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

Overwhelmed by the powerful emotions, Gu Cheng didn't sleep a wink all night.

As soon as it was light, he went to find his uncle.

Gu Chang'an was already at the training ground, standing with his back to him.

Gu Cheng walked over without exchanging pleasantries.

"Uncle, let's continue what we didn't finish talking about last night."

Gu Chang'an remained silent for a while.

Gu Cheng noticed that his uncle's eyes were red.

It's not that I didn't sleep, it's that I cried.

He took a deep breath and began to speak.

……

When the imperial court summoned troops to the north, the entire garrison of Shuofang City was mobilized.

Gu Jiye led the entire Gu family—except for five-year-old Gu Cheng—to the army.

It's not just about taking care of family.

Almost every aristocratic family in Shuofang City dispatched its elite troops, with some even sending their entire family.

The scene was so spectacular it was exhilarating.

The elites of hundreds of favored families gathered together, along with the regular army of the imperial court, and marched north in a grand procession.

Everything was normal for the first three days.

The barbarian vanguard was repelled several times by the garrison of Shuofang City.

Gu Chang'an rode his white horse at the forefront, and wherever his silver spear went, barbarian cavalrymen fell from their horses.

Gu Jiye led three hundred cavalrymen to guard the flank, as steady as a rock.

Gu Cheng's father, Gu Changping, led the young men of the Gu family in a fierce battle, killing more than a dozen elite barbarian warriors.

Gu Cheng's mother provided remote support from the rear using her scholarly skills; her spiritual power transformed into arrows of light that pierced the chests of several barbarian cavalrymen.

Gu Chang'an personally killed six or seven barbarian commanders of a thousand men, and even took down two commanders of ten thousand men.

The barbarians were terrified and began to call him "White Horse Silver Spear".

Thanks to everyone's efforts, the Gu family's military achievements over those few days propelled them into the top three families in Shuofang City.

If they continue at this pace, the Gu family will definitely secure one of the top ten spots.

We've got the treasure; it's all set.

Gu Chang'an was getting a little cocky. Since the start of the battle, he had been undefeated and felt that he was invincible on this battlefield.

On the fourth night, the army set up camp in a valley.

At midnight, the bugle sounded.

Amidst the torches blazing across the mountains, the barbarian army surged down from both sides of the valley like a fiery dragon.

The sound of horses' hooves shook the ground, and the roars of the barbarians echoed in the night sky.

Gu Chang'an's first reaction was not fear, but excitement.

The victory has arrived.

He mounted his white horse, drew his silver spear, and charged out of the camp.

Then he saw someone.

A barbarian general riding a black horse.

He was wearing an animal skin.

He was extremely tall and muscular, a full head taller than the average person.

He carried a long halberd in his hand, its blade gleaming coldly in the firelight.

He rode alone, leading the way, rushing down the hillside.

The barbarian cavalry behind him shouted "Tadon!"

"Step!"

"Tarton is here!"

The barbarian general charged into the army formation of Dayu in the blink of an eye.

Step.

Gu Chang'an had heard this name mentioned before he went to war—the number one warrior of the barbarians, whose strength was said to have broken through to the level of a first-class warrior.

But he didn't take it seriously.

First-rate warriors? There aren't any first-rate warriors in the entire Shuofang City. How could there be any in a barbaric land like the Barbarians?

With a single swift strike, Ta Dun cleaved the spear of a third-rate warrior in two, splitting the man and his spear in two.

one strike.

The difference in strength is too great.

……

In the chaos, the Da Yu army formation collapsed.

The chosen ones of Shuofang City fought desperately, but few could withstand three moves from Tadun.

It's not a matter of technique.

It is absolute power.

His halberd was so heavy that when many people tried to block it, the shaft was bent by the impact.

He was so fast that no one could react at all.

Gu Jiye was the first to react.

"Form ranks! Don't disperse!"

He led three hundred cavalrymen in an attempt to hold the line, but the barbarian army surrounded them from both sides, and the cavalrymen could not break through at all.

Tadun headed straight for the central army.

Gu Jiye went to greet him.

Fourth-rate warrior, strength 63.

He wasn't top-tier in Shuofang City, but he had fought half his life and was very experienced.

He withstood two moves.

The third move was a sweeping halberd strike. He couldn't block it in time and was sent flying, crashing to the ground along with his horse.

A section of his chest collapsed.

But he did not fall.

He propped himself up with his spear, stood up from the ground, and blocked Tadun's path.

"Changping, Chang'an, let's go!"

Then he turned around, dragging his body with several broken ribs, and rushed towards Tadun.

He knew he was going to die.

A fourth-rate fighter attacking a first-rate fighter is suicide.

But every extra move he made gave his sons a better chance of survival.

He held out for three more moves.

The fourth move was a sudden, powerful slash.

Gu Jiye parried with his spear, but the spear shaft broke, and the halberd blade cleaved into his left shoulder and down to his right waist.

He collapsed.

Even in death, he was still clutching half a broken gun in his hand.

……

Ta Dun charged through the crowd, his halberd slicing through them like wheat being harvested, leaving no one unscathed.

Watching his father die in front of him,

Gu Changping lost his composure and spurred his horse forward.

Strength 78, a third-rate warrior, but considered a top expert in Shuofang City.

He held out for seven moves.

The eighth move was a sweeping halberd strike. He couldn't block it in time and was sent flying, crashing to the ground with a hole in his chest.

Gu Cheng's mother rushed over to help him.

The tapping didn't stop.

The halberd fell.

Gu Cheng's mother threw herself on top of her husband, that halberd—

Gu Chang'an paused for a long time after saying this.

Gu Cheng did not urge him.

The drill ground was quiet, with only the calls of birds from the distant mountains.

"Your father... is standing in front of your mother."

"That halberd strike was originally aimed at your mother. Your father blocked it with his body."

He was still smiling when he died.

He said, "Chang'an, hurry up."

"Your mother... is gone too."

Gu Cheng's tears flowed down his cheeks.

He didn't wipe it.

Gu Chang'an continued.

"I'm crazy."

"I rushed up and fought him."

"I fought him for twenty rounds, and in the end he broke my spear with a single halberd strike."

"The qi on the tip of my spear, when it touched his body, was like piercing a metal plate. Even the qi covering the entire body of a top-class warrior could only cause him minor damage."

"His halberd swept over me, and I blocked it, but I was thrown away by the shock, my hand split open, and I coughed up blood."

"The gap between a second-rate soldier and a first-rate soldier... is not even in the same league."

"I thought I was going to die."

"Then--"

Gu Chang'an's voice suddenly changed.

"The sound of horns. Not the horns of barbarians, but ours."

"A cavalry unit charged in from the south of the valley, the one at the head..."

He paused for a long time.

"Marquis of Zhenbian, Jia Bu."

"The Marquis of Zhenbian of the Dayu Dynasty has personally led reinforcements to the scene."

"He rode alone on a crimson warhorse, carrying a halberd, and charged out from the cavalry formation."

"He cleaved the halberd at Tadun."

Gu Cheng held his breath.

"The combined energy of two top-tier warriors clashed, and the entire valley trembled when that halberd struck."

"Taton caught it. Neither of them retreated."

"The second halberd strike came back from Tadun, and the two halberds collided, scattering sparks all over the ground."

"The third strike—Jabu gained the upper hand by half a move, the blade grazing Tadun's shoulder and slicing off a piece of animal hide."

"Taton also returned the halberd strike, and Jabu dodged to the side, but a piece of armor on his shoulder was sliced ​​off."

"The two fought for less than ten moves and neither could gain the upper hand."

"Then the barbarians sounded the retreat horn, and Tadun sheathed his halberd and left without looking back."

"It's not because we can't win—it's because we've killed enough. Most of his men have already withdrawn. If they don't leave soon, the reinforcements Jabu brought will surround them, and he'll be finished there too."

Gu Chang'an was dragged out of the pile of corpses by his subordinates.

That night, 70% of the Heavenly Favored Ones who went to war from Shuofang City died.

Hundreds of families, all wearing mourning clothes.

Some families were almost completely wiped out, leaving only a few elderly, weak, women and children.

Some families have no elderly or weak left, and have been wiped out entirely.

Gu Jia —

Thirty-two men were dispatched.

When I came back, there was only one person left.

……

Gu Chang'an paused at this point.

Gu Cheng looked at him.

My uncle's face was calm, as if he were telling a story that had nothing to do with him.

But his hands were trembling, and they hadn't stopped since last night.

"When I was rescued, I was covered in blood, my right arm was broken, and I had seven broken ribs."

"This also caused him to develop inner demons, limiting him to only 70% of his full strength."

"Combat strength has directly dropped below second-rate."

He looked at his right hand.

"But the physical injuries aren't the worst."

"The worst part is that I watched helplessly as my father and older brother stood in front of me, dying one after another."

"I can't do anything."

Overwhelmed by the original owner's emotions, Gu Cheng clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh.

"After the war, we will reward those who have contributed to the victory." Gu Chang'an's voice was very soft.

"The Gu family's military achievements rank sixth."

"The imperial court bestowed upon him a long spear—a solid iron spear."

He looked at the distant sky.

"This gun was bought with the lives of your grandfather, your father, your mother, and the entire Gu family."

"That night, I sat alone in the tent, looking at the thirty-one memorial tablets."

"The next morning, when my subordinates came in—"

He touched his hair.

My hair has turned completely white.

Twenty-five years old, with a full head of white hair.

The inner demon was planted that night.

"I took you away from Shuofang City."

"You were only five years old then, waiting for us to come back in the city. You didn't know what had happened, you just saw me appear at the door covered in blood, my hair all white."

"I didn't tell you anything. I just packed some things, carried you, and headed south until we reached Anle Village."

"From then on, I practiced shooting every day."

"His marksmanship improved from elite to master."

"But if the inner demons are not dispelled, one's strength can never be fully restored."

"I've been waiting."

"Waiting for you to grow up."

That's it.

Gu Chang'an looked at Gu Cheng, his eyes red-rimmed, but he didn't shed a tear.

"Cheng'er, this is what I wanted to tell you."

"That barbarian general was named Tadun."

"If you ever meet him again—run."

"No matter how well you train, run."

Gu Cheng remained silent.

He wiped away his tears and looked at his uncle.

His hair was completely white.

For ten years, he had always believed that his uncle was born with white hair.

It turned out not to be.

"uncle."

"Um?"

"I see."

Gu Chang'an looked at him, patted him on the shoulder, and turned to leave.

Gu Cheng was the only one left on the training ground.

The wind was blowing and it was cool.

He sat by the village wall, looking at the northern sky.

To be honest, his memories of his parents are very vague.

Those images of his father's laughter and his mother's cool fingers were remnants left behind by the original owner; they were not his.

He had only been in this world for a few days, and his feelings about this grief were far less profound than those of his uncle.

He wasn't unsad.

But his grief was different from his uncle's. His uncle had truly witnessed his elder brother and father die before his eyes, while he—he was merely a successor who inherited that sorrow.

But after listening to his uncle's story, for a moment, he felt something inside him ignite.

It's not a rational analysis from a time traveler, nor a judgment of self-interest based on "this grudge is worth avenging."

It's something very primal, something that comes from the bones.

hatred.

Gu Cheng lowered his head and clenched his fists.

"rest assured."

His voice was very soft, as if he were talking to the wind.

"I will avenge you. Sooner or later, I will take down Taton."

The moment he finished speaking, he felt a strange sensation welling up from the depths of his mind.

It looks like something broke.

It was as if something had been connected.

He couldn't explain what it was. But his mind was clearer than ever before.

It was like a layer of fog that had been covering my heart, which was then blown away by the wind.

He closed his eyes and felt the clarity within.

Mental barrier – 69.

It seems... I've relaxed.