[You have comprehended 'Mountain-Splitting Strike' and mastered a saber technique.]
[Mountain-Splitting Strike, Lv1 (1/10)]
[Effect: Coordinates the entire body, gathers strength and qi, and delivers a single downward slash.]
As the notification tone, audible only to Zhou Yuan, rang out, he felt an indescribable sense of relief, as if years of pressure had been released in an instant.
"Hahaha... I did it!"
The three villagers watched the wildly laughing Zhou Yuan and shook their heads helplessly.
What a shame. Shi Tou used to be a bit simple and foolish, but he was honest and kind. Whenever the neighbors needed anything, he'd be the first to volunteer for any dirty or tiring job.
Now, a single Conscription Order had scared the poor fool witless. Forget working; they'd be thankful if he didn't run away.
Everyone had been trying to look after the lad, waiting on him hand and foot. Wasn't it all to put his mind at ease and stop his madness from getting worse?
But who could have guessed that chopping firewood would actually make his madness worse?
The three villagers exchanged glances and sighed deeply.
"Those damned bailiffs, you've driven even a simpleton mad."
Finally, the three of them muttered a few more words.
Shi Tou was a coward, too. It was just military service. Which of them men, young or old, didn't have to go through it? How could he be scared witless before even setting out?
The whispering villagers didn't notice that the deadwood in front of Zhou Yuan was cut cleanly. The surface of the cut was too smooth to have been made by a dull, rusty wood-chopping hatchet.
*Thud.*
[Mountain-Splitting Strike, Experience +1]
Zhou Yuan was ecstatic. He swung his hatchet again and again, quickly finishing his firewood for the day. His 'Mountain-Splitting Strike' skill also rose to Level 2.
"I must have swung about thirty times, but I only gained twelve experience points. It seems not every strike grants experience. Still, this is great. I know how to acquire skills now. The key is to be fully focused, constantly thinking and correcting myself."
The appearance of skills and experience made Zhou Yuan extremely excited.
Only now did he feel like he had finally grasped the path to opportunity and earned the right to survive.
When he prepared to continue chopping, hoping to max out the 'Mountain-Splitting Strike' skill, he realized that his hands, gripping the hatchet, were trembling uncontrollably.
He was, after all, a man of flesh and blood, unable to be as tireless and indestructible as a real game character.
So, he tossed the hatchet aside and prepared to use his recent successful experience to train a supreme battlefield technique: 'Running'.
As everyone knows, as long as you can run faster than your own comrades, your chances of survival increase dramatically.
After all, Zhou Yuan was just a villager for now. His head wasn't any more valuable than any other villager's.
"What's wrong, Shi Tou? Done practicing?"
"I've already mastered 'Mountain-Cleaving Strike' and am about to study other martial techniques. Big Huang Uncle, if you trust me, come chop firewood in my yard. I can't promise much, but I can at least teach you how to trade one for one."
"Pah! You think you need to teach us how to trade one for one? If someone stabs me with a spear, I just won't retreat and stab him back. Simple as that."
"That's easy to say, but when a real fight breaks out, we won't be facing just one spear or one saber. If you practice my method, I can guarantee you'll take someone down with you. But there's a condition: the opponent can't be an armored soldier."
"Fine, then your method is worse than mine. Armored or not, we men just need to charge together, stab him, and if he falls, we'll trample him to death."
"Impressive, Big Huang Uncle. Have you been on a battlefield before?"
"Nope, but my old man went. Before he passed, he said that in the army, everything else is fluff. The long spear is the most practical thing. As long as you master the thrust and recovery of the spear, it's better than anything else."
"That makes sense. Find me a long wooden staff later. I'll practice the Thrusting Spear too."
"Done. You're strong. A spear is more practical for you than a saber."
Zhou Yuan hadn't planned on keeping his knowledge to himself. If he really had to join the army, these fellow villagers were more reliable than strangers. They were a natural small group, and it would be a good thing if even one less of them died. But he hadn't expected the villagers to have their own ideas, to be far more adapted to this world than he was. Fortunately, he was the type to listen to advice. As long as a suggestion made sense, he was willing to try it.
"Shi Tou, Ergou is looking for you. You should've seen him, the kid's legs are as soft as noodles, and he's shaking like a leaf when he walks. My goodness, he just got married yesterday, and he's already in this state. That wife of his is definitely no ordinary woman."
"I'm telling you, it's a good thing Ergou is joining the army with us in a few days. Otherwise, he'd die on top of that wife of his."
One of the villagers assigned to watch Zhou Yuan walked up to him, wiggling his eyebrows and gesturing toward the gate.
"That's enough. I didn't think a strapping fellow like you with those thick brows and big eyes would be such a dirty-minded gossip. Who isn't like that at the beginning? It's called savoring the marrow of the bone, a sign of deep affection."
"Huh? How do you know about this stuff, Shi Tou? Tell me, have you been sneaking into someone's bed? Aha! You little rascal, you're no good either. We've been waiting on you for days, and you don't even share the good stuff."
"Stop right there. My 'Mountain-Cleaving Strike' is already mastered, and I'm looking for a dirty-minded gossip to test my martial skill on."
The villager glanced at the hatchet on Zhou Yuan's hip and shrank back. He walked away, muttering resentfully, though his muttering was a bit loud, as if he was afraid Zhou Yuan wouldn't hear.
"Cowardly brat, no loyalty. Stealing wives, no morals."
Zhou Yuan, with a clear conscience and a sharp blade, wasn't afraid of a crooked shadow or a foul mouth, so he couldn't be bothered to deal with him.
In truth, the three villagers led by Big Huang Uncle had been getting along well with Zhou Yuan these past few days. They were worried he'd go mad and hurt someone, so they naturally humored him in everything. If that villager hadn't gotten increasingly vulgar, Zhou Yuan wouldn't have threatened him.
When Zhou Yuan walked out of the courtyard, he realized he might have misunderstood the villager. Seeing Ergou's current state, it was hard not to let one's imagination run wild.
He saw Ergou, pale-faced and covered in a cold sweat, his legs weak. Even sitting on a wooden stump, his legs couldn't stop trembling.
Most importantly, Ergou's health bar had dropped below the 90% mark, falling to 89%.
"Brother Shi Tou, I have something to tell you."
"Ergou, don't talk yet. Catch your breath. It's not my place to criticize, but why are you pushing yourself so hard? The girl is a person too, you know. You're shaking like this, she must be in agony."
Hearing Zhou Yuan's words, Ergou's eyes instantly turned red, and tears welled up.
"Brother Shi Tou, it's not what you think! Cui Niang is a widow from Qiaodong Village. My family's situation is only a little better than yours. What girl from a respectable family would risk becoming a widow again to marry into my family?"
"Brother Shi Tou, I don't mind that Cui Niang is a widow. But... it's been seven times from last night to this afternoon. I really can't take it anymore. And to make it worse, my parents won't let me leave the room. They say I have to leave them an heir before I go to the army."
The more Zhou Yuan listened, the more shocked he became. He had underestimated Ergou. He never thought such a small frame could be squeezed for so much... energy.
"Uh, Ergou, you've suffered. How about you just endure it a little longer? Cui Niang just wants to have a child with you. I may have some reputation in our village, but I really can't meddle in this."
"No, Brother Shi Tou! Don't you always talk about heading into the old forest to wreak havoc? Take me with you! Let's go now! I can't fall into the hands of the bailiffs and Cui Niang again. They're both after my life!"
Ergou's lament didn't evoke any sympathy from Zhou Yuan. Instead, it made him turn serious.
"Ergou, let's put aside whether we're leaving or not. First, you're going to explain to me what you mean by 'wreak havoc'."
Proofreader: Peter Pan