If There Is Rivalry, Fight to the Death!

"It feels great. Truly wonderful." Xu Yao beamed foolishly, clutching the pile of items in his arms. "Every single thing is something I can use. My parents will be overjoyed when they see them." "Heh... I was asking how you feel yourself." "That feels great, too." A spark shone in Xu Yao's eyes as he said, "Mhm... It feels really good to have gained a friend from far away." With a thud, Chen Chong collapsed onto the bed, feeling utterly exhausted in spirit. He remained silent for a good while, speaking only after a long pause. "Big Fatty, let me tell you something. You might not understand it now, but in the future, you need to mull it over." "Go ahead, Uncle Chen." Chen Chong was quiet for a long time before speaking in an almost sleep-talking murmur. "...Don't take the friendship of lofty figures too seriously." Xu Yao's hand froze as he held the letter. His eyes rested upon the delicate, elegant calligraphy. *Don't take it too seriously?* After a long time, he folded the letter, tucked it into his robes, and said solemnly to Chen Chong, "Uncle, I'll remember that." In the darkness, Chen Chong gave a silent nod and let out a soft sigh. The boy said *I'll remember that*, not *I understand*. Chen Chong could well discern the difference between those few words. In his heart, he thought: *I only hope you won't be hurt too deeply because of this, child.* Rolling over, he said, "Go back to sleep... Take your things, and don't go flashing that dagger around carelessly." "Yes," Xu Yao replied. Still uneasy, Chen Chong dropped an implicit warning. "That dagger ranks among the peerless divine weapons in the jianghu. Once exposed, plenty of martial artists would kill each other to snatch it. Yet something of that level is no more than a toy to Sir Ning..." Xu Yao stood in the darkness for a moment before answering in a subdued voice, "I understand." "Go on, then." "Uncle, should I leave half of this shredded tobacco for you?" "I don't smoke a dry pipe... What use do I have for it?" Chen Chong said, exasperated. "Just give me something else when you get other good stuff later. It's not like I'd refuse you." "Yes, hehe." "Just carry the dagger on you. We set out first thing tomorrow morning, so leave the rest of your things in your room," Chen Chong said pointedly. "Yes." No one was permitted to go home tonight, and since it was already the dead of night, Xu Yao naturally had no time to take the goods back to his parents. Lying in bed, Xu Yao felt the hard silhouette of the dagger beneath his pillow. The aroma of tobacco drifted through the room, wafting from the bundle. He had already moved into a separate room of his own. His bed sat right beside the window, and looking out, he could see a crisp, cold crescent moon hanging at the horizon. His share of the silver and Ning Wuxia's gifts lay by his pillow. After deductions at every level, only 3,072 of the original 6,000 taels of silver ultimately reached the compound. The compound then withheld another 600 taels, leaving 2,472 taels. Chen Chong had not distributed it the way he did last time. After all, it had been Liu Zhen's squad again, and their previous reward had already turned everyone else green with envy. If they split it like last time, friction would inevitably tear the brigade apart. While it was unfair to Liu Zhen's squad, there was simply no other way. So after holding a brief meeting with the seven men of Third Squad, Chen Chong decided that all thirty-seven men in the brigade would split the 2,472 taels equally. The brigade captain took no extra cut, nor did Liu Zhen's squad take the lion's share; everyone was treated the same. Each man received sixty-six taels. The few taels left over after the distribution went into the brigade's public account. Humans truly were strange creatures. When Third Squad had taken the lion's share before, resentment had brewed; but once everything was divided equally, the remaining thirty-odd burly men felt somewhat sheepish, as though they had taken unfair advantage of their comrades. One after another, they made promises to treat Liu Zhen and his men to drinks... The atmosphere in the compound grew considerably more harmonious. The night deepened, and Xu Yao found himself unable to sleep. He was turning Chen Chong's words over in his mind. Searching his own conscience, he truly harbored no inappropriate thoughts toward Ning Wuxia, nor would he dare entertain any. He felt the brigade captain and the others were simply worrying over nothing. *I know exactly what kind of person I am, and I know what kind of person she is. How could I possibly have such thoughts? It's completely unrealistic, utterly impossible.* *Then again, when it comes time to find a wife in the future... at the very least, it'd be best to find someone comparable...* *After all, one can't set their standards too low, right?* What Xu Yao did not realize was that Chen Chong had never worried he would harbor wild romantic ambitions toward Ning Wuxia. As an experienced elder, what he feared was precisely the thought running through Xu Yao's head right now! Wild ambitions would lead to despair, and once despair settled, a man moved on. But judging everyone against that unattainable standard... that was what could genuinely ruin a person's entire life. Xu Yao silently recited in his mind: Eight Battle-Formation Sabers, Battle-Formation Elbow, Battle-Formation Kicks. Move by move, punch by punch, kick by kick, the techniques flowed through his thoughts, and the Purple Mansion Qi Circulation Art began to turn. After running through this jumble of thoughts, he forcefully dispersed that lovely, delicate face from his heart. Early morning. Everyone assembled, and at the command, they set out with a rumble toward the Fifth Brigade through the mountain forests, where mid-autumn's deep green was speckled with flecks of gold. The autumn wind blew bleak and crisp beneath a washed-clean sky. Chen Chong led the burly men forward like rolling thunder. To Xu Yao, it felt as though an entire clan of mountain black bears had poured out together, shaking the ground wherever they went. Crooked trees and underbrush on both sides were chopped away by the men's drawn sabers as they passed, effectively clearing the path for the mountain folk along the way. Though Xu Yao had grown significantly taller and sturdier, within this squad he still looked like a frail bean sprout. The men were dark-skinned from head to toe, looking like solid blocks of iron. Xu Yao, despite being exposed to the sun every day, retained his fair complexion, making him stand out starkly among the throng of dark brutes. It looked just like a pack of black bears surrounding a little white rabbit. Every time Chen Chong glanced back, his three brows twitched up and down. The sight was almost too painful to look at. The Fifth Brigade's compound was not close to the First Brigade. Not only did they have to traverse a long mountain route, but they also had to cross three massive mountain ranges. Even setting out two days early, the journey remained daunting. Taking the lead, Chen Chong sprinted at the head of the group. The strapping men swept across the earth with boundless stamina, while Xu Yao, caught in their midst, watched the scenery on either side blur past. Resting and rushing, resting and rushing, after running wildly for two days and two nights, they had covered fifteen hundred li. They could have moved even faster, but the brigade captain had ordered several rests along the way and even let them sleep for a night. At last, Xu Yao crested the ridge ahead alongside the burly men with a light thud. Looking down from the vantage point, smoke could be seen rising in the distance below. "That's the place." Bracing one hand against a boulder, Chen Chong leaned forward to gaze downward, looking like the king of beasts poised to descend the mountain. "Xu Yao, if we have to fight during this trip, hit them hard!" Chen Chong said. "Fight?" Xu Yao was taken aback. Weren't they here to witness an execution? Why would they need to fight? Besides, surrounded by so many bear-like brutes, a fight wouldn't even require him, would it? "The warrior qualification isn't so easy to get. There are only fifty quotas in the entire county, and the other brigades aren't like ours. In some brigades, twenty or thirty men in a single company want to advance... not to mention the other departments submitting names. Those fifty spots aren't reserved just for the Mountain Protection Brigade; they're for the whole county! It's less than a drop in the bucket! We have to fight for it!" "A spot for advancement must be contested, seized, and even killed for!" Chen Chong's eyes narrowed coldly as he said, "Don't think studying for the imperial examinations to become an official is the only single-plank bridge crossed by thousands of soldiers and horses. In truth, every walk of life... is a frantic crossing where thousands compete!" "In any profession, if you want to climb up and secure your footing, the ground beneath you will be paved with rolling heads!" "Starting from here, your very first battle in the jianghu of the mortal world may well begin!" Chen Chong said flatly, "A compassionate man cannot lead an army; a softhearted man cannot govern. That might just be a saying, but let me tell you: if your heart is soft, forget about becoming an official—you won't even reach the top of any trade!" Beside them, Liu Zhen caught the look in Xu Yao's eyes and chimed in as the perfect foil, speaking up in counterargument: "Boss, look at what you're saying. Does working a regular job for someone require rolling heads too?" "Working a job takes competition as well. If you take that post, someone else doesn't get it. If that person can't find another way to make a living, their family might not enjoy the life yours does. From a certain angle, that amounts to a deep, bitter grudge!" Chen Chong pointed forward toward the vast, boundless expanse before them. "A lifetime in the mortal world is nothing but a frantic scramble to cross the river! Anything with a living soul, whether human or beast, is your rival!" Xu Yao drew a deep breath. "Yes!" "If nothing happens, then so be it. But if there is rivalry, fight to the death!" Chen Chong glared, a fierce, murderous aura glinting in his eyes as he stared at Xu Yao. "What kind of creature you, Xu Yao, truly are—whether you're a wolf or a rabbit—everyone will see clearly this time!"