Chapter 1: The King Raises an Army

As the Jin army released their third volley of crossbow bolts, many soldiers from the Liang army also pulled the triggers of their crossbows in succession. Although this round of crossbow bolts had little effect for both sides, serving more as a cover than with the intent to inflict casualties, there were still unfortunate individuals who were struck by the crossbow bolts

Li Congjing withdrew his gaze from the red sun, gathered his spirits, and continued to observe the surrounding environment while on the run

Li Congjing and the soldiers all fell off their saddles in unison, their movements clean and swift. At this moment, his heartbeat slightly quickened—not out of nervousness, but rather from a sense of exhilaration

What Li Congjing is currently contemplating is whether Liang Jun has truly come to meet his demise

"Wait for General Liang."

Li Congjing immediately felt invigorated, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the entire scene along the official road. After a moment, the faint sound of hooves began to echo, gradually growing denser and more urgent, as a group of red-clad riders without banners appeared on the official road

It is now the 19th year of the Tianyou era. Fifteen years ago, the once glorious Tang Dynasty has reached the end of its life. Currently, we are in the chaotic era known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, where various lords stand in opposition, engaged in constant warfare. Among them, the most powerful are King Li Cunxu of Jin, who dominates Hebei and Hedong, and Emperor Zhu Youzhen of Later Liang, a descendant of Zhu Wen, who reigns over the Central Plains.

How can the simplest of beings, a fledgling that has never killed, triumph over those seasoned veterans who have fought and bled on the battlefield for many years? How can an ordinary person, who has lived in the city for many years without rising to prominence, outmaneuver those wise individuals who have achieved success and fame in times of chaos?

The sun was as red as blood. Li Congjing thought to himself that this might be a good omen

His original name was Li Congshen. Due to his recent contributions in the campaign against the Khitan while accompanying the Jin Wang to the north, he was bestowed the name "Jing" - Li Congjing.

Li Rong led the group through the village, confirming that there was no one in the village. After advancing a considerable distance, he stopped again and ordered two soldiers to continue forward to keep watch. The others began to make some simple arrangements along the official road. Once everything was in order, everyone concealed themselves on the gentle slopes on both sides of the official road.

Li Congjing was not at all worried that Liang Jun would appear on the official road as Li Rong had said. When the scouts lost contact at the front line, the commander would surely send additional scouts to clarify the situation; the only difference lay in who arrived at this location first and how many men they had.

Who is the hunter

"They have arrived!" Li Rong suddenly said in a low voice

It is precisely for this reason that Li Congjing spent ten years honing his martial skills, diligently studying poetry, literature, and military strategy, and observing the world around him. Now, after ten years have passed, he has officially stepped onto the battlefield. At present, he kills, employing every possible strategy, solely because he must survive in this chaotic era

Ten years pass in the blink of an eye, and all the discomforts have long been adapted to. A decade slips by like a fleeting horse, and Li Congjing still appears to be an ordinary person, without commanding thousands of troops, wielding a sword, or leading a grand army. The so-called ability to traverse time relies solely on extraordinary wisdom, manipulating historical figures at will, and the dream of easily obtaining the world is utterly unrealistic

At the same time, nearly twenty crossbow bolts shot out from the forest on both sides of the road

In this life, Li Congjing's identity is that of the offspring of a great general under the command of Prince Jin

Yesterday, the scouts of the Liang and Jin armies encountered each other near Xiahe Village, resulting in a brief skirmish. All of the Liang army's scouts were killed, leaving only one scout from the Jin army. After this scout returned to report the situation to King Li Cunxu of Jin, he also succumbed to exhaustion and died. To further investigate the Liang army's strengths and weaknesses, King Li Cunxu of Jin immediately selected elite troops from his army to head to Xiahe Village. As a member of the personal guard of King Li, Li Congjing volunteered to be one of these elite troops.

A group of knights clad in black short armor galloped swiftly along the official road, numbering around twenty. Each had a short crossbow suspended from the side of their saddles and a sword at their waists that swayed with the movement of their steeds. These knights all bore faces as hard as iron, their gazes cold and resolute, seemingly devoid of any emotion. As the warhorses raced by, the dew on the wild grass by the roadside fell in droplets.

One soldier in the team accidentally tilted his head and happened to see the sun rising over the mountain. The warm glow of the dawn illuminated his face, making the handsome young man’s eyes appear exceptionally bright; his well-defined features still bore a hint of youthfulness, yet already displayed a sense of determination. He was tall and slender, resembling a newly polished long spear.

However, the Jin army took full advantage of the initiative, calculating their moves while the Liang army was caught off guard. A single volley had already inflicted considerable casualties on the Liang forces, and at this moment, how could they be given a chance to catch their breath

A surge of murderous intent rose in his eyes as he stood up, readied the crossbow, aimed, and shot, all in one fluid motion. With a dull thud of the bowstring, the crossbow bolt shot forth, heading straight for the target's face

What are they waiting for

Li Congjing felt someone tap his shoulder. Turning his head to look, he saw Li Rong extend his index finger to point at the leader of the group, then point at himself, and subsequently point at two others in the group while indicating Li Congjing. Li Congjing immediately realized that Li Rong was assigning him his targets for elimination

Li Congjing observed that the attire of this group of Liang troops was not much different from his own, as they were all equipped with short armor, horizontal sabers, and short crossbows. The scouts, in pursuit of ultimate speed, aimed for lightweight equipment, with some even not wearing armor. This was quite different from the heavily armed special forces of later generations

Li Congjing, originally an ordinary young man of the twenty-first century, spent his most youthful years at a second-rate university. After graduation, unable to find a good job, he could only take up telephone marketing, deceiving customers into buying insurance under the guise of a bank. One day, this unremarkable salesman woke up to find himself inexplicably transported to the Five Dynasties period.

Li Congjing lay down, throwing himself among the grass and trees. He was not a scout himself, and after glancing at the old scout Li Rong, who was also lying down beside him, he thought for a moment and asked nonchalantly: "Captain, what are we doing here?"

As the arrow was released, Li Congjing felt a wave of calmness wash over him. His eyes were fixed on the target, and his hands and feet showed no signs of hesitation. His right hand reached back, accurately retrieving a crossbow bolt, which he swiftly loaded onto the crossbow.

Li Congjing's gaze followed the rise and fall of the opponent's horse hooves, as if he could sense the breathing of the charging warhorse. It was a rhythm of relentless advance, even as it marched toward death

At that moment, the leader of Liang Jun suddenly raised his hand to tighten the reins, his gaze sharp as a blade directed towards Li Congjing. The troops behind him also came to a halt in an instant

The crowd removed their short crossbows from their arms, and the horses were pulled into the roadside woods to hide, leaving one person to stand guard. Li Rong led Li Congjing and others forward cautiously.

Enemy attack! The leader of the Liang army tilted his head and shouted loudly, causing the Liang soldiers to tumble from their saddles. Accompanied by the sound of crossbow bolts piercing flesh, cries of agony and muffled groans rose and fell in succession, while bright red splashes of blood blossomed in the air. The neighing of horses sounded like weeping and lamentation, as lives that had been vibrant just a moment ago suddenly lost consciousness

Twenty-one individuals. Li Rong glanced over and immediately confirmed the number of people on the other side. As a scout, they were the elite among the elite in the army, akin to special forces in later times, and counting was naturally a fundamental skill.

Everyone executed the military orders silently, without any dissent, regardless of whether they could comprehend the underlying significance

The leading team suddenly raised their arms, and the entire cavalry gradually slowed down, coming to a complete stop in just five breaths of time. About twenty individuals moved in unison, without a trace of noise.

However, even among the elite of the scouts, those who could shoot a deadly crossbow bolt while protected by armor were few. The surviving soldiers of the Liang army used their horses as shields, desperately stabilizing the restless hooves while holding their crossbows, seeking opportunities to counterattack, demonstrating their commendable military training

In the blink of an eye, Liang Jun was already close at hand, the sound of hooves like drumbeats, striking heavily against Li Congjing's heart. From the moment he saw Liang Jun to the time Liang Jun approached, the distance was not long, and the time taken by the other party was extremely short. However, in Li Congjing's perception, it felt as if a whole season had passed; everything seemed unusually slow at that moment, and the air around appeared to have solidified, devoid of any sound. From the moment he saw Liang Jun to the time Liang Jun approached, the distance was not long, and the time taken by the other party was extremely short. However, in Li Congjing's perception, it felt as if a whole season had passed; everything seemed unusually slow at that moment, and the air around appeared to have solidified, devoid of any sound.

Li Congjing fell silent. He knew that soon he would once again face a life-and-death trial in this era. This was not the first time, to say the least. A few days ago, while following Prince Jin on a northern expedition against the Khitan, Li Cunxiu fought fiercely within the Khitan army, making four incursions and four retreats. The battles were exceptionally brutal, and as one of his personal guards, Li Congjing nearly lost his life amidst the chaos of war.

After two arrows, Li Rong let out a loud shout and led his men charging out from the forest. As the scouts of the Jin army burst forth, one of them fired another arrow from his short crossbow, regardless of whether it hit the target or not. He casually discarded the crossbow, drew out a horizontal saber from his waist, and with a brief sound of metal scraping, leaped forward, brandishing his blade to attack the Liang army before him

With a slight nod, Li Congjing indicated his understanding

Although Li Congjing had already experienced numerous battles alongside Li Cunxun, he was still taken aback by this scene, his eyelids twitching violently. However, as someone who had gone through life and death, he showed no fear at this moment. With his sword in hand, Li Congjing charged forward with the fastest speed of his life, lunging at the Liang army soldier he had been fixated on, exerting all his strength to swing his sword down in battle.

Since waking up from a deep sleep, I inexplicably found myself in the Five Dynasties period. In the blink of an eye, Li Congjing has already lived in this era for a full ten years

Not long after, a small village appeared in the field of vision. The village looked dilapidated and unusually quiet. Li Congjing knew that this was Xiahe Village. Located at the front line of the conflict, the villagers had likely fled completely.

What are you waiting for

Li Rong did not move at all, "and so on"

Li Congjing's eyes narrowed sharply, as the murderous intent of the battlefield surged towards him like cold water in an instant. He realized that his side had likely been detected by the opponent. Although he did not know how the enemy could foresee his movements, the awareness that should exist on the battlefield was not lost at this moment

The sun rose a little higher, and sunlight filtered through the branches, casting down upon Li Congjing's cold willow leaf armor. He plucked a blade of grass and held it in his mouth, slowly chewing, as his heart gradually became as calm as a still lake

As Li Congjing just drew his knife, he saw a scout charging towards his side, pierced through the throat by an arrow, his head snapping back as if struck by a hammer. At such close range, the scout's body was propelled backward by the tremendous force, a spray of blood scattering into the air

By the end of August, the weather in Hedong has begun to show signs of cooling. The early morning sunlight spills over the dew on the grass and leaves, sparkling and clear. The war-torn land of Hedong remains as desolate as ever, with the wilderness barren as usual, weeds overgrown in the fields, and crops sparse.

"Wait for them to come to their demise." Li Rong habitually grinned, revealing a hint of cruelty in his expression

We have arrived at the area where the scouts encountered yesterday. Team leader Li Rong opened his mouth, his deep voice possessing an extraordinary penetrating quality, "Dismount."

Li Congjing did not know whether he would die in the battles to come today, but he understood that the only way for him to survive in this era was to fight incessantly—either to survive by stepping on the corpses of others or to die and become a stepping stone for others. For here, it is a time of chaos