My Cultivation Starting from Archery

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Grass...

Chen Sansi's iron helmet was chopped in half, his forehead throbbed with pain, leaving a trail of blood.

Copper Skin Iron Bone.

Whether it's copper or iron, it can eventually be destroyed.

If bone training can't break through his skin.

But after all, it is refining organs, a leap across a major realm.

Fortunately, it was ultimately blocked.

Chen Sansi wasn't reckless. When he was killing Luo Dongquan earlier, he deliberately exchanged a blow to understand the immense power wielded by someone proficient in the refining organs skill, and he was confident that his Vajra Body could withstand it. Then he could take advantage of the surprise and deliver a deadly slash.

Vajra Body, Swordsmanship Perfection.

Lacking either one would not do!

...

Sun Li, with her own strength, killed two bone training martial artists of the same realm. However, she was also sneak-attacked several times, and she found it difficult to divert attention to the situation dozens of steps away. She was about to face an assault from bone training generals as well as dozens of cavalry.

If this continued, she would soon be weakened from loss of qi-blood and killed by the disorderly blades.

The fifty cavalry she brought were already reduced by half in such a short time...

Just then, the sound of an armor-piercing arrow tore through the night sky, followed by a loud shout, "Wu Mu'er is dead! Reinforcements from Hengkang Prefecture have arrived, you barbarian thieves better surrender quickly!"

Chen Sansi used his long spear to lift a head, showing it to them.

"Lord Thousand Households is dead?!"

The barbarian cavalry were all greatly shocked.

"Kill, kill, kill—"

"Kill—"

After the signal of the armor-piercing arrow, those who had previously hidden on the mountain, like Sun Buqi and others, began to wave their torches again and screamed shrilly; the war drums were pounded so vigorously that they shook the earth, and in the shadows of the trees and woods, it was unclear how many people there were.

"Reinforcements! Hengkang Prefecture really sent help!"

"There's an ambush, retreat quickly!"

"Retreat, retreat!!"

"..."

The five hundred cavalry trembled with fear.

"Where are you running—"

Chen Sansi, with a spear lifting a head in one hand and the Zhenyue Sword in the other, entered the crowd to kill.

In this way, the barbarian cavalry were even more convinced of the ambush, and their desire to fight was completely lost; they only cared for their lives.

"It's over!"

Chen Sansi knew.

Once this cavalry returned to their main camp, it would be their moment of collapse!

...

On top of the city walls.

"Lazybones, get up! Wang Zhi and his men are about to bite the dust!"

Zhu Tong was so anxious that he paced back and forth.

"My lord, how come the lord hasn't returned?"

Xu Bin also began to grow agitated.

"The lord must be fine!"

Amidst the utter chaos, Xu Wencai turned out to be the calmest of all, gripping his feather fan tightly, "Just wait for one more teatime, after one teatime, the barbarian army of six thousand can be crushed at the snap of the fingers!"

Finally.

On Eastern Mountain, fire lit up for the second time.

"Good, good, good! The barbarian army is broken!"

Xu Wencai waved his feather fan without hesitation, "Liu Jinkui, Zhu Tong, Wu Da, Xu Bin, relay my command, fling open the West City Gate and strike with all our might. The cavalry will form the Car Suspension Formation at the forefront, advancing, with everyone else following behind, just kill anyone you see, and remember, we must be loud and have plenty of torches!"

"Xu Wencai."

Liu Jinkui was half doubtful, "We're putting our lives in your and Chen Baihu's hands!"

Yesterday evening, under the arrangement of Xu Wencai, Sun Li siblings and Wang Zhi suddenly began to take over the command of the army inside the city, claiming that they were preparing for a breakout during the night.

At first, they didn't understand what was happening and they didn't take orders from just anyone.

But now, half of the people inside the city belonged to Chen Sansi's faction, among them the Sun Li siblings had high status and were not to be offended lightly.

What's most crucial was that, overnight, Xiang Tingchun, Luo Dongquan, and others, all went missing without a trace of life or death, obviously indicating some major event was about to unfold, a matter of life-or-death, which they couldn't ignore.

As a result of this series of actions...

It felt as if doom was imminent.

"Go out of the city!"

The city gates opened wide.

The remaining fighting force inside the city poured out, with less than a thousand people, and took the offensive against a barbarian army of six thousand!

...

West City Gate.

Pan Quan had already died amidst the chaotic army.

Zhao Shangming had been chopped to lose an arm, hanging on to life by a thread.

The disciples from the Martial Arts Hall and local gentry were mostly dead, little remained.

Wang Zhi and his men had fought until this point, also suffering severe casualties.

"Is Xu Wencai deceiving me, is this really how Stony arranged it?!"

He looked at the seemingly endless barbarians, "To hell with it, if all else fails, just die!"

Fifteen years ago.

He climbed the city walls and didn't die.

If he were to die on the battlefield today, it would be a fitting end!
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"Good, in the next life, I'll be a fellow traveler with you again!"

Xiong Qiuan's bones were exposed, and he too was preparing to embrace death.

"Kill!"

Behind them, the city gates flung open.

The flames soared into the sky, and the sounds of killing roared like thunder!

The barbarian soldiers were intimidated by the energy, but not yet disordered, for their numbers were many. They were just perplexed why Po Yang City was going crazy tonight, from where did they get such confidence; were they really courting death?

Until the cavalry unit that had left earlier returned to report, explaining their question.

"Lord Wu Mu'er is dead!"

"Three thousand Hengkang Prefecture cavalry have come to our aid!"

"No, five thousand cavalry!"

"..."

"What?!"

The deputy general stood dumbfounded but still clung to the last bit of rationality, "Don't panic! Where did so many reinforcements come from!"

"Wu Mu'er's head is here—"

A white horse burst onto the battlefield and a familiar head was lifted high under the frosty moonlight, "Surrender quickly!"

"My lord..."

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"Whoosh—"

An armor-piercing arrow flew swiftly, directly shooting the bone training martial artist of perfection off his horse, becoming the final straw that crushed their psychological defenses.

The news of both the main general and deputy general dying spread with inconceivable speed, growing more exaggerated with each retelling. By the end, it had become a story that the Eight Camps had won the main battlefield of Liangzhou, and Sun Xiangzong himself had come to encircle and kill them.

At that moment.

Six thousand barbarians.

Their defeat was as swift as a landslide!

The soldiers from Po Yang County chased and slaughtered them from behind, while the barbarians did not even fight back, casting away their armor and weapons, their lines breaking into a complete rout!

It was not until this moment.

Liu Jinkui, Xiong Qiuan, Zhao Kang, and others, watching Chen Sansi move unobstructed through the chaotic army, his lu leaf long spear holding the head of a refining organs general, looked upon him as if he was a deity!

In a single night, Po Yang City went from being deeply encircled.

To achieving a grand victory!

Years later, with the change of dynasties, this battle was recorded in history:

In the seventy-second year of the Longqing era of the old dynasty, on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Grand Emperor Chen Lei, faced with desperation, cut down enemy generals and led over a thousand remnants to a great victory over six thousand barbarians. This battle is known in history as the Battle of Po Yang, also called, The Dragon Emerges from the Abyss.

...

Only at daybreak did the six thousand barbarian soldiers, abandoning countless baggage and provisions, retreat beyond the Great Wall, not one daring to look back.

Warfare hinges on coordinating the heavens, the earth, and the people!

The number of soldiers alone cannot decide the outcome one hundred percent of the time.

If one can harness the "general trend" to their advantage, victory against a larger force is not impossible!

The barbarian army had besieged the city for a long time without success. Moreover, from the beginning to the end, they lost a total of three refining organ generals, severely lowering their morale. When the last refining organ general fell, they were bound to crumble like sand.

By contrast, Po Yang.

After a long siege, aside from the local gentry and elites, the soldiers and civilians had an unprecedented fighting spirit, united as one.

Among them, hundreds developed a "Sinking Formation Death Will."

Given these increasing advantages and disadvantages, the gap was too vast.

Additionally, there indeed was someone who knew that Hengkang Prefecture was very likely to send reinforcements soon.

With the heavens, the earth, and the people aligned, how could the barbarian army not be defeated?

However, just when everyone was excited about this miracle, Chen Sansi suddenly announced another command.

Abandon the city!

"Abandon the city?"

"Why?"

Questions arose among people like Zhao Kang: "Over half the barbarians died or were injured overnight, with hundreds trampled to death by their own. They've already retreated beyond the Great Wall, and they might even return to the grasslands. Inside Po Yang City, we have ample food and supplies; we should take this opportunity to strengthen our defenses and continue the siege!"

"The barbarians have besieged us without attacking for a long time, what do you think they're doing? They're waiting for reinforcements! And the next time, there might be even higher realm generals!"

Chen Sansi announced the harsh reality before the eyes of everyone: "On the other hand, the bodies of several dignitaries have been discovered in the barbarian camp, and we don't even have a single person who has undergone refining of organs. How can we continue to defend?"

"My lord is right!"

Xu Wencai added: "Last night, we captured a close aid to the barbarians who was a Hundred Households, and he confessed that at least thirty thousand more troops will march towards Po Yang soon! The defeated barbarians will also quickly regroup and come back for another attack! The only plan for now is to flee the city; that is the only way to live!"

"But... what about us?"

The numerous civilians responsible for repairing the city walls, hearing that the defenders planned to abandon the city, dropped their tools in despair.

Abandon the city.

That meant abandoning them, didn't it?!

This sort of thing wasn't unheard of.

The defenders flee, and the civilians are left behind to be slaughtered.

So what was the point of their desperate defense for this past month?

Unexpectedly, the civilians did not riot.

They dispersed and continued to pick up their tools to reinforce the fortifications, although their expressions were numb, their movements stiff, as if they were soulless zombies.

Most of the soldiers, new recruits, and laborers did the same.

To abandon the city is to focus on a rapid escape.

Those who couldn't ride horses were likely to be left behind.

Not to mention, most of their family members were still here; how could they bear to leave?

Wives, children, fathers, mothers—all left behind to await death?

...

"Wait a moment, I haven't finished speaking!"

Chen Sansi gathered his qi-blood and spoke loudly, ensuring most of those present could hear him, "We will indeed abandon the city, but I never said we would abandon the people!

"Pass my order!

"The civilians within Po Yang City, all who wish to leave, may follow the army!

"We, the military, will cover the rear!"

Upon these words.

Not only did the civilians.

Even Xu Wencai and many subordinates were shocked.

Escape with the civilians? And cover for them?

In thousands of years, when had this ever happened?

Aren't they worried about being slowed down?

"Of course, I'm not forcing anyone!"

Chen Sansi continued: "We will depart from the West City Gate before noon today, heading westward, with a temporary destination of Hengkang Prefecture. Whether to go or stay is completely voluntary! You must think carefully, if you leave, you may never be able to return, and it's very possible to die on the road!"

"My lord!"

"We are willing to go!"

"We will follow you in life and death!"

After a brief silence, the civilians inside the city knelt down in unison.

"Staying here is also to be slaughtered by the barbarians!"

The barbarians, known for their ruthless looting and ravaging, would definitely not leave any survivors.

Therefore, escaping is the only way to live.

"Thank you, my lord!"

"My lord!"

"Xu Wencai, you take care of the arrangements."

After leaving these words, Chen Sansi went to the horse stable in the eastern part of the city to find the gravely injured and weak Han Cheng: "Has there been any word from the Governor Mansion?"

"It will be a few more days."

Han Cheng replied: "We should be receiving a message soon."

"Good!"

Chen Sansi recalled the words of Magistrate Xue, feeling that even going to Hengkang Prefecture might not be safe.

He had said it.

Hengkang Prefecture could be abandoned if necessary!

But heading westward, leaving You State would take them to You State, one of the Northwest Three States.

If You State were to fall, they would have no choice but to seek shelter in Liang State, where the Eight Camps and the Governor Mansion are located. There, they might receive more support and find their last hope.