All Heavens Strategy Game

Poor scholars, rich warriors.

This wasn't said lightly.

In the real world, every household can eat their fill, with refined rice and grains, and plenty of meat and alcohol. Even with such good conditions, many people still don't get proper nutrition and injure their bodies by practicing martial arts.

Within the village of Da Zhou Sishui, conditions were a hundred times harsher. The entire village of over 100 households ate only coarse rice and millet, and even then, they were often hungry, let alone having any meat.

If you can eat meat once or twice a year, you're considered to be living a good life.

Su Ming's father died early, and his mother was lame. His family could not support him in practicing martial arts, nor would they ever support him in practicing martial arts.

Even if we wanted to support them, we wouldn't have the strength or the ability to do so.

Given the poverty of Sishui Village, if Su Ming were to be able to take time off work to practice martial arts and occasionally eat meat, it would require at least dozens of households to do everything in their power to support him.

There was no other way; the village was just too poor!

"I am young and cannot leave the village. I have to work in the fields every day. If I want to practice martial arts, I must rely on external help. It is impossible for me to do it on my own."

"If the whole village can support me to practice martial arts, that's all I can do..." Su Ming looked toward the village chief's house.

In the feudal ancient times of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Don't underestimate the position of village chief.

The village chiefs of each village are generally highly respected and influential figures who have the authority to make decisions on many matters.

It's safe to say that as long as we can persuade the village chief, with his help, the matter is likely to be resolved!

"If you want others to help you, you must have something that makes them want to help you."

"If you are a complete waste, even if others want to lend you a helping hand, they won't know where to begin and can only watch you sink deeper and deeper into the swamp."

"I am penniless and just a little child; I cannot promise benefits to others."

"Then all I can promise is 'the future'!"

"My potential, my future!"

Thinking of this, Su Ming calmed down.

For the next month, Su Ming worked hard every day, finishing the farm work ahead of schedule, and using the time he could squeeze out to practice martial arts.

With the help of his past life experience, he has made significant progress in his Xingyi Gong this month, and is only a little short of mastering it.

Most importantly, he successfully accumulated a wisp of internal energy within his body!

"This wisp of internal energy allows me to unleash tremendous power for a short period, comparable to that of an adult."

The time has come; we can't delay any longer.

That day, Su Ming did not go to the fields to do farm work. Instead, he went to the village chief's house alone and knocked on the door of the village chief, Su Dashun.

"Knock knock knock".

"Who is it?"

"Village chief, I am Su Ming."

"The door's unlocked, come in."

Su Ming pushed open the door and entered, and saw a reclining chair in the courtyard. An old man of about forty years old was lying on it. The old man was missing an ear and was smoking a pipe casually, puffing out smoke.

In this year of poverty and hardship, ordinary poor people would have been working in the fields to earn money long ago, but the village chief could rest at home. This shows that the village chief's family was much better off than others.

"Grandpa Da Shun, this is a gift I brought for you." Su Ming presented Su Da Shun with a dried smoked fish, holding it out with both hands.

This dried fish was originally a family New Year's food, only eaten during festivals, but Su Ming stole it.

There's no other reason than that when you need someone to do something for you, you always have to bring a gift.

It doesn't matter how small the gift is, as long as the sentiment is deep.

Whether others want your gift or not, or whether they value it or not, is their business. At least you should have the attitude of asking someone for a favor.

"You're here, why bring anything?" Su Dashun hesitated for a moment, then got up and accepted the smoked dried fish.

He figured that Su Ming's family was very poor, so the fact that he was willing to use smoked dried fish as a gift meant that he probably needed his help.

I reckon they're borrowing grain!

Lady Liu figured she didn't have the face to ask for grain herself, so she sent her eight-year-old child to her door, hoping that she would lend her grain out of consideration for the child.

Su Dashun looked at Su Ming, who was calm and composed, and nodded in satisfaction.

This child has a clever and quick-witted air about him, unlike other children who are timid and awkward in front of adults.

A feeling of goodwill arose spontaneously.

—We're all from the same village, so let's help each other out if we can!

Su Ming realized the village chief had misunderstood, and quickly explained, "My family didn't ask me to come. I came for myself, and my family doesn't know."

"Oh?" Su Dashun was taken aback, his eyes showing surprise.

Did I guess wrong?

Not Liu?

It wasn't a matter of borrowing grain either.

Did this eight-year-old child come to the door by himself?

What could an eight-year-old child possibly know?

Su Dashun racked his brains but couldn't figure out what important business a little kid could have that required going to his family without their knowledge.

"Tell me what you need me to do, and I'll try my best to help you," Su Dashun said with a smile, as if coaxing a child.

"Village chief, do you know what martial artists are?" Su Ming looked up.

"Martial artist? I don't know what a martial artist is. You mean a wandering knight-errant, right? Some wandering knights-errant travel around, upholding justice and chivalry. They know some powerful martial arts and can fight many strong men by themselves. For example, the Great Hero Canghai from our Linjiang County. Perhaps these wandering knights-errant can be called martial artists!"

Su Dashun sighed, "Every wandering knight can live a life of luxury, but being skilled is what really matters. What, you're asking about wandering knights... oh, martial artists, why are you asking about the martial artists you're talking about?"

"I want you, village chief, to get the whole village to support my martial arts training!" Su Ming said earnestly.

"What, practice martial arts?" Su Dashun was dumbfounded, coughing as he was choked by the question: "Are you kidding me?"

"Village chief, I'm not joking, I'm serious." Su Ming's expression remained unchanged throughout, as serious as ever.

"Why should I? Practicing martial arts requires food, especially meat, which is a huge expense. No one in my family practices martial arts, and I haven't even sent my grandson to learn. You expect me to support an outsider like you?"

Su Dashun said with a stern face, "And you want me to call on the whole village to support you? Are you crazy or am I crazy?"

Most people in Sishui Village share the surname Su and originate from the same ancestor; they are all related by blood or marriage.

We can help each other with small things without any distinction between "yours" and "mine," but when it comes to real interests, we still need to be clear about things from both inside and outside the company.

To the village chief, Su Ming's family was indeed a complete outsider.

Compared to their own family members, Su Ming was an outsider among outsiders.

They couldn't even send their own children to practice martial arts, let alone Su Ming, an outsider.

At this moment, Su Dashun felt that Su Ming was sick, seriously sick!

Facing the village chief's look of utter disbelief, Su Ming retorted, "If the entire village supports your grandson practicing martial arts, what kind of success can he possibly achieve?"

"I doubt it will work." Su Dashun said without hesitation, "Martial arts training requires natural talent, one in ten thousand. Without natural talent, no matter how much you train, it won't work."

He didn't think his grandson had that kind of talent.

Compared to the wealthy gentlemen in the city, what talent do the peasants in the village have?

"Do any of the other children in the village have this talent?"

"No, not at all!"

Su Ming said, "Isn't that it? None of the children in the village have any special talent, but I do. As long as you support me in practicing martial arts, I will definitely become a powerful martial artist and a chivalrous knight-errant in the future, protecting the village and bringing glory to my ancestors!"

Su Dashun was almost laughing in anger. He'd never seen such an arrogant brat before. He sneered, "Such arrogance! I want to know why you have such an arrogant attitude!"

"It's very simple," Su Ming replied. "I am a reincarnation of a god!"