Muscular man Li Jing

  The horse carriage rushed north for a day and night, gradually leaving Luoyang far behind, passing through several villages with sparse population, desolate scenery.

  Most villages were left with only dying old people, the fields were desolate, and famine and disease invaded these remote villages.

  Some villages have already been completely deserted.

  On the way, they encountered several groups of green forest bandits who were robbing people. Fortunately, Li Jing was with them, and although he had not yet recovered from his injuries, it didn't take much effort for him to knock down a dozen or so pale and thin mountain bandits who were skin and bones from hunger.

  He let out a loud roar and scared off more than a dozen small thieves, some of whom were so frightened that their legs went soft and they collapsed to the ground. Li Jing's heroic appearance, combined with his robust physique, made him exude masculine charm all over, causing the women, including Zhang Shi, to gaze at him with eyes full of admiration.

  Since ancient times, beautiful women have loved heroes, this is an eternal truth.

  For a time, Li Jing became the most popular person in this group of women. He was knowledgeable and familiar with the local customs and practices along the way, making him more like a tour guide than anyone else. To these small-town women who had never been on a long trip before, he was as sweet as honey, having a fatal attraction to them. They all chirped around him like birds, constantly asking "Brother Jing" this and that, making this journey seem more like a sightseeing tour rather than an escape.

  Zhen Ming and Fei Long simultaneously had an idea, if Li Jing wanted to do something bad to this group of ignorant women, he just needed to beckon with his finger, they would fly towards him like moths to a flame, dedicating their bodies and minds, and even if they were deceived, they would be willing.

  Fortunately, Li Jing looked like a good person, with clear eyes and an honest appearance, which made these two men who were not so honest feel slightly more at ease.

  "It's probably not possible to reach the next village today. I remember there is a forest ahead, with mountains behind and a small river in between. You sisters have also been sitting in the car for a whole day and must be tired too. Why don't we set up camp by the river tonight and continue on our journey tomorrow?"

  In the late afternoon, Li Jing looked at the sky and estimated that it would be difficult to reach the next village today, so he suggested.

  All the women responded, and there was no dissenting voice.

  Zhen Ming and Fei Long exchanged a glance, with bitter smiles on their faces. In this team, Li Jing had already become the soul figure who could make decisions with just one word, making them basically redundant.

  ……

  When the sun sets, the horse carriage stops beside a small river in the middle of a forest.

  The twilight glow fell among the woods, and the trees presented a kaleidoscope of colors. The river water was calm and clear, with fish swimming leisurely in the water.

  If it weren't for the desolate and barren scenery of the village all along the way, no one would believe that in such a beautiful place there lived a group of poor people struggling on the edge of life and death.

  A group of girls gathered together, playing and frolicking by the river, completely unaffected by the hustle and bustle along the way, full of enthusiasm.

  Li Jing, a seasoned military man, carefully observed the surrounding terrain and chose a location that was easy to observe and defend. He cut down trees to build a frame, and in no time, he set up two tents and started a fire nearby.

  After setting up the tent, they cut down a dozen or so bamboo trees from the bamboo forest by the water's edge and made two bamboo rafts.

  After taking off his clothes, he bit a steel knife and jumped into the icy river with his bare body. In a short while, he caught several fish.

  Surviving in the wilderness was as simple as eating and breathing for him.

  When the girls returned, they saw the delicious fish on the fire and Li Jing's robust upper body with his shirt off. They couldn't help but sneak glances at him, their faces flushing with shyness. Apparently, to them, Li Jing's strong and muscular physique, streamlined and full of explosive power, was more attractive than the roasted fish on the fire.

  Gathered around the bonfire, Li Jing put on his clothes and distributed the roasted fish to the girls. The girls thanked him in soft voices, not knowing if it was really that delicious, but they all praised it endlessly.

  Fei Long looked at Yue Er, who was listening to Li Jing with rapt attention along with the other three girls, and whispered in his ear with a hint of jealousy: "Zhen Ge, can't you also say something interesting? Tell us a story so that he doesn't monopolize everyone's attention."

  Zhen Ming sighed and said, "I'm no match for him. His eloquence is the result of rich life experiences. No matter how well I speak, it's just boasting and bragging. Even if I wanted to learn from him, I couldn't. And have you seen his physique? Those muscles are genuine and impressive. If I were a woman, I'd probably be infatuated with him too. If you're worried that Yue Er will run off with him, you should focus on losing weight and improving yourself instead."

  Fei Long said with discontent: "I think Old Lady Zhang seems to like him too, aren't you afraid she'll run off with him?"

  In the past, Zhenming would have been anxious and uneasy, but now is different from before. Last night's kiss gave him an extra dose of confidence, he shrugged his shoulders: "Liking what kind of person is her freedom, let alone Li Jing is indeed a man who wins women's hearts."

  Fatty Dragon snorted: "You're also too good at stealing other people's thunder!"

  Sun Langzhong couldn't help but laugh as he listened to their conversation, saying: "I really envy you young people. When I was young, there were also many girls who had a crush on me. Those wonderful days still seem like they were just yesterday."

  Zhen Ming smiled wryly and said, "Old Sun, tell us about your youthful days. You've eaten more salt than we've had rice, so you must have many interesting stories to share."

  The old man sighed and said: "I was born in the Northern Zhou, lived to this day, experienced several dynasties, passed through armies, held official positions, married a wife, children were born one after another before me, now I have retreated to the mountains and forests, refining elixirs and medicines, devoting my heart to asking about the Tao. Looking back on this life, except for the time when Emperor Wen was in power, the people had a brief period of peace, other times were all wars and uprisings, official corruption and extortion, the people were miserable, scars everywhere, where can I start talking about 'interest'..."

  Sun Lao sighed and reminisced about the strange things he had seen in his life, and even Li Jing and the women opposite him fell silent, listening to Sun Lao tell stories of his personal experiences from afar.

  The sky gradually darkened, the temperature dropped sharply, and after the girls filled their stomachs, they went into the tent early, whispering to each other, and from time to time, their pleasant and moving laughter came from inside.

  Li Jing walked to the front of Zhen Mingsu and sat down, adding a few pieces of firewood to the fire heap. After discussing with Zhen Mingsu about taking turns standing guard, he turned around and entered another tent first.

  In no time, the sound of snoring came, he had been in the army for many years, and falling asleep in three minutes was a habit he had cultivated over the years. In military campaigns and battles, resting and adjusting his state in a matter of seconds was a necessary guarantee to ensure his own survival.

  Fei Long had gone to bed early in his tent due to his injury, leaving only Sun Langzhong and Zhen Mingshu chatting by the fire.

  "It's a bitter fate, there's something I don't know if I should tell you or not," Sun Langzhong suddenly said.

  "Old Sun said it doesn't matter."