Volume One: At the Foot of Mount Zhongnan Chapter Nine: A Visitor to the Mountain Village

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another year had passed. It was now the third year since Li Ming had crossed over into this world.

It was the height of summer, the blazing sun hung high in the sky, a boundless expanse of blue without a single cloud, and not the faintest breeze stirred. Sunlight scorched the earth as if from a furnace; cicadas droned endlessly, their shrill calls only adding to the heat-induced irritation.

Li Ming lay beside the village well, seeking relief from the sweltering day. A great tree, its branches thick with leaves, cast a wide shadow, sheltering him from the merciless rays. Wisps of cool mist rose from the well, bringing a welcome chill to the air. Even Xiao Hei, now the size of a calf, was too languid to move, sprawled beside Li Ming, dozing in fits and starts until the sun set.

Ever since Li Ming made his decision in the mountains, he’d harbored a plan in his heart. He intended to carefully observe the shifting tides of the world, then leave the mountains to pledge his allegiance to Li Shimin.

For the coming decades, Li Shimin would be the mightiest and most dependable pillar in the realm. The Heavenly Khan's glory would shine through the ages, and all who opposed him, no matter who, met miserable ends! He was also one of history's rare rulers capable of sharing both hardship and prosperity with his followers. History had proven that the founding heroes of the Great Tang, as long as they did not rebel or bring disaster upon themselves, all ended their lives with honor. Li Ming thought that serving such a magnanimous master, his own fate should not turn out too badly.

Having spent many years in the army in his previous life, Li Ming knew well that two fists could not defeat four hands—no hero, however mighty, could stand alone against a multitude. If he went on his own to join up, he might not even catch their eye, and could well be thrown among the common ranks to serve as cannon fodder. He was unwilling to start as a foot soldier and wait, step by step, until he’d earned enough seniority—by then, Li Shimin’s meteoric rise would already be complete.

It was far better to offer timely help than to gild the lily. Li Ming remembered the two most critical battles at the start of Li Shimin’s career: one at Hulao Pass, where he destroyed Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande, ending the tripartite contention and establishing Tang’s legitimacy over the Central Plains. The other was the Xuanwu Gate Incident, where Li Shimin killed his brother, forced his father to abdicate, and ascended to the throne in one stroke. Yet it was a pity he hadn’t paid enough attention in school—when exactly was the battle at Hulao Pass? The Xuanwu Gate coup, he recalled from television, was an auspicious number—626 AD—but how did those years convert to the Sui Dynasty’s era?

For now, he could only take things one step at a time. Once his own strength was established, he’d set someone to keep close watch on Li Shimin. At the crucial moment, he’d offer his allegiance, and would surely be valued.

His goal was to gather five hundred men. Given enough time, he could train them as elite troops, like special forces in later generations—then he’d have no fear of failing to make his mark.

Five hundred men—neither too many nor too few—was just right. If he had more, his power would be too great and likely arouse the suspicion of those above; he might end up trembling like those petty warlords who surrendered, never knowing when he’d incur his master’s wrath and lose his head. Too few, and he would not possess enough strength to decide a critical battle, and his achievements would be greatly diminished.

When the time came, he would lead his five hundred warriors at the Xuanwu Gate and secure victory, forcing Li Yuan to step down. Li Shimin, in rewarding merits, would grant him a dukedom. After that, he would sweep his enemies from all sides—destroying the Turks, pacifying Tubo, crushing Goguryeo—making Li Shimin so delighted that he would insist on marrying off not just one but two daughters to him. But what then? Tang princesses were not easy to serve—they schemed, conspired, and kept male favorites. Would he not wear a green hat in the end? He was just worrying about how to refuse Li Shimin’s offer when suddenly a voice called out, “Little one, are you all right?”

Li Ming was startled awake, blinking rapidly. It turned out all those grand dreams were just idle fantasies; he was still the three-year-old brat he’d always been.

Annoyed at having his dreams interrupted, Li Ming snapped, “Of course I’m fine! But why did you wake me from such a wonderful dream?”

The speaker was a young man in his early twenties, with sword-like eyebrows, sharp eyes, and a handsome, refined air. He was richly dressed—a fine figure indeed. Behind him stood a slightly plump youth with a gentle face, also clad in wealth, following half a step behind as if deferring to him. The plump youth held the reins of two sturdy, well-fed horses.

“Heh, little one, I called you twice and you didn’t respond, so I had no choice but to speak up,” the man said with a laugh. “Tell me, is there a man named Zhou Jian in this village?”

“Never heard of him. Go ask someone else!” Li Ming wanted to send the pair on their way so he could return to his dreams—he’d just been dreaming of marrying a wife, after all.

The man, not inclined to argue with a child, nodded and replied, “Thank you, then.” Turning to the plump youth, he said, “Wu Ji, let’s go ask in the village.”

The youth answered respectfully, and the two of them led their horses towards the village. Suddenly, perhaps catching the scent of a predator, the horses balked, hooves clattering against the ground, refusing to go forward.

Xiao Hei, startled awake by the noise, raised his head slightly, eyes flashing with a wild, threatening light as he glanced at the two horses. The king of beasts had its own natural authority—even at a mere glance, the two steeds were so terrified they reared up, whinnying in panic, desperately trying to back away. The plump youth nearly lost his footing, barely avoiding a fall.

The young man was also startled. These were well-trained warhorses, yet now they were spooked for no reason. He rushed over to help, and only after much effort did they manage to calm the animals.

Li Ming, delighted by Xiao Hei’s display—able to cow two fine horses with a single look—laughed heartily, all the louder to spite the two who had awakened him.

The plump youth, seeing Li Ming gloating, frowned and was about to scold him, but the other man stopped him with a glance. “He’s just a child,” he said. “With our status, would it not be laughable to stoop to squabbling with a brat?” With that, his gaze turned to Xiao Hei, who had startled the horses.

The more he looked, the more astonished he became. Xiao Hei lay upon the ground, already five or six feet long, his muscles bulging, his coat glossy black, crisscrossed with faint purple stripes, and a great king-character marking on his brow. Though not yet grown to full size, he already exuded the domineering presence of a beast king. The man grew increasingly delighted, and asked Li Ming, “Little one, is this black tiger yours? Are your elders at home?”

Fearing the man wanted to complain to his family, Li Ming replied, “I live alone. Xiao Hei is mine! What do you want?” In other words: I’m alone, you wouldn’t stoop to bullying a little kid, would you?

The man, undisturbed by Li Ming’s bluntness, said, “I see that your black tiger is most extraordinary—not something a child could easily tame. I only wish to ask how your elders obtained such a beast?”

Li Ming, annoyed at being underestimated, wanted to argue, but then thought, why bother with an outsider? Finding the man’s persistent questioning irritating, he replied, “You go look for your man, I’ll sleep. Why ask so many questions?”

The plump youth, angered by Li Ming’s repeated defiance, said, “Er Lang! Why waste words with a village brat? We have more important matters. Once we’re done, we’ll find out who his elders are and deal with them!”

The other man agreed. They had come a long way in secret, and more pressing matters awaited. “Wu Ji is right,” he said. “But this black tiger is a legendary beast—I can’t help but admire it. I had hoped to ask his elders if they’d part with it.”

Hearing this, Li Ming’s annoyance grew. Xiao Hei had grown up with him, their bond closer than brothers. Noting the plump youth called the man “Er Lang,” Li Ming decided to tease them. “Come, Er Lang!” he called to Xiao Hei. “There are two bothersome people here—let’s go home!”

The two men were both taken aback at Li Ming calling the black tiger “Er Lang.” The leading man’s expression grew awkward, but his composure held and he said nothing. The plump youth, however, was indignant. “Insolent brat!” he scolded.

Li Ming’s eyes flashed. “Why can’t I call him Er Lang when you do? Xiao Hei is my brother. I’m Li Da Lang, so naturally he’s Li Er Lang! You’re being unreasonable!” Fearing he might anger them and come to harm, he quickly climbed onto Xiao Hei’s back and dashed off toward the village before they could reply.

The leading man, hearing this, could only laugh. “Children will be children. A few cheeky words mean nothing—pay him no mind,” he told Wu Ji.

Wu Ji grumbled, “That mouthy brat is far too rude! When we find his family, we’ll get to the bottom of this!”

With that, the two men led their horses into the village to look for Zhou Jian.

The man they sought was known locally as Brother Zhou the Second. Second-born in his family and famed for his loyalty and fairness, he was well respected by the villagers, who adopted the military nickname and called him Brother Zhou the Second, while the children called him Uncle or Second Uncle. His given name was rarely used, so Li Ming had no idea who they meant.

The two men were scions of noble families in Chang’an. Previously, Zhou Jian had been entrusted by Li the Third to sell a treasured sword in the city. The sword, after many twists and turns, ended up in their hands.

The elder of the two immediately recognized it as the sword that had belonged to his younger brother, who’d been expelled from the family for defying their father. Since then, the family had heard nothing of him. The brothers had been close from childhood, and seeing his brother’s sword sold for money, he feared something had happened.

Following the clues, they’d discovered the sword had been sold by a villager, and after much investigation, learned Zhou Jian’s name and whereabouts, hurrying here to find him.

Entering the village, they asked for directions to Zhou Jian’s house and, upon finding him, explained their purpose. Learning that their brother was safe, their worries were eased. After asking where he lived, they hurried to see him.

At that time, Li the Third was idly sitting at home when he heard someone calling outside, “Third Brother! Third Brother! Are you home?” Recognizing the voice, he stepped out and saw that the visitor was indeed his elder brother. Overcome with surprise and delight, he exclaimed, “Second Brother! How did you end up here?”