her away, I heard someone say not to hurt her, or their lord would get angry."

"That person's voice was hoarse, like his throat had been slit by a blade."

A throat like it had been cut by a blade?

Li Yi's brows rose. He suddenly remembered the yamen runner who had delivered the Household Clerk's message to recruit him. His voice was extremely similar to the one Li Erniu described.

Thinking of this, Li Yi hurriedly asked, "Was that person around seven and a half chi tall, with slightly yellow hair?"

Li Erniu froze, then exclaimed in shock, "How did you know? That person really was exactly as you described."

Hearing this, Li Yi's heart settled completely.

Sure enough, his guess had been right!

Those masked men had been yamen runners in disguise!

The Household Clerk had been pulling strings behind the scenes and sent people to snatch Liu Fang away!

"Brother Erniu, I already know who did this. Don't worry. I'll bring Liu Fang back safe and sound and give you justice."

Although he had taken Liu Fang's first time, Li Erniu was still Liu Fang's husband in name, and he had treated Li Yi very well—giving him money, cultivation methods, and even a wife.

By sentiment or by reason, from any angle, Li Yi had to investigate this to the bitter end.

After giving Han Jia a meaningful look, Li Yi left Li Erniu's home and headed straight for Qinghe County.

Li Xin and Li Yue were now missing, while Liu Fang had been abducted by people sent by the Household Clerk. Taking this into account, Li Yi decided to find the Household Clerk first, rescue Liu Fang, and see whether he could uncover the whereabouts of Li Xin and Li Yue in the process.

Following the many traces left behind by the masked men, Li Yi continually tracked Liu Fang's trail.

[Scouting and Concealment (Proficient): 10/400]

[Effect: Track trails and recognize routes, conceal aura]

Looking at a residence not far ahead, Li Yi's expression darkened.

After entering Qinghe County, those people had headed straight for this residence and never come out again.

"Looks like Liu Fang is being held in this residence."

During the pursuit, [Scouting and Concealment] had continuously gained skill experience. Once he found Liu Fang's exact destination, it gained a great deal of experience, advancing from Beginner to Proficient. It had also granted Li Yi the skill trait of night vision.

In the darkness of night, Li Yi's eyes gleamed brilliantly, letting him see as clearly as in daylight.

"It really is the Household Clerk."

Under his night vision, Li Yi saw a large Cao character written on the lanterns hanging to either side of the residence gate. The high-hung plaque above them bore the words Cao Residence.

After hiding at a street corner and observing for a while, Li Yi made his decision.

"Han Jia, stay outside and cover me. I'll sneak into the residence and see if I can rescue Liu Fang."

After dividing their tasks, Li Yi carefully made his way toward the Cao Residence.

[Gale Breathing Method] made one swifter while reducing the sounds of movement, allowing its practitioner to conceal themselves more easily.

Meanwhile, [Scouting and Concealment] could conceal one's aura and counter reconnaissance.

With the aid of both skills, Li Yi successfully climbed over the wall and entered the Cao Residence.

The Cao Residence covered an enormous area. Its courtyards were arranged in orderly fashion, with side rooms spread throughout.

Li Yi carefully avoided the lantern light and pressed deeper into the residence by using the shadows as cover.

It was already midnight, and the entire Cao Residence had largely sunk into silence.

After searching for a while, Li Yi arrived beside a courtyard.

At the entrance to the courtyard stood two people, keeping watch.

"There are actually guards here. Liu Fang might be inside."

Looking at this unusual courtyard, Li Yi's heart stirred, and he quietly approached the gate.

Back in Hundred Trees Forest, Li Yi had been able to secretly dispose of two Qing Kingdom spies. Facing these two ordinary burly men now was even less of a challenge.

In no more than a moment, Li Yi snapped both their necks, propped their bodies against the wall, and disguised them as if they were still faithfully standing guard.

Entering the courtyard, Li Yi saw lamplight flickering inside one of the side rooms.

Seeing this, Li Yi quietly crept beneath the window and carefully listened to the sounds inside.