Chapter 364: Refugees and Bandits (Part 3) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Upon hearing this, the messenger's dull eyes immediately lit up. This news from Shen Tang was like a shot in the arm for him.

He knew perfectly well that Shen Tang was a sparsely populated area. Even though He Yin seemed to be doing alright, his entire fortune wouldn't be enough for those vagrants and bandits to eat in two bites. But the fact that they had taken the initiative to contact the other three families was a different story.

These four groups combined have at least 20,000 men.

It was impossible to quell the chaos caused by displaced people and bandits.

However, there was a high probability that they could be repelled and driven out of Luxia County. At the very least, they could buy precious time for the common people of Luxia County to evacuate, so that they would not die tragically at the hands of refugees and bandits.

The messenger was immediately moved to tears and bowed deeply once again.

"Shen Jun is benevolent and righteous, willing to lend troops to resist the bandits and save the countless innocent people of Lu... Although I have nothing of value, if I have the chance to serve Shen Jun in this life, I will give my life for him..."

Shen Tang helped him up before he could finish speaking.

"I am unworthy of such a grand gesture from the envoy."

It wasn't that she doubted the truth of the messenger's words.

She firmly believed that the messenger's words came from the bottom of his heart.

However, the messenger was from Luxia County, his family was also in Luxia, and he worked for a powerful and unjust family surnamed Lu. The possibility of him truly siding with Shen Tang was almost zero. This was similar to how Shen Tang, no matter how much he coveted Zhao Feng, never imagined that the man would switch sides.

Zhao Feng's relatives are all in Tianhai.

He came to repay a debt of gratitude, and Wu Xian didn't stop his salary, continuing to distribute military supplies and rations to his troops. Zhao Feng was a loyal and righteous man; it would be absurd for him to betray Wu Xian and switch sides to Shen Tang. Similarly, the messenger was in a similar situation.

Therefore, Shen Tang couldn't stand these empty promises.

He's a good person, but he's not hers.

It's better to just interrupt; if you don't listen, you won't get annoyed.

She said, “I have a sworn alliance with Duke Lu and we have fought side by side. How could I sit idly by when he is in danger? Besides, that group of refugees and bandits have been harming innocent people with bloody and heinous methods. Even if Duke Lu did not send anyone, I would still lead troops to his aid. I believe that anyone with a conscience would do the same. I am ashamed to accept the envoy’s many gifts.”

The messenger rose to his feet with an irresistible force from Shen Tang.

Her eyes became even redder.

I couldn't help but feel that the rumors weren't entirely false.

At least this Mr. Shen is a really good person.

The messenger felt somewhat at ease after receiving Shen Tang's promise. Shen Tang then arranged accommodations for him. Although he couldn't provide a proper welcome dinner, the thoughtful accommodations made the messenger feel comfortable.

He slept soundly, having not closed his eyes for several days.

I slept without a dream, and when I opened my eyes again, it was broad daylight.

The messenger got up and washed, driven by his biological clock.

I'm planning to find a secluded place to cultivate.

He hadn't gone far when he was drawn to the sound of loud shouts and cheers, and he followed the sound to its source.

Then they realized they seemed to have arrived at an open training ground. On the training ground, two figures were wrestling.

One of them was a young boy.

The other was a burly, adult man.

More than a hundred soldiers and civilians watched, shouting encouragement in loud voices. The messenger, caught up in the atmosphere, initially wanted to avoid suspicion, but seeing that there were civilians nearby watching with great interest, he guessed that this drill ground was not some "forbidden area" and joined the crowd.

After a contest of strength, the young boy proved to be the more skilled one.

Using his skill in applying force, he seized an opening and slammed his opponent to the ground, using both his hands and feet to suppress his opponent from getting up and counterattacking.

A soldier jumped up from the sidelines and started counting down for the two.

The countdown ended, and the burly man who had been pinned down was unable to break free.

"Hahaha, we won!"

As soon as the countdown ended, the young boy released his inhibitions and ran around the training ground, cheering as if showing off his victory. In contrast, the loser slumped back on the ground, his chest heaving, accepting the teasing with a sense of sullen resignation.

"Dali, you're not good enough!"

"How can such a baby who hasn't been weaned beat you?"

"His legs must have given way..."

"Haha, I told you you can't, and that's final..."

Hearing these taunts, the loser waved at the crowd with a mix of frustration and disgust, laughing and cursing, "Get lost! Get the hell out of here! What do you mean, 'can't I do'? I'm good enough! Didn't you see my skills when we went to the 'Perfume Shop' together for a bath? If I hadn't had an upset stomach today, the outcome would have been uncertain! This kid is putting in all his effort..."

Touching the area that was being suppressed, I felt so much pain that my mouth was crooked.

Clearly, the soldiers didn't accept his reasoning.

One soldier in the camp even teased, making a particularly sarcastic remark: "Hahaha, still using all your strength? People's been weaned for at least ten years, right? You've only been a few days, and you're already admitting your legs are weak and your arms are limp? We brothers won't laugh at you..."

The crowd of onlookers, especially a certain widow who wore a mysterious smile that could only be understood but not spoken, left tire tracks on their faces. Only the victorious little boy was still basking in the Makka Pakka, showing off his victory.

"Haha, junior sister, junior sister, do you think I can ask the teacher if I can go to the battlefield with Shen Jun to kill the bandits? I won, isn't that amazing?" The messenger noticed the victorious boy and said something to a young man.

Young Alang warned, "I told you not to call me 'Junior Sister'."

The young boy said, "Oh, it's just a habit, and besides, no one will say anything if I shout a few times..."

The other person said calmly, "You're not going out."

The messenger looked in the direction of the sound.

The young man, Alang, wore a simple, light blue scholar's robe, with a sachet and other miscellaneous items at his waist. The most striking item was his pink monogram with a unique design, the seal knob shaped like a rare wheat ear. Although the young man was slender, he stood upright, and compared to the disheveled, sweaty boy, he exuded a unique, refined, and casual elegance.

Her eyebrows and eyes were delicate and gentle, and her face was elegant and refined.

The messenger muttered, "She's strangely good-looking..."

Isn't it said that Heyin County is a poor and desolate place?

The people raised in such families are mostly misfits.

Although it is rare for a martial artist or a scholar to be ugly, yesterday's handsome young man named Bai Shaoxuan, the beautiful prefect Shen Jun, and this delicate young man... all of them are charming and captivating, judging from their appearances alone.

This riverbank can truly be described as a place where phoenixes and dragons gather.

The messenger was about to leave.

He wanted to wander around Fugu City to pass the time, and then go to the government office to inquire about the situation when the time was almost up.

Although Shen Jun said "at most two days," the messenger would still be anxious if he had to wait an extra hour, worried that Luxia County would not be able to hold out.

He needs to find something to distract himself.

As soon as he turned around, he was noticed.

The young man, Ah Lang, wearing a pink monogram, walked straight towards him. The messenger stopped, bowed, and introduced himself, as if to avoid any misunderstanding. Ah Lang returned the bow: "Mercenary, is there anywhere you wish to go?"

He asked, "Who is this young man?"

The young man smiled gently and introduced himself: "I am Lin Feng, a subordinate of the lord. Please call me 'Lingde'."

"Brother Lingde, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Tu Xiaoxiao Shaonian Rong: "..."

Sure enough, there's no shortage of blind people in this world.

People judge gender by appearance, but martial arts masters and scholars are judged entirely by their martial prowess and literary talent.

Alas, when will I be able to cultivate my martial spirit?

Tu Rong straightened his disheveled clothes after the fall: "Junior sister... ah, no, junior brother, is this the envoy from Luxia County who arrived yesterday?"

Lin Feng: "If you call me 'Junior Sister' again, I'll silence you."

Tu Rong: "..."

The messenger asked, "Is this young man also under Lord Shen's command?"

Tu Rong scratched his face.

He said, "Not really, I haven't condensed my martial spirit yet, but my teacher is Shen Jun's chief clerk... so, I can barely be considered one? Envoy, are there many bandits in Luxia County? How many? Several thousand or tens of thousands?"

In Tu Rong's view, this was already a very large scale.

The messenger's lips twitched: "There are tens of thousands of people..."

If it's only a few thousand or ten thousand, there's no need to ask for help.

Tu Rong opened his mouth slightly in surprise.

Lin Feng said, "Did you hear that? There are tens of thousands of people. Let alone the teacher, he would never agree. Even if the teacher did agree, the lord would not agree to you going to your death. He would throw you into the logistics as a cook, and he would think you are too greedy to walk fast enough."

Tu Rong pouted, looking aggrieved.

"Junior Sister—"

The messenger did not doubt Lin Feng's gender because of this, but only thought that the two brothers had a really good relationship. Soon he felt the energy of heaven and earth tremble, and the boy's mouth was tightly closed, with an incredulous look on his face.

messenger:"……"

They had a good relationship as fellow disciples, but they were also ruthless.

Lin Fengwen was not very eloquent, nor was he skilled at silencing people.

Therefore, Tu Rong was free after a few breaths.

He was so angry he wanted to stomp his feet.

But it just can't be triggered.

Because Lin Feng's skill in silencing was taught to him by his lord, who specifically instructed him—if you can't win an argument, force yourself to mute your microphone; only then can you remain invincible!

Even his own teacher, Chu Yao, couldn't stop this.

Lin Feng hadn't even finished learning the introductory "Ten Basic Rules for Literary Scholars," yet he was already able to control "silencing and suppressing speech," and he silenced Tu Rong the most. Because Lin Feng didn't have the ability to silence others yet, he could only use his senior brother as a practice subject.

The messenger chuckled to himself.

Lin Feng calculated the time and realized that Commandant Gong, who had taken the man out, would be back soon: "I have other matters to attend to, Senior Brother, please keep the envoy company first."

Tu Rong waved his hand: "Go ahead and do your work."

Sure enough, Lin Feng had just arrived at the camp when Gong Shuwu and Zhao Feng returned with a group of new recruits.

"Why is Lingde here?"

Lin Feng bowed and said, "Greetings, Commandant."

She came to deliver documents.

Regarding this month's military expenditure budget.

Because of the unexpected need to reinforce Luxia County, the initial allocation of grain was far from sufficient. Lin Feng, following his teacher's orders, negotiated with Gong Shuwu to verify the budget, so that the government could allocate funds.

We need to leave at any time; there's no time to lose.

Gong Shuwu has already finished his work.

These past few days he's been busy recruiting and training soldiers, and it's his deputy, Bai Su, who's been helping him with these military affairs.

Lin Feng quickly calculated the number in his mind, and there was no discrepancy.

She quickly closed the bamboo slips, bowed, and took her leave.

Zhao Feng still felt it was amazing as he watched Lin Feng leave.

They were even more surprised than when they suddenly learned that Bai Su was a martial arts master.

But it's still acceptable.

only--

Zhao Feng muttered, "The feng shui under Lord Shen's command is 'strange'..."

For over two hundred years, there hadn't been a single female scholar or martial artist, but in less than six months, two emerged, and they appeared in quick succession.

Gong Shuwu: "Perhaps it's a problem with the feng shui of He Yin."

After all, both of them changed after arriving in Heyin, which is known for its poor and harsh environment. It's normal for them to undergo some mutations after consuming the local water and food.

Knowing that Gong Shuwu was joking, Zhao Feng didn't take it to heart.

He only cared about one other thing.

"Half a step, do you think I'm qualified to go into battle this time?"

Before Gong Shuwu could reply.

He muttered to himself, "Logically, it should be..."

However, considering that Shen Jun's forces are few and far between, if I were to lead my troops to reinforce Lu Xia County in the name of my lord Wu Xian, the defenses of He Yin would be virtually empty. What if something unexpected happened during this time, such as being raided by bandits or refugees taking a roundabout route…

Alas, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But sending Gong Shuwu out to battle while he stays behind doesn't seem like a good idea... Letting Wu Xian's men guard Shen Tang's territory...

Doesn't Shen Jun have some thoughts on this?

Even true brothers wouldn't be this honest with each other.

This is truly bizarre and unprecedented.

Gong Shuwu asked, "Does Da Yi intend to go to war?"

Zhao Feng dared not agree casually.

I went over the contents in my head again and again.

After a long pause, he said, "That's not exactly what I think."

After nearly a year, Zhao Feng seemed to have forgotten the taste of blood. Looking at the flat land, the neat houses, the golden waves swaying in the wind, the people smiling happily, and the children playing and laughing, his sense of satisfaction was no less than the exhilaration of winning a battle.

seem--

It can have its purpose without fighting.

This was an idea Zhao Feng would never have had before.

In his youth, he was a fierce and belligerent man. In a fit of anger, he would storm the mountains at night and kill a hundred bandits with his bare hands. After the killing stopped, the bandits couldn't even piece together a complete corpse. He believed this was the destiny of a martial artist.

Powerful and warlike.

They came bathed in blood, and returned wrapped in horsehide.

Zhao Feng never imagined he would die of old age.

An overly comfortable life would only erode his will, causing his bronze mace to rust, his hands to become weak and powerless, and his attacks to lose their ferocity... This was what Zhao Feng had always thought. But to repay the debt of gratitude and to repay the life saved by Shen Tang, he endured it.

However, Zhao Feng realized that he seemed to be completely wrong.

Over the past year, his cultivation level has not regressed; in fact, due to his improved mental state, his cultivation has become twice as effective with half the effort, progressing faster than ever before. Even the bottleneck that had troubled him for so long showed signs of loosening. He had a premonition that he could break through again within two years!

Zhao Feng: "..."

This is very confusing.

Gong Shuwu, unaware of Zhao Feng's inner thoughts, simply laughed and said, "If we can also fight for righteousness, then you and I can fight side by side to defeat the bandits, and we can be considered comrades who share life and death."

Zhao Feng's lips twitched.

"Now that we're both gone, who will take over the defense of the River Governor's residence?"

It's completely empty; are they playing the "empty city" trick?

Gong Shuwu: "Is Zigu not up to the task?"

Xianyu Jian is young, but he's quite capable.

Zhao Feng shook his head: "He's too young and still needs to be polished."

Gong Shuwu stroked his chin, deep in thought.

"Let's see who Tianhai sends. Let them stay and guard Heyin. If we go out to fight, it'll be the same..."

Zhao Feng: "..."

Zhao Feng: "???"

Zhao Feng: "!!!"

The feng shui of Heyin seems to have a real problem.

Even more problematic is—

Gong Shuwu was not the only one who thought this way.

That's what Shen Jun thinks too.

The letter has already reached Wu Xian's hands.

Wu Xian was completely dumbfounded and asked his subordinates, especially Qin Li, "Is Shen Youli stupid?"

|ω`)

While typing tonight, I had a dry cough and noticed my throat was itchy and sore. I did some quick calculations and realized it's that time of year again when tonsillitis is frequent. I'll go get some anti-inflammatory medicine tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)