novelraw Chapter 58: Who Calls the Shots?
Chapter 58: Who Calls the Shots?
Chapter 58: Who Calls the Shots?
Shiqiao Village.
The village elder, with his hair turned white, sat in pain.
He was surrounded by people, chattering incessantly, their voices nearly driving him mad.
The few people sent to trade for food had eaten and heard the news. Upon their return, they unleashed a torrent of words.
Their accounts stunned everyone, and then the village erupted.
"Elder, we have to make a choice! If this continues, we'll either kill ourselves or resort to robbery!"
"Exactly!"
"Why don't we follow them to the Zhao Clan? Maybe we can still farm there. I just want to farm and raise chickens, live a stable life."
"Exactly!""It's fine if we can exchange labor for food. I'm starving!"
"Just..."
"Enough!" the elder roared.
Silence fell around him, and all eyes fixed on the elder.
But the elder was full of indecision and remained silent.
The chatter resumed, even more boisterous than before.
"Why don't we send a few people to scout ahead? This is dangerous. I'll go first!"
"Count me in!"
"You just had porridge, now it's my turn!"
After all, staying meant waiting for death. It was better to flee and seek a way to survive, while also lightening the burden on their families.
Looking at the groups passing by towards the south, they had long harbored such thoughts. But they were timid, afraid.
Leaving home was not an easy matter for them.
Information was scarce, and they didn't know the situation outside, so they were even more hesitant to leave.
If they hadn't been pushed to this point, they wouldn't have approached Wen Gu's group.
The elder of Shiqiao Village stroked his increasingly sparse hair, his face looking even more weathered.
"Shut up!!"
The elder roared again.
Once quiet, before anyone else could speak, he pointed to a few individuals and asked questions.
These were the ones who had gone to trade for food; they had talked with Little Liu and others for a while and learned quite a bit.
"How many people survived from that group's journey?" the elder asked.
"There were attacks in the wild, sickness, and some stayed in other large towns they encountered along the way. Out of ten, seven or eight might remain."
"So many survived?"
The elder thought of the stories passed down through generations.
If they were to flee on their own, out of the two hundred people in the village, those who fled closer might have fifty or sixty survivors, and those who fled farther might only have twenty or thirty. And that would be under good circumstances; in a worse situation, not a single person might survive.
Going out in winter meant no fear of surprise attacks from evil creatures, but the North was extremely cold in winter, and people could freeze to death.
In warmer weather, they didn't fear the cold, but the monsters outside were more terrifying.
It was precisely because they knew how difficult the choice was that they hesitated for so long, with everyone in the village in the same predicament.
When they had food, they were unwilling to leave home, just trying to get by. As long as they weren't forced, they didn't want to leave their hometown, just trying to survive one day at a time.
Unfortunately...
In the past, land was life. Now, this "life" was long gone.
Too many people were taken by monsters while farming, unwilling to abandon their fields.
If they were to flee on their own, upon arrival, there would be no one to settle them. They would have to rely on the mercy of the nobles for a handout. But in the current chaotic times, they truly couldn't count on the charity of the powerful.
Now, the people in the group outside the village said they could help with settlement if they followed. This made them resolutely consider it.
As long as their strength could be exchanged for food, they were willing!
If they could farm after going there, that would be even better. As long as they had military protection and land, they were willing to farm, and they wouldn't mind paying higher rent.
They would be extremely grateful if their labor could earn them food. What they feared most in this era was expending their strength, losing their lives in the process, and still not getting anything in return.
"Then, let's first send some people to go and see. We don't have to go all the way to Xin Prefecture City. If we encounter a suitable place along the way, we can stay..."
Before the elder could finish speaking, the surroundings became noisy again, and they almost came to blows fighting for spots.
Finally, a few people became dozens, and through noisy arguments, the number increased. Half of the village's two hundred people were squeezed out, over a hundred and ten people, regardless of gender, mostly strong and young, and those who ate more.
However, leaving home wasn't something that could be done immediately; preparations had to be made for their families.
Thus, the elder of Shiqiao Village personally went to negotiate with Wen Gu and offered some houses and empty courtyards for Wen Gu's group to stay for two days.
They had lived here for generations and built quite a few houses. Although many were now just stone and earth walls, with the plant parts harvested for firewood, they were still acceptable for temporary lodging.
They brought out the coarse cloth they had stockpiled on the way to erect sheds. With little rain these days, there was no worry of getting wet.
Wen Gu agreed to stay for two more days, not only for the people of Shiqiao Village but also to allow his own team members to rest.
The winters in the North were cold and dry.
Most of the team members were from the South and were unaccustomed to the autumn and winter seasons of the North.
After leaving Jin Wu City and traveling continuously, they had arrived here and needed to stop to recuperate.
The medicinal herbs they had originally brought were long gone. Well, what was currently stored in the carriages were goods salvaged from unfortunate teams they had "looted" along the way.
Given the limited conditions, without sufficient medicinal herbs or professional doctors, if they fell ill and couldn't recover with medicine, they could only perish here.
This situation had occurred along the way.
Fortunately, the most dangerous period had passed, and they were nearing their destination. Everyone's spirits were different, their mindset was better, and their will to survive was strong.
During their two-day stay, Wen Gu also asked the villagers of Shiqiao Village if there were any other survivors nearby. If possible, they should call everyone together.
The villagers of Shiqiao Village were indeed willing to call more people.
Fewer people meant being bullied.
This was their deeply ingrained belief.
Having more fellow villagers gave them courage, and in case of encounters with monsters, there would be someone to share the burden.
In this era, population mobility was very low, and ordinary commoners lacked the courage to leave their homes.
But circumstances forced them. As long as someone took the lead, with the herd mentality and a sense of reliance, courage would emerge.
With a multiplier effect, one Shiqiao Village brought out three more villages.
However, the surviving population in those three villages was small, and combined, they didn't have as many people as those who left Shiqiao Village.
"Actually, there are a few more."
Some villagers told Wen Gu that they also knew of a few villages where people should have survived. They had encountered them before while gathering firewood, but they were far away, so it wasn't convenient for them to go and find them.
Wen Gu immediately took out paper and pen and, based on the information provided by the villagers, drew a simple map.
"It's okay, we can take a slight detour. It's not far."
It had to be said that Wen Gu's arrival in the North at this time was very opportune.
These villages were close to Xin Prefecture, so there were no bandits. If they had been too arrogant, they would have been dealt with long ago.
Dare to rob northbound teams, and it wasn't just the evil creatures that the Autumn Hunt Army would eliminate. Those coming from the South, whether people or goods, belonged to the Zhao Clan, and whoever robbed them would be dealt with!
The remaining villages with survivors were relatively timid. They had some food reserves before and had always stayed put.
Now, they were in a state of food shortage and wanted to seek a new way of life. As soon as someone dangled the bait, they would follow.
Thus, Wen Gu's group, after a brief stop and following the detour, saw their numbers, which had been less than a hundred after casualties, suddenly swell to nearly three hundred.
There were still survivors from other villages to come, and the number was bound to increase.
With the armed strongmen from the escort agency holding their ground, these villagers dared not do anything outrageous for the time being. Helping the team push carts, chop firewood, and do odd jobs in exchange for thin porridge was already enough to satisfy them.
It was only because they were nearing their destination and had only a few days left that Wen Gu dared to take in so many people at once.
The villagers looked enviously at the oxen, horses, donkeys, and mules in the convoy.
Some recalled their own donkeys, which had been eaten by monsters, while others remembered whose cows and families had been attacked by monsters while plowing, with neither the person nor the cow returning.
They also dreamed of whether they could get land to farm in Xin Prefecture.
Having lived off grain and land for generations, they always felt unsettled without farming.
Inside the carriage, Wen Gu looked at the map, his destination getting closer.
My dear aunt and uncle, is it as I suspected?
After taking a detour and picking up more villagers, the surrounding landscape was desolate, with a barren view as far as the eye could see.
"Look at how much has been cut around here, the tree roots have been pulled up. There are towns nearby."
"The closest one should be Shuocheng!"
Wen Gu looked into the distance.
Shuocheng was also in Xin Prefecture!
"We're finally arriving!"
The closer they got to the destination, the more they couldn't let down their guard.
Zhou Shan and the others were vigilant. Wen Gu's uncle's position in the Zhao Clan was unknown, and whether he had made any enemies was also unknown. If he had, and the world was chaotic, no one would know if someone tried to sabotage them from the outside.
"Soldiers are coming!"
Escort Leader Lin reminded them.
Ahead, there were more than twenty people riding horses, followed by dozens of armed soldiers.
In places with many military personnel, it was up to Zhou Shan and Escort Leader Lin to communicate.
The two rode their horses forward, leading people to protect Wen Gu from behind.
The approaching soldiers were also very surprised.
At first glance, seeing so many people, they thought it was a large noble family from the South. To still have two to three hundred people here meant they must have started with over a thousand!
They were also wondering why this large convoy had arrived earlier than in previous years.
The Xiànsòu Army had only just departed.
Moving slowly with more people, had these people set off in early autumn?
It was still hot in early autumn in the South, yet they dared to set off?
As they approached, they realized something was wrong.
It didn't seem like it.
The carriages, supplies, and armored soldiers were not numerous enough. The composition of the personnel did not resemble that of a wealthy family; most seemed to be ordinary villagers and refugees.
Escort Leader Lin and County Lieutenant Zhou rode forward to communicate with the other party.
They learned that these soldiers were part of the Shuocheng City Defense Army. Unlike the Xiànsòu Army, they didn't need to travel far and only patrolled the area around Shuocheng, gathering refugees.
The squad leader who spoke had his gaze linger on Escort Leader Lin's Ma Shuo.
He had just heard another person refer to this man as "Escort Leader Lin."
Escort Leader Lin?
The title was novel.
This City Defense Army suggested they go to Shuocheng. Escort Leader Lin and Zhou Shan said they would discuss it with the people in their convoy.
The City Defense Army was not in a hurry and watched them turn their horses back.
"That one with the Ma Shuo just now, was he their leader? Called Lin Biao Tou."
"Perhaps it's a Southern term, sounds a bit strange."
"Maybe the person is called Lin Biao, and he's the leader, so they call him that."
They said with a laugh.
They were lucky to encounter such a large convoy on their patrol today. They could earn merit for reporting it back.
Xin Prefecture had also been in chaos initially, with too many deaths.
Over the past year, many more had been lost.
Now they had experience, but they were short-handed, and there was still so much to do, with shortages everywhere.
Over there, Escort Leader Lin and Zhou Shan returned to the convoy and relayed the information they had just gathered to Wen Gu.
"This winter, towns in Xin Prefecture will be building defenses and need laborers. Besides this, both for farming and the military in the future, there will be a shortage of people," Zhou Shan said.
"What about Xin Prefecture City?" Wen Gu asked.
"Xin Prefecture City is being expanded and needs even more people."
"It seems there's still some stored grain," Wen Gu mused.
The total population had drastically decreased, yet the large granaries were still intact. The wealthy families coming from the South kept replenishing supplies, and a lot of goods would be transported in this winter.
Now, the six great clans of the North were competing for people and resources.
Zhou Shan and the others also inquired about the direction to Shuocheng and Xin Prefecture City.
Shuocheng, the southernmost city in Xin Prefecture, was originally reachable. However, to escort more surviving villagers, they had taken a slight detour.
"There's no need to detour to Shuocheng anymore. Let's head directly to Xin Prefecture City!" Wen Gu said.
"However, compared to Xin Prefecture City, Shuocheng is indeed closer. Let's see if anyone in the convoy wants to go to Shuocheng."
Some people in the convoy were indeed tempted.
They hadn't left home for many years, and this forced departure had made them anxious throughout the journey. Now that they had a place to settle, they didn't want to risk further adventures. Knowing that they could go to a nearby county town by following these soldiers, they were moved.
Zhou Shan counted them and found there were about seventy people.
The patrol of City Defense Army was a bit disappointed, but seeing that there were still over seventy people, they were somewhat pleased.
They didn't dare to force the convoy from the South. Those who had managed to reach this point possessed a certain valiant spirit and were not to be trifled with.
After all, in the end, they would all belong to the Zhao Clan!
In good spirits, Escort Leader Lin and Zhou Shan also inquired about Shuocheng. As long as it wasn't confidential information, they were willing to share more.
Shuocheng, like Jin Wu City, had an inner and outer city. The defenses to be built this winter were in the outer city.
As for Xin Prefecture City?
They were unclear, but Xin Prefecture City was under expansion and was urgently in need of personnel.
After some exchange, the two parties separated.
Watching the receding convoy, someone on horseback from the City Defense Army said:
"The City Guard asked us to pay attention to a scholar surnamed Wen among the northbound teams. We forgot to ask just now."
"The City Guard also said to focus on small teams of a few dozen people. Does the one that just passed look like that?"
"It really doesn't."
"A scholar surnamed Wen? Who is it? Could it be a relative of the City Guard? Or a friend or relative of some important figure?"
"Who knows."
Turning their horses back to the city, they took the seventy-odd villagers to Shuocheng for registration.
The patrol soldiers chatted with them casually.
At first, the villagers were afraid to speak. Gradually, as they became more familiar and saw the silhouette of Shuocheng, they started to talk.
"Why didn't you follow the leader surnamed Lin?" someone asked.
The villagers looked bewildered, "What leader surnamed Lin?"
"That one, the very strong man on horseback holding a Ma Shuo."
"Oh, you're asking about Escort Leader Lin. He's not the leader of the team."
"Not? Then is it the one with the saber?"
"That's not it either. That one is Zhou something; I heard he's a formidable figure!"
"Then who is in charge of your convoy?"
"It's a scholar!"
Although Immortal Master Qing Yi was quite formidable, in their minds, such immortals generally didn't concern themselves with worldly matters.
Therefore, they implicitly considered the managing leader of the convoy to be the scholar in the carriage.
The squad leader of the City Defense Army's heart skipped a beat: "A scholar? What is that scholar's surname?"
"It's Wen."
When they looked back, the person had already disappeared far away.
That day, the City Guard of Shuocheng received the report from his subordinate and immediately began writing.
First, a brief message by carrier pigeon—
Young Master! Your cousin surnamed Wen seems, perhaps, to have gone directly there!
Then, he wrote a detailed letter and had the messenger deliver it along with the pigeon to Xin Prefecture City:
Young Master, it's not that I'm not doing my duty, it's just that, as you said, Master's younger cousin was around a hundred people when he was in danger. I specifically focused on small teams of a few dozen people, who knew he would come with several hundred people!
(End of Chapter)