Rebel Army

"'Brother Yan, we had good luck today! Jingfei caught two wild animals in one go,' A-Lian said with a smile, pointing to the wild chicken and rabbit in Chu Jingfei's hands.

Chu Jingfei grinned, scratching the back of his head. 'Sister A-Lian, these are my spoils of war!'

Li Yan shook his head, laughing and teasing him. 'Jingfei, you glutton, you're always thinking about food.'

As the three joked around, Li Yan suddenly stopped, his brows furrowing as he looked off into the distant horizon.

'What's wrong, Brother Yan?' A-Lian asked, noticing his change in expression.

Following Li Yan's gaze, Chu Jingfei spotted a rising trail of black smoke in the distance, swirling like a fire cloud, swallowing the sky.

'Is that… fire?' Li Yan's voice was low, carrying a hint of unease.

'Fire?' A-Lian froze, her face turning pale as she stammered with panic, 'The village… the village is on fire!'

'Not good! Let's hurry back!' Li Yan turned sharply, sprinting toward the village.

Chu Jingfei and A-Lian followed closely, their footsteps echoing through the mountain as though racing against fate. Around them, the forest rustled in the wind, dust kicked up into the tense air.

As they neared the village, Li Yan's heartbeat quickened.

Though he had been in this world for some time, an ominous feeling had always lingered in his heart. He knew that a chaotic era loomed, but he still hoped the flames of war would not touch Fengmen Village.

When they finally reached the village entrance, panting, the scene before them made Li Yan's heart sink.

The village had already been engulfed in flames. Screams and cries filled the air as villagers fled in all directions, and a few rebels armed with swords chased down the defenseless villagers, blood splattering across the ground.

'Grandfather!' A-Lian spotted Mister Chu in the center of the village, fighting off a group of rebels with a sword. Her voice shook, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Meanwhile…

Mister Chu stood in the village center, dressed in a simple robe, holding a blood-stained sword. Though his hair was streaked with gray and his back slightly hunched, his eyes remained as sharp as a hawk's, radiating a commanding presence.

The enemy soldiers surged toward him like a tide, seemingly trying to overwhelm him. But he stood his ground, surrounded by the bodies of fallen foes, blood pooling around him, staining the ground red. He was like a towering mountain, standing resolute in the heart of the storm.

'Who else dares to die?' Mister Chu roared, swinging his sword. The blade cut through the air like a rainbow, slicing through the soldiers who dared to approach him. Blood sprayed like a fountain as they fell, lifeless to the ground.

He had not retreated a single step, his form exhausted yet steady as a mountain. Each strike of his blade was precise and lethal, carrying an aura of war that made the surrounding enemies quake in fear.

'You old man, how long can you hold out?' a rebel leader bellowed, charging at him with a long spear. Mister Chu's eyes flashed with disdain as he swung his sword, the blade moving like a flash of light. In an instant, the leader's chest burst open, his body sliced in two, blood splattering as he fell dead.

'Release the arrows!' Another wave of rebels launched a fierce assault, arrows raining down on Mister Chu. He gritted his teeth, his figure darting like a phantom, his sword once again flashing as he cut down more enemies. Yet this time, his movements were visibly slower, and he staggered, weakened after taking a few arrows.

The three of them finally reached the village entrance, momentarily frozen by the scene before them.

'Grandfather!' A-Lian cried out, tears streaming down her face.

Li Yan clenched his fists and, with a burst of energy, charged toward Mister Chu's direction like an arrow.

Chu Jingfei let out an angry roar, swinging the wild chicken in his hand and charging fearlessly at the enemy.

'Get out of here!' Chu Jingfei shouted, throwing the wild chicken at a rebel's face, knocking him to the ground. Taking advantage of the moment, he kicked another rebel, easily knocking him down.

Li Yan quickly reached Mister Chu's side, shielding him from the remaining attackers.

'Sir,' Li Yan said, steadying the swaying Mister Chu.

'I'm fine,' Mister Chu panted, his voice unwavering. 'These scoundrels are nothing to fear.'

Just then, the remaining rebels launched a final attack, wielding their weapons as they charged at Li Yan and Mister Chu.

'Jingfei, help us out!' Li Yan shouted.

'Coming!' Chu Jingfei responded with a loud roar, grabbing a long stick and sweeping it across the enemy. Two soldiers fell instantly, blood spurting from their wounds.

'Die!' Chu Jingfei leaped into the air, swinging the stick like a dragon, taking down the rest of the attackers.

The rebels were finally driven back, leaving a scene of devastation, with corpses strewn across the ground and the village engulfed in flames.

Mister Chu, no longer able to stand, collapsed heavily to the ground, his face as pale as paper.

'Grandfather!' A-Lian rushed over, clutching him tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.

'All the village's men have been taken away…' Mister Chu's voice was heavy, his eyes filled with an endless sorrow.

Li Yan felt a pang in his heart, his gaze serious. 'Sir, please, don't say any more. Let us get you back to treat your wounds.'

Mister Chu shook his head and sighed, 'No need. Listen… chaos is upon us. If you want to survive, you must grow stronger.'

As he spoke, he took a bronze token from his sleeve, handing it to Li Yan. 'Go to the village cellar and retrieve the weapons there. Without them, you'll be defenseless.'

Li Yan accepted the token, his eyes heavy. 'Sir…'

Mister Chu spoke in a low voice, 'I was once the deputy general of Xiang Yan of Chu. After Qin destroyed the six states, I hid here with the remnants of our forces. Most of the villagers are my former soldiers. I wanted to live in seclusion, but the chaos has come for us regardless.'

Chu Jingfei's eyes widened in shock. 'Grandfather, you were really…'

Mister Chu gave a weak smile. 'I taught you martial arts so you could protect yourself, to escape this chaotic world.'

Turning to Li Yan, he looked at him with a deep gaze. 'Xiao Yan, I know you come from a unique background. I've observed your actions over the past two years. Take care of Jingfei and A-Lian for me.'

Fighting back his grief, Li Yan nodded solemnly. 'Rest assured, sir, I will protect them.'

With those words, Mister Chu's body finally gave out, collapsing in A-Lian's arms.

'Grandfather!' A-Lian wept bitterly, her tears falling like rain.

The battle had ended. The three of them stood amidst the ruins, with corpses strewn across the village, and flames still burning fiercely.

That night, under the stars that resembled countless cold eyes watching over the desolate village, the fire had long since died down. Almost all the villagers had been slaughtered, leaving only Li Yan, A-Lian, and Chu Jingfei, who stood solemnly before Mister Chu's grave.

'The village is no longer safe,' Li Yan said quietly, a cold gleam in his eyes. He wished that all of this was a nightmare, yet the horrifying reality was undeniable. Memories of Mister Chu's care and wisdom over the past two years flooded his mind, and he thought of the gentle, wise elder who had seen through his unusual background, even if he never knew Li Yan was truly from another world.

He remembered the elder's admiration during their discussions of the world's affairs.

The elder would never have guessed that this seemingly young boy had a maturity far beyond his years. Li Yan had been composed, but now, the memories pierced him like a blade.

Now, everything had turned to ashes; Mister Chu was gone, and the village lay in ruins.

Anger and helplessness surged within Li Yan. He hated this merciless era, this pitiless world.

Once, Li Yan's goal had been simple—to find the bronze mirror and return to his own world, where his mother waited for him.

But now, a strong sense of duty burned within him.

He realized he could not live for the mirror alone; perhaps he could do something for this era.

This, perhaps, was his destiny.

'What should we do next? Those beasts took the village men. We have to rescue them,' A-Lian said, gritting her teeth and clutching the sword Mister Chu had given her, her voice trembling slightly.

Li Yan was silent for a moment, looking in the direction beyond the village. He knew the rebels would not relent. Nearly all the villagers had been killed, and only the three of them remained. They had to rescue the captured villagers.

Chu Jingfei gripped his long stick tightly, his eyes red with anger. 'Brother Yan, I don't understand any great wisdom, but I do know one thing—we can't let these beasts leave alive! My brothers were taken, and I'm going to save them!'

Li Yan took a deep breath, his mind racing. Although the rebels were numerous, that didn't mean they couldn't succeed. He looked up at the sky, a plan forming in his mind."