abnabooks Chapter 1 We Are Different
Chapter 1 We Are Different
The Zhang family's martial arts training ground during the Dayong Dynasty.
The early summer sun baked the earth, and even the air close to the ground seemed distorted.
Lu Yuan wielded his long sword with measured precision.
The man moved with the knife, as nimble as a leopard.
His exposed upper body was sharply defined and glistening with oil, like a stubborn rock. Although his face still had a touch of childishness, it exuded a heroic air.
[The host swings the sword once, increasing the proficiency of the "Eight Styles of Breaking the Edge" by 1.]
[The host swings the sword once, increasing the proficiency of the "Eight Styles of Breaking the Edge" by 1.]
[The host swings the sword once, increasing the proficiency of the "Eight Styles of Breaking the Edge" by 1.]
......
Name: Lu Yuan
Age: 16
[Technique: Eight Forms of Breaking the Edge (431/1000 Minor Success)]
【Tiger-Taming Stance (6/10, not yet a beginner)】
"Training in this training ground will inevitably slow down the growth of strength. If there were real combat opportunities, the progress should be much faster."
Lu Yuan sighed inwardly, having already persevered for a full hour, and was just about to sheathe his sword.
An elderly man wearing a gray short jacket and with a slightly hunched posture walked over: "Young Master Yuan, the head of the family wants you to go to the front hall."
"Thank you for your help, Uncle Zhong. I'll be right there." After placing the long sword on the sword rack, Lu Yuan put on his clothes and walked towards the front hall.
The old man named Zhongbo didn't speak, but just looked at his figure and shook his head with some regret.
In the front hall of the Zhang family, Lu Yuan had just arrived at the door when he saw a boy slightly older than him sitting at an exquisite sandalwood table, wolfing down dumplings.
The boy's name was Zhang Zhe. He was his cousin and the eldest son of the second branch of the Zhang family. He served as a centurion in Zezhou Prefecture. His father was the vice-prefect of Zezhou Prefecture, in charge of criminal matters, and held the rank of a sixth-grade official.
Across the table was a bowl of noodles with a poached egg on top.
Sitting expressionlessly by the octagonal table directly opposite the main entrance, was Zhang Hong, the head of the Zhang family and the leader of the eldest branch. He was a member of the Yunzhou branch of the Zhang family and held the official rank of fifth grade.
He wore a black brocade robe with gold patterns, had a tuft of beard on his chin, and deep nasolabial folds that added to his air of authority.
"Ah Yuan's here, let's eat first."
Zhang Hong pointed to the noodles on the table.
Lu Yuan didn't waste any time. After sitting down, he began to wolf down his food, as if he were racing against the boy opposite him.
"Ah Yuan, I'm sure you know why I've called you here, so I won't waste any more words."
Your father died early, and the family has been supporting you and your mother. Over the years, the third branch of the family has been provided with food, drink, and other necessities that, while not the best, are not bad either. Now, a major event has occurred in the family: your cousin has injured the son of the Yunzhou General.
Our Zhang family is at a critical juncture, and we especially cannot afford to offend military leaders.
Therefore, someone has to take the blame for this. Zhang Zhe is young and has already reached the Bone Forging stage in cultivation. He is considered one of the most talented juniors in the family. If he is sent to the northern frontier to join the army, it will be a great loss to the family.
So I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, but don't worry, the family will cover all your mother's medical expenses, and I guarantee she can live out her old age in peace.
Lu Yuan didn't reply; he just lowered his head and focused on eating.
Zhang Hong didn't say anything more and sat quietly drinking his tea.
Only after Lu Yuan had completely finished his bowl of noodles did he raise his head and say, "When I was little, I always followed my cousin around. Whatever he asked me to do, I did. When Zhang Zhe got into trouble, my family would beat me. When we grew up, he got into a fight with someone in a brothel and beat someone up. In the end, I was made to take the blame."
The debt of gratitude owed to my family is truly endless.
Will I be able to pay it all back on this trip to northern Xinjiang?
As Lu Yuan finished speaking, he looked up at his uncle.
His gaze was calm, without a trace of fear.
He transmigrated to this world ten days ago. At that time, he was drinking with Zhang Zhe, his so-called cousin, in a brothel when Zhang Zhe got into a fight. When the original body went to break up the fight, he was hit on the ground by a flying stool.
When I woke up again, I was in this body.
He shared the same name as himself, but was called Zhang Yuan.
"Yes, as long as you take on this responsibility, you will no longer owe the Zhang family anything. On the contrary, the family will owe you. Your uncle has no selfish motives. It's just that your second uncle and cousin hold very important positions. If the family wants to move forward, they absolutely cannot make any mistakes."
Zhang Hong's hand holding the teacup trembled.
If a family wants to go far, it always needs to consider the bigger picture.
Zhang Yuan practiced martial arts from a young age. Although he was physically strong, he never reached the highest level. Moreover, his father died early, so his contribution to the family was significantly less than that of Zhang Zhe.
"Okay, I'll go, but don't tell my mother about this. She's not in good health. I won't say goodbye to her this time. Just tell her I'm going out to do business."
"Don't worry, as long as the Zhang family exists, they will support your mother. But as you know, our family is in the south, and Yanzhou is in the far north, so we don't have any special connections there, and we're not familiar with the people in the army. Once you get there, you'll have to rely on yourself. I've prepared some silver for you, so you can have some for when you need it on the road."
If you have any other conditions, please let me know, and I'll get them done for you as soon as possible. The commander is already waiting at the door; it won't take too long.
"Give me some Body Tempering Pills."
The Body Tempering Pill is a pill needed to achieve body tempering after entering a certain realm.
The Great Yong Dynasty was founded on martial prowess, therefore it placed the utmost importance on cultivation. Detailed progressions were established for each realm, from lowest to highest: Body Tempering, Bone Forging, Tendon Refining, Visceral Refining (five realms), Blood Transfusion, Meridian Opening, True Essence,罡气 (罡气 is a type of internal energy), Innate...
It is said that after reaching the Innate Realm, one can single-handedly kill three thousand armored soldiers, demonstrating terrifying strength.
As a prominent family in Yunzhou, the Zhang family naturally wouldn't neglect cultivation.
Despite being a civil official, Zhang Hong's cultivation has already reached the Gang Qi Realm, and he is just one step away from entering the Xiantian Realm.
At that time, he could govern a region and become a governor.
In the Great Yong Dynasty, the official positions have always been like this. Although the areas managed by the highest civil and military officials in a state are completely separate, their cultivation levels are all at the Innate Realm. For example, the highest-ranking military officer in Yunzhou, the Yunzhou General, is a fifth-rank official, and his strength is at the Innate Realm.
But although it's only one step away, it's like a chasm, and breaking through it is definitely not that simple.
"I immediately asked Uncle Zhong to make preparations, and we will set off after one incense stick has burned."
After giving his instructions, Zhang Hong walked out of the front hall, clearly giving orders to Uncle Zhong.
Zhang Zhe finished off the plate of dumplings, wiped his mouth, glanced at Lu Yuan, and said, "Brother, don't complain, we're different."
After saying that, he stepped forward, patted Lu Yuan on the shoulder with his greasy hand that had just been used to wipe his mouth, and then strode away.
The latter clenched his fists involuntarily.
For ten days, his ailing mother took care of him without taking off her clothes.
Although there wasn't much affection involved, he had taken over the body of someone else's son and had to shoulder the responsibilities that came with it, and he didn't have time to think about it any further.
If he doesn't agree, the Zhang family will probably do everything they can to make him obediently go to the northern frontier.
Therefore, it's better to cooperate and take advantage of the situation to gain some benefits.
The empty living room now only had Lu Yuan left.
A moment later, footsteps sounded outside: "Young Master Yuan, the garrison commander has arrived. You should depart now."
Uncle Zhong appeared outside the hall, carrying a heavy package and a leather water bag.
......
"Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan, what are you thinking about? It's time for duty. Let's go eat."
In the northern border region of Dayong, although it was early spring, it was still cold. An old border soldier reached out from his sleeve with his right hand and tugged at Lu Yuan's arm to bring him back to his senses.
The other person gave an apologetic smile: "Old Huang, I'm sorry, I was just spacing out."
After arriving in the Northern Frontier, Lu Yuan spent money to change his name. One reason was to sever ties with the Zhang family, and the other was that he was worried that the son of the Yunzhou general would continue to vent his anger on him. Although the possibility was very small, changing his name was still safer.
"It's alright. You've only been here for half a month, so it's normal to feel unaccustomed. Our place can't compare to other places. We deal with the ice plains and the northern barbarians all year round. You'll get used to it gradually."
As Old Huang spoke, he tightened his leather armor, which had already lost its color from rubbing.
Lu Yuan nodded, and a moment later the two arrived at a restaurant.
"Two bowls of beef offal, extra chili!" Old Huang shouted. This restaurant was the favorite place for the border soldiers. Eating a bowl of beef offal on a cold day was a treat for anyone.
"Hey, here I am."
After a plump woman responded, two steaming bowls of beef offal were placed on Lu Yuan and his companion's table in no time. She then turned and went about her own business.
"Don't let Widow Li's plump appearance fool you, her daughter is the most beautiful girl in our Bingyuan County. I'll go and arrange a marriage for you later. Once you're here, don't even think about going back. Just find a wife and settle down."
Old Huang, with his beady green eyes, peered inside.
He had no children, so after Lu Yuan arrived in Bingyuan County, he was taken care of by the other party to stand guard at the city gate. They took good care of this newcomer.
The northern frontier is a place where troops are stationed. In peacetime, people live as farmers, and in wartime, they guard the fortress. When Lu Yuan first arrived, he was allocated thirty acres of land. The manager of Binggu Lane where he lived was a thousand-household commander. This kind of work of guarding the city was done once every three months.
Today's shift is over, and the next time I go to guard the city will be three months from now.
"I think we should forget about it." Lu Yuan shook his head.
"Why are you so thin-skinned? If I were like you, I would have gone and asked her myself long ago. I'll ask her for you tomorrow when you're not around. Such a beautiful girl, if you don't make a move first, someone else will snatch her away, and you'll regret it later," Old Huang said slyly.
A bowl of beef offal was gone in just a few bites.
Seeing that Lu Yuan hadn't finished eating, he didn't urge him. He poured himself a bowl of water and said while drinking it, "Have you heard? Our squad leader was killed last night by a spy from the Northern Barbarians in the city. He was killed with a single blow, and they only discovered it when the blood froze on the ground."
The higher-ups need to elect a new squad leader.
Reaching the rank of squad leader is different from Lu Yuan's current status as a part-time soldier and part-time farmer; it means he is now a formal soldier, usually a valiant soldier in the army, and his treatment is different from what he is receiving now.
As an ordinary garrison soldier, he was only allocated land.
But once you become a squad leader, you'll receive two taels of silver in salary each month, manage more than ten soldiers under your command, and be given more than twenty mu of land, which is a full twenty shi of grain.
For people at the bottom of society, this is a huge sum of money.
"I knew it! I didn't see him this morning," Lu Yuan said, looking up in surprise.
"Sigh, there are only a few hundred border troops in this area. The city is practically full of holes. Try not to go out after dark," Old Huang instructed Lu Yuan.
At this point, the other person had finished their bowl of beef offal.
"Snapped!"
After throwing twenty copper coins on the table, Lu Yuan grabbed the standard longsword that was on the table and said, "Let's go."
Old Huang gave him a thumbs up: "Impressive."
Then, she followed Lu Yuan out the door.
However, as soon as they reached the restaurant, he seemed to remember something and said to Lu Yuan, "You go back first, I forgot something at the restaurant, go get it."
After saying that, he turned around and went back inside.
After responding, Lu Yuan headed towards his residence.
Most of the border troops here have committed crimes or been demoted. After arriving here, they were stripped of their positions and forced to start from scratch as ordinary people.
However, all past crimes will be forgiven.
The only requirement is to guard the border.
This place is sparsely populated, and the border troops are assigned courtyards. Because Lu Yuan was stationed at the North Gate, his courtyard was located in the north of the city, at No. 34 Binggu Lane.
It's a decent size, with three tiled houses.
In the border army, having such a courtyard was considered quite good; Lu Yuan had spent an extra ten taels of silver to arrange it.
The Zhang family gave him a considerable amount of money, but he had already spent most of it to conceal his origins along the way, and now that he had settled down, he didn't have much left.
Back inside, we first lit the kang (heated brick bed) and lit the stove.
After the temperature gradually rose, Lu Yuan opened the system panel.