Chapter 525: Three-way Battle (IX)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The soldier vividly portrayed a talkative yet enthusiastic youngster. He poured out his grievances while eagerly caring for the family. He explained how tough his life was before going to Xiangyang and how comfortable his life was after going there.

Well, if he did not live a comfortable life, how could he have the money to wear woolen clothes which cost hundreds of pennies?

After rambling a few words, the soldier said in a seemingly inadvertent manner, “Oh right, I’ll talk about my experience as a man of experience. If you plan to go to Xiangyang District, I suggest you to go to Chengan District first… It’s nearer.”

Chengan District?

The strong man had already let down his guard completely and could not wait to know more about the outside world.

He frowned and said suspiciously, “I heard that Chengan District is very desolate. The Tsing Yi bastards there are worse than the ones here. If we go there, how is it different from looking for the King of Hell to be reincarnated?”

The soldier was startled. He immediately responded with an “oh” and patted his forehead while smiling fatuously with an awkward face.

“Look at this memory of mine. I’ve forgotten to tell you that the bastards in Chengan District have already been vanquished.” The soldier lowered his voice which was filled with excitement. “The person who gets rid of those bastards is the one in Xiangyang District! He’s awesome. He got rid of all of them in half a day’s time!”

The men’s eyes brightened up so much upon hearing what the soldier said. They squeezed his hands excitedly.

“Really?”

The soldier nodded and replied, “Yes, it’s true. How can it be fake? It’s difficult to get a household registration in Xiangyang District. One can’t even get his hands on the newly built houses. You can wait in Chengan District… Imagine what Xiangyang District used to be. It was once captured by the Tsing Yi bastards, but now it’s like a wonderland on earth. It’s really beautiful…”

Following the soldier’s story, the brawny man questioned closely, “Did you say that Chengan District will be as good as Xiangyang District in the future?”

The soldier nodded with certainty. “Of course. I heard that Xiangyang District is short of manpower. I plan to help my mother settle down and find a decent job there. I didn’t arrive in time last year. Everything was almost built when I got there. I heard that hardworking families can already buy a house and they have enough to eat and drink…”

The soldier could praise Xiangyang District nonstop for a few hours, but now was not the time to show off.

He described Xiangyang District exultantly, as if it was really a wonderland on earth.

Of course, for the people who had been tormented by wars and poverty, it was not just as simple as a wonderland on earth.

The soldier rambled on and muttered somewhat pitifully, “Unfortunately, I don’t know when the magistrate of Xiangyang District will come… If he comes, perhaps I don’t have to take my mother with me anymore… Sigh… Look at my mouth. I can’t stop talking. Please don’t laugh at me. It’s getting late, so I have to take advantage of the dark and take my mother with me…”

The soldier’s genuine-seeming words hit the young men right in their hearts.

Had their lives not been difficult, no one wanted to leave their homeland, not to mention that the price of leaving was depleting the family’s savings.

Now that there was a great opportunity in front of them, their lives in the future would flourish if they could seize the moment.

The rumors of Xiangyang District which they had heard in the past popped up in their minds. Their hearts could not help but thump.

The brothers looked at each other and saw the determination in each other’s eyes.

“Big Brother, what do you think? Do you want to give it a try?”

“I want to… Father and Mother are old. My wife has just given birth to a baby who’s still little… How can they endure the suffering here? It’s better to give it a try and capture all the bastards. We’ll then get someone to go to Chengan to invite the lords here… Otherwise, how are we going to survive?”

The third person agreed as well, but one of the women carrying a child who was deep in sleep looked worried.

“But… what if the Tsing Yi bastards come back?”

The soldier’s heart jolted. He thought to himself, This woman is going to ruin things.

He looked as if he had just understood the situation. He smiled lightly and said, “She’s right. It’s better for you to not take the risks. We’ll escape if we can. We’re not saints. We just have to take care of ourselves. I see that your parents are old. You can look for a few helpers and beat the bastards at the city gates to death. Escape as soon as you can. Still waters run deep. It’s better to not be involved.”

“You’ve reminded me…”

The brawny man asked, “About what?”

The soldier replied as a matter of course, “Surrender the city. If I persuade the villagers to do so and if it’s a success, isn’t it a virtuous act?”

With that being said, the facial expressions of the three men suddenly changed. The greed in their hearts had gained the upper hand.

That was right. If they surrendered Jiaoping District, they would have great virtue!

How could they not think of that?

Their women almost got in their way and gave away such a good deal for no reason.

Thinking of which, he stared fiercely at the woman who spoke. She was so scared that she tucked her head down closer to her shoulders, such that it looked like a turtle shrinking its neck.

Fearing that the soldier would snatch their merit, the three men first awkwardly said that they had left something at home and asked him to take care of their families for a while. Of course, to be on the safe side, the two older brothers left, leaving the youngest brother to stall the soldier.

The soldier silently sighed with relief.

It was difficult to fool people these days.

Mr. Qiguan Rang had said that if nothing happened in the city at dawn, the elites outside would have to attack Jiaoping District by force.

It was still nighttime. If they could hurry, they should be able to make it.

Seeing the family returning home, the soldier who was hiding in the corner frowned and felt glad that he was lucky.

The soldier smirked while looking at the guy who pinned him down. He played dumb and acted like an enthusiastic yet slow-witted dork.

Jiang Pengji yawned sleepily outside the city.

Qiguan Rang looked up at the moonlight. There were uncertainties in his mind.

Could a rebellion really be instigated among the people in the city by solely depending on a single soldier?

“If there are sufficient armed forces in Jiaoping District, 80 percent of the people who are being oppressed and threatened won’t have the guts to rebel. However, there are only about 1,000 members of the Tsing Yi Army in the city and they’re all sleepy. A moonless and windy night is the perfect time to commit murder and arson.”

As they were speaking, a conspiracy was brewing in Jiaoping District.

The oppressed people assembled in small groups, holding cleavers, wood-cutting hatchets, shoulder poles used to carry firewood and wooden clubs used for laundry in their hands… They took whatever they could and charged quietly towards the territory of the Tsing Yi Army, as if they were possessed.

Most of the members of the Tsing Yi Army who stood guard were very sleepy. Some of them had already gone to dreamland on their feet.

They barely moved when the people dashed in. Then, a blaze of beating and slaughtering broke out.

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