All Heavens Strategy Game

As the sun began to set, it cast long shadows from the earthen walls of the courtyard, and the chill returned.

Sitting on a small stool by the threshold, in the last rays of daylight, Liu carefully sewed up Su Yuanbao's chafed shoulder with needle and thread.

Her meticulous stitching is a skill she has honed over many years in managing her household.

"well…"

She sighed, as if talking to herself, yet also as if addressing Su Yuanbao, who was chopping wood nearby:

"I really can't believe it... Su Wangba is such an honest man, he'd never say a word if you hit him, how could he... how could he dare to do something so outrageous? He killed the village headman?"

Su Yuanbao stopped swinging his axe, wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said with a lingering fear on his face, "Who says otherwise!"

"Mother, you haven't heard, it's terribly bad!"

"The news from the county government says that Chief Yang's head... is almost cut off! The whole room is covered in blood..."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "The official said it was because of a dispute over grain. Su Wangba went to borrow grain, but Yang Tingzhang refused and said a lot of unpleasant things. The two argued and accidentally hurt each other... so it was classified as a private dispute and the case was closed."

In the courtyard, on the other side.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

The rhythmic, dull yet resonant vibration of the bowstring interrupted the mother and son's whispers.

Su Ming was shirtless, his body steaming with white heat, like a small furnace.

He stood in the courtyard, his eyes blazing, staring intently at the target made of bundles of dry grass a dozen paces away.

The black horn bow was drawn to its full length in his hands time and time again, and with each release, the arrows accurately struck the center of the target, making a "thud" sound.

He specifically chose this kind of haystack target, because the arrowheads are not easily damaged and can be reused repeatedly after being pulled out.

Sweat dripped down his slightly thin but already shapely back.

Suddenly, he paused, took a deep breath, and his chest bulged noticeably.

He lowered his back slightly, strained his arms, and the three-stone bow made a teeth-grinding "creak" sound, and was pulled into a fuller arc than before!

"Whoosh—!"

This arrow had a completely different momentum!

The arrow left the bowstring with a sharp whooshing sound, flashing through the air like lightning. It not only pierced the center of the straw target in an instant, but also continued its momentum, embedding itself firmly in the trunk of an old locust tree about five meters behind the target!

"puff!"

The arrowhead pierced the wood deeply, and the fletching trembled violently, emitting a lingering "buzzing" sound.

Su Ming slowly lowered his bow, his chest rising and falling slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"It's done!"

Feeling the explosive power and unprecedented sense of control contained in that arrow just now,

he knows,

The bottleneck that had been troubling him for so long

We've finally broken through!

[Basic Archery Skill: Proficient 1/200]

My mind sank into the invisible panel, and the data had already been updated:

Name: Su Ming

Age: 13

[Technique: Xingyi Gong (Proficient 89/100)]

【Xingyi Root Stance (Proficient 25/100)】

【Five Elements Fist (Proficient 20/100)】

【Five Elements Sword Technique (Proficiency 3/100)】

[Basic Archery Skill (Proficiency 1/200)]

These past few days, he has devoted most of his time to cultivation.

The deer blood wine is highly potent; a small cup daily, combined with the refinement of Xingyi Gong (a form of martial arts), yields remarkable results.

He has nearly reached the peak of proficiency in Xingyi Gong, and is only one step away from the "mastery" level.

He has also successfully entered the "proficient" level of the Five Elements Knife Technique. Although his progress is not as rapid as his archery skills, his moves are quite powerful in close combat. He is confident that he can hold his own against strong men wielding weapons.

The area that has seen the most progress is undoubtedly archery.

Having digested the insights gained from the life-or-death struggle with the wolf pack, I have finally reached the point of "mastery" today.

This means that his arrows are no longer simply straight; there has been a qualitative leap in power, accuracy, and even subtle control over wind speed.

The progress is remarkable!

It should be noted that the hunters in the village were generally only at the level of being proficient in archery, so Su Ming was considered to have caught up with them.

He put away his bow and arrows, scooped up a ladle of warm water and poured it over his head to dispel the heat after practicing, and then changed into clean clothes.

Su Ming walked over to Liu Shi and Su Yuanbao and asked seemingly casually, "Mother, is Yang Tingzhang... really dead?"

Without even raising her head, Liu continued her needlework, her tone indifferent as if it were none of her business: "He's dead. They say that bastard Su went to borrow grain from Yang Tingzhang, but Yang Tingzhang refused and said a lot of nasty things to him."

"Su Wangba carried a short knife for cutting meat, intending to use it to scare people by saying he was going to commit suicide and force Yang Tingzhang to lend him grain. However, Yang Tingzhang was not buying it and still refused to lend him the grain."

"Su Wangba felt he had lost face and, in a fit of rage, pulled out a knife... Sigh, people are really hard to understand."

Su Ming listened quietly, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Su Wangba?

The image that flashed through his mind was of a man who always had a hunched back, greeted people with a smile, had a face full of wrinkles, and eyes that held a hint of ingratiation and timidity.

The village children were mischievous and would make fun of his name, but he would just chuckle and never get angry.

He is so submissive and honest that if someone slaps him, he will probably just cover his face and ask with a forced smile, "Does your hand hurt?"

Would someone like that really kill someone just because they couldn't borrow grain or were mocked?

The person he killed was none other than the "pavilion chief" whom he usually respected like a tiger.

And, of course, it was Yang Tingzhang...

It's no wonder Su Ming overthinks things.

Yang Tingzhang had just begun to hold a grudge against Shangsishui Village because his attempt to win him over had failed and his conspiracy had been exposed.

Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents; this grudge is certainly deep.

As a result, at this critical juncture, Yang Tingzhang was "knifeeded" by Su Wangba, the most honest man in the village.

Furthermore, the village already had a mutual aid charter, allowing households lacking food to borrow from wealthier households and repay debts with work.

Even if Su Wangba's family is in dire straits, they should at least try to find a way through the village.

He had already explained Yang Tingzhang's scheme in detail, and everyone in the village knew it was a trap to steal land.

How could anyone, especially an honest man like Su Wangba, go to such lengths to run into the line of fire?

That wasn't lending grain at all, it was giving away land!

It was precisely because he understood these illogical points that Su Ming's expression turned strange.

He vaguely grasped the outline of the truth, but lacked evidence to determine whether things were really as he suspected.

To find out what was going on, Su Ming pretended to practice martial arts and go into the mountains as usual for the next three days, but in reality, he kept a close eye on things and secretly observed the village.

He noticed some subtle signs: the complex emotions in the villagers' eyes when they looked at Su Wangba's house;

When the clan elder Su Hongtu passed by the dilapidated gate of Su Wangba's house, he stopped, sighed, and stuffed something inside.

Several villagers who didn't usually have a close relationship with Su Wangba's family also found an excuse to send some vegetables and grains over...

As Su Ming's observation deepened, his expression grew increasingly somber.

His suspicion was becoming increasingly certain.

In the end, he went straight to the village chief Su Dashun's house.

……

"Grandpa Da Shun".

Su Ming stared directly at Su Dashun: "How exactly did Su the bastard die? Don't try to fob me off with those excuses you use to fool the government."

Su Dashun paused in his basket-weaving, looked up, and forced a helpless smile: "Sanlang, look at you, didn't you say it yourself? You had a falling out with Yang Tingzhang over borrowing grain..."

"Grandpa Da Shun!" Su Ming interrupted him, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable calmness: "Don't treat me like a fool."

"I've already explained Yang Tingzhang's shady dealings to the village. Anyone in our village with a brain wouldn't go to him to borrow grain at this time. Wouldn't that be walking into a trap?"

He stepped forward: "Besides, the village clearly has relief regulations. No matter how difficult things are for Su Wangba's family, they should come to the village first. Why is it that he was killed by Su Wangba right after we had a falling out with Yang Tingzhang? This coincidence is too much!"

Su Dashun's smile froze, his eyes darting around as he tried to explain, "Sanlang, listen to me... Yes, Su Wangba has an old grudge against an elder of a clan. The elder made a call, and several wealthy families stopped lending grain to his family."

"He had no choice; he was desperate, so he... that's why he went to see Chief Yang. Who would have thought it would lead to someone's death..."

"Oh? No food?" Su Ming said, "I 'happened' to pass by Su Wangba's house a few times these past two days, and I saw it clearly: the Zhang family delivered rice, the Li family delivered vegetables, and even Grandpa Hongtu secretly slipped something in."

"The chimney above his kitchen emits smoke three times a day!"

"This is what you call a lack of food?"

"Grandpa Da Shun, tell me, what incredible reason could possibly make the whole village suddenly so 'kind,' treating his family with such courtesy and respect, rushing to bring them food and drink?"

He took a deep breath, his face turning completely cold: "If you don't tell me the truth today, I'll go door to door asking who Su Wangba usually associates with and who he's seen recently. I refuse to believe I won't get a clear answer!"

Looking into Su Ming's stubborn yet clear eyes, Su Dashun knew he couldn't hide it any longer.

He seemed to have all his strength drained away, slumped back onto the stool, and let out a long sigh.

"Sigh... Silly child, you're good at everything, except you're too smart... Sometimes, I really wish you were a little stupid, a little clueless..."

After a long while, he finally recounted the whole story of the "life and death divination" in the ancestral hall in a hoarse voice.

Speaking of Yang Tingzhang's possible use of corvée labor for revenge, speaking of the potential repression the village might face, speaking of Su Wangba's resolute decision when he drew the red lot...

"...The list of conscripts will be available soon. Yang Tingzhang is in charge of this. If he's determined to punish us, he'll put your name on the list and send you to a place like repairing the river embankment, where you're almost guaranteed to die. What will the village do then? You're the hope of our whole village!"

Su Dashun's voice choked with sobs: "And the village, we humiliated him, cut off his source of income, do you think he'll let us off easy? What can we ordinary people do to fight against officials?"

Anger and despair clouded his face: "Those corrupt officials only care about land deeds and money; they never value our lives! They think we're like ants to be trampled, but even ants bite when cornered! Since we're going to die sooner or later, why should we, with nothing to lose, be afraid of those who wear shoes?!"

"Su Wangba is over forty years old, with many children at home. Life was already tough; they were struggling to make ends meet. To exchange his life for your safety and the stability of the village is worth it!"

The last two words were uttered with particular firmness by Su Dashun, his cloudy old eyes bloodshot.

Su Ming listened quietly and took a deep breath.

He got it.

I understand everything now.

Su Wangba died for the village, and even more so for Su Ming.

The feeling of being secretly "protected," even at the cost of one's life, left him with mixed feelings and a very unpleasant experience.

"Why...why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you? With your personality, would you agree? You'd definitely have to figure it out yourself and shoulder the burden yourself! We... we can't let you take that risk!"

"I'm not afraid of Yang Zhengxiong!" Su Ming said seriously. "Just leave him to me. I'll deal with whatever comes my way. I have my own methods to handle him. I don't need you to resort to this method, or to take matters into your own hands 'for my own good'..."

"But we're afraid!" Su Dashun's voice was strong and clear, but then his tone softened and became pleading: "Sanlang, you are the root of our village, the hope of us all. No matter what, we can't let anything happen to you. I'm so afraid something will happen to you..."

"No matter what means we use, we can't let anyone harm you!"

Looking at the stubbornness, worry, and almost devout desire to protect that were intertwined on the old village chief's wrinkled face, Su Ming suddenly couldn't say anything.

I was wrong.

I oversimplified things.

The village chief and his ilk are human beings too, with their own independent thoughts, struggles, and methods. They are all emotional, living, breathing people.

I viewed them as simple NPCs.

When I used to read novels, if the "protagonist" offended the bad guys for the benefit of the group, the protagonist would usually deal with the bad guys on his own, while the group he belonged to would just be a background character. They couldn't come up with any solutions or provide any help in the face of the bad guys' pressure. They wouldn't do anything, as if they just knew that the "protagonist" was the "protagonist" and were waiting for the "protagonist" to step in and solve the bad guys for them.

When Su Ming faced Yang Tingzhang, he only thought about how he would become stronger and find a way to deal with Yang Tingzhang on his own. He didn't consider the feelings and thoughts of the village chief and the others at all. He thought they were just background figures who couldn't do anything and that they were just ordinary people who wouldn't dare to do anything.

But now, it turns out they were wrong. Faced with the smiling tiger that was the pavilion chief, they, these lowly people, were too afraid. They were so afraid that the pavilion chief would kill "Su Ming," the one they relied on for advancement, and that the pavilion chief would use other schemes to seize their land and destroy their families.

They were terrified of officials, so much so that they couldn't sleep, which led them to take extreme measures.

Fearing that Su Ming would stop them and harm him, they didn't even inform Su Ming, and with the idea of ​​"doing it for your own good," they killed Yang Tingzhang.

It can only be said that Yang Tingzhang's death was not unjust. He underestimated the power of the village collective. Eighty percent of the population of Sishui Village are surnamed Su, and they are all a large clan. When pushed to the limit, they are capable of anything!

Let alone a mere village head, even the county magistrate wouldn't dare to push someone too far.

—No wonder he's still just a village head after more than a decade; he's so short-sighted and underestimates people.

"Grandpa Da Shun..." Su Ming's voice lowered, carrying a deep firmness: "I don't want this to happen again. I have my own plans and schemes. If this happens again, I'll handle it myself. I don't need you to 'help' me this way. Please trust me, okay?"

Looking at the boy's calm face, Su Dashun could sense the sadness hidden beneath it. He opened his mouth, but all the words of explanation stuck in his throat.

In the end, he simply lowered his head and murmured, "This... was my idea. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Sanlang, Grandpa... believes you. It won't happen again."

"How are things going with Su Wangba's funeral?" Su Ming asked.

"He was arrested by the authorities, and the head constable personally intervened. His crimes were heinous, so he was sentenced to death quickly and severely. Within a few days, he was sentenced to immediate execution." Su Dashun's voice was hoarse. "His body... was never recovered."

"The head constable originally wanted to come to our village to investigate the situation, but the county magistrate stopped him, saying it was a personal matter and there was no need to waste manpower and resources to continue the investigation..."

Su Ming was speechless.

...

Leaving the village chief's house, Su Ming looked hesitant.

He didn't go home immediately, but unknowingly walked to the end of the village, gazing at Su Wangba's low mud-brick house in the distance.

He glanced at them from afar, even though their family had been doing better these days, with people bringing them food and drinks, and their faces were filled with joy.

But he saw a certain sadness beneath their joyful expressions.

People are dead.

Who wouldn't be sad?

Su Ming felt as if he had been stabbed hard by a needle.

He did nothing for this village, at least not anything worth someone risking their life for.

But the villagers, fearing he would be harmed and the village would be destroyed, used this most tragic method to clear away the obstacles for him and silently resolve the big problem of Yang Tingzhang.

He felt a tightness in his chest, a heavy weight pressing down on him, a complex mix of indescribable responsibility and guilt.

"I have to do something..."

Su Ming felt that he had to do something.

For Su Wangba, for his family, and for the village that protected itself in such a tragic way.

A dangerous thought flashed through his mind, and his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the distant, snow-covered, dark and tranquil Little Chong Mountain in the twilight.

He thought of the pack of wolves in the mountains!