All Heavens Strategy Game

The night was as dark as ink, and the snowfall showed no signs of abating.

In the main room of village chief Su Dashun's house, the flame of the oil lamp flickered precariously as the cold wind seeped in through the crack in the door.

Su Ming inquired about the snow disaster: "Grandpa Dashun, the snow outside is so heavy. If this snow continues for a few more days, will people in the village... starve to death?"

Su Dashun was wondering why Su Ming had come to visit in the middle of the night when he heard this and was startled.

"Is the snow falling heavily again?"

He didn't answer immediately, but stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack.

A cold wind carrying large clumps of snow rushed in instantly, turning his temples white.

He squinted.

Looking out the window at the dark world, creaking under the weight of the snow and seemingly about to collapse at any moment,

After a long while, he sighed deeply, closed the window tightly, and turned around with a solemn expression on his face.

"Yes." His voice was dry, carrying a resigned weariness.

"In previous years, even without such heavy snow, if it was just a regular drought or locust plague, after paying the grain tax, there would always be one or two families in the village who couldn't survive and quietly... disappeared."

He walked back to the brazier, stretched out his hand, and his profile, missing an ear, looked exceptionally old in the firelight.

"This year is even more different."

"The grain tax has been increased again and again, and everyone is tightening their belts to support you. Every family is almost penniless."

"This snow...this snow is deadly."

"The houses collapsed, the chickens and ducks froze to death, and the mountain roads were blocked. The price of grain in the city is probably going to skyrocket."

"People starving to death? Ha, I'm afraid more than just one or two will starve to death!"

The room fell silent, save for the crackling of burning firewood and the howling of the wind and snow outside the window.

Su Ming listened quietly, his face expressionless, but his eyes held a layer of ice.

In his past and present lives, he had witnessed too much suffering, but hearing the words "people starving to death" uttered so confidently by a village chief still felt like a cold stone blocking his heart.

"We can't just watch people starve to death," he said, his voice low but firm.

Su Dashun gave a wry smile: "Who wants to watch? But what can we do? We're all short of food..."

"It's not about giving, it's about exchanging," Su Ming interrupted him, his thoughts clear. "Let the poorest households in the village who are really struggling to make ends meet do odd jobs at the homes of wealthier households who still have surplus food and money."

"Whether it's shoveling snow, repairing roofs, chopping firewood, or even helping to look after livestock... the employer will provide a meal or some grain as payment. It's not free; it's work done in exchange for food."

Su Dashun paused, frowned in thought, and unconsciously rubbed the hem of his clothes with his fingers.

After a long pause, he slowly shook his head, a troubled look on his face: "Sanlang, your idea... is well-intentioned, but it's unlikely to succeed."

"The 'wealthy households' in the village, to put it bluntly, are just me and a few clan elders who have a few more bushels of grain and a few more copper coins in our homes."

"Our grain was dug out of the ground one hoe at a time, saved penny by penny."

"There's not much work to do in winter anyway, and our own family members are idle. Why would we waste precious food to hire outsiders to do chores we can do ourselves? It's not worth it."

"There's no work in winter, but we can wait until spring." Su Ming didn't back down, his eyes burning. "Now, let's borrow grain to save our lives. Write it down."

"Next year, during the spring planting and summer harvest season, these impoverished households who have received assistance should be given priority to contribute their labor to repay the favor, or they can repay the favor with grain after they have recovered and have a harvest."

"In short, we can't let this situation get us down. If we lose a person, we lose everything."

Su Dashun's brows furrowed deeply: "That makes sense... but who will act as guarantor? Who will keep the accounts? Those clan elders are all more shrewd than I am. They'll think: What if we help them, but they can't pay back next year? What if they default on the debt? What if they starve to death and the accounts fall apart?"

"They would rather let the grain rot in the vat than take the risk of helping other families. It's other families' children and grandchildren who starve to death; it doesn't concern them at all."

The air inside seemed even colder.

Su Ming was silent for a moment, then raised his eyes, looking directly at Su Dashun, and asked clearly, "What if... I vouch for him in my name?"

"You?" Su Dashun looked up abruptly, the muscles around his ear twitching, his eyes filled with astonishment.

He looked at the thirteen-year-old boy in front of him.

Under the dim light, the boy stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his face still showing signs of immaturity, but the calmness and decisiveness in his eyes were like two deep pools, unfathomable.

He recalled the imposing manner with which the boy had come to his door when he was eight years old, his ruthlessness in capturing the village's troublemaker Su Xiong Gou seven times, his prowess in hunting wild boars alone when the mountains were blocked by heavy snow, and even more so, the different status he had gained in the eyes of the village's young people after returning from a deer hunt...

Unbeknownst to him, the third son of the widow Liu family, whose father had died early and who had once been looked down upon, was no longer an "investment" that Su Dashun needed to protect with all his might and risk the future of his entire clan.

He was like a magnet, quietly drawing in the admiration of the village's young people, the trust of the hunters, and even the approval of some elders.

His words already carry weight among the younger generation.

Su Dashun's throat went dry. He suddenly realized that what Su Ming had proposed might not just be "guaranteeing," but rather a gesture—a gesture in which he bound himself more deeply to Sishui Village.

He wasn't asking for something; he was taking on a responsibility.

"...It's feasible!" Su Dashun uttered a single word heavily, as if he had made a firm decision, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "Your reputation is more effective than this old man's now! Especially among those teenagers and youngsters!"

"Alright." Su Ming stood up, as if he had unloaded an invisible burden, or as if he had taken on something even heavier. "Then please ask Grandpa Da Shun to make it clear to all the clan elders: during the snow disaster, the clan will take the lead in organizing a 'disaster relief and emergency assistance' plan."

"Those with surplus capacity should contribute grain or money, and keep good accounts."

"If you really can't get through it, you can use this regulation to get emergency rations or exchange them for work opportunities, and it will be recorded in the books as well."

"I will vouch for all accounts. Next year, debts will be repaid, or labor will be provided to settle them. If anyone dares to default—"

He paused, a chill creeping into his voice: "I'll handle it."

There were no grand pronouncements, but the simple words "I'll handle it" sent a chill down Su Dashun's spine, as if he could see the sharpness hidden beneath the boy's calm gaze.

"Alright!" Su Dashun stood up and patted Su Ming's shoulder forcefully. "I'll convene the clan elders tomorrow to discuss this!"

……

The following day, the ancestral hall and council building.

The charcoal brazier burned brightly, but it couldn't dispel the chill and hostility that lingered on the faces of the clan elders.

"Da Shun, are you out of your mind?"

Su Hongye, a clan elder with gray hair and high cheekbones, was the first to jump up. He was known in the village as the "iron-fisted strategist."

"We barely have enough food to feed our own children and grandchildren! To give it to outsiders? Why should we? If he's poor and starving, that's because he's incompetent and unlucky!"

"Exactly! In previous years, there were fewer people starving to death, so why didn't we see any families distributing their grain? Now, it's like they want us to be the good guys?" Another plump clan elder, Su Fugui, muttered, twirling two smooth walnuts in his hands.

"What kind of work is there to do in winter? Shovel snow? I can't shovel it myself. Chop firewood? My son and grandson are just decorations. It's a waste of food!" someone echoed.

Opposition grew stronger with each passing wave.

Just as Su Dashun had predicted,

It involves real money and life-saving food.

The old kinship ties are as thin as a sheet of paper.

If someone else's family starves to death, it won't hurt you.

Su Dashun had expected this, so he wasn't in a hurry. He waited for the voices to subside before slowly speaking: "Uncles and brothers, what you all said makes sense. However, there is one person who thinks this matter should be done and is willing to vouch for it."

"Who?" Su Hongye squinted.

"Ha, what a big face. Who is it? Does it deserve it?" Su Fugui sneered.

"Su Ming, Su Sanlang," Su Dashun uttered the name.

The ancestral hall fell silent instantly.

The elders looked at each other, their anger, disdain, and resistance frozen in time, slowly transforming into a complex silence.

Whether it was the calculating Su Hongye or the outspoken Su Fugui, they were all speechless and unable to say anything.

The name Su Ming now carries a unique weight in Sishui Village.

They couldn't help but recall:

At the tender age of eight, he spoke with unwavering conviction, persuading the entire village to raise funds to support him, displaying a courage and vision far beyond his years.

On the ring, he knocked down the universally acknowledged superhuman strength Xiong Gou seven times, displaying ruthlessness and precision.

Heavy snow blocked the mountain pass. On his first trip into the mountains, he dragged back a large wild boar with only a slingshot and a machete. That was a display of both bravery and luck.

He returned a few days ago with a powerful bow and archery skills that allowed him to hunt down three deer as a key player. His growth was remarkable, and his martial prowess was evident.

More importantly, he brought tangible benefits—cheap wild boar and venison, promising future returns, and a growing trend among the village's young people to unite around him.

Su Xiong Gou, the strongest and fiercest of the younger generation, is defiant and defiant, yet he is completely convinced by him.

He was only thirteen years old.

He already has such ability and prestige now, what about in a few years?

The words of objection stuck in my throat, and I couldn't say them anymore.

It's easy to refute Su Dashun, but to refute this boy who seems to be blessed by the "mountain god" requires careful consideration.

It wasn't just a sense of apprehension about his future potential, but also a subtle emotion—this young man seemed to genuinely care about the "entire clan" and the "future of the Su family," not just his own family.

"Sanlang...do you really say that? He vouched for me?" Su Hongye's voice was dry and monotonous.

"Not a single word is wrong." Su Dashun nodded. "He vouched for all the relief accounts, and he handled any cases where people defaulted on their debts."

A long silence.

Finally, Su Hongye sighed and slumped back into his chair: "Fine... I'll just consider it as accumulating some good karma for the clan and giving Sanlang some face. I accept this arrangement."

"I agree."

"...Alright then."

The barriers of opposition crumbled before the name "Su Ming".

A disaster relief and emergency aid charter, spearheaded by clan elders and guarantor Su Ming, was quietly established in Sishui Village on this snowy day.

Cross-family assistance, which was never possible in the past, became possible because of the existence and promise of a boy.

At this moment, Su Ming seemed like an invisible bond, pulling the scattered Su clan members of Sishui Village even closer together.

A trust based on his personal abilities and commitment temporarily outweighed the selfishness and shortsightedness inherent in human nature.

Looking at the clan elders who had finally reached an agreement, Su Dashun was filled with emotion.

"This is truly unprecedented! Outsiders probably couldn't even imagine that such a young boy could possess such stature!"

Should it be placed in another village?

So what if people starve to death!

The wealthy households in the village would never help, and it wouldn't matter even if the village chief spoke to them!

The current situation in Sishui Village is absolutely unique and unparalleled!

He couldn't wait to tell Su Ming the news, to tell him that his importance had increased to the point where he could shake up the old clan rules and customs.

He braved the wind and snow to reach Su Ming's low mud-brick house, only to find Liu busy in the kitchen.

"Where's Sanlang?" Su Dashun asked.

Liu wiped her hands, her face filled with worry and lingering fear: "They packed their things and went into the mountains before dawn, saying they had something urgent to attend to, and we couldn't stop them..."

"What?!" Su Dashun was struck dumb, and he turned his head sharply to look out the window at the chaotic, raging blizzard that seemed to be swallowing everything. His face turned deathly pale.

In this weather, should we go into the mountains?

Even though he knew Su Ming was highly capable, and even though he had just been marveling at the young man's courage, he was now shocked by this crazy act and his heart clenched.

Those mountains aren't just home to wild boars and deer...

He recalled the rumor that Ma Xiuying had stammered out a few days ago—

Wolf King!

A chilling fear gripped his heart instantly.

Normally, he could send people into the mountains to search for people, but with the snow disaster approaching, the village had to repair houses and clear snow to prevent the snow from collapsing the houses, and there was simply no manpower available.

"Su Sanlang, Su Sanlang, you are truly audacious! You are but a mortal, do you really think you are a mountain god descended to earth?!"

"Are you asking for it?!"

Su Dashun, who was overjoyed just a moment ago, was now both anxious and angry.

...

...

day.

White ground.

Bai Lin.

The wind and snow are blowing heavily.

Su Ming re-entered Xiaochongshan. He was wrapped in an old cotton-padded coat, with a black horn bow and quiver on his back, a slingshot with a cow tendon at his waist, and a broadsword in his right hand. He cut through the mountains and forests, and cleared the snow as he went, heading towards the "Eagle's Beak" location in Nanshan.

Amidst the swirling snow and the tranquil surroundings, a lone boy walks, becoming the sole embellishment of this snow-white world.

"This weather is so cold..."

Su Ming exhaled a breath of white air and couldn't help but sigh.

In this kind of weather, ordinary people simply cannot go into the mountains. They are easily blinded by the snow and cannot see the road clearly, and they are also easily frozen to death by the wind and snow.

Fortunately, Su Ming had trained his eyesight, and his sharp vision was unaffected by the wind and snow, so he wasn't afraid of not being able to see things clearly.

As for the cold?

He had practiced Xingyi breathing techniques for many years to build a solid foundation, and his skill was quite high. With each breath, his body formed its own circulation, ensuring that the heat did not leak out.

Secondly, the internal energy protects the body, and the warm current flows throughout the body, which can also dispel a layer of cold.

These are the reasons why Su Ming dared to go out in this heavy snow.

Others were afraid of the wind and snow.

Su Ming isn't afraid!

To fight against the heavens is an endless source of joy!

"Centennial Ganoderma lucidum, old goat, here I come..."

Su Ming strode forward, and half an hour later, he finally arrived at the "eagle's beak" that Su Shunfa had mentioned.