Chapter 140: Mascot

The Ghost Tide receded, and it took quite a while for the people inside the station to recover their senses.

Such a massive crisis, just—passed?

Especially the station guards; their personnel were limited, and they knew internally how many people were defending the upper levels.

Station Master Cheng Xu led the men to hold it this time—no, to be precise, the enemy couldn't even attack up here at all!

What did this mean?

This proved that the Defense Post could truly withstand the impact of a Ghost Tide!

The guards' spirits were lifted.

One guard said, "The station is truly great! If more are built in the future, when we are in urgent need of supplies, we won't have to run to larger, more distant cities; we can just borrow from a nearby station—wouldn't that be like visiting neighbors, helping each other out?"

Another person corrected him, "It should be like our village and the village next door, that kind of relationship."

"Village to village—wouldn't they fight over water?"

"Stupid! The station has dug water wells, no need to go outside and fight for it! You should be asking, if the village next door—if the station next door runs into our territory to snatch military merit, would we fight?"

"Isn't that a waste of breath! Beat the hell out of them!"

As they cursed, they burst into laughter.

They didn't understand the grand strategy or the big picture; they were just fantasizing from the perspective of their personal lives and interests.

In such a bizarre world as today, a little bit of hope could give lost people more strength and provide a fulcrum for their beliefs.

Cheng Xu walked down from the rooftop. He was now high-spirited and brimming with confidence.

"Judging from the Ghost Tide that just passed, the speed of the Plague Ghosts hasn't fully picked up yet; send word back quickly!"

The signals they sent had to pass through many scouts along the way, which would certainly have a significant delay during the Ghost Tide's passage, but it should allow the people in Shuo City to know that they were safe here before the Ghost Tide attacked the city.

Confirming that there was no major danger around the station and that those scattered, wandering Plague Ghosts posed no threat, Cheng Xu had the station soldiers go out to kill the remaining Plague Ghosts, clean up the battlefield, and scoop up all the fragmented military merit.

Military merit was tied to rewards, so everyone was very willing.

The station gates opened, and the soldiers quickly formed teams to head out.

Han Lian and his companions, who had been locked in the isolation area, stretched their necks to look around.

Having been scared limp just moments ago, now that the storm had passed, they stood tall again, and were even eager to strike up a conversation.

When Cheng Xu passed by, his gaze swept over the few refugees, but he did not stop. He had already sent someone to question them; the matter of the refugees was set aside for now.

Now, he had to go check the wear and tear on the outer walls and inspect the battlefield at close range to see if there were any areas that needed improvement, as he would have to report to Zhao Shaozhu afterward.

Hmm, when the time comes, he should also communicate more with Wen Gu; perhaps he could gain some more inspiration.

Soon, there was no sound of Plague Ghosts around the station.

The killed Plague Ghosts were packed up and dragged to Li Mountain.

At a certain spot on Li Mountain, they had dug deep trenches in advance to throw the Plague Ghosts in, burn them, and bury them.

Li Mountain had little vegetation, so it was not easy for accidental fires to spread.

The fire was intense, which could also suppress ghosts and evil.

"Li Mountain is truly a good place!" Cheng Xu sighed.

Sure enough, Feng Shui patterns could change!

The auspiciousness or misfortune of a place was not necessarily constant; a once-cursed land could also become an auspicious one.

Cheng Xu inspected the surroundings carefully, and to prevent forgetting any details, he had a literate personal soldier hold paper and brush to record notes on the side.

"—Record what I just said; it will be used when compiling the station's history in the future." The corners of Cheng Xu's mouth couldn't help but curl upward, but he forced them back down.

The personal soldier understood well.

That group of scholars would compile materials based on the station history, and if, years later, the first Defense Post was mentioned, it would inevitably mention Cheng Xu, the Station Master!

Heh~ those supporting characters like them who participated in the construction and defense of the first station might also get their names mentioned.

That's why they say, you have to fight to be first in everything!

The person responsible for recording was very proactive.

Cheng Xu looked at the sky and told everyone to clean up the battlefield as quickly as possible and return inside the station.

Once things ended over at Shuo City and the Ghost Tide was scattered, there would surely be some Plague Ghosts running over here again, and they could earn another wave of military merit then.

"I wonder how things are over at Shuo City." Cheng Xu muttered to himself, "They should be able to handle it with ease."

On the other side, Shuo City.

Overall, Shuo City was indeed relatively composed.

Having gone through a winter and made full preparations, the defense elites of Shuo City were very confident in defending against this first wave of Plague Ghost clusters this year.

Zhao Shaozhu stood on the city tower of Neicheng, waiting nervously.

Wen Gu was also nervous inside. Speculation was just speculation; until the results were seen, nothing could be concluded.

A Ghost Tide sweeps past a station very quickly. Whether it was a success or a failure did not require a long wait.

And indeed, they did not wait too long; the smoke and fire signal sent by the scouts confirmed that the Lishan Defense Station was safe and sound during this Ghost Tide!

"Good!"

Zhao Shaozhu rarely showed such a gratified smile.

The tension in Wen Gu's heart also eased. The Defense Post System, the first step was a success!

This news was enough to inspire people; the City Defender of Shuo City, Lin Yin, and the defending General Wu, were even more confident now.

If the newly built Lishan Station could withstand it, and Shuo City had both experience and strengthened external defensive forces, how could anything go wrong!

Zhao Shaozhu thought the same, and he said to Wen Gu, "After a winter of freezing and hunting in Beidi, the number of remaining Plague Ghosts is not high. The number coming from the south in this first round is limited. With General Wu's defensive experience, the difficulty won't be too great."

The success of the Defense Post made Zhao Shaozhu's attitude toward the future more positive and filled with ambition: "The more you understand, the more you realize that those Plague Ghosts are not invincible. As long as we work together with one heart, no matter how high the mountain in front is, it can be removed!"

Wen Gu agreed, "Working together with one heart can save the world!"

Zhao Shaozhu laughed, "One of the school mottos of Centai Academy?"

Knowing Wen Gu followed Old Master Hong to learn, and also obtained a sword bestowed by Centai Academy, Wen Gu is considered a certified member of Centai Academy.

He asked, "What other academy mottos does your Centai Academy have?"

Wen Gu said, "Those with shared ambitions do not find mountains and seas too far. To walk without stopping is to have a future worth anticipating."

Amidst the casual chat, a golden chime of warning appeared ahead, and the two immediately ceased their talk and looked forward.

That brown Ghost Tide finally arrived.

It was impossible to see the trampling caused by the Refusal Horses and Deer Caltrops set up further ahead, but one could see the sky-filling dust kicked up as they impacted the earthen wall in the distance.

The entire dark tide would be torn apart by the defensive installations, dispersing and reducing the density of their attack.

When the outer city wall began its defensive battle, Wen Gu suddenly heard some unusual sounds in the Neicheng.

Before long, a person from the Patrol Guard Division walked quickly upstairs: "Young Master, there is an anomaly in the city!"

At such a critical moment, when most of the military strength was being used for defense, a sudden disturbance and chaos erupted within the city.

In this tense moment of the defensive battle, the city could not spare many people to investigate, and those responsible for monitoring the disturbances were the people from the Patrol Guard Division station.

When an abnormal situation arose, the people from the Patrol Guard Division prioritized the safety of Zhao Shaozhu.

"Young Master, is it necessary to return to the residence?" the man asked.

Zhao Shaozhu was not very willing to leave right now; if possible, he still hoped to wait until the Ghost Tide outside dispersed.

Coming to the front line to oversee the battle for the first time, and actually being forced to hide by a little disturbance in the city?

Retreating over a small matter would very likely leave the impression of being "unfit for great tasks" in the minds of the old generals.

Not panicking, Zhao Shaozhu waved his hand, whispered a few words to the man, and then continued to stand on the inner level of the tower, looking toward the battlefield ahead with a grave expression.

But not long after, another person from the Patrol Guard Division came over.

"Young Master, disturbances have appeared in many places within the city!"

It was not just one place that was abnormal; there were anomalies in many parts of Shuo City!

The unstable factors were increasing; some were gathering to cause trouble, or conflicts were suddenly erupting between neighbors in certain places, and others, not knowing who had bewitched them, were breaking into the homes of the wealthy to seize grain, leading to bloody conflicts with the wealthy families' servants and guards.

People's hearts were restless, which could very likely trigger a riot!

One incident could be called a coincidence, but with so many happening at the same time, and at such a tense moment, if it were someone with ill intentions deliberately plotting—

Now, the target most likely to be aimed at in all of Shuo City was Zhao Shaozhu!

The scholar beside him immediately advised, "Young Master, a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall!"

Some risks were not worth taking!

Why don't you go to a safer place? The city tower is easy for people to exploit.

Zhao Shaozhu still did not leave, only saying, "Wait a little longer."

Wen Gu thought for a moment; this cousin of his was not a blockhead, nor was he an obstinate person.

So he asked, "Is there a problem with the Gao Family?"

Zhao Shaozhu nodded slightly: "The locations where the disturbances appeared in the city include those few places you mentioned."

Wen Gu recalled the information he had provided not long ago, his brows twitching: "Those few places Gao Lao Er often goes to?"

Not long ago, he had invited a certain chatterbox to the mansion for a talk, heard quite a bit of gossip about the Gao Family, and had written a summary of the information for Zhao Shaozhu.

After reading it, Zhao Shaozhu had secretly let the people from the Patrol Guard Division keep an eye on these places, which was why they were able to pinpoint them accurately the first time. But due to limited personnel, they could not suppress them immediately.

Wen Gu asked, "That Gao Family residence—"

Zhao Shaozhu said, "I have just had the personal guards go and check the Gao Family Old Residence again; that courtyard should be fine. What needs to be guarded against is the outside; I have already increased personnel to strengthen the defense inside and outside the residence."

After confirming that the Gao Family had major problems, Wen Gu did not trust anything belonging to the Gao Family, including that Gao Family Old Residence.

He asked again, "Besides that Gao Family Old Residence, what other place can be chosen?"

"There is also the County Office. But the personnel there are even more mixed."

Zhao Shaozhu guessed that Wen Gu might be overly nervous; he looked left and right, leaned over, and whispered, "The Gao Family Old Residence is more suitable for emergency hiding!"

In case something really happened in the city, he and Wen Gu could hide in the Cellar.

Zhao Shaozhu was actually also angry and anxious inside; the fury in his eyes could barely be suppressed.

Causing disturbances in the Neicheng at such a time, disregarding the safety of the entire Shuo City—who exactly was plotting behind this?

The Gao Family certainly wasn't; they could only be considered someone thrown out to take the fall.

Zhao Shaozhu pondered with suspicion, but he had to appear fearless and calm in the face of danger—and he still had to comfort his cousin who might be frightened. His hand hidden under his sleeve squeezed tightly to steady his mind.

Wen Gu did not know what this cousin beside him was thinking; he was lowering his eyes to ponder matters, as one truly could not be rash at such a time. He checked his sword and the two firecrackers he carried with him again.

He currently did not have enough real power and could not influence certain things.

Regarding his own safety, he could not rely on his cousin's personal guards for everything; perhaps at a critical moment, he still had to rely on himself.

After waiting a while longer, the person from the Patrol Guard Division signaled to the Young Master: some risks had been eliminated, and they could go downstairs and return.

If they had gone downstairs a moment earlier and returned a moment earlier, they would have encountered a conflict on the road and been blocked.

Fortunately, it had been resolved now.

Zhao Shaozhu did not delay any longer and called Wen Gu to his side: "Follow closely, don't get too far away."

If someone were to assassinate them halfway, the target would likely be Zhao Shaozhu, but the security personnel around Zhao Shaozhu were also the most numerous, so the assassins would be unable to get close at all.

If they encountered a riot in the city, they could also receive the best protection by Zhao Shaozhu's side.

Wen Gu naturally understood this, so there was no need for more words; he followed closely.

Zhao Shaozhu now had to leave the city tower, but a pair of eyes still needed to be left here at the tower.

That scholar volunteered, willing to stay behind and share the burden for the Young Master. Such an opportunity to demonstrate one's ability, value, and sense of responsibility was, of course, one to seize!

After giving instructions, Zhao Shaozhu took Wen Gu downstairs. To make Wen Gu feel more at ease, he pointed to several directions in the city: "People from the Patrol Guard Division have already gone to handle those places; there is no need to worry too much."

The City Defender of Shuo City, Lin Yin, upon learning of the disturbances in many parts of the city, was likewise deeply suspicious. Never before had such a situation occurred within the city!

He did not know what the people from the Patrol Guard Division were investigating, but he could feel that this time was unusual.

Precisely because it was unusual, Lin Yin felt a sense of heart-pounding panic.

He and General Wu had been partners guarding Shuo City for nearly two years, and they had experienced countless dangers, yet he had never felt this uneasy.

Internal strife and external threats—it was extremely thorny.

After thinking it over, City Defender Lin still felt uneasy; judging that the defensive battle in the Outer City was under control and that General Wu was watching the battlefield, he personally brought men over to the Neicheng to take a look.

Running over drenched in sweat to take a look, he found Zhao Shaozhu and Wen Gu, these two living ancestors, had just come down from the city tower, whispering about something together while pointing at the Inner City District.

City Defender Lin felt a burst of madness.

No, why are you two still wandering around outside!!

His requirements for Zhao Shaozhu were actually not high; for matters like overseeing the battle, as long as he was in the city, that was enough—just being a mascot placed there was fine, there was no need to stay on the city tower staring at it, safety was the priority!

Watching both the Young Master and Wen Gu enter the carriage, City Defender Lin hurriedly led his men to form a protective circle around the carriage to prevent any thieves from assassinating them.

He urged them incessantly in his heart:

You two mascots, hurry back and hide yourselves well!