Chapter 170: Mortals

Fang Cuiyuan curled up on the uncomfortable ground mat, with the wind howling all around, chilling her and making her constantly curl her body.

The young girl tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

If it were before, her mother would have covered her with a quilt and then scolded her for not covering herself properly.

Unfortunately, her mother was no longer here.

Too cold to sleep, Fang Cuiyuan had no choice but to get up.

Her father was a hunter, and Fang Cuiyuan remembered him saying when he was drunk that in the mountains, if you were too cold to sleep at night, you must not sleep, or else you would get seriously ill, or worse, never wake up again.

Their companions who went hunting in the mountains died for this very reason.

However, tonight was a bit strange.

First, the soldier came to drive them, telling them to change their formation and have everyone form a circle.

Ten thousand people forming a circle was quite spectacular, but they had no idea what it was for.

However, she always felt much more comfortable staying within this circle; her Physique had always been poor, and she was most afraid of the cold. Her mother said she caught a chill when she was born, which made her Physique weak and her Yang Qi虚, causing her to cough whenever it was cold.

But when she was inside this circle, even though it was cold, she didn't cough, which was very strange.

She sat on the ground, wrapping her body with the only thick cloth she had, and looked into the distance.

There were soldier standing guard. It was these soldier who risked their lives to protect them during the day. She saw with her own eyes a young soldier who had greeted her during the day being torn to shreds by a demon.

If it weren't for them, she and the others truly wouldn't know what to do.

Demons...

In this demon attack, out of six or seven hundred people in the entire village, only a few dozen survived.

Her entire family was gone—parents, younger brother, older brother—only she was still alive.

Thinking of this, she lowered her head.

However, tears wouldn't come out.

At first, she cried so much that it seemed like her eyes would go blind.

But now, she couldn't cry anymore.

Heartache and sorrow seemed to have a limit.

At that time, it was so heartbreaking that she thought it would be unforgettable for a lifetime, but now, only a few days have passed, and she doesn't even feel much anymore.

Perhaps this is what it means to be heartless.

Thinking about it now, it seems to be just that.

Except for an occasional pang of sadness when she was in a daze, there seemed to be nothing else.

Just like—

Now.

In the past, when she was outside, wrapped in a blanket, admiring the moon, her eldest brother would scold her and tell her to go back to her room because her Physique had always been poor.

At this thought.

Her heart clenched.

It felt as if breathing was difficult.

But she couldn't cry.

Couldn't cry.

Sadness and melancholy were stuck in her heart, but she couldn't cry no matter what.

Just like before, with her second uncle's family next door.

She had seen it before.

Her second uncle's son, her cousin, was playing by climbing a tree to pick dates in the yard, and accidentally fell from the tree into the water vat.

The water vat was too deep, and the edge was slippery, so he couldn't climb out and drowned.

Her second aunt cried inconsolably, but her second uncle just had a dark face and said nothing, repeatedly telling her second aunt, "It's just having another one, it's just having another one."

At that time, she thought her second uncle was so broad-minded, completely unfazed.

But, thinking about it now.

Actually, he wasn't unfazed.

He just couldn't cry.

She suddenly remembered that at that time, she, as usual, secretly wrapped herself in a blanket and ran out, only to see her second uncle at night, holding a stone, circling the water vat again and again.

He tried with the stone again and again, but finally gave up, so he smashed the stone to the ground, then squatted beside the water vat, puffing on a cigarette.

After all, buying a new vat wasn't cheap.

While her mind was wandering, an old farmer walked over and squatted beside Fang Cuiyuan: "Cuiyuan, why aren't you asleep yet?"

The old man's skin was rough, and the joints of his limbs were particularly large; one could tell at a glance that he had done a lot of heavy work, with layers of calluses on his hands.

"Ah, Second Uncle, I'm a bit sleepless." Fang Cuiyuan finally looked up and saw her second uncle coming to her side.

It was this second uncle.

This time, like her, he was the only one left in his family.

His two newborn cousins and his second aunt were all eaten by demons this time.

"It's okay to cry, but don't truly hurt your heart. No matter what, life still has to go on. Our old Fang family now only has the two of us left. You are my niece, don't be afraid. Your eldest brother is dead, but don't you still have your second brother? As long as your uncle is here, you won't starve." The old man said, smiling and rambling to Fang Cuiyuan.

"Hmm... Second Uncle, where are we going to run to? Did those soldiers say?" Fang Cuiyuan asked.

"I asked, and they said they would escort us to White Peak Mountain. They said there are few people there and a lot of barren land, enough for us to farm. When the time comes, I'll build a house. It's okay to be a bit tired. We'll open up dozens or a hundred acres of land, then find you a good family and have a few children. You can adopt one to me as a grandson, let him take the Fang surname, and pass on the family line. Then we'll be settled." The old man smacked his lips as he spoke to Fang Cuiyuan.

"People are worthless away from home... No matter how few people there are, there are still others. If we just move there like this, will it be that smooth?" Fang Cuiyuan asked worriedly.

The future her second uncle spoke of was too peaceful, too good, so she was a bit anxious.

"There are over a hundred thousand people. If they don't let us settle, then we won't settle? Life has to go on, food has to be eaten. There's always a way." The old man said indifferently, with a carefree expression.

"Then how long will it take to get to White Peak Mountain?"

"I don't know, but those soldiers said that until we arrive, they will provide food, so we don't have to worry about starving. As long as we don't get sick on the way, there's nothing else to fear." The old man said.

At this point, he seemed to suddenly remember what he came for, and quickly stood up, taking out a wrapped blanket: "Oh, right, I was afraid you'd get sick. Your Physique is weak, so I brought you a blanket."

"The demons came quickly, and time was short. There wasn't much time to grab things, so I just grabbed some copper coins and this blanket. Your aunt bought it, it's fur, damn it, it cost me over a hundred coins, half a year's harvest from over twenty acres of land just gone like that."

"She had no good fortune to enjoy good things. She died before she even covered herself with it for two days after buying it. I'm giving it to you. We two, old and young, must take good care of our lives. Only the two of us are left in the old Fang family. I'm old, and the family's legacy depends on you. It cannot be delayed." The old man shoved the fur blanket into Fang Cuiyuan's hands without explanation.

Fang Cuiyuan wanted to decline, but her second uncle directly shoved it to her and then left without looking back, leaving her wondering how he would manage tonight.

At this moment, the moon was high in the trees; it was the middle of the night.

Shen Shuibi, holding the silver-furred mouse, thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out.

So she simply stopped thinking and went to sleep.

The night passed uneventfully.

However, among the more than ten thousand people, including the soldier, many could not sleep.

On this journey, who knew how many would die along the way.

By the next day, Li Qi and Zhang Lan had already woken up. Li Qi's consumption was somewhat replenished. Although not fully recovered, his Human Race's small heaven and earth could naturally generate some Qi, so he was no longer so empty.

As for Zhang Lan, that was unknown. Li Qi did not deeply understand martial Dao and did not understand his foundation, so he naturally did not know how he recovered.

And the deputy general temporarily elected by the White Rhinoceros Army had already sought out Li Qi early.

He carried a steaming basket and came forward to greet them: "Mr. Li, Mr. Zhang, are you two resting well? And this one..."

"Shen, her surname is Shen." Li Qi said.

"Shen Guniang." The deputy general said respectfully, then opened the basket. Inside were some dried meat, rice, and green leafy vegetables boiled in clear water, all looking freshly picked.

It seemed this was the best food they could prepare under the current conditions.

"Let's eat something to get by in the morning. The army doesn't have cooks; the mess cooks just make whatever. It's simple fare, please forgive us." He was a bit embarrassed.

Zhang Lan, however, was very casual: "No matter, we've eaten everything while camping. There's even meat here, it's already good."

Li Qi nodded: "Eating and drinking aren't important. The lives of over ten thousand people are more urgent. Does the general have any arrangements?"

The three of them didn't stand on ceremony, sitting cross-legged. Only Shen Shuibi politely declined the invitation to eat, instead running to the side and drawing on the ground, seemingly calculating something.

"Don't mind her. Her cultivation method has its own Divine Ability; she doesn't need food or drink. Besides, her personality is a bit aloof, and she dislikes mundane affairs, so don't bother her. We can just talk." Li Qi saw that the other two weren't picking up their chopsticks, so he took the utensils himself, picked up a mouthful, put it in his mouth, and said with a smile.

Since Li Qi had done so, the other two also relaxed and began to eat.

The food wasn't particularly good: ordinary dried meat, chopped and boiled, then wild vegetables boiled in clear water, and finally cooked millet. Almost everything was boiled, with a little salt added for seasoning.

"Gentlemen, the most urgent matter to resolve should be military rations. The White Rhinoceros Army initially had twelve thousand five hundred men, now eight thousand three hundred forty-one. According to the usual three liters of rice per person per day, the army consumes three hundred fifty shi of rice per day. Previously, military rations were supplied monthly. Currently, there are seven thousand shi of military rations left."

"These common people are not like us big eaters; one liter a day is enough, but it won't last for many days. Even if well controlled, it can only last for a few days. From here to White Peak Mountain, it's desolate everywhere, with only one Guangyang City in between. If we drive the common people there for supplies, it will take about ten days, and some will definitely starve to death along the way. This is the most important matter at hand. Do you two gentlemen have a solution?"

"Where are your military rations stored?" Li Qi asked.

"In the Mustard Seed Bag. The army has some specially made Mustard Seed Bags." The deputy general said.

"I have a Dragon Steed. If it's Guangyang City, I can reach it in five hours. I also have a Mustard Seed Bag myself. Give me your Mustard Seed Bags and a credential, and I can go to Guangyang City to request grain." Li Qi said.

Zhang Lan immediately clapped his hands: "That's excellent! I was worried that if I went to get grain, and there was another demon attack with no one to guard, it would be a big problem. Younger Brother Li has a Dragon Steed, and his speed is not slow compared to ours. His departure won't affect the overall combat strength. There will still be two Eighth-Rank cultivators to ensure safety."

Li Qi's face darkened upon hearing this.

This old brother is a bit too honest, isn't he? Can he even talk? What does he mean by 'his departure won't affect the overall combat strength'? He's still the third strongest here, after all.

Only inferior to the two Eighth-Rank cultivators, the other Ninth-Rank military officers were basically no match for him in a single encounter.

However, rough words don't mean rough reasoning. No matter how strong he was, he was still a Ninth-Rank, with limited effectiveness on a large-scale battlefield.

An army is not a disorganized rabble.

If it were just over ten thousand unranked brutes, with a few Ninth-Rank cultivators scattered among them, Li Qi might be injured from exhaustion, or even be overturned if he was careless, but at the very least, he could slaughter the other side.

But if it were an army of over ten thousand, led by a dozen Ninth-Rank military officers, then the situation would be different.

If Li Qi were to clash head-on with the White Rhinoceros Army right now, all his methods would be hard-pressed to shake the opponent's military Qi. He would even find it difficult to escape, only to be rushed by the opponent and hacked to death with random blades.

The difference between a well-trained iron army and a disorganized rabble lies in this.

Such an army, with command and military banners, relying on the might of its military Qi, could directly confront an Eighth-Rank cultivator.

In the previous battle, that eagle-headed demon, by mobilizing the demon military Qi below, was able to break Zhang Lan's Divine Ability, which showed its power.

It was indeed more suitable for Li Qi to ride the Dragon Steed to transport the grain.

"Ahem, then I'll take care of the grain transportation. General, could you give me a credential?" He coughed, suppressing his embarrassment, then said to the deputy general.

The deputy general understood and handed a rolled-up piece of cloth to Li Qi: "This item is one of our army's military banners. It cannot easily be given to others. It represents the face of the White Rhinoceros Army. Sir, take it, and the Sima of Guangyang City will naturally know you are not a fraud."

"The matter of military rations can be resolved. The second matter is, which path should we take to White Peak Mountain?" The deputy general then took out a military map and spread it out before everyone.

These matters were not decided privately by the military officers, but rather discussed with Li Qi and Zhang Lan.

After a morning's time, the three finally settled on all the major and minor details.

Zhang Lan was still responsible for the security and military preparations, while the army's affairs were still left to the original military officers. The task assigned to Li Qi was simpler: to go and request military rations.

As for Shen Shuibi, she had free rein to do whatever she wished; no one assigned her anything.

The affairs of the common people were also arranged layer by layer, managed by the army, with some respected villagers and elders brought in to help oversee them.

In short, after everything was arranged, Li Qi prepared to set off.

As he led the old horse and prepared to depart, Shen Shuibi suddenly appeared beside Li Qi. She asked somewhat nervously: "Um... Li Qi, can't I go with you?"

Li Qi smiled: "I'm going to a Human Race city. What could happen? Your cultivation is profound, and your combat strength is strong. It's better for you to stay here and protect the common people."

"Oh..." Although Shen Shuibi agreed, she was clearly a bit downcast.

"But it's only ten hours round trip. Even if there's a delay, I'll be back tomorrow at the latest, no need to worry." Li Qi comforted her.

Without further ado, the sooner he went, the sooner he'd return; it was only ten hours.

It's not like he'd go and never come back.