Chapter 002: Peril and the Emergence of the White Figure

Lu Li'er frowned. These government soldiers, who usually boasted that they could take the head of a general among a million troops, now shrank back, clinging to their lives, afraid to save the people from disaster, unwilling to share my burden. Truly infuriating!

Angered, she was about to drag out the young man who had struck her forehead and give him a thorough beating to vent her frustration, when another figure darted in from outside.

Before he could even speak, the man fell to his knees with a loud thud, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy. "Your Excellency, please forgive my son's youthful ignorance. It is my fault for failing to guide him properly. If punishment is necessary, let it be upon me."

Lu Li looked down and saw that the one kneeling before her was Li Hun, the minor official in charge of the county treasury. She hesitated—could the older boy be his son?

The youth trembled all over, hurriedly grabbed Li Hun's arm, and spoke confidently, "Sir, there's no need for him to kneel. I have a way to leave the city and summon reinforcements."

Li Hun, pale with fright, pulled his son close and knelt beside him, explaining, "My son Li Dong was gravely ill a few days ago. Since recovering, he has spoken and acted strangely, leaving the whole family bewildered. Afraid he might cause further trouble, I kept him under strict watch in the granary. Yet he slipped away, and now... Please, Your Excellency, forgive us!"

Lu Li paid no mind to Li Hun's ramblings, but her eyebrows rose in delight at Li Dong's claim. She had been worrying that no one dared leave the city for help, yet Li Dong spoke with assurance. She decided to ask, "Li Dong, what plan do you have to bring reinforcements?"

Li Dong snorted inwardly, thinking, "Am I supposed to tell you I've crossed over from another world?"

Before transmigrating, Li Dong had been an outstanding military commander in the United Nations peacekeeping forces, not only winning the national all-around championship but also demonstrating extraordinary tactical skill. If he hadn’t been exceptional, he wouldn’t have been chosen for peacekeeping.

After arriving in the final years of the Sui Dynasty, Li Dong often stared into the sky, silent for hours. What misfortune—to arrive at the end of Sui, on the cusp of chaos. If only there were heroes nearby, he could seek them out while still young, perhaps earning a modest rank by clinging to their side.

But in the Sui Dynasty, there were no phones, networks, or satellite navigation—just endless fields and mountains outside the city gates, sparsely populated, overrun by bandits. Without quickly building a force of his own, he could easily be killed in the coming turmoil, squandering this precious chance at transmigration.

Lost in thought, Li Dong didn’t hear Lu Li’s question nor answer her.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid after all?" Lu Li, seeing Li Dong’s silence, suspected cowardice, thinking to punish him doubly, a hundred strokes, to teach him not to spout nonsense in the county office.

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Noticing Lu Li’s shifting expression, Li Dong realized she was pondering his punishment. He snorted coldly and replied proudly, "I certainly have a way to drive off the enemy. If I succeed, how will you reward me and my father?"

Lu Li considered for a moment and said, "I’ll promote your father, three ranks up!"

Li Hun mused—three ranks would make him deputy magistrate, a respectable position with much higher salary.

Li Dong, however, thought that although the Sui Dynasty was at its peak, soon the rebel armies would rise, and the empire would be in grave danger. Even Emperor Yang Guang, despite his talents, would be killed by his own men at Jiangdu, leaving a tragic legacy.

If the Sui emperor himself was doomed, what good were official posts? Would he just serve as a target for rebel archers?

Li Dong said, "My father is not fit for great responsibility, though I thank Your Excellency for your favor. But my request..."

Li Hun, hearing his son refuse such a promising future, grew anxious. "My son is sixteen and yet unmarried..."

Lu Li's eyes widened. Was Li Hun aiming for his daughter, hoping she would marry his son? Just moments ago, his son had bloodied her face, and now he wished to make her his daughter-in-law? Did he think her so easily fooled?

Lu Li remained silent, suppressing her rising anger, watching Li Hun coldly.

Li Dong glanced at his father, then at Lu Li, understanding all too well. He smiled bitterly—his father was eager to climb the social ladder. What was so special about the Lu family’s daughter? Was she truly superior to his former girlfriend, Dang Yuqian? With chaos approaching, his ambitions lay elsewhere; he could not let a woman distract him from his purpose.

Li Dong said, "Ah! A man born under heaven and earth, without a shred of fame or accomplishment—how could he indulge in romance before making his mark?"

Hearing this, Li Hun felt disappointed. Even without the triple promotion, if his son could marry Lu Li’s daughter—a renowned beauty—it would be a lifetime blessing, fulfilling his greatest wish. Could his son not appreciate his good intentions? Was his recent illness acting up again?

Lu Li, far more discerning than Li Hun, noted Li Dong’s lofty words and ambition, unwilling to take advantage of the situation to gain his daughter’s hand. She thought, such a man would surely surpass her own rank in the future, his prospects limitless. Perhaps marrying her daughter to him would not be unwise.

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Lu Li asked, "But what are your birth details, young man?"

Li Hun, sensing hope, was about to reply when Li Dong interrupted.

Li Dong said, "This is not what I truly desire."

Rejected a second time, Lu Li’s face darkened. She raised her voice, "You refuse this and that—what is it you seek?"

"Give me three thousand government soldiers. I’ll turn the world upside down and ensure that Zhi Shilang never returns alive!" Li Dong shouted, fearing his father would speak first.

Li Dong knew that Zhi Shilang Wang Bo led the first group to rebel against the oppressive Sui regime. Soon, rebel forces would spring up everywhere, and chaos would engulf the land. Without sufficient strength, survival in such times would be unlikely.

Having crossed over more than a thousand years, did he want to return? Even if he could, who knew where he would end up—as a bird, a bug, or a beast, unable to even be human. That would be tragic indeed.

Transmigration was a stroke of luck—winning the lottery, struck by meteor showers, a celebrity crawling into his bed. The odds were infinitesimal. Not carving his name into history would be a waste of this rare chance.

Lu Li, the deputy magistrate, Li Hun, and all the assembled soldiers were shocked by Li Dong’s words. They pondered—Zhi Shilang claimed to have a hundred thousand troops, encircling Zhangqiu like an iron barrel. Could three thousand men truly stand against such odds, hoping for the impossible, courting disaster?

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