Chapter 19: Life on the line
Li Ji saw that all his efforts for a year had gone to waste, and he became completely disheartened.
He gritted his teeth and cursed angrily:
"Damn it, are these the soldiers of the Sui Dynasty? They are worse than your mother's bandits."
He stamped his feet and said, "Old Yang, Old Yang, you change your attitude faster than turning the pages of a book, and you look very good with a green onion stuck in your nose..."
Thinking of this, Li Ji took a breath.
Oh my god, I almost lost my life.
You two old guys are so mean.
When have you ever come here, have I, Li Ji, ever treated you badly?
With good wine and delicious food serving me, don’t I just want to have a few friends at the end of the Sui Dynasty?
Unexpectedly, at your age, you are more timid than a chicken.
If you want to rebel, then rebel. If you don’t rebel, then go away. Your mother has even reported you to the authorities.
Old Yang, I think you really have the appearance of a Ziwei. I just want to make you my king so that I, Li Ji, can have someone to back me up.
I'm all alone, who else can I rely on if not you?
Stop it.
You two old guys are afraid of things and death, but I am not.
If you don't do it, I'll do it on my own.
Now, rebel forces have sprung up in various parts of the Central Plains and Jiangnan. What they can do, we can do too.
One day, you two old guys are going to regret this.
Li Ji was feeling angry at Lao Yang and Lao Yu when suddenly, a group of people rushed out from the grove on the east side of the mountain.
Then, someone shouted:
"Catch the traitor Li Ji and you will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold."
Linghu Da was still lingering around, holding a spear and rushing directly towards Li Ji.
The officers and soldiers were like wolves and tigers, and their shouts filled the mountains and plains.
Li Ji saw that the Ji River blocked his way ahead and the pursuing troops were closing in on him.
"My life is over!"
He looked up to the sky and sighed, then drew his sword and was about to commit suicide.
"Ding!"
Li Ji was startled. At this moment, the Time Tunnel Fate Changing System sent a message:
Hide in the beggars' village at night, complete a reversal of fate, and successfully change your life.
The system reward items are as follows:
Item 1: 1*5 Brave General Cards;
Item 2: Hercules Pill Card 1*10.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that there are only two items; they are rare treasures.
In troubled times, survival is the first priority.
I'll activate a brave general card first, saving my life is the most important thing.
At the same time, Li Ji silently said something in his heart and used a fierce general card. He suddenly felt that he could contact someone out of thin air in this wilderness.
A water curtain appeared in front of Li Ji's eyes, listing this person's information.
Name: Shan Xiongxin;
Age: 17 years old
Skills: Horseback archery;
Identity: East County Ranger
…
Li Ji was amazed. Shan Xiongxin's name was very familiar to him. He was a fellow townsman of Fa Cao Zhai Rang in Dongjun.
"Haha, where are you going?"
Linghu Da's voice was getting closer.
Li Ji turned his horse quickly and galloped westward along the bank of the Ji River.
Linghu Da led the officers and soldiers like hunting dogs, chasing closely with extreme ferocity and brutality.
whoosh!
Linghu Da raised his hand, and the silver spear with a hairpin and tassel flew forward like an arrow.
A ray of silver-white light, like a rainbow piercing the sun, shot directly into Li Ji's back.
At this critical moment when his life was hanging by a thread, a group of people suddenly rushed out from the opposite side of the river bank.
I saw a 17-year-old boy drawing his bow and shooting an arrow, hitting the target from a hundred paces away.
Swish, swish, swish!
Three arrows were fired in succession, and every arrow hit the target.
Just before the silver spear was about to shoot into Li Ji's back, it was deflected by three divine arrows.
With a clang sound, the silver spear was inserted obliquely into a rock on the river bank, and the tip of the spear and the rock created a dazzling spark.
Li Ji screamed, his clothes on his back were wet, and he felt a little cold in the cold wind.
The two teams were fighting in a melee.
Along the Jishui River, yellow sand rolled up and covered the sky and the sun.
The two fronts clashed, horses neighed, people shouted, and the sound of killing shook the sky.
Li Jizhi was stunned and out of his mind.
Shan Xiongxin led the way on one horse, with two horses circling around, and a spear moving like a rocket into an empty space.
He is brave and good at fighting, and full of loyalty.
I saw horses treading on the yellow sand and arrows whistling, like locusts hunting or meteors passing through the clouds.
Li Ji was watching the battle from a distance and was overwhelmed.
At this time, Shan Xiongxin shouted, "Master Li, hurry up and leave. I will cover you."
A group of young knights surrounded Li Ji and ran forward along the bank of the Ji River.
Shan Xiongxin fought against many heroes on one horse.
Linghu Da gathered his officers and soldiers and pursued him relentlessly, but was unable to break through Shan Xiongxin's defense line.
Shan Xiongxin fought and retreated, and soon got rid of the pursuers.
At this time, a group of young men had already escorted Li Ji away.
This group of heroes from the end of the Sui Dynasty ran twenty miles in one breath without taking a break. Li Ji was really exhausted.
He suddenly remembered the system's reward, "Hercules Pill, no matter what, I have to take one to replenish my strength."
Li Ji silently recited the name of the system, ding!
A Hercules Pill Card was activated, and he suddenly felt a movement in his mouth, and a round pill slid in his mouth.
He swallowed the Hercules Pill with his saliva.
A strange musky scent permeates the whole body and heart, refreshing the mind.
Li Ji suddenly felt refreshed and his arm strength increased greatly.
He raised his hand, and with a snap, a willow tree as thick as a bowl was cut in half.
When Shan Xiongxin's group of brothers saw Li Ji chopping down the poplar tree with his hands, they all praised in unison:
"Master Li, sure!"
Li Ji rubbed his hands and saw Shan Xiongxin looking at him quietly.
"General Shan, let's part ways now. You see, I am now completely penniless. I don't even have a dilapidated temple anymore."
Shan Xiongxin immediately dismounted and knelt on one knee:
"My lord, don't be discouraged. The journey is long and I, Shan Xiongxin, will follow your lead."
Li Ji was so moved that he almost cried out loud.
When Shan Xiongxin saw that Li Ji was moved, he held Li Ji's hand and comforted him:
"A living person can be suffocated to death by urine. Let's go. If you can't stay here, I'll find another place that will."
Li Ji and Shan Xiongxin led the horses forward, walking slowly in this wilderness with no village in front and no shop behind.
He thought that with just these few people, it would be difficult to achieve anything significant.
He said to Shan Xiongxin: "Living in troubled times, we must be self-reliant and strong, but we must also try to gain access to the country."
Shan Xiongxin asked, "What does Master Li mean by this?"
Li Ji sighed, "People like you and me are young and lack the heart of an old city. It is still most important to find a good backer."
Shan Xiongxin looked half drunk and half awake, with a confused look on his face.
"That is to say, if we work alone, it may be difficult to accomplish anything. Why don't we join a rebel army first ?"
Shan Xiongxin nodded in agreement.
He thought that what Li Ji said made sense. It would be difficult for a few young people like us to get a share of the pie in troubled times if we just act out of loyalty.
…
On this day, Li Ji brought Shan Xiongxin's companions to Ling County, Pingyuan County.
They arrived at the city gate and a group of people blocked their way.
The leader was a young man, only thirteen years old, with red lips and white teeth, and a face like Pan An.
At this time, there was a wide platform at the outer entrance of the city gate.
Behind the platform, there is a large banner with the words "Recruiting Office" written on it.
Li Ji wondered, which group of people are being recruited?
He pulled Shan Xiongxin and pushed through the crowd, and saw that it was Liu Hong, the governor of Pingyuan County.
When Liu Hong saw that it was Li Ji, he was shocked.
