Li Rufeng had been living in peace in the village for just a few days when it was time for the big local market once again. Carrying a pole with baskets of fresh vegetables he had grown himself, he hummed a little tune as he headed to the market, hoping to sell them for a good price to buy some household supplies.
The market was bustling with life, crowded with people coming and going, their cries and shouts overlapping in the air. Li Rufeng found a spot, and just as he had finished setting out his vegetables, a ruffian-like fellow approached. The man was broad-shouldered and thick-necked, with a fierce face and a flesh-laden visage, followed by a few rough-looking thugs. The bully Wáng Kuí kicked over Li Rufeng's vegetable basket with a single kick and said viciously, "I've claimed this spot! You bumpkin, clear out right now!"
Li Rufeng felt a pang of heartache for his vegetables, yet he was furious at the arrogance of Wáng Kuí. Summoning his courage, he said, "What right do you have to chase me away? This market isn't run by your family!"
Hearing this, Wáng Kuí laughed and slapped Li Rufeng on the shoulder, nearly sending him stumbling: "Hah! You dare talk back? Let me tell you, I run this market! If you know what's good for you, get lost right now, or you'll regret it!"
The surrounding people were angry but dared not speak out, only watching from a distance. A kind-hearted elderly man secretly whispered to Li Rufeng, "Young man, don't cross him. This bully Wáng Kuí is used to running roughshod over the market, and no one dares provoke him." Li Rufeng clenched his fists in anger, but remembering that he must not expose his immortal cultivation abilities, he could only force himself to swallow his rage.
At that moment, Wáng Kuí stepped directly onto Li Rufeng's vegetables, grinding his boot down hard as he sneered, "With junk like this, I wouldn't take it even if it were free."
Li Rufeng could no longer hold back. A clever idea flashed through his mind, and he deliberately put on a terrified expression: "Big brother, I'm leaving right now. You are a magnanimous man of great stature, so please don't lower yourself to my level. But even though my vegetables are cheap, eating them can cure strange illnesses. If you accidentally crushed them, you might just suffer some terrible bad luck."
Wáng Kuí's expression shifted at those words, and a trace of doubt stirred in his heart, though he kept his voice tough: "Don't try to scare me here! Do you think I'm scared of a bumpkin's nonsense?" Yet his eyes involuntarily drifted down to the foot he had used to crush the vegetables.
Just then, one of his thugs suddenly clutched his stomach and let out a miserable scream, "Boss, my stomach hurts terribly!"
Panic struck Wáng Kuí. Believing that Li Rufeng's words had actually come true, he glared fiercely at Li Rufeng and hastily fled with his thugs in disarray. Seeing this, the onlookers gathered around and gave Li Rufeng thumbs-up: "Li Rufeng, you're something else! You actually scared that bully away!"
Li Rufeng looked at his crushed vegetables, gave a wry smile, and shook his head.
After clearing away the vegetable stall that the bully had messed up, although he hadn't made any money, he had at least managed to bluff the ruffian, which brought a small sense of triumph to his heart. He packed up his things and prepared to head back home.
Just as he was passing through a small alley in the market, a squad of the Imperial Guard marched toward him from the opposite direction. At the head of the formation was a dashing female Deputy General, clad in military attire with a long sword at her waist, her sharp gaze radiating an imposing aura. Li Rufeng instinctively lowered his head, wanting to slip away quickly, but the Deputy General Mei Yuxin suddenly halted her steps and looked Li Rufeng up and down.
Mei Yuxin spoke up, "Kid, I saw everything you did back there in the market handling that bully. You looked timid and meek, yet you cleverly managed to scare him off. Rather interesting."
Li Rufeng's heart tightened, and he mentally cursed his bad luck, stammering, "Gen... General, I'm just an ordinary commoner. What happened just now was just a blind cat running into a dead mouse."
Mei Yuxin smiled faintly and said, "Don't be so modest. I can see you don't panic in a crisis and your mind works fast—you've got the makings of a good soldier. How about it? Come back with me to the Imperial Guard. With your cleverness, you're bound to achieve great things in the future."
Hearing this, Li Rufeng shook his head like a rattle-drum: "General, you flatter me. A person like me is only suited for farming—working when the sun rises and resting when the sun sets. I'm truly not soldier material."
A soldier behind Mei Yuxin couldn't help but chuckle, "You calling yourself farming material? You didn't even care when those vegetables were smashed to pulp. I reckon you aren't much of a farmer either."
Li Rufeng's face flushed red, and he argued, "That was because of the bully! I'm actually really good at farming normally."
Mei Yuxin put away her smile and said seriously, "The current situation in Daxia is complicated, with undercurrents surging among various factions. We are in urgent need of quick-witted individuals like you. If you join the Imperial Guard, not only can you protect your home and country, but you can also bring honor to your ancestors."
Doubt began to stir in Li Rufeng's mind. He had never wanted to be a soldier in the first place, but what this female Deputy General said did sound somewhat reasonable.
Just as Li Rufeng was hesitating, he suddenly remembered how he used to fake illnesses and throw tantrums to avoid military conscription. If Mei Yuxin ever found out about that, she would laugh her head off. At this thought, Li Rufeng clenched his teeth and said, "General, I truly cannot. I still have an elderly mother at home who needs me to take care of her."
Mei Yuxin frowned, looking somewhat unwilling to let it go. At that moment, a soldier nearby leaned close to the Deputy General's ear and whispered a few words. Upon hearing them, Mei Yuxin's eyes lit up.