Chapter 812: Shen Jun, the Subject of Rumors [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Hunger, disease.
The roadsides were lined with corpses, and the bodies of starving people lay piled up like pillows.
The vast wilderness was devoid of any greenery. A hundred or so refugees, their faces numb, slowly made their way in a certain direction. Along the way, every now and then, a skeleton covered in rotting flesh could be seen. Mosquitoes swarmed, maggots wriggled, and a thin, sunken-cheeked child squatted nearby, swallowing hard, grabbing a few maggots and stuffing them into his mouth. His eyes were as fierce and resolute as a lone wolf's.
Suddenly, a kick came.
She was caught off guard and fell hard forward.
Strangely, she didn't turn around to see who had kicked her. Ignoring the pain in her forehead, she scrambled forward. The person who kicked her seemed surprised by her reaction, standing frozen for a moment. The next instant, they reacted and strode after her.
"Don't run!"
"You little brat!"
"Stop right there!"
Despite the vast difference in their sizes, driven by a survival instinct, the child inexplicably unleashed a burst of potential, leaping incredibly fast. Her heart pounded like a drum; she dared not stop. She knew all too well what would happen if she were caught!
She would become, like the neighbor's younger brother who was swapped, pieces of roasted, fragrant meat, or a pot of mouthwatering soup.
"Don't run—"
"Damn it, that little brat runs fast!"
The man was so thin he looked like a skeleton covered in human skin. He hadn't had a proper meal in ages; his last meal was just two days ago. Lacking the strength, he worried that grabbing the little girl from behind would cause her to struggle violently, wasting his energy. So, he launched a sneak attack from behind, delivering a vicious kick. He thought this kick would be enough to knock her down, but to his surprise, she darted forward faster than a rabbit.
"Pah—you're lucky to be alive!"
This scene was witnessed by a group of refugees.
That little girl was alone; either she got lost or her adult was in an accident. No one cares when a child goes missing like that. If life were peaceful, they might be happy to be good people, but now they're all struggling to survive themselves, how could they possibly care about others? Heh, out of sight, out of mind.
The line of numb people was still slowly inching forward.
They fled all the way, losing all their belongings or having them looted by soldiers and bandits countless times, leaving them with no food at all.
At first, they could manage to get some food, but as the refugee group grew larger, food became increasingly scarce. Eventually, they ate grass roots where they could find them, tree bark where they could find it, and when nothing else was available, they drank water. Some strong young men would secretly get up in the middle of the night, disappear for several hours, and return before dawn. They didn't say anything, but everyone knew the truth.
Everyone was becoming increasingly pale and emaciated, so hungry that they didn't even have the strength to speak, yet these people still maintained a rosy complexion.
Until finally, I was so hungry that I couldn't stand it anymore.
They exchanged children to eat, using the food to satisfy their hunger.
However, this method cannot last long.
The refugees looked at each other with fierce, beast-like hunger, but none dared to break the balance first. No one could guarantee they would be the one to eat; they too might become food. One after another, people starved and died of disease.
Their deaths prolonged this delicate balance for several days.
finally--
The atmosphere was still broken.
However, it is good news.
A refugee who had been missing for a long time returned with good news.
There was a recruitment drive nearby, and those selected would be served unlimited food! They wanted both men and women, the elderly and children. As he spoke, he pulled a large amount of dry rations from his pocket and spread them out for everyone to see: "This is all you can eat!"
Glug—
The loud sound of swallowing saliva reached everyone's ears. They thought it was someone else's, but it was actually their own.
A dirty, unrecognizable child reached out a pair of black hands and snatched two pieces of his dry rations with lightning speed. He stuffed them into his mouth and chewed them with a ferocious expression. The refugee, seeing this, was so angry he wanted to slap them both.
The little girl opened her eyes wide with a sinister and fierce look, dodged his hand that was about to tear her apart, and shouted indistinctly, "You've been eating as much as you want, what's wrong with me eating a piece of yours?"
Her shout spurred the refugee to stop, his teeth chattering with rage as he spat out, "Yes, all-you-can-eat... but you're such an ill-mannered child, born of a mother but not raised properly. This is meant to be shared, how could you steal it?"
The little girl stared wide-eyed and remained silent.
Patting his chest, he finally managed to swallow the dry rations stuck in his throat, and the other refugees also received a few small pieces. The rations had been sitting for a while, tasted a bit sour, and were even less palatable than mud, yet many were moved to tears.
The refugees, who had taken out their own food, offered words of comfort.
"Why are you crying? Come with me, and we'll all have a full stomach! You know Lord Shen, right? He may lack many things, but he never lacks food. Before, when the tyrant was still alive, he robbed us of all our food. Didn't he share it with us? Have you all forgotten, folks? Following him will ensure you have a full stomach!"
Then, the refugee vividly described his treatment after joining the conscription: he was well-fed and well-clothed, and his life was so good that he wouldn't trade it for being the king! Among the crowd were people from Yanzhou, who naturally knew that Shen Tang had gritted his teeth and spared grain to help the disaster victims even when the war was at its most intense! The person in front of them spoke with great enthusiasm, and they immediately believed him to some extent.
At this point, it was the little girl who spoke up to question it.
"You say you're dressed well?"
The refugee said, "Yes!"
"Then why are you dressed so poorly?"
The refugee, nearly suffering a heart attack from the questioning, glanced at the girl with a sinister, murderous intent, but quickly concealed it. He was quick-witted; before anyone could waver or become suspicious, he had already devised a reason, even turning the tables: "If I were wearing the nice clothes Shen Jun gave me, I'd be robbed long ago. When there are benefits, I naturally want to give them to my own people first. What's wrong with you, kid? Can't stand to see everyone doing well? You're so wicked!"
Although the girl sensed something was wrong, she was still young and didn't know what to do in the face of so many people's condemning and disgusted gazes.
She was aware of the malicious stares around her and chose to remain silent.
Without her intervening, the refugee's vision successfully lured a group of people who were starving, weak, and obsessed with filling their stomachs. Most people have a herd mentality; seeing more and more people choosing to believe, they followed suit. The little girl tried to run, but a thin, strong hand gripped her shoulder tightly.
"Let go of me—"
"Kid, it's too dangerous for you to be alone."
Without saying another word, he took her away as well.
She struggled in vain and was secretly pinched and twisted, and was even threatened in a low voice: "If you don't behave, I'll do it to you right now!"
Seeing the terror in those eyes, the refugee was satisfied.
Perhaps it was the glimmer of hope that brought a hint of a smile to their numb faces. For the sake of the food, they were eager to know everything about this kind man, Shen Jun. A few, driven by vanity, immediately fabricated false information.
At first, fake news was quite common.
For example, they do not disturb civilians during wartime and even provide food for refugees.
After that, the art style changed in an outrageous direction.
Such as food shortages and lack of medicine, a filial son risked his life to stop Shen Jun in the street to beg for help in order to save his mother.
This Mr. Shen, pitying the hardships of the common people, actually ordered someone to bring a knife and cut flesh from his wrist to draw blood. The filial son cooked the flesh and blood for his mother to eat, and the next day she was full of energy again.
"Hiss—this is fake, isn't it?"
Some people get hand pain just thinking about the image of cutting flesh with a knife.
Immediately, someone jumped out to refute it.
"How could it be fake? I saw it with my own eyes. The neighboring village was ravaged by plague and almost everyone was dying. Then Shen Junci poured a bowl of blood into the well water! Guess what? The whole village drank the water from that well and recovered in just a few days!"
“Yes, yes, yes—I’ve heard people say that too.” Another refugee chimed in, recounting a similar story.
Then some people said that Shen Jun could turn into grain.
"With a wave of his hand, an entire granary was filled!"
"Really? Really?"
"I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be fake?"
As more and more people mentioned things like "my neighbor's village is like this and that", "my relative is like this and that", "I heard about someone on the road and that they did this and that", people became completely convinced that this Mr. Shen had the ability to ensure they had enough to eat and wear.
Even if they were to take up arms and go to the battlefield, they would only be sending themselves to their deaths. But Shen Jun, who has three heads, six arms, is ten feet tall, and is full of muscles, can fill hundreds of granaries with a wave of his hand. Why would he be stingy with their food?
As the rumors became increasingly outrageous, no one questioned them anymore.
No, there are still people who have doubts.
The girl huddled in the corner bit her lower lip, her eyes darting around, trying to find a way to escape. She didn't believe in this Shen Jun; food was so precious, those nobles barely had enough for themselves, why would they share it with lowly commoners like them? The adults around her were spouting lies, some of their words incoherent; only a fool would believe them!
Before she could think of a solution, a chorus of hooves approached.
The refugees tensed up instantly, their nerves on edge.
The refugees who had come to recruit soldiers with their own rations breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing no sign of panic. They approached with forced smiles and muttered amongst themselves. The skilled soldiers gradually relaxed, their gazes sweeping over the group, and said, "Well done!"
After praising the man, she turned back to him.
"You can all rest assured!"
Although his tone was harsh, he lacked the ferocity of those soldiers and bandits.
The mounted soldiers didn't rob them; instead, they sent one of them to lead the way. The refugees, overjoyed, wept tears of happiness. With hope in their hearts, their weak steps became much firmer. Half an hour later, a camp came into view.
The camp was not large, and soldiers patrolled everywhere.
The recruiting refugees pointed ahead, their voices ringing out: "Right here! Go in, and everyone will have food!"
"There's food..."
"Waaaah, there's food..."
The camp did not stop them; upon hearing that they had come to participate in the recruitment, they readily let them pass. They were then divided into men and women and sent to different areas. The expected continuous supply of dry rations did not arrive; instead, they were taken to a pool of water.
"Sir, when can we eat?"
The soldier looked everyone up and down: "Go wash up first."
His eyes held undisguised disdain.
The weather had been hot lately, and the stench emanating from everyone could be smelled from several meters away. Despite their disgust, they dared not question the soldiers carrying weapons. One by one, they obediently took off their clothes and stepped into the pool, which was very large but not deep.
An adult sitting in the water is just above their neck.
With no guards nearby, everyone felt safe enough to scrub and wash themselves.
The pool water wasn't very clean, but it was refreshingly cool, and I felt much better after bathing. To avoid being criticized for being dirty, I even washed my clothes in the pool, wrung them out until they were half-dry, and put them back on. A little while later, another soldier came to lead the way.
"Sir, where are we going?"
When will we be able to get something to eat?
The soldier snapped impatiently at the crowd, his eyes filled with malice: "Shut your mouths! Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask!"
Everyone was so frightened that they dared not utter another word or urge them on.
Soon, everyone was taken to a very large camp.
The camp was quite large, seating a couple hundred people if they sat close together. When the group arrived, there were already about twenty people inside. The group was puzzled, but they obediently cooperated. Bored, they started chatting with those beside them.
Afraid that the other person wouldn't notice him, he nudged them with his elbow and asked curiously, "Is the food that Shen Jun gave you tasty?"
The man glanced at it weakly.
The next moment, he turned his eyes away.
Why aren't you responding?
The twenty or so people were unusually quiet, their expressions even more numb than before, which made everyone sense something was wrong.
So he asked again, "Have you eaten yet?"
Finally, the other party responded, immediately launching into an unfriendly tirade of curses: "Eat, eat, eat! Why don't you eat your parents? You'll be the ones getting eaten soon, you're so noisy!"
These words were like a thunderclap in my ears.
They couldn't believe what they were hearing.
What does "it's their turn to be eaten" mean?
"Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!"
A series of noisy sounds came from the distant camp.
"Let me out! I'm not staying here!"
But after a few screams, the noise subsided, and everyone who hadn't seen what happened knew what had happened; their faces turned deathly pale.
Everyone has been scammed!
The little girl was so frightened that she shrank back into the crowd.
Not long after, a group of soldiers came in and dragged the man out. No matter how much he struggled, it was useless. The soldiers, with fierce expressions, plunged a knife into the man's chest. Grabbing the man by the hair, they dragged him out like a dead pig, leaving only bloody drag marks.
It wasn't long before it was the little girl's turn.
She was dragged out like a chick.
At this moment, although her mind was filled with thoughts of struggle, her limbs were as stiff as wood, completely motionless. She was thrown into a clay urn, maintaining a bizarre and comical posture. A fire had already been lit beneath the urn.
After an unknown period of time, she felt she could control her limbs again.
Struggling, it clung to the earthenware jar, trying to climb out.
Hearing the commotion, the guards came over with their weapons.
"court death--"
Just as the weapons were about to fall, a commotion broke out outside the camp.
The explosion shook the sand and gravel on the ground.
"Flood the seven armies!"
A white figure came riding the waves.
The rising walls of spiritual energy within the camp were no match for the water dragon that transformed into a pillar of water. The water dragon proudly leaped over the walls of spiritual energy and charged downwards with unstoppable momentum. In an instant, the waves surged to the heavens.
|ω`)
(End of this chapter)
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