Chapter 1350: A Huge Project! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Shen Tang's extremely natural reaction gave Luo San a bad feeling.

The other party doesn't seem to have the ambition he thought?

He said cautiously, “It is not that I intend to sow discord, but the Queen’s current power… is far from the central government. If a villain takes the opportunity to falsely accuse and instigate, the Queen may be in danger. I have heard that the King of Kang intends to have Lin Feng fill the vacant position of Right Minister. The fact that such a talented person is so easily dispatched here may well be a sign for the Queen…”

It's better to strike first than to suffer the consequences of acting later.

Sometimes, warlords in chaotic times like to amass power not out of ambition, but for self-preservation. Trust between people is as fragile as a cicada's wing, let alone between rulers and subjects. And trust—has long been shattered into dust by centuries of chaos, beyond repair.

One should not have the intention to harm others, but one should not be without the intention to guard against others.

It seems that this female ruler understood this principle.

Shen Tang opened her mouth, but was speechless for a moment.

She thought Luo San had guessed her true identity and was contemplating whether to admit it or deny it when Luo San gave her a big surprise. He had clearly misunderstood, mistakenly believing that Shen Tang was a trusted confidante secretly working under orders from the king. Good heavens, if things had gone according to Luo San's script, Shen Tang would have suspected that he was a spy sent from above to test her, or perhaps someone with ulterior motives who wanted to turn her against him.

Shen Tang unconsciously scratched her cheek with her fingers.

He chuckled awkwardly, "Lord Luo has misunderstood."

She needs to think about how to say it without making things too awkward.

Luo San's surprise was written all over his face.

Who could have imagined that in a chaotic world where morality had collapsed, there could still be rulers and ministers who trusted each other? If this female ruler wasn't lying, then Luo San was simply overthinking things. If she was intentionally guarding herself and unwilling to reveal her true feelings, that was understandable. Ultimately, the problem stemmed from Luo San's overly abrupt and presumptuous actions. As a prisoner, speaking so rashly would have made any warlord with a modicum of caution think twice.

Thinking of this, Luo San understood: "Since the lady has no intention, just take what I just said as nonsense and don't take it to heart."

This successfully interrupted Shen Tang's attempt to explain.

Shen Tang: "..."

Sugeng County wasn't a large area, and its population was small. After months of siege, most of the refugees who could have fled had already done so. While not exactly deserted, the county was practically empty of people. Shen Tang had no choice but to roll up his sleeves and send people to count the population and prepare relief supplies. Besides distributing supplies and re-registering households, he also had to order the rubble cleared and fortifications built, keeping him incredibly busy.

"This speed is faster than ours."

The more exhilarating it was for Shen Tang to lead his troops to smash the wall, the more painful it was to send people to repair it. Before the repair and reconstruction, the parts that Luo San had previously built had to be dismantled, nearby stones had to be quarried, and the location of the city wall had to be replanned to make the distribution of buildings within the city more rational.

These tasks naturally required the participation of Luo San's former subordinates.

They were most familiar with Sugina County.

Looking at the bustling scene everywhere, the old subordinates felt dazed, as if in a dreamlike state—did they win or lose their battle with the enemy? It seemed that no matter which side won or lost, in the end, it was the same group of people working here.

What was the purpose of dismantling the house back then?

"Did we win or lose?"

Luo San's former subordinates: "..."

The thought of familiar faces sleeping forever on that battlefield, and the sight of people working and repairing without distinguishing between friend and foe, has led some to philosophical reflection—what is the meaning of war?

However, this problem did not trouble them for long.

The meaning of war is that it has no meaning.

If they don't attack others, won't others grab weapons, kick down their doors, plunder every grain of food, rob their relatives, and seize their houses and land? Nobody wants to be the one left with nothing, so they have to strike first.

A former colleague said, "We should be considered to have lost."

He pointed to a huge rock flying overhead and said something that no one could argue with: "If we win, the stones used to build the walls will roll on the ground, not fly in the sky."

A typical city brick weighs only forty to fifty pounds, is about 1.3 feet long, and about 4 inches thick, mostly in the form of bluish-gray strips. These bricks are only good for stopping ordinary people who cannot cultivate; they are completely ineffective against powerful martial artists or large-scale military formations.

Given the destructive power of the warriors, the bricks used to build the city walls were primarily quarried stones from nearby mountains. Each brick was cut to a specific ratio, with lengths measured in feet. The builders had to manually drag these massive stones from the quarry one by one, a laborious and inefficient process that resulted in heavy corvée labor, harsh conditions, and the loss of many civilians each time…

This caused ordinary people to tremble with fear at the mere mention of government conscription, preferring to join the army and go to the battlefield rather than become laborers.

Going to the battlefield may result in death, but there is also a small chance of turning your life around.

There is a high possibility that a person could be worked to death.

Nowadays, these city bricks that make people's legs go weak are no longer dragged on the ground, but are now flying in the sky. And the people who move the city bricks are all important figures - there is an order in the army that martial artists of the fifth rank or above are conscripted to move bricks and their military merits are calculated.

It doesn't matter if a fifth-rank doctor can't fly.

Dozens of ordinary people couldn't even carry one piece in a day, while a fifth-rank doctor could make more than twenty round trips in half a day, and if their martial energy was sufficient, carrying fifty wouldn't be a problem. Those who could fly were even more efficient. The only thing limiting the efficiency of building the city wall wasn't the manpower for transporting supplies, but the speed of quarrying.

Martial Warrior, a more user-friendly version of the Apprentice Plus.

Luo San: "..."

He rose at the crack of dawn, and when he strolled around in the morning, only a foundation had been cleared from the dismantled city wall. After returning to the dungeon to practice his spiritual exercises a few times, he would come out for lunch, and habitually stroll towards the garrison camp, noticing that the city bricks had been piled up in three layers. When he strolled around again in the evening, the bricks had been piled up to five layers…

Luo San: "..."

At that moment, a large shadow fell overhead. Looking up, he saw a giant python coiled around seven or eight city bricks, writhing in the sky. He simply couldn't use the word "fly" to describe its behavior.

If I remember correctly—

This reticulated python appears to be someone's martial arts totem.

Someone's strength seems to be that of an eighteenth-rank Grand Master.

If the grotesque, pupa-like dragon-python was Luo San's hallucination, then how do you explain the bow-backed whale that brings rain wherever it flies? This bow-backed whale was surrounded by a mass of salty seawater, its tail swaying as it flew low overhead. If you got close enough, you could even smell the seawater. Luo San stared in disbelief as the bow-backed whale wobbled to its destination, opening its mouth to spit out brick after brick.

Every brick in the city was wet.

It was covered in the saliva of a bowback whale.

However, as long as it works, that's fine.

Anyway, no enemy will stick their tongue out to lick this thing.

After unloading, the bow-backed whale let out a long roar, its tail transforming into martial energy as it returned to Luo Sha's tiger talisman. Only then did Luo San notice that Luo Sha had been sitting on the bow-backed whale's back the whole time. Allowing marine life to move in the sky inherently expends a significant amount of martial energy.

The size of the bowback whale added to the difficulty of the mission.

What are you doing?

Gong Xichou was shirtless, a thin layer of sweat clinging to his skin, glistening in the sunlight. He sat cross-legged on a city brick, munching on a fist-sized meat bun with relish. Seeing Luo San appear, Gong Xichou casually grabbed the tail of the Martial Gallant Totem and wiped the grease from his mouth: "You've come at the right time, let's get to work."

Why should he be the one to do the work while the prisoners are not?

Shouldn't Mama be biased towards herself?

Luo San: "...How could I, an old man, do such a thing?"

Gong Xichou rolled his eyes, propped himself up on his legs, and rested his elbows on the coiled Martial Gallant Totem, shifting all his weight onto the latter. The Martial Gallant Totem also encircled him, its snake head upright, its oppressive gaze following Luo San. Gong Xichou sneered contemptuously, "An eleventh-rank Right Watchman acting arrogantly? I'd take him down, let alone you?"

Luo San said in a cool tone, "Tsk, brat, do you dare to let this old man experience what it's like to be an eighteenth-rank Grand Master?"

If Gongxi dares to agree, he'll dare to stew snake soup tonight.

Gong Xichou curled his lip: "Tsk, old Deng."

Luo San watched from there for quite a while.

It was unexpected to discover that the people transporting the city bricks here were all martial arts masters, with strength at the fifth-rank physician level or above. Although their numbers weren't large, the fact that there wasn't a single ordinary person among them was chilling. What was even more chilling was that they didn't seem to have any objections.

This is quite rare among proud and courageous martial artists.

It's important to understand that even if martial artists participate in such projects, it's only under special circumstances—for example, when frontline fortifications are so urgent that conscription isn't feasible. Only in these situations are lower-ranking soldiers used as laborers. Martial artists of some rank might at most act as supervisors to suppress potential mutinies. Sending them as laborers? To do these lowly, arduous tasks?

The moment such an order is issued, a mutiny is about to break out.

No one can afford the risk of a mutiny.

"Where are the other soldiers?"

Gong Xichou said, "They've gone to repair the road."

The general has already done all the work, and the soldiers still want to rest?

Luo San: "..."

Are you sure they're not planning a coup?

The old man eventually couldn't resist his curiosity.

What was Gong Xichou's purpose in doing this?

Don't you think this is humiliating?

Gong Xichou wiped his sweat, touched the totem snake's head, and said in a resentful tone, "A younger brother with an older brother is just a blade of grass."

Let alone moving city bricks, even if you asked him to shovel manure, Gong Xichou would probably have to consider the consequences of not doing it.

Luo San: "..."

I don't really understand, but I know that Gong Xichou did it voluntarily.

Ask Luo the same question again.

Luo Sha blinked blankly: "Isn't this what should be done?"

Although the situation differed from what his grandfather had described—the status of a martial artist wasn't actually that high, and they couldn't do whatever they wanted—he was new here and needed to adapt to local customs as quickly as possible; he couldn't openly oppose anyone. Moving city bricks was nothing, not a battlefield job. There was no risk to his life, and he'd still receive military merit. Why should he object?

Ask other people—

Others complained, but they were given too much. One shouldn't give up military achievements and opportunities for a little "dignity."

They would rather die than suffer humiliation if given even a meager reward!

If it can be converted into military merits and achievements, or calculated on a per-unit basis?

Don't move, let them do this job!

Luo San fell into an eerie silence: "That's it?"

The general nearly jumped up in anger: "What do you mean 'that's all'? The higher-ups approved a military budget of 100 million! Do you know how many elite troops would be drawn from the army for such a large-scale renovation project under normal circumstances? At least 3,000, at most 5,000! And the deadline is one month to complete!"

This does not include various subsidies and living expenses.

Luo San didn't quite understand: "And then?"

The rope-throwing general leaned closer and whispered mysteriously, "Then, this budget will now be divided among these people."

Luo San: "...???"

The rope-throwing general gritted his teeth: "You think it's easy to snatch a spot?"

When the project was completed, there were indeed complaints from the subordinates, but not because of what Luo San was thinking. Rather, it was because the martial artists below the rank of fifth-grade doctor felt they were being treated unfairly. Why were they being blocked from entering? My lord has underestimated them!

Even the rope-throwing general and his trusted men were sent over to get a taste of the soup. They were tasked with helping to move the city bricks to a relatively open area, from where the generals would then carry them to their destination. This whole process counted as contributing, and the spoils would be distributed privately later.

The rope-dart warrior agreed with what his elder sister had said before.

This kind of fertilizer is quite common.

In the past, these tasks were always given to the soldiers, and martial artists with a certain level of skill were forbidden from participating, let alone competing with the soldiers for resources. If it weren't for the need to prioritize efficiency and time, they wouldn't have been sent on this project. Seeing that Luo San still didn't understand, the rope-dart general said, "If this project were to be done by the soldiers for three months, and there were five thousand people involved, if each person's martial merit was converted into rice, grain, fruit, and vegetables, it would be enough to feed a family of five for one or two years in Kangguo."

Luo San: "..."

He'll understand now.

Kangguo has a large population and a stable political situation. If managed carefully, it's reasonable for it to have a surplus of national fortune. Luo San did some mental calculations and finally concluded that this job wasn't impossible. However, he still had a problem.

"Why are there no old friends from Suginaga County?"

There are about ten martial arts practitioners of the fifth rank or higher in Suginaga County, not counting those still recovering from injuries. Where are the others? Surely it's not some deliberate workplace bullying? It's true that the benefits are unlikely to reach newcomers...

I rationally understand this principle, but I still feel uncomfortable about it.

The rope-dart warrior took a bite of a meat bun to replenish his strength.

He said, "They refuse to come."

Luo San: "..."

Shen Tang has never liked to force people to take on such obviously lucrative positions. If they want to come, they can; if not, someone else can. At least the news has been communicated. Good things only reveal their true value when they're in demand; forcing them on others makes them seem cheap.

He strode swiftly to find his former subordinates.

The former subordinates didn't look too good.

Upon seeing Luo San, they all concealed their worries and prepared to report only good news—just two days ago they were moved by all the preferential treatment they received, but today they revealed their true colors, so how could they complain? In any case, they couldn't let the old captain worry about them anymore.

Luo San immediately sought to verify whether the rope-bow captain's words were true or false.

"You knew all along?"

"true."

"...It's not that we're unwilling, it's just that they've gone too far." Several former subordinates said, their eyes reddening with grievance, but they were helpless. They were at the mercy of others, like fish on a chopping board, and could not resist. They could only swallow their grievances.

After a long pause, Luo San finally managed to utter, "...Foolish!"

∑(っ°Д°;)っ

There's no central heating here, so I have to turn on the air conditioner and heater in the study every night to make my fingers feel comfortable (I'm using a metal keyboard, which is super cold on my fingers). And then I discovered a problem: I started getting dandruff like crazy...

Is there a solution?