Chapter 1974: The Dragon God's True Gift

Tushan Fang fiddled with his ears, "I don't know when we'll be able to go back. I just hope my child grows up fast, so he can support his mother."

"The battlefield is merciless, blades have no eyes. There's an old saying too: those who kill will be killed. Tushan brother, aren't you afraid that one day..."

"I'm already a fire captain, commanding nine men under me. If I keep at it for a few more months, I might just become a squad leader." Tushan Fang counted on his fingers, "If I die on the battlefield, my family will receive a huge pension, a huge one! As long as they're not cheated, they can live comfortably for thirty years; if they buy some paddy fields and shops, even my grandson won't have to worry about food and drink."

He used to be idle and lick blood from the blade's edge, barely feeding himself, never daring to think about the future; now that he has a chance, he wants to set up some property for his family.

Where there is hope, there is motivation.

Fan Shuang watched him sitting there, eagerly planning his own afterlife, his eyes full of vitality and hope: "Fan brother, you see my worthless life—being alive is good, but dying isn't bad either. Isn't it more worthwhile to fight for the Dragon God?"

He raised his left hand, shaking his four fingers: "They all say I'm a born bad seed, but where in this world is there a proper path for me to walk? I've tried countless times, never had a good outcome. Until I joined the Black Armor Army, this hundred-plus catties of flesh finally had some use! Only after joining did I realize that in the Black Armor Army back then, and later in the Dragon God Army, there were so many people like me, too many to count! Every single one was a forgotten desperado, life meaningless, but death even brought applause."

Fan Shuang sighed: "Yeah, this damn world!"

"But when we fight for the Dragon God, others actually respect and cherish us, and we realize we can still do something meaningful, something..." He trailed off.

Fan Shuang finished for him: "Value."

"Exactly, something valuable." Tushan Fang half-self-mocking, "I just hope that if I die on the battlefield, my wife will bring my child to burn some paper offerings for me. My old mother can go around telling people, our family's third son isn't good-for-nothing—he gave his life for the Dragon God."

Fan Shuang nodded, inexplicably feeling his eye sockets warm up.

Tushan Fang, getting excited, also raised his hand to pour Fan Shuang a cup of tea: "You say fighting has any downsides? When we fight, the Dragon God is happy, the common folk are happy, I'm happy, and my family is happy too."

"You say what's bad about the Dragon God? When he arrives, the people of Miancheng have work to do, money to earn, food to eat... Most of them rarely ever got their wages on time!" He exhaled, "Fan brother, you're from Yaoren, you don't know how bitter the lives of the Shan gold people I've seen are. My child, my own child, only ate meat once every four years—that was when I went home! I bought a huge slab of meat, bigger than my face, just cooked and put on the table—countdown three, two, one, gone. But these past few months, look how many Miancheng people have changed into new clothes and shoes, look how many Miancheng kids have bought candy?"

"If they didn't know the Dragon God's goodness, why would they work hard under my command?" Tushan Fang snorted, "I used to be a mountain bandit, also served in other city lords' armies. Those soldiers and bandits weren't much different—lawless and lazy, neither wanting to be loyal to anyone nor to defend anyone, just drifting through life."

"I know, because I used to be just like that." Tushan Fang raised his cup and drained it in one gulp, "Until I joined the Black Armor Army."

Fan Shuang exhaled heavily: "Yeah, the Nine Abyssal Grand Emperor is impressive—I see the Dragon God temple in Miancheng is unusually flourishing with incense, crowds of worshippers coming and going every day, nearly breaking the threshold."

Inside and outside the Dragon God temple, there are many who kneel unable to rise, prostrating themselves in devout faith.

"In Tianshui City, before, one could only see such grandeur in the main temple of the Wonderful Submersion Heaven."

After hearing Tushan Fang's words, Fan Shuang finally understood what the Dragon God truly brings to ordinary people.

It is opportunity, the chance to live as a person.

It is direction, that lone lamp in the dark night—follow it and you can walk out of the mire of man-eating dust and mud.

It is also release, knowing that coming into this world for this one life, in the end, it is still worthwhile.

This is the Dragon God's true gift to the Shan gold plains.

Fan Shuang also realized he had never truly understood He Xiaoyao.

What kind of person could make desperate, knife-licking outlaws die heart and soul for him, make strangers feel grateful to tears, and turn a rabble into elite troops?

Tushan Fang joined the Black Armor Army just over a year ago and already has this combat power, this awakening—so what must the elite Black Armor troops personally brought out by He Xiaoyao be like?

In a daze, he roughly understood why the Black Armor Army could previously sweep across the Shan gold plains.

He Xiaoyao's army and these scattered bandits of Shan gold—whether in cohesion or combat ability, are not on the same level at all!

If the Nine Abyssal Grand Emperor could turn his Dragon God army, and the garrisons everywhere, into this—then, then what chance would his enemies still have?

Just then, not far away, the sky suddenly had several fireworks shoot up into the heavens, accompanied by sharp whistling.

The two sat by the window and saw it clearly. That was outside the city gate!

Tushan Fang sprang up:

"Enemy attack!"

Fan Shuang's face changed drastically: "This, this is?"

Latest chapter first released on!

"It can only be Guo Baoyu, but he..." Now doubting was too late—Tushan Fang pointed toward the government office: "Fan brother, hurry back to the office, the city will immediately assign personnel and mobilize supplies!"

Having said that, he hurried off.

Fan Shuang had planned to go home to be with his parents, but hearing this, he froze. Right, he is the registrar of Miancheng—when war breaks out, he must go help register the inflow and outflow of supplies.

He hesitated a moment, until two more fireworks shot up from outside the city, then he entrusted money to someone to send a message home, and himself rushed hastily to the office.

Outside the city gate, fire shot up into the sky.

The Fan family finally personally experienced the tension of war. Amid the booming cannon fire, County Guard Huang Chengqi personally stood on a high platform to mobilize, so far away that Fan Shuang could still hear his voice hoarse from exhaustion:

"We've only had a few days of full meals, only enjoyed a few good days? If we abandon the city and flee, later we'll have to leave our homeland, wander in distress; if Miancheng falls to Guo Baoyu, then it's man as knife and board, I as fish and meat—we'll be slaughtered clean by him! Our only option is to take up arms and defend Miancheng!"

Thereafter, personnel and supplies flowed like water to the city gate. The townspeople also sprang into action, transporting materials, making feather arrows, cooking food, even making enemy-hurling gold juice—military and civilians alike were busy as bees.

According to the city gate guards just relieved, Guo Baoyu's army outside the city numbers at least six or seven thousand, having completely surrounded Miancheng!

Six or seven thousand—this is three times more than the city's own garrison!