After passing out that day, Ah Shu, the coachman, and several townspeople who had been scared by Xiao Rong’s true nature worked together to bring him into Pingyang City. The soldiers guarding the city took one look at Xiao Rong’s appearance and let them through without even asking for papers. In this era, only noble families could raise a man with looks like Xiao Rong. Even if a similar-looking man did appear among the common folk, he would have long been taken in by a wealthy household and confined. Walking around freely was out of the question.

 

In these chaotic times, many formerly strict rules no longer applied. When Xiao Rong first arrived, he landed in Xinan County, which was under Southern Yong’s jurisdiction. The northern areas were beyond Southern Yong’s control, but there was no one to regulate the movement of people between the North and South.

 

The real issue was that there were simply too many people to manage. The disjointed State of the Central Plains had persisted for 180 years. During that time, there had been sixty-seven emperors. The most extreme period saw six Emperors ruling independently at the same time.

In comparison, this year was relatively good—there were fewer wars, Southern Yong wasn’t causing trouble, and Qu Yunmie was busy fighting foreign tribes, so no one was disturbing the common people.

 

However, that was only for this year. Soon, the situation would become chaotic again, and the flames of war would soon cover the entire Central Plains.

 

…

 

In the morning, a light fog hung over the streets. Xiao Rong opened the inn window and sat by it, looking at the ancient street outside.

 

After waking up that night, his weakness had lessened considerably, and the coughing fits he’d experienced before whenever he moved had vanished.

 

Looking at the peaceful street scene, Xiao Rong should have felt calm, but he couldn’t manage to feel at peace.

 

It’s been half a year.

 

He’s been in this era for half a year, and he still couldn’t stop feeling sad.

 

How’d he get so unlucky!!!

 

…

 

He would never forget that day. One moment, he was standing in the center of the school auditorium, striking a cool pose, and waiting for the lights to go out so he could begin his solo dance rehearsal. The next moment, the lights went out, and with one leg raised in a challenging pose and holding a sword, he found himself in the middle of a market in Xinan City.

 

A butcher selling pork stared at him in shock, and dropped his knife, which landed with a “crack” on a piece of pork a lady had just asked for.

 

The pig’s head was split open, and the lady started scolding the butcher angrily. Taking advantage of the chaos, Xiao Rong fled.

 

…

 

Xiao Rong was terrified, and unable to react to what had happened. Fortunately, he had been rehearsing a sword dance and was wearing a historical costume. Even so, what was considered a costume in the modern era looked strange in this time period.

 

Finally finding a secluded place to hide, Xiao Rong crouched behind a pile of firewood, holding onto the Dean’s beloved sword. Just as he settled down, a voice he would come to loathe spoke up.

This voice belonged to a system, which claimed that Xiao Rong was the most compatible person with the historical figure Qu Yunmie, based on its calculations. Qu Yunmie was supposed to become Emperor and found his own dynasty, but his unfortunate fate led to his tragic death in Chenliu City. Over the centuries, countless people had pitied him, and the system decided to change his fate.

However, human affairs had to be handled by humans. The system couldn’t interfere directly, so it searched for someone familiar with Qu Yunmie’s fate across three thousand years and determined that Xiao Rong had the highest chance of success.

 

Upon hearing this, Xiao Rong nearly coughed up blood.

 

“What does his tragic fate have to do with me? Many people had tragic lives throughout history, so why drag me into this?! You wretched system, just send me back!”

 

Xiao Rong appeared resolute, but only he knew how frightened he was.

 

The system was right—he was indeed familiar with this period of history, so much so that he immediately refused because he knew it was an impossible task.

 

Qu Yunmie was doomed, no one could save him!

 

Seeing his determination, the system hesitated before replying, “Alright, I’ll send you back. Do you have any last words?”

 

“Last words?” Xiao Rong asked, stunned.

 

“Yes. As soon as you return, the stage lights will crush your neck. With your era’s medical technology, such a fatal injury is incurable. Out of respect for our acquaintance, you can leave a last word—perhaps what kind of burial clothes you want or what kind of coffin you’d prefer? I’ll pass on your message to your family in their dreams.”

 

Xiao Rong was speechless.

 

The system prepared to send him back, and Xiao Rong, frozen in shock, suddenly changed his mind, bursting into tears. “No, no, no! I’ve changed my mind, let me stay! Thinking about it, Qu Yunmie doesn’t deserve to die! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Born under the red flag, how could I refuse you? Leave it to me, I’ll save him!”

 

The system smiled faintly.

 

The system’s only job was to bring him here; it wouldn’t grant him any special abilities. Despite that, Xiao Rong’s own knowledge was his greatest asset. With a flurry of actions, the system bound Xiao Rong and Qu Yunmie’s fates together, then told him that since his life was effectively borrowed, if he failed the task, he would die along with Qu Yunmie. In order to motivate him, his health was tied to Qu Yunmie’s fortune.

 

The closer Qu Yunmie got to the throne, the healthier Xiao Rong would become. The further away Qu Yunmie got, the sicker Xiao Rong would be.

 

The severity would adjust automatically; mild cases would make him dizzy, severe cases would make him cough blood.

 

Still, he didn’t need to worry about these ailments killing him. As long as Qu Yunmie was alive and had a chance to ascend the throne, Xiao Rong would be like someone who had eaten the meat of a Tang Monk—no matter what, he wouldn’t die.

 

However, if Qu Yunmie died, or if his fortune completely vanished, meaning he had no chance of becoming Emperor, Xiao Rong would die the moment those fortunes disappeared.

 

Conversely, even if Qu Yunmie hadn’t yet become emperor, if circumstances made it certain that he would, and his fortune was fully restored, Xiao Rong would be freed from the bond and could live his life as he pleased.

 

After explaining all this, the system vanished, leaving Xiao Rong in stunned silence.

 

…

 

Other than a life it couldn’t guarantee, the system had given him nothing.

 

He was wearing strange clothes, holding the Dean’s sword, with no food or shelter, and didn’t dare pawn the sword as it was his last resort.

 

How he had survived from having nothing, not even an identity, to now, Xiao Rong didn’t want to recall. Those bitter memories were best left in the past.

 

…

 

He had spent six months, traveling three thousand miles from Xinan to Pingyang, without even seeing the Northern Army. Xiao Rong unfairly blamed Qu Yunmie, whom he had never met, but he was also partly to blame.

 

When the system left, Xiao Rong realized he had over two years to complete the task. Resentful of being forced into this, he procrastinated.

 

He traveled slowly and found that Qu Yunmie had left Huaiyin. He’d even felt relieved. It wasn’t until he experienced the strange, painless sickness that he began to rush.

 

Death wasn’t an option, but the weakness was severe. He needed support to move and had to lean on walls when alone, which severely hurt his pride.

 

He was an art student who had been dancing since elementary school and selected dance choreography as his major in college. His major was a bit special with a male to female ratio of about one to two. Among ten boys, five are scumbags and five are gays.

 

A scumbag is not necessarily straight, and a gay is not necessarily loyal.

 

Xiao Rong’s looks were enough to charm a lot of people in ancient times, and it was no less so in modern times. Moreover, except for himself, almost everyone who saw him thought he was gay. In an environment where there were more than zero and fewer than one, many people rushed to become number one for love. A couple, after encountering Xiao Rong, broke up and both came to pursue him. They didn’t succeed and even fought publicly. This incident made Xiao Rong famous, earning him the title of a top gay figure. Despite his countless angry explanations that he wasn’t gay, no one believed him.

 

While Xiao Rong didn’t care much about being misunderstood as a homosexual, being mistaken for a zero made him furious.

 

He started lifting weights, going out without coordinating his outfits, and watching action anime daily. Yet, all his hard work was undone in a single night.

 

Hating others for seeing him as weak, he now found himself weaker than ever.

 

Old and new grievances piled up. The system had fled, so Xiao Rong couldn’t even vent his anger on it. Instead, he blamed Qu Yunmie for everything, even though they had never met.

 

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Just as he was about to explode, Ah Shu entered. Despite being tall, he was only fourteen and followed Xiao Rong dutifully wherever he went. “Master, the innkeeper has prepared breakfast.”

 

Ah Shu was excellent in every way but was a bit timid due to his past experiences. Xiao Rong tried to hide his emotions around him. If he showed anger or worry, Ah Shu would become very anxious. Adjusting his expression, Xiao Rong smiled. “Alright, let’s go down together.”

 

…

 

At present, which was 1,500 years before Xiao Rong’s time, the food at an ordinary inn was very rough. Xiao Rong couldn’t afford expensive meals, but what he could afford was considered a delicacy by the common people outside.

 

The waiter silently brought over his breakfast. Looking at Xiao Rong’s face, which was as beautiful as a celestial being, his feelings were very complicated.

 

The coachman wasn’t lying. When this young master arrived, he was unconscious. When he woke up, the first thing he did was to negotiate prices with the innkeeper. After some back-and-forth, the innkeeper unfortunately lost and agreed to let the young master stay for five days and waive the fee for one day.

 

As he was going upstairs, the young master looked regretful. The waiter passed by him and heard him muttering, “Such a waste. I should have asked for a three-day stay with one day free.” 

 

…

 

No matter what, Xiao Rong planned to stay here for a long time.

 

He actually wanted to find Qu Yunmie. Traveling further North by three hundred miles to Yanmen County would suffice, that was Qu Yunmie’s base. The Northern Border Army, which had developed to this point, boasted an outward claim of eight hundred thousand troops. Of course, this number was greatly inflated, but there were indeed tens of thousands stationed at Yanmen Pass.

 

First, it was Qu Yunmie’s hometown; second, they were keeping an eye on the Xianbei people to prevent any actions from them.

 

Personally searching for someone was one way, but Qu Yunmie often ran around. If Xiao Rong stayed put, he didn’t know when he would see him. Without seeing him, Xiao Rong couldn’t restrict his actions or stop him from continuing his self-destructive ways.

 

After thinking it over, Xiao Rong decided it was best to make a name for himself first. With fame, everything would be easier, and when he joined the army, he wouldn’t be neglected. He was doing this to save Qu Yunmie and his own life, not for wealth or power. Starting from the bottom was useless, he needed to rise directly to Qu Yunmie’s side.

 

What was the fastest way for an ordinary person to become famous?

 

There were two ways: assassinating the most famous person of the time or predicting the future of the most famous person of the time.

 

In short, riding on the coattails of fame.

 

…

 

Assassination was out of the question. With his physical condition, he would be lucky to leave Pingyang City.

 

So, only predicting the future was left.

 

Pretending to be a fortune teller was always a favorite trick of scholars. Xiao Rong was better; what he said would certainly come true.

 

Nowadays, the Qingfeng religion was prevalent in the Central Plains, and everyone revered the idea of Gods and spirits. That big idiot Qu Yunmie would definitely be no exception.

 

Confident in his strategy, Xiao Rong began to build his reputation. 

 

First, he sent Ah Shu out to spread the word about his identity, saying he was a Young Master from the Linchuan Xiao Family who knew a bit of divination. Then, when people came to ask for his help, he would spend half an hour each day doing free divinations.

 

Even so, all those who came for a divination received the same response: he only divined major events, not minor ones. The common people naturally left, while those who thought Xiao Rong was a fraud suspiciously observed him to test his truth.

 

Finally, when almost everyone in Pingyang City knew about him, Xiao Rong stood by the window, looking solemnly at the sky. After making several gestures he didn’t understand himself, he spoke in a heavy voice.

 

“Something has happened in Yizhou.”

 

At first, people didn’t believe him and didn’t take it seriously. However, a few days later, the Governor of Pingyang received news that Shenli County in Yizhou had been taken over by rebelling farmers. The area around the county was charred, corpses were strewn everywhere, and all the stored grain had been looted.

 

These farmers, led by commoners, were moving northward.

 

Everyone was shocked. They were in awe of Xiao Rong and came to see him every day, including nobles and high-ranking officials. Even spies from Southern Yong showed up.

 

Despite this, there was still no reaction from the Northern Defending Army.

 

Xiao Rong began to doubt himself, but using the trick of prophecy too often wasn’t good. After all, he was just an ordinary person and couldn’t always be accurate and overusing it might bring disaster before attracting Qu Yunmie.

 

Xiao Rong decided to wait and see. After a few days, the Northern Defending Army posted a notice in Pingyang City, saying that the King of the North was recruiting talented individuals, regardless of background. Anyone who believed they had real skills could come and apply.

 

Xiao Rong stood before the notice. “…”

 

Everyone in Pingyang City was talking about him, which made him have to disguise himself when going out. If the Northern Defending Army had arrived here, they couldn’t have missed his name. Seeking talent by posting a notice was the last resort in this era, used only when no suitable candidates had been found.

 

In other words, the Northern Defending Army had never considered recruiting him.

 

There were only two reasons: the Northern Defending Army looked down on him, or Qu Yunmie looked down on him.

 

…

 

Ah Shu looked carefully at Xiao Rong’s expression. The coachman had mentioned many of Xiao Rong’s faults but didn’t realize that those were just minor problems. Xiao Rong had one big one.

That is—Xiao Rong was very proud.

 

…

 

Even Ah Shu could see that this situation was a bit humiliating. Xiao Rong certainly saw it too, but he didn’t dare speak. After a long time, he took a breath and said nonchalantly, “Fine, if the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain. They probably haven’t heard of me. I’ll go and apply myself.”

 

After speaking, Xiao Rong took down the notice. The guards led him, smiling, and Xiao Rong followed with a smile.

 

Ah Shu, feeling his pounding heart, followed with some concern.

 

Xiao Rong was dressed like a scholar. The old Northern Defending Army hated scholars, but the new recruits didn’t have this bias. The guard politely led Xiao Rong to a room and let him sit down.

 

When Jian Qiao heard that someone had finally come to apply, he rushed over. On the way, the guard described Xiao Rong’s situation.

 

“He’s a scholar named Xiao Rong. I inquired and found out he’s said to be skilled in divination.”

 

Jian Qiao hesitated but continued walking. They hadn’t found a suitable candidate after so many days, and the turmoil in Yizhou had upset the King. The King’s mood worsened, and Master Gao kept urging him to hurry. He had previously adhered strictly to the six criteria, but now he decided to be more flexible.

 

When he entered the room and saw Xiao Rong in person, Jian Qiao was stunned.

 

It was spring, yet he was wearing fur clothing—delicate.

 

His face was pale, and his lips were white—a sign of a short life.

 

He dared to maintain eye contact without flinching—strong-willed.

 

His eyes kept wandering the room, looking at the decorations—greedy.

 

Skilled in divination—superstitious.

 

He made Jian Qiao stare—beautiful.

 

Xiao Rong stared back, puzzled by the silence. He had taken the initiative so far, a little more wouldn’t hurt. Just as Xiao Rong was about to speak, the general opposite him snapped out of his daze, suddenly clasped his hands, and pointed to the door he just came through.

 

“I’m sorry for troubling you, Young Master, but we’ve already filled all the positions we needed. Please take care.”

 

With that, a bewildered Xiao Rong was escorted out.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

Standing outside on the dirt road, Xiao Rong slowly clenched his fist and swore once again.

 

“Qu Yunmie, just you wait. After I put you on the throne, I’ll kill you with my own hands!”

 

Author’s note: 

Jian Qiao: Just like that, I lost my future marshal.

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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