Chapter 1
Mount Qingniu, Frog Ridge, Frog Fort, several red-faced burly men.
"When the Big Boss was around, our Frog Fort was so imposing; all the bandits on Mount Qingniu had to listen to us. But once the Big Boss died, the brothers either perished, fled, or scattered, leaving just a few of us behind."
"The government troops are going to encircle us for suppression soon. Just the few of us can't hold down the fort; let's just disband and call it quits."
"Dammit, the Big Boss is dead, but he left a Young Fort Lord who's only eighteen. You actually want to disband. Whoever wants to leave, get the hell out. I... will roll out as a sign of respect."
"I'll roll with you, roll together."
Perched on a Taishi Chair sat Cheng Dalei, the young lord of Frog Fort. With a wooden expression, he looked around him, his face full of confusion.
"Did I just time travel?"
Cheng Dalei's previous life was that of an ordinary college student. While playing a strategy game called "Bandit's Heart" in his dorm, he suddenly passed out and woke up in this world. The dilapidated Mountain Fortress, the earthen houses, and he himself had become the young lord of the fortress.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Cheng Dalei could only comfort himself with this thought.
The memories in his head told Cheng Dalei that the country he was in was named Great Wu. Great Wu had been established for 120 years, governing thirteen provinces and 108 cities, having once been powerful and respected far and wide. However, that was a long time ago. Now, the imperial power of Great Wu had declined, various lords hoarded troops and fortified their territories, and incessant strife was the norm.
With endless wars, the people could hardly survive. Those who couldn't make ends meet had no choice but to turn to banditry. Thus, this was a world filled with bandits and thugs.
Frog Fort, where Cheng Dalei found himself, was one of them. When the old fort lord was alive, Frog Fort had some renown on Mount Qingniu. But not long ago, the old fort lord had passed away, and the followers either died, deserted, or fled. Now, almost the only one left in the entire fortress was Cheng Dalei.
"Young Lord, Young Lord."
A voice interrupted Cheng Dalei's thoughts. He came to his senses and saw a middle-aged man with a goatee standing in front of him.
"Adviser Xu, you didn't leave..."
Cheng Dalei was taken aback, feeling somewhat moved. The memories in his head told him that the goatee man was named Xu Shenji and served as the fortress's think tank. Although he was referred to as a think tank, his intelligence was underwhelming, never having a good idea, and always full of bad ones. The former Cheng Dalei disliked this man quite a bit. But unexpectedly, when the fortress was about to disband, he was the only one who stayed till the end.
"This truly is a case where adversity shows who your real friends are," Cheng Dalei firmly grasped Xu Shenji's hand. "Adviser Xu, I'll remember this favor."
"It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding," Xu Shenji pulled his hand away from Cheng Dalei's grasp. "Young Lord, they've taken all of the fortress's belongings, and the last lean horse was left unwanted. May I take it away?"
Cheng Dalei felt like he had been doused with cold water. He slumped back into the Taishi Chair and waved his hand helplessly.
Xu Shenji's face lit up with joy, and he strode out of the house. "Ling'er, quickly bring the horse out. After we descend the mountain, your father and daughter will still need to rely on it to make a living."
Cheng Dalei looked around the empty great house. Frog Fort had once been in its heyday, with five or six hundred underlings, twelve seats in the hall, eight top enforcers, and advisers on both sides... Dominating Mount Qingniu and acting with impunity. But now, only a single chair remained in the great hall, along with himself, alone.
How should he, a lone man, stand his ground in this unfamiliar world?
Beep, triggering conditions met, Bandit's Heart activated.
Beep, Bandit's Heart activating…
Beep, Bandit's Heart activation successful...
Eh? Cheng Dalei's eyes widened, and a line of text appeared in his mind.
Frog Fort: A junior fortress on the brink of disbanding
Owner: Cheng Dalei
Population: 3 (Fort Lord 1, Adviser 1, Coachman 1)
Beep, oh energetic youth, you will start from here to build the strongest fortress, plunging into the turbulent era, and leave your own legend in this world.
This, this... These lines, so characteristic of a second-grade syndrome and teeming with the feel of a cheap browser game, weren't they from the strategy game "Bandit's Heart" that I was playing before crossing over? It seems not only did I travel to this world, but the game system also came along with me.
Beep, current fortress population: 3. If the fortress population falls to 1, the main mission fails, and Bandit's Heart will close.
Beep, new mission "Retain the Adviser and Coachman" initiated. Your adviser and coachman are about to leave. Retain them. Do so in the sincerest way you can.
Having barely triggered the system, Cheng Dalei couldn't let it disappear. He dashed out of the earthen house and reached out his hand toward Xu Shenji.
"Think Tank, wait."
Xu Shenji and his daughter Xu Ling'er were about to leave when a tremor shot through his heart, and he instinctively stepped in front of the thin horse: "Miss Village Chief, you aren't having second thoughts, are you?"
When Cheng Dalei's gaze first landed on Xu Ling'er, he was immediately captivated by the sixteen-year-old with her pudgy face, her eyes twinkling like a dew-laden cabbage.
"Adviser Xu, this is..."
As Cheng Dalei focused on Xu Ling'er, a piece of information flashed across his mind.
Name: Xu Ling'er (an inconspicuous coachman)
Age: 16
Skill: Feeding horses
Out of a father's pig-guarding alertness, Xu Shenji protectively stepped in front of Xu Ling'er: "This is my daughter, Xu Ling'er. She has always been feeding the horses in the back mountain, Miss Village Chief hasn't seen her."
Cheng Dalei couldn't believe that Xu Shenji, with such an unpleasant face, could have such a vibrant daughter. Having such a daughter even made Xu Shenji's unpleasant face somewhat endearing.
"F-Father-in-law—no, Adviser Xu, I was just thinking, after so many years of service in the Mountain Fortress, how could it be what it is today without you? I can't let you leave all alone."
Cheng Dalei, suddenly emotional, nearly blurted out what he was thinking, but he was not lying either. Without Xu Shenji's endless tricks, Frog Fort wouldn't have declined so quickly.
"Old as I am, I don't wish to leave the Mountain Fortress, but I truly don't want to be a burden to the young Village Chief and cause trouble for everyone."
"A burden, are you scolding me? Without those words, you could leave if you wanted, but now, I absolutely cannot let you go. As long as I have a bite to eat, you and your daughter won't starve."
Cheng Dalei spoke with a clear conscience, knowing that Xu Ling'er was at an age in need of good nutrition. Then his tone changed: "Besides, where would Adviser Xu go down the mountain? With chaos below and no other fortress willing to take you in, how could it work?"
Those words pierced Adviser Xu's heart. His reputation as the Think Tank had spread far and wide across Mount Qingniu; no other fortress would take him in. If any had wanted him, he would have left long before and wouldn't have waited until today. With the unrest beneath the mountain, it would indeed be difficult for him and his daughter to survive. They could be killed the first day they encountered soldiers or bandits.
"But it's only the three of us left on the mountain, can we even survive?"
"What's there to fear? We live off the land, and I'll go down the mountain and rob if needed."
Xu Ling'er dragged out a Xuanhua Large Axe from the house; it had a single edge and weighed fifty or sixty pounds. Cheng Dalei lifted the axe, feeling somewhat speechless. Was this really his weapon from the past? With his personality and looks, shouldn't he have a blue-tinted treasured sword?
A noble gentleman in a white robe, wandering the world with a sword, would approach a young lady and say, "Miss, may I know your age? Are you open to marriage?"
Carrying this axe, he could probably only meet a middle-aged woman, with his opening words being, "Ma'am, do you have any steamed buns at home?"
Ding, "Retaining the Think Tank and Coachman" task completed, reward: a manual for the Three Section Staff technique.
Three Section Staff: An axe technique from Cheng Yaojin, said to be taught in a dream by a deity, composed of "splitting the skull, picking the teeth, and scooping the ears."
A stream of information merged into Cheng Dalei's memory, and he had now fully mastered these three moves.
"Miss Village Chief, it's too dangerous for you to go down the mountain alone."
"No, it's not just me, it's the two of us together."
"I..."
"What, any questions?" Cheng Dalei hoisted the axe on his shoulder—it was heavy indeed. If it were his previous body before traveling through time, he wouldn't have been able to lift it at all.
Looking at the ax head that was twice as big as his own, Xu Shenji prudently closed his mouth.
Cheng Dalei mounted his horse, with the axe on his shoulder: "Lead the horse, let's go."
Ding, new task received: "Complete the first robbery before sunset," success reward: 1 lottery spin.
Ding, to the spirited young man, robbery is the first step to becoming a qualified bandit. Take that brave first step, a world of excitement awaits you ahead.
Sigh, it's that "second-year middle schooler" kind of line again.
...
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, an old man, a skinny horse, and a young man carrying an axe had their shadows harshly elongated by the setting sun.
"Miss Village Chief, shall we..."
"No." The young man interrupted the old man, "Call me Great Wu."
With the sunset before him, the young man suddenly raised his axe, letting out a mighty yell.
The skinny horse raised its head, responding with a long neigh.