Chapter 1, Camp

Father! You have returned!

Gao Ying looked at him with confusion and said: "Young Master, have you forgotten? It was my father who exchanged the spoils of war obtained on the battlefield for the Taiping talisman water from the Duke of Wu, using it to save you. The Taiping talisman water can cure all ailments, while the herbs my father collected do not have such great efficacy"

The Yellow Turban Army has always represented a disorganized mob of inept fighters in his memory

Ahead of the riverbank lies a vast encampment, where countless ragged men and women, wearing yellow headbands, are in a constant uproar. The cries of hungry children can be heard, along with the helpless sobs of women and children.

At this moment, upon hearing Gordon's words, he did not respond but let out a slight sigh and said: "In this chaotic world, the government troops and the Yellow Turban Army are engaged in mutual slaughter, especially the Yellow Turban Army, which is everywhere. Even if we manage to escape from here, we will not be able to go far before encountering other Yellow Turban bandits. It is better to stay here for now and find a way to preserve our lives."

The earth is parched, lacking sufficient water sources, and the vegetation on the ground appears somewhat withered. The small rivers and streams that once flowed with water have now turned into sunken ditches.

Knowing this, Gao Cheng also lowered his guard, regarding Gao Tai and his daughter Gao Ying as trustworthy allies.

This tent is tattered and seems to be made from old flags salvaged from the battlefield

Moreover, during the late Eastern Han period, the Yellow Turban Army was regarded as bandits and rebels, and whenever they fell into the hands of the imperial army, there was only one response: execution! This situation only began to improve during the later period of the war among the feudal lords.

After finishing the medication, Gao Cheng put on his clothes and said with slight surprise: "Xiao Ying, where did Uncle Gao collect this herbal medicine? I was struck in the chest with a knife and suffered such a serious injury, yet it has almost healed after just four days of applying the medicine? This is too fast, isn't it?"

The memories retained in this body are few, and after absorbing the memories, Gao Cheng does not have a clear understanding of the situation in the world.

That's wonderful, young master. In just one more day, the wound should be completely healed. Gao Ying appeared very happy, her small face slightly flushed.

After Gao Tai left, Gao Cheng revealed a bitter smile, "The Yellow Turban bandits... In the seventh year of Guanghe, I unexpectedly find myself in the world of the Three Kingdoms. I don't know what kind of bad luck I have encountered to suddenly arrive here. The worst part is that I have been forced to join the Yellow Turban army!"

The young man nodded and fell silent, yet his heart was in turmoil. His current name is Gao Cheng, courtesy name Ziming

Around the camp, four teams of strong men armed with long rifles were patrolling, and many wounded soldiers, missing hands and feet and covered in blood, were gasping for breath in the corners of the camp

Tai Ping Fu Shui? Gao Cheng felt a jolt in his heart; wasn't this something used by fraudsters to deceive people? How could it possibly cure all ailments? However, he noticed that Gao Ying's expression seemed to be one of unwavering belief in the efficacy of Tai Ping Fu Shui

Gao Tai saw the spear-wielding soldiers wearing yellow headbands patrolling the camp, a flicker of resentment passing through his eyes. He quickly regained his composure and, carrying a wooden bucket, made his way to a tent located in a remote corner of the camp

A bird let out a hoarse cry in the sky, as if unable to endure its thirst. It circled in the air and then cautiously flew towards a wide river.

Gao Tai's face revealed a hint of joy upon hearing this. Four days ago, the young master was stabbed by the imperial army on the battlefield. When he fell to the ground, he happened to collide with a stone, sustaining serious injuries. He remained unconscious for a day and a night before finally regaining consciousness. After lying in bed for two to three days and taking a bit of talisman water, along with applying herbal medicine to his body, he was finally out of danger.

She struggled to lift the wooden bucket, carefully pouring the murky water into the nearby ceramic bowl. Next to the bowl, a campfire still flickered, releasing a faint aroma of herbs from the bowl.

A strong wind swept through, carrying away some of the oppressive heat of summer, while the sun hung high in the sky, scorching the earth and causing patches to crack.

Before Gao Cheng came to this world, although his family was not extraordinarily wealthy, they were well-off and had never experienced the feeling of hunger. Now, upon hearing Gao Ying's words, he felt a sudden heaviness in his heart

Gao Ying's small face suddenly dimmed a little, no longer paying attention to Gao Cheng's abnormality, and instead said softly: "We only have a little more than half a bag of grain left, and this was exchanged by our father using all the remaining money from the grain officer, enough for us to eat for two days. When it comes time to break camp and set out, we will have to go hungry."

However, thinking of the young master whose injuries have yet to heal and who is still waiting for the application of medicine, I couldn't help but let out a slight sigh, and turned to leave while carrying the wooden bucket

At this time, the Yellow Turban Army was composed of staunch followers of the Way of Peace and starving peasants on the brink of death from hunger. The supplies in the camp were extremely scarce, and the leaders of this Yellow Turban Army could only ensure that their own loyal troops were not left hungry, while the surrounding refugees and unruly people were left to fend for themselves.

The people in the river were dressed in rags, their bodies emaciated. A few of them looked at the gradually descending birds with brightened eyes, revealing a hint of fervor

Indeed, my lord, I just heard while drawing water from the river that Commander Qu is preparing to lead his troops to Yingchuan, and he will be breaking camp in three days

"Well, it might be that I misremembered due to my head injury," Gao Cheng chuckled dryly. At that moment, his stomach growled, prompting him to quickly change the subject and ask, "By the way, how much food do we have left?"

However, Gao Ying was merely a young girl who had not seen much of the world, possessing very little information. Yet, even this scant information left Gao Cheng deeply shaken, causing him to be in a daze for several hours before he could regain his composure

Gao Tai could only nod in agreement upon hearing this. Then he noticed Gao Cheng showing signs of fatigue, so he stood up to take his leave, allowing Gao Cheng to continue resting in the tent

The fusion is not yet complete; in his mind, there are still many fragmented memories that have not been integrated, only allowing him to have a general understanding of his name and some trivial matters

Having been stationed here for an extended period, there is no need for the imperial army to attack; more than half of the over ten thousand civilians in this camp will starve to death, and the remaining Yellow Turban soldiers are no match for the imperial troops

"Xiaoying, how is the young master doing now? How is the recovery of his injuries?" Gao Tai gently touched the girl's dry, slightly yellowed hair bun and asked softly.

Four days ago, I suddenly arrived in this world, and my soul merged with the remnants of this body. During the process of merging, I acquired some memories of this body.

At this moment, Gao Ying approached with a bowl of herbal medicine. This frail little girl had been responsible for taking care of Gao Cheng these past few days, and she was quite exhausted. She softly said, "Young Master, it is time to change the dressing"

Gao Tai suddenly realized, displaying an expression of conviction. "What you say is indeed correct, my lord. This group of Yellow Turban bandits must either choose to starve to death or must break camp and attack the city!"

Hearing footsteps outside, a small head poked out from the tent. It was a frail girl with streaks of black and gray on her face. Upon seeing Gao Tai's figure, she quietly let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly walked out of the tent to take the wooden bucket from Gao Tai's hands

As she spoke, she stepped forward with familiarity and deftly removed the bandages wrapped around Gao Cheng's body, carefully applying the herbal poultice to the wound on his chest. At this moment, the wound had begun to contract, still bearing a blood-red mark.

Gao Cheng felt a sense of urgency; three days later, the army would break camp. Aside from the core troops of the Yellow Turban Army and the able-bodied among the refugees, the remaining thousands of elderly, weak, sick, and disabled had less than a thirty percent chance of surviving after enduring a series of arduous journeys

The herbs I collected can only be applied externally to treat some external injuries. Young Master is primarily injured in the head. The talisman water from the Taiping Dao does have some effect. It seems that before long, Young Master will be able to recover.

At this moment, the young man, with a blood-soaked cloth wrapped around his chest, heard the sound of footsteps. He immediately opened his eyes, rolled over, and stood up with swift and decisive movements. Upon seeing the appearance of the newcomer, he released the wooden stick in his hand and called out, "Uncle Gao!"

After four days, he discovered that Gao Tai was loyal and righteous, and had not noticed his own abnormalities. Moreover, he often risked danger to venture into the wilderness to gather herbs for him

Ah, the future of the Yellow Turban Army is not something I need to worry about; what is most important now is how to survive in this Yellow Turban camp! Gao Cheng raised his arm, and immediately felt a sharp pain in his chest, a sign that his chest injury had not yet healed.

Next, Gao Cheng continued to converse with Gao Ying, pretending to casually inquire about all the information regarding this world.

Gao Cheng pondered for a moment, combining the information he had gathered over the past few days. He analyzed: "The Yellow Turban rebels had a fierce battle with the imperial army four days ago. Although they emerged victorious, they did not obtain much grain from the spoils!"

Gao Tai's expression changed, and he said with a serious look: "Young Master, are you treating me as an outsider? I am a servant of the Gao family, and it is only natural for me to serve you. Moreover, without your protection, Xiao Ying and I would have starved to death long ago. I kindly ask you not to speak such outsider words anymore"

Gao Tai hurriedly stepped forward to help the young man sit down, "Young master, be careful, your injuries have not yet healed!" As he spoke, he observed the young man's complexion, which appeared normal, and only then did he take a step back

Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something, and his expression became extremely unpleasant

This river channel is exceptionally wide, measuring approximately several hundred zhang across. In the center of the channel, there is some moist silt, and the bird does not dare to land directly to seek water, as there are currently several hundred people carefully drawing water with tattered wooden buckets.

In this world where food is scarce, as long as this bird dares to land, it will become prey in the eyes of these people

Due to the change in his soul, Gao Cheng is not familiar with the character of his servant Gao Tai. Since awakening, he has been deliberately pretending to have a headache, minimizing direct contact with the other party while secretly observing him

If the Yellow Turban bandits continue to attack the city, does that mean we will have to go into battle and fight against the imperial army? How infuriating! If it weren't for these chaotic bandits, we would have long returned to Guangling, yet now we are actually being forced into the bandits' camp. If the imperial army discovers our identities, how will the young master ever enter officialdom in the future

This group of Yellow Turban soldiers had little choice; whether to move south or north, their only hope for survival lay in continuing to coerce the common people to attack the cities

Gao Tai had an iron knife hanging at his waist, and in his hand, he held a damaged wooden bucket containing a small amount of murky river water. He also noticed the bird flying in the air, and his finger trembled as if he wanted to grasp the handle of the knife at his waist

You go outside to boil water first, I will go see the young master! If there is anything, remember to call me loudly!

The young man let out a bitter laugh, "I have troubled Uncle Gao these past few days. If it weren't for Uncle Gao risking his life to protect me and dragging me out from the chaos of battle four days ago, I wouldn't have survived to this day!"

Gao Tai gave a brief instruction, lifted the tent flap, and inside the tent, a makeshift bedding of tangled grass and torn cloth was spread on the ground. A boy who appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old was lying on it. The boy had a decent appearance, with a slightly bronzed complexion. Although he was not exceptionally handsome, there was a certain heroism in his brow.

The herbal medicine collected by Father Cai is very effective, the young master's injuries have improved significantly!" said the girl named Xiaoying

The food is only enough to last for two days