Tian Wuniang, in truth, was not as preternaturally wise as Yan Ke, Yu Pengcheng, and the others imagined.
At the very least, she had not anticipated that the mountain gate of Qingyun Village would be opened for the enemy.
And Fang Lin, the Second Boss holding down the stronghold, had even less expected that among the hidden sentries he had placed, so many shared the same thoughts as Li Lao Liu.
In truth, it was hardly Tian Wuniang and Fang Lin's fault for failing to foresee this—few in this world could have guessed that Yu Pengcheng would actually use Dragon Blood Rice to cultivate ordinary mountain bandit small fry.
This world-shaking scheme had genuinely drawn in many "honest men" who harbored unspoken resentment.
After all, even if these men didn't think of themselves, they wanted their children to one day eat Dragon Blood Rice and become minor or major chieftains, or heads of the family—rather than living their whole lives bowing and scraping like them, forever at risk of losing their lives.
They too wished that one day, they could become a person above others, or the father of one.
The temptation brought by hope far outweighed so-called loyalty.
And so, once Qingyun Village's greatest weakness was exposed, many of the defenses set up beforehand lost their purpose.
The vast majority of Qingyun Village's elite had been led away, and no one had expected that Sand Sea Stronghold would not bring out its first-rate expert to intercept Tian Wuniang and the others, but instead kept him behind at the rear—a waste of great talent on a lesser task.
This first-rate expert, who held a blood feud with Qingyun Village, became the greatest variable of all.
But that did not mean there was no power left to fight back.
Anyone who underestimated Fang Lin would surely pay the price.
Entrusted by Tian Wuniang, Fang Lin had set up far more hidden measures within the stronghold than just at the main gate.
He was extremely skilled in archery, and his subordinates had long since handpicked a group of talented youths with a gift for the bow, secretly training them for years.
Because Fang Lin excelled at using surprise forces, these men had never once shown their faces.
Tonight, however, was the moment for them to reveal their edge.
And the positions they occupied were, for the most part, blind spots that ordinary people would never notice.
As the spirited Sun Wei led over a hundred elite soldiers cultivated on Dragon Blood Rice in a fierce assault, Fang Lin led his men in repeated "panicked" retreat.
Not until they reached a narrow, crowded spot did Fang Lin roar, "Fight these beasts to the death!"
Sun Wei was young, after all, and seeing Fang Lin's desperate last stand, he laughed instead of raging, pressing his men to charge in even harder, making the crowd even denser.
But no sooner had Fang Lin's words faded than a rain of arrows came flying from all directions.
Though each volley numbered only twenty, the intervals between them were extremely brief.
Wave after wave came without end.
Combined with the archers' concealed, tricky positions, the surprise brought a sudden chorus of agonized screams.
Eating Dragon Blood Rice alone did not mean one could become a second-rate or first-rate master...
When Lin Xiaoning had once eaten Dragon Blood Rice as ordinary food, it had actually only added a bit of strength; most of it went undigested, accumulating within the body.
Much less could these men of the Yellow Sand Army, who had only managed a few mouthfuls, gain much from it.
At best, they had just barely stepped into the ranks of third-rate masters. In a clash of military formations, they would naturally be fiercer than ordinary minions, since they had greater strength and their blades struck harder and faster.
But right now...
Crammed into a narrow space, they could barely even dodge, and they certainly did not have bodies of unbreakable steel.
So in an instant, the hundred-odd Yellow Sand Army elites suffered devastating losses, with nearly thirty percent of the skilled fighters falling to the ground.
Seeing this, Sun Wei's eyes turned bloodshot; he could hardly imagine how he would explain this to the Great Chieftain Yu Pengcheng upon his return.
He let out a fierce roar, bellowing, "Anyone who retreats dies! Only by killing your way through can you survive! Kill that old thief Fang Lin, and the women of this stronghold are yours to enjoy!"
These words stirred the cruel and violent hearts of the remaining soldiers, and the group howled like ghosts as they charged forward.
The arrows shot from directly ahead were all cut down by Sun Wei's sword, further boosting morale.
By this point, most of the hidden archers were already exhausted.
An archer was no perpetual motion machine—one who could draw a stone-pulling strong bow and fire twelve consecutive shots was already an exceptional archer.
Fire any more, and the arm muscles would ache and weaken, losing accuracy; only after a period of rest could they shoot again.
As a result, the situation grew increasingly dire.
The gap between a second-rate master and a first-rate master was like the distance between cloud and mud.
Even though Sun Wei had only just entered the ranks of first-rate masters, and somewhat reluctantly at that.
An old-guard second-rate master like Fang Lin could barely hold his ground against him.
The big man following at Fang Lin's side looked far sturdier than Fang Lin himself, yet couldn't withstand even a single blow from Sun Wei, retreating badly wounded and coughing blood.
Casualties, in the end, were unavoidable.
The strength of the Yellow Sand Army truly surpassed that of the bandits left behind to guard Qingyun Village by more than a small margin.
Even in experience, they were by no means inferior—clearly, they hadn't been built up on Dragon Blood Rice alone.
At Sand Sea Stronghold, only the very best bandit minions were allowed to eat Dragon Blood Rice and receive secret manuals for cultivation.
And so, the situation at Qingyun Village grew ever more critical.
Fang Lin fought with everything he had, barely managing to block and parry Sun Wei's assault from left and right, but it was clear he couldn't hold out much longer.
Sun Wei, however, grew more excited the longer he fought—the thrill of avenging his father and the hunger to make a name for himself drove him to unleash tremendous power.
Even Yu Pengcheng and his father, leading the troops personally, had failed to take Qingyun Village—yet he was about to seize it. From this day on, his name would surely be remembered among the Thirteen Greats of Canglan Mountain!
With a resounding reputation would naturally come benefits, and no shortage of beauties either...
Yet just as Sun Wei was about to bring his sword down and decapitate the ashen-faced Fang Lin, a shrill, screeching whistle suddenly struck like lightning.
Sun Wei's expression changed drastically; instinctively, he swung his hand, holding his precious sword flat across his chest.
There came a deafening "clang!" as Sun Wei staggered back two steps, having only just managed to block that devastatingly powerful heavy arrow.
But what made his expression grow even darker was that this was not the only such heavy arrow—that shrill, bone-chilling whistling sound kept coming, one after another.
Sun Wei no longer dared stand his ground; better his comrades die than himself, and with a swift sidestep, he ducked into the ranks of the Yellow Sand Army.
Then, heavy arrow after heavy arrow came flying in, like beads on a string.
"Ahh!"
"Aaahh!"
One heavy arrow even pierced through the bodies of two Yellow Sand Army soldiers at once—one arrow, two kills!
What was even more terrifying was that the arrows seemed to have no end; in an instant, the Yellow Sand Army suffered devastating casualties...
"Bring me the cowhide great shield!"
Seeing his great scheme derailed by this unexpected complication, Sun Wei, seething with fury, roared back over his shoulder.
A wooden shield wrapped thickly in cowhide was passed forward, and Sun Wei raised it one-handed, finally managing to block the unending stream of heavy arrows.
But before the shaken Yellow Sand Army soldiers could even catch their breath, that shrill whistling sound—like the King of Hell himself coming to claim lives—rose again, and screams erupted once more.
Seeing this, Sun Wei flew into a rage—this shameless sneak-attacking bandit had actually switched directions.
"I'll block it!"
With a swift sidestep, Sun Wei blocked the attack from this new direction.
But before long, the direction of the arrows shifted again.
Sun Wei blocked again, and the bandit shifted again.
For a moment, the scene almost turned comical.
But beneath the comedy, the ranks of the Yellow Sand Army grew steadily thinner, and Sun Wei found himself increasingly strained.
How could this person's archery techniques have improved so suddenly?!
Little did he know just how satisfying this felt to Lin Ning right now!
After he had continuously shot down ten Yellow Sand Army soldiers, he instinctively pulled up his panel, wanting to see whether killing would turn his merit into a negative number.
He hadn't expected the number after his merit value to nearly blind his eyes!
52 points!!
Aside from the 2 points remaining from his earlier good deeds, he had gained a full 50 merit points!
What did they call it—overnight riches? This was nothing compared to that!
So it turned out, punishing evil also earned merit!
He should have thought of this sooner!!
Lin Ning's heart burst with excitement!
Killing one Yellow Sand Army soldier earned five merit points—far more than fetching water and repairing houses, or begging and pleading his way into treating someone's illness!
Having tasted this sweetness, Lin Ning hid ever more fiercely in the shadows, firing wildly.
Thanks to years of eating Dragon Blood Rice, combined with the internal energy of a second-rate master after clearing thirty-six acupoints, he was unlike an ordinary archer who could only fire off a dozen or so arrows before exhausting himself.
The arrows he loosed seemed as though they would never stop, coming one after another without end...
Though his hit rate wasn't a hundred percent, he still managed to shoot down six more men within ten arrows.
Seeing the Yellow Sand Army dwindling and growing harder to hit, Lin Ning had originally planned to accumulate merit points to level up the 《Hundred Herbs Scripture》.
But it was now clear that killing bandits earned merit points far faster than saving people, so gritting his teeth, he poured all eighty merit points into the 《Arrow Scripture》（Fragment）. Beneath the 《Arrow Scripture》（Fragment）, the display changed to read "Mastery."
This was also the reason Sun Wei suddenly felt an immense weight of pressure.
A second-rate master hidden in the shadows who had achieved mastery in archery posed a threat far greater than that of a first-rate master fighting head-on.
Though Qingyun Village's Second Boss Fang Lin was also skilled with the bow, his archery had not yet reached the level of mastery.
First, Fang Lin had always been known for his strategic mind, serving as the trusted advisor to three successive Stronghold Masters, and he was highly relied upon for that role.
Second, the 《Arrow Scripture》 he possessed was only a fragment, and he had never received guidance from a renowned master.
Moreover, talent, in the end, had its limits.
Fang Lin did have a gift for archery, but only to a modest degree.
Those truly skilled in archery on Canglan Mountain, in truth, all belonged to the Sun Shooting Gate.
Had it been Wei Zhuang, the Sun Shooting Gate Master, hiding in the shadows today, Sun Wei would have had no chance to dodge at all—the very first arrow would have taken his life.
The Silent Arrow was the sect's ultimate skill, the very reason the Sun Shooting Gate ranked among the Thirteen Greats of Canglan.
Even now, though Lin Ning did not yet possess such a peerless skill, the angles of his shots grew ever trickier, and ever sharper.
With the internal energy of a second-rate master enhancing a five-stone strong bow, the heavy arrows he fired carried power no less than that of a first-rate master.
And as his archery techniques leveled up, his hit rate climbed to a terrifying level—over ninety percent.
The remaining Yellow Sand Army soldiers could do little but cower behind the great shield Sun Wei desperately held up; the moment anyone showed so much as a trace of themselves, death was certain.
Under such circumstances, it wasn't just the men of Sand Sea Stronghold who were struck with terror—even Fang Lin and the others stared blankly into the darkness, utterly dumbfounded.
Who in the world was this?!
Could the stronghold really have a peerless master hidden away all this time, one who never showed himself to the world?
But Fang Lin was, after all, more seasoned; seeing those heavy arrows continuously reaping the lives of the invading enemy, he picked up his own bow once more and joined the fight in coordination.
Qingyun Village's terrain was uneven, and the Yellow Sand Army had charged straight into a narrow pass—unable to bring out even two-tenths of their full strength.
This was the consequence of Sun Wei's youthful arrogance and underestimation of the enemy...
One by one, the Yellow Sand Army soldiers, once brimming with fierce bloodlust, died in suffocating frustration, dying unjustly.
"Who—who exactly is it?"
"You cowardly rat, hiding your head and showing your tail—come out!!"
Watching his men fall one by one, nearly reduced to a commander without troops, Sun Wei's eyes seemed ready to split with rage, on the verge of losing his mind.
Those heavy arrows flying at him didn't pose much of a threat, not to him—with the cultivation of a first-rate master who had opened all seventy-two major acupoints, and holding the cowhide great shield, he had more than enough to protect himself.
But self-protection alone could not bring victory, nor could it stop the coming defeat.
Yet no matter how viciously Sun Wei cursed, the archer hidden in the darkness only kept loosing arrows without pause, never once showing his head.
After coordinating with Fang Lin to strike down the last Yellow Sand Army soldier, dozens of Qingyun Mountain bandits surrounded Sun Wei, a cornered beast still struggling to fight.
Even a first-rate master, in such a situation, had only one path left—death.
Especially now, with Sun Wei like a spent crossbow bolt at the end of its flight, he still refused to die without knowing the truth, still chasing after it with unyielding resolve:
"Come out!"
"You despicable, shameless dog of a beast—if you've got the guts, come out!"
"A rat who only dares fire cowardly arrows from the shadows!"
Yet even Fang Lin and the others stared expectantly into the darkness, waiting for this mysterious master to reveal himself, but there was no sign of movement at all.
Finally, from a place where even the bright moon could not reach, a calm, indifferent voice drifted out:
"Third Uncle, next time, please don't make me come out to fight and kill again. I'm a proper scholar—doing such rough work simply isn't befitting."
"Pfft!"
Hearing these words, Sun Wei suddenly recalled who this person might be.
He hated Qingyun Village to the bone and knew it intimately well; naturally, he couldn't fail to realize just who else in Qingyun Village could call Fang Lin, who held the second seat, "Third Uncle."
Only the children of the Lin Family and the Tian Family.
The two foul-mouthed girls of the Tian Family could naturally also fit, but they were both female—and this was clearly a man's voice.
So who this person was needed no further explanation.
Sun Wei, who had been suffocating with rage all night with nowhere to vent it, upon realizing he was about to lose to a man known across all Thirteen Greats Strongholds of Canglan Mountain as an utterly useless good-for-nothing, was so furious he nearly coughed up blood.
Tonight was supposed to have been his battle to make a name for himself, yet the name he'd end up spreading was likely worse than useless...
But just as his thoughts scattered in confusion and his inner energy grew disordered, another heavy arrow—three parts fiercer than the last—came tearing through the air like lightning.
Sun Wei tried to guard himself again, but it was already too late; he had only just managed to bring his shield up across his chest when, to his horror, the arrow struck somewhere else entirely—his lower body...
"Aaaahh!!"
The Qingyun villagers surrounding Sun Wei, in that instant, seemed to hear the sound of eggs shattering, and every one of them instinctively clamped their legs together.
"Thud."
"Thud."
"Thud."
After Sun Wei finally fell silent, not a single sound left in him, unhurried footsteps echoed out from the darkness.
As dawn slowly broke and the eastern sky began to pale, Fang Lin's gaunt, pockmarked face bore a pair of triangular eyes flung wide open, as though he'd seen a ghostly specter, staring at that slender figure carrying a great bow on its back, walking toward the Ink Bamboo Courtyard on the slope of North Mountain. Several times he tried to raise his hand and call out to stop the person, but each time he opened his mouth, no words came out.
In his mind, only one thought echoed over and over:
How could this be?!
……
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