"Brother Fugui, why did we come here?"
In the dead of night, inside the dirty and foul-smelling stable, Yang Xinhong leaned against the wall and asked Zhou Fugui.
"Are you talking about coming to Xue Lin City, or this stable?" Zhou Fugui asked, sitting with Yang Xinhong.
This was Zhou Fugui's second night spent in a stable. Back then, when Zhou Fugui was punished and sent to the stable by Murong Tengge, he had only slept there after eating his fill, but this time, he not only had to sleep there but also clean it. This stable was not just for feeding horses; it was also a latrine, the stench of horse manure and human waste mixed together, almost enough to make one faint.
Zhou Fugui, Yang Xinhong, and the others felt their lives were becoming harder and harder.
"Man proposes, God disposes... " Zhou Fugui sighed, "Neither this Xue Lin City nor this stable is something we can control. Moreover, Xinhong, enduring hardship may lead to greatness. This Ice Bone Camp training might not be a bad thing for us."
"But I... Brother Fugui, I really can't take it anymore," Yang Xinhong said miserably.
The Ice Bone Camp training was supposed to last for eight whole months. After just a few days, Yang Xinhong was already feeling overwhelmed. How could he endure eight months?
The thought sent a shiver down Yang Xinhong's spine.
"Persevere, Xinhong. Don't let outsiders look down on us people from Luoyan Village," Zhou Fugui said, taking out a piece of mutton, frozen as hard as a rock, from his pocket and handing it to Yang Xinhong.
Tutis had forbidden Zhou Fugui and Yang Xinhong from eating dinner, but Zhou Fugui, as the captain of the Ice Bone Camp, found it relatively easy to procure a few pieces of mutton secretly.
Truth be told, Yang Xinhong and the others were implicated by Zhou Fugui and thus exiled to the extreme north of the Great Yan Kingdom, to guard the border in Xue Lin City. Otherwise, Yang Xinhong and the others would be living comfortably at home in Luoyan Village, Lumen Township, Youzhou, at the very least, living a life of sufficiency.
Yang Xinhong and his fellow villagers had left their homes and come here, enduring all sorts of hardships. Therefore, Zhou Fugui felt extremely guilty.
"Brother Fugui, what about yours?" Yang Xinhong asked, holding the frozen mutton.
"I've eaten. Eat quickly. You'll need the strength to get through this night," Zhou Fugui said, patting Yang Xinhong's shoulder.
The stable was not only reeking but also drafty. The biting cold wind of the night seeped in from everywhere. Heavy snow was falling from the sky, blanketing everything.
"Crack!" Yang Xinhong, despite the foul smell, was ravenous. He took a big bite but almost broke his teeth.
"Slow down..." Zhou Fugui almost laughed, "The meat is frozen solid. You need to eat it slowly, piece by piece."
"Alas, Brother Fugui, what kind of life is this? When will it end?" Yang Xinhong grumbled while licking the meat.
"Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. We are almost there..." Zhou Fugui nodded. "You are all from humble families. To make a name for yourselves in a world dominated by the powerful and noble is indeed harder than ascending to heaven! However, Xinhong, you must believe that nothing is impossible for a willing heart. Therefore, I refuse to believe that this situation will continue forever."
Power, still power! At this moment, Zhou Fugui craved power even more, the supreme power, the power to make decisions unilaterally, the power to look down on the world.
But it was easier said than done! Even though Zhou Fugui was now a so-called Deputy General of the Great Yan Kingdom.
Zhou Fugui could endure the harsh training of the Ice Bone Camp, hoping to achieve something after it.
But even if he could get out of the Ice Bone Camp, he would at best be considered a qualified "warrior." Warriors often became "suicide soldiers," sacrificing their lives for the Great Yan Kingdom. And the Great Yan Kingdom was not worth Zhou Fugui's sacrifice.
Even if the Great Yan Kingdom were worth his sacrifice, Zhou Fugui would not do it. The reason was that he did not want his fate to be in the hands of others, nor did he want to be a piece of fish on someone's chopping board in this lifetime.
But how easy was it to transform from fish to the butcher? It was as difficult as climbing to heaven.
This was Zhou Fugui's current predicament.
With grand ambitions but a meager fate, with grand ambitions but no place to display them. This perhaps described Zhou Fugui at the moment.
"Oh, I believe you, Brother Fugui. But Brother Fugui..." Yang Xinhong finally softened the piece of meat and ate it with relish. "Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be better to become a bandit like Brother Mancang suggested, or to join Feilong Mountain. Then we could live freely and without restraint."
Yang Xinhong and the other villagers already knew about what had happened to Zhou Fugui on Feilong Mountain.
"Slap!" Zhou Fugui lightly slapped Yang Xinhong on the head. "You want to be a bandit? Do bandits have a future? Are bandits carefree? Let me tell you, bandits often live precariously, always on the brink of death."
"Not necessarily," Yang Xinhong said. "The bandits on Feilong Mountain are living well, aren't they? Xue Lin City has a large and strong army, yet they don't dare to suppress them, letting them live freely."
"Dare not suppress them?" Zhou Fugui shook his head slightly and sneered, "I suspect there is some connection between them, some unsavory dealings, or perhaps the Grand Governor is harboring bandits to serve his own purposes."
At that time, Sima Fan Guxi of the Flying Bear Army had suggested that Hu Yan Sheng send troops to suppress the bandits on Feilong Mountain, but Hu Yan Sheng had merely smiled. This had made Zhou Fugui suspicious.
One had to admit, Zhou Fugui's mind was quite sharp.
"Harboring bandits to serve his own purposes? What does that mean?" Yang Xinhong asked in surprise.
"If the world is at peace, will the court continue to fund the border regions? Maintaining a border army consumes a vast amount of grain and silver – it's a bottomless pit. Moreover, if the world is at peace, will the court allow the Grand Governor to continue leading a large army?" Zhou Fugui said slowly.
Yang Xinhong nodded, seemingly understanding yet not fully grasping it.
"Alas, we can't be bandits, and being soldiers is not easy either. What should we do?" Yang Xinhong sighed.
"We can only endure, endure until the day when the clouds clear and the flowers bloom," Zhou Fugui replied.
"Roar... Roar..." At this moment, Little White Bear finally snuck into the Ice Bone Camp and found Zhou Fugui. It ran out from the darkness, bounded to Zhou Fugui's side, excitedly hugged his leg, and kept licking his leg with its long tongue.
"Little one, why are you here?" Zhou Fugui happily picked up the little white bear, Chi You, let it lie flat on his lap, and played with its paws, laughing.
"Whine... Whine..." Little White Bear Chi You lay comfortably on Zhou Fugui's lap, its small eyes squinted, enjoying Zhou Fugui's petting, and making contented sounds.
"Oh, this little guy is so cute," Yang Xinhong reached out to pet the little white bear.
"Roar!" When Little White Bear saw Yang Xinhong reaching out, it suddenly got angry and bit him.
Little White Bear was growing, and its fangs had taken shape, looking like small daggers, truly terrifying. Yang Xinhong quickly retracted his hand.
Zhou Fugui hurriedly held the little white bear tightly.
"Oh, this little scoundrel, does it still recognize people?" Yang Xinhong glared at the little white bear.
"Of course!" Zhou Fugui said, stroking the little white bear's pure white fur. "All living things have spirits, let alone such a rare white creature."
Zhou Fugui had fought with Little White Bear's mother, a huge female bear, and was almost bitten to death. The mother bear had then fled. According to the young Taoist priest Ge Rufeng, the mother bear had died. Although she didn't die by Zhou Fugui's hand, it was still indirectly related to him, so he felt rather guilty. Thus, he saved the little white bear and raised it until now.
The little white bear remembered kindness, and of course, it remembered grudges, especially against the young Taoist priest Ge Rufeng...
"Mmm, Brother Fugui..." Yang Xinhong looked at the little white bear and said, "I've heard elders say that white creatures are indeed very spiritual and auspicious. This little white one following you closely shows that you, Brother Fugui, are also an auspicious person."
"An auspicious person? An auspicious person exiled to the border and dragging his brothers down?" Zhou Fugui said with a self-deprecating laugh.
"Haha!" Yang Xinhong laughed. "You were just comforting me moments ago, why are you discouraged now? Brother Fugui, we followed you to the border willingly."
Zhou Fugui nodded.
His fellow villagers and friends not only followed Zhou Fugui to avenge his family but were also exiled to Xue Lin City together. This made Zhou Fugui feel even more distressed.
For such kindness, Zhou Fugui did not know if he could ever repay them in this lifetime.
The current situation was that if Zhou Fugui had no prospects, his brothers would also have none. If Zhou Fugui remained mediocre his entire life, they would too.
As the saying goes, "when one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer." Zhou Fugui's fate and that of his fellow villagers were intertwined.
Zhou Fugui then took out another piece of frozen meat and handed it to the little white bear. The little white bear held the meat with its two front paws, took a few bites, and swallowed it.
"Little one, your appetite is getting bigger and bigger. I can hardly afford to feed you anymore," Zhou Fugui said with a smile.
"Let's sleep. We have to get up early for training tomorrow," Zhou Fugui said, then found a spot sheltered from the wind, wrapped himself tightly in his padded coat, and hugged the little white bear.
The little white bear was fluffy, and sleeping with it would be incredibly warm. Yang Xinhong glanced at the little white bear and then squeezed in next to Zhou Fugui.
"Little one, don't bite anyone anymore. This is my brother," Zhou Fugui said to the little white bear, glancing at the timid Yang Xinhong.