My Cultivation Starting from Archery

Chapter 74 Great Wall

Great Wall.

It was of utmost importance for any ancient regime.

In the Central Plains, the greatest enemy was the ferocious nomadic tribes from the grasslands.

Before the Great Wall was built, incursions by barbarian cavalry into the south to plunder were frequent every year.

And since these were small-scale cavalry raids with high mobility, they would typically raid and kill and then leave, leaving the defenders powerless.

Until the Great Wall arose, blocking the trampling of horse hooves.

The nomads would need to pay a huge cost if they wanted to raid.

They either had to siege or cross mountains and ridges on foot.

The former required a loss of lives, while the latter, even if loot was obtained, meant being pursued and killed without the boost of warhorses.

So, out of necessity, the originally scattered tribes of the grasslands also began to unite gradually, eventually forming several powerful alliances to collectively oppose the states of the Central Plains.

Furthermore,

Contrary to what many people believe,

the Great Wall was not a drain on resources but rather a significant saving on defense spending.

Chen Sansi once read in "Dasheng Records" that during the Kaiyuan Period, an official calculated an account for the Emperor.

The details were too complicated, but in the end, it turned out that compared to the cost of maintaining a large number of soldiers for defense, building the Great Wall was ten times more cost-effective.

The Po Yang territory is surrounded by mountains and the terrain is rugged.

The area where cavalry and large forces could advance is limited to around 200 li, and the Great Wall just covers this range.

Not far north of the Thousand Households outpost, one could see a structure resembling a giant python.

"Households Commander Chen, you've worked hard."

Zhao Kang explained the work content, "In ten days, the men from Households Commander Feng will come to switch duty, and only then can you go back to rest."

From now on, the three of them, each a commander of a hundred households, would take turns being responsible for the watch duties on the Great Wall.

Over a hundred people started to take over the changing of the guard.

Just changing guard was a major operation, so it was done every ten days to improve efficiency.

Chen Sansi rode his White Swan Horse, patrolling along the Great Wall.

When the handover finished, he too climbed up to the top of the wall via the staircase.

The Great Wall was about seven meters high, with a base width of six meters and a top width of five to six meters.

Every ten li, there would be a signal tower, and each signal tower would be manned by five soldiers.

Two hundred li of the Great Wall was just enough for the manpower of a hundred households.

It might seem that a distance this long, manned by just a hundred people, would be too few, but in reality, it was completely sufficient.

The main purpose of the Great Wall was to stop war horses, slow down attacks, and transmit information.

Once the enemy was spotted, a signal fire would be lit immediately.

Upon the rise of the warning smoke, the entire force of Po Yang Thousand Households would react at the fastest speed, and the entire process would not exceed the time it takes half an incense stick to burn.

Additionally, this place was not the main battlefield, and the barbarian tribes outside the city were not populous, so the situation was generally stable.

Since it was the first day, Zhao Kang also left experienced soldiers at each signal tower to pass on their knowledge, explaining the lookout points to pay attention to and the various uses of signal fires.

Signal fires were not just about lighting a beacon and being done with it.

It was a complete intelligence system.

With four types of signal equipment—beacon, beacon table, beacon gourd, and beacon wood—and four kinds of signals using fire, light, smoke, and flags, along with complex combinations, they were able to convey detailed intelligence.

For example, how many enemy forces were attacking, from which position, and so on...

Seeing it in books versus seeing it in real life was completely different.

"Ten days."

"For the next ten days, we'll be here in one go."

As a leader, Chen Sansi had to set an example and could not slack off.

But he wouldn't waste time either.

Inside a watchtower, the soldiers took turns resting.

Therefore, Chen Sansi was on watch all night, and during the day, he took advantage of resting hours to ride back to camp and help out in the pharmacy. As for sleep, he only slept three to four hours a day, but fortunately, with the spirit provided by [Reading], he could withstand it.

After ten days.

Chen Sansi had nearly spent the three hundred silver coins given by his senior sister, and with the potent effects of Spiritual Grain, his proficiency approached mastery in the Bone Strengthening Skill!

[Cultivation Technique: Undying Golden Snake Spear - Entry Level]

[Progress: 410/500]

"And that's under circumstances where I can't quickly neutralize the toxin of Spiritual Grain."

"If there were actual combat, progress could be even faster!"

And there's no need to worry about progress being too fast and noticeable to others.

Chen Sansi specifically inquired about it.

Just within the Eight Camps, there were two he knew of who were advancing faster than him.

The first, was Supervisor Sun.

Second, was the third son of Lord Governor Sun who had passed away.

The remaining ones certainly exist, needing some free time to ask Sun Li to find out.

Besides the Eight Camps, the Capital City definitely has many, and so do the major powers.

So to say.

The pace at which one's cultivation increases was indeed astonishing, but still within the realm of genius, and coupled with being mistaken for the Nine Dragon Body, it was completely plausible.

For now, there was no need to go to great lengths to conceal one's cultivation level.

Feeling rapid progress was largely because the Po Yang territory was too remote.

"Clang!"

Chen Sansi exhaled deeply and put down the long spear in his hand.

Another night on watch, the East brightening with the white of dawn.

He stood atop the city wall, gazing into the distance.

These ten days had passed very peacefully.

Not a single figure had appeared on the grasslands.

He actually hoped that small groups of cavalry would attack, so as to hone his spear technique in combat and aid the absorption of the energy from the Spiritual Grain.

But such things could not be forced.

Fortunately, with such long periods of strenuous effort, his medical skill was about to reach entry-level. Eating more Supplemental Medicines would do just as well.

5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Households Commander Feng arrived on time to change guard.

Chen Sansi rode back to camp on the White Swan Horse along with the other soldiers.

Lately, riding the horse back and forth and feeding it personally was also improving his proficiency; his Horse Control skill was quickly approaching the next stage.

[Skill: Horse Control (Entry-Level)]

[Progress: (150/200)]

He did wonder, after all, a horse was just transportation, how much further could it be improved.

Upon returning to the military camp, Chen Sansi headed straight for the pharmacy, but at the entrance to the camp, he encountered a familiar figure.

Wang Zhi had returned from visiting relatives in the Prefecture City.

"Stony."

Wang Zhi, grinning with his teeth bared, came over cheerfully: "How have things been recently? I mean, which Selection Officer visited?"

"The young master and daughter of Lord Governor Sun."

Chen Sansi dismounted: "Right, Miss Sun was also looking for you."

"They..."

Wang Zhi tentatively asked: "What did they say?"

"Miss Sun said she doesn't know you. Hundred Households Wang, have you changed your name?"

Chen Sansi said, "You asked me to plead on your behalf, but you should at least tell me what you did in the past, right?"

"I..."

Wang Zhi looked troubled and said with a bitter smile: "Stony, I've changed my mind. You don't have to speak for me anymore. If you see Lord Governor Sun later, don't mention me; just say the Cultivation Technique was found by you on the street."

Having said this, he walked away as though fleeing.

"?"

Chen Sansi found it all very bewildering.

So afraid of the Sun Li siblings?

If Wang Zhi truly had a serious crime, he wouldn't be alive to this day.

It didn't make sense.

Unable to figure it out, he stopped thinking about it and headed straight for the pharmacy.

"Households Commander Chen really doesn't rest at all."

The Medical Officer Jiang found it frightening.

This young man didn't seem afraid of working himself to death.

"I dare not rest."

Chen Sansi, already well-acquainted with the pharmacy, started to help sort the medicinal herbs and assisted with adding water to decoct medicines for the military officers.

He also possessed an eidetic memory.

Any medicinal herb that had appeared in the pharmacy, its utility and medicinal properties were all engraved in his mind; any Supplemental Medicine that had been decocted in the pharmacy, he had firmly memorized the formulas and secrets.

Finally.

The panel surfaced.

[Skill: Medical Skill - Mortal (Entry-Level)]

[Progress: 0/500]

[Utility: Mastery of medicinal principles, Recognize Medicine Upon Sight]

[Recognize Medicine Upon Sight: For ordinary medicines, seeing them would enable him to decipher the formula]