Master into Lover

Chapter 5 War-torn World

Wilderness, mountains, forests, frozen rivers... everything is rapidly receding.

This narrow path was sparsely populated, and after about an hour of horseback riding, they still hadn't seen a single village. Xu Shu came across ‌multiple corpses along the way‌: ‌frozen old men‌, ‌soldiers fallen to blades‌, and ‌a single child's body‌—its death unexplained...

While letting the horse graze and rest, Fang Zhihai told Xu Shu about the latest events... Due to widespread peasant uprisings and the rebels' advance into the capital, the empire was crumbling, and officials were now acting independently.

They were currently in Zhou County, and the county magistrate was Fang Zhihai's father, Fang Tian.

Fang Tian didn't want to aid the corrupt imperial court in its war, nor did he want his county to fall into the hands of the rebels—after all, the rebels were not unified across the country, and some, after winning battles, had resorted to burning, killing, and looting.

In order to prevent the people of this county from being caught up in the war, Fang Tian negotiated with the rebel army three years ago. If the rebel army established a national regime, Fang Tian was willing to surrender voluntarily—provided that the rebel army did not capture Zouxian and that the grain produced in Zouxian could be sold to the rebel army—this was essentially the rebel army's grain camp.

Due to this agreement, the people of Zouxian have maintained a relatively peaceful life during the war. It is evident that people like Xu Shu's parents heard about the relatively peaceful life in Zouxian, which is why they brought Xu Shu here.

Unfortunately, three years later, the rebel army has fallen into internal strife, and the main forces of the rebel army have been driven north by the imperial court. Counties like Zouxian that betrayed the court are beginning to face retribution from the court.

The national army stormed into Zhou County, and all the able-bodied young men were conscripted. Those who resisted were randomly killed, plunging Zhou County into its current tragic state.

Fang Tian was quite esteemed in Min County, and the court was unwilling to act against him openly, so they sent five assassins. The assassins killed Fang Tian and Fang Zhihai's wife; fortunately, Fang Zhihai suddenly returned home at that time, saving the lives of his daughter and mother.

He chased after the assassins and encountered Xu Shu at Baima Temple.

"Um... then why did you say in Baima Temple that these people killed the people of Niu Family Village?" Xu Shu couldn't help but interrupt Fang Zhihai's words and asked.

"Good question!" Fang Zhihai cast a gaze of approval at Xu Shu. "You have seen the key point of the matter. Now, the national army has already invaded Zhou County. If I say these people killed the county magistrate, I'm afraid Baima Temple wouldn't dare to help me, and might even assist those five killers instead. Likewise, those five assassins wouldn't dare admit they killed the county magistrate either; they can't be sure whether Baima Temple would help me."

Xu Shu nodded, seemingly deep in thought.

"Oh, I understand now..."

"You little one, what do you understand?"

"Your father is a person with a bit of strategic foresight. He indeed protected the people of Zhou County during the uprising; he is a good official! He even sent you to learn swordsmanship, indicating that he has enough crisis awareness. It was this decision that saved you and your mother's lives. However, your father made a mistake!"

"What mistake did he make? Child, you are quite articulate at such a young age!"

"Since he has already betrayed the court, he should have united other rebellious regions to form an army to keep the court's army out of Zhou County. The court is already corrupt to the bone; the people will continue to resist, and it won't be long before the court, needing to deal with more rebels, ignores you. By then, your family and the people of Zhou County can be preserved."

"You... are quite insightful!" Fang Zhihai exclaimed, "You're right. I've argued with my father about this matter many times. I hoped he would form a powerful army, but he thinks that if the county magistrate conscripts the people, it's no different from conscripting able-bodied men for the court and the rebel army... sigh..."

Remaining silent for a while, they were each lost in their thoughts.

Suddenly, Fang Zhihai asked again.

“Kid, you don’t look like the child of a rural ,seem more like a child of a prominent family. Did your ancestors hold official positions?”

“Huh? Haha…”Xu Shu laughed out loud. “You always call me 'kid,' but in fact, I’m 27 years old and came from the future. Did you know… I’ve studied a lot of history books and know that once a nationwide uprising occurs, a dynasty usually can’t last for more than a few years.”

Xu Shu’s words left Fang Zhihai, a man from ancient times, in a daze.

“Future? Time travel? What do you mean?”

“In short, don’t call me 'kid' anymore. Aside from my small stature, there’s nothing else small about me!”

“Wow! What a big mouth! Not small in any way!” Fang Zhihai laughed and pulled Xu Shu up. With a strong push from his right hand, he lifted Xu Shu onto the horse.

When he jumped onto the horse himself, Once more，he wrapped his arms tightly around Xu Shu’s small frame from behind. “Kid, you’re quite interesting. I’ve made a good decision to take you as my disciple.”

“Giddy up!”

Xu Shu cracked the whip and urged the horse, then responded to Fang Zhihai. “Master, you’re in danger right now. When we see the soldiers' corpses later, you should change your clothes. The county magistrate is dead, and the court wouldn't want the magistrate’s son to continue living.”

“I see, good disciple.” Fang Zhihai replied loudly against the wind.

After advancing a distance, Xu Shu indeed found three soldiers' corpses in the bushes.

"Master, look..." Xu Shu pulled on the reins and, along with Fang Zhihai, jumped down from the horse.

The blood on the three corpses had not yet coagulated, clearly indicating they had died not long ago. They had broad noses and square faces, tall statures—evidently northern soldiers killed by the locals—soldiers of the imperial court.

"Great, there's a village nearby!" Fang Zhihai's face was now filled with joy; the presence of a village meant that the town wouldn't be too far from here.

"Master, if we switch into the imperial soldiers' uniforms, won't the locals kill us?" Xu Shu joked. In fact, he had already started to strip the soldiers of their clothes—as long as they behaved themselves, who among the locals would dare to attack the soldiers of the imperial court?

Moreover, Master could perform lightness skill; which villager could catch Master?

Zhang Zhihai's left hand was injured, making the undressing process clumsy. With one hand, he unbuttoned his robe, but couldn't pull it off the injured left arm.

"Disciple, help your master take off his clothes."

"Pfft!"

Xu Shu showed a look of disgust, but he was actually quite happy inside. After he removed his master's outer robe, he discovered that Master was wearing a beast skin coat underneath—no wonder he didn’t feel cold.

As for himself, he had gotten used to the cold.

At that moment, Fang Zhihai also noticed his own beast skin coat. He tugged at Xu Shu's thin linen collar and said, "Child, you should wear my beast skin coat; your master won’t feel cold in the soldiers' uniform."

"Why do you sound just like my mom?" Xu Shu laughed and punched Fang Zhihai’s sturdy chest playfully. "Your beast skin coat is too big for me; it doesn't fit. I can just put on one of the soldiers' uniforms."

However, since Fang Zhihai had already suggested it, he insisted Xu Shu wear his fur coat. He unbuttoned it with one hand, revealing his pale chest.

The chilly wind blew, and Fang Zhihai shivered.

Touched by Fang Zhihai, Xu Shu said as he helped him unbutton the fur coat, "Master, why are you doing this? I'm used to the cold, but you might not be."

To his surprise, Fang Zhihai frowned and scolded him, "Just wear it when I tell you to. Why are you being so nagging?"

"Alright!"

Xu Shu reluctantly helped Fang Zhihai pull off the fur coat from his injured left hand. When he felt Fang Zhihai's warm, pale chest muscles, his heart began to race again—he really wanted to touch them, even to bury his face into Fang Zhihai's chest, but of course he didn't dare.

To stop himself from thinking too much, Xu Shu bit his tongue, closed his eyes, and cursed himself mentally: "Xu Shu, men are sh*t to other men. Are you planning on eating sh*t? Pah, pah, pah!"

Fang Zhihai saw Xu Shu close his eyes and slapped him on the head with his right hand. "Why are you dilly-dallying? If you keep going like this, your master will freeze to death."

"Oh, it's Master!“ Xu Shu quickly buttoned Fang Zhihai's Taoist robe and put on his military coat.

When Xu Shu dressed himself in his fur coat and then his military coat, he realized that due to his short stature, the collar of the expensive fur coat was exposed at his neck. This awkward combination made him look like a wealthy young man.

Finally, the two men changed into their uniforms, each donning a soldier's badge, and continued on their journey.

About ten miles ahead, they indeed spotted a village.

"Why do you sound just like my mom?" Xu Shu laughed and punched Fang Zhihai’s sturdy chest playfully. "Your beast skin coat is too big for me; it doesn't fit. I can just put on one of the soldiers' uniforms."

Soon, they were laughing and had changed their clothes, donned the soldiers' insignia, and continued on their journey.

About ten miles ahead, they indeed spotted a village.

But the twenty or so houses in this village ‌stood abandoned all overgrown with weeds, ‌devoid of any living soul‌.

The two continued their pursuit, ‌marching‌ for another three or four hours, yet ‌no trace of a village appeared‌

Xu Shu was ‌starving to the bone‌, but Fang Zhihai ‌hadn’t spotted‌ even small game like pheasants or rabbits along the way, so he ‌urged‌ Xu Shu to ‌hold on‌

Finally, by afternoon, the two men ‌stumbled upon‌ a village ‌with signs of life‌.

At the entrance to the village, there was a frozen pond, a few leafless sycamore trees, and a dozen or so thatched huts—that was all there was.

A water carrier, frightened by the sight of two soldiers approaching, dropped his full bucket and took off running.

"Soldiers... more soldiers!" the man shouted as he ran.