In chaotic times, skill points are added: from hunter to martial saint, only killing and no mercy!

Archery (Minor Mastery): 30/3200

[Effect: Draw the Seven-Stone Bow and master the alignment of the five planets!]

After reaching the Lesser Completion stage, Li Yi successfully mastered the skill characteristics brought about by the Perfected Proficiency stage: Gale Arrow!

This skill characteristic is a combination of [Swift Breathing Technique] and [Archery].

When this archery technique is used, the arrows become faster and have the added effect of breaking through wind and piercing armor.

Li Yi nocked three arrows onto the Broken Army Bow and instantly felt a significant difference.

The winds of heaven and earth seemed to be communicating with Li Yi.

Even gentle breezes floated automatically on the arrowheads, making the iron arrows even lighter.

This arrow will have a longer range!

A thought popped into Li Yi's mind, and the next instant, Li Yi loosened his grip, and three iron arrows shot out in accordance with Li Yi's thought.

咻咻 咻 ~

The three arrows were as fast as lightning. They had barely left the Po Jun Bow when, in just three breaths, the three light cavalrymen two hundred paces away instantly fell from their horses.

"There's a sharpshooter!"

In an instant, chaos broke out in the vanguard of the Qing Kingdom. Many light cavalrymen retreated after realizing the presence of sharpshooters.

Li Yi glanced at the increased skill experience, showing no sign of remorse, and took out three more iron arrows.

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

With Li Yi's help, the area around Beacon Tower No. 7 gradually stabilized and suppressed the invading Qing Kingdom infantry under the city walls.

However, the situation is not so optimistic in the areas further away on both sides.

With the help of the black ball thrown by the Qing Kingdom, many soldiers were in low spirits and were seized by the Qing Kingdom soldiers to climb the city wall and fight with the stationed soldiers.

The archer units, as ranged infantry, were commanded by their respective squad leaders and kept away from the close combat areas.

Forced by circumstances, a large number of archers slowly gathered at the No. 7 beacon tower. Dozens of archers gathered together and, under Wu Chuansheng's command, formed three teams to take turns firing.

Every second, a rain of arrows fell, killing the advancing Qing Kingdom soldiers.

Li Yi, on the other hand, used his superior archery skills to continuously finish off the soldiers who managed to avoid the rain of arrows.

"Sir, we've met our match!"

A Qing Kingdom scout, looking terrified, reported the battle situation at Beacon Tower No. 7 to a Qing Kingdom centurion who was overseeing the battle.

The centurion of Qing State corresponds to the general of Chen State.

The hundreds of Qing Kingdom soldiers who attacked Blackstone Town were commanded by this centurion.

Looking at his own soldiers, who were being suppressed and whose morale was gradually declining, about two hundred paces away, the centurion's expression hardened.

"Bring up the secret weapon!"

"Kill them!"

As the vanguard, if the centurion fails to quickly capture Blackstone Town, he will be subject to military law.

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

"On my command, advance!"

The soldiers of Qing Kingdom sprang into action again, and their previously low morale instantly began to rise again after the appearance of the small cart.

"What is this?"

After breaking through to the next level with the [Swift Breathing Technique], Li Yi's five senses became more acute, and his eyesight was also enhanced.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that, led by the centurion, the soldiers of the Qing Kingdom were pressing forward, protecting a small cart in the middle.

The car wasn't big, and it was covered by a large black cloth.

Never mind, just kill them!

Although he didn't know what the little car was, Li Yi instinctively knew that he couldn't let it get close to the city wall!

In an instant, Li Yi aimed his arrows at the car and unleashed a barrage of three shots.

However, these soldiers, as if they didn't care about their lives, used their bodies to block in front of the cart, and even when their shields were pierced by arrows, they didn't give an inch.

After a stick of incense had burned, the cart arrived a hundred paces away.

Whoosh!

The black cloth was lifted, revealing a tiny catapult in Li Yi's sight.

"Such a small catapult?"

Li Yi instantly thought of the black sphere that the Qing Kingdom's light cavalry had just thrown at him, and immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Everyone be careful!"

Li Yi shouted, but before he could finish speaking, a round ball the size of a human head was placed on the catapult.

call!

With a command from the Qing Kingdom centurion, the catapult started instantly, and the sphere hit the No. 7 beacon tower with a thud.

The sphere shattered the moment it hit the stone slab.

Streams of black water splashed out, and screams erupted from the No. 7 beacon tower.

"It's the Soul-Eating Water of the Azure Kingdom!"

A veteran recognized it as a special weapon crafted by a Qing Kingdom sorcerer: the Soul-Eating Water Secret Thunder!

Seeing their comrades corroded by the black water, their flesh rotting and decaying, the archers turned pale with fright and quickly scattered.

These archers had all practiced breathing techniques and entered the body-refining realm.

However, under the corrosive influence of this Soul-Eating Water, even a martial artist at the third level of Body Refinement could only scream and fall to the ground.

In just a few breaths, nearly ten soldiers died tragically, and a large number of soldiers were injured by the Soul-Eating Water.

Seeing the panicked archers, Wu Chuansheng quickly shouted:

"Don't panic. This Soul-Eating Water is difficult to refine, and the enemy definitely doesn't have any left. Everyone, maintain your formation and don't give the enemy a chance."

After stabilizing the archer unit, Wu Chuansheng looked at Li Yi and solemnly said:

"Brother Li Yi, do you think you can find a way to destroy that catapult?"

In the battle just now, everyone witnessed Li Yi's extraordinary archery skills.

Not only did the soldiers of the Qing Kingdom think he was a master archer, but even the veteran archers in these archer units felt that Li Yi deserved to be called a master archer.

"Angkor, I'll do my best!"

Beside the centurion of the Qing Kingdom, a squad of soldiers was carefully placing a Soul-Eating Water Secret Thunder on a catapult.

not good!

Seeing this, Li Yi quickly drew his bow and shot an arrow at the catapult.

The previous attack of Soul-Corroding Water had already destroyed nearly half of the combat capability of Beacon Tower No. 7. If another attack were to occur, the beacon tower would be mostly rendered useless.

Without the suppressive rain of arrows from the archers, the low walls of Blackstone Town could not stop the ferocious vanguard of the Qing Kingdom.

shhhhhh!

Three arrows were fired, and the soldier operating the catapult was thrown to the ground. Even the catapult itself was hit by an arrow, and several cracks appeared on the frame.

But the soul-corroding water ball on the catapult was also launched out shakily.

"Corporal!"

Chaos erupted instantly on the No. 7 beacon tower. Li Yi turned his head and saw four or five soldiers whose flesh had melted away. In the crowd, Wu Chuansheng's body was also stained with the Soul-Eating Water.

Angkor!

Seeing this, Li Yi was instantly filled with rage, and his whole body trembled involuntarily.

The power of this Soul-Eating Water is such that even a martial artist at the third level of Body Refinement cannot withstand it, and Wu Chuansheng happens to be at the third level of Body Refinement.

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

"don't want!"

Wu Chuansheng lay diagonally on the ground, enduring the pain as he raised his hand to stop Li Yi.

"This Soul-Corroding Water is extremely powerful, don't come near me!"

In a short while, Wu Chuansheng's face grew even paler, and the wounds on his body were so deep that the bone was visible.

"Li Yi, I know your future won't be limited to this small Blackstone Town."

"I can't go on living. I'll give you this war bow that has been with me for so many years!"

The Soul-Eating Water was incredibly powerful, causing Wu Chuansheng to be in so much pain that he couldn't even speak properly.

In just a few words, Wu Chuansheng had exhausted his energy.

Li Yi picked up Wu Chuansheng's fallen war bow, his expression sorrowful.

Wu Chuansheng treated him well, but he died at the hands of the enemy on their first battle together.

"Sergeant, I will carry this bow and keep going!"

"You definitely won't be disappointed!"

Li Yi looked at Wu Chuansheng, whose body had mostly dissolved, and made a solemn promise.

Hearing Li Yi's words, Wu Chuansheng seemed to want to laugh, but he only managed to laugh halfway before quietly passing away.

Looking at Wu Chuansheng's corpse on the ground, Li Yi gripped his bow, his face solemn.

However, Li Yi's anger grew stronger and stronger.

Wu Chuansheng's iron-rimmed bow was a top-quality bow with a weight of five stones, several levels better than the four-stone bow awarded to the first-place candidate in the newcomer assessment.

Li Yi had also handled this bow many times during his regular training.

Feeling the numerous marks on the iron-rimmed bow, Li Yi suddenly turned around and stared intently at the Qing Kingdom army in the distance.

After killing a large number of Qing Kingdom soldiers, Li Yi's archery skill reached the minor mastery level, not only unlocking the Swift Arrow skill, but also allowing Li Yi to easily use the Five Stone Bow.

jump!

With a muffled thud, Li Yi instantly drew back the iron bow in his hand.

Three shots in quick succession!

Three arrows were nocked on the bow.

Swift Arrow!

Once the archery technique is unleashed, countless whirlwinds gather on the arrowhead, making the arrow incredibly light. On the arrowhead, many winds spin rapidly, making the arrowhead, which already possesses armor-piercing properties, even more destructive.

Archery!

Li Yi's wrist trembled slightly, and the three arrows resonated, their arrowheads shifting slightly.

[Whirlwind Breathing Technique]! Bloodlust!

Instantly, Li Yi's blood and qi surged violently, and streams of power poured out from his body, continuously reinforcing the iron-bonded bow.

After Wu Chuansheng's death, the No. 7 beacon tower was temporarily thrown into chaos. The archers fought on their own, and the sparse arrows could no longer stop the advance of the Qing soldiers.

As the enemy troops drew ever closer, Li Yi's aura grew stronger and stronger.

"He who kills will always be killed!"

Once he had gathered his strength, Li Yi let out a low roar and the arrow in his hand shot out instantly.

With four layers of enhancement, Li Yi's three arrows actually caused a sonic boom.

boom!

With a loud bang, the arrow drew the attention of soldiers from both countries.

"Protect the centurion!"

"It's the sharpshooter! He's still here!"

The sonic boom attracted the attention of the Qing soldiers, and many infantrymen raised their shields to protect the centurion behind them.

boom!

The first arrow struck the shield, its powerful force shattering it.

The next instant, a second arrow struck the same spot, and the shield shattered instantly, revealing a centurion clad in iron armor behind it.

"The shield is broken! Quick, quick, quick!"

The infantrymen quickly moved their shields, preparing to protect the centurion once again.

However, with the aid of archery skills, the third arrow followed the second arrow, and before the new shield could be raised, the third arrow struck the centurion directly in the heart!

"what!"

The centurion screamed and looked down to see that his chest had been torn apart by the wind blades attached to the arrow, and his armor had long been pierced by the arrow.

This third arrow was one of the three armor-piercing arrows given to me by Old Zhang!

After the armor-piercing arrow pierced the centurion's body, the gust of wind it carried exploded instantly, shredding his internal organs.

The centurion opened his mouth to speak, but instead spat out many fragments of his internal organs.

Boom!

The centurion fell to the ground, and instantly, the Qing Kingdom's vanguard army was thrown into chaos.

Seeing this, Li Yi quickly drew his bow and nocked an arrow again, while shouting:

"The enemy commander is dead! Gentlemen, the opportunity to avenge Corporal Wu has arrived!"

The archers had received much kindness from Wu Chuansheng on a regular basis.

Now, under Li Yi's leadership, the surviving archers fired arrows one after another, and the rain of arrows once again suppressed the Qing Kingdom soldiers.

Song Jiebai, who was stationed in Blackstone Town, seized the opportunity and sent his personal guards to launch a surprise attack. They quickly wiped out the Qing Kingdom soldiers on the city wall and pushed the battle line back.

The setting sun was like blood, and black crows cried out.

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

Song Jie looked at Li Yi, who was cleaning up Wu Chuansheng's remains, with admiration in his eyes.

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

Looking at the remaining archers, Song Jie announced:

"From this day forward, you are the sergeant of the archer unit! Your monthly salary is ten taels!"

According to the military merit system of the Chen state, killing five enemies would lead to promotion to squad leader, with a monthly salary of five taels.

Kill twenty enemies, promoted to squad leader, monthly salary of ten taels!

Because it was a chaotic battle, it was difficult to count Li Yi's exact number of kills, but everyone could see his contribution.

Therefore, no one objected when he was promoted to squad leader despite not meeting the usual requirements.

The invasion of Qing Kingdom was a large-scale, long-term invasion.

Besides Blackstone Town, there are many other places that directly face the Qing Kingdom's army.

After repelling the attack on Blackrock Town, the town entered a relatively peaceful period.

During this period, besides training, Li Yi led his soldiers on constant patrols.

"Squad Leader Li, someone is looking for you."

Li Yi, who had just finished training, returned to the camp and saw an old soldier waiting at the camp gate with a boy.

"Doggy, what brings you here?"

This young man was the nephew of Liu Fang and her sister.

Upon seeing Li Yi, Gouwa burst into tears instantly. Seeing this, the veteran standing nearby tactfully left.

"Uncle Li, something's happened at home!"

"What?"

Upon hearing Gouwa's words, Li Yi was shocked and quickly brought him back to the camp to have him tell the story.

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

Upon hearing the news, Li Erniu rushed over and tried to stop them, but he was beaten and seriously injured, and his condition subsequently worsened.

Li Yi's younger brother, Li Xin, and younger sister, Li Yue, also disappeared in the chaos.

A masked man?

Hearing Gouwa's words and seeing that his younger brother, sister and other family members had all been in trouble, Li Yi was furious and his blood was boiling.

It must have been done by the Household Department official!

Almost instantly, Li Yi pointed the finger at the Registrar of Household Affairs as the mastermind behind the scenes.

After all, in this Blackstone Town, only Hu Cao and Cao Li were at odds with him, and Hu Cao and Cao Li were suspected to be family.

Whether it was Wang Dagui's attempt to offer Liu Fang to the Household Official, or his repeated refusal of the Household Official's recruitment offers, he also obtained evidence of the Household Official's collusion with the Qing Kingdom.

This Hu Cao is already a mortal enemy of mine.

Who is behind this is as obvious as a louse on a bald man's head.

You forced me to do this! You actually attacked my family!

In his rage, Li Yi's blood and qi suddenly tightened, then surged like a long river, coursing through his body and even opening up many meridians and acupoints.

[Swift Breathing Technique] Upgraded!

His blood and energy surged twice as much, and he was only a few steps away from the third level of body refinement!

But Li Yi had no interest in being happy about his improved cultivation level. He looked at Gouwa and gave the order:

"Wait for me in this tent for a moment."

After ordering his men to keep an eye on Gouwa, Li Yi headed straight for Song Jie's camp.

"Brother Yi, what brings you here?"

Standing at the camp, Han Jia asked curiously.

"Something's happened at home! Inform me immediately, I need to see General Bai!"

Seeing Li Yi's solemn expression, Han Jia did not dare to delay. He quickly brought Li Yi to Song Jie and told him the news that Gouwa had brought, along with his own speculations.

"That damned clerk, he's so heartless and cruel, he's preying on the elderly, the weak, and the disabled!"

Song Jie frowned: "This magistrate holds a grudge against you, so it's understandable that he'd seek revenge. What are you planning to do?"

Gripping the iron-framed bow tightly in his hand, Li Yi looked up at Song Jie:

"I implore you, sir, to grant me a few days' leave. I need to go back and resolve this matter! How dare they provoke my family! I will make them pay!"

Upon hearing this, Han Jia, filled with righteous indignation, also spoke to Song Jie:

"My lord, please allow me to accompany Li Yi back to his hometown to deal with this corrupt official who colluded with the enemy!"

Seeing Li Yi's blazing anger, Song Jie slowly nodded:

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

"Therefore, I grant you both a three-day leave to leave the camp and handle this matter."

"If anything happens to you, please let me know your name!"

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

It was nearly dark by then, but Li Yi was eager to return home, so he left the military camp that very night and headed towards Qinghe County.

Heishi Town is a large town under Qinghe County, close to Qing Kingdom. Li Yi's home is located between Qinghe County and Heishi Town.

After rushing for a little over an hour, Li Yi and his companions returned home.

The house was in complete chaos. The traps set before heading to the military camp had been triggered, and traces of blood could be vaguely seen in the traps.

Seeing this, Li Yi forced himself to calm down and used [Reconnaissance and Concealment] to search for any remaining information.

These masked men were strong and powerful, but their steps were chaotic, indicating that they had plenty of food but had not practiced martial arts.

After collecting all the information from their own courtyard, Li Yi and his group went to Li Erniu's house.

"Li Yi, I'm so sorry."

Looking at Li Yi in front of him, Li Erniu felt ashamed.

Liu Ru, who had narrowly escaped injury the night before because she had gone to repair clothes for someone, was now taking care of the injured Li Erniu.

It was Liu Ru who sent Gouwa to inform Li Yi.

Li Erniu had been bedridden for many years, and his qi and blood were already depleted. Now, after suffering this calamity, his qi and blood were even worse. Moreover, he had many new injuries on his body.

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

Li Yi did not reveal his feud with the Registrar of Households, but instead took out a bottle of "Xiao Chunfeng Powder" and had Liu Ru apply it to Li Erniu.

"Where are my younger brother and sister, and that group of people? Can you tell who they are?" Li Yi asked.

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

"After I was beaten and knocked to the ground by those people, Liu Fang was dragged away."

"Li Xin and Li Yue insisted on chasing after Liu Fang in order to get her back, and they never came back."

As Li Erniu recounted his story, Li Yi's anger grew even stronger.

Suddenly, Li Erniu seemed to have thought of something and exclaimed excitedly:

"When they knocked me down and kidnapped Liu Fang, I heard someone say, 'Don't hurt her, or the master will be angry.'"

"That person's voice was hoarse, as if his throat had been cut with a knife."

A throat that cuts like a knife?

Li Yi raised an eyebrow and suddenly remembered that the yamen runner who had previously relayed the message from the Revenue Department to recruit him had a voice that sounded remarkably similar to Li Erniu's.

Thinking of this, Li Yi quickly asked, "Was that person about seven feet five inches tall, with slightly blond hair?"

Li Erniu was taken aback and exclaimed in surprise, "How did you know? That person really is just like you described!"

Hearing this, Li Yi felt much more at ease.

Sure enough, my guess was right!

These masked men are actually government officials in disguise!

It was the Registrar who was behind this, sending people to kidnap Liu Fang!

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

Although he had taken Liu Fang's virginity, Li Erniu was still Liu Fang's husband in name only, and he treated her very well, giving her money, martial arts techniques, and even a wife.

For both emotional and rational reasons, and from whatever perspective, Li Yi must investigate this matter thoroughly.

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

Now that Li Xin and Li Yue are missing, and Liu Fang has been kidnapped by the Household Affairs Bureau, Li Yi decided to first find the Household Affairs Bureau to rescue Liu Fang, and also see if he could find any trace of Li Xin and Li Yue through the Household Affairs Bureau.

Following the numerous traces left by the masked people, Li Yi continued to search for Liu Fang's whereabouts.

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

[Effect: Tracks and finds the way, conceals one's presence]

Looking at a mansion not far away, Li Yi's expression darkened.

After entering Qinghe County, the group went straight to this mansion and never came out again.

"It seems Liu Fang is being held captive in this mansion."

During the pursuit, Li Yi's experience with the [Reconnaissance and Concealment] skill increased continuously. After finding Liu Fang's exact whereabouts, he gained a large amount of experience, moving from the beginner level to the proficient level, and also gaining the skill characteristic of night vision.

Even in the darkness, Li Yi's eyes shone brightly, allowing him to see as clearly as if it were daytime.

"As expected, it's the Household Official."

Under the cover of night, a large character "Cao" was written on the lanterns on both sides of the main gate of the mansion, and the plaque hanging high above read "Cao Mansion".

After observing from the street corner for a while, Li Yi made a decision:

"Han Jia, you wait for me outside. I'll sneak into the mansion and see if I can rescue Liu Fang."

After dividing the tasks with Han Jia, Li Yi cautiously made his way towards the Cao residence.

The 【Swift Breathing Technique】can make a person more agile, while reducing the noise while walking, making it easier for the practitioner to conceal themselves.

The [Reconnaissance and Concealment] skill has the effect of concealing one's presence and counter-reconnaissance.

With the help of two skills, Li Yi successfully scaled the Cao residence.

The Cao residence was extremely large, with orderly courtyards and numerous side rooms.

Li Yi carefully avoided the lanterns, using the shadows to delve deeper into the government office.

It was already midnight, and the entire Cao residence was basically silent.

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

At the entrance to the courtyard, two people were standing guard.

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

Looking at this special courtyard, Li Yi had an idea and quietly approached the gate.

Back in the Hundred Trees Forest, Li Yi was able to secretly kill two Qing Kingdom spies. Now, facing these two ordinary burly men, it would be even less of a challenge.

In no time, Li Yi snapped their necks and leaned their bodies against the wall, pretending that they were still faithfully performing their duties.

As Li Yi entered the courtyard, he saw a room with flickering lights.

Seeing this, Li Yi quietly crept to the windowsill and listened carefully to the sounds coming from inside the room.