Chapter 826: Swordsman Weier, Hard to Find Good Sleep

In Jier's camp.

After arranging for the handover of the firewood brought in during the afternoon, Jier immediately took the lumberjacks to eat. The camp cooks had specifically set aside several pots of bubbling, boiling wheat porridge for them.

These wheat porridges had quite a lot of beans added to them, so the color of the entire porridge had become somewhat strange. But it didn't matter; everyone had long since grown accustomed to it along the way, and no one cared whether the food looked good or not, only whether it could fill their stomachs.

Sitting in a circle around the campfire with his subordinates, eating the food served out in large mouthfuls, Jier was in no hurry to shove the scalding wheat porridge into his mouth like the lumberjacks around him. He stirred it with a wooden spoon to let the heat rising from the surface of the porridge dissipate faster, and only after it had cooled slightly did he scoop it up spoonful by spoonful to eat.

If anyone else were eating with the group in such a refined manner during the journey, they would certainly be mocked or whispered about behind their backs, but if it were Jier, no one would say anything.

Many even praised him for being well-educated and more qualified to lead the team.

However, Jier knew that these were all just flattering nonsense. Never mind him eating slowly with a spoon; even if he were to tilt his head back and pour the piping hot, freshly cooked wheat porridge into his throat just like the lumberjacks around him—whose brains contained more muscle than gray matter—most of the people in this group would still find other excuses to flatter him.

Xueya Site always made jokes about this, and Jier always used a shrug to defuse the awkwardness.

But tonight, when he finished his sixth bowl of wheat porridge and felt his stomach couldn't hold any more, he was stopped by a young man just as he was preparing to return to his tent to maintain his weapons and equipment.

This young man, carrying a fine long sword, was none other than Weier, the former bandit who had recovered from his madness a few days ago. Even though this young man claimed that he had never killed any innocent civilians while operating with the bandit group, Jier didn't really like this guy.

After all, when they first met, this person had killed one of his armed civilians, and even when he regained his sanity a few days ago, he had killed several local bandits who attacked the team.

"What is it? What do you want with me?"

Jier tossed the wooden spoon and wooden bowl in his hand onto the ground nearby; there were team civilians responsible for cleaning up the tableware who would pick them up to wash and put away later.

Weier, who called himself a swordsman, looked left and right, and feeling that there were too many people around, spoke up: "Knight Jier, could we go to a quiet place to talk?"

Jier tilted his head, signaling for the other to follow, and before long they arrived in front of his carriage and tent. There were two campfires here; some of the armed civilians Jier trusted most and Xueya Site were gathered around the campfire, placing bets on the outcome of the wrestling matches between the armed civilians not far away. This one-on-one fighting activity, held whenever conditions allowed, was something Jier had learned from the Kendall Army.

Not to mention how much it could naturally improve the combat effectiveness of the civilians responsible for fighting, at the very least, it gave those reckless guys who had no place to vent their energy after a full meal a place to do so, reducing friction and conflict within the team.

Jier brought Weier to one of the campfires, occupied it alone, had his subordinates bring over a few buckets of water, and then drove the others to the other campfire.

"There's no one here now, tell me, what's the matter?"

As Jier spoke, he removed his weapons and equipment piece by piece. Although the smell of the monster blood he had gotten on him while killing the parasitic monsters was pleasant, he couldn't just leave his armor and weapons uncleaned because of the smell.

Not to mention whether the monsters' blood had other issues, just the fact that steel armor was very prone to rusting if not cleaned properly after every battle, and the same went for weapons. If possible, one had to carefully clean the gaps in the weapons and the debris inside the sword sheath after every battle.

Weier looked around, felt that the distance to the others at the other campfire not far away was fine, and remembering the words the old merchant had given him earlier, he knelt on one knee directly when Knight Jier looked over. He gripped the sword sheath standing beside him, looked up with burning eyes, and said: "Knight Jier, the injuries on my body have almost healed. Now that I am able to assist you in battle, please arrange a position and tasks for me."

Jier was dismantling his armor and asked casually: "Your injuries weren't light before; you've recovered so quickly? Others in the team who suffered injuries like yours are mostly exhausted at this time, unable to even walk. Are you really okay?"

Weier used his free hand to make a fist and knocked hard on his chest, especially the place where he had been injured before. Although his body trembled while he was knocking, his unchanging expression indicated that he was already fine.

"Sir Knight, my injuries are all healed, and my body is not weak. I can fight and kill the enemy."

Jier sat down on the ground, picked out the parts of the armor stained with monster fluid or blood and placed them in front of him, putting the clean ones behind him. Then he picked up the largest piece of arm armor stained with monster blood and threw it in front of Weier: "I heard you say your sword technique is good, but our enemies now are not humans, but these things."

Weier picked up the heavy steel arm armor, put down his own long sword, touched the dried monster blood on the arm armor with his fingers, and muttered: "I've heard people in the team talk about these things, evil vine monsters that parasitize human bodies."

Nearby, a subordinate Jier had previously ordered brought over two buckets of clear water. Jier took them, placed them beside him, dipped a gray cloth in the water, and then repeatedly wiped the dirt on the armor: "Can you handle them?"

Weier pursed his lips and said solemnly: "If the people in the team can handle them, of course I can too."

Jier wiped a part clean, roasted it over the campfire beside him to dry the moisture, then took a small bottle of paste-like grease from the bag behind him, got a tiny bit onto the surface of the part in his hand, and used a pig hair brush to spread the grease over the armor and polish it.

"How many do you think you can handle at once?" Jier asked casually, not stopping his hands as he picked up another piece of armor stained with monster blood.

Faced with Knight Jier's casual question, Weier, who prided himself on being a swordsman, did not dare to boast: "It's hard to judge before a direct battle occurs, but facing one at a time, there is certainly no problem."

At this moment, from the northeast direction of the camp, at the main gate of the town closest to the camp, came a wave of shouts and roars that grew louder and louder. Such a situation immediately caused everyone in Jier's camp who had not yet rested to stand up and crane their necks to look over.

Jier immediately dropped what was in his hands and followed their gaze.

Unlike the people around him who couldn't see clearly, Jier, relying on his outstanding eyesight and the Divine Art granted by the Great Bird Deity, saw what was happening at the town gate flickering with firelight.

"The town guards and the people outside the town are fighting?"

Jier muttered, but then he spat: "I should have expected it. Hmph, boiling steam will definitely push open the pot lid."

At this time, Xueya Site ran over to ask what to do, and Jier immediately told him what he had seen and analyzed.

Knowing it wasn't monsters, Xueya Site breathed a sigh of relief and advised Jier not to intervene in this matter: "We've only been here for a day, and this kind of thing has happened. It's impossible to explain clearly; we must not get involved."

Nodding, Jier indicated he understood: "Of course I understand this kind of thing, but one side of the battle, those people outside the town, their situation is not good, you know? What do you think?"

Xueya Site was full of hesitation. If he had to choose, he would of course choose the villagers outside the town, not the town guards. In the years he had been a caravan guard, he had dealt with these people many times. Although this was his first time in the Southern Province, he figured that guards all over the world were about as bad.

But now it wasn't a small caravan protected by caravan guards; it was a refugee team of hundreds of people that needed to, and could only, deal with the noble of the territory controlling the town. The exchange and complementarity of resources between the two sides was a win-win situation. And the people outside the town provided almost no help to the refugee team, and they even had to arrange personnel to guard against the people on both sides.

Xueya Site naturally understood which was more important.

"Still, we cannot act. We can't do anything. Let's just manage our team well. I hope the people in Xiwang Town won't think this has anything to do with us," Xueya Site said powerlessly and slowly.

Jier rubbed his teeth and shouted loudly: "Everyone in the team, return to your respective tents. The armed squad, guard the places previously assigned. Don't worry about what's happening outside; those have nothing to do with us."

The voice was clear and loud; even the chaotic shouts and killing sounds at the town gate not far away could not drown out Jier's voice.

At this time, Bata'er Jiaoshi came trotting over holding his glowing long staff. After asking Jier what had happened, he couldn't sit still and was about to rush over to help.

"Help? Priest, who are you going to help?"

Jier called out to the rushing Bata'er Jiaoshi.

Before the priest could open his mouth to answer, Jier indicated he understood: "I know which side it is. Sigh. I won't stop you, but what do you intend to do?"

"I, uh, at least I have to stop everyone first and end the fighting and killing," Bata'er Jiaoshi answered quickly.

Seeing the priest's anxious look, Jier didn't stop him either. He pulled over Weier, who was standing nearby, and pushed him toward Bata'er Jiaoshi: "Then take him. This guy claims to have decent swordsman skills. If you want to separate people who are fighting, just using your mouth is useless."

"I understand, but I have this." Bata'er Jiaoshi raised the Amber Metal Long Staff in his hand, but although he said that, he didn't refuse the swordsman Weier who had come over. After he finished speaking, he took the man and hurried over.

Jier saw that the armed squad guarding the right side of the camp first stopped the two who wanted to go out, but soon Bata'er Jiaoshi walked out with Weier. Without the illumination of the campfires in the camp, the figures of the two should have been invisible, but the tip of the glowing long staff in Bata'er Jiaoshi's hand kept emitting a dim yellow light.

Seeing Bata'er Jiaoshi walk away, Xueya Site cursed a few times with slight dissatisfaction, then sat down beside Jier angrily and said to Jier, who had sat back down to clean his armor: "He is causing us trouble."

Jier didn't stop his hands: "Perhaps."

"Should we have the team prepare to relocate and depart? Damn it, I forgot our caravan just entered the town, and there are people driving the carts."

Xueya Site cried out in annoyance: "Now we can't leave even if we want to."

"Not necessarily. Don't say it has nothing to do with us; even if it did, believe me, the smart people in the town will make it have nothing to do with us. You know, the trouble they are facing now is already enough; it's like a juggler who already has too many things on his head to fit an elephant."

Xueya Site blinked: "An elephant? I think we are at most a monkey."

Jier smiled: "They can't stand a monkey either."

"So, smart people control the situation, but what about fools? I think it's because there are too many fools that everything has become so terrible. You know, the city gate guards everywhere are basically fools, crude and greedy, counting every person entering the city, peeking into every carriage of a Caravan." Xueya Site complained while helping Jier simply clean the dirty armor parts.

Jier did not stop his hands, thinking about the city gate guards of Kendall City in his mind, and said, "They aren't all fools; there are still some capable and conscientious good people."

Jier's statement made Xueya Site shake his head and smile bitterly: "You have great skills, so of course you face less trouble. I don't have as much ability as you."

As the two talked, Jier pricked up his ears to listen to the commotion and fighting not far away, as well as the intervention of Priest Bata'er, and just like that, he finished tidying up the armor.

At night, Jier didn't sleep at all. Firstly, he had to guard against any changes caused by the Priest's intervention in the local commotion, mainly guarding against Yemei Town. Secondly, his sleep quality had been poor lately; whenever he fell asleep, he would dream, and whenever he dreamed, he would inevitably be entangled and tortured by the resentment of the people he had killed.

Then it was better for him not to sleep.

The Great Bird deity said that Jier would do things for Him, and He would help Jier resolve the resentment clinging to him. But Jier had done the things, yet many days had passed, and the ancient deity had not helped him resolve this matter.

When asked what was going on, the other party would make excuses about expanding believers; when asked further, the other party would make excuses about gathering power. As a result, when asked about the situation these past two days, the Great Bird deity would hem and haw and rarely communicate or reply to him.

Usually, He quite liked talking to him, but now that Jier held the Heise Daniu Wooden Carving hanging around his neck in his hand, this deity rarely responded.

If it weren't for the fact that when staring directly at the eyes of this wooden carving, the deity's wooden carving would awkwardly shift its gaze away from Jier's, Jier would have even thought that the other party had run away after taking the benefits.

Although Jier would also be glad for the other party to run away and break the connection with him, so as not to have a direct conflict with the Hunting God Church in the future, the problem was that Jier hadn't received the benefits yet! If the benefits had been given, Jier would even welcome the ancient deity running away with both hands.

But now, Jier felt terrified whenever he saw his sleeping bag at night. He wasn't sleepy during the day; when traveling, he could close his eyes while riding on horseback and doze off at any time. Although the time wasn't long, the intermittent naps could slightly make up for Jier's sleep.

The trouble was that even if he just dozed off for a little while, he would be dragged into a nightmare, forced to 'play' for a while in the nightmare with those defeated opponents who came to torture him, and then be forced to wake up.

Therefore, early the next morning, Jier walked out of his tent early, kicked awake the two guards dozing outside the tent, and as a sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon, he began a new day.