We're Not the Same

Great Yong Dynasty, Zhang Clan training grounds.

The early summer sun baked the earth, and the air near the ground shimmered with distortion.

Lu Yuan swung his long blade with methodical precision.

He moved with the blade, agile as a leopard.

His exposed upper body was sharply defined and glistening with sweat, as solid as unhewn stone. Though his face still held a trace of youth, it radiated a martial spirit.

[Host has swung the blade once, Blade-Breaking Eight Styles proficiency +1]

[Host has swung the blade once, Blade-Breaking Eight Styles proficiency +1]

[Host has swung the blade once, Blade-Breaking Eight Styles proficiency +1]

[Name: Lu Yuan]
[Age: 16]
[Techniques: Blade-Breaking Eight Styles (431/1000 Minor Achievement)]
[Tiger-Subduing Stance (6/10 Not yet initiated)]

Practicing in this training ground, the growth of my strength is ultimately too slow. If I could have some real combat, my progress would surely be faster.

Lu Yuan sighed inwardly. He had already persisted for a full hour and was just about to put away his blade when an elderly man in a gray short jacket with a slightly hunched back walked over. "Young Master Yuan, the Clan Head wants you to come to the front hall."

"Thank you for the trouble, Uncle Zhong. I'll head over right away." After placing his long blade on the rack, Lu Yuan threw on his clothes and walked toward the front hall.

The old man named Uncle Zhong did not speak, merely watching his retreating figure and shaking his head with a hint of pity.

In the Zhang Clan's front hall, Lu Yuan had just reached the doorway when he saw a youth slightly older than him sitting at an exquisite sandalwood table, wolfing down dumplings.

The youth was Zhang Zhe, his cousin and the eldest son of the Zhang Clan's second branch. He served as a centurion in Zezhou Prefecture, and his father was the Zezhou Prefecture Assistant Magistrate, a Subordinate Sixth Rank official in charge of criminal law.

Opposite the table sat a bowl of noodles topped with a poached egg.

At the Eight Immortals table facing the door sat a middle-aged man with an expressionless face. He was Zhang Hong, the Zhang Clan Head and the leader of the main branch, serving as the Yun Province Vice Prefect, a Subordinate Fifth Rank official.

He wore a black brocade robe with gold patterns, a tuft of beard on his chin, and deep nasolabial folds that added a sense of majesty to his appearance.

"Ah Yuan is here. Eat first."

Zhang Hong gestured toward the noodles on the table.

Lu Yuan did not stand on ceremony. He sat down and began to eat ravenously, as if competing in speed with the youth opposite him.

"Ah Yuan, you surely know the reason I summoned you here, so I won't waste words. Your father died early, and the clan has always supported you and your mother. Over these years, the third branch's living expenses have not been the best, but they haven't been poor either. Now, the family has encountered a major crisis; your cousin has injured the son of the Yun Province General. Our Zhang Clan is at a critical juncture and cannot afford to offend military commanders. Therefore, someone must step up to take the blame. Zhang Zhe is young and has already reached the Bone-Forging stage; he is one of the most talented juniors in the clan. If he were exiled to the Northern Frontier to serve in the army, the loss to the clan would be too great. So, you must be the one to suffer this grievance. But rest assured, the clan will cover all your mother's medical needs, and I guarantee she will spend her remaining years in comfort."

Lu Yuan did not reply, keeping his head down to focus on his meal.

Zhang Hong did not continue speaking either, sitting quietly in his place and sipping tea.

It was only after Lu Yuan had completely finished his bowl of noodles that he looked up and said, "When I was small, I always followed my cousin around. Whatever he told me to do, I did. When Zhang Zhe caused trouble, the family would beat me. Now that I've grown up, he got into a dispute over a woman at a brothel and beat someone, and in the end, I'm the one sent to take the fall. The debt of the clan is truly impossible to repay. If I go to the Northern Frontier this time, will it be settled?"

As Lu Yuan said this, he looked up at his uncle.

His gaze was calm, without a shred of cowardice.

He had transmigrated into this world ten days ago. At the time, he had been drinking at a brothel with Zhang Zhe, his so-called cousin. The other party had gotten into a fight, and the original owner of this body had gone up to mediate, only to be struck down by a flying stool. When he woke up again, he had taken over this body. His name was the same, though the original was called Zhang Yuan.

"It will. Once you take the blame for this matter, you will no longer owe the Zhang Clan anything. On the contrary, the clan will owe you. Your uncle has no selfish motives; it is simply that the positions of your second uncle and cousin are too important. If the clan wants to climb higher, they cannot afford any mistakes."

The hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

If a clan wants to go far, it must always consider the big picture.

Zhang Yuan had practiced martial arts since childhood, but although he was physically robust, he had never entered the threshold of true cultivation. Furthermore, his father had passed away early, so in terms of the clan's utility, he was clearly far inferior to Zhang Zhe.

"Fine, I will go. But do not tell my mother about this. Her health is poor, and I won't bid her farewell this time. Just tell her I've gone away to do business."

"Rest assured, as long as the Zhang Clan stands, we will provide for your mother. However, you know that our clan is in the south, while Yan Province is in the far north. We have no special connections there, and I am unfamiliar with the military personnel. Once you arrive, you will have to rely on yourself. I have prepared some silver for your journey to cover any emergencies. If you have any other conditions, state them now, and I will see to them immediately. The men leading the troops are already waiting at the gate; we cannot delay for too long."

"Give me some Body-Tempering Pills."

The Body-Tempering Pill is the medicinal pill required to reach the Body-Tempering stage after entering the path of cultivation.

The Great Yong Dynasty was founded on martial arts, so it places the utmost importance on cultivation. From low to high, detailed realms have been deduced: Body-Tempering, Bone-Forging, Tendon-Refining, Organ-Refining (the five realms), Blood-Moving, Pulse-Opening, True Essence, Gang Qi, Innate...

It is said that after reaching the Innate realm, one can kill their way through three thousand armored soldiers single-handedly; the strength is truly terrifying.

As a prominent clan in Yun Province, the Zhang Clan naturally does not neglect cultivation.

Do not be fooled by the fact that Zhang Hong is merely a civil official; his cultivation has already reached the Gang Qi realm, and he is only one step away from entering the Innate realm.

Once he reaches that point, he can govern a region and become a Provincial Governor.

Official positions in Great Yong have always been this way. While the management domains of the highest-ranking civil and military officials within a province are completely separate, both must be at the Innate realm. For instance, the highest-ranking military officer currently in Yun Province, the General of Yun Province, holds a Principal Fifth Rank position and possesses Innate-level strength.

However, even though it is only one step away, it is like a chasm; wanting to break through is absolutely not that simple.

"I will have Uncle Zhong prepare immediately. We depart in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

After giving his instructions, Zhang Hong walked out of the front hall, evidently to give orders to Uncle Zhong.

Zhang Zhe finished his plate of dumplings, wiped his mouth, and after glancing at Lu Yuan, said, "Brother, don't hold a grudge. We are different."

After saying this, he walked over, patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder with his greasy hand—the same one he had just used to wipe his mouth—and strode away.

The latter's fists could not help but tighten.

For ten days, his mother, plagued by illness, had served him without ever undressing to sleep.

Although he did not have much affection for her, he had, after all, occupied her son's body, and he had to shoulder the responsibilities that came with it. Moreover, the current situation did not allow him much room for consideration.

If he did not agree, he feared the Zhang Clan would use every possible means to make him go to the Northern Frontier obediently.

Therefore, it was better to cooperate and take the opportunity to secure some benefits.

In the empty living room, only Lu Yuan remained.

A moment later, footsteps sounded from outside: "Young Master Yuan, the Garrison Captain has arrived. It is time for you to depart."

Uncle Zhong appeared outside the hall, carrying a heavy parcel and a leather waterskin in his hands.

"Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan, what are you thinking about? The shift change is here, let's go eat."

In the Northern Frontier of Great Yong, although it was early spring, it remained bitterly cold. An old frontier soldier reached out from his sleeve with his right hand and tugged at Lu Yuan's arm, pulling him back to reality.

The other man offered an apologetic smile: "Old Huang, my apologies. I was just lost in thought."

After arriving at the Northern Frontier, Lu Yuan had spent silver to change his name. For one, it served as a clean break from the Zhang Clan; for another, he worried that the son of the General of Yun Province might continue to vent his anger on him. Although the possibility was very slim, changing his name was safer.

"It's nothing. You've only been here for half a month; it's normal not to be used to it. We can't compare this place to other regions. We deal with the Ice Plain and the Northern Barbarians year-round. You'll get used to it gradually."

As Old Huang spoke, he tightened his leather armor, which had long since lost its color.

Lu Yuan nodded, and a moment later, the two arrived at a small eatery.

"Two bowls of beef offal, extra chili," Old Huang shouted at the top of his lungs. This eatery was the favorite spot for the frontier soldiers. On a freezing day, eating a bowl of beef offal was a treat for anyone.

"Coming, coming!"

A stout woman responded, and before long, two steaming bowls of beef offal were placed on the table before Lu Yuan and his companion. She then turned away to attend to her own business.

"Don't look at Widow Li because she's fat; her daughter is the flower of our Ice Plain County. I'll go play matchmaker for you in a bit. Since you've come to this place, don't think about going back. Just marry a wife and settle down."

Old Huang's beady eyes peered toward the back.

He had no children, and after Lu Yuan arrived in Ice Plain County, he had taken the young man under his wing while standing guard at the city gate, showing him quite a bit of care.

The Northern Frontier was a place for garrison troops—farming during peacetime and guarding the fortress during wartime. When Lu Yuan first arrived, he was allotted thirty mu of land. The manager of Ice Valley Lane, where he lived, was a Thousand-Household officer, and city-guard duty came around once every three months.

Today's shift was over, and the next time he would have to guard the city was three months later.

"I think I'll pass," Lu Yuan shook his head.

"Why are you so thin-skinned? If I had your looks, I would have gone over and asked myself long ago. I'll go ask for you tomorrow when you're not around. Such a lively girl—if you don't make your move first and let someone else snatch her up, you'll regret it too late," Old Huang said with a sly grin.

He shoveled a bowl of beef offal into his stomach in just a few bites.

Seeing that Lu Yuan hadn't finished yet, he didn't rush him. He poured himself a bowl of water, and while drinking, said, "Have you heard? Our squad leader was killed by a Northern Barbarian spy in the city last night. One strike, fatal. The blood had frozen on the ground before anyone noticed.

"The higher-ups are looking for a new squad leader."

At the level of a squad leader, unlike Lu Yuan's current status as half-soldier, half-farmer, one was considered a formal soldier. They were usually filled by hardened veterans, and the benefits were different from his current situation.

As a common garrison soldier, he was only allotted land.

But as a squad leader, there was a monthly salary of two taels of silver, command over a dozen soldiers, and an additional twenty-plus mu of land—which amounted to a full twenty shi of grain.

For those at the bottom, that was a significant sum.

"No wonder I didn't see him this morning," Lu Yuan said, looking up in surprise.

"Sigh, in this place, there are only a few hundred frontier soldiers in total. The city is practically riddled with holes. Try not to go out after dark," Old Huang cautioned Lu Yuan.

By this time, the other man had finished his bowl of beef offal.

"Clack!"

Lu Yuan tossed twenty copper coins onto the table, grabbed the standard-issue long saber resting on the table, and said, "Let's go."

Old Huang gave him a thumbs-up. "Classy."

Then, he followed Lu Yuan out the door.

However, just as they reached the outside of the restaurant, he seemed to recall something and said to Lu Yuan, "You head back first. I left something in the restaurant; I need to go grab it."

After saying this, he turned around and went back inside.

Lu Yuan acknowledged him with a nod and began walking toward his residence.

Most of the border troops here were either people who had committed crimes or those who had been demoted; once they arrived, they were stripped of all rank and had to start over as common soldiers.

However, all their past crimes were pardoned.

The only requirement was to guard the border.

The area was vast and sparsely populated, and the border troops were assigned courtyards. Because Lu Yuan was stationed at the North Gate, his courtyard was in the north of the city: Ice Valley Lane No. 34 Courtyard.

The size was decent enough, consisting of three tiled rooms.

Among the border troops, having a courtyard like this was considered quite good; it had cost Lu Yuan an extra ten taels of silver in bribes to secure.

The Zhang Clan had given him a fair amount of silver, but throughout the journey, he had spent more than half of it to conceal his origins. Now that he had settled down, he didn't have much left.

Returning inside, he first lit the kang and ignited the stove.

Once the temperature gradually began to rise, Lu Yuan opened his system panel.