Lu Ye thought about the hardships of the journey so far, and his heart felt bitter.
For instance, the incident today where they were besieged by refugees was something they had experienced several times over the past half-month, though they had managed to escape unscathed each time.
Ever since they finished off the dog meat, the two had accompanied each other and left the ruined temple. Before leaving, they found two wooden sticks in the temple, sharpened them with a broken dagger, and roasted them over a fire.
They also tied and secured the dagger to one of the wooden sticks, using rags to wrap and conceal it.
The two kowtowed to the broken divine statue to seek shelter, and relying on the two wooden sticks, they helped each other up and set off on the road.
They had encountered several small gangs of refugees like today's, who wanted to plunder grain and take lives, only to be counter-killed and looted by the two of them. They occasionally had a harvest, and the fresh blood on the tips of the wooden sticks had been stained that way, now turned a dark brown.
They had encountered squadrons of government soldiers chasing bandits, and had also seen bandits counter-killing government soldiers. The two were alert and hid under the dirt road to play dead, nearly getting dragged into the mess and dying as innocent ghosts.
They had also encountered large groups of refugees spontaneously breaching the fortified enclosures of wealthy landlords. In the night, the blazing fire rushed straight to the heavens. They blended into the crowd, not engaging in arson or plunder, nor seeking gold and silver, but only focusing on finding food. That operation was a great harvest, and they snatched a full half-bag of coarse flour.
They had encountered an influential family recruiting servants on the street. Lu Ye and Wang Hu, in order to secure a long-term meal ticket, happily signed the contract. However, who would have expected that after eating too much that night, Wang Hu had diarrhea, and while he went out to relieve himself, he overheard that this place specialized in making business deals for heads with government soldiers.
They would raise the passing refugees for half a month until they were fatter and had a better complexion, then the government soldiers would come to arrest people. They would catch them in batches, beheading them one by one to report as bandit heads for merit.
Lu Ye and Wang Hu fled overnight. To run fast, they even threw away the half-bag of coarse flour they had previously harvested, which they had separated and hidden on their bodies.
They had also passed by villages with trenches and encountered a fierce shopkeeper who, even in a year of drought, kept a tea stall open to do business and provide meat, though the meat this shopkeeper sold was rather gruesome.
On the pillars of the thatched stall were tied several slightly breathing prey persons. On the scene, a large kitchen knife cut the meat, and a bowl of meat cost only a few copper coins; the business deal was conducted honestly.
Moreover, the thatched stall had a steady stream of customers, and the business was quite prosperous. The two saw it from afar and were so frightened that they fled in panic.
They had also encountered several wild dogs with reddened eyes that unexpectedly attacked living people. That time was the most dangerous, and it was only by encountering a large team of merchant guards passing by that the wild dogs were scared away.
Despite this, both of them were injured.
Lu Ye was bitten on the leg by a wild dog, while Wang Hu was injured on his arm.
Fortunately, neither of them was seriously injured, and it should be nothing major.
This journey was half luck and half ferocity; the two not only saved their lives but also managed to be three-tenths full.
A thought stirred in Lu Ye's heart.
The Fish Dragon Diagram appeared in his mind.
"Lu Ye, 17 years old.
Root Bone—average talent, mediocre aptitude.
Condition—moderately weak, minor injuries, left leg inconvenient.
Lifespan: 17/49
Vitality—30/100."
Just from being three-tenths full every day for this half-month, his vitality had reached 30. Lu Ye was very expectant; once he reached the Prefecture City and had a few days of thin porridge, he wondered what he would look like.
Wang Hu, on the side, suddenly licked his lips and said.
"Eldest brother, are we almost at the Prefecture City?"
Lu Ye answered with a smile, his voice much lighter.
"Yes, we should be there soon."
Wang Hu's eyes immediately narrowed, his face full of longing.
"Eldest brother, then after we eat the disaster relief congee and recover our bodies, we can go to an influential family to sell ourselves again!"
He and Lu Ye had already discussed this in the ruined temple.
In this Chaotic World, whether being a soldier or a bandit, it is a life-risking job. You never know when you might end up filling a trench; it is not a good profession.
Therefore, the best path is to sell oneself to an influential family as a servant. Not only can one get a full stomach, but it also avoids the worry of losing one's life.
Once Wang Hu trains to become a Bronze Skin Warrior, he can even become a High-level servant. With the two brothers looking out for each other, there will always be future prospects, and it is possible to save enough silver to shed their servant status.
Although Wang Hu always mentions his Master and is usually a bit slow, his analysis was quite clear.
Lu Ye had pondered it, and this twisted logic actually made sense.
Starving to death is a big deal, while losing face as a servant is a small one. Anyway, he has a Divine Ability; as long as he can develop, it is acceptable to first be a servant and find a long-term meal ticket.
However, the provinces of the Jin State had all suffered from drought, which could be described as a thousand miles of scorched earth without grain, and refugees were everywhere. Even if an influential family really recruited servants, how many could they take?
I fear the competition is even more intense than the imperial examinations, right?
However, Lu Ye did not have the heart to pour cold water on Wang Hu. Who doesn't hope for something good?
Even if it is just a thought, there is no guarantee it won't come true.
Once Wang Hu mentioned selling himself as a servant, he had energy again. He no longer needed Lu Ye's help and waved his arms indignantly.
"This time we must keep our eyes wide open and be cautious. We cannot sell ourselves into that tiger's den and wolf's lair like last time, eating their food for half a month only to have to pay with our heads. We cannot do this headless business."
Thinking of the half-bag of coarse flour he lost when they escaped last time made his heart ache—what a disaster!
Lu Ye laughed out loud—this time we will keep our eyes peeled, brother, it absolutely won't happen!
The two were in high spirits, and their steps were a bit lighter.
After rounding the small hillock, they discovered that the road behind the hillock was actually a downhill slope all the way.
As far as the line of sight could reach, a city stood in the distance.
Standing on the hillside, the view of the city was excellent.
They saw that the city was of considerable scale, surrounded by brick walls on all four sides. Behind the battlements, one could see government soldiers in full armor standing guard and scouting, and there were squadrons of government soldiers patrolling, while the city gates were tightly shut.
Outside the city was a moat. In a year of great drought, the moat had dried up and been dug deeper into an impassable trench.
Outside the trench, dozens of thatched sheds were lined up. Runners and clerks were maintaining order, and the thatched roofs were emitting steaming heat; they were likely boiling congee inside, and a long queue of refugees was waiting outside.
Further out, along both sides of the Official Road outside the city, refugees had built simple shacks, and some had even dug shallow pits in the ground as a place to stay.
These Refugee Shacks had no planning; they were spread out on the ground like flatbread, crowded together densely, occupying a vast area and forming many winding, narrow paths.
Besides the refugees queuing for congee in front, there were some old and weak people and young children guarding the shacks. Behind these shacks, shallow river water flowed slowly; the once-great river had become a shallow bay, and a few scattered refugees were fetching water.
At first glance, it looked as if the Refugee Shacks had surrounded the city, leaving only the Official Road clear.
Lu Ye and Wang Hu looked at each other, their eyes full of surprise—indeed, there were congee stalls.
Was this bitter life finally coming to an end?
At this moment.
Suddenly, someone on the city tower struck a Bronze Bell.
The city gates opened wide, and squadrons of government soldiers formed ranks and marched out, guarding both ends of the long bridge built over the moat.
The refugee queue below immediately erupted in a commotion and shoving.
Inside the thatched sheds, many runners and clerks pushed out small carts with large wooden barrels on them, turning to retreat toward the wooden bridge.
The refugees who had not received congee immediately began to strike the tiles and iron cans they used as bowls, creating a crazy sound wave that rushed straight to the heavens, reaching the ears of Lu Ye and Wang Hu on the hillside.
Many refugees even rushed forward, wanting to intercept the congee-distributing team to see if they could scrape the bottom of the barrels, but they were forced back by the Spears of the government soldiers.
The scene was once chaotic and unbearable.
Wang Hu watched from the mountain and slapped his thigh in a hurry, his hand turning red.
"Eldest brother, look quickly, the congee distribution must be over!"
"Missing this meal is a disaster, missing the next one is even worse!"
"These roads will probably take half a day to walk! We still need to occupy a spot and build a shack to stay in."
Lu Ye waved his hand.
"Hurry!"
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