Chapter 187: Red Dust Qi

After Yan Buji entered the Human Smoke Building, he suddenly felt the world spin.

A moment later, Yan Buji held his head, rose to his feet, and looked around.

Huh?!

"Gouwa, you're awake? How could you still fall from a tree? You used to be just like a monkey," the adults nearby laughed.

"I... I?" Yan Buji held his head, a flash of confusion crossing his eyes.

Gouwa?

Am I Gouwa?

Oh, right, I'm Gouwa.

He recalled his memories of living in Crouching Dragon Village, looking at the familiar neighbors around him, and gave an embarrassed smile:

"Uncles and aunts, I'm fine."

"Really okay?"

"Yeah."

"Then that's good. In two days the official will come to conscript soldiers; there aren't many able-bodied youths in our village, so you have to go. Dodging conscription is a capital offense."

Gouwa fell silent and sighed: "Another war coming?"

"Yeah, our village still has a few able-bodied youths; when you go to the barracks you must help each other and not let others bully you."

"Oh, I understand."

It seemed impossible to escape conscription.

Gouwa walked along, then suddenly came to his senses.

"What damn Gouwa?! I am Yan Buji!!!"

Yan Buji came to his senses and took a deep breath.

Inside this Human Smoke Building, it actually forms its own world?!

He looked around and saw that the rolling Red Dust Qi was like water, impossible to avoid.

"This Red Dust Qi is most bewitching to the heart; only because my state of mind has risen a level could I have awakened, otherwise I couldn't have come to!" Yan Buji fell silent and then looked at himself.

Damn it, the Red Dust Qi completely sealed his dantian; not only could his mana not be activated, but even his True Essence could not be used!

As expected of an Immortal Accumulation Artifact, it actually has such miraculous effects?!

Conscription?

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes, recalling the information this Human Smoke Building world had given him.

He was born in Crouching Dragon Village, growing up parentless, eating food from many families.

It was an age of chaos; the previous dynasty was unkind, visited by natural disasters, the people displaced and homeless.

In court and countryside, eunuchs held sway; in the imperial halls, officials were as useless as rotten wood; in the palace corridors, beasts devoured stipends; those with wolf hearts and dog's conduct ran rampant, while sycophantic servants filled the government posts, leading to the state's foundations lying in ruins and the common people suffering terribly.

Moreover, because the Northern Land General Dong Zhong rebelled, raising the banner of purging the ruler's side, he marched on the capital, slaughtered many eunuchs, seized the emperor, and intended to replace the emperor and make himself regent, thus throwing the whole realm into great chaos.

Afterwards, the eighteen warlords rose up to attack Dong, and together with forces inside and outside the capital, a general under Dong Zhong's command killed him; the emperor fled, his whereabouts unknown, and now various factions have dragged the people into rebellion, leaving the whole realm in chaos like a pot of porridge.

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes; in such a chaotic situation, it's hard to say who will win or lose.

"I need a map."

Not to mention anything else, Yan Buji doesn't even know this dynasty's geography; how can he establish a foothold here?

Considering that now my mana and True Essence are sealed, aside from having a few techniques in my hands, I only have blood and vitality far surpassing ordinary people, which the Red Dust Qi cannot seal.

But no matter how strong I am, I'm only as strong as a common warrior; I cannot single-handedly take a city.

So first, I need to find some helpers.

Yan Buji narrowed his eyes, thinking of those few able-bodied youths in his village; they are likely cultivators too, but I don't know if they can break the Red Dust Qi's memory seal.

Entering the village, Yan Buji saw those youths holding staffs, sparring with each other, looking quite happy.

Seeing them like that, Yan Buji knew these people would find it hard to regain consciousness.

"Hey, Gouwazi, you've come. Come on, come on, I just learned a staff technique; let's spar!" A youth threw over a staff, and Yan Buji reached out to catch it.

"You guys, before you all attacked together and still couldn't beat me; now that you've learned a few tricks you actually think you can ride on my head?" Yan Buji gave a hehe laugh, trying to act like his former Gouwa self.

The youth objected, saying: "Today I'm going to knock you flat!"

"We agreed that if I can't beat you again, I'll call my big brother!"

"Hey, you're going to call me your big brother, but how old are you?"

"Whether you dare or not, just say it."

"Come on, if you lose, you'll call me your big brother!"

Yan Buji watched the youth lift his staff and charge, and he chuckled.

It was truly full of flaws.

Perhaps these cultivators previously hadn't experienced much close-quarters combat, but they still had the necessary eyesight.

But once memory is sealed, it means past experience and eyesight are hard to reproduce; mostly one can only rely on instinct.

But even if Yan Buji relied solely on instinct, he wouldn't be knocked down by an amateur.

"Ah ah!!!"

The youth rushed over, sweeping his staff horizontally; though he swung it with great vigor, the force was heavy.

Yan Buji's strength is not small; as an ordinary person relying solely on blood and vitality he could crush a boulder, and even though lacking the Martial Dao Profound Skill his strength has greatly diminished, the experience gap is obvious.

Yan Buji simply raised his hand to press down the staff, tilting it slightly to redirect the youth's staff; thus, as the youth charged, he suddenly felt a resisting pressure, and instead of continuing forward he was kicked away by Yan Buji's foot.

"Ouch!"

"Hahaha, with just that little skill you still want to fight me?" Yan Buji laughed, arms akimbo.

The faces of the several youths nearby twitched.

You can't even beat this?

The young man rose from the ground, glaring at Yan Buji: "What kind of move is that?"

Want to learn? Call me Big Brother and I'll teach you.

Big Brother!

Yan Buji nodded: "Good little brother, if you want to learn, call me Big Brother!"

Big Brother!

Big Brother!

Young folks are honest; they follow whoever is strong.

Yan Buji spent some time understanding their current thoughts; since they all had the compulsory requirement to join the army, he needed to make good use of these days to prepare.

Two days passed.

Yan Buji went up the mountain and personally beat a fierce tiger; after completely subduing these few followers, he took them out for a good meal.

Carrying the tiger skin, Yan Buji led his few followers into the county town.

"Big Brother, how much money can we get for this tiger skin?"

"Let's see; if there's extra, I'll buy you guys some drink." Yan Buji narrowed his eyes and chuckled.

"He really is our good Big Brother!"

"Big Brother, I'll follow you for the rest of my life!"

After seeing Yan Buji capture a fierce tiger alive and then beat it to death with his fists, the few followers were even more convinced and followed him wholeheartedly.

Besides, with such good food and drink, where in this day and age can you find a strong yet generous big brother?!

"Hey, young man, where'd you get this tiger skin? It's so fresh."

"My big brother personally took it down—he single‑handedly beat a tiger to death!" the follower beside him sprang up, proudly declaring.

"No way—how could one person possibly kill a tiger?"

"Exactly, young people love to brag; if you really had that skill, why not go be a great general instead of hiding in a small mountain village as a farmer?"

Yan Buji chuckled and waved his hand: "Take a look, how's my tiger skin?"

"Not bad, actually. How much for it?"

"Not expensive—ten taels of silver will do."

"Ten taels? That really isn't expensive."

Seeing that the tiger skin had no holes and was completely intact, many people wanted to bid on it.

But just then someone walked over from the crowd, looked at Yan Buji, and said: "This... brother, how is your tiger skin so intact? Didn't you use a bow, arrow, or sickle spear?"

Huh?

Yan Buji looked at the person, sensing that their aura was different from others, and immediately guessed they were also a cultivator.

Moreover, while he spoke, he kept staring at Yan Buji, as if also sizing up his strengths and weaknesses.

Yan Buji smirked proudly: "Of course? Who am I? I'm destined to be the great general who pacifies the world! Yan Wang, too!"

Yan Wang?!

Why don't you call him King Yan?

You dare use such a taboo name—your family must truly not fear anything.

The follower beside him blinked: "Big Brother, aren't you called Gouwa? And isn't your surname Huang? Why did you change your name?"

"Damn it, I saw your rebellious streak early—hit me!" Yan Buji, apparently exposed, flushed with anger, kicked over the follower beside him and ordered the other two to beat him senseless.

The young man beside them blinked, smiled, and clasped his hands: "Ah, so you're Brother Yan Wang—my apologies. I am Jia Zhen, courtesy name Minhe; pleased to meet you all."