Chapter 43 Carving a Stele to Defend Morality and Benefit the People: The Beginning of Volume Two

With a clang, the blade was drawn and the long arrow pierced the air.

"Sweep away the bandits and protect our homeland!"

Half an hour ago, outside the Keqiang jungle, the atmosphere was heavy as lead, with two groups of people facing each other at a distance of several dozen feet.

On one side were well-trained, premeditated bandits who had traveled across the ocean; on the other were soldiers and tribesmen who had suffered heavy casualties and had hastily assembled out of injustice. The two sides were vastly unequal in strength; at first glance, the latter seemed to be throwing an egg against a rock, or a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Four spirited young men, clad in armor, each wielding a bow, sword, axe, and spear, stood ready with piercing eyes and their weapons gripped tightly, pointing diagonally at the ground, just like the soldiers behind them.

Their enemies, on the other hand, had cunning eyes and seemed somewhat carefree. Occasionally, a few of them would whisper amongst themselves, or even scoff and mock. This hastily assembled team, lacking any cohesion and even basic familiarity with each other, possessed absolute self-confidence and utter contempt for their opponents.

It is obvious that they are the weaker party.

Before the four arrived in Keqiang, the Keqiang Bimo had already led his people in a preliminary confrontation with these uninvited guests. They had assumed the guests were skilled in water combat but not in land warfare, but the guests turned out to be well-prepared and used insidious methods, resulting in the Bimo being severely injured and falling into a coma. More than half of the tribe had died or been wounded.

This place is close to the kingdoms of Wumu and Yunhuai. As the crown princes of both countries, Yaoqi and Mizhen could not stand idly by. Moreover, these river bandits were coming with great force. If they were not stopped in time and allowed to develop, they would be a hidden danger to any country. The two immediately dispatched troops and generals to join forces with Keqiang to defeat the enemy.

The wind rustled through the forest, the branches and leaves whispered, and the red-clad man holding a bow released his arrow. He then shouted loudly, and a great battle was about to break out.

In an instant, shouts of battle pierced the air like thunder, and the two sides surged towards each other like a raging tide, instantly engaging in fierce combat.

On the battlefield, dust billowed, the clash of weapons filled the air, and the stench of blood grew thicker. Although it was their first battle, they never fought unprepared, and the enemy was quickly defeated.

Although the four are from different countries, they have known each other since childhood and have worked together to solve cases, their teamwork is now unmatched.

They underestimated their enemy.

Having successfully repelled the enemy, Yaoqi and Michi also issued an order to both countries to jointly search for and eliminate the remaining pirates. The fact that a group of sea pirates had managed to infiltrate the northern jungles undetected demonstrates the seriousness of the matter.

One month later, within the Keqiang ethnic group.

While packing the prepared medicinal herbs, Ming Qi said, "Mi Zhen, what did I tell you? Their weapons are no match for my medicine."

Mi Zhen replied truthfully, "Indeed. If you hadn't administered the medicine in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. But without the two of them bringing reinforcements in time, this matter wouldn't have been accomplished."

Upon hearing this, the man in black sitting to the side curled his lips into a smile as he carefully wiped a long axe.

The axe blade was as sharp as a thorn, its surface cold and gleaming. The handle was engraved with intricate and terrifying patterns, its color varying around the edges, indicating it had been used for a long time, yet it was clearly well-maintained. Despite the wear and tear of time, it still exuded an aura of ruthless arrogance. With a flick of the axe, a flash of cold light revealed a pair of unruly eyes fixed upon it.

That person was Feng Yi.

Feng Yi slung his precious long axe over his shoulder and laughed, "Ming Qi, aren't you ashamed to say that? Without Mi Zhen's strategy, would you still be so smug?"

Ming Qi said, "Old madman, according to you, you should thank Yao Qi and Mi Zhen for bringing people, allowing you to lead a team on your own and experience the thrill of being a general."

Feng Yi rolled his eyes and said, "First, don't give me such an awful nickname anymore. Second, I've already thanked you, but I'm used to being free and independent, and I'd rather be a chivalrous knight-errant."

Mingqi said "Oh," and then said, "So you mean I can give you a nice nickname?"

Feng Yi: "Ming Qi..."

"I could hear you two from outside. Mingqi, what nickname have you given our hero Feng this time? Mizhen, didn't you stop him?"

Yaoqi's voice came from outside the tent, interrupting Fengyi's words.

When Mi Zhen saw Yao Qi come in, she said helplessly, "What's the use of me stopping you? It's not like we don't have each other, right? 'Waving the flag'."

Upon hearing this, all three except Yaoqi burst into laughter.

Yao Qi said, "Ming Qi, look at this! Even the upright Mi Zhen has been corrupted by you!"

Ming Qi spread his hands, looking somewhat innocent, and said, "Aren't you all enjoying it?"

Feng Yi said, "Alright, alright, Yao Qi, tell me quickly, what's the background of that gang of river bandits?"

Yaoqi said, "They were originally people who lived on a small island at sea."

They called themselves "Children of the Sea," for everything they used and took came from the ocean. However, the sea did not favor them; instead, it relentlessly devoured the islands they inhabited over the years. Seeing their home gradually disappearing, they harbored malicious intentions, setting their sights on a vast, fertile land thousands of miles away, where they intended to build a new home.

For this purpose, they planned for several years, training both men and women into soldiers, learning the cultures and languages ​​of various countries, and traveling across the ocean to come here in batches.

The first people they encountered upon landing were the Xizhe tribe, who had lived by the sea for generations. They had intended to feign friendship with the Xizhe people and then seize their land, but they hadn't expected to run into such a tough opponent.

The chieftain of the Xizhe tribe was always shrewd. Initially, upon hearing of the destruction of their homeland, he felt a touch of sympathy and treated them well. However, being outsiders, he did not fully trust them. As he expected, within a month, their true nature was revealed, and they launched a massacre. But the chieftain was prepared and caught them off guard.

They never imagined that their years of planning would be ruined at the dinner table.

On one occasion, the clan chief hosted a banquet for their leaders. After several days of interaction, he noticed that although they were cautious in their words and actions, subtle clues revealed that they seemed to know everything about the place all too well. He had intended to use this opportunity to test them, but unexpectedly, he actually uncovered something. However, this conspiracy was truly vicious. If they fell for it, Xi Zhe would be destroyed, and those people naturally could not be allowed to live.

The clan leader was ruthless and decisive, killing all men, women, and children to eliminate any future troubles.

This branch has been completely wiped out.

The clan chief only knew that they wanted to seize land and harm their people, but he did not know that they also had people scattered in other countries.

A secret technique, similar to telepathy, is passed down within their island, allowing them to communicate with each other. If any branch encounters misfortune, the others quickly adjust their strategies, becoming even more cautious when infiltrating other countries. After several self-sacrificing trials, their strategies have become increasingly sophisticated, and they've chosen increasingly remote locations. Keqiang, situated in the northern jungles, is sparsely populated; if it were truly occupied by them, it would undoubtedly become a major threat.

Fortunately, it's not too late yet.

Upon hearing this, Feng Yi sneered and said, "No wonder they are all ruthless and vicious. Desperate criminals with nowhere to retreat naturally have such courage."

Mi Zhen pondered for a moment and said, "I had heard about it before, but at that time, the clan leader of Xi Zhe did a thorough job, and those people almost disappeared, so I didn't pay much attention. Now it seems that I was careless."

Ming Qi said, "How can you blame yourself? It was clearly the fault of a villain. There's nothing wrong with finding another home, but to seize land by massacre, they deserve to die!"

Yao Qi said, "Although they haven't stayed long, completely wiping them out won't be easy. Fortunately, we discovered them in time, and now that we've joined forces, we won't give them any chance to take advantage!"

Mingqi clapped his hands and cheered, "That's great! We've saved the Keqiang from the annihilation of their tribe, which is a great deed. The Bimo even said he wanted to thank us properly!"

Mi Zhen said, "Helping them is also helping ourselves, so I don't think we need to thank them."

Yaoqi said, "We've been investigating the case all along without expecting anything in return, so there's really no need for thanks."

Feng Yi teased, "You two are such upright gentlemen, doing good deeds without even seeking recognition. The other person hasn't even said how to thank you yet, and you two have already refused. You're really heartless."

Ming Qi patted Feng Yi on the shoulder, sighed, and pretended to be sad, saying, "Brother Feng, we two are really unlucky. How come we only know these two friends?"

Feng Yi, unusually, agreed, saying, "Yes, we made bad friends! We made bad friends!"

Mi Zhen: "......"

Yaoqi shouted, "Mingqi! Fengyi! You two are really enough!"

The four men looked at each other, and after a moment, they burst into laughter.

The next day.

The Bimo (priest) discussed with the four people and agreed to keep his promise, which would last for thousands of years and remain unchanged forever.

The four said, "In that case, please continue to protect this land."

The Keqiang people, grateful for his kindness and mindful of his words, made a lifelong vow, witnessed by the falling snow, the mountains and forests, and the dragon horn fairy.

We would rather lose our heads than yield an inch of land!

Before the four left, the Bimo suggested that each of them have a portrait painted and left in Keqiang so that future generations could remember them.

They initially refused, but then they thought that since the four of them had known each other for so long, they had never had their portraits made. Whether or not they were remembered was not important; the main thing was to leave a memento for each other.

Even if they are forgotten by the world, they have nothing to fear, as long as the four of them remember each other, that is enough.

All four of them changed into new clothes and polished their weapons until they shone. They stood together, holding their weapons, fiddling with them for a long time, but none of them could decide on a good pose. In the end, they decided to just go with the flow.

Ming Qi carefully straightened his clothes, placed his sword in front of his chest, stood up straight, and said with a smile, "Please make sure you show off my heroic bearing! Thank you!"

Feng Yi, carrying the axe on his shoulder with one hand, glanced at him and said, "You're so narcissistic, I really don't know how Yun Xiang could have fallen for you..."

Mi Zhen, holding a gun behind her back, laughed and said, "Maybe he talks too much, so it's interesting to have him around."

Yaoqi crossed his arms and bow, saying, "I think so too. It couldn't be that she was attracted to his looks, could it?"

Ming Qi pointed at the three of them and said, "Don't look down on me! I won Xiang Jun's heart with my talent. Stop ruining my image and don't talk nonsense in front of her!"

Feng Yi said "Oh," and then said, "So you're admitting you're not good-looking."

Ming Qi: "......"

The Bimo said, "Why don't we give the painting a name?"

After a moment's thought, the four, having met through the Heavenly Millet Ranking, said in unison, "Then let's call ourselves the Four Lords of Heavenly Millet!"

At this point, the painters of Keqiang painted their current appearance on paper, wrote their names on their portraits, and added the red seal of "Four Lords of Tianji". They then coated the paper with a protective film using special spices, which would preserve the paintings for a thousand years.

This moment will forever be captured in their memories.

Two months later, Mingqi suddenly sent a message summoning the other three to his home.

They thought something important had happened and rushed over, only to be told that they had just found an ordinary-looking big rock.

"......"

The three of them asked in unison, "Ming Qi, what are you doing?"

Seeing that Mingqi was still keeping her in suspense, Yunxiang spoke for him: "He wants to carve our names on this stone and bury it underground, hoping that future generations will dig it up a thousand years later."

Mi Zhen asked, "What does this mean?"

Ming Qi said, "Let me ask you, what is the purpose of our investigation?"

Yaoqi said, "Sweep away the evil in the world, and let courage and righteousness shine in your heart."

Feng Yi said, "Stop being so literary. Just say we uphold justice and protect all living beings."

After a moment, Mi Zhen said, "So you want to inscribe our faith along with our names on this stone tablet, so that if future generations see it, they can also forge ahead as fearlessly as we have?"

Ming Qi snapped his fingers and laughed, "That's right! Compared to the Heavenly Dao, we may be insignificant, but even among the masses, we possess the strength to shake a tree like an ant. Although we don't know what it will be like thousands of years from now, I believe that there will always be brave people like us in future generations!"

The three said, "We are each other's faith; our will will never die!"

They carved their own and their wife's names on the stone, along with a sentence—

People of this world carve monuments to honor the common people, hoping that those who come after will be ambitious and resilient even in the face of adversity.

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Author's Note: The second volume of "Watery Spirit" is here!!! I apologize for the late nights dealing with family matters, but it's not completely finished yet. However, I will resume regular updates, one chapter every two or three days. Thank you all for your patience! I'm truly sorry!

There's one more thing I must confess: although the second volume isn't long, it mainly involves the stories of our parents' generation. While the overall structure is complete, there are many more things to consider, so it will be relatively slower. I hope you won't mind that I'm writing slowly.

Grateful! Thankful!

Finally, I hope you enjoy watching! Have a happy day!