"Average?"
Ji Guangxian froze.
"Hundred-Household Officer Chen, surely you must be joking," Shan Yuanzhi said quickly. "That medicinal bath alone is worth 300 taels of silver! How could it possibly be average?"
"Truly average. Just that."
Chen Sanshi leaped out of the wooden tub without hesitation, showing not the slightest attachment.
Ji Guangxian was momentarily shaken. He hurried to the tub, dipped a hand into the medicine, and confirmed it was perfectly fine. Then, realization dawned on his face, and he smiled. "Ah, perhaps the effects aren't obvious after just one soak. How about this—"
"To show my sincerity, Hundred-Household Officer Chen, you may come here for three more baths! After those three, make your decision then.
"If you agree to my offer, the baths will be yours whenever you wish!
"And one more thing—there's a jar of Red Tiger Blood Wine here, specially for those who've reached Major Achievement in tempering bone. I'll give that to you as well."
"Alright then, thank you, Prefect Ji."
Chen Sanshi clasped his fists in salute, then jumped right back into the tub, wasting no time at all.
Even inside the Prefect's residence, he kept his spear within arm's reach—propped outside the carriage earlier and now standing close by. No matter where he was, vigilance came first.
Wang Zhi, meanwhile, was busy eating and drinking. "Prefect Ji, let me toast to you again!"
The three of them stayed until midnight before finally leaving Ji's estate.
The Prefect even had a carriage prepared to send them back—a courteous, thoughtful gesture from start to finish.
"My lord," Shan Yuanzhi said, watching the carriage roll away into the night, "that young man never actually agreed to your proposal. Why still offer him the medicine bath?"
"Yuanzhi," Ji Guangxian said with a knowing smile, stroking his beard, "you still have much to learn. Ever heard the saying, 'It's easy to go from frugal to lavish, but hard to go back from lavish to frugal'? Once he's tasted the Condensed Dew Body-Refining Decoction, the Thousand-Household's medicine will never satisfy him again. Sooner or later, he'll come begging for more."
"Brilliant, my lord!" Shan Yuanzhi said, suddenly enlightened.
…
"White Tribulus, Blood Orchid Grass, Tiger Fruit…"
In the carriage, Chen Sanshi silently tallied the ingredients needed for the Condensed Dew Body-Refining Decoction. Most of them he already possessed—except for one crucial item: Centennial Black Ginseng.
That precious herb was usually locked away deep in apothecary storerooms as a prized treasure, seldom sold or traded.
No wonder the decoction's effects were so potent.
He decided that once he had the time, he'd find a way to obtain some.
In just a few days, he would be heading to the grasslands on a Night Scout mission.
As the name implied, Night Scouts were spies sent out under the cover of darkness to gather intelligence.
In places like Liangzhou or Anding Prefecture—key frontier strongholds—these Night Scouts were specially trained, not just hastily assembled.
The next day, rumors of war at the border spread like wildfire.
The entire garrison was uneasy—soldiers and civilians alike wondered whether the flames of war would soon reach Poyang County.
"Father's letter came."
Sun Li held up the letter she had just retrieved from the courier station and said softly, "It says Poyang might soon face an upheaval. He told us to stay and help defend."
"An upheaval?" Chen Sanshi asked. "Does he mean the Xi River tribe—or something else?"
"I don't know," Sun Li shook her head. "He didn't say."
Sun Buqi snatched the letter, anxiety all over his face. "How is Father? What's happening in the northwest?!"
"There are eight main battalions plus twenty-nine frontier garrisons across the three northwestern prefectures," Sun Li explained calmly. "Together that's nearly 200,000 troops. With Father himself leading them into battle, nothing should go wrong."
Her composure contrasted sharply with her brother's agitation.
But they weren't the only ones uneasy.
The entire Thousand-Household Division—and all of Poyang County—was tense and restless.
If the border defenses collapsed and foreign cavalry swept into the Central Plains, everyone knew what that meant for the people. History had already written that story in blood.
Even the ordinary soldiers trained harder than ever.
At dawn, as Chen Sanshi arrived at the camp, he found the troops already practicing drills with fierce determination.
[Skill: Commanding Troops (Beginner)]
[Progress: 233/500]
[Effect: Backbone of the Army]
After the last lesson, everyone had learned their place.
Now they followed Xu Wencai's commands obediently. Their proficiency improved rapidly, and the basic formation drills started to look almost like those of seasoned veterans.
"Xu Wencai," Chen Sanshi called the old scholar over. "Gather all the Night Scouts who'll be coming with me. Train them in that 'Chariot Suspension Formation' we discussed before. If we run into trouble on the grasslands, I don't want us waiting around to die."
The Chariot Suspension Formation was a cavalry formation.
Unlike the crude, direct charge, it emphasized spacing between riders and the coordination of weapons. To the enemy, it would look like a set of turning wheels spinning in perfect rhythm.
The last time Chen Sanshi fought the barbarians on the plains, their tactics had been simple and reckless—just a circular charge relying on numbers.
If they'd truly mastered formations, that battle would have been much tougher.
This time, he personally joined the drills, immersing himself in the rhythm of the formation.
Among the five men Wang Zhi had sent over were Xu Bin and Fang Buping.
It was worth noting—Xu Bin, after years of stagnating at Minor Achievement in tempering blood, had finally broken through to Major Achievement. Unfortunately, there wasn't a spare flag officer position available for him.
Chen Sanshi happened to need reliable men, so he took Xu Bin under his command.
"You brat, already taking advantage of me, huh?" Wang Zhi grumbled. He remembered when Chen Sanshi had been a sincere, honest kid. Now the guy dared to eat and drink the Prefect's expensive food for free—and was even poaching his men.
"Don't make it sound so bad," Chen Sanshi replied casually. "I'll trade you two martial soldiers for one Xu Bin. You're not losing out."
"Bah, keep your soldiers," Wang Zhi laughed. "I'll give him to you. Just remember to bring me along next time you go to Prefect Ji's place."
"Of course," Chen Sanshi said with a grin.
After several days of drilling the Chariot Suspension Formation, it was once again Chen Sanshi's turn to stand watch along the Great Wall.
He resumed his familiar routine—riding patrols, training formations, tempering his body, and brewing medicine.
In between, he even went back to Prefect Ji's estate for another medicinal bath. Combined with his daily intake of spiritual grain, his cultivation speed surged.
By the time his ten-day watch rotation ended, his progress had already leapt forward.
[Technique: Undying Golden Serpent Spear (Upper Scroll) (Mastery)]
[Progress: 655/1000]
…
[Skill: Medicine (Mortal) (Beginner)]
[Progress: 204/500]
His medical practice hadn't fallen behind either.
And then there was the White Swan horse.
"Whoa—"
Back at the Great Wall, Chen Sanshi reined in his steed and pulled out some feed he had prepared earlier.
Though he called it "feed," it was actually high-grade forage—beyond simple grass and alfalfa. It included corn, beans, and mixed grains, far better than what he himself had eaten back when he was destitute.
And yet the horse ate an astonishing amount—practically nonstop from dawn to dusk.
A single warhorse consumed as much food as six strong soldiers.
To maintain a cavalry unit, the sheer grain cost alone was staggering.
That was why, for the Great Sheng Dynasty, warhorses were an invaluable strategic resource.
"You've been with me for a while now. Guess it's about time I gave you a name…"
Naming, however, wasn't exactly Chen Sanshi's strength.
As he mulled over it, the system panel flickered.
[Skill: Horsemanship (Mastery)]
[Progress: 0/500]
[Effect: Travels 2,000 li per day; The steed recognizes its master.]
"Two thousand li per day?"
A horse that could travel 1,000 li a day was already considered top-tier.
2,000 li—that was beyond the limits of any ordinary beast!
But then again, in a world where humans cultivated the body and spirit, why couldn't extraordinary beasts exist as well?
It was just that places like Poyang didn't have them.
"No wonder you eat so much," Chen Sanshi muttered with amusement.
What intrigued him even more was the "recognizes its master" part.
[The Steed Recognizes Its Master: Within 1,000 li, the steed can locate its master. A single call, and it will come; a single command, and it will go.]
With that ability, using a horse became ten times more convenient.
"Alright then, I'll call you Little Xun for now."
It was a random name, but it would do.
Moments later, the sound of approaching hooves echoed through the cold air.
Luo Dongquan, Liu Jinkui, and Wang Zhi arrived, each leading their respective Night Scout teams.
"The hour has come," Luo Dongquan announced from atop his horse. "Hundred-Household Officer Chen, gather your men. We ride out for reconnaissance!"
"Understood," Chen Sanshi said, clasping his fists.
It was early winter, and the wind cut like blades.
At the stroke of midnight, the gates of the Great Wall creaked open.
Three Night Scout squads rode out silently into the vast, boundless grasslands—swallowed whole by the darkness beyond.