Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 3

Of course, Li Ji wouldn't voice his true feelings or confront Li Bi directly—he was lame in one leg, and although he claimed he could protect Li Bi, he actually needed Li Bi to protect him in return. Putting aside everything else, without Li Bi's support, could he continue hopping on one leg? How far could he jump? Once the pursuers caught up, even if he wasn't their primary target, with his companion dead and his sword still in his hand as a crutch, do you think they would spare Li Ji's body?

He continued to call upon the original owner of his body in his mind to appear, while pondering how he could survive in this unfamiliar era and unfamiliar world.

Having transmigrated inexplicably, there's little chance of finding a way back—should I go up a mountain and fall again? Besides, my original body would probably be shattered from falling headfirst from the rooftop of an 18-story building; even if my soul traveled back, I'd still be dead!

There was no other way but to say goodbye to the first half of my life. Since I was already here, I might as well make the best of it and figure out how to survive in this Tang Dynasty.

Furthermore, the fact that Emperor Taizu Pei Gai did not exist in the history of this world further fueled Li Ji's suspicion that Pei Gai was also a time traveler. If Pei Gai traveled to the chaotic late Jin Dynasty, crossed the river by boat, overcame numerous hardships, pacified the Hu tribes, destroyed the Jie Zhao state, and ultimately defeated the Sima clan, achieving imperial power, then perhaps I could too.

A time traveler who doesn't want to fight for supremacy is definitely not a good history researcher!

In particular, the Tang Dynasty seems quite similar to the Jin Dynasty. Although there was no "War of the Eight Princes," it was still a rebellion by ambitious foreigners that swept across half of the Central Plains in an instant. However, unlike Pei Gai, I was not born into a prominent family, which made it easy for me to quickly occupy a territory and then raise a private army.

In this situation, he could only temporarily rely on his cousin, who was familiar with both the emperor and the crown prince, and was the only stepping stone he could use.

Thinking of this, Li Ji couldn't help but ask Li Bi, "Is there really any hope for the Tang Dynasty?"

Li Bi retorted angrily, “What are you saying? Although the rebel An is rampant, the people’s hearts are still with our Tang Dynasty, and there are not many who are determined to join the rebellion. Even if I cannot assist the Crown Prince, or even if he does not listen to me or follow my plans, the civil and military officials of the court can work together to suppress the rebels. However, I am afraid it will take several more years before we can achieve complete success.”

At this point, a thought struck him, and he immediately understood what Li Ji was thinking—this old devil was from the Jin Dynasty, and must be thinking of the Hu-Jie rebellion during the Western Jin Dynasty, believing it to be quite similar to the current situation. So he patiently explained:

"In your time, there was the War of the Eight Princes, and the country's elite troops and generals had already been exhausted in the internal strife. In addition, those who held military power were mostly self-serving and unwilling to devote themselves to the affairs of the country—Sima Yue and Gou Xi fought each other, Suo Lin and Qu Yun were also at odds, and Sima Rui and Wang Dao fled to Jiangnan—which is why the Hu forces grew stronger day by day."

“Our Tang Dynasty is different. The court still retains its prestige, and there are still large armies in Shuofang. There are also uprisings in various counties and prefectures—as Na Zhensui said before, Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi are leading troops into Hebei to attack the rebels from behind. As long as the Emperor or the Crown Prince has the will to revitalize the dynasty and has no desire for peace, and gathers troops from all sides to support the Emperor, we will surely be able to recover the two capitals and wipe out the rebels!”

Li Ji thought to himself, "No way! If that happens, I'll never have a chance to rise in the world. Wouldn't all my time travel have been for nothing?"

However, one should only listen to what a scholar says and not take it seriously—it's a pity that the original owner of this body was too ignorant; with the little knowledge he left behind, he couldn't analyze the situation at all.

So he changed the subject and asked Li Bi, "How far have we gone? Where should we hide?"

Li Bi remained silent for a long while before finally sighing softly, "I am not familiar with the roads north of the capital... I originally relied entirely on Zhen Sui as my guide, but he has perished..."

But then, as if to comfort himself, he pointed ahead and said, "Look, that's the plateau rising high in the distance. If we follow the bottom of the plateau westward, we should be able to reach Tongguan County. I just don't know if Tongguan has also fallen to the bandits?"

Li Ji was quite familiar with the geography of the area near Tanshan in later generations. He guessed that the "Tongguan" Li Bi mentioned likely referred to Tongchuan City in later times, which would be about ten kilometers away. He looked up at the sky; the sun had already set halfway down.

At this limping pace, we won't make it before dark.

“Brother, do you want to go into the city? Tongchuan and Tongguan are not far from Xijing. How could the rebels not send troops to occupy them? It would be safer for us to do as before, bypass the cities and villages, and find a secluded place to go west.”

Li Bi shook his head and said, "We must find a place to rest..." He turned his head slightly and glanced at Li Ji's lower body, saying, "Your right leg is broken. Although I set the bone, it's best to rest quietly for a few days. Otherwise, you might suffer a lifelong disability..."

He sighed softly and said, "After all, it is my brother's body. How can I bear to destroy it? I had no choice but to help you hurry because I was afraid that the pursuers would catch up. But it is still nearly a thousand miles to Pingliang. How can we keep running in the wild? Besides... I'm afraid we won't have enough food and water."

They naturally carried food and water with them, but Li Bi, though physically weak, was of noble status and shouldn't have been allowed to carry the luggage—he volunteered to carry it himself to ease the pressure on Li Ji's injured leg—so half the food and water went with Zhen Sui to the bandits, while the other half was carried by Li Ji, and together they plummeted down the cliff. Their clothes wouldn't be damaged, and even if the rations were broken, they could still be eaten, but the water…

They used bamboo tubes to hold the water, but those bamboo tubes weren't even as strong as Li Ji's leg bones, so they naturally shattered into pieces, making it impossible to recover the spilled water.

Since fields are usually built around water, and cities and villages are formed around wells, if they always avoid people, the chances of finding a water source are really too slim.

By this time, they had reached the bottom of the plateau and turned west. Li Ji pointed uncertainly ahead: "There should be a river near Tongguan..."

He remembered that the upper reaches of the Shichuan River, a tributary of the Wei River, flowed through what would later become Tongchuan City, but he wasn't sure if such a river existed in this world, in this era. Regardless, Li Bi's words made sense; with his injured leg, he couldn't stay there for long, and it would be best to find a place to rest for a few days. However, if he couldn't find a water source first, even if he had already left his pursuers far behind, he dared not stop.

They were indeed lucky. Before nightfall, when they were still seven or eight miles away from Tongguan County, they discovered a shallow stream flowing down from the plateau—it was definitely not the Shichuan River, but probably a tributary—so they decided to stop for the time being, draw water, eat, and then prepare to camp out.

Li Ji asked Li Bi to help him to the stream, where he lay down and reached out to grab the water. Although the sun was setting, some reddish afterglow still shone on the clouds and spread to the world. Only then was Li Ji able to see the body that had occupied him for nearly half a day for the first time in the water.

Of course, Li Ji in the past couldn't have never looked in the mirror, so he naturally retained some memories of his own appearance, but it was never as clear as seeing it with his own eyes.

Li Ji had already noticed that this body was about 1.75 meters tall, just like the one he had in his previous life—equivalent to five feet seven inches in the Tang Dynasty. However, the young man was only eighteen years old and might grow taller. In ancient times, this was considered tall, but while commoners might be less than five feet tall, this height was quite common among nobles and officials.

Li Bi was only about an inch shorter than Li Ji. However, Li Ji had a large frame and a wider build, so unless they were standing close together, he appeared slightly shorter than the slender Li Bi.

Through years of rigorous training, Li Ji's entire body was covered in solid muscles, a physique that was incomparable to the one he had developed in the gym in his previous life. After all, the main purpose of fitness is health and appearance, not fighting ability, and often one has to diet and lose fat while building muscle.

The most direct changes are twofold: first, my strength has increased several times over; second, my waist is much thicker than in my previous life, but alas, my nascent four-pack abs are gone...

As for appearance, the two Li Jis bear no resemblance whatsoever. The Li Ji of the previous life was at least a cultured man; while not exactly refined and fair-skinned, he did have a scholarly air when wearing glasses. The Li Ji of this life, however, has a baby face, darker skin, and while each of his features is somewhat distinctive, they appear rather ordinary when put together, and he is also overly honest.

To put it simply, just by looking at his face, he's just an ordinary country boy who's ignorant and incompetent, the kind of guy you can't beat into talking. Li Ji finally understood why even a shrewd guy like Li Bi would misjudge his cousin who he'd been relying on for so many years.

Another difference is that men in ancient times did not shave. Li Ji had large patches of short, coarse downy hair on his upper lip and chin. Because it had never been trimmed, it looked a bit messy. However, it could modify his baby face to some extent, making people realize that he was no longer a child. He had undergone the coming-of-age ceremony and even had a courtesy name, so he was considered an adult.

He stared blankly at his reflection in the water, not reaching for a drink for a long time. Li Bi handed him half a pancake, looking melancholy, and asked as if trying to make conversation, "What did you originally look like? How old were you when you died?"

Li Ji took the cake and sighed as he replied, "My original appearance... was much more mature. But when I died, I was only... thirty-three years old..."

He added five years because he felt that becoming a military commander in one's twenties might be unusual and difficult to gain people's trust. Besides, in terms of experience, could he be inferior to a thirty-year-old warrior from two thousand years ago?

However, the two Lis were not without conversation along the way; on the contrary, their conversation was almost non-stop. Li Ji wanted to learn more about the affairs of this world, while Li Bi was afraid that if he quieted down, he would be unable to help but mourn his brother's death, and even more so, he would be unable to resist shoving the counterfeit goods to the ground and abandoning them.

However, reason told him that he couldn't travel far alone, and he still couldn't leave that old ghost. And his feelings...

Chapter Six, Split in a Dream

The dry biscuits were coarse and hard, and even with the clear water from the stream, they were difficult to swallow. If Li Ji hadn't been extremely hungry, he certainly wouldn't have given them a second glance.

However, a voice seemed to be reminding him: This is the kind of food we usually eat, so what's so hard about swallowing it?

No, those were just the instinctive reactions of the various organs of this body, including the mouth, teeth, throat, and even the nasal cavity and stomach. Li Ji continued to call out to the original owner of this body in his heart, but he did not receive any response at all.

After eating and drinking, they moved slightly away from the stream and found a dry, sheltered spot to camp. Li Bi, who had lived in seclusion in the countryside for many years, was not a weak scholar who did not engage in physical labor—at least not in spirit—and had already gathered some dry branches and fallen leaves before it was completely dark, and lit a fire with a flint. The two sat on opposite sides of the campfire, one to the east and one to the west.

Li Bi said, "Let's rest early. We still have to travel tomorrow morning. We'll try to get into Tongguan or find a village outside the city to stay in."

Li Ji casually agreed, but refused to lie down.

Li Bi sneered, "You refuse to sleep, are you afraid I'll draw my sword and harm you in the middle of the night?" Before Li Ji could answer, he added, "I'm also afraid you'll draw your sword and kill me in the middle of the night, so you can use my brother's body to do whatever you want and live a carefree life!"

Li Ji stammered, "How could that be? My leg is broken, and I still need my brother's help..."

Li Bi said, "I must also hold my nose and pretend that you are my brother and bodyguard, so that you can protect me and help me reach Pingliang safely. If we both put aside our suspicions, we can both live. If we are wary of each other, I'm afraid we will both die." As he spoke, he stood up, leaving his long sword behind for self-defense, and placed the bow and arrows he had picked up beside Li Ji. He said, "Since you don't want to sleep, you can keep watch for the first half of the night. The pursuers shouldn't be traveling in the middle of the night, but we must be wary of wild animals. Call me when the moon is high in the sky, and I will keep watch for the second half of the night."

He then returned to the other side of the campfire and lay down fully clothed.

Li Ji really couldn't sleep. Although his body was exhausted, his mind told him: It's only eight o'clock, right? The nightlife hasn't even started yet... But in this world, in this era, there is probably no nightlife. Commoners work at sunrise and rest at sunset, and even nobles often regard long nights of gathering as extravagant and immoral.

How did I end up in this time-traveling world so inexplicably? Which is more terrifying, more tragic: death or being transported to a completely unfamiliar ancient world? Why couldn't they put me in an era I've researched and have some understanding of?!

If I were to travel to the end of the Qin Dynasty, I would join Emperor Gaozu of Han; if I were to travel to the end of the Han Dynasty, I would try to establish my own hegemony before Cao Cao unified the north; if I were to travel to the end of the Jin Dynasty, I would join Emperor Taizu of Hua; if I were to travel to… But what is this Tang Dynasty all about? Is the Tang Dynasty doomed? Will it perish? Does that barbarian An Lushan have any ambition to rule the world? I am completely in the dark!

If the Tang dynasty is about to end, and the Yan dynasty is not going to last long either, how can I, a country boy, survive in this chaotic world and even try to contend for supremacy? On the other hand, if the Tang dynasty does not end, attempting to contend for supremacy will not succeed, and may instead bring heavy disasters to the common people. "Better to be a dog in times of peace than a human in times of chaos." Unless the common people are driven to desperation, no one would be willing to change dynasties through turmoil and war.

If that's really the case, how am I supposed to survive in this ancient era?

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but turn my head and glance at Li Bi, who was already snoring softly—this guy falls asleep quickly. Right, he knows the methods of regulating breathing and calming the mind. Although I don't expect this person to be a reincarnation of Zhuge Liang, capable of shaking the world as soon as he steps out of his thatched hut—after all, even Kongming ultimately failed to revive the Han Dynasty—I do hope that he's not just a clever face with a stupid belly, or a theorist who only talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. I hope that once he arrives in Pingliang, he can truly be granted a prominent position by the Crown Prince and entrusted with important responsibilities. Otherwise, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to rise to prominence.

The surrounding area was desolate, with only the crackling of burning branches and the faint sound of a stream flowing nearby. Just a few feet away from the fire, it was pitch black. Although there were stars and a dark moon in the sky, they were not enough to provide illumination. For Li Ji, who was used to the urban life of his previous life, it was too quiet and too dark. An inexplicable fear would often rise in his heart.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from behind him. Li Ji couldn't help but shudder and hurriedly turned around. He saw a few faint red lights flashing in the darkness—what were those? Were they wolves, or wild dogs whose eyes were said to turn red after eating dead people?!

Since descending Tanshan Mountain, they had not encountered a single living person along their journey. However, occasionally at the bottom of the plateau or in the ravines, they would find the mutilated remains of the dead. Wild dogs would linger beside some of the remains, staring intently at the two passersby, baring their sharp teeth, and watching them go into the distance...

Li Ji instinctively drew his sword, then, after a moment's thought, placed it in front of him and picked up his bow and arrows. In truth, Li Ji in this life had never practiced archery, nor had he studied archery in his previous life; he had only used plastic bows to shoot at figurines at a few tourist attractions. But since the red dot hadn't gotten close yet, he felt more at ease having a long-range weapon in his hand.

He nocked the arrow to the left of the bow, hooked the string with his index, middle, and ring fingers, and tried to slowly pull it back.

Suddenly, Li Bi's whisper came from behind: "It's too dark, we won't be able to hit them. They're just some stray dogs. There's a fire here, they might not dare to come near."

Li Ji said "Oh," then relaxed his arm muscles and retracted the bowstring.

Then Li Bi asked again, "Have you really used a bow? What technique is this?"

Li Ji was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then chuckled and said, "Of course, as the Protector-General of the Great Jin, how could I not know how to use a bow?" It's normal for a soldier not to know how to use a bow—archers have never...

They all require specialized training and organization—it would be ridiculous for a non-commissioned officer of captain rank or above not to know how to use a bow.

He realized he had made a mistake in his haste and could only lie, saying, "This is a secret archery technique passed down in my family, so I don't need to wear a thumb ring."

His method of drawing the bow, later known as the "Mediterranean style," originated in the Western world. In contrast, the East Asian tradition is called the "Mongol style," where the arrow is nocked at the right hand (usually right-handed), and the thumb is used to pull the string with a thumb ring, allowing a relatively short recurve bow to be drawn to its fullest extent. However, this method of drawing the bow has become very rare in later generations. Professional archery competitions use the "Mediterranean style," and even in period dramas, it is often depicted incorrectly. Therefore, although Li Ji, as a historian, understood this, he still made an almost instinctive mistake when he picked up the bow.

In fact, there were quite a few similar mistakes in the conversations along the way. Fortunately, Li Ji reacted quickly enough, and Li Mi did not have any special knowledge of the living habits of the Jin people, so he was able to make up lies in time to cover it up each time.

Li Ji slowly lowered his bow and arrow, still gripping his sword tightly, thinking to himself: I must be careful. I must deeply hide many of the habits of later generations. To survive in this world, I must appear outwardly normal so that no one can see anything unusual about me.

Fortunately, after a short while, whether truly afraid of the firelight or not, the red dots gradually disappeared. Li Ji felt relieved and sat up for half the night, yawning repeatedly, but his heart was filled with anxiety and unease. To be honest, he wasn't optimistic about his future. Finally, when the moon was high in the sky, he casually picked up a small clod of earth and tossed it to Li Bi's side. Li Bi, however, was quite alert and immediately sat up, saying, "You go to sleep, I'll keep watch for the rest of the night."

Li Ji couldn't help but wonder if that guy was actually asleep.

After thanking Li Bi, he turned over and lay down. Fortunately, it was only early autumn, and even in the wilderness at night, it wasn't too cold. He moved slightly closer to the campfire, wrapped his clothes tightly around himself, and that was enough to ward off the chill. He was anxious and worried, and originally he couldn't sleep, but because of his injured leg, he dared not move at all after lying down, for fear of aggravating the broken bone. And if a person doesn't move for a long time, drowsiness will naturally arise.

So, in a daze, he seemed to fall asleep and began to dream. Li Ji vaguely felt that his body was being sawed in half, split into two pieces, and these two pieces could even communicate—

"Have you finally decided to show up again?"

"...You've taken over my body, and you still dare to say such things?"

"This wasn't my idea either... Anyway, you're still alive? Why didn't you show yourself sooner so your cousin could be at ease?"

"What is there to be at ease about? I am already dead, and my body is occupied by you—are the bustling cities and peaceful, prosperous worlds in your memories all real?"

"If it's my memory, how could it be fake?"

"Why would you give up such a carefree life to come to this world and seize my body?!"

"Do you think I wanted this...?"

"Why can't I possess your body? It's so wonderful—delicious food, beautiful women, games, movies, express delivery, airplanes... If I could live one day like that, it would be better than ten years in this world!"

"I promised to take over my body, so go ahead and do it... But my body is probably already shattered. You won't even get a single good second of peace if you go there..."

Although they were talking, the two versions of themselves were actually able to communicate. Li Ji learned from this that the original owner's soul was indeed fragmented and decaying, and probably wouldn't exist for much longer. Therefore, it wouldn't easily appear unless it was a matter of life and death, or in a dream at night. Of course, there was another factor at play, which was why the other soul remained silent for a long time after waking up, leading Li Ji to suspect that it was completely gone, and directly tell Li Bi: "Your brother is dead."

Because a simple (maybe) young man from ancient times was suddenly surrounded by memories of the dazzling world of the future, with countless almost incomprehensible messages flooding in at the same time, he was dumbfounded and crashed...

When Li Ji was awakened by Li Bi, only fragmented memories remained of that period—perhaps a dream, perhaps a subconscious recollection. He seemed to recall that the original owner's soul had entrusted him with protecting Li Bi—

"Now that you have taken my body, you should repay me. I ask for nothing more. Brother Changyuan has raised me with kindness, and our relationship is like that of father and son. You must protect him and ensure his safety and well-being for the rest of his life..."

I think I've agreed to it, but after sobering up and thinking about it again, protecting Li Bi and getting him to Pingliang safely is not only beneficial to me, but also a way of repaying him for taking my body. But... "a peaceful life"? Is my life, at least most of my life, going to be tied to Li Bi?

How are we supposed to compete for supremacy then?!

Well, since I've already promised, I should keep my word. At least until I understand the situation, I shouldn't break my promise—a gentleman's word is his bond, and I'm not a petty person. We can figure out what to do later, for the sake of the people.

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As before, Li Bi helped Li Ji walk forward, but Li Ji no longer used his long sword. He had the sword and its sheath tucked into his belt and cut off a tree branch to use as a walking stick.

The two waded across the stream and continued westward. After only seven or eight li, they reached the riverbank again. However, this river was not narrow; it was six or seven zhang wide, and its turbid waves were surging and its depths were unfathomable—it was definitely impossible to wade across, and given Li Ji's current condition, swimming was out of the question.

Li Ji pondered, "This must be the ancient Ishikawa River."

Not far across the river, a city rose from the ground, its banners fluttering atop its walls. Li Ji stared wide-eyed, then closed his eyes one by one, gazing intently with only one eye for a long time, except...

Chapter Seven: From Arrogance to Obsequiousness

It wasn't just one or two people who came, but a whole group.

Using the vegetation to conceal themselves, the two Lis slowly approached. They saw that these people were walking along the road towards the water. There were about seventeen or eighteen of them, surrounding a painted carriage. The pedestrians were all dressed as commoners, wearing short clothes, turbans, and hemp shoes. They varied in age, and many of the young and strong men were carrying sticks, and one even had a horizontal sword.

Judging from their demeanor, they were from a middle-class or higher family traveling west, and since they were heading west, it was highly likely they didn't want to become thieves. The two Lis exchanged a glance, their meaning clear: Should they go over and say hello, ask for a ride, or at least ask for directions? Was this risk worth taking?

Li Ji was still hesitating when Li Bi looked down at his injured leg and said, "You wait here, I'll go over and ask him a few questions."

"Brother, it's best not to take the risk..."

Li Bi ignored him, straightened up, straightened his headdress and clothes, and said, "If they are hostile to me, you must hide well and not make a sound." Li Ji couldn't hold him back, and he parted the tall grass and strode out.

The group noticed Li Bi at this point and immediately stopped their vehicle. Several young men, as if facing a formidable enemy, raised their weapons and pointed them at him. But upon seeing that there was only one person, dressed in a long robe and looking like a scholar, they all breathed a sigh of relief. An elderly man parted the crowd, stepped forward, and bowed, asking, "Where does this gentleman come from?"

After taking a dozen or so steps closer, Li Bi returned the greeting with a bow. Without announcing himself, he tentatively asked, "I come from Yingshang and am on my way west to visit a friend—I wish to see your esteemed master."

Since the other party has a nearly new carriage that, while not ornately decorated, is fully equipped, the person in charge is certainly not this elderly man in short clothes who is walking—he is most likely a steward or someone similar.

The old man turned to the side, seemingly saying something to someone inside the car. The car window rolled down, revealing the face of a middle-aged man with a round face. He called out, "May this gentleman come closer to speak?"

Li Bi regarded the knives, clubs, and weapons as if they were nothing, but he did not rush forward. Instead, he walked slowly with his hands clasped in front of him, and when he reached the carriage, he bowed slightly and asked, "May I ask your honorable name, where you come from, and where you are going?"

The middle-aged man said angrily, "If the guest refuses to register first, how can the host register?"

Li Bi smiled and said, “It was I who was rude. However, in these turbulent times, in the wilderness, I did not know your destination or purpose of travel, so I dared not reveal my name. I travel alone, while you are surrounded by servants. You did not dismount from your carriage upon seeing a guest from afar, nor did you introduce yourself. Are you perhaps afraid of me?”

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man was slightly taken aback, and then said, "I am Xue from Fenyin."

The Xue family of Fenyin County was a prominent family since the Northern and Southern Dynasties. They served in the Tang Dynasty and produced many high-ranking officials. Therefore, when this person mentioned his family name and clan, he was telling Li Bi, "Do you think I am qualified to talk to you across the carriage?"

Li Bi maintained his calm and composed smile and replied, "I am from the Li family of Zhao County."

There are countless people with the surname Li throughout the world, but only two families are the most prestigious. The first is naturally the Li family of Longxi, which the Li Tang royal family claimed to be, and the second is the Zhao County Li family, a prominent family in Guandong. Compared to the Zhao County Li family, the Xue family of Fenyin is considered a minor family.

The middle-aged man was taken aback. He looked Li Bi up and down again and saw that although he was simply dressed, he had a very dignified demeanor. He moved with ease and composure, and his words were neither humble nor arrogant. He must have come from a scholarly family or an official family! So he quickly ordered the carriage to be opened, jumped down, and bowed deeply to Li Bi with his hands clasped, saying, "Please forgive my rudeness. I am Xue Jingyou. May I ask your name, sir?"