Chapter 1: The Strongest is the One Who Conquers Oneself

"Brother, let me help you," Wei Wu said, blinking his eyes and speaking with a hint of reluctance.

Hehe, brother, I didn't expect that after being ill, you seem like a different person. If you had been willing to endure hardships like this before, you would definitely be stronger than our elder brother now

"No... no way." The older boy, drenched in sweat, his face flushed, was panting heavily, his steps so heavy that he could barely lift his legs. If it weren't for someone supporting him, he would have almost fallen into the fields by the roadside. However, despite being utterly exhausted, he still refused to give up, pushing away his younger brother's support and gritting his teeth, saying: "I must reach that hilltop before resting, even if I have to... I will... climb up by myself."

I am so tired, truly so tired. Changing one's body is so difficult, let alone changing one's fate. Wei Ba gasped for breath while mocking himself. Some say that if life could start over, at least half of the people could become great figures. I have been reborn, yet it seems that becoming a great figure is still out of reach.

The spring breeze has unknowingly crossed the Daba Mountains, greening the undulating hills. Patch after patch of golden rapeseed flowers dot the mountains, as if vibrant flowers have been embroidered onto the green Shu brocade, bright and dazzling

If it were the past, he would definitely be lying on the ground now, and would never come back again tomorrow. However, now, if he wants to change his fate, he cannot give up. Just as he told Wei Wu, even if he has to crawl, he will crawl to the top of the mountain.

"That old thief, of course I know him," Wei Wu said disdainfully. "Oh, is he called the Emperor Wei Wu?"

Wei Ba's face twitched slightly, followed by a hearty laugh. Although Wei Wu's encouragement seemed rather clumsy, he still enjoyed this feeling. In his previous life, he was an only child and had never experienced the feeling of having brothers. In this life, however, he gained an older brother and several younger siblings. He felt that heaven had shown a bit of mercy, finally granting him some benefits.

Of course. As soon as Guan Yu was mentioned, Wei Wu's eyebrows immediately danced with excitement. He nudged Wei Ba and said, "Brother, don't you want to become a fierce general like Guan Hou?"

Wèi Bà gasped, looking at the distant hillside that seemed unreachable. His throat burned with an intense fire, causing excruciating pain. His heart pounded violently in his frail chest, raising concerns that it might give out at any moment. His legs felt as heavy as if filled with lead; each lift required the last ounce of his strength.

This is a transformation that greatly satisfies Wei Wu. Although the likelihood of him becoming a fierce general as a result is slim, as long as he is no longer as frail as to be blown away by the wind, it is indeed a very good thing

"I never expected that the son of the General of the North would look down on Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, yet hold the rebel Cao Cao in such high regard." A cold voice came from a distance, interrupting Wei Ba's moral education of his younger brother.

Awu, do you know that your name is quite impressive

Wei Wu scratched his head: "Indeed, Emperor Xiaowu was a remarkable figure of his time, but who is Emperor Wei Wu?"

Wei Ba chuckled and said: "You little brat, what do you know? My character 'Ba' may sound imposing, but your character 'Wu' is indeed a remarkable term. Just think about it, which emperors have been called 'Wu'? The Han Dynasty had Emperor Wu of Han, and the Wei Kingdom had Emperor Wu of Wei. Were they not the most outstanding figures of their time?"

Wei Wu stood with his hands on his hips, facing the wind, striking a pose reminiscent of a great leader pointing out the landscape. Upon hearing Wei Ba's words, he squinted his eyes and let out a noncommittal laugh, clearly only refraining from undermining his brother's confidence out of affection. Wei Ba caught his breath, turned over, and lay on his back on the grass, gazing at the azure sky and the white clouds, marveling at this nature that had yet to be tainted by industrial pollution, and suddenly burst into laughter

People are often giants in language but dwarfs in action. In his previous life, Wei Ba had also made up his mind to exercise, but he usually gave up after just two days. In this life, he encountered such difficulties once again; however, due to a fundamental change in his mindset, he broke the record of his previous life. Today is the fifth day

The next day, he got out of bed and began to exercise, taking the first step towards changing his destiny. After all, regardless of the era, the body is the foundation of revolution

After suppressing the increasingly intense thoughts of giving up, Wei Ba summoned the last bit of courage and determination, continuing to run forward

In the sea of rapeseed flowers on the hillside, two young boys are running. The one in front is about twelve or thirteen years old, while the one behind is around seventeen or eighteen. They bear a slight resemblance to each other; however, the one in front is as sturdy as a little tiger, running with great vigor, seemingly possessing boundless energy. He strides effortlessly across the fields, occasionally glancing back at the panting boy behind him, and occasionally letting out a triumphant laugh.

Wei Wu sat beside Wei Ba, took a leather water pouch from his waist, and handed it to Wei Ba, nudging him: "Have a drink of water. Brother, you are joking again. I haven't even written a word yet, what do you mean by impressive? Even my name is not as imposing as yours. Even when compared to our elder brother, I still fall short. Brother, how about we swap names?"

"I don't want to! I certainly do not wish to end up like him, with my head and body separated." Wei Ba shrugged, took another sip of water to soothe his nearly burning throat, and then said earnestly: "Ah Wu, mere brute strength is not enough. If you want to become a general, you must be a wise commander. Do not think that just having good martial skills will make you a famous general. Such a person is at best a fighter, and can never become a renowned general. In the end, they will not have a good outcome. It's not just Guan Yu; there are also Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and especially that Ma Chao. Good martial skills, right? In the end, he was beaten like a stray dog, unable to return home, buried in a foreign land. Such a person is at best a fighter, and can never become a renowned general. In the end, they will not have a good outcome. It's not just Guan Yu; there are also Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and especially that Ma Chao. Good martial skills, right? In the end, he was beaten like a stray dog, unable to return home, buried in a foreign land. To be a general, one must be like Cao Cao, willing to compromise, and also like General Zhao Yun..."

In the fifth year of Jianxing in Shu, during the Qingming Festival. Yangping Mountain in Hanzhong

Does Cao Cao know?

"Then I cannot accept this. What is Cao Cao, that old thief, compared to a true talent?" Wei Wu scoffed, showing his disdain. "The person I admire the most is Lord Guan, but unfortunately, he doesn't even have a posthumous title."

The mountain peak two hundred steps away appeared so distant, as if it could never be reached. When Wei Ba finally arrived at his destination, he felt a sense of relief, but his legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground, lacking even the strength to turn over. Sweat poured from his body, having long since soaked his clothes. On the damp grass, an unknown little insect crawled onto his hand, yet he was unable to even flick it away. Even if an insect flew into his wide-open mouth, he and the book would likely have no mood to inquire about it.

He may not be able to defeat others now, not even his younger brother who is four or five years his junior, who could easily knock him down with one hand. However, he can conquer himself. As the book says, only those who can overcome themselves are the strongest. To become a strong person, he must first conquer himself, overcome his laziness, and defeat his weaknesses, in order to seize the throat of fate.

Wei Wu looked at Wei Ba, who was hardly faster than a snail, shook his head in confusion, but felt more joy than anything else. Their father, Wei Yan, was a general who had earned his position as the General of the Northern Defense through his prowess with the sword. From the moment they were born, they aimed to become fierce warriors like their father. Both he and his elder brother, Wei Feng, inherited their father's strength and honed their martial skills. However, their second brother, Wei Ba, had been frail since childhood, a sickly child who struggled even to walk a few steps, which earned him their father's disappointment. Just a few days ago, he had fallen ill and nearly lost his life. After recovering, he likely reflected on his weak constitution and realized that if he continued this way, he would find it difficult to endure until the ceremony of coming of age, which prompted him to resolve to start training his body.

Wei Ba turned his head to glance at Wei Wu. From his brother's eyes, he perceived a genuine concern that surged through him like a warm current, but he quickly turned his head away, feeling somewhat guilty. He dared not look into Wei Wu's eyes for too long, fearing that he might reveal a flaw, for he was no longer the Wei Ba he once was.

They are a pair of biological brothers. The elder one is named Wei Ba, the second son of Wei Yan, the General of the Northern Expedition of Shu Han and the Governor of Hanzhong. The younger one is named Wei Wu, who is Wei Ba's full brother. Although Wei Ba is the elder brother and has a very imposing name, his body is quite frail. Compared to his younger brother Wei Wu, he is only slightly taller, but his physique is much more slender. Having walked only a few hundred steps from the foot of the mountain, he is already panting heavily, nearly collapsing to the ground. Although Wei Ba is the elder brother and has a very imposing name, his body is quite frail. Compared to his younger brother Wei Wu, he is only slightly taller, but his physique is much more slender. Having walked only a few hundred steps from the foot of the mountain, he is already panting heavily, nearly collapsing to the ground

If it were in the past, he would have definitely collapsed on the ground and been unable to get up, or upon seeing this hillside, he would have thought it impossible to come up, let alone run up. Being able to run to the halfway point in one breath is already the result of his consistent exercise over the past few days

You wait, one day I will be stronger and more knowledgeable than you

At the beginning, he felt very wronged, believing that fate was biased against him, not even allowing him to have a better life in his rebirth. The Wei family now appeared quite imposing, with Wei Yan serving as the General of the Northern Town and the Governor of Hanzhong. In the Shu Han, where only Zhao Yun remained among the Five Tiger Generals, he was one of the few capable generals, and in Hanzhong, he was undoubtedly a local overlord. However, as someone from a millennium later, he knew that the glory of the Wei family would end here. Next, Zhuge Liang would launch a northern expedition, making six incursions into Qishan, and Wei Yan, this fierce general, would become a mere side dish, never having the opportunity to stand alone. Even more tragically, after Zhuge Liang's death at Wuzhangyuan, he would not even have the chance to be a side dish, as he was beheaded by Ma Dai in a power struggle with Yang Yi, becoming a typical example of a person with a rebellious bone growing at the back of his head.

"Elder brother, hurry up!" He turned back, grabbing the nearly collapsed youth, his mouth stretched wide enough to almost reveal his molars. "Elder brother, are you tired? Why don't we take a break?"

Upon reaching this conclusion, Wei Ba was astonished for a long time, and his initial resentment gradually transformed into profound self-reproach. It turned out that although fate is unpredictable, waiting idly for fortune to fall from the sky is an exceedingly absurd act. Rather than lamenting the unfairness of heaven, it is better to take action and use one’s own efforts to change fate. After all, I possess professional skills that surpass this era, as well as the knowledge and perspective accumulated by humanity over millennia. At the very least, I have a better understanding than others of the future trajectory of history.

Wei Wu took two steps to catch up, walking side by side with Wei Ba. Turning his head to look at Wei Ba's face, which was reddening to the point of almost bleeding, and hearing his labored breathing like that of a bellows, he said with some concern: "Elder brother, if you are tired, let's take a break for a while. Don't expose yourself to the wind any longer"

Or rather, his body is still that of Wei Ba, but his soul comes from eighteen hundred years later. He is an extraordinarily ordinary person, attending a very ordinary university, majoring in a rather obscure field of agricultural machinery. After graduation, he couldn't even find a job. He looks ordinary as well, neither tall nor handsome, and certainly not wealthy; he has no connection to houses or cars, and his luck is poor. After being introduced to eighteen potential partners, he finally meets a girl willing to exchange a few words with him. However, upon waking from a dream, he finds himself in the era of the Three Kingdoms, inhabiting the body of a similarly unremarkable youth.

"No... no need." Wei Ba shook his head with great effort. He was truly too weak; even shaking his head felt laborious, and his already unsteady steps became even more disordered. He was grateful for his brother's kindness, but he understood even more that if he could not persist in running up by himself and instead accepted Wei Wu's help, he would need even more assistance from Wei Wu the next day

The young boy chuckled a couple of times, feeling somewhat pleased with himself, but his laughter was a bit hoarse due to uneven breathing. He swung his arms vigorously and ran forward. The sturdy and robust boy patted his head and cheerfully followed suit

I did not receive more than others because I have never put in more effort than they have. Since my high school years, while other students were diligently studying, I was merely getting by, which is why others were able to enroll in prestigious universities with popular majors, while I could only attend an ordinary university with a generic program. Once in college, while my peers were actively honing their skills to prepare for the workforce, I was aimlessly playing around, resulting in them obtaining numerous certificates and securing good jobs, while I was left with only a diploma, without even a bachelor's degree, and thus unable to find a good job. After finally starting a job, while others were working overtime to accumulate experience, I was content with just arriving and leaving on time, and when opportunities for advancement arose, they naturally did not come my way.

Considering the circumstances, being reborn merely adds a few more years to one's life, but at the cost of exchanging it for a very tragic death. Whoever bears this fate has every reason to raise a middle finger to the heavens

Of course, Cao Pi was called Emperor Wen of Wei, and his son Cao Rui was still alive, so he certainly could not be called Emperor Wu.

Wei Ba rolled his eyes. Wei Wu had a strong physique and excellent martial skills, but he was unwilling to study, not even aware of the existence of Emperor Wei.

In reminiscing about his mediocre and ordinary life, the bedridden Wei Ba began to lament why he was so unfortunate, why others could thrive while he could only resign himself to mediocrity. After countless instances of self-justification, he arrived at a contrary conclusion.

Guan Yu

"Brother, not bad, not bad." Wei Wu hurried over, exaggeratedly giving a thumbs up: "Today is an improvement over yesterday."