Chapter 147 Spring Rain 2
Alexander was speechless. His temples twitched more violently, like the tentacles of a dying octopus, bouncing continuously. "Did the spy planted in Ankang City send any news?"
The attendant nodded. "They've sent word that Ankang City is heavily guarded, and its fighting capacity is only slightly worse than before. Even after a decisive battle, you won't gain any advantage."
“Damn it!”
Alexander cursed softly, and his hands gripping the throne tightened like eagle claws.
He originally thought that he could take advantage of Lin Muqiu's busy schedule after the decisive battle to gain an advantage and become the new overlord, but he didn't expect that his plan would fail at this moment.
Despite all his calculations, he hadn't anticipated Lin Muqiu's sudden attack, demanding he hand over the strategic map. Meanwhile, the Ankang City retainers and the Elda Knights, like a swarm of dragons and crouching tigers, steadfastly guarded Ankang City's external security.
Everything was so well organized except their area.
This is impossible unless...
Lin Muqiu had made plans from the beginning.
Alexander stroked the hilt of his sword and smiled a creepy smile. "Okay, I'll give you the strategic map."
"Sir?" The servant was very surprised. He didn't expect that he would be so receptive.
"Of course, it was fake."
In the empty room, that icy voice was colder than shards of glass in the winter moon, chilling the entire body and giving rise to goose bumps. Alexander continued with a cold, sarcastic tone, "There's only so much time left for the natural disaster. By the time they realize it's fake, they'll be completely overwhelmed."
"Well, you send more spies to Ankang City, claiming they're going to help the Ankang City Volunteer Corps and wait until the war is over..."
He paused, as if watching a joke, and said, "If Ankang City still has enough strength to defend itself, then strike it hard from within."
The palace was ablaze with golden light, so intense that you could have heard a pin drop. The attendant felt as if his throat was clogged with phlegm, unable to breathe either up or down. Shocked and astonished, he dared not answer.
After a long while, he finally gritted his teeth and stammered, "Sir, natural disasters are the common enemy of all mankind..."
Alexander had not expected that his usually obedient servant would dare to disobey him. His expression suddenly changed, and he drew his sword and attacked, "Then you will die too!"
Before he finished speaking, a woman's cold voice suddenly rang out from the palace, "Do you think you can stay out of this?"
"What?"
Alexander held the hilt of his sword in surprise, squinting his eyes to try to figure out where the sound came from.
"The ultimate natural disaster only said it would occur within the continent. It never said it wouldn't spread to the entire continent."
The woman's voice was clear and calm. "Handing over the strategic map wasn't just for Ankang City. It was also so that if something unexpected happened, each continent would have enough resources to protect each other."
"You, stop spreading rumors and misleading people!" Alexander stood up from the throne, cold sweat running down his back.
He knew that what the woman said was most likely true.
"Oh," the woman said with a light and thin laugh, "If you really don't understand what I'm saying, I know a little bit about fighting."
Alexander:?
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a sudden surge of pressure like a gust of wind and rain, nearly crushing his bones. With a creaking sound, it forced his knees to bend and kneel. As soon as his knees touched the icy ground, an icicle suddenly sped towards his eyes.
The pupils suddenly contracted and a chill ran down my bones.
When there were only a few centimeters left, he suddenly grabbed the ice pick. It was so strenuous that all the blood in his body seemed to have solidified. The fishy and sweet blood surged up from his mouth, making his arms tremble with cold, but he didn't dare let go.
The ice cone gradually approached his suddenly shrinking pupils. The icy cold made his eyelids tremble, and he was even unable to close his eyes.
The fear seemed to twirl and knot inside my internal organs, like a twisted dough stick, round and round.
"I'll pay!"
With trembling hands, he pressed the transfer button on the strategic map.
"I advise you not to play any tricks."
The pressure suddenly disappeared, as if it were nothing but a breeze.
He was spitting blood and gasping for breath.
This was the closest he had ever been to death.
Before he could catch his breath, several figures suddenly fell from the sky. He was startled and fell backwards with a thud.
But he found that it was not a "person" at all, but a corpse that looked like a blood gourd, with blood trickling out of it.
If he wasn't a spy sent out by him, then what was he?
"ah!"
The stench of blood stimulated his senses and made him vomit.
Only then did he understand what Lin Muqiu meant: people cannot leave Ankang City, but corpses can.
Only then did he realize that his every move had been under the other party's surveillance.
*
The other side.
The Western Chamber of Commerce's carriage was traveling on the continent.
Marissa received Lin Muqiu's message and sneered, "He's still so foolish. He doesn't even realize the current situation. The entire continent is preparing for the ultimate natural disaster. Even if he wanted to, could he really count on mobilizing the Central Guard?"
A hint of embarrassment appeared on Nicole's originally proud face, and she coughed twice.
She quietly raised her eyes to the side, where the carriage of the Duke of Northern Ross was following closely behind, and she understood that her mother still had resentment about the original marriage.
However, she had no right to comment on her parents' love and hatred. "It's okay. Didn't Lin Muqiu imprison him with a magic shield? At least there will be no unsafe factors before and after the natural disaster."
"Yeah." Marissa wasn't one to care about things. "After all, he's one of the few people who disregards danger and only pursues personal gain."
After saying that, she looked around disdainfully. There was a constant stream of traffic, and people coming from all corners of the world, almost all of them carrying goods from Ankang City Fengxi Express. They were talking and laughing, driving on the official road, delivering goods for Lin Muqiu free of charge and solving his troubles.
Marissa raised the corners of her lips and seemed to be talking to herself, "Lin Muqiu, Lin Muqiu, you are really loved by everyone. Back then, even I didn't have such great abilities as you."
Nicole curled her lips. "Okay, mother, are you reminiscing about the glorious past again? And you still have to compare yourself with Lin Muqiu. Sometimes it's like... well!"
Before she could finish, Marissa covered her mouth with her hand and said, "You're just exposing my secrets."
*
In the evening, a breeze blew by, and the lights outside Ankang City were bright, just like daytime.
There was a rumbling sound outside the city, with thunder coming from time to time, and the sound of rain was sparse and a bit bleak.
Despite this, carriages continued to arrive in droves, covered in raincoats and laden with goods. Hand in hand, merchants passed their goods into the protective covers, nodded solemnly to the people of Ankang City, and continued their journey back through muddy shoes.
The city was peaceful and rainless. This was probably some compensation given by the system to Ankang City, allowing the city to develop its economy with peace of mind.
More and more people joined the construction team for free, working overtime and staying up late. Wind mages blew rubble to swordsmen, who laid the walls while builders applied cement. Everything was so orderly and joyful:
"Look! The wall I built is strong and good!"
"That's really impressive. It's hard for you, swordsmen and magicians, to do all this, unlike us rough guys with tanned and rough hands."
"Well, now that all professions are equal, why are you saying this? With the natural disaster approaching, we should all contribute to the town. Besides, actually...actually, I prefer masonry. I've already made up my mind. After the natural disaster is over, I'm going to take the architect's license exam. I want to change careers."
Everyone was shocked, and their hands stopped building the wall: "You must be joking, brother, swordsmen are so popular!"
"No, I'm serious. I just thought that I was more talented as a swordsman and would be paid better, so I went to learn it. But when the ultimate natural disaster came, I suddenly woke up. This is not what I want."
Everyone was stunned for a moment and nodded in confusion.
They originally had no idea about the ultimate natural disaster, but this person reminded them:
People will eventually die, but they can choose to live their lives with the people and things they love.
Everyone seemed lost in thought, wondering what unfulfilled wish they had:
"When the disaster is over, I want to learn ballet."
"If possible, I'd like to take a few days off and take my daughter to the playground at Civilian College."
"Pfft. Could you guys stop being so serious? There's still time to change everything."
“…”
The lights never go out all night long, and the tungsten filament lamps shine brightly all night long under the blazing firelight. Time seems to be frozen in the laughter and conversation of the people around.
The lord's hall was also brightly lit.
Unlike the joy in the town, there was anxiety inside the house.
Lin Muqiu was anxiously eating the fruits and vegetables displayed at the conference. He had stockpiled too many without realizing it, and if he didn't eat them soon, the fruits would go bad.
Everyone watching her eat: "..."
You're crazy.
Lin Muqiu coughed and regained his serious tone, "Let's start the meeting now."
After saying that, she projected the Lord System page into the hall. It was marked with many line graphs and data volumes. A quick glance at it made the people sitting below wipe their mouths after eating mangoes, looking extremely serious.
The long seats seem like a natural chasm.
The heads of various departments sat in their seats according to categories. There was the old mayor Cedro who was in charge of everything, Augustine who was in charge of the guards, Cesare who was in charge of the affairs of the academy, and professors of various departments such as Medea Mario and so on.
This was a very serious meeting, held on the eve of the mainland.
Lin Muqiu took out his teaching stick and pointed at the main route on the map. "The dukes have handed over their strategic maps and opened the land route. The recent acid rain incident has been partially resolved and will not affect Ankang City's grain storage. Rest assured, everyone."
Kede Luo looked at the map of the continent and suddenly saw clarity. He was a little bit unbelievable. "I didn't expect that the land line would really be opened. These dukes are willing to hand over their power. It's really strange that I'm not used to it."
Lin Muqiu sighed: "Maybe this is the power of a max-level boss."
Everyone: “…”
Do you have to be so dry and humorous?
"But we must not take it lightly," Augustine said. "When natural disasters strike, there will be many people on the continent who seek to profit from them, just like Alexander."
"you mean?"
Augustine replied, "With the recent natural disasters on the continent, many towns are transporting goods, or civilians are voluntarily serving Ankang City without compensation. This is a good thing, but in the eyes of those with ulterior motives, they are more like fat lambs to be slaughtered."
"I mean, there have been too many looting cases lately. Even with the locks on the items, thieves wouldn't dare touch the items in Ankang City, but they would kidnap and extort."
Lin Muqiu held his chin in his hand and pondered, "This is indeed a difficult matter. After all, they have suffered this misfortune in order to help us. How can we just sit back and do nothing?"
The other departments in charge felt a warm feeling in their hearts and nodded slightly, "Your Excellency is right."
When natural disasters strike the mainland, the depths of human nature become increasingly apparent.
Some people will rob and do evil behind your back without mercy or justice, but there are also people who can turn the tide.
Fortunately, there will always be more of the latter.
What then was there for them to fear? Their lord was merciful, as he always was and still is today.
They always believe that the woman in front of them can lead them to happiness. They believed it before and they still believe it today.
"Your Excellency is absolutely right."
Augustine's eyes were filled with admiration. "Besides, the amount of goods that can be transported by land is really limited, and the losses are still huge."
"Unfortunately, we are ill-equipped and our forces outside the city are too busy to post personnel along the way to protect them," Cesare interjected, his face full of regret.
"What if I could design a long-range weapon?"
Lin Muqiu suddenly spoke up, shocking everyone. "We're designing it now, and we're going to mass-produce it now. Isn't it too late?"
"It's still in time," Lin Muqiu said with a smile, "It can also get the suspended air lines of the Wind Express Station running again."
"What?" Everyone was surprised.
"It's okay, just wait and see." Lin Muqiu smiled and said, "Does anyone have anything else to say?"
Seeing that no one had anything to report, she coughed guiltily, "Since everyone has no questions, may I make one final request?"
Everyone's eyes were fixed on her, their throats rolling, their eyes filled with worry: If Lord Lin could bring up something at the end, wouldn't that be very important?!
They clenched their fists nervously, "Sir, please tell me, no matter what it is, we will do it for you, even if it means risking our lives!"
Lin Muqiu pointed at the bananas and fruits with an innocent look in his eyes. "I'm so tired from working overtime in the middle of the night. It would be a waste if I couldn't finish all the fruit... So, can I take some of the fruit I bought with my government money home to eat?"
Everyone silently put down the apples and oranges they had secretly hidden in their pockets: "...No one is competing with you."
*
The lord's hall somewhere.
"I'm so sorry. There have been a lot of thieves lately, and too many people are pretending to be from the Ankang Army. I'm so sorry that I mistook you for me."
"It's okay, it's okay."
The Ankang City mercenaries were restless and terrified when faced with Xavier's repeated apologies. "It's really okay."
When they saw Xavier's gray hair and his back bent like a crutch, they couldn't help but think of their parents. They said softly, "We will do our best to deliver the express for you. Don't worry."
Xavier smiled softly, "Thank you."
They sat by the window, tacitly understanding each other, for a long while, neither of them speaking, letting the acid rain corrode the building, pattering. It was a quiet, cold afternoon, and even though the sun was rising, it was still damp and cold inside.
Tick, tick.
The water splashed at the mercenary's feet, causing him to wince slightly from the cold.
He hadn't expected the lord's hall to be so dilapidated, even leaking in the spring. Acid rain had corroded the walls, creating a musty smell. The cracked walls were damp, and the plaster was clattering, threatening to collapse.
This lord is quite honest.
He sighed.
Unfortunately, it rained all night. Even with the help of a group of people like them, the shelf life of bread is short, and it is easy to mold during the rainy season. Human power can never be faster than the power of the wind. I am afraid...
It has to be said that the closure of the Fengxi Express Station is a huge loss to the entire continent.
"It can't be helped," Weiser said, seeing what they were thinking. "Every business has its ups and downs. You've already helped me a lot."
As he spoke, he poured a cup of barley tea and placed it in front of the mercenary, "Warm yourself up."
The mercenary was stunned. "Thank you."
He stroked the barley teapot. It was still cold in spring, but the teapot was warm.
The mercenary suddenly clenched his fists and said, "There must be a way."
As he spoke, he opened the online shopping system and read through it quickly, trying to find the solution given by Lord Lin.
Unfortunately, no matter how he searched or used keywords, he found nothing.
The mercenary clenched his teacup and wondered: Could it be that Lord Lin made umbrellas out of the rainproof fabric in order to make more money by selling more of the same material?
With tentativeness, he silently searched for special umbrellas, and then the page silently popped up [Condoms].
Mercenary:?
Please don't be ridiculous.
Wiesel:?
What do you usually search for?
Seeing the mercenary's pupils tremble, Weiser quickly changed the subject: "Don't worry, if we develop a rainproof material, Lord Lin will definitely announce it."
"No, you don't understand," the mercenary said, taking an awkward sip of tea. "Given Lady Lin's personality, if she had special rainproof materials, she would have immediately made a killing online shopping for them. Otherwise, she wouldn't have developed them."
Wiesel:?
The two were speechless when Wiesel's system suddenly alerted them: "Ding! We've detected your recent use of Wind Express. We're dispatching an order for you."
"Ding! Congratulations on receiving 8 sets of space necklaces (free trial period of 20 days). Please tie them to the delivery box to absorb rainwater and achieve a waterproof effect."
"Please store the rainwater properly, as Ankang City will need it."
"Congratulations, Fengxi Express has been reactivated. Ankang City will always be there for you."
“…”
The two looked at each other in shock, and received a message from each other's eyes:
Lord Lin is using the precious space necklace as waterproof material?!
Weiser was incredulous. "Free?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the mercenary with a hint of suspicion and worry, his eyes seemed to say clearly: Lord Lin is so kind-hearted, how could he be as stingy and greedy as you said, you are not lying to me, are you?
"No, you don't understand."
The mercenary remained calm. "If Lord Lin can sell things for free, it must be because there is a greater profit to be made."
"ha?"
Weiser's suspicion grew even more intense: "Grabbing...rainwater?"
Mercenary: “…”
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