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

Gu Cheng took a deep breath and turned off the light screen.

He glanced back at Gu Chang'an.

Gu Chang'an was also looking at him, his gaze steady.

"There are 27 bandits in total, and one bandit leader." Gu Cheng lowered his voice, "The leader's strength is close to third-rate, but not much stronger than Hao Erqiang."

Gu Chang'an frowned slightly.

"Twenty-seven. We have fourteen."

"That's right," Gu Cheng said. "We don't have the numerical advantage."

He squatted down, picked up a twig, and drew a sketch on the ground.

"The stronghold has only one entrance and is surrounded by mountains on three sides. This is their advantage—easy to defend and difficult to attack. But it is also their disadvantage—there is only one exit."

Gu Chang'an squatted down and looked at the sketch.

"A direct assault won't work," Gu Cheng said. "The narrow passage only allows two people to walk side by side. They have arrow towers, so if we rush in, we'll be sitting ducks. Even if we win, the casualties will be significant."

"What should we do then?"

"Don't go in." Gu Cheng drew an arc outside the entrance. "Let them out."

Gu Chang'an remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Seven of them ran back to report last night, so Hao Yin must already know," Gu Cheng said. "Nine of his men were killed, and his second-in-command is dead too. He can't just sit idly by—if he doesn't retaliate, how can he continue to live in these mountains?"

"So he'll bring people with him."

"Yes. And he won't just send a few people." Gu Cheng drew a line on the sketch extending from the entrance of the mountain stronghold. "From here to the entrance of the stronghold, there is a slope in the middle, with dense forest on both sides. We will set up three ambushes here."

"First, the bows and arrows. We captured some bows from the barbarians; not many, but enough. Have the three strongest able-bodied men lie on the slopes on either side of the path, and fire a volley once the enemy is within range. We don't need to kill many, just disrupt their formation."

"The second one is a tripwire. There's a downhill section in the middle of the slope where the ground is uneven and the view is blocked by trees. I just saw some vines not far away, so we wove them together to make a tripwire. When they come over, we pull them up suddenly. The person in front trips, and the people behind can't stop, so they crash into each other."

"The third approach is a frontal assault. Uncle, you lead your men to block the ramp below. Once they've been battered by arrows and tripwires, their formation will break down, and their morale will drop, then we'll charge straight at them."

Gu Chang'an looked at the sketch, his finger slowly moving along the arc.

"Who will be the bait?"

Gu Cheng paused for a moment.

"I'll go."

"no."

"uncle--"

"I said no." Gu Chang'an looked up at him. "With your strength, going there would be suicide."

"I don't need to fight, I just need to appear in their line of sight and then run—"

"Run?" Gu Chang'an's voice turned serious. "What if they catch up?"

Gu Cheng remained silent.

Gu Chang'an stood up.

"I'll go."

"Uncle, your injury—"

"My injuries are less severe than yours," Gu Chang'an interrupted him. "Don't worry."

Gu Cheng opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately did not speak.

He knew his uncle was right.

"Alright." Gu Cheng took a deep breath. "Uncle, lure them up the slope and run back. Don't linger. Wait until they've passed the first ambush point—"

"I know." Gu Chang'an patted his shoulder. "You command. I'll fight."

Half an hour later, the group set off.

Gu Daliang led three people up the hillsides on both sides of the slope to bury the archers.

The other eight able-bodied men were divided into two groups and buried in the woods in the middle of the slope, responsible for tripping the horse ropes and intercepting them from the front.

Gu Cheng crouched behind a large tree at the end of the slope, fully exploring.

You can see the entire ramp from here.

Gu Chang'an walked alone towards the mountain stronghold, carrying a long spear.

His figure grew smaller and smaller in the woods.

Gu Cheng stared at that figure's back, clenching his fists.

Gu Chang'an stopped less than a hundred steps from the entrance of the mountain stronghold.

He stood on an open field, his spear propped on the ground, his white hair fluttering in the wind.

A commotion broke out at the entrance to the mountain stronghold.

First, a few lookouts spotted him and started chattering. Then more people poured out.

There were more than twenty bandits, some carrying knives and others carrying clubs.

The leader was a burly man, with a robust build, wearing a leather armor, with a strip of cloth wrapped around his left hand and a broadsword in his right.

Hao Yin.

He stood at the front of the crowd, squinting as he sized up Gu Chang'an.

"Are you alone?"

Gu Chang'an remained silent.

"How dare you!" Hao Yin's voice turned cold. "You, an old man with white hair, actually dare to attack our mountain stronghold?"

The bandits behind him burst into laughter.

"Boss, is this old man here to die?"

"An old man dares to provoke us? That's hilarious."

"Who are you?" Hao Yin asked.

"Gu Chang'an".

"Never heard of it."

"I've heard of your Second Boss Hao."

Hao Yin's expression changed.

"You were the one who killed him last night?"

"Yes."

Hao Yin's expression changed instantly, turning ferocious.

Hao Yin slung the broadsword over his shoulder.

"Interesting." He grinned. "An old man killed Hao Er."

He glanced back at the bandits behind him.

"Men, follow me!"

"Chief, should we leave a few men to guard the stronghold?"

"What's there to guard?" Hao Yin waved his hand. "It's just an old man. Twenty-odd people can take him down. Why would we need to guard him?"

The bandits responded enthusiastically and followed in a large group.

Gu Cheng lay on the treetop, fully activating his probe.

All the red dots are moving.

All twenty-seven people, without exception, chased after them.

it is good.

Gu Chang'an turned and left.

He moved at a steady pace, his spear tucked at his side.

Hao Yin led more than twenty bandits in pursuit.

"stop!"

Gu Chang'an ignored him.

"I said stop right there! Are you fucking deaf?"

Gu Chang'an still ignored him.

The bandits drew closer and closer, and some of them started throwing stones.

A stone hit Gu Chang'an's feet, splashing up a cloud of dirt.

He still didn't turn around.

Hao Yin became famous.

"Chase him! Whoever kills him gets three taels of silver!"

Three taels of silver.

The bandits' eyes lit up, and their steps quickened.

Gu Chang'an ran into the woods and turned onto the slope.

Hao Yin led his men inside.

The ramp was narrow, and more than twenty people were crammed together, pushing and shoving, cursing and swearing.

Just then, Gu Chang'an stopped.

He turned around and looked at Hao Yin, who had caught up with him, his face expressionless.

"Hao Yin".

Hao Yin, holding the knife, was panting heavily. "Speak!"

"Was your father drunk when he named you this?"

The slope was quiet for a second.

Then the bandits burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha--"

"Boss, he said your dad's drunk—"

Hao Yin's face darkened.

"What did you say?"

"Hao Yin," Gu Chang'an repeated expressionlessly, "Good Yin. Does your father hope you'll grow up to be a good person, or a good silver coin?"

The bandits tried hard to suppress their laughter.

The bandit leader's tyranny deterred them from acting recklessly.

Hao Yin's face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Kill him! Kill him now!"

"Boss, why did your father name you this?"

"Shut up! All of you, shut up!"

Hao Yin was so angry that he trembled all over and charged forward with his broadsword.

The bandits behind him also rushed forward—some wanted to steal the credit, some were still laughing, and some were being pushed forward by the people in front.

More than twenty people were crammed onto the narrow slope, like a flock of chickens being herded into a cage.

No one noticed the rope beneath their feet.

The first tripwire was triggered.

The four bandits at the front fell down at the same time, and those behind them couldn't stop and crashed into them one after another.

The slope instantly turned into chaos.

"ah--"

"Who put the rope down there?!"

"Don't push! Don't push—"

Just then, the sound of a bowstring rang out from the hillside.

Whoosh whoosh.

Arrows shot out from the woods and plunged into the chaotic crowd.

One bandit was shot in the shoulder and fell with a scream. Another was shot in the thigh and rolled on the ground clutching his leg. A third arrow grazed a bandit's ear, startling him so much that he fell to the ground with a thud.

There weren't many arrows, only three.

But in the chaos, the bandits were in a panic.

The twenty-odd bandits were already huddled together on the slope. The tripwire tripped them, and a hail of arrows broke their formation completely.

Some people ran back, some lay on the ground too afraid to move, and some waved sticks wildly.

"Don't run! Don't run! Charge!" a bandit who looked like a minor leader shouted from behind.

But nobody listened to him.

"Now! Kill!"

Gu Cheng gave a low shout, grabbed his long sword, and charged forward.

Eight strong young men rushed out from the woods on both sides of the slope at the same time.

They pounced down the hillside, brandishing their swords and spears, and unleashed a brutal attack on the chaotic bandits.

The bandits on the slope were completely unable to organize any resistance.

Those in front were tripped up, those behind were afraid of being shot with arrows, and those in the middle were stunned by the strong young men rushing out from both sides.

The difference in strength is also obvious—the young and strong men in Anle Village have practiced martial arts since childhood, and their strength is generally above 30.

The strongest of these mountain bandits was only 25.

This is not a battle, it's a harvest.

As Gu Cheng charged forward, he fully activated his reconnaissance abilities.

-

[Bandit Henchman] [Strength: 23] → Status: Dead

[Bandit Henchman] [Strength: 20] → Status: Severely Injured

[Bandit Henchman] [Strength: 19] → Status: on the run

……

He counted as he looked.

Six died, eight were injured, and four escaped.

The remaining eight knelt on the ground and threw down their weapons.

"Don't kill! Don't kill! We surrender!"

Gu Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Then his gaze went beyond the slope, looking into the distance—

Uncle and Hao Yin.

The two had already fought their way to the open space at the end of the slope.

Hao Yin's broadsword slashed, hacked, parried, and swept, each strike accompanied by a whistling sound. His strength was 69, even with a 10% reduction, it was still 62, and each strike felt as heavy as an iron hammer.

But Gu Chang'an did not collapse.

His gun was fast—not the brute force-driven speed of Hao Yin, but a precise, controlled speed. Every parry was perfectly timed, every thrust aimed at a vital point.

Hao Yin's swordsmanship was fierce, but his routine was fixed. After slashing, he would cut, and after cutting, he would parry; there was no connection between his moves, like a book with only three pages that could be flipped through repeatedly.

And Gu Chang'an's marksmanship—

The spear tip remained pointed at Hao Yin's throat. After each parry, the spear tip would slightly deflect, like a snake, always biting at its opponent's vital point.

Gu Cheng stared at the screen—

[Hao Yin] [Preferred Weapon: Greatsword (Elite)]

[Gu Chang'an] [Preferred Weapon: Spear (Grandmaster)]

Grandmaster versus elite.

The strength difference is five points, but the marksmanship is a whole level lower.

Hao Yin became increasingly anxious as he fought.

He discovered a fact that annoyed him—he couldn't hit the old man.

Every cut was just a little off.

Every strike was blocked, then countered, forcing him to retreat.

What angered him even more was that the old man had just insulted his father and his name in front of more than twenty people, making his men burst into laughter.

He has to get his revenge.

"You son of a bitch—" Hao Yin cursed, his sword stance changed, he gripped the sword with both hands and slashed down with all his might.

This cut was heavier than any of the previous ones.

Gu Chang'an did not parry.

He sidestepped, the spear tip passing through the side of the blade, aiming straight for Hao Yin's left arm—

Hao Yin instinctively used his left arm to block—

pain.

He grunted, pulled his left arm back, and the momentum of the blade dissipated instantly.

Gu Chang'an did not let this opportunity slip by.

Broken Army Spear.

The spear tip, imbued with energy, pierced through the gaps in Hao Yin's sword strikes and aimed for his chest.

Hao Yin dodged to the side, but it was too late—the tip of the spear grazed his right rib, leaving a bloody gash.

"Hiss—" Hao Yin gasped and took three steps back.

He looked down at the blood on his right side, then looked up at Gu Chang'an.

"Not bad, old man." His expression changed. "You've got some skills."

He gripped the broadsword tightly.

"Then I won't be polite."

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

Gu Cheng's pupils contracted.

Gu Chang'an did not back down.

He took a deep breath and channeled all his strength into the gun barrel—

Broken Army Spear.

The two gunshots struck out almost simultaneously.

Hao Yin's greatsword slashed down with the force to shatter rocks—

boom!

The energy from the sword and the force from the spear collided in mid-air, and the shockwave spread outwards, overturning the rubble on the ground.

Hao Yin was so shocked that he staggered back five steps, his hand split open, and blood flowed down the hilt of his knife.

Gu Chang'an was also forced back three steps, his face turning pale.

But Hao Yin retreated even further.

Because he can only exert force with one hand.

Gu Cheng stared at the screen—

[Hao Yin] [Stamina: 77% → 58%]

My physical strength dropped by nearly 20%.

The Stone Splitter consumes too much energy.

With his current physical strength, he can only release it once more at most.