Chinese Generals Summoning System

Chapter 10: Rest in Peace

Upon seeing Liu Ji, Liu Pi said excitedly, “My Lord, this is my fellow villager and sworn brother, Gong Du. We are bound by a bond of life and death. Gong Du learned that I had joined your ranks, so he followed me here and is also willing to serve under your command.” At that moment, Gong Du, standing nearby, suddenly dropped to one knee and declared loudly to Liu Ji, “You are my elder brother’s benefactor—and thus my benefactor as well. Since my elder brother has already joined your ranks, I, Gong Du, am also willing to serve you as my lord. From this day forward, I swear to follow you to the death, unwavering until my last breath!” Liu Pi, standing nearby, added, “My Lord, Gong Du’s martial arts skills even surpass my own, and he is a man of unwavering loyalty. If you accept him, he will surely remain utterly devoted to you.” Liu Ji, of course, knew that Gong Du would be utterly loyal to him—after all, Gong Du had been summoned by the system. With a smile on his face, Liu Ji reached out both hands, helping Gong Du to his feet as he said, “Since Brother Gong Du holds Liu Ji in such high regard, from this day forward, as long as I, Liu Ji, have a morsel to eat, Brother Gong Du will never go hungry! As long as I, Liu Ji, am alive, Brother Gong Du and Brother Liu Pi will never be without wealth and honor!” Armed with the experience of summoning Liu Pi the first time, Liu Ji was no longer as nervous when faced with the suddenly appearing Gong Du. He spoke with boundless confidence and even knew how to paint a rosy picture for Liu Pi and Gong Du. After all, though Liu Ji appeared to be only 16 on the outside, he possessed the soul of a man in his thirties; his words and actions were far beyond those of an ordinary 16-year-old. Of course, even if Liu Ji hadn’t dangled such a carrot in front of Liu Pi and Gong Du, the two generals summoned by the system would have remained utterly loyal to him and would never have turned against him. However, Liu Ji believed that as the number of generals under his command continued to grow, he must learn to become a competent leader—one whose every word and deed exudes the aura of a true leader. As for role models, for now, he could only draw inspiration from the TV shows and movies he’d watched in his previous life. Afterward, the four of them returned to the thatched hut where no one had died earlier. The stove in this hut was still intact; Liu Pi had just used it to boil a pot of hot water. The four of them warmed up the white flour flatbreads and roasted venison, then drank the hot water while eating the flatbreads and roasted meat. Liu Ji, Gong Du, and Liu Pi didn’t eat to their hearts’ content, but the four of them still managed to eat two pieces of roasted venison and six white flour flatbreads—including the piece of venison that Liu Niuniu had previously nibbled on. Liu Ji looked at the two remaining pieces of roasted venison and the eighteen white flour flatbreads and said to Liu Pi, “We don’t have much food left now. It looks like we’ll have to rely on your hunting skills from now on, Liu Pi.” Liu Pi nodded and said, “My lord, rest assured. With Brother Gong Du and me here, we won’t go hungry, at least. When it comes to hunting, Brother Gong Du is far more skilled than I am.” At that moment, Gong Du spoke up, “My Lord, why don’t I take a look around the village right now to see if there’s any game?” Liu Ji shook his head and said, “It’s already getting late today, and this village has just been massacred. We don’t know how far the bandits have gone. Let’s not go out. We’ll stay in this village for the night. Tomorrow, we’ll continue westward. Along the way, we’ll see if we can hunt some game, and we’ll ask around to find other routes leading to Yongzhou.” After a moment’s hesitation, Liu Ji added, “I don’t know if the villagers were slaughtered by bandits or marauding rebels, but there’s no one here to bury the bodies. Since we’ve come across them, I suppose it’s fate. I’d like to help give them a proper burial. What do you think?” Liu Pi nodded and said, “My lord, I’ll go into the village right away to see if there are any hoes or shovels. If we don’t have the right tools, it won’t be easy to bury over a hundred bodies.” Gong Du had no objections to Liu Ji’s plan to bury over a hundred villagers’ bodies, so he immediately followed Liu Pi to look for tools. Liu Ji was very pleased with the attitudes of both Liu Pi and Gong Du; having these two military commanders—who were both strong and obedient—by his side was truly reassuring. Liu Pi and Gong Du didn’t find any shovels in the village, but they did find two hoes. Then, carrying torches, the two began digging a pit on a patch of overgrown grassland east of the village under the cover of night. Meanwhile, Liu Ji, accompanied by Liu Niuniu, watched from the sidelines the entire time. Liu Ji even personally picked up a hoe and dug for a while, but this body’s physical condition was too poor; he didn’t last long before he was panting heavily from exhaustion, so he could only stand by with Liu Niuniu, offering moral support to Liu Pi and Gong Du. Thanks to Liu Ji’s sudden burst of compassion, the four of them did not leave the village the next day as planned. After all, with 175 bodies in the village, they needed to dig 175 graves. Working through most of the night, Liu Pi and Gong Du had managed to dig only a little over 60 shallow graves,Fortunately, during the day, Gong Du set up makeshift traps around the village and caught two rabbits and one pheasant. He also shot a wild dog weighing over 30 jin with his bow and arrow, so the four of them—Liu Ji and his companions—wouldn’t go hungry for the time being. Liu Pi and Gong Du worked tirelessly all day long, and it wasn’t until evening that they had finally buried all 175 villagers, leaving 175 mounds in the overgrown grassland east of the village. In fact, the main reason Liu Ji insisted on burying the 175 villagers’ bodies was that he felt somewhat guilty for absorbing their “soul points.” Although System 9527 had explained that “soul points” did not equate to a person’s actual soul, Liu Ji couldn’t be certain whether absorbing them would affect their reincarnation. Previously, Liu Ji hadn’t believed in reincarnation either, but if he could travel to this world, why would it be impossible for a person to be reborn? That night, Liu Ji and his three companions stayed once again in the thatched cottage in the village, planning to continue their journey westward the next morning. Late at night, as Liu Ji was sleeping soundly with his younger sister Liu Niuniu in his arms, he was suddenly shaken awake by Liu Pi. “My Lord, someone is entering the village.” Upon hearing Liu Pi’s words, Liu Ji—who had been half-asleep—immediately snapped awake. Seeing Liu Pi and Gong Du, who were already fully armed, he asked in a hushed voice, “Who are they? Are they the villains who slaughtered this village?” Gong Du shook his head and said, “I don’t know who they are, but judging by the commotion, there must be quite a few of them—and I can hear the sound of many horses neighing! My Lord, you should wake the young lady first. If things go south, my older brother and I will protect you and the young lady as we fight our way out!” Liu Ji nodded, then shook Liu Niuniu awake. He told her that a group of people had suddenly appeared outside and instructed her to stay silent. Liu Niuniu, ever the sensible girl, kept her mouth tightly shut and huddled close in Liu Ji’s arms. Liu Pi then said to Gong Du, “Second Brother, you stay here and protect our Lord. I’ll go out and see who these people are.” “Eldest Brother, be careful!” “Liu Pi, be very careful!” Liu Pi had only been gone a short while when he returned, looking completely at ease. “My Lord, it’s a merchant caravan entering the village. I spoke with them briefly—they don’t seem hostile. The caravan’s manager is waiting outside the courtyard and wishes to see you!” Upon hearing that it was a merchant caravan, the look of tension on Liu Ji’s face vanished instantly. He nodded at Liu Pi and said, “Then please invite the caravan manager inside!”