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

As dawn broke, Gu Cheng was packing his things at the training ground.

Dry rations, a water bag, and a dagger—given by his uncle for self-defense.

There was also a standard-issue rifle, which had been captured earlier.

The pear blossom spear is too conspicuous, so it will be temporarily stored in the mountain stronghold.

Gu Cheng picked up the spear, weighed it in his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the spear tip drew a beautiful arc before being steadily withdrawn.

It's much smoother than it was two weeks ago.

My spear proficiency has reached 26.7% of the beginner level, and I'm getting closer and closer to becoming an expert.

He had already mastered the first move of the Seven Probing Serpent Spear Technique, the arc-shaped change of direction, quite well.

Although it's still far from actual combat, at least it's not like it was at the beginning—when the tip of the gun couldn't even point in the right direction.

He carried the spear on his back.

My uncle once said that when you're out and about, you should never be without your gun.

"If you encounter barbarians, run if you can. If you can't run—"

His uncle glanced at him.

"Then let's give it our all—"

Gu Cheng understood immediately: just do it.

"Brother Cheng!"

Gu Cheng turned around.

Gu Yuanba stood at the entrance of the village, clutching a piece of bread in his hand, panting heavily as he ran.

"Where...where are you going?"

"Um."

"Where to?"

"Go north and see if the barbarians have retreated."

Gu Yuanba's expression changed.

Although he was only ten years old, his parents had died early, and he lived with his uncle and aunt, making him much more sensitive than other children his age. He knew better than anyone what the north meant.

"Brother Cheng, you...you'll come back, won't you?"

Gu Cheng looked at him.

There was something very familiar in the child's eyes—a fear of being left behind.

Gu Cheng walked over and patted his head.

"nonsense."

Gu Yuanba didn't speak, but he loosened his grip on the pancake a little.

"Go back," Gu Cheng said. "I'll teach you how to shoot when I get back."

Gu Yuanba's eyes lit up.

This time it didn't go dark.

He nodded vigorously, then turned and ran away.

She ran a few steps and then looked back, as if to confirm that Gu Cheng was still there.

Gu Cheng waved his hand.

"Go back quickly, don't delay your work."

Gu Yuanba grinned and ran into the village.

……

Gu Cheng waited at the training ground for a while.

Gu Qingshan arrived first, and Gu Cheng glanced at his cousin's talent.

[Gu Qingshan] [Constitution: 55 (Max) / 48] [Strength: 52 (Max) / 38] [Spirit: 31 (Max) / 31] [Preferred Weapon: Spear (Senior)]

Gu Qingshan is currently the best marksman among the younger generation in the clan and has the potential to break through to become a Heavenly Favored One, but his potential is limited.

He carried a long spear and had a short knife at his waist; he looked very smart.

The third person arrived, and Gu Cheng used his detection technique to check him out.

【顾河】【体质：48（上限）/44】【力量：45（上限）/ 38】【精神28（上限）/ 27】【擅长兵器：长弓（资深）】

He previously worked with Gu Cheng to stop Batur. Although he is taciturn, he is reliable.

He carried a bow and a quiver with more than a dozen arrows.

"Remember, you are going on a reconnaissance mission. If you see any barbarians, do not attack, do not chase, and do not try to be a hero. Find out the situation and then come back."

"Understood, Uncle."

"Be careful on the road." Gu Chang'an nodded. "Conserve your energy for unexpected situations."

He patted Gu Cheng on the shoulder.

"careful."

Gu Cheng nodded and took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket.

"Uncle, I brought the map with me."

Gu Chang'an glanced at the hand-drawn map.

"That red circle—"

"Hmm." Gu Cheng nodded. "The bandits marked 'Avoid.' I suspect that location is a barbarian military camp. For this reconnaissance mission, I plan to head in that direction first to confirm."

Gu Chang'an remained silent for a while.

"If it really is a barbarian camp, don't get close. Take a look from a distance and then leave."

"I know."

The three of them left the village gate and headed north along the mountain path.

……

The route was through desolate mountains and wilderness, with only a few abandoned villages occasionally visible.

As Gu Cheng walked, he scanned his surroundings with his probe.

There was no living person within two hundred paces.

There are hardly any wild animals left.

"This area was severely ravaged by bandits," Gu Qingshan said. "There used to be a few villages here, but the people all fled."

Gu He didn't speak, but just gripped the bow and looked around warily.

After walking for most of the day, the three of them didn't say much.

It wasn't that the atmosphere was tense—it was mainly because there wasn't much to talk about. It was a desolate wilderness, nothing but trees and rocks; after looking around for ages, all we saw were trees and rocks.

Gu Cheng wanted to talk, but he knew too little about this world and was afraid of revealing too much.

After walking for about two hours, he finally spoke, otherwise it would have been too dull.

"Brother Qingshan," Gu Cheng said.

"Um?"

"How many years have you practiced your marksmanship?"

"I started when I was eight," Gu Qingshan said. "My father taught me."

"Your dad?"

"He passed away." Gu Qingshan's tone was very calm. "He died in battle ten years ago when the barbarians raided the border."

Gu Cheng didn't ask any more questions.

After a moment of silence, Gu Qingshan spoke again.

"My father practiced shooting his whole life, but he never awakened the Chosen One before he died," he said. "He said his biggest regret in life was that he was just a little short."

Gu Cheng didn't know how to respond. Although he had awakened to become a chosen one, he also knew that becoming a chosen one was not easy.

Otherwise, Gu Qingshan and Gu Yuanba wouldn't be the only ones in Anle Village with the potential to become chosen ones.

A man who practiced shooting his whole life never crossed that threshold before he died.

It is both a tragedy and a stark reality.

"Are you worried?" Gu Cheng asked.

"What are you worried about?"

"You're just as worried as your dad."

Gu Qingshan remained silent for a few seconds.

"I'm worried," he said, "but worrying is useless. Now that I've embarked on this path, I just have to do my best."

He spoke with a firm tone.

Gu He, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped.

"There are footprints." He squatted down and pointed to the ground.

Gu Cheng and Gu Qingshan went over to take a look.

There was a string of footprints on the muddy ground.

"It's a human trail," Gu He stood up. "Right ahead."

……

Gu Cheng smelled a certain odor.

Burnt smell.

It's very strong.

It wasn't the smell of burning firewood; it was the smell of burning houses, burning grain, burning... something else.

"stop."

The three of them stopped.

Gu Chengyun began to probe and scan forward.

Two hundred steps.

There was nothing there.

He walked a little further and scanned it again.

I spotted it this time.

There is a village about two miles ahead.

Or rather, it used to be a village.

Now only a charred ruin remains. Smoke is still rising from the remains of the houses, and a nauseating stench permeates the air.

"Let's go take a look," Gu Qingshan said, frowning.

The three approached.

Gu Cheng walked into the ruins.

The ground was covered with black ash and charred wood.

Then he saw the bones.

It's not animal bone.

It's human bones.

Scattered among the ruins, some were charred black by the fire, and some were cut into pieces.

Gu He's face turned somewhat pale.

Gu Qingshan gripped the gun tightly, remaining silent.

Gu Cheng squatted down and looked at the marks on the ground.

The knife marks were deep, indicating they were made by a knife, not by fire.

Some bones have obvious chopping marks; a single cut can break a bone in two.

This was no ordinary looting.

This is a massacre.

"Did the barbarians do this?" Gu Qingshan's voice was very low.

Gu Cheng remained silent.

He stood up and continued walking forward.

At the end of the ruins, there is a well.

Several corpses lay beside the well; they were women's bodies. Their clothes were torn, and they had knife wounds on their bodies.

Gu Cheng looked away.

He didn't want to see it; it was something barbarians did.

But you must remember this.

He took a deep breath, turned around, and walked back.

"Walk."

……

In the afternoon, they passed through two more villages.

One was burned, just like the previous one, with bones scattered all over the ground.

The other one wasn't burned, but it was completely deserted.

As evening fell, the group found a water source and silently ate their dry rations.

Gu Cheng mechanically gnawed on the dry food in his hand.

He used to feel like he was playing a data-driven game—strength, attributes, stats, and limit break points.

But what we see today is not data.

It's a bloody reality.

It was a charred corpse.

It is a person who has been cut in two.

He had read a lot of historical materials in his previous life. The Jingkang Incident, the Yangzhou Massacre, the Jiading Massacre—behind every name was such a scene.

At that time, he sat in front of the computer and felt that these things were far away from him.

Now he stands in the ruins, his feet on ashes, the air thick with the stench of burning.

Not far away.

It's not far at all.

In the game, monsters drop equipment when you kill them.

These barbarians must die.

"Xiao Cheng." Gu Qingshan walked over and handed him a piece of dried meat. "Have something to eat."

Gu Cheng took it and took a bite.

The jerky was very hard; chewing it felt like gnawing on wood.

But he didn't spit it out; he swallowed it down mouthful by mouthful.

Gu Qingshan sat down next to him and remained silent for a while.

"That's how my father died," he said in a low voice. "The village was burned down, and people were killed. I hid in the mountains with the rest of the village, and even more people died that time."

Gu Cheng looked at him.

Do you hate it?

"Hate," Gu Qingshan said decisively, "but hate is useless. Hate can't bring the dead back to life, nor can it make me stronger."

He looked at the ruins in the distance.

"Only becoming stronger will be useful."

Gu Cheng remained silent.

He recalled his uncle's words: "Strength is justice. Wait until you have the strength to protect everyone before you distinguish right from wrong."

He felt those words were too cold at the time.

Now I realize that those words weren't cold at all.

It's a cold world.

"Let's go, let's walk a little further."

……

As it was getting dark, Gu Cheng used his detection ability to spot a living person.

Huddled in a corner of an abandoned mill.

He walked over and jumped off the mill threshold.

A person was lying in the corner.

An old man, so thin he was skin and bones, with chapped lips and sunken eyes.

He's almost gone.

"Grandpa," Gu Cheng walked over and squatted down, "Are you alright?"

The old man opened his eyes and stared at him for a long time with his cloudy gaze.

"water……"

Gu Cheng poured some water from the water pouch and fed it to him.

The old man drank a few sips and felt a little better.

"Where are you from...?" Gu Cheng asked again.

"Li...Li Family Village." The old man's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper being rubbed against the ground. "Barbarians...the barbarians came...everyone ran away...I can't run anymore..."

"Which direction did the barbarians go?"

"North...they went north...so many people...so many horses..."

"When did this happen?"

"Three...three days ago...maybe four days...I can't remember..."

Gu Cheng fed him a few more sips of water.

"Where are the imperial troops? Have you seen any imperial troops?"

The old man's eyes lit up.

"Yes...yes! To the north...Shimen Pass...the imperial army is at Shimen Pass...I heard that the Marquis of Zhenbian has come in person..."

Marquis of Zhenbian.

Jia Bu.

The name my uncle mentioned.

"Grandpa, can you walk? We'll help you."

The old man shook his head.

"I can't walk anymore... You guys go... Don't worry about me..."

Gu Cheng remained silent for a while.

He placed the water bag beside the old man and left half of the dry food in his bundle.

"I'll leave you the water pouch and dry rations. If you can hold out, head south; there are no barbarian soldiers there."

The old man clutched the water bag, tears streaming down his cloudy eyes.

"Thank you... thank you so much..."

Gu Cheng stood up and walked out of the mill.

It was already dark outside.

Gu Qingshan looked at him.

"Aren't you taking him with you?"

"We've left water and dry rations." Gu Cheng shook his head. "Let's continue according to plan."

Gu Qingshan nodded without saying anything more.

The three continued north.

……

They walked for about ten more miles.

It was completely dark, and the moonlight was so faint that one could barely see the road.

Gu Cheng habitually scanned the area with his probe.

Then he froze.

There are five people about two hundred paces ahead.

Five men on horseback.

They are moving in their direction.

They are not soldiers of the imperial court—the imperial court's soldiers would not patrol at this time or in this direction.

Gu Cheng's heart suddenly raced.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

To investigate.

[Barbarian Scout - Leader] [Strength: 34]

[Barbarian Scout] [Strength: 28]

[Barbarian Scout] [Strength: 26]

[Barbarian Scout] [Strength: 23]

[Barbarian Scout] [Strength: 25]

Five barbarian scouts.

The leader's strength is 34, similar to Gu Cheng's, and he is an elite among the barbarian scouts.

Those without divine favor have no combat skills.

Gu Cheng's brain was working at lightning speed.

To fight or not to fight?

Gu Cheng glanced at Gu Qingshan and Gu He.

Gu Qingshan has a Strength of 38 and is a seasoned marksman. Gu He has a Strength of 36 and is an archer.

Three against five, the opponents have no combat skills, but they do.

They can fight.

But Gu Cheng shook his head.

"Forget it, I won't fight."

"Why?" Gu Qingshan frowned. "There are five of them and three of us. If we're prepared to take them on, we can fight them."

"Scouts are on patrol," Gu Cheng said in a low voice. "If we kill them, and the barbarians find out the scouts haven't returned, they'll send more people to search. Where will the three of us go then?"

Gu Qingshan was stunned for a moment.

"And—" Gu Cheng said, "we're here to reconnoiter, not to fight, so let's not reveal ourselves yet."

Gu He nodded.

Gu Qingshan remained silent for a while.

"Okay, whatever you say."

Gu Cheng closed his eyes and activated his full detection.

Two hundred paces away, five barbarian scouts were walking south along the official road at a slow pace, as if they were on patrol.

"Turn left." Gu Cheng lowered his voice. "There's a grove of trees on the left. Once you're inside, walk with your back bent and don't make a sound."

The three left the main road and went into the woods on the left.

Gu Cheng walked at the front, keeping an eye on the five red dots as he went.

The red dot is moving slowly without changing direction.

it is good.

The three of them bent over and walked north along the edge of the woods.

After walking about half a mile, Gu Cheng investigated again—

The red dot is behind us, getting farther and farther away.

Safe.

The three of them straightened up and let out a long breath.

The three continued north.

After walking about two more miles, Gu Cheng took out a map and glanced at it by the moonlight.

The location marked by the red circle is approximately ten to fifteen li to the north.

If we start our journey early tomorrow morning, we should be able to arrive before noon.

"Let's find a place to rest around here tonight." Gu Cheng put away the map. "We'll leave at dawn tomorrow."

Gu Qingshan nodded.

Gu He was already looking for a place to spend the night.

This person's actions far outpace their words.