Druid Fairy

Chapter 154 Unparalleled Merit
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a golden outline on the young figure in the training ground.

Li Yuanhu was conducting a drill in the courtyard when he received the news.

He withdrew his fist, a surge of hot blood rushed to his head, and he exhaled a long breath of white air.

This is the life he wants!
A true man should be born into this world and wield a three-foot sword to achieve unparalleled feats!

But that energy dissipated almost entirely when he saw Sun Zhi's red eyes.

At night, the red candles flickered in the room.

Sun Zhi silently packed his luggage, carefully placing the winter clothes and medicine she had prepared beforehand into the bundle, one by one. Tears, however, fell uncontrollably onto the clothes, blurring the water stains.

Li Yuanhu felt a pang of pain in his heart and gently hugged her from behind. "Zhi'er, don't cry."

Sun Zhi's shoulders trembled violently. She turned around and buried her face in his chest.

"I...I won't let you go..."

Her voice choked with emotion, "On the battlefield, swords have no eyes, what if something happens to you..."

Li Yuanhu stroked her long hair, his heart aching, but he forced a lighthearted smile and said, "I'm a master of the acquired realm; ordinary demonic beasts can't get close to me. Besides, I'm going to be a commander, not a common soldier. It'll be very prestigious!"

He paused, cupped Sun Zhi's face in his hands, and looked at her with unprecedented seriousness.

"Zhi'er, wait for me. If I... don't come back, then remarry, find a good man, and live a peaceful life."

"Pah! Pah! Pah! That's such an unlucky thing to say!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Zhi frowned, immediately made a "pui pui" sound, and then looked at Li Yuanhu, "I will wait for you, ten years, twenty years, a lifetime, I will wait for you. If you..., I will remain a widow for you for the rest of my life. When I am in the underworld, I will find you again and curse you, you untrustworthy and faithless man!"

Li Yuanhu could no longer speak and held his newlywed wife tightly.

Inside, all was quiet, except for the crackling of the candlelight.

…………

"Uncle Three."

As Li Yuanhu stepped out of the room, he saw his third uncle, Li Pingcan, leaning against a pillar in the corridor. He quickly went up to him and greeted him respectfully.

"Come with me." Li Pingcan said nothing more and turned to walk towards his study.

Although Li Yuanhu had some doubts, he immediately followed.

Inside the study, the familiar, subtle scent of ink still lingered.

Li Pingcan gestured for him to close the door, then took out a bunch of things and laid them out on the table.

"Third Uncle, what is this...?" Li Yuanhu was dazzled by what he saw.

"You little brat, if you're going to risk your life, you can't go empty-handed, can you?"

Li Pingcan picked up a dark inner armor and handed it over, saying, "This is a breastplate; it can save your life in a critical moment. Wear it close to your body every day and never take it off."

He then pointed to a dozen or so black spheres wrapped in oiled paper on the table and laughed, "These are the 'Thunderbolts' I tinkered with in my spare time. Don't underestimate them; in a critical moment, they can give even a Qi Refining cultivator a run for their money. Remember, don't use them lightly unless absolutely necessary. These things make too much noise and can easily attract unnecessary trouble."

Li Yuanhu took the heavy breastplate and thunderbolt, his heart burning with excitement.

"And this too." Li Pingcan handed over another jade bottle. "This contains a healing ointment, which is a hundred times more effective than the ones in the army. If you get injured, just apply a little, and it will stop the bleeding and promote tissue regeneration within half an hour."

After doing all this, Li Pingcan pulled out a thick stack of papers and slapped them in front of Li Yuanhu.

"Third Uncle, what is this again?"

"This is the key to whether you can come back alive this time." Li Pingcan's expression became extremely serious. "In this, there is your second uncle's intelligence, the deduced border war map, the formation weaknesses of the Great Qian Dynasty's 'Crimson Flame Iron Cavalry,' and... 'The Thirty-Six Stratagems: Retreat is the Best Policy.'"

Li Yuanhu: "..."

Looking at his third uncle's serious expression, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Tiger Cub, remember this."

Li Pingcan's gaze became deep and sharp. "The battlefield is not a training ground in your backyard, and you can't win just by being hot-blooded. Human lives there are cheaper than grass. Your bravery should be used where it matters most, not for head-on confrontations."

Anyone can play the hero. But the real hero is the one who comes back alive. Your father, your mother, and your wife are all waiting for you at home. What will they do if you don't come back?

Li Pingcan's voice wasn't loud, but Li Yuanhu's youthful fearlessness had calmed down considerably at this moment.

"Third Uncle...I..."

Li Pingcan patted him on the shoulder with a smile, "Put all these things away carefully, don't let anyone see them. Remember, coming back alive is more important than anything else."

"Yes, Third Uncle!"

Li Yuanhu nodded emphatically.

…………

Songling Prefecture, the Imperial Academy's Dan Hall.

Since the news of the war broke out, this place has become the busiest place in the entire academy.

The alchemy furnace burned day and night, and the rich aroma of medicine, mixed with the disciples' exhaustion, filled the air.

"This is outrageous! This is not a job for a human being!"

A disciple specializing in alchemy slammed a batch of burnt medicinal residue onto the ground, cursing angrily, "We have to get up before dawn every day, and all we see when we open and close our eyes are herbs. We don't even have time to meditate! What kind of immortality is this!"

"Exactly!" another person complained. "All they do is rush us, rush us, rush us! The success rate of this Qi Gathering Pill is already less than 50%, and what's worse, most of the medicinal materials they send out are defective. How are we supposed to refine it? The day before yesterday, Senior Brother Zhang exploded a furnace because he was exhausted, and he almost burned off his eyebrows!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" someone quickly reminded him. "Don't let Deacon Liu hear you, or he'll make things difficult for you."

That Deacon Liu was a supervisor sent from above. He usually acted arrogantly and bossed around ordinary disciples like them.

Now that war has broken out, he has used his power to the extreme, embezzling high-quality medicinal materials for personal gain.

Amidst this gloomy atmosphere, one corner stood out as remarkably "leisurely."

Li Mengze was calmly controlling the furnace fire. Next to the furnace in front of him, there were already more than a dozen jade bottles labeled "superior grade".

His success rate and quality of pill production have long been recognized as the best in the pill hall.

"Junior Brother Li, you exceeded your quota again today?"

A disciple in charge of recording came over, looked at the row of jade bottles, and asked with a smile.

Li Mengze nodded, a hint of shyness on his face: "Just lucky, just lucky."

"That's amazing."

"As expected of Teacher Su's personal disciple."

The students of the alchemy school all spoke up, their voices tinged with envy and jealousy.

Just now.

"As alchemists of the dynasty, we are paid by the emperor and should bear his burdens. Now that the war is critical, instead of thinking of sharing the country's burdens, you are here complaining and blaming others, gathering crowds to cause trouble. What kind of behavior is this?!"

Deacon Liu appeared at the door at some point, hands behind his back, reprimanding someone with an air of righteous indignation.

"If everyone were as lax as you, how could we possibly fight this war? How could the soldiers on the front lines possibly survive? I think you've just gotten used to a comfortable life and haven't had enough discipline!"

His words left everyone speechless, and they could only lower their heads in anger.

Deacon Liu glanced at everyone with satisfaction, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly when his gaze fell on the figure intently processing medicinal herbs in the corner. "Li Mengze," he said coldly.

"Disciple is here." Li Mengze put down the herbs in his hand, stood up and bowed.

“Your ‘Qingyuan Pill’ is extremely precious these days. The front lines are specifically asking for it, so your share today will be increased by 20%.”

"Yes," Li Mengze replied calmly, without offering any objection.

His submissive demeanor made Deacon Liu feel like he'd punched cotton. He was annoyed but couldn't find a reason to lash out, so he could only snort coldly and leave.

After he left, the disciples who had been complaining earlier immediately surrounded him.

"Mengze, you're too good-natured! This guy surnamed Liu is clearly bullying you!"

"Exactly! Why should your share be increased by 20%? The Qingyuan Pill is much more difficult to refine than the Qi Gathering Pill!"

"Mengze, don't be foolish. This old bastard just wants to exploit you. Once you can't hand over the pills, he'll have a legitimate reason to withhold them from you!"

Looking at his friends' indignant expressions, Li Mengze felt a warmth in his heart, but simply smiled and shook his head.

"Don't worry, fellow disciples, I know what I'm doing."

It's not that he doesn't have a temper, but he just doesn't want to waste his energy arguing with such a petty person.

He walked up to a young disciple and said gently, "When you were fusing the 'Azure Spirit Leaf' and 'Crimson Flame Grass' just now, it seemed that you were a little too hasty. The properties of these two herbs clash, so you should simmer them over a low flame until their medicinal effects permeate each other, and then use a strong flame to accelerate the process to form the pill."

Upon hearing this, the young disciple was taken aback at first, but then, following Li Mengze's instructions, he adjusted the heat and actually managed to refine a batch of pills of decent quality.

"Thank you so much for your guidance, Junior Brother Li!" He was moved to tears.

"a piece of cake."

Li Mengze smiled slightly, then walked over to another disciple who looked worried and began to instruct him on how to process medicinal herbs.

He shared his insights from improving the elixir formula with everyone without reservation.

For a time, the atmosphere of alchemy in the entire alchemy hall became much more harmonious and pleasant.

Those disciples who were usually a little jealous of him were now completely convinced.

Time will tell, and a long journey will test a person's character.

Even Master Chen, who used to dislike him the most, now greets him with a friendly smile.

"Mengze is truly a promising talent."

Master Chen looked at the figure patiently instructing his fellow disciples in the crowd, stroked his beard and praised, "Not only is he highly talented, but his character is also rare. He remains calm in the face of honor and disgrace, and treats others with kindness. He will surely achieve great things in the future."

…………

The dynasty's second conscription order, like a death warrant, was posted on every bulletin board in Yunshui County.

This nationwide campaign covered the entire Great Yu Dynasty.

All able-bodied men aged fifteen to fifty were to be conscripted, without exception.

Iron hooves trampled across the land, leaving behind a scene of utter desolation.

Unlike the cries and despair elsewhere, Peach Blossom Village was eerily calm.

When the conscription officers arrived at the village entrance, before they could even speak, the newly appointed village chief, Li Xiaoshan, led a group of villagers to respectfully greet them.

"You've worked hard, sir."

Li Xiaoshan stuffed a heavy money bag into the hand of the leading official, saying, "It's just a small token of my appreciation. I hope you can do me a favor, sir."

The official weighed the money bag in his hand, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared on his face. He glanced at the magnificent Li family mansion not far away and understood what was going on.

"Easy to say, easy to say."

He cleared his throat and addressed the soldiers behind him, "The villagers of Peach Blossom Village are truly righteous and have generously donated funds to support the front lines. Their kindness is commendable! According to the law, they are exempt from this round of corvée labor and military service!"

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, Li family!"

The villagers erupted in thunderous cheers, some weeping with joy, bowing repeatedly in the direction of the Li family's house.

They knew that if it weren't for the Li family supporting them, their fate would be no different from that of other families.

The villagers of Peach Blossom Village were relieved to have escaped this calamity; people in other places were not so lucky.

An old woman clung tightly to her sixteen-year-old grandson, pleading, "Sirs, I beg you! He's my only grandson! He's just a child! If you take him away, you're taking my life!"

"It's a waste of time!"

The officer kicked her away and dragged the still-crying boy away without any mercy.

A young woman who had recently married chased after her husband who had been taken away for miles. Finally, exhausted, she collapsed in the mud and could only watch helplessly as her husband's figure disappeared into the distance.

Some people are born in the clouds, able to look down upon all living beings.

Some people, even after a lifetime of hard work, are nothing more than an insignificant speck of dust in this chaotic torrent, easily swept away and crushed.

Ultimately, it quietly faded into silence.

…………

The north wind was like a knife.

Li Yuanhu bid farewell to Sun Zhi and embarked on his journey to the prefectural camp.

His background as the third-ranked military officer, coupled with the Li family's connections, spared him the hardship of being a common soldier.

Upon entering the military camp, he was granted the rank of "Colonel". However, when he saw another "colleague" who had also been granted the rank of Colonel, he knew that his military career was unlikely to be peaceful.

That man was none other than Wang Lie, the second-place finisher in the martial arts examination.

"Stand up straight, all of you!"

A one-eyed general stood on a high platform, his voice booming like a bell, spitting out saliva larger than snowflakes, "From today onwards, you are soldiers! Whether you were dragons or tigers before, here you all have to cower before me! Do you understand?!"

"understand!"

The roar was deafening.

Li Yuanhu and Wang Lie were each assigned to command a capital city with a hundred soldiers.

Wang Lie looked at Li Yuanhu, who was carrying his large sword, and walked over with a forced smile.

"Captain Li."

He deliberately emphasized the word "Captain," saying, "To be on equal footing with me at such a young age must require extraordinary abilities?"

Li Yuanhu knew that this guy was resentful, but he didn't point it out. "It's alright, it's alright, Captain Wang. From now on, we're comrades-in-arms. We'll share the good times and the bad."

"Hmph." Wang Lie snorted coldly, feeling quite displeased, thinking of the past competition.

Looking back, he always felt that Li Yuanhu had deliberately yielded to him, and therefore thought that this man was two-faced, afraid of his background, lacked the sharpness of a martial artist, and did not suit his straightforward personality.

Most importantly, he believed that even if Li Yuanhu didn't give in, he might not necessarily lose and miss out on the glory of winning fair and square.

(End of this chapter)