The Coward on the Border: I Never Meant to Become a God of War
Lin An, a modern-day office worker, transmigrates to the Great Zhou frontier. He has just one lifelong wish: to eat his fill, wait for death, and lie flat in peace!
To stay alive, he puts his office-worker survival instincts to use: if he can chicken out, he chickens out; if he can run, he runs. He slacks off every day, dodges responsibility whenever trouble arises, and thinks of nothing but packing up and making a run for it.
But who could have guessed that the more he cowers, the more the soldiers think he’s hiding his true abilities; the more he slacks off, the easier it is to win battles; and the more he tries to run, the greater his achievements become!
The dubious survival tricks he casually teaches become essential lessons in the army. His accidental blame-shifting defuses deadly crises at the frontier. Even when he tries to play coward and flee, he mistakenly captures an enemy prince and becomes a legend overnight!
His unruly subordinates become his most loyal followers, a battle-hardened general becomes his patron, and everyone in the camp treats his cowardly excuses like military strategy. They even come up with all sorts of reasons to promote him!
Lin An watches himself rise from drill instructor to deputy general, then coast from deputy general to God of War. His official seals pile up like mountains, and his achievements are enough to crush a man. He completely breaks down inside:
“Stop praising me! I really don’t know how to fight! I just want to lie flat! Whoever wants to be the God of War can have the job!”
The soldiers all clasp their fists, their eyes blazing with admiration. “The general is mighty! Your modesty and patience are an example to us all!”
Lin An: “…”
Help! I’m a real coward, not pretending to be one, damn it!
