Great Yong Dynasty, Zhang Clan's training grounds.
The early-summer sun baked the earth, and even the air close to the ground shimmered and warped.
Lu Yuan swung his long saber with measured precision.
He moved with the saber, agile as a leopard.
His bare upper body was sharply defined and glistened with sweat, hard as stone. Though his face still held a trace of youth, it was already touched with a valiant air.
[Each time the host swings his saber, proficiency in Blade-Breaking Eight Styles +1] [Each time the host swings his saber, proficiency in Blade-Breaking Eight Styles +1] [Each time the host swings his saber, proficiency in Blade-Breaking Eight Styles +1] ... [Name: Lu Yuan] [Age: 16] [Martial Art: Blade-Breaking Eight Styles (431/1000, Minor Accomplishment)] [Tiger-Subduing Stance (6/10, Not Initiated)]
"Practicing here on the training grounds is ultimately too slow for improving my strength. If I could get some real combat experience, I'd probably progress much faster."
Lu Yuan sighed inwardly. He had already kept at it for a full hour today, and was just about to put away his saber when—
An elderly man in a gray jacket, his back somewhat stooped, walked over. "Young Master Yuan, the family head asks you to come to the front hall."
"Sorry for the trouble, Uncle Zhong. I'll go right away." After setting the long saber on the rack, Lu Yuan threw on his clothes and headed for the front hall.
The old man called Uncle Zhong said nothing. He watched Lu Yuan's departing figure and shook his head with a hint of regret.
Lu Yuan had only just reached the Zhang Clan's front hall when he saw a youth a little older than himself sitting beside 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. His father was the prefecture's vice prefect, in charge of criminal affairs, a Subordinate Sixth Rank official.
On the other side of the table sat a bowl of noodles topped with a fried egg.
Beside the square table directly facing the doorway sat a middle-aged man with an impassive expression. He was Zhang Hong, head of the Zhang Clan and the leading figure of the First Branch, as well as the Yun Province Deputy Commander, a Subordinate Fifth Rank official.
He wore a black brocade robe patterned with gold. A small tuft of beard adorned his chin, and deep lines ran beside his mouth, lending him an air of authority.
"Ah, A-Yuan's here. Eat first."
Zhang Hong pointed to the bowl of noodles on the table.
Lu Yuan didn't waste words. He sat down and wolfed them down, as if racing the youth across from him.
"A-Yuan, I imagine you know why I called you here, so I won't beat around the bush.
"Your father died young, and the family has supported you and your mother all this time. Over the years, your Third Branch's food and expenses haven't been the best, but they haven't been lacking, either. Now the family is facing a major crisis: your cousin injured the son of the Yun Province General.
"The Zhang Clan is at a critical juncture. We especially can't afford to offend the military officers.
"So someone has to step forward and take the blame. Zhang Zhe is still young, yet his cultivation has already reached Bone Forging Realm. He's one of the most talented among the younger generation in the family. If he's sent to serve in the army on the Northern Frontier, it would be too great a loss for the clan.
"So we can only ask you to bear this injustice. But don't worry: the family will cover all the costs of your mother's medical care. I guarantee she'll live out her days in comfort."
Lu Yuan didn't answer. He simply kept his head down and focused on eating.
Zhang Hong didn't speak again, either. He sat quietly where he was, sipping his tea.
Only after Lu Yuan had finished every last bite of noodles did he look up and say, "When I was little, I was always following my cousin around. Whatever he told me to do, I did. Whenever Zhang Zhe got into trouble, the family would beat me. Now that we've grown up, he got into a fight with someone over a woman at a brothel, and in the end, I'm the one taking the fall.
"This family's debt of kindness really is impossible to repay.
"If I go to the Northern Frontier this time, will that be enough to repay it?"
As he spoke, Lu Yuan looked up at his uncle.
His gaze was calm, without a trace of fear.
Ten days ago, he had crossed into this world. At the time, he'd been drinking with Zhang Zhe—his so-called cousin—in a brothel. Zhang Zhe had gotten into a fight, and the original owner had stepped in to break it up, only to be knocked to the ground by a flying stool.
When he came to again, he had found himself in this body.
The name he'd been given was the same as his own, though it was written as Zhang Yuan.
"You can. As long as you take responsibility for this, you won't owe the Zhang Clan anything anymore. In fact, the family will owe you. Your uncle has no selfish motives. It's just that your Second Uncle and cousin hold positions that are far too important. If the family wants to rise higher, they absolutely cannot afford a mistake."
Zhang Hong's hand trembled around his teacup.
For a clan to go far, someone always had to consider the greater good.
Zhang Yuan had practiced martial arts since childhood. Although he'd always been strong and healthy, he had never entered a cultivation realm. And since his father had died young, he was clearly of far less use to the family than Zhang Zhe.
"Fine. I'll go. But don't tell my mother about this. Her health is poor, and I won't say goodbye to her before I leave. Just tell her I've gone away to do business."
"Rest assured, as long as the Zhang Clan still stands, we'll support your mother. But you know our clan is in the south, while Yan Province is all the way in the north. We don't have any significant connections there, and we don't know the military officers, either. Once you arrive, you'll have to rely on yourself. I've prepared some silver for you, to cover any needs along the way.
"If you have any other conditions, tell me now. I'll see them taken care of as soon as possible. The officer leading the troops is already waiting at the gate, so we can't delay for long."
"Get me some Body-Tempering Pills."
Body-Tempering Pills were the medicine needed to reach the Body-Tempering Realm after entering the Entry Realm.
The Great Yong Dynasty had been founded through martial force, so cultivation was of utmost importance. The realms had been carefully defined, from lowest to highest: Body-Tempering, Bone Forging, Tendon-Refining, Organ Refining—the Five Realms—then Blood-Moving, Meridian Opening, True Essence, True Qi, Xiantian...
It was said that once someone reached the Xiantian Realm, they could cut through three thousand armored soldiers alone. Their strength was utterly terrifying.
As a great clan of Yun Province, the Zhang Clan naturally spared no effort in cultivation.
Though Zhang Hong was merely a civil official, his cultivation had already reached the True Qi Realm. He was just one step away from Xiantian.
At that point, he could govern a region and become a provincial governor.
That was how official appointments in Great Yong had always worked. Within a province, the highest-ranking civil and military officials managed entirely separate affairs, but both had to be at the Xiantian Realm. Take the highest-ranking military officer in Yun Province right now, the Yun Province General: his official rank was Principal Fifth Rank, and his strength was at the Xiantian Realm.
Though it was only one step away, that step was as vast as a chasm. Breaking through was by no means easy.
"I'll have Uncle Zhong prepare them now. We'll set out in the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
After giving his instructions, Zhang Hong left the front hall, evidently to find Uncle Zhong.
Zhang Zhe had also finished his plate of dumplings. He wiped his mouth, glanced at Lu Yuan, and said, "Brother, don't hold it against me. We're not the same."
Then he came over, patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder with the greasy hand he'd just used to wipe his mouth, and walked away.
Lu Yuan's fists clenched on their own.
For the past ten days, his sickly mother had cared for him tirelessly, never once taking off her clothes to sleep.
He didn't have much of an attachment to her, but he had taken over her son's body, after all. He had to shoulder the responsibility that came with it. Besides, he didn't have much room to think things over now.
If he refused, the Zhang Clan would probably do whatever it took to make him go to the Northern Frontier anyway.
He might as well cooperate and use the chance to get something out of them.
The empty hall held only Lu Yuan now.
A moment later, footsteps sounded outside. "Young Master Yuan, the Garrison Captain is here. It's time for you to leave."
Uncle Zhong appeared outside the hall, carrying a heavy bundle and a leather waterskin.
"Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan! What are you thinking about? The relief shift's here. Let's go eat."
The Great Yong Northern Frontier was already in early spring, yet the cold still bit deep. An old frontier soldier reached out from his sleeve with his right hand and tugged at Lu Yuan's arm, bringing him back to his senses.
The man gave him an apologetic smile. "Old Huang, sorry about that. I was lost in thought."
After arriving at the Northern Frontier, Lu Yuan had spent silver to change his name. For one thing, he wanted to sever his ties with the Zhang Clan. For another, he was worried the Yun Province General's son might keep taking his anger out on him. The chance was slim, but a new name still felt safer.
"It's fine. You've only been here half a month. It's normal not to be used to it. This place can't compare with anywhere else. We're always dealing with the ice plains and the Northern Barbarians. You'll get used to it in time."
As he spoke, Old Huang tightened the faded leather armor on his body.
Lu Yuan nodded. A moment later, they arrived at a tavern.
"Two bowls of beef offal, extra chili!" Old Huang shouted. The tavern was a favorite among the frontier soldiers. On a bitterly cold day, a steaming bowl of beef offal was a pleasure for anyone.
"Coming right up!"
A plump woman answered. Before long, two steaming bowls of beef offal were set down in front of Lu Yuan and Old Huang. Then she turned back to her own work.
"Don't let Widow Li's size fool you. Her daughter's the prettiest girl in Ice Plain County. I'll arrange a match for you in a bit. Once you've come to a place like this, forget about going back. Get yourself a wife and settle down."
Old Huang peered inside with his beady little eyes.
He had no wife or children. After Lu Yuan arrived in Ice Plain County, Old Huang had taken him along to stand guard at the city gate and had looked after the newcomer quite well.
The Northern Frontier was a place where soldiers farmed in peacetime and defended the strongholds in wartime. When Lu Yuan first arrived, he'd been assigned thirty mu of land. The man in charge of Ice Valley Lane, where he lived, was a Centurion. Guard duty like this came around once every three months.
Today's shift was over. He wouldn't have to stand guard at the city gate again for another three months.
"I think I'll pass." Lu Yuan shook his head.
"Why are you so shy? If I looked like you, I'd have gone over and asked her myself already. Fine, I'll go ask for you tomorrow when you're not around. A girl that pretty—if you don't make your move first and someone else snaps her up, you'll regret it." Old Huang grinned mischievously.
He downed his bowl of beef offal in two or three mouthfuls.
Seeing that Lu Yuan hadn't finished yet, he didn't rush him. He poured himself a bowl of water and sipped it as he said, "Heard the news? Our Squad Leader was killed last night by a Northern Barbarian spy in the city. One slash, and he was dead. They didn't find him until the blood had frozen on the ground.
"They're picking a new Squad Leader."
At the Squad Leader rank, unlike Lu Yuan, who was currently half soldier and half farmer, a man was a proper soldier. The post was usually held by a hardened veteran, and it came with very different benefits.
As an ordinary garrison soldier, Lu Yuan had only been given land.
But as Squad Leader, he would receive two taels of silver in monthly pay, command more than ten soldiers, and be given over twenty more mu of farmland—enough to produce a full twenty shi more grain.
For people at the bottom, that was a considerable sum.
"No wonder I didn't see him this morning." Lu Yuan looked up, surprised.
"Hey, there are only a few hundred frontier soldiers in this whole place. The city's practically riddled with holes. Try not to go out after dark." Old Huang warned him.
By then, he had finished his bowl of beef offal, too.
"Clack!"
Lu Yuan tossed twenty copper coins onto the table, grabbed the standard-issue long saber resting there, and said, "Let's go."
Old Huang gave him a thumbs-up. "That's the way."
Then he followed Lu Yuan out.
But just after they left the tavern, Old Huang seemed to remember something and said, "Go on ahead. I left something in the tavern. I'll go fetch it."
After that, he turned around and went back inside.
Lu Yuan acknowledged him and headed for his lodgings.
Most of the frontier soldiers here had gotten into trouble, while others had been demoted and stripped of rank until they had to start over as common soldiers.
But all the crimes they'd committed in the past were pardoned.
The only requirement was that they serve on the border.
The land here was vast and sparsely populated. The frontier soldiers were assigned courtyards, and since Lu Yuan was stationed at the North Gate, his was in the north of the city: Ice Valley Lane No. 34 Courtyard.
It was a decent size, with three tiled-roof rooms.
Among the frontier soldiers, having a courtyard like this counted as pretty good. Lu Yuan had spent an extra ten taels of silver to arrange it.
The Zhang Clan hadn't given him a small sum, but he'd spent more than half of it on the way here to hide his origins. Now that he'd settled in, he didn't have much left.
Back in his room, he first stoked the kang and lit the stove.
Once the temperature had gradually risen, Lu Yuan opened the System Panel.