Transmigration begins with archery training

A martial arts arena.

More than two-thirds of the people were lying sprawled on the ground.

One-third of them were too tired to train, while the remaining third were those who gave up from the very beginning.

For them, joining the army is just about making a living, or some are even forced into it.

Only one-third remains, and they are still struggling to hold on.

Chen Sanshi made the fastest progress, reaching the twenty-fifth stance.

Secondly, there was the boy with the special breathing method who had practiced the seventeenth stance.

Finally, there was a bearded man who also managed to practice the twelfth stance.

The three of them started practicing the techniques last night after receiving them.

The rest, at the fastest, have only reached the seventh stance.

"It seems that my mastery of archery has had a remarkable effect on improving my physical condition!"

Chen Sanshi never expected that his "natural archer" physique would benefit him so much in martial arts training. He wondered what would happen when he advanced to the next level.

The young man and the bearded man standing in the same stance would glance at Chen Sanshi from time to time, as if they were competing with him.

What the hell are you talking about!

Chen Sanshi was speechless.

When he reached the twenty-sixth stance, he felt gradually exhausted and chose to stop.

It wasn't that he was lazy, but rather that he understood that haste makes waste.

If forcing yourself to continue training causes irreversible damage to your body, it will backfire.

Upon seeing that he had stopped practicing, the boy and the bearded man followed suit and collapsed to the ground.

Hey, what's your name?

The bearded man wiped his sweat with his hand and asked, panting heavily.

"Chen Sanshi," Chen Sanshi replied.

"Chen Sanshi?"

The bearded man asked in surprise, "The one from Yanbian Village?"

Chen Sanshi asked in surprise, "You know me?"

The man laughed heartily and said, "Who in the countryside doesn't know that Yanbian Village has produced a skilled hunter who is both loyal and righteous?"

"That's not the case..."

Chen Sanshi found it strange.

Does "loyal and righteous" refer to his act of saving Shunzi's father?

But that's only a matter of two taels of silver, it's not enough to make you so famous, is it?

"Your sworn brother Zhang Shun's elderly mother beat and scolded you because you owed them two taels of silver for saving their lives. She even wanted to sell your wife to Qin Xiong to pay off the debt. Instead of holding a grudge, you risked being retaliated against by the martial arts school disciples at a critical moment and took out five taels of silver to save people!"

The man pounded his chest, his voice booming: "These days, where can you find someone so loyal and righteous? Brother, I admire you!"

"?"

Chen Sanshi looked completely bewildered.

It's true that he and Shunzi grew up together, but when did they become sworn brothers?

When did his mother start hitting and scolding him?

And how did Qin Xiong's matter get involved with Aunt Li?

I don't know who's spouting such nonsense.

Is this what they call the spread of misinformation...?

"My surname is Zhu, and my given name is Tong!"

Zhu Tong cupped his hands and said, "If you don't mind, I'll call you Brother Chen from now on!"

Chen Sanshi returned the greeting with clasped hands.

Another boy came over and said, "My name is Song Yan. You've mastered stance training very quickly. You're really good."

“You’re not bad either,” Chen Sanshi said.

Zhu Tong said rudely, "Ignore this kid!"

Chen Sanshi asked in confusion, "Brother Zhu, what are you doing...?"

Before Zhu Tong could speak, Song Yan interjected, "You've learned a missing part of the techniques, but I haven't, because Commander Luo is my second uncle, and he taught me beforehand. If you want to learn, you can take eight taels of silver to ask any of the commanders for instruction."

"You've got some nerve, kid! How dare you say that!"

When Zhu Tong came to the military camp yesterday, he happened to see this kid with Commander Luo and heard him talking about breathing techniques and such.

"Okay, thank you."

Chen Sanshi nodded.

Just as he guessed.

Song Yan nodded, then went to find the steps to sit and rest.

Zhu Tong took out a stuffed pancake from his pocket and handed it over.

Chen Sanshi didn't stand on ceremony. He ate his pancake and chatted with Zhu Tong, learning a little about the other's background.

Zhu Tong was a pig butcher in Zhujia Village. Not long ago, he beat up a local gentryman for bullying a widow, and was almost exiled to the south to do hard labor. He spent most of his family's money to get the job done, and ended up joining the army in his hometown instead.

"Old Zhu, give me a pancake too."

As the two were chatting, a hand secretly reached towards Zhu Tong's chest, only to be slapped away: "Get lost!"

Chen Sanshi looked up and saw that it was the person who had explained the meaning of "selection" to everyone before. He looked to be nearly fifty years old and even had some gray hair.

Zhu Tong introduced him irritably: "This is Xu Wencai, a notorious lazybones in Zhu Family Village."

Xu Wencai retorted unhappily, "Hey, who are you calling a lazybones?"

"You either stay at home doing nothing all day or loaf around doing nothing. Your mother farms to support you. If you're not lazy, then who is?!"

Zhu Tong said disdainfully, "Look, your mother died and there was no one to work and earn money. You couldn't pay your taxes, so you were brought here to be conscripted into the army to make up the numbers."

Those who couldn't pay their taxes would also be sent to serve in the army.

As for Zhang Shun being sent to repair the canal, it was purely because he offended someone.

"You...you're talking nonsense!"

Xu Wencai exclaimed excitedly, "At home, I read ten thousand books; when I travel far and wide, I travel ten thousand miles! I am a person destined for great things!"

Zhu Tong spat, "You gave yourself the nickname 'Sleeping Dragon,' but you couldn't even pass the county-level imperial examination. And you're still spouting nonsense at me!"

"You... okay, before I leave, can I have a pancake?"

Xu Wencai hasn't eaten for two days.

In the past two years, unless there is a war, the military settlements have not even been provided with food.

If everyone had enough to eat, there would be no shortage of people wanting to join the army.

"A disgraceful thing."

Zhu Tong finally threw a pancake over.

Xu Wencai immediately ran to the side with great joy, took out a book, and began to read with relish while eating a pancake.

Chen Sanshi noticed that the heavy bundle behind him seemed to be full of books, so much so that the old scholar could not straighten his back.

"Brother Xu."

He offered, "Could I borrow a book? I'll return it to you after I've finished reading it."

He only had one book left at home, and repeatedly reading it wouldn't improve his reading progress. Buying another one would be a waste of money, and he would need money for many other things, such as martial arts training.

"No loan."

Xu Wencai didn't even think about it.

"..."

Chen Sanshi hesitated for a moment, then asked again, "Xu Wolong, lend me a copy, and I promise to return it to you in perfect condition after I've finished reading it."

"cough……"

Xu Wencai nearly choked on his pancake. He asked, "What...did you just say?"

“Xu Wolong, I said I wanted to borrow a book from you,” Chen Sanshi repeated.

"Hmm~"

Xu Wencai squinted his eyes in enjoyment: "Given your sincerity, you must be a book lover."

"Correct."

Chen Sanshi frankly admitted, "I used to be a scholar. I took the imperial examination for several years but failed to become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations). I joined the army because I couldn't make a living in the military."

"Really?"

Xu Wencai perked up.

"Seriously!"

"Okay, I knew it!"

Xu Wencai said indignantly, "The imperial examinations of the Great Sheng Dynasty are utter rubbish. They test your writing skills to death. What's the use? All of us who are truly talented are buried!"

"Pick any book you want to read!"

He spread the bundle out on the ground, displaying all sorts of books, from poems and folk tales to history books and ghost stories.

"If I hadn't been raising money to buy my mother a coffin and bury her, I would still have a whole room full of books!"

"..."

Chen Sanshi randomly picked one out of the books: "Thank you, Xu Wolong."

The garrison doesn't provide meals.

After the appointed time, the soldiers would usually go home for their meals.

Chen Sanshi also packed his things.

Before leaving, he found Xu Bin and asked if he could get a heavy bow.

Mastering archery is so helpful for martial arts training, and even minor success is within reach, so archery practice must not be interrupted.