Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 2

"Where is Qu Yun from, and what is his courtesy name?"

"A native of Jincheng, whose courtesy name is Zhongke."

Li Bi had read the *Book of Jin* and naturally knew of Qu Yun. After the fall of Chang'an in the fourth year of Jianxing (221 AD), Qu Yun was escorted to Pingyang along with Emperor Min of Jin, Sima Ye, and soon committed suicide. However, the *Book of Jin* was compiled by Fang Xuanling and others under the order of Emperor Taizong of Tang. Several centuries had passed, and the era was marked by chaos; countless texts had been lost, and many were incomplete or erroneous. Therefore, the book made no mention of Qu Yun's courtesy name. Thus, when asking his question, Li Bi deliberately set a trap, intently observing Li Ji's eyes and expression. He found the other's pupils clear, his responses quick, and there was no sign of pretense.

—Of course he didn't know that in Li Ji's original timeline, Chang'an had not fallen, and Qu Yun had not died. Six years after Li Ji claimed his death, the Jin Dynasty was destroyed, and twenty years later, the History of Jin was compiled, which clearly recorded Qu Yun's courtesy name.

Unable to find fault with the other person, Li Bi continued to ask questions:

"Who was the Emperor of Jin at that time, and how did he ascend the throne?"

"The Emperor was originally the Prince of Qin, the nephew of the late Emperor. In the sixth year of Yongjia, the barbarian invaders captured Luoyang, and the late Emperor was taken into custody. The Prince of Qin traveled to Guanzhong and soon became the Crown Prince, and recovered Chang'an. In April of the seventh year of Yongjia, news came that the Emperor had been killed by the barbarian invaders, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne, changing the era name to Jianxing."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Why am I pretending to be a Jin dynasty person? Because I study this period of history and I'm familiar with every aspect of it. Although you are from a more recent period, you may not know as much as I do." — Just asking.

Li Bi then posed a series of questions about the figures and situation during the Yongjia and Jianxing periods of the Western Jin Dynasty. Many of these questions were ones that even he himself did not know the correct answers to, but Li Ji, the person opposite him, was always able to answer them one by one, and his words were not hesitant or awkward, as if he had made them up on the spot.

When he asked, "Then why didn't Emperor Yuan of Jin send troops north to relieve Luoyang and Chang'an?" Li Ji seemed unfazed and replied directly, "The journey is long. I am in Chang'an, and he is in Jiankang. How could he know?"

Li Bi raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but sneer, "So you've finally shown your true colors—since you died in the second year of Jianxing, how could you possibly know who Emperor Yuan of Jin was?!" Emperor Yuan was the posthumous title of Sima Rui. When Chang'an fell, he was only the Prince of Langya, and he would only be given a posthumous title after his death—you little brat couldn't possibly know that!

Li Ji replied without changing his expression: "I already told you that your brother's remnant soul has already merged with mine, so he naturally knows who Emperor Yuan of Jin is. I also learned from this that Emperor Yuan was followed by Emperor Ming, and that the Jin dynasty was the legitimate successor, moving to Jiangzuo. But I know nothing about the posthumous titles of the emperors after Emperor Ming."

Li Bi was well-read and knowledgeable about history, but his cousin Li Ji was a mediocre scholar who disliked reading and preferred martial arts. It was quite remarkable that he knew about the Jin Yuan and Jin Ming dynasties.

Li Ji couldn't help but secretly grumble to himself, "Why didn't I transmigrate into the body of a learned person? With the original owner of this body's meager historical knowledge, I can't even calculate which century it is now! In the original timeline, with his professional knowledge, he could directly convert any era name to the Gregorian calendar with an error of no more than ten years—if it were the early Wei-Jin period, there would be no error at all."

But as far as he knows, this year is the fifteenth year of Tianbao—strange, why is it called "year" instead of "year" or "age"? The reign title before Tianbao is Kaiyuan, and before Kaiyuan... Li Ji of this world has not yet been born. How could someone as rough as him possibly remember it?

Li Bi then asked, "Since you are dead and only your soul remains, why don't you possess someone else's body, but instead possess my brother's body?"

Li Ji replied, "I already said it, my soul is disoriented and unaware of the changing seasons. I don't know how it possessed your brother's body. It's probably because we share the same name and died near each other, so it just so happened to possess him..."

“As you say, my brother has indeed fallen to his death. Even if his soul is still intact, he cannot be brought back to life,” Li Bi raised his eyebrows, glared, and raised his longsword again. “Then what use is there in keeping this body?!”

Li Ji retorted, "If you can bring yourself to do it, then come and chop me down!"

Li Bi sneered, "Why bother harming my brother's body? Since my brother is already dead, let's bury him here and let him rest in peace."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was shocked—Holy crap, this guy's going to bury me alive! Although he had already died once, and the transmigration and possession were purely accidental gains, he was now in possession of this body. If he were to be buried alive... how miserable that would be! It would be much more painless to fall from the eighteenth-floor rooftop and die instantly!

He quickly pleaded, "Wait, wait... Your brother's remnant soul has merged with mine, so I am like your brother to you. How can you bear to bury your brother alive? Besides... Brother, the assassin might still be nearby. If I'm not here, how could you possibly reach Pingliang alone, traveling across mountains and rivers?!"

Chapter Three: Two Generations of Flag-Raising

Li Ji now remembered where the original owner of this body was going with his cousin Li Bi, and why he fell off the cliff.

Actually, the death of Li Ji in this life and the death of Li Ji in later lives are basically the same in nature; both are a case of setting a bad flag and then being unlucky...

The Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras marked the golden age of the Tang Dynasty, but it quickly plummeted from its peak into a deep abyss. Last year, in November of the fourteenth year of Tianbao, An Lushan, a powerful general who held the positions of military governor of Fanyang, Pinglu, and Hedong, brazenly raised the banner of rebellion. He led his Tang troops and a total of 150,000 troops, including those from the Tongluo, Xi, Khitan, and Shiwei tribes, claiming to number 200,000, southward toward the capital Chang'an. Most of the counties and prefectures in Hebei surrendered without resistance.

The emperor mobilized troops from various directions to defend against the rebels, but they suffered more defeats than victories. In December, the rebels captured Luoyang, the eastern capital; in January of this year, An Lushan usurped the throne in Luoyang, proclaiming himself Emperor of Yan, and immediately marched his troops toward Tongguan.

Rumor has it that Geshu Han, the general guarding Tongguan, acted rashly and recklessly, venturing out of the pass into battle only to be ambushed and suffer a complete defeat. The rebel army thus easily captured Tongguan and subsequently launched a full-scale invasion of Guanzhong. Upon hearing the news, the emperor was terrified and forced to abandon Chang'an, the western capital, fleeing in disarray…

At this time, Li Bi and Li Ji were still living in seclusion in Yingyang. Although their place was not far from Luoyang, it was remote and had not been disturbed by the rebels. However, one day last month—that is, in July—a soldier suddenly came to visit them, presenting a letter. He claimed to be Zhen Sui, a Qianniu Bei, who had come to welcome Mr. Li Changyuan on the orders of the Crown Prince.

He said that the emperor and the crown prince parted ways at Mawei Post Station, west of Chang'an, with the emperor fleeing to Shu and leaving the crown prince to oversee military affairs. At that time, the crown prince had only a few thousand men under his command, so he naturally dared not return to Chang'an. Therefore, he rode west to Pingliang County, intending to summon the northwestern border troops to protect the emperor and then devise a plan to counterattack and recapture the capital.

It is said that when the Crown Prince was in the Eastern Palace, he not only valued Li Bi highly but was also close to him. Although they were ruler and subject, and were more than ten years apart in age, they were like close friends. The Crown Prince naturally knew that Li Bi was living in seclusion in Yingyang and had sent him silk, wine and food. So, during his escape, he naturally thought of Li Bi and specially sent Zhen Sui to welcome him.

Many of Li Mi's family members were reluctant to see him travel far away—especially during such a chaotic time of war—and Li Ji said, "Brother, you have no interest in officialdom, you only want to live a long life, so why bother with these worldly matters?" Li Mi replied, "The Crown Prince and I are bound by the relationship of ruler and subject, but our bond is like that of friends. How can I not help a friend in trouble?" He then smiled and said, "I regard the rebel army of An Lushan as nothing more than weeds. I only need to assist the Crown Prince and mobilize troops from all sides. In less than two years, we will surely wipe them all out and restore order to the world. At that time, I can return to the mountains and forests to resume my cultivation of immortality. It won't take much time."

From Yingyang County in Henan Prefecture to Pingliang County in Guannei Circuit, it was over a thousand miles, and with rebel troops blocking the way, Li Bi's family was truly worried about letting him go. Although the Qianniu Beishen was tall and strong, and looked like a capable fighter, he was still an outsider. Who knew if he would be too brave to fight back and abandon Li Bi to escape alone if they encountered real danger? Therefore, it was finally decided that Li Ji would protect Li Bi to Shuofang.

Because Li Ji disliked studying from a young age but loved martial arts, after becoming Li Bi's disciple, Li Bi taught him the art of qi cultivation, which strengthened his muscles and bones. Two years prior, Li Bi had led Li Ji deep into Mount Ji to seek out a hermit named Xu. This hermit not only instructed Li Bi on the techniques of fasting and cultivating qi, but also taught Li Ji a set of exquisite boxing techniques. After returning home, Li Ji practiced diligently, and ordinary people of twenty or thirty could not get close to him.

Since that's the case, why not let Li Ji be Li Bi's bodyguard? It's always more reliable to have a brother than an outsider.

Thus, led by Zhen Sui, the two brothers packed their bags, bid farewell to their families, and set off. To evade the rebel army, they were forced to take a long detour, traversing mountains and valleys to the east, turning north from Shangluo County in the capital region. They lay in wait near Qingni Post Station for a while, then heard that the Tongluo and Tujue tribes in Chang'an had rebelled, stealing stable horses and fleeing north, while the newly allied Prefect of Jingzhao, Cui Guangyuan, and others had also taken the opportunity to escape... The rebel army's defenses near Chang'an were thus relaxed, resulting in the capital region being reduced to only a few refugees on the roads within ten days. Only then did the three brothers muster their courage and secretly cross the Wei River from Huayin County, then head northwest towards Fuping, Huayuan, and other places, rushing all the way.

On the way, they naturally avoided villages whenever they encountered them—fearing encounters with bandits who would plunder them—and entered mountains whenever they saw them—to avoid the rebel army. So, on this day in late August, they entered the Tanshan Mountains.

This small hill was very familiar to Li Ji of later generations, because Pei Gai's Huajing Mausoleum was located there. Of course, in this timeline, without Pei Gai, there would naturally be no Huajing Mausoleum...

Unexpectedly, near Tanshan, they stumbled upon a group of rebels, about seven or eight men, fully armored and wielding swords, who pressed closer. Contrary to the Li family's fears, Zhen Sui did not abandon Li Bi and flee alone. Instead, he turned and fought the rebels with his sword, simultaneously instructing Li Ji, "Quickly protect Master Changyuan and escape. I will cover your retreat. If Heaven protects us and we can both escape alive, we will meet again in Pingliang!"

Without a second thought, Li Ji hoisted Li Bi onto his back and fled. He glanced back occasionally at the battle, only to see seven or eight rebel generals surrounding Zhen Sui, their swords flashing – the chances of the Imperial Guard surviving were slim to none…

The two fled in one breath to the depths of Tanshan Mountain. Given Li Ji's speed, he had long since left his pursuers behind; it was impossible for them to catch up in a short time. Li Bi patted his brother's shoulder, asking him to stop and rest for a while—Li Ji wasn't tired; he had plenty of energy. But Li Bi, having been a vegetarian for many years, was physically weak.

Li Bi was rather weak and had been jostled around for nearly 45 minutes, so he was really struggling to keep going. Li Ji didn't even check the surrounding terrain before stopping casually and setting Li Bi down on the ground. He said, "Brother, please rest for a while. We can't stay here any longer, or the rebels might catch up." Li Bi forced a smile and said, "We've already gone deep into the mountains, and our clothes aren't conspicuous. Those rebels probably won't be chasing us so closely."

He lived a secluded life in the countryside, eating only vegetarian food and even fasting, practically subsisting on dew and the wind. Therefore, he wouldn't be particularly particular about his clothing—although with the occasional rations from the Crown Prince, he could certainly afford silk garments. However, Li Mi used to wear Daoist robes in his leisure time, with flowing sleeves, giving him an almost ethereal appearance. This time, traveling a thousand miles and potentially passing through areas infested with rebels, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to wear such conspicuous and inconvenient clothing. Now, he wore only an ordinary cloth robe, the only difference between him and his brother Li Ji being a long gown and a short jacket.

So at this moment, he just looks like an ordinary poor scholar and his servant. The bundle he carries is light and doesn't seem to be carrying much money. Although he's having a bad year and has encountered rebels on the road, they are probably only after looting, so they shouldn't be chasing him relentlessly.

However, Li Ji shook his head—although he disliked reading and had an honest appearance, he was actually quite intelligent—and replied, “If they were ordinary rebels, they naturally wouldn’t pursue us far, but… I’m worried they might be a group of assassins disguised as rebels…”

Li Bi frowned: "Why do you say that?"

Li Ji said, “I looked back several times just now and saw that although those rebels were not very tall, they were skilled in martial arts and had good weapons. With such abilities, how could they all be junior officers? How could they all be just common soldiers? Even if they were worthy men, they wouldn’t gather so many capable soldiers together in one place and specifically come into the mountains to rob, would they?”

Upon hearing this, Li Bi was startled and couldn't help but ask, "Could it be... that they came specifically to assassinate me?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ji laughed instead: "Brother, you are too arrogant. Although you are highly regarded by the Crown Prince and even the Emperor, you are ultimately only a Hanlin Academician and a Palace Attendant. Moreover, you have now lost your official position and are a commoner. Who would be so idle as to send someone to assassinate you?"

Li Bi thought about it and agreed. He smiled slightly and said, "The guards said they were assassins, but they also said they weren't coming for me. Could it be that they came specifically to capture you? Or is it that the lowly Qianniu Bei is actually their target? If I had known, I wouldn't have been in such a hurry to escape. I should have asked them a few questions first."

Li Ji replied, "Very well, if those rebels catch up, I will capture one or two and hand them over to my brother for interrogation." He then shrugged and said, "Just now, Zhen Sui took on so much responsibility, and I was so focused on saving my brother that I lost my mind for a moment. Now that I think about it, if I had fought alongside Zhen Sui, we might have been able to repel those rebels or assassins—but unfortunately, Zhen Sui is probably not going to survive."

After sighing a few times, he looked around and said, "First, I must find a place for my brother to hide, so that I won't be tied down and unable to act freely. If those rebels don't come, fine. But if they dare to come, I can use the skills I learned from Master Xu..." As he spoke, he started to walk around and search.

Li Bi hurriedly said, "This place is overgrown with vegetation, and we are not familiar with the terrain. Be careful and don't slip and fall off the cliff."

Li Ji laughed, "Brother, you underestimate me. My body is as light and agile as a bird in flight. How could I possibly fall off a cliff? Even if I did fall, it would only be a dozen or twenty feet; I wouldn't die from the fall..." Before he finished speaking, suddenly, with a "whoosh," a large wild pigeon darted out from the grass, just past Li Ji's ear. Caught off guard, Li Ji instinctively twisted his waist to dodge to the side, and his right foot missed its footing, causing him to fall...

Thus, a soul from the future inexplicably took over Li Ji's corpse... body.

----------

It was because of this experience that Li Ji pleaded with Li Bi to spare his life, saying, "The assassin may still be nearby. If I am not here, how could you possibly reach Pingliang alone, traveling across mountains and rivers?!"

Li Bi curled his lip and said, "You only have half a life left now, one leg is immobile, you can barely protect yourself, how can you protect me?"

Li Ji hurriedly said, "You naturally know your brother's abilities. Although he has lost a leg, his hands are still intact, so he may be able to handle two or three assassins. If you encounter danger, you only need to hide behind me, and you will be safe—after all, the body still belongs to your brother, and half of his soul does too. As for me... I was once a valiant general under General Qu, so naturally I don't take a few soldiers seriously..."

Why did Li Ji lie and claim to be a military general from the Jin Dynasty instead of a civil official? Firstly, although he majored in history, his literary skills were poor. He could read most of the ancient texts, but if he were asked to imitate them and write his own articles, he would be completely lost. Moreover, ancient scholars did not only study literature and history, but also majored in Confucian classics. The mainstream ideology in later generations was no longer Confucianism, so Li Ji could not possibly pretend to be a true scholar.

Secondly, he wasn't a weak scholar in his previous life; he had learned a few fighting techniques. If Li Bi wanted to test his martial arts skills, he could easily demonstrate a set of military boxing, or even adopt some boxing or Sanda stances, without creating too many openings. Furthermore, searching his memories revealed that Li Bi had only practiced self-defense swordsmanship for a few days and was basically a novice in hand-to-hand combat, let alone understand the differences between ancient and modern martial arts.

Furthermore, all the martial arts skills Li Ji learned in this life, including the fist techniques taught by that immortal master surnamed Xu, were preserved in his remnant soul and integrated into the transmigrator's memories. That's why he dared to boast that two or three assassins and a few soldiers were no match for him. As long as you don't run too far—because my leg is broken and I can't catch up—just hide behind me and your life will be safe.

who wants to

Chapter Four: The Old Ghost's Decision

The group of "rebels," or rather "assassins," who were chasing the Li brothers were temporarily hindered by the Thousand Ox Guard, Zhen Sui, causing them to lose their target for a moment and be forced to scatter and search the entire mountain. Two of them followed the footprints and eventually climbed down the cliff, parted the tall grass, and appeared in front of the two Li brothers from the side.

Although both men were dressed as common soldiers, their equipment was quite sophisticated. They wore iron helmets, chainmail neck guards, and two-piece armor, with skirts extending past their knees. One of them had a scabbard hanging from his waist, but held the long sword in his left hand; the other had a bow case in his left hand and a quiver in his right, with a bow drawn in his left and an arrow at his right...

Seeing this, Li Ji's face turned ashen. He thought to himself, "I'm doomed—this melee fighter and the ranged fighter are quite a good match... I'm tied up like a mummy now, unable to move at all. If the enemy shoots an arrow at me, I'll definitely die twice within half a day!"

If only we all had short weapons, we could fight in close combat and maybe have a 30% chance of winning.

A quick glance revealed that Li Bi had already hidden behind him. Li Ji couldn't help but smile wryly, thinking to himself, "This new brother of yours is quite obedient... but you'd better let me go first, otherwise, using me as cover is pointless; I'd be worse off than a tree..."

Then look at the two soldiers, who were two or three steps apart, slowly approaching. But they looked at each other and a look of surprise appeared in their eyes.

What's so surprising? Hey, what's this giant rice dumpling? How badly must this person be injured to have to be tied up like this?

But in the blink of an eye, a soldier had already nocked an arrow on the thumb of his left hand holding the bow, his right hand holding the fletching and string, pointing it at the two Lis, and at the same time asking loudly, "Is it Li..."

He had barely uttered three words when his companion stopped him: "No need to ask, just take it down first."

Immediately, his companion, wielding a long, straight sword, took a step forward and charged straight at Li Ji—but it was clear that his target was not Li Ji, but Li Bi behind him.

He approached from Li Ji's right, his left hand holding a horizontal sword, which he naturally raised slightly to the side, twisting his waist and extending his right shoulder forward to grab Li Bi. If he had simply raised his sword to slash, Li Changyuan probably wouldn't have been able to dodge it, and even if he had managed to escape, he would most likely have been splattered with Li Ji's blood…

But it's clear this guy's goal is to capture him alive, not to kill him on the spot, and he doesn't seem to have thought of cutting down that somewhat troublesome "big dumpling" first. However, once he catches Li Bi, whether he'll give Li Ji a quick death is anyone's guess.

He was standing next to Li Ji, his right arm brushing just past Li Ji's shoulder. As if instinctively dodging, Li Ji pulled his right shoulder inward, and the other man didn't seem to care; however, in a flash, his right elbow suddenly shot up, and with a "bang," the elbow joint struck the soldier right under the armpit!

Although he was wearing armor, the shoulder guards couldn't possibly cover his armpits—making it difficult for his arms to move freely—and the armpits also contain the axillary artery and nerve plexus, which are relatively vital parts of the body. So, with a scream, the soldier pulled his right arm back, twisting it into a strange position, and at the same time, his body staggered to the left.

Li Ji arched his back, causing the cloth strap on his right arm to burst open. He then extended his right wrist, twisted it downwards, and grabbed the other man's belt. He then pulled his forearm back, lifting the man's legs off the ground, and used his large body to block him from the ground.

A loud "bang" was heard, followed by a second scream from the unfortunate fellow.

Although his view was blocked by the other person's body, Li Ji could naturally guess that it must have been the archer in the distance who had drawn his bow and released an arrow—that guy's reaction was really fast, just as I expected... In the past, Li Ji had predicted that they were all skilled soldiers, not ordinary rebel soldiers.

Fortunately, he managed to shield himself with the enemy's body in time; otherwise, even a god would have been unable to dodge that arrow!

The distance between the two sides was only six or seven steps, less than ten meters in later times. Anyone who had practiced archery for a few days would theoretically not miss. However, in the rush, the opponent instinctively shot at the head and body, without thinking to specifically aim for the abdomen and below—plus, Li Ji was sitting with his legs spread apart on the ground, so the lower body was definitely a small target—therefore, the opponent used his companion as a shield, and the arrow accidentally hit his own side.

However, the man in his hand was first severely wounded in the right armpit, and then shot in the heart with an arrow, yet he still refused to die—after all, he was wearing armor—his left arm instinctively slammed down, and his sword came slashing down with a "whoosh." Li Bi, behind Li Ji, hurriedly raised his sword to parry, and with a "clang," the swords clashed. He felt a violent jolt in his hand, and his longsword nearly slipped from his grasp.

Actually, there was no need for him to specifically stop him, because the two sides were too close. The soldier's slash could not possibly hit Li Ji—at most, he could only try to bump Li Ji's right shoulder with his elbow—and since he was in mid-air, his movements would be distorted. Li Bi only needed to take a slight step back to avoid it.

At this moment, Li Ji's left hand also broke free. He immediately pressed down on his right hand, exerted force with both arms at the same time, and with a loud shout, threw the huge body of that guy forward.

Having acquired a "shield," it was not something to be easily discarded. However, this "shield" could still struggle and move, and there was still a knife in hand... In addition, the opponent was not an easy opponent either, and it was estimated that a second arrow would be shot soon, perhaps aimed at his stomach.

The soldier, weighing nearly 150 pounds (about 70-80 kilograms in modern times), flew close to the ground, spinning as he went, like a bowling ball, hitting the archer squarely between the waist and legs. The archer fell backward, and the second arrow he had just nocked went "whoosh" into the sky.

Li Ji thought to himself, "You have incredible strength!"

! ”

He was speaking to the other soul inside his body.

Li Bi, also known as Li Changyuan, was exceptionally intelligent, and even more remarkably quick-witted. The moment the two soldiers appeared, he immediately slipped and hid behind Li Ji. But this was more than just hiding—if Li Ji had remained seated like a wooden stake, how long could he have hidden behind him?

Using Li Ji's body to conceal his lower body, Li Bi, with his right hand hanging down and sword raised, quietly cut the strip of cloth on Li Ji's back. Li Bi wasn't very strong, and the bindings weren't very tight to begin with—it wouldn't have been too difficult for Li Ji to break free if Li Bi hadn't been pointing his sword at him at all times—so he only needed to cut one strip, and the rest would come off easily.

Taking advantage of this, Li Ji suddenly struck, capturing the soldier wielding the knife, and then threw him away, knocking over the enemy wielding a bow.

However, Li Ji's soul comes from a peaceful era more than a thousand years in the future, or perhaps from another world. He is neither a street thug nor a school bully. Although he has learned some fighting techniques, he has very little experience in life-or-death combat. Theoretically, it is impossible for him to seize that fleeting opportunity to take down the unsuspecting enemy who approaches him first. Therefore, the result will inevitably be that the other party captures Li Bi first, and then delivers the final blow to the "big zombie."

Suddenly, another voice seemed to ring out in his mind, and the soul that this voice was attached to actively drove his limbs to make fighting moves that Li Ji himself could never have imagined.

As for Li Ji's first reaction, it was to ask himself, "You're still alive!"

The voice didn't answer, but continued to urge its upper limbs, throwing the enemy in its hand far away, successfully knocking down another person. Then, its hands left the ground, and it swiftly pressed down, simultaneously using its uninjured left leg to spring up. After getting up, its movements didn't stop; dragging its right leg, which had just been secured with a willow branch, it used its left leg to leap repeatedly, quickly closing in on the two enemies.

The two men, one on top of the other, were still struggling to get up. The one below still had his bow in his hand, while the one above had long since thrown his sword to the ground. Li Jidong approached like a rabbit, bent down, picked up the sword, and swung it like lightning, slicing their necks in two quick strokes.

Li Bi was about to draw his sword and rush forward to support Li Ji, but upon seeing this scene, he was greatly shocked and exclaimed repeatedly, "It's enough to subdue him, why kill him... why bother..."

Li Ji casually replied, "I can't let them live—I've lost a leg, while they still have the strength to fight. How can I not kill them? What if they shout and their companions are nearby and come running at the sound?"

Li Bi came to his side and nodded slightly, saying, "That makes sense. You're quick-witted... It's just a pity we couldn't get any information about his background or true purpose..."

Seeing Li Ji swing his knife again, severing the leather cord binding the corpse's scabbard, and picking up the scabbard, then sheathing the knife and using it as a walking stick, Li Bi glanced at him, his eyes filled with undisguised sorrow, and sighed, "Only a warrior like you, who has fought through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, could make such a decision. If it were my younger brother, he would never have been able to bring himself to do such a thing."

Li Ji turned to look at him and said coldly, "They have accomplices. Let's leave this place as soon as possible. I'd appreciate it if you could help me. I can't hop far on one leg."

What he really thought was: Li Changyuan, it turns out you don't even know your own brothers very well...

He wasn't some "warrior forged in mountains of corpses and seas of blood" at all. Before transmigrating, he rarely even fought, let alone killed anyone. Even in this critical moment, when reason told him he had to be ruthless, he couldn't possibly swiftly and decisively take a life with two cuts without batting an eye. In fact, the one directing this body to kill and the one driving the limbs to fight were both another soul—the real Li Ji, Li Changwei, in this life!

Although the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras before An Lushan's rebellion were hailed as a golden age of peace and prosperity, the social order was far inferior to that of his previous life. Coupled with the extravagance of the court and heavy taxes, while cities enjoyed a life of revelry, the countryside was rife with banditry. Li Ji had accompanied Li Bi on numerous journeys throughout the capital region seeking immortality and visiting friends, during which he had fended off more than one group of highway robbers. Although he had never killed anyone before, he had witnessed the killing of others, and his psychological resilience far surpassed that of a soul from the future.

However, the real Li Ji in this world relied on his cousin Li Bi for four whole years and always acted very honestly, even to the point of seeming a bit slow-witted—in fact, he should be quite shrewd, but no matter how shrewd he was, could he be shrewder than Li Bi? In addition, the two were more than ten years apart in age, and on the surface they were friendly and respectful brothers, but in reality they were close to father and son.

Therefore, Li Ji usually acted like a good boy in front of his elder brother, and Li Bi instinctively thought the best of his brother's character and nature—my brother would never kill someone so calmly and without batting an eye, it must have been that old ghost!

Li Ji couldn't explain to him that it really wasn't him just now, but his brother, and that he wasn't as innocent as he thought—because he had already said that his brother was dead and his body was occupied by him... But why wasn't that guy completely dead, and was able to jump out at the critical moment and briefly take control of the body?

Li Ji used his knife as a crutch, while Li Bi shouldered his bundle again, picked up the enemy's bow, and casually pulled out four or five arrows from his bag, holding them in his right hand. He then used his left shoulder to support Li Ji as they set off on their journey, hoping to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible.

Li Ji kept calling out to the other soul in his heart, the original owner of this body, but there was no response—was he sometimes awake and sometimes asleep, or were those few movements just a final burst of energy before he was truly dead? It would be best if he was truly dead; two souls sharing one body—this feeling was so strange—especially...

Chapter 5, Reflections in the Water

Although Li Ji in this world hides his shrewd nature with an honest face, he is ultimately young and inexperienced. In his mind, he may truly regard his elder brother Li Bi as the Zhuge Liang of his time. As for the time traveler, his knowledge is far beyond that of most people in this world. In addition, after studying history for many years, he has almost no confidence in Li Bi.

Consider Li Mi, for example. Though he was intelligent from a young age, gaining the favor of the emperor and the crown prince, and able to converse fluently with several prime ministers, he was ultimately just a scholar—and a scholar who had been detached from court for many years. Warfare and governance are two different things, and governing ability is not necessarily related to the level of scholarship. Throughout history, countless scholars have wielded great power, believing that once they held power, the world would be at peace, only to be thoroughly defeated by reality. Similar examples abound in history. How many Zhuge Liangs have there been throughout history?

Furthermore, even when Zhuge Liang first emerged from seclusion, he was only planning strategies and coordinating logistics for Liu Bei. He needed several years of experience before he could lead troops. And frankly speaking, the battles he fought when he first went to Qishan were not very impressive. The so-called "genius of the world" had to be developed gradually.

Li Bi, Li Changyuan, you're just a scholar or Taoist seeking immortality in the countryside! Faced with the current crisis of rampant banditry and the fall of the two capitals, do you think you can single-handedly save the world by helping the Crown Prince with a few schemes? If the Crown Prince doesn't listen to you, fine, but if he does... perhaps the Tang Dynasty will be doomed!