Chapter 1, The Bandit

An arrow transformed into a black line, instantly shooting downward. Dongfang Sheng nervously clenched a handful of grass, while Gongsun Zhi held his breath and gripped the hilt of his sword. At that moment, the flying arrow pierced the horse's hindquarters with a soft thud

On the grassy hill, a figure raised its head to gaze at the soaring form in the sky, then lowered its gaze to observe a blade of grass swaying in the wind before it. A bug was crawling on the grass blade, slowly moving its lips and murmuring fragmented phrases.

Gongsun Zhi furrowed his brows upon seeing the situation, listened intently, and in the faint sound of the wind, he heard the jingling of a copper bell. He then saw the burly man dismount again, drawing his sword as he crawled along the edge of the grassy hill.

I do not understand why those bandits did not kill you, a frail scholar..." Gongsun Zhi stood up and flexed his strong arms, "Let us go, call our brother who has been watching us, and we shall return.

I remember that day was also in the afternoon, driving on the elevated highway, and then I didn't know what happened ahead, we were stuck in the middle of the overpass. Armed police had sealed off both ends, and someone was shouting through a megaphone. Confused and panicked people ran out of their cars, and then... he patted his head, vaguely recalling that there seemed to be a gunfight between the police and criminals, and he escaped from the car. It seemed he hadn't gone far when he was hit by a stray bullet. The sound of gunfire... the sound of an ambulance... chaotic footsteps... the light of the operating table... When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself here.

... ...

The situation has become serious... How did I end up on the grassland... I remember driving... Then... I seem to have been shot... Does that mean I'm dead? But why am I still alive... And have turned into another person... Have I traveled through time and space?

"Hurry over there, there must be a fat sheep coming to the door," Wang Kui admonished in a low voice

... ... missed the target

Gongsun Zhi took a deep breath to calm himself, realizing that his life as a bandit was about to begin. After a moment of thought, he turned and retrieved his bow and arrows from his horse, crouching down as he approached the side of the strong man. In his line of sight, a streak of crimson from the setting sun appeared, and several figures on horseback galloped into view, the sound of copper bells jingling from the horses' necks echoing as they quickly approached the grassy hill where they were situated.

The wind on the grassland seems to never cease, the messy fluff brushing against the leather collar. By nightfall, the wind turns cold. He is now contemplating how to survive in the chaotic era of the Three Kingdoms, making some plans.

The bald man with a crooked nose snorted, pulled over the horse he had temporarily acquired, mounted it, and was about to speak when he suddenly turned his face and hissed at Wang Kui, who was wearing a mocking expression.

"Brother, hand me the bow." The strong man glanced at the few people below, took the bow and arrow from Gongsun Zhi's hand, moistened his thumb with saliva, and drew the bowstring back.

If he had not traveled through time, then Gongsun Zan's son would probably have been extinguished. Sometimes he suddenly has such thoughts. So now that Gongsun Zhi is not dead, will this name appear in history in the future

A bald-headed man with a crooked nose and slanted eyes, his face full of flesh, stood alongside another thin figure dressed in a faded, patched wide-sleeved long robe, with a headscarf wrapped around his head, resembling a poor scholar. These two were his accomplices, and together they had joined the bandits, needing to establish their loyalty. The three of them huddled together, likely capable of robbing a considerable amount of valuables. However, they had been waiting here for two days without seeing any small merchant caravans pass by. Before he crossed over, the only time they had attempted to intercept a merchant caravan consisting of only a few people, Gongsun Zhi's mount accidentally stepped into a rabbit hole, causing the horse's hoof to sink and throwing him off the saddle. He fell and was knocked unconscious for a day before finally regaining consciousness.

The bowstring emits a vibrating sound of "buzz"

It seems that my identity... is that of a bandit, still in the chaotic era of the Three Kingdoms... being a bandit. The wind brushes against my face, and my disheveled hair is lifted up. Gongsun Zhi rubs his face and cannot help but sigh again.

"It is still the ancient times..." He sat on the stone, gazing at the evening glow, and sighed

The one monitoring them was a bandit named Wang Kui, a tall, thin, dark-skinned man with a menacing scar on his face. At this moment, seeing Gongsun Zhi and the other two dejectedly leading their horses over, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of large yellow teeth, and laughed: "... It's been two days without anything, and we’ve wasted the camp's food and drink. This time, going back will be difficult again"

While lost in thought, he heard the faint sound of footsteps pressing down on the grass behind him. Gongsun Zhi turned his head and saw two figures approaching.

The people below began to shout and the neighing of horses rose up, while the language of the Xiongnu became a cacophony. Among the few, some cast their gaze towards the grass hill over here, with blades pointed in this direction. Gongsun Zhi felt a sense of foreboding in his heart, turned around, got up, kicked the Han soldier, and shouted: "Get on the horse! Run!"

How much suffering he endured... Gongsun Zhi could only vaguely remember it after some years. As he grew older, he seized an opportunity to kill a captive Xiongnu and stole a horse to escape. However, he unexpectedly encountered bandits. Initially, they intended to kill him, but upon seeing Gongsun Zhi's impressive horsemanship, they invited him to join their ranks

Gongsun Zhi glared at the pedantic scholar who spoke up, "Speak plainly!"

Walking back, there is another person leading a horse over there.

"Yes, yes, yes... the heavens have not favored the three of us after all." Dongfang Sheng smiled and bowed to him.

In a daze, a figure approached and stopped in front of him. The bald man sat down heavily, driving his knife into the ground beside his feet: "It seems there won't be any fat sheep passing by today, let's head back. Being mocked by those people is better than freezing and starving at night."

Confronted by the vast expanse of m.hetushucom.com grassland, wearing a rough and tattered leather coat, with both feet bare and exposed to the air, covered in mud and grass clippings, he was already informed of the ancient reality.

Upon regaining consciousness, he began to recall some aspects of his identity, while others remained a vague and chaotic blur. However, he knew that his name was Gongsun Zhi, the illegitimate eldest son of Gongsun Zan, the General of Beiping. He was born to a maidservant, whom he had been secretly raised with for over a decade. Ultimately, his existence was discovered by the legitimate wife, Liu, who, taking advantage of her husband’s absence while he was campaigning against the Wuhuan, first had Gongsun Zhi's mother, the maidservant, killed. Liu originally intended for Gongsun Zhi to be executed as well, but instead, he was spared by the very person meant to carry out the deed and was sent to a merchant caravan. By a twist of fate, the caravan heading north was subsequently raided by the Xiongnu, who, seeing that Gongsun Zhi was still a child, captured him to be a slave tending to horses.

As he aimed, he spoke: "First shoot one person, and the rest will be easy to deal with." Then, for a brief moment, he released his fingers holding the arrow fletching

He gazed at the glow of the sunset in the west, the remnants of red illuminating his face, his eyes squinting as he struggled to recall what had happened that day, but only fragmented images were pieced together in his mind

When Gongsun Zan returned to the city and learned of this matter, he was furious and unleashed a torrent of wrath. In the end, however, he could only let it go unresolved. After all, his wife Liu's father was someone who had supported him in the past. Weighing the situation, it was impossible for him to kill the woman, especially since he also had a legitimate son. Later, he even sent people to search for her, but to no avail, and thus he had no choice but to give up.

One must endure cold glances without faltering in order to rise above others; the three of us, you, me, and him, intersect in times of peril

Whoosh

He had visited the Mongolian grasslands several times, driven by his fondness for wolves, wishing to observe the living conditions of the wolf packs there. At this moment, the environment showed little sign of desertification compared to the modern grasslands. Moreover, given his attire, even the local people of Inner Mongolia would not dress this way.

Among the three, Gongsun Zhi subtly took the lead, primarily because he was the best horseman and had a tall stature. The bald man, Kong Wu, was strong and skilled in some martial arts, but he could only fight on foot. It is said that he was originally a minor leader of the Yellow Turbans, later scattered and forced to the grasslands to make a living after being hunted down by the officials. In the two days they spent together, he did not mention his name. As for the pedantic scholar, he claimed to be a descendant of Dongfang Shuo, named Dongfang Sheng. He too had fallen on hard times, unable to make a living, and had been driven to this place.

Thoughts return

"After enduring a moment of disdain, we won't have to freeze or starve at night. The three of us will work together and will surely find a way to settle down..." The scholar shrank his neck and spoke plainly.

A gentle breeze caresses the tender green blades of grass, and green ripples bloom and spread across the sea of grass into the distance. The clouds in the west reveal a crimson hue, and a cry of an eagle echoes through the rosy clouds

Ah... fortunately, it didn't end up on a woman's body