Bing Shi, Qua Tao, and Wan Ke strutted out of the car, aiming rifles as if they were auditioning for a thug movie.
In an outrage, Bing Shi marched toward the hummers, her anger on full display, "Do you know who I'm?! If not, let me give you a little reminder! I'm Bing Shi, the leader of central cities!!!"
She jabbed her finger toward the lead hummer, her voice escalating, "You dare mess with my car?! Hand over twenty-five kilos of rice, and maybe I'll let it slide. If not, I'll call Yi Zen's army, and let him teach you a lesson!"
But the jaw-dropping moment arrived when, from the other hummer, another Bing Shi emerged. She strolled confidently toward the real Bing Shi, flanked by soldiers on either side. "Go ahead, make the call," she challenged fearlessly.
Rumors described Bing Shi as a composed woman in every situation, while her soldiers were a ferocious bunch. From the videos, it could be seen that she was a reasonable person, the exact opposite of this spoiled babbling piece of joke.
Seeing her doppelgänger, Bing Shi, Qua Tao, and Wen Kai took a step back, their bravado faltering. "You—you're asking for trouble...hahaha!" Bing Shi burst into laughter at the sight of her twin.
'Bing Shi!!!!' The observers collectively facepalmed, wondering if Bing Shi's drive to learn how to act was meant to be a comedy routine instead.
The imposter Bing Shi raised her hand, signaling to the group of twenty burly men who descended from the vehicles. Clad in military uniforms, they exuded a heavy, imposing presence.
Forming a tight circle around Bing Shi, Qua Tao, and Wan Ke, the impostor spoke once more, her tone oddly polite given the situation. "We are on our way to city K. Unfortunately, we've been low on supplies lately, having distributed most of our resources. Would you be willing to share some food?"
The impostor thought that today had to be their lucky day, for them to meet amateurish rogues, "I promise we'll make it up to you later. I see your car had received some damage on the way, we can have our men fix it as compensation."
As if she could read their thoughts, Bing Shi quickly interjected in denial, her voice shaky, "You—you're the one who wrecked my car! Stay back!" She turned to her imposter and the men who were drawing near, her voice growing more frantic, "I'm warning you! My brother is none other than Yi Zen, the great general... Haha...!"
Qua Tao and Wan Ke struggled to stifle their laughter, unsuccessfully muffling their coughs. "Uh, ehm..." they managed to utter, their amusement palpable.
'That's not convincing at all!' each soldier suddenly became an acting class teacher. Putting on imaginary glasses, they started to criticize Bing Shi in their minds, 'How is that fake Bing Shi going to believe your act?! Put more feelings into it!'
"What a coincidence," the imposter Bing Shi chimed in casually, glancing at her impeccably groomed nails, which strangely resembled Bing Shi's own, "Mine too. Don't worry, once you've provided my soldiers with some food, I won't tell my brother that you tried to impersonate me."
'See, Bing Shi?' The soldiers mentally pointed at the fake Bing Shi. 'That's how it's done! You can't break your character until the very end!' How, oh, how did the impostor Bing Shi not notice that something was wrong? With how badly Bing Shi acted, wouldn't a normal person figure out that she was not intimidated by the slightest?
Bing Shi's real-world experiences had taught her to handle complications that school couldn't, and she brought this pragmatic mindset to learning how to act too.
Rather than adhering to a rehearsed script with a designated partner, Bing Shi found it more efficient to practice improvisation with random individuals. With an audience watching, her motivation was clear: she had to impress them. Her safety was guaranteed, with only her image on the line. She had no intention of having her acting criticized again!
"You shameless witch," Bing Shi muttered under her breath, her words dripping with disdain, "First, you wreck my car, and now you're impersonating me? Are you bored to death? Need a job, perhaps? How about becoming my personal doppelganger, hm?"
'Yes, that's our Bing Shi! Go! Teach her a lesson!' The soldiers whistled. 'Who wants a cold Bing Shi? Or a cannon fodder? The villainous Bing Shi is the way to go!' Then, they frowned in disappointment. 'Ptui!' They want the beginner Bing Shi back. This was over too soon!
"..." The fake Bing Shi started to doubt this small group of people, "..." she motioned with her head for the men to attack.
Her signal didn't go unnoticed. Wan Ke swiftly materialized behind the imposter Bing Shi, his knife poised at her throat. "If you don't want her to die, nobody makes a move!" he warned, his voice firm.
Panic swept through the group, their eyes scanning for the real Bing Shi, who had mysteriously vanished. "Where is she?!?"
Their attention shifted back to Wan Ke just as he, along with the fake Bing Shi, vanished into thin air. "Damn it!!" Now it became obviously clear why Bing Shi exuded such confidence!
They were a group of scammers. Under a facade of strong wind, they would stop passing people, and under Bing Shi's name, they'd demand some resources. Thanks to Bing Shi's warning, many survivors migrated southward. Eager to gain favor, the survivors would hand over their resources.
Noticing Qua Tao among them, the scammers plotted to ensnare him. Spheres of varying sizes and elemental attributes surged toward Qua Tao.
Qua Tao swiftly erected an air shield and soared skyward, disappearing from sight. Shortly after, their hummers vanished too, while the fake Bing Shi appeared. Her mask was removed, showing a woman in her mid-thirties.
Feeling an eerie shadow above them, the swindlers look up in terror, unleashing a chorus of terrified screams, "Aaaaaahhh!!!!" They immediately scattered in all directions in an attempt to flee as fast as possible.
And thus, a hunt began...
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A new tale circulated, a warning against crossing paths with Bing Shi. No matter how well one hid, she would bait and expose them, ensuring they paid for their actions.
But those rumors... Could they be called rumors, if each and every one of them was backed up with proof in the form of a video?
Bing Shi was showing people a path to follow in the uncertain future. She was demonstrating how to survive in a world where strength appeared to be the sole key to survival. She was giving people hope that not everything was lost.
She was slowly becoming a legend.
This world's first hero...