The system did not respond.
Images began to appear on the screen.
The scene showed a bountiful rice field, where a young man slowly rose to his feet.
Yun Ming looked at the person who was identical to him, even dressed exactly like him, and cold sweat ran down his back.
Should he change his clothes first?
In the scene, Simulation Yun Ming slowly stood up, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He looked around, trying to find some trace of familiarity.
The surrounding farmers all cast curious looks his way, sizing up this stranger who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Young man, where did you come from?" a farmer asked curiously.
Simulation Yun Ming did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked, "Where is this?"
His voice carried a hint of confusion and inquiry.
"This is Longxi, Qi Kingdom," the farmer answered.
Hearing that answer, Simulation Yun Ming fell into deep thought.
He murmured to himself, "Qi Kingdom, Li Maozhen, Empress..."
A contemplative expression appeared on Simulation Yun Ming's face.
After glancing at the farmer, Simulation Yun Ming cupped his hands in thanks. "Thanks."
"According to the setting, this is the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, an era of martial men seizing power and heroes emerging one after another." Simulation Yun Ming pondered inwardly. There's no way for me to learn martial arts. Besides, I'm just an ordinary person. If I want to gain a foothold in this chaotic age, I can only take my chances by joining the army.
You knew all too well that human lives were as worthless as grass in troubled times. You had to find a powerful force to rely on.
You decided to join the Qi Army, hoping to distinguish yourself in the military, earn the Empress's favor, and obtain martial arts manuals.
Because your physical condition was decent and met the army's requirements, you successfully joined the Qi Army and became an ordinary soldier.
However, your entry into the army was far from smooth. The cook demanded silver from you, but you did not have a penny. As a result, the other soldiers beat you black and blue. Worse still, you were assigned to scrub latrines.
Your heart was filled with anger and resentment, and you secretly swore that one day, you would eliminate every person who had bullied you.
Yun Ming, who was changing clothes, suddenly received a string of system notifications and froze.
Looking out the window, he saw his simulated self, covered in bruises and holding back tears as he scrubbed a latrine.
"No way."
Yun Ming's expression darkened. "That miserable?"
"This is fucking being broadcast! Isn't the whole world watching me scrub toilets?" Just thinking about it made Yun Ming feel like dying of embarrassment.
If he failed to make something of himself later, people would laugh their heads off.
"I should've chosen a House of Royalty. Having a good starting identity would've made things much easier."
Yun Ming frowned. Even with Tenfold Cultivation Speed, he still needed martial arts manuals in hand.
As a completely ordinary person, where was he supposed to get martial arts manuals?
Then Yun Ming suddenly realized a problem.
He did not even understand the human body's meridians. Even if he had martial arts manuals, they would be difficult to use.
Angel Nebula.
"Isn't this too miserable?" The angels gathered in the Royal Palace, their eyes fixed on the battered man inside the heavenly screen.
"A small beating every three days, a major beating every five!"
The angels discussed it among themselves, their brows tightly furrowed. They sympathized with the man's plight while also feeling indignant at the cruel scene.
What angels hated most was the strong bullying the weak.
"What exactly is this thing? Why is it making us watch this?" Angel Zhui frowned.
Her voice revealed dissatisfaction and confusion over the appearance of the heavenly screen.
"Showing nothing but a male being bullied—isn't that rather ridiculous?" Angel Leng's lips curled into a mocking smile.
Angel Yan analyzed in a low voice, "Things are probably not as simple as they appear. Judging from the setting of this scene, it seems to be a place in a relatively backward, cold-weapon era. I have traveled through countless civilizations and seen many people of humble status who, through their own effort and wisdom, ultimately rose to become leaders of civilizations and wrote legendary chapters."
"Perhaps this Light Screen is showing this protagonist's legendary story."
"Tch!"
Angel Leng's eyes were filled with contempt and disdain. "Which one of us angels isn't a legend?"
The angels had fought through countless battles and weathered untold hardships. They were legends themselves!
"Let's continue watching."
Holy Keisha sat high upon her throne, gently swinging one crossed leg. She said nothing more, merely watching the heavenly screen with deep, unfathomable eyes.
Meanwhile, on the distant Blue Star, Du Kao and Lian Feng were also following the contents of the heavenly screen.
"The name Li Maozhen sounds somewhat familiar," Du Kao said with a frown, his face filled with puzzlement.
Lian Feng swiftly pulled up the relevant information and replied, "General, have you forgotten? He was a figure from the late Tang Dynasty and later became the Qi King of Qi Kingdom."
Du Kao came to a sudden realization. He had once been active during the Tang Dynasty, but so much time had passed that he had not recalled it immediately.
Yet the doubt in his heart did not fade. "What exactly is the purpose of showing us this?"
Lian Feng also frowned as she stared at the heavenly screen.
She shook her head helplessly. "At the beginning, this man was wearing modern clothing, yet he suddenly appeared in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Could this be time travel? It sounds absurd, but everything this Light Screen has shown has already exceeded the limits of our understanding. I'm sorry, but I don't understand its true purpose either."
"..."
"What trash!"
At the edge of the deck, Qiang Wei's sharp eyes stared at the protagonist being humiliated in the scene.
She could not help letting out a cold snort, saying with dissatisfaction and contempt, "If it were me, I would fight them to the death and perish alongside those bastards who dared humiliate me. I would never let them have it easy."
Cheng Yaowen's weathered face looked exceptionally calm and rational.
He gently shook his head, disagreeing with Qiang Wei's fierce words. "Qiang Wei, you only have one life. Once it is lost, it can never be recovered. If you die, you have nothing left, including the chance for revenge."
Ge Xiaolun nodded in agreement and said foolishly, "Yao Wen's right. As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. Besides, maybe this is heaven preparing him for a great responsibility—first straining his muscles and bones, then starving his flesh and skin."
Qiang Wei replied evenly, "A warrior may be killed, but never humiliated. That is my bottom line. People fight for a breath of dignity, just as Buddha fights for a stick of incense. I will never allow anyone to trample on my dignity so easily."
Zhao Xin cut in with a grin. "Qiang Wei, would you rather be a hero for five seconds, brief but dazzling, or a coward for a lifetime, living out the rest of your days in obscurity?"
Qi Lin's brows shot up as she retorted unhappily, "Aren't they afraid someone will stab them in the back once they reach the battlefield? An army that is ruthless toward its own people will only be cowards against outsiders. The moment they reach the battlefield, they'll collapse at the first blow and have no combat strength at all."
At some point, Lei Na had found herself a bag of chips. Sitting on the deck, she leisurely ate them while commenting on the scene. "This man is the protagonist, you know. He'll definitely be incredibly powerful in the future. Isn't this exactly his growth and transformation?"
She thought it was very simple. Protagonists always had to be suppressed before they could rise.
Before you continue