Chen Family Fort

Great Yu Dynasty, Flame Province, Guangning Prefecture.

Chen Family Fort, late afternoon.

"Haah, haah..."

In an open square, more than a dozen burly men were each hardening their bodies.

They were a boisterous bunch, bare-chested and sweating.

Some were carrying rocks, while others were furiously practicing their saber techniques. A group of young wives nearby watched with keen interest, making for quite a lively scene.

At that moment, a gray-clad young man carrying a long spear slowly walked over from a distant courtyard.

He was tall and lean, with handsome features and a pair of bright, alert eyes.

The men training in the square all turned to look at him, their eyes full of admiration.

"Lu Yun's here to practice his spear again. He does it every day, without fail. Three years, day in and day out, and he hasn't missed once."

"Exactly. I doubt many people could match that kind of incredible perseverance."

"It's a shame, though. He only practices spear techniques and never trains in stances. I really can't understand it."

"Alas... If you practice martial arts without cultivating your body, it'll all come to nothing in the end."

"Big Brother Zhao Hu tried talking him out of it, but Lu Yun just wouldn't listen..."

The men chatted among themselves, their voices full of regret.

Hearing the various comments around him, Lu Yun smiled faintly, his heart still as calm as water.

He was already somewhat used to scenes like this.

He wasn't a native of this world, but an ordinary office worker from the twenty-first century.

After a drinking party, he had suddenly crossed into this strange world. He'd nearly starved to death in the mountains before Chen Qing'er and Old Chen, who'd gone up the mountain to gather firewood, found him and carried him back. He'd then joined Chen Family Fort, becoming one of its people.

The people of Chen Family Fort were simple and kind, and they'd treated him well. He'd gone from being completely lost at first to gradually accepting his situation and finding his place among them.

As for why he only practiced spear techniques and not stances, that was naturally because of his golden finger.

With a thought, a blue panel visible only to him appeared in the air before him.

Host: Lu Yun.

Age: 21.

Remaining lifespan: 32 years.

Realm: None.

Cultivation method: White Ape Stance [Beginner].

Martial skills: Basic Spear Technique [Mastered] (99%) Basic Footwork [Beginner]

Strength: 180 jin.

Condition: Severely depleted qi and blood.

Note: [Once a skill is perfected, other functions of the attribute panel can be activated].

The moment Lu Yun first touched a spear after arriving at Chen Family Fort, this attribute panel had suddenly appeared.

After learning that this world was in the midst of a golden age of martial cultivation, and that the panel's only activation requirement was to master a skill, he'd begun training his spear technique with everything he had. After all, the attribute panel was his only support in this otherworld.

From then on, Lu Yun had started leaving early and returning late, never taking a day off. He'd persevered for three whole years, through the changing seasons and more than a thousand days and nights, and had finally brought the Basic Spear Technique to the mastered level.

He was only a hair's breadth away from activating the attribute panel. To master the spear technique as quickly as possible, he'd even given up on stance training.

His prolonged overtraining, combined with his poor diet, had left his body badly depleted and shortened his lifespan.

Thinking of all the hardships he'd endured in training, Lu Yun's eyes shone with excitement.

He'd waited too long for this day. Tonight, he would break through.

Just as Lu Yun was about to begin his training for the day, a sudden commotion broke out ahead.

Lu Yun looked up.

A group of men came running toward them, carrying a middle-aged man whose nose and mouth were bleeding. He was filthy, his clothes covered in footprints.

Old Chen, dressed in coarse hemp clothes, hurried along behind them, panting heavily. He looked deeply troubled.

"What happened? Who hurt Zhao Hu like this?"

The men practicing in the square clenched their fists at the sight, their eyes blazing with fury.

"Black Wind Stronghold did it."

"Those beasts threatened to make us hand over twenty thousand jin of grain within seven days, or they'd raze Chen Family Fort to the ground."

Old Chen's voice was tinged with despair.

"Get our weapons! We'll fight them to the death! They're leaving us no way out!"

Many of them were worked into a fury.

They all understood that if Chen Family Fort handed over the grain, everyone would starve to death.

"Fight? With what? The three leaders of Black Wind Stronghold are all genuine Qi-Nurturing Realm martial artists. We don't have a single one."

The words poured cold water over everyone. Despair settled over the crowd.

The gap between martial artists and ordinary people was simply too great.

A single Qi-Nurturing Realm martial artist could slaughter everyone in Chen Family Fort.

The two sides weren't even on the same level.

Black Wind Stronghold had clearly decided that they had Chen Family Fort over a barrel.

Lu Yun frowned, suddenly realizing that someone was missing from Old Chen's side.

Ever since Old Chen and Chen Qing'er had rescued him and brought him home, he'd lived with them.

Old Chen had a twenty-two-year-old granddaughter named Chen Qing'er. She was clever and capable, and she took care of everything around the house.

For the past three years, she'd even mended the clothes and shoes Lu Yun wore. She'd often pricked her fingers until they were covered in blood, but no matter how many times Lu Yun tried to stop her, she would only smile sweetly and keep at it.

They'd long since grown as close as family.

"Uncle Chen, where's Qing'er?"

Lu Yun's brow lifted, and a foreboding feeling stirred in his heart.

With something this serious happening, she should have been there. Chen Family Fort wasn't that big.

"Qing'er's gone missing. I looked for half the day at the place where she often gathers mushrooms, but I couldn't find a trace of her..."

Old Chen hunched over, clutching the hem of his clothes so tightly his hands trembled. His eyes were lifeless.

He was already old. The damned bandits from Black Wind Stronghold had killed his son and daughter-in-law.

Now his only granddaughter was gone, too. He'd long since lost any reason to go on living.

"Missing?"

Lu Yun's gaze sharpened.

"How could someone simply disappear? There aren't usually any wild beasts at the foot of the mountain, and Qing'er wouldn't have gone far up the mountain..."

He turned and tried to comfort Old Chen. "I'll look into it when I can. Qing'er's a lucky girl. She'll be all right..."

At that moment, the injured Zhao Hu slowly came around.

"Everyone, pack your things and leave Chen Family Fort. If even one person can get away, that's one person saved."

"We're not leaving! None of us are! This is our home. We'd rather fight to the death!"

Everyone grew agitated and rejected the suggestion outright.

They weren't fools. Since Black Wind Stronghold had made this demand, they clearly weren't worried about anyone escaping.

The bandits must have posted lookouts around the perimeter.

Even if they somehow slipped away, there was no guarantee they'd make it to the city.

Clear Distance City was hundreds of li from Chen Family Fort, with bandits and wild beasts roaming the road in between.

Without the strength of a Qi-Nurturing Realm martial artist, it would be difficult to reach the city.

"Brother Lu, you're still young. You shouldn't die here with us old folks."

Seeing everyone refuse, Zhao Hu turned to look at Lu Yun.

Lu Yun's determination to practice the spear for the past three years had moved him. This young man, whose heart was set on the martial path, had a bright future ahead of him.

"I'm not leaving."

Lu Yun slowly uttered those words, then lifted his spear and walked toward a corner of the square.

He let his actions speak for him.

In Lu Yun's eyes, running away alone was the height of cowardice. Repay kindness, and take revenge for wrongs—that was how he lived.

After all, the people of Chen Family Fort had helped him so much over the past three years.

At this moment, his attribute panel was his only hope of turning things around.

I hope it doesn't let me down.