Above Destiny

Chapter 831 Oasis (Thanks to the Alliance Leader Kongkongruweikezhi)

The next day, at the crack of dawn, a man with a wrinkled face and sunspots, looking like an old herdsman, arrived on a tricycle. Speaking in a thick local dialect, he explained his purpose with gestures, took the carefully wrapped books from Corella's hands, glanced at them, muttered something under his breath, casually tossed them into the back of the tricycle, and turned to leave.

Clutching crumpled banknotes, he bought a few packets of spices, two lambs, and a barrel of cheap liquor at the market. He rode his tricycle away, disappearing into the sandstorm outside the city amidst the sputtering noise. After another day's journey, he arrived at the desolate village.

"What is this?"

The villagers who had gathered around opened the package, looked at the colorful patterns inside, and were greatly disappointed: "There isn't even a woman taking off her clothes! What did you buy!"

It's too hard even to wipe my butt..."

The old man on the bicycle, expressionless, snatched the item back: "What are you touching? Don't get it dirty."

With a hint of disgust, he raised his sleeve and wiped away the dirty handprints on it: "This is what they asked for from the mountain."

Suddenly, no one spoke.

The next day, the old farmer, driving a mule, huffed and puffed his way up the mountain, knocked on the gate of the dilapidated temple, and carried the grain and flour from his bundle inside.

The tanned old monk offered him a bowl of oil tea, and after exchanging a few words about the village's recent situation and any troubles, the old farmer drove his empty mule down the mountain.

A few days later, at the crack of dawn, several shirtless young monks carried heavy woven baskets down the mountain again. They walked several miles to deliver the baskets and packages to a dilapidated truck.

Those things, along with cattle and sheep, were crammed into the carriages, swaying and tumbling through the dust and sand, until they finally disappeared beneath clouds invisible even to satellites.

After passing through canyons and outposts, we arrived at a bustling lakeside, where dust swirled amidst the construction site's hustle and bustle.

The driver, shouting in the local dialect, jumped out of the truck and told the others to unload the cargo.

The woven basket fell to the ground, the lid fell off, and golden bullets tumbled out and mingled with sheep dung, drawing a furious tirade from the foreman.

Crates filled with various gun parts were sorted and sent into the makeshift factory, where they were quickly assembled by the workers into complete weapons.

The books that had fallen into the mud were picked up and the stains were carefully wiped away.

The middle-aged man with a goatee and glasses flipped through the book, then couldn't help but smile broadly. He picked up the book and scurried towards the repair shop.

"Mr. Ji! Mr. Ji!"

He looked around and shouted, "The things you asked for have been delivered!"

Underneath the suspended car chassis, a young man with oily hands poked his head out, glanced at it, responded, and pointed to the marked crack:
"It's nothing serious. For this type of suspension, we can just take the steel plates, stack them up, and weld a new one. It's not a complicated problem."

Road conditions like those in Baibang are such that even the best quality parts become consumables. Doing it yourself saves you trouble; just keep an eye on it regularly.

The mechanic standing beside him nodded repeatedly and asked cautiously, "Where's the engine?"

"The engine is fine, just replace a valve. Repairing a car is not like building one. You'll understand once you take apart a few more cars and take a look. Most of the problems are similar, nothing new. Just go ahead and repair it. If you can't fix it, it'll just break down. Anyway, it was broken to begin with."

Later I'll teach you a trick for welding a chassis using steel pipes. It's super easy, anyone can do it!

The man who crawled out from under the car wiped his hands, took the books handed to him by the man with the goatee, flipped through them, and picked out two of them: "These books are good for beginners. As for reading and writing, you can translate them. Everyone should combine theory with practice, and you can solve most of the problems in the camp."

"Mr. Ji, have some water."

"Mr. Ji, have some fruit."

"Mr. Ji smokes this, it's strong..."

Enthusiastic locals kept crowding around, seizing the opportunity to ask questions. They talked and talked, completely absorbed, oblivious to the increasingly grim expression on the leader's face at the door.

"What are you all doing, behaving so disrespectfully!" Ni Lin roared. "Is this how you treat guests? I was only gone for a short while!"

For a moment, the workshop fell silent. In a moment of surprise, it seemed they finally realized who was sitting with their arms around each other. It wasn't that they didn't know respect and admiration; it's just that after everyone sat down and started chatting, they unconsciously...

Ji Jue, on the contrary, didn't care at all.

"Since I had nothing better to do and my hands were itching to get back to work, I decided to go back to my old ways."

Ji Jue waved excitedly, pointing to the car he had repaired that afternoon: "It was scrapped too early. It could have run for at least a few thousand more kilometers, right?"

He slapped the rusty car body repeatedly, and immediately a loud horn blared out, as if in response.

"Boss..."

Ni Lin's expression twitched, he hesitated, unsure of what to say. Following closely behind Ji Jue, he sighed after a long pause, "Someone like you is capable of great things no matter what you do, why waste your time on this?"

"Isn't repairing a car considered an achievement?"

Ji Jue shook his head nonchalantly: "I feel pretty good, at least it's quite stress-relieving. Picking through the trash, patching up old cars, I don't have to worry about messing things up or making mistakes."

Don't be so tense. I'm just out for a stroll, taking a break. If you keep acting like this, I'm afraid I'll have to find somewhere else.

"What is there to see in Baibang besides sandstorms and deserts?" Ni Lin gave a bitter smile. "Even the hospitality is not very good."

"Stop clinging to the old rules of worshipping the White King. What era are we living in?" Ji Jue yawned. "If I really wanted to be a local tyrant, I'd still be sitting in Tacheng drinking champagne right now."

During my leisurely stroll, I bypassed the last high wall. In the distance, green seedlings stretched to the horizon. The newly sown rice seedlings swayed in the breeze like waves.

It's hard to imagine that such an oasis exists amidst these treacherous mountains, a place where farming and animal husbandry can be carried out, offering a last glimmer of hope to a country that has long since lost everything.

Compared to the chaos and turmoil outside, it was truly a peaceful and idyllic scene.

Since the upheaval of the White Deer Devouring Wolves a few months ago, under the influence of the Supreme Goodness, the White Deer Chosen Ones throughout the White Kingdom and the Central Plains have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.

Meanwhile, the influence of the Federation and the Empire began to shrink rapidly, and they even began to voluntarily give up some secondary resource areas in order to ensure a stable supply of phlogiston.

Like a wild beast breaking free of its shackles and returning to the wilderness, the entire White State transformed from localized necrosis to overall well-being. Every region and settlement began a passionate performance, to the point that it seemed as if some kind of end-of-the-century boxing championship had been introduced, and a massive free-for-all ensued.

In the struggle for power, to realize ambitions, and even to rebuild their homeland, countless people rushed onto the stage. In just a few months, all sorts of organizations, from the White Tiger Army to the White King's Guard, the Central Plains United Front, the Tacheng Salvation Association, and so on, took turns on the stage, killing each other and fighting for power, which escalated more and more fiercely.

Outside of a few designated cities and military zones, the situation in the entire White State is completely out of control. Among them are many henchmen and lackeys sent by the Federation and the Empire, but unfortunately, the vast majority cannot last long…

Because they died so quickly!

Today the negotiations are going well, tomorrow the adjutant takes over, and the day after tomorrow the entire army is crushed by a surprise attack from the other side.

Compared to the warlords outside who are expanding rapidly and vigorously, the White Bang Restoration Army organized by Ni Lin is developing quietly and secretly. Apart from occasionally attacking oil refineries or fuel transport routes, it remains silent most of the time.

As a former royal guard, Ni Lin possesses some of the influence of the former White King, even enough to act as his representative. As the last one to receive the king's mandate, the recognition and blessing left by the High Priest King are clearly perceptible to every priest.

Leaving aside Lu Changsheng, who was just a nobody by the roadside, almost all of the former White King's prestige and authority were concentrated on him alone.

What Bai person who knows the truth about the sacrifices and blood shed by the priest king for the Bai people would not be moved to tears?

He didn't even need to raise his voice; as long as he expressed his intention to revitalize the nation, countless people would flock to him.

With the dedicated assistance of the remaining priests, they continued the ancient traditions of Baibang before it entered the modern era. With monks, priests, and villages as the main body, and tradition and faith as the bond, they helped each other and shared resources through regular gatherings, spreading their influence to every part of Baibang.

It can be said that every village and every nomad in the Baibang wilderness is now the eyes and ears of the Restoration Army.

Even if the vast majority of people lacked the fighting spirit to reclaim everything and the determination to sacrifice themselves, the popular support brought about by this tradition alone was enough to lay a solid foundation for the restoration army.

In just a few months, with the help and resources from all sides, this oasis has become increasingly prosperous, like a newborn heart, beating silently, nurturing and supplying fresh blood.

Accumulate strength and wait for the right opportunity.

"No rush, take your time."

Ji Jue skipped a few stones on the lake with great interest, feeling the cool breeze, gazing at everything before him, and chuckled softly, "Isn't this pretty good too?"

He smiled faintly, nodded slowly, and was about to say something.

"Whoosh, takeoff!"

An excited voice came from the distant lakeside. A naked young man was running around with a group of excited children. He leaped into the lake with a splash and swam away.

Ji Jue: "..."

Ni Lin: "..."

In the brief silence, Ji Jue looked away, trying to pretend nothing had happened. Then he saw the young man, Naihe, grinning broadly, swimming back with a whoosh, waving and shouting at him, "Mr. Inayat, this is..."

As they swam, they realized something was wrong.

By the time you want to turn back, it's already too late.

He looked up, staring blankly at a face he had never expected to see there.

His expression twitched slightly.

One more time.

"...Mr. Ji?"

Shocked, Yan Fei forced a fawning smile, "You...you've arrived?"

"Yes, your brother said you've been risking your life and living in the open lately, and he was worried you were working too hard, so he asked me to come over and check on you."

Ji Jue smiled and nodded approvingly, "You seem to be having a lot of fun, don't you? I hope I didn't bother you."

"N-no!"

The energetic young man stood at attention, his eyes wide, almost sinking into the lake.

He was pulled up abruptly.

"Don't be nervous. You're so old, why are you being so reckless?"

Ji Jue smiled warmly and patted him on the shoulder: "Work and rest should be balanced. Craftsmen also need to be in good physical condition. I think you're not bad!"

He paused for a moment, his smile growing even wider: "But, I'm sure you've finished all the homework I assigned you, right?"

"..."

"Almost there!"

Yan Fei swallowed hard, nodded with difficulty, and tried to run away: "I'll run away right now..."

"Hey, no rush. Homework doesn't really matter whether you do it or not, it's fine!"

As he thought about what he was going to do next, Ji Jue's lips curled up higher and higher: "I just remembered that our department actually has a fine tradition!"

Recalling the kind guidance and hands-on instruction from his teacher just two weeks ago, he suddenly felt happy.

"Since we're already here, let's have a lesson!"

In the silence, Yan Fei didn't speak, but turned to look at the lake behind him, regretting that he hadn't been able to sink into it.

At least the water was deep enough to hide the sweat pouring down his back, and the water was too cold to see the tears...

(End of this chapter)