Archers Can Also Wield Knives

Sheng Huai'an straightened his neck and began to listen intently.

In this unfamiliar world, there was much information he didn't know.

After all, his previous self was just a weak scholar, someone who ignored everything outside his study and only focused on the words of the sages.

To put it bluntly, he was ignorant, immersed in his own world, with little contact with the outside, similar to a socially anxious shut-in.

Yet, he had studied the words of the sages so much that he couldn't even pass the preliminary imperial examination, which was truly tragic.

The old soldier spoke slowly, "Martial arts cultivation is divided into Martial Disciple, Martial Practitioner, Martial Master, Houtian, and Xiantian."

"Martial Disciples refine their bodies. The Martial Disciple is the first realm of martial arts, mainly focusing on tempering the body to make it strong and resilient."

"Upon reaching the Martial Practitioner realm, one can generate Martial True Essence within their body. This realm mainly involves refining essence into qi, condensing the Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth, and transforming it into one's own True Essence."

"By the Martial Master realm, one begins to refine qi and forge blood.

Further up, in the Houtian realm, one refines tendons and strengthens bones.

In the Xiantian realm, one washes marrow and refines bones, undergoing a complete transformation, becoming extraordinary and detached from the mundane."

"Only upon reaching the Xiantian realm can one be considered a true martial arts expert."

"After cultivating to Martial Disciple, a single arm's strength can reach one hundred to one thousand jin. Against ordinary people who don't know martial arts, one can handle ten at a time."

"Having cultivated to Martial Practitioner, generating Martial True Essence within the body, a single arm's strength increases from one thousand to three thousand jin. One can shatter rocks with a punch."

"A Martial Master's single arm strength can reach three thousand to five thousand jin, with blood like lead and mercury.

A Houtian Martial Practitioner possesses skin as tough as bronze and bones as hard as iron, with strength reaching five thousand to ten thousand jin."

"A Xiantian Martial Practitioner's strength can reach ten thousand to fifty thousand jin; one person can contend with a thousand troops."

Sheng Huai'an listened intently, thinking this was too incredible. What was the concept of having ten thousand jin of strength in one punch?

Could he smash a small child to pieces with one punch?!

The old soldier stopped speaking at this point, not continuing further.

"What about after that!?"

Sheng Huai'an, engrossed in the story, asked when the old soldier paused.

"After that?"

The old soldier glanced at Sheng Huai'an and said, "Young man, don't aim too high. You must be down-to-earth in your actions."

Sheng Huai'an scratched his head, looking at his early-stage Martial Disciple cultivation. Cultivation?

Was it that difficult?

It was just a matter of a one-click stat increase!

Since the old soldier didn't continue talking about the later martial arts realms, Sheng Huai'an could only give up.

During this lull in the fighting, everyone was relaxing and resting.

The old soldier also brought a set of armor for Sheng Huai'an to wear.

"Put it on, it'll be safer. Don't get shot dead by an arrow," he said.

Sheng Huai'an was speechless. Why did he keep talking about death, which was so inauspicious?

The old soldier helped Sheng Huai'an put on the armor.

"Hmm, not bad. You look the part now," the old soldier nodded with a smile.

Sheng Huai'an felt uncomfortable wearing the armor, unaccustomed to it.

"Dong, dong, dong..."

Beyond the pass, war drums sounded, like symbols of impending doom.

"Quick, grab your weapons and get on the city wall," the old soldier shouted.

Everyone grabbed their weapons and rushed towards the city wall.

Soldiers from other teams were doing the same, quickly heading to the city wall.

Sheng Huai'an held his bow and arrows, with over thirty arrows on his back, following behind the old soldier and the others.

Upon reaching the city wall, the Xiongnu army outside had already begun their assault.

A captain shouted, "Archers, step forward and shoot all the arrows you have."

Archers from various small teams stepped forward, nocked their arrows, and shot towards the Xiongnu army.

An arrow rain descended upon the city wall.

Sheng Huai'an skillfully nocked and drew his bow, found his target, and shot an arrow, which whistled through the air.

A burly Xiongnu soldier, mid-stride, was pierced through the heart and fell to the ground.

Slaughter Value increased by one.

On the city wall, arrows fell like rain, and Xiongnu soldiers continuously fell on their charge.

Sheng Huai'an had now adapted to the battlefield, indifferently nocking and drawing his bow, swiftly shooting an arrow to take down a Xiongnu soldier.

This is a battlefield; it's either you die or I live, nothing else matters.

He quickly loosed his arrows, and in a short time, all thirty-five arrows were gone, each one claiming the life of a Xiongnu soldier.

His Slaughter Value increased to forty-five points.

Once the archers had expended all their arrows, they retreated to the rear.

Sheng Huai'an was also called back, and the spearmen and swordsmen moved forward to intercept the enemy forces attacking the city.

The afternoon assault was even more brutal than the morning's. The Xiongnu army was twice as large, surging forward like a tide.

The fearless Xiongnu soldiers, after suffering significant casualties, quickly scaled the city walls.

Sheng Huai'an retreated to the rear and began allocating points to improve his cultivation.

Name: Sheng Huai'an

Race: Human

Realm: Martial Disciple (Early Stage) (+)

Cultivation Technique: [Ferocious Ox Strength (Beginner) (+)]

Strength: 300 jin

Talent: Bronze Archer (+)

Slaughter Value: 45

Sheng Huai'an directly allocated points to Ferocious Ox Strength. His martial cultivation was the most important thing right now.

After allocating the points, a warm current flowed into his body, and Sheng Huai'an felt every inch of his cells growing stronger.

He looked at the golden screen again.

Name: Sheng Huai'an

Race: Human

Realm: Martial Disciple (Mid Stage)

Cultivation Technique: [Ferocious Ox Strength (Minor Accomplishment)]

Strength: 700 jin

Talent: Bronze Archer (+)

Slaughter Value: 25

His cultivation instantly advanced from Martial Disciple (Early Stage) to Martial Disciple (Mid Stage), and his strength increased to 700 jin.

It had cost twenty Slaughter Value to go from Martial Disciple (Early Stage) to Martial Disciple (Mid Stage), and his cultivation technique, Ferocious Ox Strength, had reached Minor Accomplishment.

Sheng Huai'an moved his arms, feeling a surge of power throughout his body.

Watching the fierce battle on the city walls, Sheng Huai'an felt a tingling sensation. Those Xiongnu enemies were the source of his strength.

"Captain, give me a saber. I want to fight," Sheng Huai'an said, finding a captain.

"You just retreated from the fight. Archers aren't participating now," the squad leader replied.

"Who says archers can't participate? I want to fight and serve my country. A true man should shed his blood to defend the border," Sheng Huai'an declared righteously.

The squad leader looked at Sheng Huai'an strangely, thinking, What kind of idiot is this, rushing to his death?

"Give him a saber," the squad leader said.

A soldier handed over a saber.

Sheng Huai'an took the saber and said, "Thank you!"

Then he turned and walked onto the city wall, ready to kill more enemies.

Watching Sheng Huai'an's retreating back, the soldiers sighed, thinking that fools like him were rare nowadays.

Without orders, who would willingly go to the city walls to fight the Xiongnu to the death?

Sheng Huai'an joined the battle on the city wall. He found a target, a Xiongnu soldier fighting an ally, and swung his saber.

With a surprise attack, Sheng Huai'an killed the enemy with a single blow.

With a strength of 700 jin in his arm, his saber strike nearly cut the man and his armor in half.

After killing one Xiongnu soldier, Sheng Huai'an continued to look for his next target.

Just then, a Xiongnu soldier climbed onto the wall. Seeing Sheng Huai'an, he leaped from the wall with his saber and charged at him.

Sheng Huai'an raised his saber to block. He was instantly pushed back two steps by the immense force.

The attacker was also a Xiongnu soldier with Martial Disciple cultivation, possessing thick arms and a face full of coarse flesh.

"Die!"

The opponent swung his saber and slashed fiercely at Sheng Huai'an.

Sheng Huai'an gripped his saber and swung back, completely without any technique. After all, he hadn't learned any saber skills.

He was fighting purely on brute strength.

Sheng Huai'an felt that the Xiongnu enemy forces weren't that strong after he'd repelled them with a single strike. He figured they had only managed to push him back with such force because they had the momentum from leaping off the city walls.

Seeing that the enemy wasn't as strong as he'd imagined, Sheng Huai'an pressed his advantage.

He wielded his saber and slashed fiercely, forcing Li Guyu to retreat continuously.

Li Guyu felt the increasing power behind each of Sheng Huai'an's strikes and was inwardly astonished.

This person, who looked like a frail scholar, actually possessed considerable strength.

Cornered by Sheng Huai'an, Li Guyu gritted his teeth and decided to meet Sheng Huai'an head-on.

"Clang!"

Sheng Huai'an's saber snapped the blade of Li Guyu's weapon, and a bloody gash appeared on Li Guyu's forehead.

He stared at Sheng Huai'an before falling to the ground, unwilling to accept defeat.

Having dealt with one enemy, Sheng Huai'an continued to seek out targets to fight.

"Screech!"

With a single decapitating blow, Sheng Huai'an killed another.

Li Man, after slaying a defending soldier from Annin Pass, noticed Sheng Huai'an and immediately charged towards him.

Sheng Huai'an felt a strong killing intent, his heart tightening. He turned to see a burly Xiongnu enemy charging at him.

As the enemy unleashed a "Mountain Crushing Chop," Sheng Huai'an swung his saber to block, but he was knocked back five or six steps.

"Kid, you've got some skill. No wonder you killed my brother. But with this little strength, I'll send you down to join your dear brother in the afterlife." Li Man continued to swing his saber, attacking Sheng Huai'an.

Judging by his demeanor, he didn't seem saddened by his brother's death.

Sheng Huai'an raised his saber to block, but Li Man kicked him flying. He fell to the ground, unable to get up for a long time, his internal organs displaced by the kick.

Li Man, a Martial Disciple Grand Perfection with a single-arm strength of a thousand jin, was completely beyond Sheng Huai'an's ability to resist.

Li Man walked towards Sheng Huai'an, raising his sharp battle saber and slashing down, intending to decapitate him.

As the incoming saber descended, Sheng Huai'an's pupils dilated. He had gone too far. Was he going to die here?

Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a "clang."

Opening his eyes, he saw that the incoming saber had been blocked by another battle saber.

"Kid, didn't I tell you to go to the back? Why are you up on the city wall again? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

Hearing the old soldier's voice, Sheng Huai'an felt a wave of relief. He wasn't going to die.

"I want to kill enemies, so of course, I came up here," Sheng Huai'an replied.

"You're an archer. Close-quarters combat is our job," the old soldier stated.

"Who says archers can't wield sabers to kill enemies?" Sheng Huai'an retorted.

"If you're not dead, get up quickly! It's cold on the ground!" After speaking, the old soldier no longer paid attention to Sheng Huai'an and engaged Li Man in a fierce battle.

Sheng Huai'an, filled with gratitude, had completely lost his composure. Did he not know the ground was cold? He had been kicked by the enemy and couldn't catch his breath!

Despite the old soldier's somewhat hunched and thin frame, his strength was not lacking at all. Li Man was being pushed back steadily.

Taking a moment to recover, Sheng Huai'an got up from the ground, rubbed his aching chest, and continued to fight with his saber.

This time, Sheng Huai'an learned his lesson and specifically targeted enemies who appeared weaker.

He couldn't defeat the stronger ones.

After all, he was just a novice right now.