Chapter 327 Nightmare
"A-Zhu—!!!"
Overwhelmed by immense grief, she was nearly suffocated.
She felt as if her heart had been ripped out, leaving only the cold wind and sharp pain in her empty chest.
She tried to rush forward, but was swept back by the chaotic crowd, and could only watch helplessly as Azhu's figure was swallowed up by the flames of war.
However, the dream did not end; instead, it took on a completely different appearance.
The flames of war vanished, replaced by a pitch-black void.
Fang Shijie appeared in front of her without her noticing, grabbed her wrist with such force that he almost crushed her bones.
He was no longer the composed and reserved Sima in his official robes. Nor was he the polite and refined young master of the Great Yu Dynasty.
Instead, he was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit stained with gunpowder and blood, his eyes as cold as if he had just been pulled out of the ice, a judge coming to claim her life.
"You are a goddess! Isn't it your duty to save all living beings? Don't you gods believe in equality for all? Why do you only save the people of the Great Yu Dynasty, while watching the people of the Great Sheng Dynasty suffer?! Where is your equality? Where is your compassion?!"
Jiang Ling felt as if she had been struck hard by a hammer, and the pain was unbearable.
She struggled fiercely, but couldn't break free from Fang Shijie's grasp, and could only grit her teeth and retort:
"I never said I was a goddess!"
Fang Shijie scoffed, his gaze becoming even more aggressive. "Your shop has unlimited supplies! You have elixirs that can save lives! You have weapons that can take a life from a hundred meters away! Time hasn't left a single mark on your face! What else could you be but a goddess?!"
His voice grew increasingly agitated, almost roaring:
"The people of the Great Yu Dynasty are flesh and blood, and so are the people of the Great Sheng Dynasty! They were originally evenly matched, but your appearance has completely shattered that balance!"
In an era when everyone had cold weapons, the destructive power of firearms was simply devastating!
Jiang Ling felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Every word Fang Shijie said was like a knife, piercing precisely into the depths of her heart.
Her face was deathly pale, her lips trembled, and she tried to explain, but found her throat blocked and unable to make a sound.
"Even if you're not a goddess, since you have the ability to save people, why don't you save the people of the Great Sheng Dynasty? Wasn't Hu Zi good to you? A Zhu died tragically under swords while trying to save you, and Granny Sang gave you the last of her food. The villagers of Jishui Village have been kind to you, but do you think the villagers of Shijia Village have a grudge against you? Are you just going to stand by and watch them die?!"
Every word struck Jiang Ling's heart like a heavy hammer.
She suddenly exerted her strength, slapped Fang Shijie's hand away, took a few steps back, and her voice choked with emotion:
"No! I didn't want them to die! I don't want to see anyone die, and I hope no one dies! I selfishly hope that everyone around me lives well, lives a long and healthy life, and is peaceful and happy..."
She covered her face, squatted down, and burst into tears, crying out, "But why must we fight? Why must we fight?! What are you all fighting for?!"
Fang Shijie stood before her, his tone gradually calming down, yet carrying a heavy sorrow: "We are fighting for a life. Fighting for the hope that our descendants can live in peace."
The northern border is barren and plagued by constant warfare, and the people of the Great Sheng Dynasty are already overburdened.
What they were fighting for was nothing more than a piece of land where they could cultivate it peacefully, a mouthful of food to fill their stomachs, and a future where they no longer had to live in fear.
Fang Shijie's voice turned cold again.
"If you can't treat everyone equally, then you should sit firmly on your high platform and ignore the suffering of people! Instead of showing favoritism and helping the people of the Great Yu Dynasty while helping the people of the Great Sheng Dynasty!"
Overwhelmed by immense despair and guilt, she could barely breathe.
She suddenly opened her eyes, her chest heaving violently, her forehead covered in cold sweat, and her whole body trembling.
Outside the window, the sky was still a thick, inky black, far from dawn.
Jiang Ling sat up and leaned against the headboard, unable to sleep all night.
That evening, after evening classes ended, the children dispersed.
Jiang Ling did not immediately return to the house, but instead called out to Master Yan, who was about to leave, and Azhu, who was helping to tidy up Old Man Shi.
"Master Shi, Master Yan, I have something important to discuss with you." Jiang Ling's tone was unusually serious, lacking her usual gentleness and casualness.
Seeing her solemn expression, Old Shi felt a chill and put down his farming tools: "Miss Xiao Qiu, has something happened?"
Master Yan also put down his book and came over.
Jiang Ling lowered her voice, "It's news about the war. I'm worried that the war will break out soon, and our Shijia Village is located on the border, so we'll hardly be spared. I'd like to discuss with you two how to make some preparations in advance, so as to protect the villagers."
All three of them were taken aback.
Old Shi walked over silently and sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard. “I understand Miss Xiao Qiu’s feelings. But you are new here and may not know this. Our Shi family village has lived on the border for generations. As far back as I can remember, we have experienced several wars, big and small. The method passed down from generation to generation is to hide in the caves in the back mountains. That place is relatively secluded, there is water in the caves, we can take some food and wait for a while until the war is over before coming out. Although it is difficult, it has saved many lives.”
Master Yan stroked his beard without speaking, but his brows furrowed even more deeply, clearly indicating that he was thinking more deeply than Master Shi.
Azhu continued, following her grandfather's words, "Yes, Sister Xiaoqiu, you don't need to worry too much. The big cave in the mountains is very safe; we used to hide there!"
Jiang Ling shook her head: "Elder Shi, Azhu, this time... is probably different from any other time. Before I went north with the caravan, I heard that the Great Yu Dynasty had acquired a brand-new siege weapon called 'gunpowder.' Its power far surpasses that of ordinary swords and arrows..."
In the past, when the Daewoo and Daesheng dynasties went to war, they mostly adopted an attitude of evenly matched strength, switching between defense and offense, and everyone kept a backup plan.
But now that the Great Yu Dynasty has gunpowder as a weapon, they won't let this opportunity slip by. They will definitely launch an attack with all their might.
After listening to Jiang Ling's description of the power of gunpowder, Master Shi and Master Yan looked at each other in disbelief: "That thing... is it really that terrifying?"
Jiang Ling met their gazes and nodded with utmost seriousness, each word resounding: "It will only be more terrifying than I describe. It will be enough to change the rules of the battlefield."
Master Yan took a deep breath, his voice strained: "If that's really the case... then how should we deal with it? Wouldn't we be... left with no way to retreat, no way to avoid it?"
Seeing that they finally realized the seriousness of the problem, Jiang Ling immediately said:
“Master Shi, Master Yan, I thought about it carefully last night. Although the cave behind the village is hidden, it may not be able to protect everyone. I want to go and see the cave for myself before making any plans.”
Since the matter concerned the survival of the entire village, Old Man Shi and Master Yan had no further objections and immediately nodded in agreement.
Master Yan summoned two hunters familiar with the terrain of the back mountain to guide the way, while Old Man Shi brought a hammer and chisel to check the sturdiness of the cave.
Jiang Ling followed closely behind, and the group walked towards the back mountain as the evening glow set in.
The mountain road was rugged, and the snow had not yet melted. Jiang Ling's steps were still a little unsteady, but she gritted her teeth and kept up.
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