My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 121 Heroes' Submission
Dongjun, south of Wei.

This is a large estate outside the city, just like Li Yuan's farm in the past. The roads lead in all directions, and the courtyard walls separate the estate from the outside world. These walls are made of mud, not wood, which shows the wealth of its owner.

Inside the courtyard walls, one can see many buildings, and servants and household servants coming and going.

Beside the artificial hill on the west side of the manor, a burly young man was wielding a lance. The lance seemed to have no weight in his hands as he swung it left and right, making a series of whooshing sounds as he moved it.

Meanwhile, a young boy sat on a chair, watching the young man wield his lance, and couldn't help but cheer.

Surrounding them were many tall and strong teenagers, all carrying weapons, who were also cheering.

The young man standing in the crowd finally stopped.

This young man was burly, with a square face and large eyes. He hadn't grown a beard yet, and his expression was arrogant. Seeing the crowd cheering, he laughed loudly, "Please excuse my poor performance! Please excuse my poor performance!"

At that moment, the young man who had spoken earlier stood up and walked a few steps to his side.

"Brother, your horse spear skills are getting better and better."

"In a few days, I'll show you the moves for mounted combat. You're still lacking something in foot combat."

The man handed the lance to the other boys beside him and said with a smile, "Shi, we've all had our turn. How about you demonstrate your swordplay?"

The young man chuckled and shook his head, "Everyone here is a master, so I won't embarrass myself by showing off."

That's what he said, but everyone around him flattered him and praised him repeatedly.

This young man was quite handsome, with a gentle face and bright eyes; he looked more like a scholar.

He is the young master of this manor. His surname is Xu and his given name is Shi. Because he is young, he has not yet been given a courtesy name. His father is a well-known wealthy man in the area. His family is very rich. He and his father are very fond of giving alms and have an excellent reputation here.

If anyone comes to him for help, he will do his best to help them, regardless of their background. As a result, he is respected by many people, and many heroes and young men in the city know his reputation and come to befriend him.

The young man wielding the lance was one of Xu Shiji's closest friends; his surname was Shan and his given name was Xiongxin.

Xu Shiji was originally from Shandong, but he migrated here later. After arriving, many of his friends were also from Shandong. They formed a large group centered around him, and in their spare time, they would gather together and travel.

After Shan Xiongxin, several other people performed spear or sword techniques.

Xu Shiji still smiled and nodded in praise, treating everyone equally.

After playing for a while, the food was brought out, and everyone took their seats, ready to feast.

Just then, a servant rushed in and whispered something in Xu Shiji's ear. Xu Shiji was startled, then ordered, "Bring him in through the side door, and don't let anyone see him."

After speaking, Xu Shiji looked at the crowd and said in a low voice, "Wang Xiaochang has arrived."

Upon hearing this name, everyone was somewhat taken aback. Shan Xiongxin quickly asked, "Didn't he escape with Brother Zhai?"

"Yes, that's why I had someone bring him in through the side door."

As Xu Shiji was speaking, a servant brought someone over.

Upon seeing this man, the crowd rose and quickly gathered around him. These young men were not from respectable families. They were the same kind of people Li Shimin dealt with in Xingyang. They were brave and fierce, good at riding horses and shooting arrows, but their character was not upright, and theft and robbery were common occurrences.

They gathered around the man, exchanging warm greetings.

Shan Xiongxin pushed aside the crowd in front of him, grabbed Wang Xiaochang, and looked at him in surprise, "Weren't you with Brother Zhai? What are you doing here?"

Wang Xiaochang greeted everyone with a wry smile, while Xu Shiji said, "Let's have him sit down first."

Shan Xiongxin then released him, and Wang Xiaochang sat down to the side and quickly drank some water.

He looked travel-worn, clearly having walked a long way and was quite exhausted.

He exhaled and looked at Xu Shiji.

“Xu Jun, it was my elder brother who sent me to find you, along with Brother Shan.”

He looked at Shan Xiongxin and said with a smile, "My brother is fine. We have set up camp at Yeniu Mountain in Xingyang. Not long ago, the Xingyang commander led more than 3,000 men to attack us, but we repelled them all!" Hearing this, the people around him became excited and started discussing among themselves.

Shan Xiongxin was also somewhat excited at this moment, "Really?"

"Tell me carefully!"

Wang Xiaochang then recounted how they had defeated the government troops. Upon hearing this, Shan Xiongxin was also filled with excitement. "It's a pity I wasn't there. If I had been, would that captain have been able to escape? I would have captured him alive!"

Xu Shiji, however, had a rather solemn expression.

He asked, "When did this happen?"

"What happened ten days ago will soon reach this area."

"My brother sent me here to invite you all to join us. Although he is not the current leader of the stronghold, he commands all the military affairs! He is in dire need of capable men like you!"

"Brother Shan, especially someone like you, with your martial arts skills, would you be afraid of not being valued in the mountain stronghold?"

Upon hearing the man's words, Shan Xiongxin was clearly tempted.

He suddenly looked at Xu Shiji beside him, "What do you think?"

Xu Shiji was the youngest among them, but in daily life, everyone subtly followed him. He had unique opinions on many things, and everyone was willing to listen to him.

Xu Shiji frowned, looked at Wang Xiaochang, and said, "Brother Zhai is being a bit too hasty."

"Although there are signs of chaos in the land, it is still relatively peaceful for the time being. Brother Zhai's dispatch of troops to defeat the government forces is clearly an attempt to bolster his own power, but this will only alert the local authorities."

“My brother said that local officials are hesitant to tell the truth to the central government.”

Xu Shiji shook his head, his face filled with worry. "That depends on the situation. If they were defeated by ordinary bandits, they naturally wouldn't report it. But if they aren't ordinary bandits, but real rebels, the prefect would definitely report to the court and mobilize troops to suppress them, even if it meant giving up his official position. Otherwise, once the rebels start attacking the counties, it won't be something that can be solved by simply losing his official position."

Shan Xiongxin was somewhat displeased. He interrupted Xu Shiji and said loudly, "When Brother Zhai was around, he took care of us. If it weren't for him, we would probably all be in prison by now. We could forgive him for not being able to help him when he was in trouble, but how can we ignore him now?"

“You have family property and are unwilling to go, while we have no assets. Are we just going to waste our time here?”

He looked at the others and said, "I think we can go and seek refuge with them."

Xu Shiji looked at him, hesitant to speak.

He wasn't really reluctant to give up his family business. Although it seemed large, it couldn't withstand the corvée labor and taxes imposed by the government. If that time really came, he would not hesitate.

But now is really not the time, and Xu Shiji doesn't care about Zhai Rang and the others.

Such a hasty attempt to build up their influence will only arouse suspicion and then invite the most brutal suppression. Even the vast Wild Buffalo Mountain might not be able to protect them.

But the young men around him seemed to be somewhat tempted by Shan Xiongxin's words and were eager to try.

Xu Shiji pondered for a moment, then addressed the group again: “It’s not that I’m reluctant to leave my family business, but my father is still at home and cannot travel far. I’m afraid I will be unable to go with you all. However, I have some things at home that you can take with you as a gift.”

Upon hearing his words, Shan Xiongxin and the others smiled broadly once again.

"You are really loyal!"

Xu Shiji then looked at Wang Xiaochang, who was not disappointed and thanked him with a smile.

Xu Shiji spoke again, saying, "I have a few words to say, and you must help me convey them to my elder brother."

"The first thing to do is not to rush to build up your strength, not to go down the mountain to plunder, and even less to train the army. It is best to hide and not reveal any information so that the government will lower its guard."

"The second thing is to leave yourself multiple escape routes and to bribe the local people at the foot of the mountain to help you gather information."

"The third thing is to prepare for winter. It's best to start preparing now and not delay."

(End of this chapter)