All the heavens, starting as the ruler of the universe

"Your skill is far superior to any of the sorcerers I've ever seen." The commander reached out and took the radish, weighing it in his hand.

"At least they wouldn't dare conjure up a radish in front of me."

"Eat it."

The radish was handed back to Xu Che, and the commander's words were utterly unyielding.

He took the radish, took a bite, and the sweet juice burst in his mouth. It was crisp and delicious, better than any radish he could remember.

He took another bite, and another, wolfing it down. He was so hungry that he forgot his fear and didn't even see the commander pick up his bow and arrow.

He took the bow, nocked the arrow, and drew the string—all in one smooth motion.

Before Xu Che could even swallow the radish in his mouth, the arrow was already aimed at his chest.

The bowstring was taut, and the arrow shone brighter and brighter under the oil lamp.

Xu Che was dazzled by the light and looked up to see an arrow pointed directly at him.

"Whoosh."

The sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

Then everything stopped.

The arrow stopped in front of Xu Che, just a fist's distance from his chest, hovering in mid-air, motionless.

Xu Che could see the wood grain on the arrow shaft, every fine hair on the feathers, and a tiny scratch on the bronze arrowhead.

A voice came from outside the tent, soft yet clearly reaching everyone's ears: "General, why are you making things difficult for my junior brother?"

The tent door opened by itself; no one lifted the curtain, it just opened on its own.

A person walked in, wearing a white robe that stood out brightly in the dim tent.

As the arrow passed by him, it landed softly on the ground with a crisp sound, like something breaking.

The commander's fingers were still on the bowstring; his hand instinctively tightened slightly, then loosened.

"It's not difficult." The commander put down his bow, his voice still calm. "A truly capable person would not lose their life to this arrow."

"The general is right, but he has only been a disciple for a short time. He hasn't learned all the rules yet, nor has he mastered his skills."

Lin Yan glanced at the arrows on the ground, then at the commander. "He can't catch this arrow."

Xu Che was dumbfounded. He had only made up a sect, so how did a senior brother suddenly appear and even save him?

"Senior...Senior Brother."

Xu Che lowered his head and whispered something in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

He still knows how to climb up the pole.

"I wonder if my junior brother has committed any crimes?" Lin Yan asked.

"No," the commander replied after a moment of silence.

"Have you ever committed murder, arson, or bullied men and women?"

"Never."

"So he offended you?" Lin Yan's words became increasingly sharp.

"He has never offended me." The commander was not lying; the reason for arresting Xu Che was simply that he was too special.

Lin Yan looked at the commander: "I'll take the man with me. General, you don't have any objections, do you?"

The commander remained silent for a long time, falling into a slumber.

Only then did he realize that all sounds outside the tent had stopped.

There was no sound of wind, no chirping of insects, no sound of soldiers moving about, and even the crackling of the burning fire was gone.

Silence, deathly silence, as if the whole world had been paused.

"He can leave at any time." After saying this, the commander felt a sense of relief and realized that his back was soaked with sweat.

"Let's go." Lin Yan turned and walked out of the tent.

Xu Che glanced at the commander and quickly followed.

After they left, the commander could no longer hold on and slumped into his chair, completely exhausted.

"Someone come here." His voice was a little hoarse.

"Sir." Two soldiers entered one after the other and saluted.

"Did you see those two who just went out? Follow behind them, but don't let them spot you." The commander didn't expect them to actually be able to track him.

The two soldiers looked at each other, then one of them stepped forward: "Sir, we've been guarding the door the whole time, and no one has gone out."

Xu Che followed Lin Yan out of the tent.

He wanted to turn around, but Lin Yan's voice came from ahead: "Don't turn around, close your eyes."

Xu Che was taken aback: "Why?"

"Your eyes won't be able to take it."

Xu Che wanted to ask more questions, but Lin Yan had already walked forward.

He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and found himself in complete darkness, unable to see anything.

He could only hear his own footsteps, crunching on the muddy ground, and then he heard the wind, not the kind that blows on his face, but the kind that blows from a very, very far place, like something whistling in his ears.

He wanted to open his eyes, but remembering Lin Yan's words, he held back.

I don't know how much time passed, but the wind stopped.

His feet finally touched the ground.

It wasn't muddy ground, but stone slabs, hard and cool.

There was an indescribable smell in the air—the aroma of food, the stench of horse manure, and the smoky smell of burning firewood all mixed together.

Someone was shouting in the distance, selling something, but I couldn't hear clearly.

"Open your eyes." Lin Yan's voice came from the front.

Xu Che opened his eyes and froze. They were standing on a street.

The road was paved with bluestone slabs, and on both sides were low mud-brick houses with banners hanging under the eaves, bearing words he did not recognize.

The street was bustling with people; some wore coarse cloth short jackets, some wore brown robes, and a few wore silk, standing out conspicuously in the crowd.

In the distance, you can see a section of the city wall, which is very high and thick, made of blue bricks, and there are people walking on top of it.

"This is...?" Xu Che's voice trembled slightly.

"Xianyang." Lin Yan didn't stop walking, and Xu Che quickly followed.

He couldn't help but look around.

On the street, some people were selling pancakes, some were selling vegetables, and some were hawking their fortunes. Several children ran past, dressed in tattered clothes, their faces dirty, but they were laughing happily.

A woman carrying a basket with a few bunches of wilted greens walked towards us from the opposite direction. She was walking very fast.

Lin Yan stopped in front of a small restaurant.

The storefront was small, the signboard was old and faded, and there were four or five tables inside, but only two of them were occupied.

He lifted the curtain and went inside, sitting down in a corner. Xu Che followed and sat down opposite him.

The waiter ran over, bending over with a smile on his face. "What would you two like to eat?" He spoke with an accent, but Xu Che understood him.

Lin Yan ordered a few dishes, but Xu Che didn't hear what they were. He only knew that he was very hungry, so hungry that his stomach felt acidic.

When the dishes were served, his eyes widened: a plate of boiled beans, a bowl of vegetable soup, two pieces of flatbread, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

The flatbread was made of coarse grains, black and hard, but he didn't care. He grabbed a piece and stuffed it into his mouth, choking until his eyes rolled back. He had to drink a mouthful of vegetable soup before he could swallow it.

Lin Yan sat opposite him, eating slowly.

Xu Che ate most of the pancake and drank two bowls of soup before he recovered.

He broke the last piece of bread in half, put one half in his mouth and held the other half in his hand. Then he looked at Lin Yan, wanting to ask many questions, but not knowing where to begin.

"You..." He swallowed hard. "Are you really my senior brother?"

Lin Yan put down her chopsticks and looked at him. "No."