My game even includes ancient times

Chu He and He Shi's journey went unexpectedly smoothly until the afternoon of the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, when the long-distance carriage entered Yunzhou territory, Wei Buyu did not bring any more men to pursue them.

Arriving in Yunzhou means arriving at the territory of the Chu Clan Manor. Few people can assassinate the second disciple of the Chu Clan Manor Lord here.

Chu He squeezed the two pieces of white paper in his arms, and couldn't help but wonder if that senior was just joking with him out of boredom.

But finally, he was back in a familiar place. His tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and leaning against the carriage, he dulled the feeling of fatigue.

The door behind him suddenly opened, and Chu He, whose eyes were half-closed, was gently shaken by the door. He opened his eyes and turned his head to look: "What's wrong?"

He Shi squatted at the door of the carriage, holding onto the door frame with his left hand to steady himself, and handed a bamboo tube to Chu He with his right hand: "Have some water."

Chu He paused, released his grip on the reins, took the bamboo tube with its lid already opened, and tilted his head back to drink two mouthfuls.

"Thank you."

He returned the bamboo tube to He Shi and took the reins again.

He Shi squatted down behind him, looking at the vast, rolling hills in the distance with some surprise. His voice was distorted by the wind as he spoke: "Is this Yunzhou? There are so many mountains."

Chu He followed his gaze and looked into the distance: "Yunzhou is mostly hilly, and those can't really be called mountains. They can't compare to the towering and majestic Daxue Mountain on the border of Shuozhou, nor to the steep and rugged Shiwan Mountain in Shuzhou, but they are still quite suitable for living."

He turned back and continued, "The Chu Family Manor is built on these hills, with beautiful scenery and terraced fields at the foot of the mountains."

When Chu Family Manor was mentioned, Chu He's voice seemed to soften considerably, and he became more talkative.

He Shi squinted and stared straight into the distance, mentally imagining what the scenery of his upcoming destination would be like.

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've told you about the resort yet."

Now that they had started talking, Chu He adjusted his posture and began to speak in a calm and gentle voice.

"My master is the lord of the Chu Family Manor, and he is the person you will be apprenticing to next. My master is very knowledgeable in martial arts and has a generous and forthright personality. Many people have received his guidance, but he has only truly acknowledged four disciples. I am the second oldest."

"The eldest senior sister is called Xia Yuan. She is a very good person, but she is a bit strict. She is currently managing all the affairs of the manor. Master often praises her for her exceptional intelligence."

"Our third junior brother is named Bai Yushen. He takes good care of us fellow disciples and is the most skilled in martial arts among us. Moreover, his archery skills are superb, and even our master praises him highly."

"Fourth Junior Sister is Master's only daughter, named Chu Yunsi."

"Besides us, there are more than a dozen top-notch masters who are famous in the martial arts world. They all joined the manor because they admired Master's name. In addition, there are some ordinary manor members who are responsible for daily patrols and maintaining the operation of the manor. There are probably several hundred people. Senior Sister knows about this. You can ask her."

He Shi listened quietly to Chu He's calm voice, and several figures with different expressions slowly appeared in his mind.

His gaze went unfocused for a moment. For some reason, the more Chu He described, the more unreal he felt, as if he were floating in a fog.

In just about ten days, will he go from struggling to survive all alone to becoming a member of a very, very powerful force?

Is what Chu He said true?

Could he be lying to me, luring me to a strange place thousands of miles away from Yuanshan County? If they want to do something, will I be able to resist...?

Belatedly, He Shi suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable fear. He tightened his cotton coat, glanced at Chu He's half-face covered by a scarf, and then looked away.

How could they suddenly become so bold?

He wasn't like this before. In those nights filled with beatings, insults, cold, and hunger, he would quietly and silently hug himself, deliberately ignoring the physical pain, because only in this way could he survive more smoothly...

What changed his mind?

He Shi raised his head.

The eaves in front of the carriage blocked half the sky, with pitch blackness on one side and a vast blue sky on the other.

He stared at the blue expanse for a while, then suddenly snapped out of it.

He was a deity, a deity who suddenly appeared and stayed with him all this time. It was he who made him make this incredibly bold decision.

At this moment, He Shi did not know that the feeling in his heart, like sprouting grass, was called hope. He only knew that he seemed to have another way of living, as long as he was a little bolder and smarter.

Perhaps from the day he struck the beggar lying on the ground with his stick, he shattered the shackles of cowardice that bound him.

He Shi took a deep breath of the cold, free air of the wilderness, gave Chu He a bright smile as Chu He turned to look at him with a puzzled expression, and then turned back into the carriage.

Chu He blinked as he looked at the closed wooden door, not understanding what his future junior brother was doing, turning his head and looking up, sighing and inhaling.

But he never thought too much about swordsmanship or anything outside of his sect. This question was like a gentle breeze, blowing through his mind in the blink of an eye without leaving a trace. So he turned back to driving and silently sped up.

Back in the carriage, He Shi sat down on the bench and opened the small paper package hidden deep inside the bundle. Inside was the last crystal candy.

He stared at the round, glistening candy for a moment, then picked it up and put it in his mouth.

------

Because of a leg injury, He Yu took a rare three-day break from the shop, giving Zhang Yushi a day off.

But the little girl insisted on staying to take care of her, saying she was afraid that something might happen to her if she was home alone and it would make the news.

He Yu was both amused and exasperated, knowing that she meant well, so he agreed.

Around noon, on the second floor of the dessert shop, Zhang Yushi was cooking in the kitchen wearing an apron, while He Yu was playing games with her legs crossed against the headboard.

Chuhe and Heshi have been traveling for the past two days, and there haven't been any side quests or new missions, so the game seems to be getting a bit boring.

He Yu opened the [Flea Market] for the third time, wandered around aimlessly for a while, and finally exited the game, put down his phone, and limped to the kitchen door.

Zhang Yushi was making sweet and sour pork. He Yu didn't know why she, a southerner, could make such authentic Northeastern dishes after coming to the Northwest. According to her, she just made it by following a recipe online.

Zhang Yushi put the food into a plate, turned her head and saw He Yu standing in the doorway. She was startled and exclaimed, "Sister Xiaoyu, what are you doing? You haven't made a sound!"

He Yu smiled, her bright black eyes crinkling into crescents: "I'm hungry."

Zhang Yushi made an exaggerated face as if she had fainted, holding a plate in one hand and clutching her heart with the other: "Ah! I'm knocked out by your overly beautiful smile—"

"Nonsense," He Yu laughed, turning to walk towards the dining table: "Let's eat!"