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The Northern Di people and horses have a lower body as handsome and strong as a horse, and an upper body as powerful as a human.
The Nan Yue tree spirit has skin as delicate as flower petals and hair as green as vines, as if its entire body is constructed from vines, green leaves, and flowers.
Today, after a thousand years of territorial expansion and cultural assimilation during the Han and Tang dynasties, the monsters and barbarians that once roamed the east, south, west, north, and central regions now share the same emperor, the same culture, and the same name: Han people.
The bizarre and monstrous sight caused Liu Hong's brain to malfunction. His temples throbbed with pain, and the blazing blue star from his dream reappeared before his eyes. This time, however, he could see its full form. It was a fleshy star made up of countless azure corpses and tentacles, with the flesh constantly changing and spewing out a dark blue demonic fire corona.
"Step aside!!!"
Liu Hong's fantasy was suddenly shattered by a roar. A group of burly men, three or four meters tall, swaggered through the city from the left, shoving aside any Han Chinese who blocked their way. They even used their height advantage to grab them and throw them far away, crashing into a group of people.
These giants, three or four meters tall, shouted in a crude Khitan language, their fleshy faces twitching arrogantly. Their gaping maws were filled with sharp, dagger-shaped fangs. Their bodies were also unusually obese and muscular, their bellies bulging like balloons, their limbs as thick as elephant hooves, and beneath layers of fat and thick skin, there were huge, hard muscles like rocks. Their entire bodies were filled with a shocking and terrifying aesthetic of violence.
The burly man at the head of the group wore a Buddhist robe draped in gold silk, with a huge string of vermilion beads around his thick neck. His bald head was marked with three strings of ordination scars, and he carried a four-meter-tall, bowl-thick pure iron staff. With his domineering and arrogant demeanor, no one dared to provoke or interfere with him.
The cannibalistic demons of the Liao Dynasty who believed in Buddhism.
At that moment, a group of Song soldiers heard the commotion and rushed over to quell the disturbance. However, upon seeing that the troublemakers were Liao cannibals, their arrogant expressions immediately turned into utmost respect. They bowed and scraped, not daring to utter a single word. The Song soldiers numbered five, with an average height of about 1.65 meters. Compared to the Liao cannibals, who were three or four meters tall, they were thin and short, like children, barely reaching the cannibals' waists.
Their equipment was also terrible: a leather hat, a white round-necked robe, not even a suit of armor. Each of the five men carried a waist knife, a wooden shield, a wooden crossbow, and a quiver of crossbow bolts.
This was all the equipment the local Song army had. The five men even had two lines of gold tattoos on their faces: one line read "Exiled to Enzhou," and the other line read their respective crimes, such as theft and robbery, as proof of their crimes and exile to Enzhou.
To put it nicely, these people were the local troops of Enzhou.
To put it bluntly, these were all criminals convicted and exiled to the army. This gives a glimpse into the abysmal military strength of the local armies in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Liu Hong sighed. He had just been shocked by the prosperity of the Northern Song Dynasty, but now he was filled with sorrow. His past knowledge also made him understand the root of all this.
Three hundred years ago, An Lushan, the emperor's most trusted general, betrayed the emperor with half of the empire's army, setting the entire Central Plains ablaze.
Since then, the Central Plains dynasties have stopped expanding their territories. There will never be any more grand expeditions with ambitious goals. The dynasties that survived the An Lushan Rebellion never looked to the distant frontiers again. The primary goal of all emperors was to survive in the ruins of the Central Plains.
To prevent another An Lushan from emerging, all generals were inevitably suspected and suppressed. The heavy cavalry, which once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, was completely disbanded and restricted. The foreign tribes, who had once been nearly wiped out, returned and even became a major threat.
The introverted and conservative atmosphere of the Song Dynasty gradually replaced the magnificent and unrestrained spirit of the Han and Tang Dynasties.
The magnificent scene of the palace gates opening to the heavens and the dignitaries of all nations paying homage to the emperor is no longer seen today.
In the dark and terrifying year of 1111 AD, the Central Plains were fragmented and filled only with war.
After witnessing this scene, Liu Hong lost all interest in continuing his stroll through the bustling streets of Northern Song. He and Pan Jinlian hurriedly bought a jar of fine wine, then went home to cook, planning to invite Wu Dalang back for a visit after the meal was prepared.
But just then, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the gate. Pan Jinlian stopped washing the vegetables in confusion, and Liu Hong also stopped chopping meat. They opened the gate in bewilderment and found that the person who came in was an official dressed as a constable, followed by five Song soldiers, who were the same people who bowed and scraped to the Liao cannibals.
They groveled and fawned over the cannibals, but when facing the common people of the Song Dynasty, they stood taller than anyone else, their faces filled with arrogance and disdain.
"Wu Sanlang and Pan Jinlian's family, right?"
An official spoke arrogantly about the name Wu Dalang had given Liu Hong here.
"Yesterday we received an order from the imperial court. The Western Xia bandits have invaded the northwestern border. Now the emperor has decreed that supplies from several prefectures in Hebei be transported to the front line in Weizhou. Therefore, we are conscripting a group of guards to escort the supplies. Oh, you're quite burly. This street is yours then. Pack up and let's go!"
Liu Hong was startled. Escorting a batch of supplies to Weizhou?! Walking all the way from Hebei to Gansu, two thousand miles away, to perform some kind of yamen runner's service? This round trip would take at least half a year, and at most a year.
Are you kidding me? Letting Pan Jinlian live alone under Zhang Yuanwai's clutches for a year? That's a recipe for disaster!
"Wait! Sir, we already paid the money!"
Knowing the rules here, Pan Jinlian carefully walked behind Liu Hong, forced a smile at the official, and said in a charming and seductive tone.
“I paid a large sum of money before, which was said to be… a labor service tax? The officials wanted to use this money as wages to recruit laborers for corvée labor, including escorting goods; I paid the money, so why is this corvée labor still being imposed on our family?”
"Then let me ask you this: if everyone pays the labor tax and no one performs corvée labor, are you expecting these copper coins to grow arms and legs and do the work themselves?"
The official remained unmoved, staring intently at Liu Hong, as if he had him completely under his control.
"Don't worry, all the money you pay will be converted into wages and food, ensuring your husband won't starve on his journey to and from Weizhou—hey, you know, decades ago, before the conscription tax, your husband had to prepare his own food and travel expenses for the entire trip to Weizhou. Now we'll take care of his food and drink and even pay him wages. You should thank us for paying this tax!"
Pan Jinlian was so angry at the official's unreasonable demands that her delicate body trembled, but she dared not lose her temper in front of the official and could only force a smile.
"Then, sir, can we pay to be exempted from this round of yamen service? Weizhou is two thousand li away, which is really too far! He is the only man in our family."
"Very well, ten thousand coins! I heard that you used to be a maid in the Zhang family, and the master rewarded you handsomely. You can come up with a mere ten thousand coins, can't you?"
The official arrogantly extended his right hand and made a gesture as if asking for money.
Pan Jinlian gritted her teeth, not daring to disobey these high-ranking officials, and even less willing to send her husband, who had finally recovered, to Weizhou, two thousand miles away, to perform corvée labor—this was not corvée labor, it was sending her husband to his death!
So, trembling, she pulled out her life savings from under the bed and handed over all ten taels of silver. The official accepted the money with satisfaction, put it into his purse, and then crossed out Wu Sanlang's name in the government register.
As soon as the officials and five Song soldiers turned and left, Pan Jinlian could no longer pretend. Her legs went weak, and she sat down on the ground, bursting into tears. Her fluffy white fox ears drooped down again, looking pitiful.
“I only had 10,108 coins left. Now the officials have taken 10,000 coins, and I just spent 72 coins on wine, leaving me with only 36 coins! Although I saved you, this little money isn’t even enough for three days’ meals. Sanlang, what are we going to do? Why did the conscription on this street choose us instead of other families? Why does misfortune only find those who are unfortunate?!”
Liu Hong was also furious. Although he had some understanding of the officials in ancient times who were greedy and exploitative, he realized how despicable they were after actually encountering them. His anger gradually reached its peak, and he wanted to rush over and fight the officials and Song soldiers who were gradually walking away, and take back his wife's life savings.
As soon as Liu Hong had this thought, the dark blue burning star reappeared before his eyes. The pouch that the official wore on his waist also emitted the same dark blue halo. To Liu Hong's disbelief, it floated up into the air. The rope of the pouch tied to the official's belt, like a venomous snake, lightly untied itself from the official's belt. Then, the entire pouch flew into Liu Hong's palm in an instant, like a shooting star streaking across the sky.
Its speed was so fast that the metal decoration at the edge grazed Liu Hong's finger, and a drop of blood, glowing with a dazzling fluorescent blue light, flowed from the wound.
At this moment, the veins on Liu Hong's muscles and skin transformed into a breathtakingly dark blue color, emitting a strange and malevolent blue fluorescence, as if Liu Hong's entire body was covered with bizarre dark blue dragons and snakes. Even his eyes burned with a ball of dark blue demonic flames, illuminating the dim room as if it were daytime!
Yes, in my sleepwalking state, I did dream of a massive, azure demonic flame, as large as a star, intertwining and merging with various ancient paintings.
Each ancient painting is what I saw and heard while my body was sleepwalking, and this ball of fire is not an illusion, but a real thing.
The terrifying azure demonic flames burned fiercely before his eyes, distorting his vision with the rolling heat waves and outlining several lines of large, fiery characters.
[First Ring Psionic Power - Mind Control]: Consumes 1 point of psionic power to remotely control an object weighing less than 100 pounds.
Chapter Three: Pan Jinlian's Secret Heart Awaits
Liu Hong was startled by the sudden turn of events, but quickly regained his composure. Seeing that the officials and their accompanying soldiers hadn't noticed his purse had flown away, he immediately hid it in his bosom.
When Pan Jinlian saw that Liu Hong could steal her purse from a distance and that all the money that the officials had stolen from her had been returned, her crying stopped. Her alluring eyes widened in surprise, and her beautiful face was filled with astonishment. Liu Hong quickly leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Keep crying."
Pan Jinlian was stunned for a moment, then instantly understood Liu Hong's meaning. If she stopped crying now, the official would definitely suspect her when he discovered that his money had been stolen. So she pouted her cherry lips, lowered her foxy eyes, and continued to cry. Liu Hong held her voluptuous and sexy body and comforted her loudly.
After being embraced by Liu Hong, Pan Jinlian felt a warmth, and her fingertips unconsciously tugged at the hem of his clothes, while her fox tail quietly wrapped around his wrist.
Hearing the two men crying, the official first turned to look at them, then snorted arrogantly, and finally left with five soldiers, looking haughty.
At that moment, the neighbors nearby also leaned out of their windows, some expressing their sorrow and regret, others pointing and laughing.
Seeing that the play was almost over, Liu Hong closed the door and carefully led Pan Jinlian back into the house.
At this moment, Pan Jinlian's heart pounded with nervousness, and two blushes appeared on her face. Her husband was so bold as to use magic to steal the official's purse. If he were discovered, he would be thrown into jail and beaten to death! She was so scared just now.
But for some reason, the way he broke the law to steal back my savings was so cool~ My heart is still pounding.
At this moment, although Pan Jinlian was afraid of being investigated by the officials, she was extremely fond of the peace of mind that someone was backing her up.
"Sanlang, your scholarship is quite profound; you have even learned to apply Confucianism."
Pan Jinlian wiped away her tears, first looking extremely surprised, then bursting into laughter through her tears, as if she were used to such supernatural abilities.
"My memory is just starting to return, and I can't remember many things. Is this kind of supernatural power common? You don't seem very surprised."
Liu Hong inquired indirectly.
"Yes, they are very rare, but they do exist. Private schools run by teachers, temples run by monks, and Taoist temples run by Taoist priests will teach their disciples some Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist arts. However, due to the systematic destruction of families that monopolized knowledge and the popularization of the imperial examination system, the central government has monopolized the highest level of Confucian learning. Only talented scholars who pass the imperial examination and go to Tokyo can learn the real skills."
"The gentlemen in the countryside nowadays only know a few tricks, and those wicked monks and sorcerers also keep their magic very secret, only teaching outsiders a few minor spells."
"And some people, just like fish are born knowing how to swim and birds are born knowing how to fly, are born with certain magical abilities and are called sorcerers or natural psionicists."
Liu Hong seemed to be deep in thought. He had fabricated a background of taking the imperial examinations, so Pan Jinlian believed that he was a Confucian scholar. But in reality, he should be a natural-born psychic with some magic and spiritual power.
Never mind, let's check how much money we have in our pockets first.
Liu Hong opened the official's purse, and not only did Pan Jinlian's ten taels of silver fall out, but there was also an extra ten taels of silver and fifty loose copper coins.
The fortune has strangely doubled.
"Give."
Liu Hong retied the purse and handed it, along with all the money inside, to Pan Jinlian. Seeing her life savings returned and even more silver coins stolen from the officials, she was so excited that her body trembled, and her voluptuous breasts rippled with sensual and explicit flesh-colored waves.
Looking at Liu Hong's tall figure and fair face, she felt her love reach its peak, and couldn't help but stand on tiptoe and gently kiss Liu Hong's cheek.
"Thank you...thank you."
Pan Jinlian blushed. Although the two had been married for seven days, they had not consummated their marriage because Liu Hong had not yet regained his senses. Her graceful body stood there with poise, but the white fox tail behind her upturned buttocks was swaying wildly like a feather fan, showing her extremely good mood.
“Is there a hidden place at home? Hide this money well and don’t use it. Now the whole street knows that we’re almost bankrupt because we paid to be exempt from corvée labor. Once we show spending power that doesn’t match our income, the fact that we’re stealing our savings will be exposed, and those officials will definitely come back.”
Looking at the filthy bill, Liu Hong cautiously said that before he transmigrated, he was a law-abiding citizen, but the laws of the Song Dynasty were so corrupt they were practically killing him. What was the point of obeying the law?
"I see. You are indeed a scholar; you are very thoughtful."
Pan Jinlian suddenly realized what was going on. Her delicate and beautiful face was full of admiration and respect for Liu Hong. She opened a hidden door under the cabinet, revealing a hole in the ground. She took fifty loose copper coins from the official's purse to supplement her household expenses, and buried the remaining twenty taels of silver in the ground.
"However, I have a question."
Liu Hong frowned deeply.
"Tell me, how did these officials know that your savings from working at the Zhang residence were only ten thousand coins? And who else knew you only had ten thousand coins?"
"Well...only a few of my close friends from the Zhang family know."
Pan Jinlian blinked in confusion, but Liu Hong already had the answer in his heart. He had read "Water Margin" and "Jin Ping Mei," although the contents of the two books differed somewhat, and he didn't know exactly where he had traveled to.
But in any world, Master Zhang desperately wanted Pan Jinlian. Marrying her off to Wu Dalang was just another form of coercion. He wanted to force Pan Jinlian to submit to him by making her live a life of poverty and hardship. He even hired thugs to provoke her and disrupt her life. However, he didn't expect things to go wrong in the end. Wu Dalang and Pan Jinlian left Qinghe County and escaped Master Zhang's clutches.
What happened today might have been Zhang Yuanwai using some tricks to bribe the officials and deliberately put the corvée quota on his own head, trying to put us in a desperate situation where we would run out of money and food, and force Pan Jinlian to submit to him and offer her her body.
Outside, there are exploitative corvée laborers and corrupt officials, making it impossible for me to spend the 20,000 coins I stole. I must immediately find a way to earn money to supplement the family income. Also, there's the local richest man, the powerful and influential Zhang, who covets his wife and wants to kill us...
Liu Hong summarized the current situation and felt immense pressure, as if his head was about to explode.
He was already spiritually awakened, his pupils were filled with dark blue runes, dragon-shaped patterns appeared on his meridians, and his blood emitted an eerie blue light.
The pressure increased dramatically, and the veins on his skin turned completely dark blue, then outlined eerie and terrifying dark blue demonic patterns on his skin, like a nine-headed giant serpent, its eyes burning with dark blue flames.
The flames also distorted his vision, and Pan Jinlian's alluring body seemed to be on fire as well, with the flickering flames outlining strange numbers on her delicate body.
Pan Jinlian (Fox Demon)
Level 1 (Level 1 monster)
Life 7, Psychic 3
Strength 9, Agility 16, Constitution 9
Intelligence 9, Perception 9, Charisma 16
[Racial Talent - Qingqiu Spiritual Blessing]: Gain 16 points of spell resistance (12 base + 1 level + 3 charm), and immunity to illusions.
The health bar is showing?
Wait a minute, these stats... this looks like the panel from Dungeons & Dragons? Life is represented by a health bar, and psionic energy by a mana bar.
Strength represents the amount of force.
Agility refers to reaction speed.
Physical fitness represents health and endurance.
Intelligence represents learning and thinking abilities.
Perception represents willpower and insight.
Charisma is a person's persuasive and leadership abilities.
An ordinary person with no special characteristics should have all six attribute values at 10; a slightly less talented person would have 9, and a more talented person would have 11. These attribute values fluctuate between 1 and 20. If a single attribute exceeds 20, then the person is no longer considered an ordinary person.
For example, Pan Jinlian's strength, intelligence, physique, and perception attributes are all 9, which is relatively low, but her agility and charm are 16, which is excellent.
Surprised, Liu Hong wanted to check his attributes, so he took out a bronze mirror and discovered that his eyes had turned into a breathtakingly deep blue, like an endless sea of burning flames. The rolling flames also outlined his attributes in the reflection of the bronze mirror.
[Liu Hong] (Dragon) (Any three attributes +2)
Level 1 (Level 1 Mind Mage)
Life 7, Psychic 3
Strength 16, Agility 10, Constitution 16
Intelligence 16, Perception 10, Charisma 16
[Dragonblood Talent - Psionic Domination]: You are a natural leader, constantly attracting loyal companions, followers, and subordinates to assist you. You can command up to 4 subordinates. (1 character level + 3 Charisma adjustment) [Already 1/4]; and you can use one of your subordinates' special talents (such as [Dragonblood Talent], [Demon Messenger], [Racial Talent]).
My agility and perception are both 10, which is average.
Strength, physique, intelligence, and charisma are all 16, which is excellent. You should know that the human ceiling is only 20 at most, so 16 is already very high. But this stat allocation... to put it nicely, he's a well-rounded warrior; to put it bluntly, he's a barrel-shaped character.