Chapter One: Zhengyang Gate

"Banner officer, banner officer..."

Amid a series of anxious shouts, Brian Carter opened his eyes in confusion, looking at the two unfamiliar faces before him...

Utterly unfamiliar.

So unfamiliar, it felt like they were separated by centuries.

Wrapped in brown felt hats, wearing cotton-padded jackets studded with rivets—or perhaps they should be called cotton armor—weathered and gaunt faces, one of them even leaning on a clearly real Yanling saber. Behind them stood an ancient, weathered blue-brick wall. Overhead, the night sky was lit by firelight and filled with smoke, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder.

Brian Carter suddenly sat up.

Almost at the same moment, a chaotic crashing sound surged forth. At the street corner ahead, two men dressed in the same riveted cotton jackets suddenly turned the corner. Immediately after, a warhorse burst out behind them, knocking one of them over. At the same time, a fully armored soldier on horseback thrust his spear, piercing through the other man's body in an instant. As the latter screamed, the warhorse sped past, the soldier on its back casually pulling out the very real spear, then charging straight toward them. More fully armored cavalry appeared behind him, their chaotic hooves trampling directly over the two men, one of whose necks, not yet dead, was snapped in an instant.

"Rebel bandits! Run!"

The one beside Brian Carter, leaning on a Xiuchun saber, cried out in terror and scrambled to his feet to flee.

The other, however, suddenly yanked him up.

Now fully awake, Brian Carter also took off running, shaking off the hand of his well-meaning companion and instantly darting ahead of the first to flee. In the latter's astonished gaze, he too came to a sudden stop, staring in disbelief at his own legs, then immediately sprinted forward at full speed again...

"Is this the benefit of transmigrating?"

He exclaimed as he stopped once more.

His speed was clearly abnormal.

In fact, it wasn't just that. At this moment, he felt his whole body brimming with strength.

Although this body didn't look particularly robust, right now he felt like a roaring American muscle freak in the ring. Then, as if drawn by a bloodthirsty urge, he turned his head with a bodybuilder's showman's grin, flexing his arms. The companion who had tried to pull him along was now about to be overtaken by the cavalry behind. Even Brian Carter himself could hardly believe it as he let out a roar, charging forward to meet them. As he passed the first fleeing companion, he instinctively reached out and instantly snatched the Yanling saber from his hand.

At that moment, the cavalryman's spear, trembling with the galloping horse, stabbed straight at the back of the last companion.

Brian Carter suddenly leapt up.

Like a pouncing leopard, he soared over his companion's head. In that instant, he raised the Yanling saber with both hands and, with a roar, slashed down from midair. Accompanied by a flash of cold light slicing through the air, he landed instantly, a single drop of blood falling from the tip of the saber.

Beside him, the warhorse neighed and reared up.

The cavalryman on its back looked down in confusion, a line of blood running from his forehead to his chin as he toppled down.

In the next moment, under the stunned gaze of his two companions, Brian Carter seemed possessed by some fierce general, brandishing the Yanling saber and darting out like a leopard. He dodged two spears thrust at him from both sides in an unbelievable move, squeezed between the two cavalrymen, and in an instant spun around. The Yanling saber, sliding past the right cavalryman's armored skirt, sliced open his thigh, then, following Brian Carter's spin, stabbed into the left cavalryman's ribs.

"Mount up!"

Amid the latter's screams, he raised his head and shouted at his two companions.

Without bothering to pull out his saber, he grabbed the left cavalryman's spear, spun around, and hurled it back, piercing the fourth cavalryman behind them. As the latter fell, the galloping warhorse reached him. He grabbed the saddle and vaulted onto the horse's back, snatched the mace from the side, and, as if by instinct, spurred the horse forward and smashed down hard. The mace instantly crushed the head of the cavalryman whose thigh he had slashed.

The companion who had been struggling with the cavalryman for the spear yanked the corpse down and quickly mounted the horse.

By now, the first companion had also mounted up. The three of them spurred their horses forward without hesitation. Two sharp sounds came from behind. Brian Carter immediately ducked down, and two arrows whistled past. The first companion turned his horse into a nearby alley, with Brian Carter and the other following close behind. Soon, they turned into another alley. After zigzagging through several turns, they suddenly burst onto a main street. Brian Carter reined in his horse and stared in awe at the city gate tower standing tall against the fire-lit night sky ahead...

"Zhengyang Gate."

Halting his horse on the empty street, he sighed with emotion.

Behind this magnificent gate tower was a city equally shrouded in smoke and gunpowder. Shells howled as they streaked across the night sky, the few remaining guns and cannons on the city walls spitting smoke and fire. The shouts of battle surged like waves around a once-glorious symbol of an empire.

This was Beijing.

Beijing on the night of March 18th, 1644.