A Sudden Turn of Events

"Another human society? Another kind of nation? What sort of society would that be? What sort of nation?"

Jian Shang's thoughts churned, but Jiang Qing did not dwell on it. She merely grew more curious and questioned him repeatedly.

Jian Shang's thick brows drew together. For a moment, he did not know how to explain or describe the difference between reality and the world of Forging the Sacred Court.

"Cough! Cough... This is no place to linger. There are several thousand barbarian riders at the foot of the mountain, too. After we rest a while, we should take advantage of the chaos to discuss a suitable route and leave as soon as possible!"

Sun Ji suddenly coughed several times and spoke in quick succession. Clearly, he did not want Jiang Qing and Jian Shang to have too much contact, preferably not even speak to each other. Yet he happened to rescue Jian Shang from his predicament.

"Shi Mou is right! Does anyone have any good suggestions?"

Jiang Yao nodded and sighed. The barbarian riders had arrived too suddenly. By the time they realized Shizhuang could not withstand the iron hooves of the barbarian cavalry, there had been too little time left to discuss where to go.

The atmosphere suddenly sank into silence. Everyone looked at one another, then realized that they no longer had a home to return to.

For a time, their hearts were heavy and lost.

"I have a map here. If no one has any better suggestions, how about going to Yongjia City? It is a mid-sized city with an army of a hundred thousand stationed there. It should be much safer, and at least it would make a decent temporary foothold!"

Jian Shang suddenly remembered the parchment map Ye Caiyun had given him before they parted—or rather, the map Shi Rong's treasured sword had bought. He took it out as he spoke.

After a pause, seeing everyone looking at him, Jian Shang crouched down and spread the map across the ground for everyone to examine.

"A map? Such a detailed, exquisite parchment map is a luxury item. It seems you are worth quite a bit!"

Jiang Yao, Gao Gong, Yang Ning, and the others immediately gathered around it in curiosity. After looking at it several times, Sun Ji suddenly looked at Jian Shang with a smile that was not quite a smile.

This was Jian Shang's first time examining the map closely. Hearing Sun Ji say that, he looked carefully and found it was indeed true.

This parchment map was nothing like the crude maps from reality. Its mountains, rivers, forests, villages, and towns were all rendered in astonishing detail, with both illustrations and colors, making everything clear at a glance. However, its range was much smaller, covering at most a thousand li in every direction.

"Brother Jiang, I have a suggestion!"

Sun Ji suddenly spoke to Jiang Yao, drawing everyone's attention. Only then did he slowly continue:

"These are troubled times. Beacon fires rise everywhere, and there is no peaceful land left under heaven. We who have neither family nor home are rootless duckweed. It seems there are only two paths suitable for us!"

Hearing Sun Ji speak like this, Jiang Yao, Yang Ning, and the others nodded in agreement. Their expressions grew even heavier, carrying a trace of sighing melancholy and confusion.

"The first path is to join the army. A man alive in this world ought to achieve merit and establish a career. At the very least, it is the best way to seek a future amid these troubled times. Perhaps one might even be granted a marquisate and become a minister, bringing glory to one's wife and children!"

Seeing Jiang Yao nod, Sun Ji quickly said. After thinking for a moment, he added, "However, the Great Qin Empire's court discipline has now collapsed, and treacherous ministers hold power. It truly is not worth risking our lives for them! That leaves only the second path..."

Having said that, Sun Ji deliberately paused. The corner of his mouth curled slightly as he looked at Jian Shang.

"What path?"

Gao Gong, too lazy to think, asked anxiously in his deep, muffled voice.

"You do not mean becoming bandits, do you? With the barbarians running rampant and merchants fearing for their own safety, what could bandits even rob now? Commoners?"

Jian Shang looked Sun Ji up and down in surprise and blurted it out. From Jiang Yao and the others' conduct and words earlier, they had seemed honorable, loyal, and righteous. Especially Jiang Qing and Gao Hong—neither woman seemed like the sort of bandit who would take to the hills and proclaim herself king of a mountain!

"Ah?"

Sure enough, the moment Jian Shang finished speaking, Jiang Yao and Yang Ning stiffened, looking at Sun Ji in confusion. In contrast, the thick-nerved Gao Gong, the seemingly innocent and simple Jiang Qing, and the virtuous, dignified Gao Hong did not react much. Fat Shi Jin's eyes, however, lit up, as though he was rather tempted.

"That's right! Become bandits, take to the hills, and rule as kings of the mountains. At least we would not have to suffer indignities in the Great Qin Army or be harmed by Great Qin's treacherous ministers. We could live free and easy!"

Sun Ji gave Jian Shang an unexpected glance, then nodded heavily. After a pause, he continued slowly and seriously:

"If Brother Jiang chooses the second path, then there is a fine target right before us. He carries weapons of refined iron, possesses a precious parchment map, and seems to be wearing Golden-Silk Inner Armor as well. He must be worth a great deal. We can rob him and use it as our starting capital!"

As he spoke, Sun Ji pursed his lips toward Jian Shang's waist, indicating the half-finger-wide strand of golden silk showing there.

"Ah!"

His words would not stop until they shocked the world!

Not only Jiang Yao and the others, but even Jian Shang himself stood dumbfounded. All of them gaped at Sun Ji, who continued speaking with great confidence.

"Anyway, he is an Otherworlder. He is not one of us. Do not forget that those Otherworlders betrayed Shizhuang before and intended to seize the town! Perhaps it was the Otherworlders who brought those barbarians here, causing us to lose our homes!"

Though everyone was stunned, Sun Ji continued rapidly and solemnly, as though it were perfectly justified.

"You cannot be serious, can you?"

Jian Shang looked at Sun Ji speechlessly and blurted out. Earlier, he had thought NPCs were even more loyal and righteous than players, people worth befriending. Who could have known that in the blink of an eye, they would be setting their sights on him? They had gone through life and death together and fought shoulder to shoulder, after all.

"Is that strange? Are we that familiar with you? Besides, you Otherworlders have undying souls, so what are you afraid of? Of course, if you obediently hand over your money and valuables, then for the sake of escaping Shizhuang together, we can spare your life! I believe being killed does not feel pleasant even for you Otherworlders. Otherwise, those Otherworlders would not have scrambled to flee for their lives!"

Sun Ji tightened his grip on the curved saber in his hand. His eyes shone as he stared at Jian Shang and spoke one sentence after another.

"How can you be like this! No! I refuse to agree! Do not forget, he helped us kill two barbarians earlier. That was why we were able to escape safely!"

Jiang Qing's willow brows shot up. She glared furiously at Sun Ji and shouted, her face full of exasperated rage.

"That may be so, but... one cannot judge everything by appearances. Otherworlders cannot be trusted. Who knows what he is plotting? Maybe he was not confident he could escape, noticed what we were doing, and merely took the chance to join in. It should be us who saved him! Do not forget, he cannot ride a horse. Without us, could he have escaped the pursuit of the barbarian cavalry?"

With a beauty in furious rage, Sun Ji instead thrust out his chest and analyzed the matter with complete self-righteousness.

"You... You twist black into white, cannot tell right from wrong, and repay kindness with enmity... You petty man!"

Jiang Qing was so furious that her fair little face turned red. Her small hand trembled as she pointed at Sun Ji and cursed him repeatedly.

"I am merely speaking the truth. I am doing this for everyone's sake!"

Sun Ji curled his lips, answering with an innocent look. After a pause, he looked seriously at the others, who had not had a chance to speak. "The world is crumbling, and people's hearts are decaying! Ah Qing, you trust people too easily. Look at Brother Jiang, Little Yang, Little Gao, and Little Jin. They have all agreed by default!"

"No! I do not care... No means no! If you want to repay kindness with enmity and confuse right and wrong like this, then I will never speak to any of you again!"

Jiang Qing did not even look at Jiang Yao and the others. She continued glaring at Sun Ji and scolded him in furious indignation.