Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 2

The long escape and short rest periods were barely enough for this small team to endure for a while.

On the afternoon of the third day, the group finally found a dilapidated village, and the half-collapsed wooden houses felt very familiar to Lu Wei.

The Yan people in the village have all fled, most likely to nearby cities. This is good news, as their clothing and accents will immediately reveal their Zhao identity once they interact with the locals.

During this period, such exposure certainly won't bring them any good.

After eating the hard army rations with cold water, Lu Wei signaled to the others to take a break, while he took the lead as a sentry and planned the next steps.

Mountain, Rain, Tree, and Leaf watched gratefully as their eldest son nimbly climbed out of the dilapidated house.

As Lu Wei walked to the old, withered tree by the village well, he frowned. After escaping the Zhao army, his most urgent task was to find a way to infiltrate the rear cities of the Yan state.

Although with his skills, he might be able to survive for several years wandering in the wild with his underlings, but when would he be able to afford to spend money on in-game purchases?

With a clear understanding of himself, Lu Wei knew that in this world, strength trumped everything else. In terms of martial arts, although he had superior techniques to cultivate, his aptitude was only average. Relying solely on hard work, he could barely manage to become a bandit leader.

If you want to improve further, you need to 'add some points'~

He'd been eyeing those treasures on the first page of the online store for twelve years!

"Next, we'll head towards the mountains and forests. After acquiring our first fortune through hunting, we'll head to Jicheng!"

"In addition, during the Qin Dynasty, all the philosophers of the Hundred Schools of Thought were extremely powerful. Joining one of them would be like having a nominal backer."

"Confucianism, Mohism, Legalism, Taoism, and the military are collectively known as the five major schools of thought, but among them, the only one that would accept me is probably the Mohist school."

"The Mohists have a base in the Yan state. At this time, whether or not Prince Dan of Yan has made contact with the current leader of the Mohists, as long as we try to get close to the prince, we can always find clues about this organization."

Lu Wei raised his hand and pressed it against the withered tree trunk, automatically channeling his internal energy, his palm turning blue:

"However, the teachings of Mohism are not suitable for me..."

The Mohist doctrine, with universal love and non-aggression as its core principles and frugality and meritocracy as its cornerstones, had a great influence in this era.

"The concept of 'knight-errant' is too lofty. I only care about my own interests, and it's too exhausting to force myself to play the role of a knight-errant in the presence of others..."

"In comparison, the Farmers' Clan, although its strength and reputation are far inferior to the five major sects at present, has the advantage of a large number of people, and according to the timeline, they are in the midst of a period of change."

"If I choose the Farmer's Sect, the Mountain, Rain, Tree, and Leaf can also become Farmer's Sect disciples, so I won't be all alone once they join."

"There are many poor people among the farmers. I only need to show a little skill to attract a large number of followers..."

With a bang, he pulled back his hand and slammed it against the old, withered tree. Under the effect of the Frost Palm, large patches of ice formed on the tree trunk, centered on his palm.

The withered tree, unable to bear the weight, creaked and groaned from within.

Just then, the clouds that had been blocking the sun since noon finally drifted away, and the warm sunshine shone down.

Turning his head to look at the old, withered tree, Lu Wei's lips curled up:

"My Frost Palm technique has improved considerably!"

The group of five did not travel any further throughout the afternoon and evening.

When his four underlings woke up, Lu Wei immediately fulfilled the promise he made on the day he escaped: to teach them martial arts.

Under his active guidance, the mountain, rain, trees, and leaves completed the first round of the "Rejuvenation Exercise" internal circulation before sunset.

This marks the official entry of the four into the world of martial arts.

For almost the entire night, they played with the faint internal energy within their bodies like toddlers who had received a new toy.

The purple technique was incredibly effective, and the four of them became completely absorbed in it.

Lu Wei didn't know how other sects in this world classified their cultivation techniques, but his system's classification method was crystal clear:

From low to high order, the colors are white, green, blue, purple, orange, and red.

Over the course of twelve years of opening daily treasure chests, he accumulated nearly a hundred blue and green cultivation techniques, in addition to four purple ones. Due to limited energy, he didn't bother to learn any of them.

Logically speaking, to teach these four easily disposable underlings, even if it's just to fulfill a promise, giving them a few green toys would be enough.

But after much deliberation, Lu Wei did not do that.

In the early stages of entrepreneurship, treating people with sincerity is the best way to win their hearts, and the effects of the "Rejuvenation Technique" are also very suitable for their current state of being on the run.

In the future, or at most a few months from now, my internal cultivation technique will be upgraded to orange quality.

At that time, may the purple trash roll out of my body!

With the system's backing, he could speak so arrogantly with complete confidence.

"Besides, the Rejuvenation Technique doesn't belong to this world. If these four people achieve something in the future, they will still need me for the subsequent techniques!"

While Shan, Yu, and the others were eagerly circulating their internal energy, Lu Wei himself did not slack off. He also did not rest that night, but instead prepared to practice his lightness skill.

Rapid movement is currently Lu Wei's biggest weakness.

He took out the blue copy of "Listening to the Wind's Whisper," read it again to ensure he remembered it word for word, then closed his eyes and began circulating his internal energy according to the instructions...

Lu Wei initially disdained blue-quality cultivation techniques, as human energy is always limited. However, with his future uncertain, mastering a lightness skill might prove surprisingly effective at a crucial moment!

Another night passed, and the four of them—Shan, Yu, Mu, and Ye—who had just finished cultivating their internal energy, were full of energy. The fatigue of the previous days had vanished, and they were now filled with hope for the future.

The four people held Lu Wei in the highest esteem, for whom he brought hope.

Lu Wei himself practiced lightness skills all night, which greatly depleted his internal energy, but under his conscious control, it did not affect his journey.

......

To the north of the abandoned village is a stream.

Using the Soul-Shaking Skill to stun two small fish, along with the seven or eight crabs that Shan Yu and the other three caught by flipping over the rocks, the team's breakfast consisted of delicious river fish soup with dry rations. Since setting off with the Zhao army, the rare feeling of being full had everyone unable to resist.

The efficiency of their journey on this day far exceeded that of the first day of their escape.

Unfortunately, because they had no map and had to deliberately avoid the Yan people, they could only rely on their senses to move in one direction.

Along the way, we encountered many desolate scenes, making the mountains, rain, trees, and leaves open their mouths, but unable to utter a word.

Unlike Lu Wei, a time traveler, the four of them still identified with their identity as people of Zhao. The tragic fate of the Yan people filled them with a deep sense of guilt.

This war was unjust; it was an invasion of Yan by the State of Zhao!

Chapter 3 The First Battle

On the fifth day after escaping Zhao's army, it snowed.

Lu Wei and his companions were seeing snow in Yan for the first time. The snowflakes fell like flowers scattered by fairies, and in an instant, the entire territory was covered in a vast expanse of white. In every respect, the snow here was much more intense than that in Zhao.

As soon as they entered the mountains, they had to find a cave to hide in and temporarily escape the wind and snow. They also skinned the four wild rabbits they had just killed and put them on the fire.

Without seasonings or any way to remove the fishy smell from the rabbit meat, Lu Wei imagined that this roasted rabbit would probably not taste good.

However, when Little Brother Yu snatched the biggest and fattest wild rabbit into his hands and took a bite, he felt that this was the most delicious dish he had ever eaten in his second life.

Real meat is absolutely the most suitable food for humans to enjoy!

After quickly finishing the whole rabbit, the four henchmen waved their hands, refusing the second one offered by Yu, before confidently dividing the remaining three rabbits among themselves.

Hot and fresh meat, icy snow water, and snow scenery—this leisurely lifestyle made some people feel a little uncomfortable.

Such a life is something only noble young men can enjoy, right?

Perhaps to prove this sense of unreality, after about half an incense stick's time, Lu Wei, who was meditating, suddenly opened his eyes. He quickly got up, his brows furrowed, and looked into the depths of the heavy snow.

Something is approaching!

Shan, Yu, Mu, and Ye were confused. Their skills were shallow, but out of admiration for their leader, the four of them imitated Lu Wei's actions and looked out of the cave.

Soon, a huge black shadow appeared from blurry to clear, causing everyone in the cave to feel the temperature drop sharply:

A black bear with a crescent-shaped white patch on its chest stood coldly in the snow, surveying the situation inside the cave.

"Boss..."

Yu's weak voice echoed in the cave. The other three dared not turn their backs to the wild beast, hoping that their leader could say or do something to give them some direction.

"Don't panic, it's a black bear, not a grizzly bear. Let's stand together!"

Lu Wei took a few steps forward and stood at the same level as his four younger brothers. Encountering a bear in the winter mountains was truly bad luck.

However, with five people on their side, the black bear might not dare to launch an attack.

Even if they launch an attack, they might not necessarily lose.

Even if he couldn't win, he had the ability to use light footwork and four henchmen to delay him, making it the most likely time for him to escape.

Feeling relieved, Lu Wei tried his best to ease the tension. His expression remained calm and composed.

Although he had learned martial arts, he had no practical combat experience and was not sure about his own combat strength.

The black bear outside the cave was also hesitant; five humans grouped together could potentially harm them.

But in such heavy snow, abandoning these five prey makes it hard to say whether they can find other targets in a short time.

A black bear awakened from hibernation due to hunger is extremely craving food. The lingering aroma of roasted rabbit tempts it to take a step forward unconsciously.

This step became the final straw that broke the tense atmosphere in the cave. Lu Wei did not want to give up the opportunity to take the initiative. His inner strength surged, and he raised his hand to attack the black bear.

To everyone's surprise, the tiny human dared to launch an attack. Caught off guard, the black bear was struck firmly by the Frost Palm and forced to retreat several steps.

The fur that was struck froze into shards of ice that stuck to its body.

Lu Wei, having gained the upper hand, pressed his advantage. Now that the standoff with the black bear had ended, he hardened his heart and used his lightness skill to move forward again.

Among the four younger brothers inside the cave, Yu saw his eldest brother rush out and, without thinking, yelled and rushed into the snowstorm to stand with Lu Wei.

Yu considered himself rather dim-witted, so he always believed that following the actions of intelligent people couldn't possibly lead to anything bad. Although Brother Lu was younger than him, his knowledge and abilities were the most intelligent he had ever met!

Mu and Ye were neighbors before joining the Zhao army, and they had a very good relationship. Faced with this situation, they exchanged a glance, nodded to each other, and followed Yu out to fight the enemy.

Only Shan's expression was uncertain. After hesitating for about ten seconds, he noticed the four daggers made from the spearheads used to process the wild rabbit on the ground. He picked them all up, gritted his teeth, and was the last one to rush out of the cave.

The chilling aura from the Frost Palm spread and eroded the black bear, completely enraging it. It opened its claws, roared, and charged towards Lu Wei with a few strides.

The enormous bear paw, like an iron hammer, slammed down.

Faced with the bear's strength, Lu Wei dared not be careless. He leaped backward to avoid the attack.

Yu and Mu and Ye, who had just rushed out, disregarded their fear and instinctively seized the opportunity. With perfect coordination, they landed three punches on the black bear from three different directions.

Unfortunately, due to excessive tension and the fleeting nature of the opportunity, none of them were able to apply internal force to their punches.

Although the three of them originally had very shallow internal strength, having internal strength and not having internal strength are two completely different concepts.