Chapter 831: The Lord Bears All the Burden (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Despite the inappropriate setting, Chu Wenqi, the embodiment of Yao, still managed to divert his attention to reflect on where his education had gone wrong. Of course, he wasn't saying Lin Feng's actions were wrong; in fact, the more ruthless and vicious a scholar's methods, the better their employment prospects. They could advance to achieve great things or retreat to protect themselves; they could bravely fight the enemy in times of war or peacefully farm in times of peace. Their employment prospects were very broad.
but--
Why would something as seemingly harmless as the "Essential Techniques for the Common People" (齐民要术) have such a usage? Or, to ask further, how did Lingde discover that these grains could use flesh and blood as nourishment to mutate from edible to edible?
Chu, the embodiment of Wenqi, Yao, has many worries.
At that moment, his gaze was caught by the sharp-eyed Lin Feng.
The girl's cold face softened a bit, gaining some warmth: "Teacher, you don't need to worry about my safety. Although I am not good enough, I can still protect myself and will never tarnish your reputation."
Having such a formidable teacher puts immense pressure on the student. She has to be extremely careful with her words and actions, terrified of hearing something like, "How could Chu Wuhui have taken on such a useless student?" If that happened, Lin Feng would go crazy.
Over the years, she has always been on edge, striving to emulate Chu Yao in every aspect. As the top official in charge of internal affairs, she must also excel in the Ministry of Revenue; as a warrior who is as brave and fierce as a military general on the battlefield, she naturally cannot be weak and frail, protected by her personal guards.
She was eager to find a new path to breakthrough.
These anxieties were not to be shared with outsiders; Lin Feng kept them bottled up inside until the day she rescued Gong Xichou at the bottom of the cliff. She noticed the exceptionally lush vegetation surrounding him. A casual remark from Gong Xichou gave her a completely new perspective: "The martial energy of a Martial Warrior is forged from the energy of heaven and earth, invigorating their own blood and qi, which is also a great tonic for plants..."
Lin Feng's eyelids twitched slightly: [A highly nourishing substance?]
Gong Xichou had just finished dealing with several children staying at the clinic for treatment, his tall frame huddled in a small wooden chair. It was a bit of a struggle for this small chair, designed for children, to accommodate such a large bottom: "Yes, martial artists absorb the energy of heaven and earth to temper themselves; the more refined the energy, the more beneficial it is to plants. I was seriously injured and couldn't control myself then, which benefited them."
But isn't absorbing a person's life force tantamount to cannibalism?
Gong Xichou, basking in the sun, scoffed: "Humans can eat vegetables to fill their stomachs, peaches and plums to quench their thirst, cut down trees to build houses, and gather branches to burn for warmth. Why can't plants eat humans? There are plenty of plants that eat humans; their decay even fertilizes the earth. Aren't birds, beasts, flowers, trees, and even humans all taking from everything to nourish themselves? A hundred years later, their decaying bodies will nourish the earth?"
Rise and fall, prosperity and decline, gain and loss, glory and decay—all follow their own rules.
Lin Feng didn't pay attention to the long passage that followed.
Her entire attention was drawn to a sentence in the middle: "Can a rotting corpse become fertilizer? Is it okay if it's fresh and not rotting?"
Gongxi Chou: [...]
Lin Feng asked again: "Gongxi Langjun is older and more experienced than I am. May I ask, what kinds of plants eat people?"
Gong Xichou is blind.
He had never seen Lin Feng when he had grown up.
As he spoke with Lin Feng, the image that surfaced in his mind was that of the slightly stubborn little girl with chubby cheeks from years ago. By conventional beauty standards, the child was quite pleasing to the eye, and pleasing appearance implied harmlessness. Years had passed, and the other party was now calmly asking him what plants could eat people. This thought flashed through his mind, and he secretly shook his head.
Time and circumstances are truly terrifying things.
Having lived outside his tribe's territory for so many years, he still subconsciously associated "pleasing appearance" with "harmless," even though there were plenty of Mamas in his tribe who were pleasing in appearance but could hit people with deadly force. He had fallen into the trap of believing that you can't judge a book by its cover.
[It wasn't really a formality to ask for advice; I just heard from Doctor Dong that my benefactor works in the Household Department. Shouldn't the Household Department focus on farming?] Gong Xichou had little interest in anything other than playing marbles and fighting. His limited knowledge told him that the Household Department seemed to be an institution that researched what was edible rather than what was cannibalistic. He couldn't let his casual remark lead his benefactor astray.
Lin Fengdao: "I have a teacher."
Gongxi Chou asked: "Is this related to your teacher?"
Lin Feng frowned in worry: "When my teacher was my age, he was already a general commanding armies across the Northern Desert. In contrast, I, as his student, haven't achieved anything remarkable. The rear is safe, but if I want to become famous, I still have to go to the front lines."
Her literary talent is not as good as that of today's teachers.
The teacher's most prized Word of Power can only achieve 20-30% of the teacher's effect in her hands. How can she not be anxious?
Gong Xichou was unaware of Lin Feng's talent.
Hearing his benefactor's dejection, Gong Xichou truly believed that Lin Feng was mediocre and constantly bullied by his teacher's genius aura. He felt great sympathy and empathy. He himself had been suppressed by his uncle when he was young, who took advantage of his age to bully him. For a time, Gong Xichou also felt that he was ordinary and felt inferior whenever he saw his uncle. Therefore, he agreed to help Lin Feng.
【Lin Xiaomama, don't be discouraged!】
Man-eating plants are easy to find.
He grinned: "There's quite a bit of territory belonging to our tribe."
I remember there was also a very large flower; if a living person were swallowed by it, they would quickly turn into corpse fluid. It's a pity that the clan's territory has been abandoned for many years, and many of the ferocious plants that were used to protect the territory have died. Gong Xichou specially sent someone back to bring a box of seeds.
It also comes with a parchment book with illustrations of various plants.
These things are usually cared for by the high priest; I've never raised them myself. Be careful they don't get eaten and used as fertilizer when you raise them. Gongxi Chou didn't want to be forced to repay kindness with enmity before he could even repay the favor. [Don't ask me if you don't understand something.]
Because he doesn't understand either.
Lin Feng accepted the box as if it were a priceless treasure.
This parchment book contains very detailed information, listing the habits and cultivation methods of each plant.
After deliberating for several days, Lin Feng chose to cultivate a seed called the "Corpse Vine." This vine can be found in some remote, untouched forests. It thrives on recently deceased corpses and can survive even when cut into pieces, much like an earthworm. Even if only a single section of the "Corpse Vine" remains, it can regrow and sprout new roots as long as it is provided with sufficient nutrients!
Of course, the Corpse Vine grown in this way is very delicate, has a short lifespan, and will also cause territorial disputes.
Only one Corpse Vine can be grown in the same area.
According to the records in the sheepskin book, the high priest of the Gongxi tribe first discovered the "Corpse Vine" in a strange, deep forest. Although it was described as a deep forest, there was a bizarre mass grave at the base of the "Corpse Vine's" roots, filled with white bones.
The high priest speculated that this deep mountain might be an ancient battlefield. Strangely, they hadn't found the most important weapons from that battlefield, as if the remains of these people had been drawn here by something in their lifetimes. The high priest didn't delve into this further, only muttering complaints about the many conflicts and moral decay in the outside world.
Lin Feng didn't pay much attention to this detail.
She was just worried that she wouldn't be able to control the Corpse Vine.
To this end, she even practiced on many death row inmates from the Ten Crows, which led to an unexpected discovery. The [Corpse Vine] that she generated seemed to mistake her for its mother, and she had a premonition that she could control it. After some experiments, she discovered that the spores of the [Corpse Vine] could take root and sprout in flesh and blood, and would instinctively seek out other corpses and flesh according to her commands, multiplying at an extremely fast rate.
The only drawback is—
Chen Zhi sighed, "That's a bit too cruel."
When the spores encounter flesh and blood, they will pierce deep into the host's body, using the flesh and blood as soil to grow wildly. The roots of the Corpse Vine will emerge from the corpse, leaving only bones.
Lin Feng lowered his eyes: [A merciful ruler cannot command an army.]
Chen Zhi paused for a moment, then said, "That's true."
The scenes of battle on the battlefield are far more bloody than this.
I didn't expect the Corpse Vine to come in handy so quickly.
Is there any place in the world with more corpses than a battlefield?
After she awakened the Corpse Vine spores using the Scholar's Way, a tiny vine wrapped around her arm, seemingly smelling the thick, sticky scent of blood in the air, and excitedly swayed its "head" from side to side. Lin Feng had no doubt that if the Corpse Vine had a mouth, it would probably be so happy that it would be talking incoherently.
Lin Feng borrowed the bow, his arm sinking as he drew it to its full extent.
He hooked his right pinky finger.
The Corpse Vine meandered up the feathered arrow.
call out--
An arrow pierced the air, striking an enemy soldier who had climbed a ladder and emerged from the battlements. Using the soldier's head as a base, it instantly drained him, leaving only skin and skeleton. The Corpse Vine, like a rat fallen into a rice jar, lay half-clinging to the city wall, the other half dangling outside, continuing to sway its head from side to side. Meanwhile, its roots secretly entangled the corpses that hadn't yet been thrown down.
This scene terrified the nearest soldiers, leaving them pale with fear.
Lin Feng then appeared: "Do as I say."
Thus, the scene that Chu Wenqi's incarnation, Yao, witnessed unfolded. When he saw it, the city walls were already covered with the offspring of the Corpse Vine. Bones wrapped in human skin were flung around wildly by the twisting vines, a truly bizarre sight.
The siege ladder still stands, but no enemies have come up to it.
There's obviously no pressure anymore.
Chu, the embodiment of literary talent, Yao: "..."
Can they still protect themselves?
His students seem to have some cognitive problems.
However, there's no time to correct it now. Besides, as long as it can kill the enemy, what method is important?
I never expected that Lingde's path of learning could be developed in this way. I really did hold her back in the past. Chu Yao, the embodiment of literary energy, was reflecting on himself while casting several spells to reinforce the city wall's defenses. Although the walls of Chaoli Pass were thick and high, the catapults deployed by the enemy's heavy shield warriors were firing stones that were each ten feet in diameter.
If the rubble cannot be shattered in mid-air to reduce its power, and is instead allowed to crash into the city wall in its entirety, the casualties will be heavy. Even so, the remaining rubble has left many pits and craters in the thick city wall, which can only be temporarily reinforced with incantations to enhance its defense.
"Even if you spend all your money, it will come back again!"
"A quick thinking opportunity!"
Since it's a do-or-die battle, we can't hold back.
A bloody battle might offer a sliver of hope. Even a Pyrrhic victory would at least save lives; with careful management, the debts could eventually be paid off. But if one loses their life, who cares how much debt they owe? At this moment, Xun Zhen displayed a reckless disregard for the debt, more like a gambler than Kang Shi! He was willing to overdraw on the nation's fortune and his lord's coffers! A deficit!
Countless golden wisps of mist flowed down from the sky.
At first glance, it seemed as if a hole had been torn in the sky, and the golden waters of the Milky Way were flowing down to earth, pouring down upon the land of Chaoli Pass. Kang Shi glanced at it out of the corner of his eye, and his eyes nearly twitched.
If the commotion at Yonggu Pass was a babbling brook, this one is a raging river. What Kang Shi saw was not a dazzling miracle, but decadence and debauchery.
He thought to himself, "Such a grand gesture—"
Just how many doors did Chu Wuhui secretly open for Xun Hanzhang? How much of the national budget did he allocate? It's like he's doing the work of two or three of them! If our lord finds out, won't he be crying and screaming in despair?
Kang Shi was distracted by thinking about his lord's face.
Sigh, if she finds out...
This is more painful than killing her.
On an inconspicuous battlefield, Yu Zi solemnly cast her spell. She couldn't yet effortlessly unleash all five virtues simultaneously; she could only cast two or three at a time. However, her spiritual energy was limited, so to protect more soldiers, she only used one spell at a time. The soldiers would naturally coordinate their attacks, maximizing their strengths and minimizing their weaknesses; a full-scale amplification would be a waste. Even so, she still felt inadequate.
His clothes, which had been washed clean, were now soaked in blood.
There are enemies, and there are also our own people.
If she were stronger, perhaps she could save them… no, perhaps she could save fewer of them. As the blood on her skin congealed, she lost track of time, no longer caring how much spiritual energy remained in her dantian…
She only saw the enemy charging towards her.
To be killed, or to kill.
The physique of the heavy shield warriors made them fearless of death. Even if they had a hand or a leg cut off, or a weapon stuck in their shoulder, they would still charge forward with numb faces. They even fought their way to within a foot of Yu Zi.
Before the raised knife could fall on her head, her brain was smashed into a pile of rubble by a fleeting, heavy hammer.
Lu Jidao asked, "Weiheng, are you alright?"
Yu Zi said with a livid face, "It's nothing."
Lu Ji didn't have time to talk to her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tu Rong being forced back by several heavily shielded warriors attacking him. Without saying a word, he charged forward. Tu Rong's strength wasn't bad among the younger generation, but even martial artists aren't made of iron. In high-intensity, continuous combat, the rate at which martial energy is replenished is far slower than the rate at which it is consumed. Once his strength is exhausted, he will be torn apart and eaten by ants.
Yu Zi watched Lu Ji's disappearing figure.
"careful--"
She acted instinctively.
The expected wall of literary energy did not appear. Instead, a slight stinging pain came from the dried-up meridians of the Danfu Palace, indicating that the literary energy had been exhausted.
A heavily shielded warrior suddenly appeared out of nowhere and launched a sneak attack on Lu Ji. Lu Ji, a veteran of countless battles and highly experienced, sensed the danger and instantly swung a heavy hammer. The iron chain connecting the two hammers wrapped around the warrior's neck three or four times—crack!
A head was brutally strangled off.
Lu Ji said fiercely, "You're asking for death!"
Yu Zi stared at her hand, then slammed it against the city pillar in frustration—her literary energy was depleted, and a scholar with a literary heart had become a burden on the battlefield. Letting her flee now was less desirable than a swift and decisive death! At this moment, her obsession reached its true peak!
|ω`)
Sigh, I also wanted to change the title to a two-in-one title, but you know how it is, people with OCD feel really uncomfortable when things aren't neat.
(End of this chapter)
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