Chapter 001: Frontier

At present, Chang Geng is not yet fourteen years old in nominal age, but he can already lift a heavy sword weighing over sixty pounds with one hand. Although he is aware of his own strength and never participates in fights among the mischievous children, those little brats inexplicably seem to be a bit afraid of him

He relied on his height and long legs, and in the blink of an eye, he had already walked far away

Mr. Shen used medicine powder to drive away the hungry wolf, saving his life. The two brothers later settled in Yanhuai Town, where Xu Baihu rented them an empty courtyard of his own, grateful for their life-saving grace, and did not charge them rent

The so-called "thousand-mile eye" is a small round bronze instrument, intricately carved with "five bats" around it. Inside, it contains a translucent glass piece, which, when placed over the eye, allows one to clearly see the gender of a rabbit ten miles away.

Madam Cao curled her lips and said: "Who is 'your big brother'? Do you see if anyone cares about you? You shamelessly chase after someone, insisting on being recognized as their big brother, how pathetic you are... Wait, look over there, isn't that him?"

If one were to say this is music, it might be a bit of a stretch. Chang Geng listened attentively for a moment and felt that if he had to praise it, he could only say that the wailing was quite melodious.

The Shen family has a total of two bachelors, and they do not even have a hen, so there is naturally no need to avoid anyone. He has always come and gone as he pleases, without even knocking on the door

Lady Cao's face was flushed, her gaze wandering, and the earlier commanding demeanor she had towards the plump Ge was completely gone. The young girl, reminiscent of a maiden in love, covered her chest and said: "My elder brother Chang Geng walks more gracefully than anyone else"

Ge Pang Xiao Hui, with a dirty face, lifted his head without bothering to get up. He first flashed a silly grin and, grinning widely, said: "Hehe, big brother, I have been waiting for you here all day."

The Shen brothers rescued Chang Geng from the jaws of a wolf, which was a life-saving grace, and thus, it was only natural for Chang Geng to recognize one of them as his adoptive father

On that evening, two children around the age of ten ran down to the foot of General Hill

Truly handsome, the old birthday star of the town personally attested that having lived for nearly ninety years, he has never seen such a well-groomed man

In the border town of Qingku, the children have little in the way of snacks. Whenever the soldiers return from their tribute missions, they casually bring back some cheese and jerky from the barbarians, scattering them along the roadside, which invariably prompts the local children to scramble for them. This is referred to as "robbing the geese's food"

Lady Cao: "That is called hanging from a beam and stabbing the thigh. Stop the nonsense and quickly give me the Thousand-Mile Eye"

Ge Pangxiao: "Ah, big brother, that..."

General Slope is a barren hillside where nothing grows, not even wild grass. There is no cover for secret affairs, and it sits there stark and bare, leaving one to wonder what purpose it serves. The elders say this is due to the heavy bloodshed and malevolent aura of the Xuan Tie Camp. Over time, some idle ruffians used this as inspiration to concoct a series of ghost stories from the borderlands, and gradually, fewer and fewer people ventured there.

Upon entering the courtyard, a strong scent of medicine mingled with the ethereal sound of a xun wafted towards me

As he reached out, the excess fat on Ge Pangxiao's body ached faintly, and he hurriedly offered the Qianliyan with both hands, cautioning, "Be careful, if you break it, my father will definitely beat me into a filling for pancakes"

Shen Shiliu spends his days idly, neither studying nor working. He does not even know to right an overturned oil bottle, and I have never seen him carry water. He either wanders about or drinks, showing a complete lack of learning and skills, and possesses almost no merits.

Unfortunately, it is of no use no matter how good it is—when Shen Shiliu was a child, he suffered from a serious illness, which damaged his body. His eyesight could only discern objects within about two feet in front of him; beyond ten steps, he could not even distinguish between men and women. He was also hard of hearing, and one had to shout to communicate with him. Every day, as he passed by the Shen family's gate, he could hear the refined Mr. Shen roaring at him like a mad dog, even through the courtyard wall.

Ge Pangxiao followed the direction of his finger and indeed saw it.

Then I will take a look at him," Chang Geng waved his hand at the two little tailing children, "Hurry back home, it's getting late, if you miss dinner your father will scold you.

In the border town of Yanhuicheng, there is a place called "General Slope," a name that sounds imposing; however, it is merely a small mound, with a neck so long that one can see over the top of the slope at a glance

Two years ago, Chang Geng was still young and sneaked out of the city gate to play. He accidentally got lost and encountered a pack of wolves, nearly being carried away. Fortunately, the Shen brothers happened to be traveling through this area.

The short and stout one is the youngest son of the butcher Ge, nicknamed Ge Panniao. True to his name, he has a rich, lustrous sheen all over his body.

This sentence finally struck Chang Geng's heart. He paused for a moment and asked, "Didn’t Sixteen just return from Changyang Pass? How could he fall ill again?"

A young man was seen carrying a sword, his head lowered, slowly walking down from General Slope. Ge Pangxiao immediately seemed unafraid of ghosts, rushing out like a rolling thunder: "Elder brother, elder brother!"

According to local customs, when one feels immense gratitude that cannot be repaid, they will acknowledge a godparent. Those with children will recognize their offspring, while those without children will acknowledge themselves.

Ge Pangxiao followed his gaze and pointed out: "I know, that one is called Huanxing, also known as 'Chang Geng', sharing the same name as my elder brother. Mr. Shen taught about it, I remember."

Chang Geng listened and felt that the person playing the xun had sufficient breath, unlike someone who was ill, so he relaxed half of his mind and asked, "I heard that Mr. Ge Pang is going to change the medicine for Sixteen, what happened to him?"

The sound of the xun emanated from within the room, the silhouette of the player, tall and slender, cast against the paper window by the dim light. Clearly, their skill was lacking, and it was difficult to discern any particular melody. Occasionally, one or two notes would fail to sound, resulting in an overall muted and breathless performance, evoking a peculiar sense of desolation and fatigue.

Ge Pang said insistently: "I have already discussed it with Mr. Shen, and Mr. Shen has agreed. We will have our days off in the coming days."

A boy named Chang Geng silently withdrew his foot, nearly stepping on Ge Pang Xiao's foot.

Chang Geng has been meticulous in his martial arts training since childhood. In the border regions, there are many military households, and it is not uncommon for children to practice martial arts. However, mastering martial arts requires hard work, and most children merely go through the motions, achieving only mediocre results. Only Chang Geng, from the day he began learning the sword, has practiced alone on General's Slope every day, persevering in his training for many years with remarkable determination

Chang Geng's father is Xu Baihu—not his biological father

Mr. Shen looked pale.

The one dressed as a little girl in a narrow striped outfit, one must look closely to realize that he is a boy. His nickname is Cao Niangzi, because a fortune teller said he was originally meant to be a girl, but was born into the wrong body. It is feared that heaven might call him back to be reborn, so the family is worried that he may not live long, and thus has been raised as a daughter.

Ge Pangxiao: "Moreover, Mr. Shen said he would change the dressing for Uncle Sixteen, and he might be going out for a few days to gather herbs, so he won't be home. You have nowhere else to go, so why not come with us? Practicing swordplay all day isn't much fun anyway"

Mr. Shen is frowning while brewing medicine in the courtyard. He is a young man with a scholarly appearance, dressed in an old long gown. Though not old, he always wears a frown, embodying a sense of humble yet vibrant life.

Ge Pang held a copper "Thousand-Mile Eye" in his small hands, stretching his neck and straining to gaze in the direction of General Slope, murmuring: "You say the sun has set, yet it still hasn't gone down, my elder brother is truly... what is it called again—hanging and fasting!"

Chang Geng had no interest in listening to his endless chatter about "this" and "that". At this age, a boy who is one year older is indeed different in both stature and thoughts. Chang Geng could no longer play with Ge Pang and the others.

At the age of two or three, Chang Geng accompanied his widowed mother, Xiu Niang, to this place to seek refuge with relatives. However, they discovered that the relatives had already moved away, leaving them with no one to turn to. Coincidentally, the original wife of the officer Xu Baihu had passed away, and he had no children. He took a liking to Xiu Niang and married her as a secondary wife.

Ge Pangxiao: "Brother Chang Geng, your father and the others will be back soon tomorrow, we won't have class, why don't you join us to snatch some wild goose food? We will definitely make Li Xiaohou and the others run away in fear!"

In addition to being a recluse, Mr. Shen also holds several positions, including that of a physician, a ghostwriter for letters and couplets, a teacher, and a "long-armed master." He is exceptionally talented and skilled, capable of treating injuries from falls and assisting in the delivery of foals. During the day, he runs a private school at home, teaching a group of young students to read and write. In the evening, after sending the students away, he rolls up his sleeves to repair steam engines, armored vehicles, and various puppets, supplementing his household income while living in seclusion.

In such matters, whoever can recruit Chang Geng to join will be equivalent to being in an invincible position

This fake girl often blurs the line between acting and reality, but unfortunately, her true direction is somewhat misguided; she does not resemble a refined young lady, but rather a shrew, especially fond of waving her hands like claws to pinch others

He was running too fast and tripped over something at the foot of General Slope, tumbling out in a clumsy manner, right at the feet of that young man

Madam Cao held it in her hand for half a day, raised it up to look at the stars: "It is truly clear"

The one playing the xun remained oblivious, and with his hearing ability, it is indeed possible that he did not hear anything.

In summary, Shen Shiliu is a sickly individual who is both deaf and blind

Chang Geng walked leisurely with his hands behind his back, the heavy sword tapping rhythmically against his calf, ignoring the words of the chubby child Ge.

Mr. Shen is capable of everything; he can earn money and take care of the family, and he is also an excellent cook. He is extremely competent, which leaves his brother with nothing to do, so he is solely responsible for squandering money—Mr. Shen's brother is named "Shen Sixteen." It is said that he was in poor health since childhood, and the family was afraid he wouldn't grow up well, so they didn't give him a formal name. Since he was born on the sixteenth day of the first month, he was simply named "Sixteen."

General Slope did not always exist; it is said that fourteen years ago, during the northern expedition of the first cavalry of the Great Liang, the Xuan Tie's three major camps pacified eighteen barbarian tribes. On their way back to the capital, they passed through Yan Hui City and left behind their discarded armor at this location, which gradually formed a small hill. Over time, it was shaped by sand and dust, wind and rain, thus becoming General Slope

Mr. Shen glanced at the color of the medicinal soup and said irritably: "It's nothing much, just a change of seasons. The medicinal needs vary with the four seasons, and this sickly patient is quite delicate, making it very difficult to care for—by the way, you arrived just in time. He has brought something from somewhere today and intends to send it to you early tomorrow morning. Go take a look quickly."

This particular one belonging to Ge Pangxiao is especially exquisite, having been passed down from his grandfather who served as a scout

In addition to being good-looking

Whether he studies or practices swordsmanship depends on himself and has nothing to do with whether the teacher gives a holiday or not

Chang Geng skillfully traversed his own yard, and with a turn at the corner gate, he arrived at Mr. Shen's house

Every time he sees Fat Ge, he feels a sense of wonder, believing that the butcher Ge, who has slaughtered countless pigs, might possess an innate ability to see through things. Over the years, he has surprisingly never treated his son like a pig to be slaughtered. However, Chang Geng has a steady temperament and speaks with kindness; no matter what he thinks in his heart, he refrains from saying hurtful words.

The little chubby boy ran a wasted trip, failing to invite anyone. He sighed in disappointment and turned back to glare at Mrs. Cao, saying, "You could at least say something!"

In this way, Shen Shiliu, that good-for-nothing, took a tremendous advantage—if this idle and sickly individual were to fall into poverty in the future, Chang Geng would have to provide for him in his old age.

According to his conditions, he should have been a fortunate young man with exceptional advantages, but unfortunately, in this remote town, there are only the impoverished and the destitute, and even if a celestial being were to arrive, no one would be able to afford to support him

These two, one tall and slender and the other short and stout, together resemble a pair of running chopsticks.

The two of them peered cautiously towards General Slope, but due to the haunting legends, neither dared to approach.

The elder brother is named Shen Yi, a repeatedly unsuccessful scholar. Although he is still young, he has given up on his ambitions for an official career and has settled down as a recluse in this desolate place where no one would want to live. The neighbors politely refer to him as "Mr. Shen".

What Ge Pangxiao referred to as "Mr. Shen" and "Uncle Sixteen" are a pair of brothers, and they have quite a connection with Chang Geng

Since it is a "scramble," a group of young ones will inevitably get into fights. As long as they do not get seriously hurt, the adults will not intervene, and they will engage in their own brawls, forming cliques and taking it all very seriously.

Mr. Shen has read so much that it has muddled his mind, and he stubbornly insists on unreasonable arguments, which he cannot bear to accept. On the contrary, his brother, Sixteen Ye, was straightforward and immediately changed his words to call him "son".

Xu Baihu led a group out of the pass to collect the annual tribute from the barbarians, and it is estimated that the return to the city will likely be within these two days

Chang Geng did not take it to heart and laughed, saying, "What age am I? Why would I pick up wild goose food?"

Ge Pangxiao

Ah... it seems so, he has never been well.

Shen Yi heard footsteps, smiled at Chang Geng, and then shouted into the inner room: "Ancestral, please show some mercy, you've even blown out your urine, Chang Geng is here!"

Chang Geng, with the demeanor of an older brother, extended his hand to help Ge Pang Xiao up and brushed off the dust from his clothes: "Why are you running? Be careful not to fall and get hurt. Do you need something from me?"

This worldly treasure can no longer be brought out