I maxed out the Scholar talent at the start, but I want to be a Warrior.

But Hao Yin did not release it a second time.

He was panting heavily, glaring at Gu Chang'an.

"Who...who exactly are you?"

Gu Chang'an did not answer.

His face was very pale, and his breathing was heavy.

The attack of the Stone-Splitting Slash was also quite powerful for him. After taking a direct hit from the Stone-Splitting Slash, his tiger's mouth was already split open.

The two of them stood facing each other like that.

No one moved.

Gu Cheng crouched behind the tree and began to probe—

[Hao Yin] [Stamina: 58%→55%] is still dropping.

And uncle—

[Gu Chang'an] [Stamina: 63%→60%] is also decreasing.

Both of them were losing stamina, but Hao Yin's stamina was slightly worse.

Gu Cheng's heart was beating very fast.

Hao Yin's left arm is injured, and every time she exerts force, it aggravates the wound.

When the knife came down with both hands just now, the left arm was obviously a second too late.

If you force him to chop again—

Gu Cheng's gaze fell on Hao Yin's left arm.

Blood had seeped through the cloth strips.

Old wound.

He brought up the detection tool and scanned it carefully—

[Hao Yin] [Left Arm: Old wound not yet healed (recovering), new wound (aggravated during combat)]

The old wound has not yet healed.

The injury to my left arm wasn't caused today; it was there before.

Gu Cheng's mind raced.

His uncle just attacked his left arm, and he reacted strongly—which shows that the injury has a significant impact on him.

If you use a flying dagger to ambush him—

He glanced at the screen.

[Flying Knife (Tier 1): Ready]

Full of energy.

It works.

But the problem is distance.

Uncle and Hao Yin stood facing each other, with less than three zhang between them.

If the throwing knife is shot from this distance, even a slight deviation could injure my uncle.

The last time Hao Er's underling was shot was because that person attacked from the side, at a clean angle.

not now.

Gu Cheng gritted his teeth.

and so on.

He was waiting for an opportunity.

Hao Yin made a move.

He carried a large sword and approached Gu Chang'an step by step.

"Old man, your marksmanship is indeed excellent," his voice was hoarse, "but your stamina is almost gone, isn't it?"

Gu Chang'an remained silent, the tip of his spear slightly lowered.

"One more time." A glint of madness flashed in Hao Yin's eyes. "This time I won't hold back."

[Hao Yin] [Current Action: Charging Power - Stone-Splitting Slash]

Again.

Gu Cheng's pupils contracted—an opportunity!

"Uncle! Get out of the way!"

Gu Cheng's voice came from the woods.

Gu Chang'an did not hesitate—he rolled to the side and retreated to a distance of three zhang.

Hao Yin wanted to change direction.

But the Stone-Splitting Slash had already been fully charged and could not be withdrawn.

He roared, and his broadsword, carrying the force to shatter rocks, slashed towards the spot where Gu Chang'an had just stood—

boom!

A crack half a foot deep was split open in the ground, and rubble flew everywhere.

empty.

Hao Yin's knife was embedded in the ground, both hands were on the hilt, and he staggered forward a step.

Right now.

Gu Cheng stood up from behind the tree.

Raise your right hand, concentrate your spiritual power—

Three throwing knives appeared out of thin air, their tips pointing towards Hao Yin, trembling slightly.

Whoosh whoosh.

Three throwing knives were fired simultaneously.

The first shot was aimed at Hao Yin's left arm.

The second shot was aimed at his right shoulder.

The third shot was aimed at his right knee.

Hao Yin's knife was still embedded in the ground, and with both hands on the hilt, he had no time to parry.

Puff puff.

Three muffled thuds.

The first throwing knife pierced Hao Yin's old wound on his left arm.

The second blade grazed his right shoulder, leaving a bloody gash.

The third nail was driven into his right knee, penetrating half an inch into the bone.

"ah--!"

Hao Yin screamed and fell backward. The strip of cloth on his left arm was instantly soaked with blood, which streamed down his arm. His right knee buckled, and he knelt on one knee.

The broadsword slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground.

Gu Chang'an did not give him any chance.

The spear was thrust forward, its tip pressed against Hao Yin's throat.

Hao Yin knelt on the ground, trembling all over, blood gushing from his left arm and right knee. His face was deathly pale, his lips were purple, but there was still a trace of resentment in his eyes.

"You... the two of you against one..."

"You bring twenty-six men to fight me alone," Gu Chang'an said expressionlessly.

Hao Yin opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

There was a few seconds of silence.

"...Okay." He raised his right hand. "I admit it—"

The spear tip is pushed forward.

It pierced Hao Yin's throat.

Hao Yin's eyes widened, and his lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.

He slowly fell to the ground.

Gu Cheng stood behind the tree, watching this scene without saying a word.

Uncle did the right thing; those bandits deserved to die.

Post-war inventory.

Fifteen bandits died, eight were wounded, eight surrendered, and four escaped.

There were eight prisoners in total.

Gu Chang'an sat on a rock, resting with his eyes closed. The wound on his hand was still bleeding, and the old wound on his chest had been aggravated.

Gu Cheng walked over and squatted down.

"Uncle, your injury—"

"No problem." Gu Chang'an opened his eyes, glanced at him, and said, "You did a good job."

Gu Cheng nodded.

He stood up and walked toward the prisoners.

The eight prisoners squatted in a row, heads bowed.

Gu Cheng walked past them, his detection fully activated—

[Bandit Henchman] [Strength: 19] [Status: Fear]

[Bandit Henchman] [Strength: 23] [Status: Fear]

[Bandit Henchman] [Strength: 21] [Status: Fear]

……

They were in a state of fear. Today's battle has terrified them.

But Gu Cheng didn't waste his time on these lackeys.

His gaze fell on the last person—a man in his thirties with a scar on his face, broad shoulders, and a sturdy build even when he was squatting.

Gu Cheng initiated the investigation—

[Liu San] [Strength: 32] [Status: Fear (Intense Mental Fluctuations)]

Strength 32.

He's much stronger than a regular henchman; he must be a minor leader.

Fear.

You can get something out of them.

Gu Cheng squatted down in front of him.

"What's your name?"

"...Liu San."

"How long have you been following Hao Yin?"

"...five years."

"Hao Yin is dead." Gu Cheng's voice was calm.

Liu San's shoulders twitched.

"Do you want to live?"

Liu San raised his head and looked at him.

"……think."

"Then answer my question honestly," Gu Cheng said. "How did Hao Yin injure his left arm?"

Liu San paused for a moment, then his expression changed as if he remembered something.

"It's...it's a tiger."

"Tiger?"

"About half a month ago," Liu San's voice trembled, "the chief led us to scout the Broken Soul Gorge in the west, where we encountered a giant tiger. It wasn't an ordinary tiger—that beast was terrifyingly strong and injured many of our men. The chief fought it and injured his arm, but the tiger wasn't faring any better; the chief tricked and wounded it."

Gu Cheng frowned.

"Is that tiger still around?"

"Here." Liu San shivered. "The boss said that beast is not normal, and no one should go to their death."

"Something's not right?"

"The boss said... there's something in that canyon." Liu San lowered his voice, "He saw with his own eyes that the giant worm was guarding a strange treasure, a gun."

Gu Cheng's heart skipped a beat.

"A rare treasure?"

"Yes." Liu San nodded quickly. "The chief originally planned to recover from his injuries before leading his men to rob the place, but then you attacked."

"How big was that tiger?"

Liu San gestured with his hands.

"It's twice the size of an ordinary tiger. It's covered in scars, and it's blind in its left eye. The boss said that beast has lived for at least twenty years and has killed more people than any of us."

"It...it can roar." Liu San shuddered. "It's not just an ordinary roar. When it roars, my whole body goes limp, my legs tremble, and I can't hold my knife. The chief said it's called something like...a combat technique."

Gu Cheng's brows furrowed even deeper.

Mythical beasts possess combat skills.

Sonic combat techniques can intimidate enemies.

"Do you still remember the way to Broken Soul Gorge?"

"I remember." Liu San nodded quickly. "Go west from the mountain stronghold, cross two mountain ridges, and then follow the stream north for half a day, and you will arrive."

The entrance was very narrow; only one person could squeeze in sideways.

"What kind of terrain is inside?"

"It's a deep canyon with stone walls on both sides. It gets narrower as you go in, and at the end there's a cave. That big worm lives in the cave."

Gu Cheng didn't ask any more questions.

He stood up and walked back to Chang'an's side.

"Uncle, there's a tiger in Broken Soul Gorge, whose strength is at least comparable to Hao Yin's. It's said to be guarding a rare treasure."

Gu Chang'an looked at him.

"tiger?"

"A tiger that has awakened its combat skills," Gu Cheng said.

Gu Chang'an remained silent for a while.

"You want to go?"

Gu Cheng nodded and said, "If Heaven gives us something and we don't take it, we'll suffer the consequences. If it really is a rare treasure, we should seize it to strengthen our power."

"Okay, let's rest and recover before we go see a doctor."

Gu Chang'an nodded.

That afternoon, the people of Anle Village moved into the mountain stronghold.

Although the mountain stronghold was simple, it was far better than sleeping in the wilderness. It had stone walls, arrow towers, granaries, and ready-made sheds.

The women cleaned up, the able-bodied men supervised the captured bandits as they repaired the fortifications, and the elderly and children finally had a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

Gu Cheng stood on the village wall, watching the busy crowd.

He brought up the screen—

[Constitution: 37] [Strength: 29 (Maximum 50)] [Spirit: 69]

My physical condition has improved a bit.

Rare treasure.

He clenched his fist.

I'll go see him once my injury has healed.