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

"Cheng'er, there are some things I originally planned to tell you when you're older."

Gu Chang'an's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

"About your father and mother."

Gu Cheng's heart tightened.

His parents died when the barbarians raided the border. When he was five years old, his uncle took him away from Shuofang City and traveled south for countless days before finally settling in Anle Village.

From then on, my uncle never mentioned Shuofang City again, nor how my parents died.

He asked it several times.

My uncle only said, "We'll talk about it later."

This talk has lasted for ten years.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you," Gu Chang'an said, looking at the moon. "It's that I'm afraid you won't be able to hold back your emotions after hearing it."

"Can't help what?"

"I couldn't resist seeking revenge."

Gu Cheng fell silent.

"You were only five years old then, and you didn't understand anything. As you grew older, you became impatient, and I was afraid that if I told you the truth, you would risk your life and run north."

He paused for a moment.

"But these past few days... I've noticed a change in you."

Gu Cheng remained silent.

"On the day of the tiger hunt, you were terrified, but you still managed to complete the plan. You didn't panic when facing the tiger. Later, when you sparred with Gu Qingshan, you didn't get upset even after losing."

"You've calmed down."

Gu Chang'an turned to look at him.

"Furthermore—you are now a chosen one. There are some things you are entitled to know."

The night breeze carried the scent of mountain plants and trees.

Gu Cheng clenched his fist.

"Uncle, please speak."

……

Gu Cheng actually has vague childhood memories left behind by the original owner of the body.

Tall city walls, bustling streets, and a large courtyard at home.

There was an old locust tree in the yard, and he liked to sleep under it in the summer.

And then there were his parents' faces—his father was tall, and his smile was gentle. His mother liked to touch his head; her fingers were cool.

But my memories from when I was five are too fragmented to piece together a complete picture.

His uncle helped him put it back together.

Shuofang City.

The most important town on the northern border, with a garrison of over ten thousand troops and hundreds of families favored by the heavens.

You could throw a random stone on the street and it would hit one of the chosen ones.

Gu Jia is one of them.

Their ancestors included second-rate warriors, making them a prominent family in Shuofang City.

They may not be as prestigious as the top families in the city, but they are definitely among the best.

Gu Cheng's grandfather, Gu Jiye, was a cavalry captain, a fourth-rate soldier, and had a strength of 63.

He wasn't top-tier, but he was quite prestigious in the army and commanded three hundred well-trained Dayu border cavalry.

Gu Cheng's father—Gu Chang'an's older brother, Gu Changping, a third-rate warrior with a strength of 72.

With a calm and steady personality, he is a pillar of the family.

In a place like Shuofang City, being third-rate isn't top-tier, but it's definitely not weak.

Gu Cheng's mother was born into a scholarly family in Shuofang City. She was 68 years old and a fourth-rate scholar.

She is gentle but very opinionated and keeps the house in perfect order.

And Gu Chang'an—

The most talented person in the Gu family in the past century.

Awakening to divine favor at thirteen, breaking through to the third rank at sixteen, and breaking through to the second rank at eighteen.

He is the youngest second-rate soldier in Shuofang City in a century.

"In the entire Shuofang City, there are only four second-rate warriors," Gu Chang'an said. "When I broke through at eighteen, the other three were already over forty."

Hundreds of families of the Chosen Ones, tens of thousands of Chosen Ones—only four second-rate warriors.

At eighteen, riding a white horse and wielding a silver spear, he was full of vigor and ambition.

No wonder he is known as "the number one genius of Shuofang City".

At the time, everyone thought he would definitely break through to become a first-class warrior before he turned thirty.

"Things were going too well back then," Gu Chang'an said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "So well that I thought I was invincible."

He turned to look at Gu Cheng.

"Cheng'er, I'm telling you all this in the hope that you'll learn from my experience."

"Um?"

"You are a scholar-type chosen one, and you awakened two combat skills without much cultivation. Your spiritual talent is extremely high," Gu Chang'an said. "But remember not to be arrogant because of your talent and follow in your uncle's footsteps."

"Learning martial arts is just to ensure you're not completely helpless in close combat. Scholars also practice martial arts; there's no conflict, but it's important to distinguish between primary and secondary skills."

He looked at Gu Cheng, his tone serious.

Gu Cheng nodded and replied, "I understand."

But what I was really thinking was something else entirely.

He recalled the day he awakened as a Heavenly Chosen One, seeing his maximum Spirit stat at 100 on the panel—a full-fledged Scholar talent.

Then I saw that the maximum strength was 50—only half of the scholar's talent.

Heaven has placed all its bets on the path of the scholar, leaving only a half-open door for the path of the warrior.

Someone else might have accepted it readily.

After all, scholars are safe and cautious, and their talents are already maxed out, so they can just stay in the back and develop steadily.

But Gu Cheng disagreed.

It's not because he has some kind of childish belief that "my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens."

Instead, he knew one thing—that you could spend real money to increase the attribute cap by breaking the limit.

A strength cap of 50 is not enough?

Then spend money to reach 60, 70, or 80, and eventually you'll reach 100.

When I play games, I always have perfect scores in both academics and martial arts; I don't have any weak attributes.

Is being a scholar a matter of fate?

Okay, I'll accept it for now.

But the path of a soldier must be followed sooner or later.

He had no desire to be a scholar.

Hiding in the back to unleash skills?

Were they protected and placed in a safe location?

What does that mean?

He wants a punch that hits hard.

It's the vibration when the spear tip pierces the enemy's body, the feeling of standing at the forefront, facing everything head-on.

That kind of pleasure can never be experienced by hiding in the back.

……

"One year, the barbarians launched a large-scale invasion of the border."

Gu Chang'an's voice pulled Gu Cheng back from his thoughts.

"It's a large-scale operation, not the usual small-scale skirmishes. The imperial court has conscripted soldiers from all over the country to rush north to provide reinforcements, and at the same time, it has issued an imperial edict—"

He paused for a moment.

"Those who excel in the military during this barbarian invasion will be bestowed with extraordinary treasures."

Rare treasure.

Gu Cheng's spirits lifted.

He had heard the word before.

He always thought that the rare treasure was just a good weapon, similar to equipment that adds attributes in a game.

He had one in his hand—the Pear Blossom Spear, which he had taken from the Tiger Cave in Broken Soul Gorge, granting +1 to Strength.

Adding 1 point to his strength is barely enough to compensate for his current level of power.

But what Gu Chang'an said next made him re-evaluate those two words.

Do you know what makes this rare treasure so precious?

"Sharp? Durable?"

"Neither," Gu Chang'an shook his head. "It adds attributes."

Gu Cheng was taken aback.

"A rare and precious weapon can directly enhance a certain attribute of the user after being equipped," Gu Chang'an said. "Even if it only adds 1 point, it is still an extraordinary treasure."

Why?

「因为属性过9就会遇到壁障。59、69、79、89——每一个9都是一道天堑。」

Gu Cheng's pupils contracted slightly.

He certainly knew about the barrier—mental 69, and he was stuck on 69.

"Many people are stuck at level 89 their whole lives, just one point short of making it into the top tier," Gu Chang'an said. "A rare treasure spear that adds 1 point to strength can make him cross that threshold."

"This is the true value of the rare treasure—it makes you stronger, and even allows you to overcome barriers."

"Therefore, aristocratic families with divine favor regard rare treasures as family heirlooms, passing them down from generation to generation. A single rare treasure can allow a family to produce an additional high-ranking divinely favored individual."

Gu Cheng subconsciously gripped the pear blossom spear beside him.

Strength +1.

He always felt that this one point was dispensable.

But what if a person's strength is 89?

This one point is the difference between first-class and second-class.

"Rare treasures aren't something you can just get anytime," Gu Chang'an said. "Even the imperial court doesn't possess many, so this time, everyone's eyes are bloodshot."

"Back then, I was confident in my strength and encouraged your grandfather to try and get that spot. Because if I had a powerful magic spear, I might have been able to reach the top tier much sooner."

"Your grandfather was a cavalry captain in Shuofang City at the time. After discussing it with his family, they all agreed. They firmly believed that I could break through to the top tier and elevate the Gu family to a higher level."

"So—the whole family went out."

Gu Cheng felt as if something was blocking his throat.

"It wasn't just your father and me. Your grandfather, your uncles, cousins... everyone in the Gu family who could get involved, all came."

"Your grandfather held a rank in the army and was therefore eligible for conscription. But your father, your mother, and your uncles—they weren't necessarily required to go."

"They've gone."

"For that rare treasure."

"To give me a handy gun."

The village was quiet, with only the occasional sound of people on night watch moving around on the distant arrow tower.

"It's not just our Gu family," Gu Chang'an said. "Almost every aristocratic family in Shuofang City has mobilized. Some have sent their entire direct descendants, and some have even brought along their collateral branches."

"The allure of rare treasures is too great. A rare treasure can be passed down for generations and can elevate the strength of a family to a new level."

"Everyone felt that with the barbarians invading the border and the imperial army pressing in, it wouldn't be difficult to earn some military merits by following the army."

Everyone felt that they wouldn't be the unlucky one.

Gu Cheng remained silent.

"Your mother left you at home," Gu Chang'an said. "You were only five years old then, and you didn't understand anything. Before your mother left, she told the old servant in the house—"

He paused for a long time.

"She'll bring you something delicious when she gets back."

She didn't come back.

……

"uncle?"

Gu Chang'an closed his eyes.

His hand holding the wine bowl trembled slightly.

Gu Cheng looked at his uncle's profile.

In the moonlight, something seemed to be glittering in the corner of his eye.

"...It's too late, let's talk about it tomorrow."

Gu Chang'an stood up, placed the wine bowl on the village wall, and walked into the village.

He took two steps, then stopped.

There was no turning back.

"Cheng'er."

"Um?"

"Don't let temporary success blind you to the truth."

He walked into the darkness.

Gu Cheng sat alone on the village wall, looking at the moon.

A night breeze blew by, and he noticed that his hands were trembling.

The entire clan mobilized.

For a rare treasure.

Only my uncle survived.

He himself was probably harmed by that very statement.

He's had it too easy.