Chapter 80: Unwilling

At Guo Jing and Nie Huaishang's teasing, they shyly scratched their heads; the matter of marriage was far too sudden for these ignorant young men, since before they could barely support themselves, let alone marry.

Now it was different; not only did their families have cattle and sheep, but they also served and studied under the Shaman, gradually becoming people with awakened minds and great abilities, and their days held ever more hope.

"Ah, I originally did not intend to spoil everyone's mood, but the matter is too grave to remain unsaid." After Nie Huaishang finished speaking, he sighed, causing the soldiers to grow extremely anxious.

"My Lord Shaman, just say what you need to say. If not for you, we would not only be unable to marry, we could not even support ourselves and our mothers. As long as you speak, we will venture through mountains of blades and seas of fire."

"Yes, My Lord Shaman, which blind-eyed fool has provoked you? As long as you speak, we will immediately annihilate him."

The five hundred soldiers clamored one after another to pledge their loyalty, unwilling to fall behind others.

"Yesterday, I accompanied the tribal chief to the Tribal Alliance Assembly. The chiefs of other tribes were deeply dissatisfied with our actions of releasing slaves and distributing cattle and sheep; they demanded we take back all the distributed cattle and sheep, recapture all the released slaves to serve as slaves again, and restore human sacrifice."

After Nie Huaishang finished speaking, the entire camp fell silent; no one spoke.

Just then, Ha Ming stepped forward. The man, who had just married and looked resolute, asked with a voice full of tears: "Why, My Lord Shaman? What right do those outsiders have to interfere in our affairs? What harm did giving us cattle and sheep do to them?"

Thinking that the cattle and sheep his family had just received would be forced to be handed back, his heart was a hundred thousand times reluctant.

"The reason is simple: because our tribe distributed cattle and sheep, the herdsmen of their tribes feel deeply unbalanced in comparison to us. In their words, 'these lowlifes are hard to manage now.' Before, they could easily force herdsmen to hand over newborn lambs; now, they have to bargain with them. Before, they only needed to give people a full meal before a campaign to make soldiers risk their lives fighting for them; now, they feel the lords give too little."

"These are all our fault. If not for us, their herdsmen would obediently hand over newborn lambs. If not for us, they would only need a full meal to make people risk their lives fighting for them, robbing money, grain, and women. If not for us, their herdsmen would constantly accept the lords' favors with gratitude instead of complaining like ungrateful wolves that the rewards are too small."

Nie Huaishang's narration was very calm, without any emotional fluctuation, but sometimes words need not be overly impassioned to stir emotions in people's hearts, because what he spoke of were things they had experienced constantly since birth.

Those things were still deeply imprinted in their minds; after all, they had only lived a happy life for a month and a half. Originally, these things were being slowly forgotten, but when Nie Huaishang mentioned them again, that pain surged like a tide, flooding their minds.

Thinking that their families would have to return to that life worse than pigs and dogs, many began to weep silently. Just then, some soldiers with red, tear-filled eyes saw Guo Jing and Nie Huaishang, who remained calm, and asked: "Shaman Nie, Shaman Guo, do you really intend to take back the distributed cattle and sheep? Do you really intend to turn the free herdsmen back into slaves, sacrificing dozens of herdsmen every year?"

Facing this question, neither answered directly. Nie Huaishang countered: "Do you want to hand over the distributed cattle and sheep? Are you willing for yourselves or your families to become slaves? Are you willing for yourselves or your families to be killed without cause in the name of sacrifice?"

Everyone looked at one another. Just then, a man in the crowd named Ha Muhe raised his hand and said: "My Lord Shaman, you decide."

"Do not let me decide." Before Ha Muhe could finish, Guo Jing rudely interrupted: "Ask yourselves; you decide. Even if only one person is unwilling to become a slave, unwilling to hand over the cattle and sheep, we will stand with that person. Even if people from other tribes come to boil us in a large pot, we will still stand firmly with him."

"Because in our hearts you are never lowly. As herdsmen, you should naturally own your own cattle and sheep. You are not dogs, ready to offer your lives to a master without hesitation just for a bone. You are all children of the Eternal Heaven. The Eternal Heaven let you be born between heaven and earth not to be beaten and scolded at will, nor insulted at will. You are all people with dignity."

Guo Jing clenched both hands into fists, his fingertips sinking deep into his palms, as if trying to squeeze out all his anger and helplessness. His eyes turned red, tears rolling down uncontrollably; every drop seemed like his accusation against this era. He deeply hated this era that made people numb.

Turning a person full of vitality and energy, blooming with infinite light and possibility like the rising sun, into a humble dog that could only wag its tail and beg for pity.

"Tell us, are you willing?" Guo Jing shouted.

"Not willing." The roar of everyone merged together, instantly sounding like thunder echoing through heaven and earth.

Of course they were not willing; even if it meant death, they were not willing. Having experienced what it meant to be human, how could they willingly become dogs?

"Good. Since everyone is unwilling, then let me ask: what if people from other tribes unite to destroy us?" Guo Jing asked.

"Then we fight them. We are not afraid of death. If my death can let my family live a happy life, then my death is worth it." Ha Shi shouted, his face flushed with anger.

"That's right. We are not afraid of death. If they dare come to rob our cattle and sheep, we will use our horse knives to chop off their heads."

"I want to see if the noble lords' necks bleed when chopped by a horse knife."

Guo Jing nodded and said: "Everyone's courage in viewing life and death as returning home is truly admirable, but have you considered that our tribe has only five hundred soldiers in total, while the soldiers of the Tatar other tribes add up to tens of thousands? How should we fight this war?"

"Then we herdsmen can also join the battle. We do not allow our cattle and sheep to be stolen, nor ourselves and our families to become slaves. We can also ride horses and shoot arrows; we can also use horse knives to chop off enemy heads." Just then, the personnel responsible for purchasing supplies, those responsible for making fodder, and those making livestock equipment also stood up together.

They were originally slaves in the tribe. After Nie Huaishang and Guo Jing restored their freedom, they kept them to teach knowledge. During the livestock reform, they also received their own cattle and sheep. They too were unwilling to return to their former lives.

"Even if we count all the people in our tribe, we are still vastly outnumbered. This is even after counting your underage younger brothers, newly initiated women, and mothers so frail they struggle to walk." Guo Jing calmly refuted the purchasing personnel's idea.

The refuted purchasing personnel did not get angry but asked humbly: "Shaman Guo, you are a person of great ability; you must have a way for us to turn defeat into victory."

"I naturally have a way. My way is to unite all the oppressed and exploited people." Guo Jing said in a deep voice.