A Hero's Sweat

The bright moon had just risen, stars strewn across the sky.

Beneath the dim night curtain, the cool breeze blew against their faces and into their hearts, leaving them refreshed and clear-minded.

Jian Shang, Jiang Yao, and the other nine people on seven horses rode beneath the night sky, galloping across the plains without pause. After traveling for three or four shichen, they had already covered three or four hundred li, moving faster than even a regular army on the march.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha..."

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Jiang Yao, Gao Gong, Yang Ning, and the other eight people on six horses rode three to five meters apart. Jian Shang alone rode at the very front, shouting without cease. His cries rang clearly through the silent night, accompanied by the fierce sound of wind splitting and the occasional crack of air bursting.

It was easy to imagine that Jian Shang was putting his full strength into every thrust of his spear rather than merely swinging it around for fun.

"Has he gone mad? He's been wielding that thing for so long and he's still not tired? Even if he isn't tired, isn't his mouth dry? Are all Otherworlders this twitchy?"

Jiang Yao and the others maintained the same pace, their formation remaining orderly. Watching the cold gleam slicing through the darkness ahead, the fat Shi Jin muttered in puzzlement and disdain.

Not long after leaving Nine-Dragon Mountain, Jian Shang had gone ahead by himself and begun shouting as he practiced his spear. He had barely stopped since.

His movements were mostly the same few techniques: blocking, controlling, and thrusting as the main focus, with rebounding, pointing, piercing, chopping, circling, lifting, and deflecting as secondary techniques.

Hearing Shi Jin's words, everyone else fell silent instead of responding, quietly watching the figure in the night ahead.

"You think he's like you, with all four limbs idle and his mind fixed on the five grains? (That's not a typo.) If you still refuse to exercise or work hard, even I'm worried about your future. If enemies hunt you down someday, don't expect me to help you!"

At last, the skinny Shi Ji spoke.

"Is that any way to speak to your cousin? If you won't help me, can you face Auntie in the Nine Springs?"

The fat Shi Jin put on an elder's "dignity" and rebuked him.

That was right. Shi Jin and Shi Ji truly were cousins, blood-related cousins.

Not long after Shi Ji was born, both his parents died. Shi Jin's mother, Shi Shi, took him in and raised him until he was seven or eight years old, when Shi Shi ultimately died from exhaustion.

Thus, the person Shi Ji was most grateful to and respected most was Shi Shi. A widowed Shi Shi had already struggled greatly to raise Shi Jin alone, yet when their other relatives ignored Shi Ji, she resolutely took him in and raised him.

Shi Ji had always believed that he was the one who caused Shi Shi's death and burdened Shi Jin as well.

Therefore, whenever Shi Jin mentioned Shi Shi, Shi Ji immediately fell silent and lost all temper.

The dramatic part was that Shi Shi's son, Shi Jin, was plump-faced and big-eared, his body round as a barrel. Shi Ji, meanwhile, was gaunt as a rake, thin as a wiry monkey.

On the surface, Shi Ji was diligent and down-to-earth, while Shi Jin was lazy and gluttonous. Together with their starkly contrasting physiques, anyone unaware of the truth would surely think Shi Shi favored her biological son and mistreated Shi Ji.

In truth, the opposite was the case. Shi Shi treated Shi Ji even better than her own son and constantly worried about how thin he was.

She gave Shi Ji much of the delicious and nourishing food, and could not bear to let him do any heavy work.

Yet life was like a play. Many things were inborn, and effort in the Postnatal Realm was not necessarily useful.

Although Shi Jin often stole Shi Ji's food and secretly made him do many things behind Shi Shi's back, he did not eat more than Shi Ji or work less than him.

But Shi Jin grew fat even from drinking water, while Shi Ji could eat meat without gaining an ounce.

Sure enough, the moment Shi Jin mentioned Auntie, Shi Ji's expression changed. With a silent sigh, he explained, "Jian Shang isn't crazy! Nor is he twitchy! He's clearer-headed and more hardworking than any of us. You all saw it before—he couldn't ride a horse, and with a long spear, all he knew was how to stab and smash."

"And now? Whether in horsemanship or Wuyi, none of us can compare to him, can we? I don't know whether his comprehension is astonishingly high, or whether Otherworlders are blessed by Heaven and uniquely favored!"

"In troubled times, what matters most?"

The others looked thoughtful. Sun Ji gazed at the figure ahead with a complicated expression, then continued. After a pause, he answered his own question.

"Strength! Troubled times produce heroes, and strength determines everything! Strength does not fall from the sky like pies, nor does it rely solely on talent and comprehension. Postnatal Realm effort is equally important! I admit it—I truly underestimated Otherworlders before."

"According to legend, Otherworlders were summoned from the Outer Heavens through a joint spell cast by the Three Sages, Three Sovereigns, and Eight Loose Immortals, bearing the mission of saving the common people and restoring the realm. I had always thought it was a lie the Imperial Court used to beguile the common folk. Now, though, it seems to hold some truth. It may not be empty talk after all!"

When he finished, Sun Ji's face darkened, and he continued in disappointment, "Perhaps the future will belong to the Otherworlders. Even the Imperial Court may invite wolves into the house and lose control over them. After all, everyone knows how rebellious Otherworlders are."

"Of the villages and towns within a thousand li, most were destroyed by the barbarians, while a smaller portion fell into the hands of Otherworlders. It is merely that most Otherworlders treat commoners well and do not, like the barbarians, slaughter without humanity and plunder in madness!"

Hearing Sun Ji's analysis, the others, who had been thoughtfully watching the figure ahead, stirred once more.

"You're overthinking it! Otherworlders ultimately do not belong to this world. Since they came bearing a mission, once that mission is complete, they will naturally leave! With Qin Shi Huang's great talent, grand strategy, and tyrannical authority, he naturally would not destroy the foundations he built with his own hands."

"This world will ultimately remain our world!"

Jiang Qing glanced at Sun Ji, then at the figure ahead, her eyes filled with apology, complexity, and confusion. She quickly looked away again and, unusually, comforted him in a gentle voice.

In everyone's eyes, Sun Ji was extremely narcissistic and vain. Yet he truly had the capital for it, and everyone knew he deliberately acted that way. In reality, Sun Ji was indeed a very confident person.

Now that he had suddenly revealed such a gloomy, disappointed expression, the main reason was Jiang Qing. Jian Shang's appearance had made Sun Ji sense a crisis in love, and Jian Shang's current performance had left Sun Ji somewhat lacking in confidence.

Jiang Qing, delicate in nature and wise at heart, appeared innocent and simple, but her mind was clear as a mirror.

"That's right! Everyone has seen what Otherworlders are like—selfish and self-serving, valuing fame and profit over loyalty and righteousness. I believe Otherworlders like Jian Shang are extremely rare. Who am I, Shi Mou? A born strategist! Becoming a marquis or prime minister in the future will be no difficult matter. I definitely won't be inferior to an Otherworlder!"

Though Sun Ji felt bitterness in his heart, his spirits lifted. He resumed his narcissistic, vain manner and deliberately raised his voice as he shouted repeatedly.

"Yes! I believe you can do it!"

This time, no one spoke up to mock Sun Ji. Jiang Qing nodded heavily, her tone exceptionally firm.

"Alas..."

Seeing the two like this, Gao Hong, quiet and attentive to the smallest detail, sighed inwardly. Though Jiang Qing had not fallen in love with Jian Shang or even considered matters between men and women, she did have some fondness for him.

But toward Sun Ji, Jiang Qing's feelings were more those of a sister toward a brother than those between a man and woman. It seemed Jian Shang truly had a better chance than Sun Ji!

What about herself? Gao Hong asked herself, unable to stop her gaze from turning toward Jiang Yao.

Though she was not Jiang Qing and had not encountered anyone like the "Jian Shang" in Jiang Qing's heart, would she and Jiang Yao ever have a future? How exactly did Jiang Yao see her?

"Stop!"

At that moment, Yang Ning, who had always been sparing with words and could not squeeze out a fart in half a day, suddenly reined in her horse and shouted.

"Hm?"

The more silent a person was, the more attention they drew when they spoke. Jiang Yao and the others all halted and looked at Yang Ning in confusion.

Yang Ning's expression was solemn as she scanned the surroundings. Her sharp eyes were like an eagle soaring high in the sky, yet she offered no explanation.

Unfortunately, no matter the occasion, Yang Ning always wore that half-dead "coffin face." No one could tell what was wrong.

"What is it?"

The group had not stopped once since setting out. With everyone suddenly halting and Yang Ning's shout, Jian Shang swiftly stopped practicing, turned his horse around, and rode back to ask.

The third update is here. Begging for bookmarks and recommendations!!!