Couple dialogue
Ling Zhan paused.
She pointed to a one-armed man practicing marksmanship and introduced him: "His name is Chen Tie. He was originally a scout squad leader in the border army. Once, during a reconnaissance mission, he was ambushed and lost an arm. He risked his life to bring back military intelligence. He should have been a hero, but his superiors took credit for him and falsely accused him of desertion. He almost died under military law. After escaping, he became a refugee and almost starved to death in a dilapidated temple."
“When you were choosing a craftsman from among the refugees, I took a liking to him.”
She then pointed to a boy who was thrashing about in the mud. The boy's eyes were as fierce as a lone wolf's: "That's Gong Lie. His family were hunters. Their village was massacred by a gang of ruthless bandits. He escaped by hiding in a cellar and vowed revenge. He tracked them all the way to the bandit's den outside Linshan County, hoping to infiltrate and assassinate the bandit leader. He was discovered and beaten half to death. When I raided the bandit's den, he was barely hanging on by a thread, his eyes filled with hatred, devoid of any light."
"And them too."
Ling Zhan's gaze fell on several men who were practicing combined attack techniques. Their demeanor was distinctly different from that of soldiers, carrying a touch of street smarts.
"And these are the refugees who fled from the north after the flood two years ago. On the way, in order to protect their remaining food, women and children, they fought a bloody battle with another group of refugees who were robbing food. Several of them were injured. When they arrived in Linshan County, they were regarded as unstable factors and were almost driven away by the yamen runners or even imprisoned. When I asked the workshop to recruit workers, I specially selected a few of them who were good at fighting and responsible, and gave them a way to make a living and a job."
“As for those few over there,” she said, glancing at the few silent, yet remarkably experienced and steady figures in the corner, “they were released from the dungeon when I wiped out a bandit's den. Some were innocent children from good families who were kidnapped and forced to join the gang, their hands never stained with innocent blood; others had offended local powerful figures and were framed for colluding with bandits and imprisoned. They weren't bad people, they just had no other way to survive, so I gave them new identities and settled them in the mountains.”
Shen listened with displeasure to Ling Zhan's calm narration.
Looking at the silent figures training below, the turmoil in my heart gradually subsided.
Instead, a complex emotion that is difficult to describe arose—shock, admiration, and a lingering chill.
Behind each of these people lies a past intertwined with blood and tears.
Each one of them is a pitiful person who has been driven to the brink of despair, and each one has been or is still an unruly and ruthless character with extraordinary skills!
They were "evil spirits" abandoned by the world, but Ling Zhan gathered them up, identified them, and gave them new life and belonging.
She not only gave them a way to survive, but also gave them dignity and... strength!
Let them willingly become the sharpest blade in her hand, the "Shura" who protects this land that gave them new life!
"Identity...from the county government?"
With great difficulty, Shen Yan asked the crucial question. Training private soldiers was a serious crime, and his status was an even greater taboo.
“Workshop guards, escort teams, porters carrying mountain goods, and registered residents of the county government.”
Ling Zhan's answer was concise and powerful: "As long as they don't cause trouble themselves, no one will investigate the background of a group of 'ordinary' guards. Besides, they all know very well that once exposed, the first to die will be themselves and the people they want to protect."
Shen Yan fell silent.
He looked down at the figures below, sweating profusely and focused on their work, and then at the woman beside him who was as calm as a mountain.
He finally understood the weight of the seven words, "Be prepared for danger."
The lady was not reckless; she was weaving a net, a sharp blade hidden in its sheath.
She saw the danger behind the Cliff of Broken Souls, and the huge shadow that could affect Kaoshan Village. So, long ago, when no one was aware of it, she began to quietly accumulate strength and make arrangements to protect everything she had built.
This is such a far-sighted plan!
The way she wielded such immense power so silently filled Shen Yan with lingering fear, yet also stirred an irrepressible sense of admiration within him. For the first time, he realized with such clarity that his wife was far more powerful and profound than he had ever imagined, even more so than he dared to conceive.
“That…Soul-Severing Cliff…” Shen Yan’s voice was hoarse.
Ling Zhan's gaze was directed into the depths of the cave, as if piercing through the rock walls to see the treacherous cliff entrance.
"A knife in its sheath may not necessarily draw blood."
She said calmly, "But if anyone tries to take away the food in my bowl, or the people I protect..." She didn't finish her sentence, but the chilling determination hidden beneath that calm made Shen Yan instantly understand the second half of her sentence—then this Asura blade hidden in its sheath will surely be drawn and drink blood!
Shen Yan opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn't say anything.
He gazed at the silent yet powerful force below, then at the woman beside him who had single-handedly created all of this, and felt an unprecedented chill and a strange sense of security simultaneously grip him.
The existence of these Asura Guardians poses a huge risk.
But it may also be their greatest reliance for survival in this chaotic world on the verge of chaos.
And the source of all this lies with the mysterious woman beside him.
For the first time, he realized with such clarity what kind of... terrifying and awe-inspiring being he had married.
The fear remained, but the anger and resentment born of ignorance quietly transformed into a silent shock and an indescribable sense of belonging after witnessing the "Shura" within the mountain.
Inside the enormous cavern, only the deep shouts from training and the sound of weapons cutting through the air echoed.
After a long silence, Shen Yan finally managed to find his voice again.
With an unprecedented caution and calmness, she looked at Ling Zhan, who stood beside her as still as water:
"My wife is so farsighted and has planned ahead so meticulously. I am truly amazed."
His voice was deep, and it was impossible to tell whether it was pure admiration or something else: "To be able to take so many 'trapped beasts' under one's control, to give them souls, and to forge this blade, this skill is rarely seen in the world."
He paused, his brows furrowing slightly, then changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of clear doubt: "But... does my lady really think that with just a few dozen 'Asuras,' we can shake the behemoth behind the Broken Soul Cliff? Can we satisfy the appetites of those gluttonous bastards in the Ministry of Works?"
Ling Zhan's gaze remained fixed on the training field. Upon hearing this, he turned his head to look at Shen Yan, a genuine surprise flashing in his eyes for the first time.
She hadn't expected that after such a huge shock, Shen Yan would be able to get to the heart of the matter so quickly and point out the key element: the "Ministry of Works".
He saw not only the martial prowess of the Shura Guards, but also the disparity in "power" they faced.
This clear understanding is something that a petty hoodlum who only knows how to indulge in poetry or seeks comfort cannot possess.
She raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone remaining calm, yet carrying a hint of inquiry.
"Oh? Tell me then, why not?"
Shen Yan took a deep breath of the slightly chilly air in the cave, as if trying to suppress the palpitations in his heart.
He looked directly into Ling Zhan's eyes, his gaze unusually clear, even possessing a sharp insight into the ways of the world, a stark contrast to his usual cowardly or vain demeanor.
"No matter how strong the Asura Guards are, they are still human beings, made of flesh and blood. The terrain of Broken Soul Cliff is treacherous. If the other side is really as Qi the镖头 (镖头 is a nickname for a镖头 is a person who is very powerful and influential, and has a complex and intricate network of forces behind them, the resources they can mobilize—whether it is manpower, equipment, or the power of the government—are far beyond what we, a mere few dozen people, can contend with. A head-on confrontation would be no different from throwing an egg against a rock."
Shen Yan lowered his voice even further, revealing a profound understanding of the power struggles within the court. "Those people in the Ministry of Works are insatiably greedy, their appetites as vast as a bottomless abyss. What they want is probably to completely devour the juicy meat of Kaoshan Village's workshops, or at least to firmly control it. Madam's training of the Asura Guards is for protection, which is good. But the blade of protection may be effective against open warfare, but against those greedy individuals who hide deep within the palace and government offices, weaving webs with laws, power, and underhanded means, this blade... may be difficult to use effectively, and may even give them ammunition, providing them with pretexts for criticism and putting themselves in danger."
He paused, seemingly organizing his sharper words: "The Asura Guard is a surprise force, a trump card hidden in the shadows. But those people in the Ministry of Works play open games, they're inflicting damage within the rules. They can shut down our workshops with a fabricated charge, even... frame us for secretly amassing weapons and plotting treason! My wife, at that point, the 'Asura' in this cave will not only be no support, but will become a death warrant! Dozens of lives, plus our entire family, and even the whole Kaoshan Village, will not be enough to satisfy those people's insatiable greed!"
Shen Yan's analysis was clear and logical, hitting the nail on the head, and thoroughly dissecting the limitations of the Shura Guard and the huge risks it might bring.
He saw not only power, but also the political dangers behind that power.
This insight, this profound understanding of court rules and human greed.
This stirred up a storm in Ling Zhan's heart.
For the first time, she realized so clearly that her husband, who was usually joking around, seeking comfort, or adorably timid in front of her, was not entirely a "vain little rascal."
Beneath his seemingly cynical exterior lies a clear-headed, even sharp, mind.
He understood politics and knew the stakes, but... he chose to live a different way.
Or rather, under her powerful protection, he concealed his brilliance.
Ling Zhan listened quietly.
His deep eyes shimmered with a light that held scrutiny, surprise, and even a hint of...appreciation.
She didn't refute, but waited for Shen Yan to finish speaking before slowly opening her own mouth. Her voice remained calm, but it lacked the certainty of someone in complete control, and instead showed more consideration:
"So, in your opinion, how should this 'Asura' blade be used?"
Looking at the scrutinizing and probing look in Ling Zhan's eyes, Shen Yan understood that his "presumptuous" analysis had probably made his wife re-evaluate him. He took a deep breath, suppressing the sharpness of his analysis, and habitually put on that familiar smile again, tinged with flattery and probing, but his eyes remained serious.
"My wife, how dare I presume to offer my humble opinion? I just feel... this knife is a fine knife, but it needs to be hidden deeper and used more skillfully. The waters of Broken Soul Cliff are too murky and deep; we can't possibly wade through them with just our few men. We need to borrow strength, follow the trend, and let those wolves lurking in the shadows fight amongst themselves first... or make them realize that gnawing on our bone is too costly and not worth the effort."
He paused, looking at Ling Zhan: "Since my wife was prepared all along, surely... she has more than just this one trump card, right? We need to find a way to make those bigwigs in the Ministry of Works hesitate to act?"
Ling Zhan looked at Shen Yan's ever-changing expression—
She shifted from her previous sharp and clear-headed demeanor back to that somewhat timid yet shrewd one, a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of her mouth. She didn't answer directly, but instead gazed into the depths of the cave, her eyes seemingly piercing through the rock walls, directed towards an unknown direction.
"A sword in its sheath may not draw blood. But as I always say, if anyone tries to take away my food or harm those I protect..."
She repeated her previous words, her voice low and firm, "We'll let them know that even though these 'Asuras' are few in number, they can still... knock out a few of their teeth!"
Shen Yan understood the resolute yet unspoken meaning in her words.
My wife really did have a backup plan.
He stopped asking questions, only looking at the figures below sweating profusely, and then at the unfathomable woman beside him. The chill was still there, but the strange sense of security seemed even more real.
He suddenly felt that perhaps he could finally breathe a little easier in front of his wife?
As long as... I don't get beaten up too badly.
He subconsciously touched his still slightly burning ear tips, and then secretly glanced at Ling Zhan's cool profile.
He thought to himself: Life is getting more and more exciting, and more and more... incomprehensible.
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