Chapter Eight: System Selection, Heavenly Dragon City-Shattering Halberd

After a short while, in the study,

Chu Feng hurriedly took out the ancient manuals on special forces training and combat tactics, along with two illustrated volumes—these were diagrams of the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow, and not just any version, but an enhanced and improved model.

The Zhuge Repeating Crossbow, also known as the Yuanrong Crossbow, was an invention attributed to Lord Wu, Zhuge Liang. Though its specifics were lost to history and are difficult to verify, it was said to be a formidable weapon—but now, it had appeared ahead of its time, and in an improved form at that. The system truly had its merits, Chu Feng thought as he flipped through the pages.

Yuanrong Crossbow: made with iron bolts, each bolt eight inches long, ten bolts per crossbow, with a quiver for rapid fire. It can injure enemies at a hundred paces—a true weapon of war.

Chu Feng drew a sharp breath as he read the introduction.

An enhanced version capable of striking enemies a hundred paces away? This was beyond his expectations. According to later scholars, the Yuanrong Crossbow’s range was estimated at only thirty or forty steps, which was part of why it didn’t become widespread. Yet, with the system’s upgrades, it could now injure at a hundred paces.

Not bad at all!

Chu Feng continued to study the diagrams.

After a while, his expression grew serious. This device was far more complex than he had imagined, especially the firing mechanism—it was astonishing. Even a skilled craftsman would require at least a month to construct one. The cost was prohibitive, and its practicality was questionable. The Yuanrong Crossbow could barely perform arcing shots; it was only useful for direct fire from the front ranks. The bolts had to be uniform in size, strictly measured—consuming too many resources, making mass production unfeasible.

In short, it was suitable only for elite, specialized troops—no wonder it faded into obscurity.

He then turned to the special operations manual.

After studying it for half an hour, Chu Feng closed his eyes in thought. The strength of these special forces lay in their cooperation, individual skill, physical and psychological fitness, and loyalty. They had little impact on the main battlefield, but could achieve surprising victories through unconventional means.

As the Art of War says: “Meet the regular with the regular, defeat with the unexpected!”

That, in essence, was the idea behind such troops. Every warlord had some version of them, but in ancient times their influence was limited, so only a few were ever trained.

Opening his eyes, Chu Feng shook his head. The manual was too restrictive, though the training methods were sound—these, combined with modern special forces techniques, would yield good results.

But the combat methods were foolish, akin to elite infantry—capable of taking on five foes at once, but too costly to train, making them something of a luxury.

Better to focus on training regular elite troops!

He tapped his fingers on the desk for a long while before stopping. He took up his brush and wrote: Triad Formation. The pinnacle of light infantry tactics—unmatched by any.

But Chu Feng knew that times had changed, and so had the needs of the nation. The triad formation required adaptation, and was not suited to large-scale armies as they existed now.

However, it would suit these elite troops well.

Moreover, in ancient times, the triad formation’s main purpose was to provide covering and supporting fire, to prevent a single enemy bombardment from wiping out all three men, or suppressing them with machine gun fire.

In simple terms, it dispersed the enemy’s firepower.

Given the current circumstances, could he perhaps adapt it into a quintet formation?

When combined with the Yuanrong Crossbow for sustained long-range assault, this elite force might well yield unexpected results—at least for now, it would be more than just a mere novelty.

For the moment, his priority was to manufacture the Yuanrong Crossbows and begin training his men.

At once, he divided the crossbow diagrams into several parts to prevent them from being leaked, then summoned Elder Li, instructing him to seek out craftsmen from all over and offer them the highest rewards.

…

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Yuan Shu had not visited the Chu family estate. Instead, he sent trusted agents to conduct a thorough investigation. With fratricide in the air, he was understandably concerned.

Yet, after three days, all the information Yuan Shu received indicated that Chu Feng had not contacted anyone, nor was there any sign of abnormal activity.

You can’t keep a fire hidden under paper—unless…there is no fire at all, unless nothing happened. Otherwise, he would have found something. But could there really be someone in this world who could foresee the future?

Pondering this, Yuan Shu frowned. His army had already been on the march for several days and was likely nearing Xiapi by now. With tens of thousands of troops, could they really be defeated by Lü Bu?

“Summon Yang Hong to see me!”

Before long,

Yang Hong entered and saluted. “Your Majesty, for what does Your Majesty call for this humble minister?”

“Hmph,” Yuan Shu snorted, flinging a stack of reports before Yang Hong. “These are the results of my recent investigations—still not a scrap of evidence. Explain this to me.”

“Your Majesty, this humble minister…” Yang Hong lowered his head, trembling. Truth be told, he had no explanation, having found nothing himself.

“Hmph! Take him out and give him ten strokes of the staff!”

At once, the guards entered, dragged Yang Hong out, punished him, and brought him back.

It was a display of attitude—Yuan Shu’s attitude.

After all, the ministers had sown discord, meddling in the struggle between legitimate and secondary heirs. Not executing him was already a favor.

“Your Majesty, I was rash before. I beg Your Majesty to quell your anger!” Yang Hong was more restrained this time, uncertain of Yuan Shu’s true opinion of Chu Feng.

“However, Your Majesty, the young master once said our army would be defeated in this campaign. Why not inquire as to why he believes so, and see how he fares as well?”

Yuan Shu’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then he nodded in agreement.

“Send someone to the national treasury—have Liang Gang bring five hundred top-grade weapons, swords, spears, sabers, and halberds, to accompany me.”

…

After some time, at the Chu family estate.

In just a few days, the place had been completely transformed!

The estate had expanded, with several new rows of thatched cottages to house the families of the recruited strongmen. Beyond the estate, the fields were bustling with activity.

Yuan Shu’s brows rose, while Yang Hong squinted, assessing the scene.

Just by looking at how Chu Feng had organized the estate, it was clear his abilities far surpassed Young Master Yao—extraordinary, indeed! If only Yuan Shu could keep this hidden forever.

But was that possible?

Chu Feng’s talents were already enough to threaten Yuan Yao. Once word got out, the struggle between legitimate and secondary heirs would erupt—truly troubles within and without!

Before long, led by Elder Li,

The group made their way to a dense forest on the western side of the estate. Deep within the woods was a large clearing, but from the outside, no one could tell there was a military camp within.

From a distance, the clearing was filled with all manner of training equipment: a four-hundred-meter obstacle run, logs, walls to climb, iron nets for crawling, and even exercises for crossbow marksmanship with bricks hanging from the bow.

At that moment, the armored soldiers were training with fervor.

Yuan Shu frowned. “What are they doing?”

Liang Gang was puzzled as well. “Your Majesty, Master, it seems the young master is drilling troops, but I’ve never seen this method—most unusual.”

Yuan Shu hesitated, about to enter the camp.

“Halt! Who goes there?” the sentry barked.

Yuan Shu: …

Liang Gang moved to draw his sword, but Yuan Shu stopped him.

Just then, Chu Feng ran over. “Father, where have you been these past few days? Why are you only just arriving? I heard that fool Yuan Shu actually sent men to attack Lü Bu.”

Yuan Shu: …

You really are my own son—insulting your father the moment we meet. Do you think I have no shame?

Yang Hong’s lips twitched. He was used to it.

Liang Gang was stunned. What the—? Calling Yuan Shu father on one side, and a fool on the other? What kind of posture was this?

A new trick from Macau?

Yuan Shu forced a strained smile. “Feng’er, perhaps Yuan Shu has his own reasons. Besides, I hear he’s deployed tens of thousands of troops—how could Lü Bu possibly withstand them?”

He offered a feeble explanation.

Mainly, Chu Feng hadn’t explained previously, so he hadn’t pressed the issue.

Chu Feng wasn’t eager to elaborate—one or two prophecies were fine, but any more would be excessive. Just as he was about to brush it off, a system prompt sounded in his mind:

“1. Brush it off and receive ten warhorses as a reward.”

“2. Reveal the truth and receive a divine weapon: the Dragon-Slaying Halberd, which can greatly increase the host’s martial prowess.”