Chapter 140: A Test of Strength

Fang Nian saw that the murals depicted a group of people carrying bags and journeying forward, accompanied by soldiers escorting them. Their attire was extremely distinctive, resembling that of ethnic minorities, though it was difficult to determine the exact group. The soldiers' uniforms, however, were clearly identifiable as armor from the Warring States period, along with the characteristic dagger-axes of the State of Qin.

After a moment of thought, Fang Nian quickly understood. These people must have been Xiongnu, and the ones escorting them were Qin soldiers. Judging by their direction of travel, with the sun at their side, they were heading either south or north. Looking at the time, which appeared to be dusk with the sun in the west, their direction of travel was undoubtedly north.

Fang Nian snapped his fingers. Having figured this out, he felt there was no need to waste any more time here. He began searching the mural for a hidden mechanism and quickly found a combination lock. With a gentle press, a passage opened up.

Fang Nian quickly crawled through the secret tunnel and emerged into a courtyard. Upon seeing the retro architecture, he was certain that this was the late Eastern Han dynasty, the era of the Three Kingdoms when rival states rose together. Perhaps in this hunting ground, Fang Nian might even catch a glimpse of the Five Tiger Generals.

After stepping out of the secret chamber, Fang Nian arrived on a bustling street of the Eastern Han. He had to admit that a D-plus level hunting ground was truly different; this world seemed capable of replicating everything from the Three Kingdoms period, with the NPCs' craftsmanship exceeding all expectations.

Fang Nian did not yet know what his identity was within the hunting ground, but if he wanted to find tombs, he needed to assemble his own team.

From the three-dimensional posters he had seen outside earlier, Fang Nian knew that searching for tombs could be done in two ways. One was to form a small team of two or three people, each possessing unique skills, to locate dragon veins and divine acupuncture points.

The other method was much more troublesome, requiring the mobilization of a large army to dig and search over a vast area.

Had he not possessed the "Twenty-Four Chapters of Feng Shui Arcana," Fang Nian would certainly have chosen the latter method, as searching with a large number of people would have been much more thorough. However, since he already possessed the "Twenty-Four Chapters of Feng Shui Arcana," why would he choose the latter method?

At this thought, excitement surged in Fang Nian's heart. Fortunately, he had the assistance of the "Twenty-Four Chapters of Feng Shui Arcana" at this critical moment.

Before confirming the location of the tomb, Fang Nian decided to first look for his team members. After all, this was the Three Kingdoms era, a time of prodigious talent, and he would likely cross paths with them soon.

Even purely for the sake of visual spectacle, the creators surely must have arranged for him to meet some notable figures.

Soon, Fang Nian learned that this city was called Shuofang. He reminisced for a moment.

Shuofang Commandery should be located in the northwest of the Ordos Loop of the Yellow River, serving as a vital transportation hub between the Xiongnu and the northern part of the Eastern Han. Due to its terrain, environment, and constant threat of war, Shuofang's development was not particularly prosperous, and its population was not as dense as the major commanderies of the Central Plains.

However, although it fell short of major Central Plains commanderies like Chang'an, Luoyang, and Xuchang, it was far superior to small commanderies like Changshan. After all, wherever there was war, alongside destruction came infinite wealth.

Therefore, a modern strategist once remarked that a successful businessman knows how to manage a war, which illustrates the dual nature of warfare for a city or even a nation.

As he walked, Fang Nian began to feel a bit hungry. He felt around in his pocket and found a few copper coins, so he stepped into the nearest restaurant to grab a bite.

Emerging from the restaurant, Fang Nian noticed a large crowd gathered in the southeast corner of the market. Since he had nothing pressing to do, he decided to go and check out the commotion. But one look at the scene before him left him utterly stunned.

There stood a robust and sturdy young man holding a massive tree trunk. Judging by its tree rings, it was at least fifty or sixty years old, and its weight was estimated to be four to five hundred catties. He swung it around as effortlessly and naturally as Sun Wukong wielding his Ruyi Jingu Bang. Such a performance truly shocked everyone present, and many people cheered while offering tips and money.

While the man performed, another person shouted out to the crowd.

"Kind folks, the two of us come from the remote Wei region in the south. We are now traveling north to visit relatives, but unexpectedly encountered bandits on the way who robbed my younger brother and me of all our travel expenses. Now passing through Shuofang County, we have specially come here to display our skills. We hope those with money will give monetary support, and those without will lend their presence. We, the Chen brothers, express our gratitude here."

Fang Nian was taken aback.

"The Chen brothers? Are there any strongmen with the surname Chen in the Three Kingdoms era?"

After pondering for a long time without coming up with an answer, Fang Nian simply gave up on trying to remember. However, since finding the tomb ahead really did require the help of such a strongman, he stepped forward and said:

"Aren't the two of you being a bit dishonest by fooling people here for money?"

The man who had been shouting was startled and asked Fang Nian with some displeasure:

"Little brother, what do you mean by that? Are you saying this tree trunk we are using is fake?"

Fang Nian smiled.

"Fake or not, I don't know, but I dare say my strength is greater than both of yours. I wonder if you two dare to have a contest with me?"

The middle-aged man who had been shouting froze for a moment.

"Little brother, what do you want to compete with the two of us in?"

Fang Nian's eyes shifted, and he said calmly:

"Compete in strength with this big guy, and compete in wisdom with you, sir. If I win either of the two, consider it my victory. How about that?"

Fang Nian spoke very casually, but the surrounding townspeople burst into laughter.

"Don't brag, young man. With those thin arms and legs of yours, I'm afraid you won't even be able to lift one end of that tree trunk. What are you going to compete with them in?"

"Exactly! Anyone can tell your intelligence is questionable, and you still want to compete? What are you going to compete with?"

"I think you'd better go home. If your head isn't right, go see a doctor instead of bragging here."

...

Facing the ridicule of the crowd, Fang Nian's expression remained completely unchanged. The sturdy man was already eager to give it a try, but the middle-aged man beside him didn't think so lightly; he sensed that Fang Nian possessed some genuine capability.

"Alright, I'll compete with you. Tell me, how shall we do it?"

Seeing that the man had taken the bait, Fang Nian regained his confidence and said to the strongman:

"Shall we start with you?"

Hearing this, the strongman immediately replied:

"Let's do it!"

Fang Nian smiled.

"Good, follow me."

Before long, they arrived at the village entrance. The villagers loved a good show and followed along.

"Not far behind you is a giant boulder. I estimate the weight of this boulder to be around a thousand catties. I'd like to challenge this brother here to a contest: whoever can move this stone by even a single step wins. You can use any tools you like, as long as you rely on your own strength. What do you say?"

The strongman looked at the stone, furrowed his brow slightly, and muttered:

"This stone is way too big."