My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

Just as I was feeling somewhat regretful and disappointed, Wang Meng spoke up again.

His gaze swept from the left to the right of the army formation, and he spoke each word slowly and deliberately.

"Lord Lin needs nine thousand elite soldiers to assist in this disaster relief effort, and he has only one request."

He paused for a moment, then emphasized his words.

"You must be absolutely obedient to Lord Lin! If he tells you to go east, you cannot go west!"

A commotion immediately broke out below.

In the sound of rain, the whispers and murmurs were like grains of sand blown by a strong wind, rustling and falling into my ears.

A young soldier frowned upon hearing this.

He looked to be in his early twenties, with a youthful air still lingering on his face and sparse stubble on his lips. Rainwater streamed down his furrowed brows, gathering into a thin stream in the creases between his eyebrows.

Although he also admired Lord Lin for being able to produce such a divine weapon, disaster relief is not something that can be accomplished simply by having a divine weapon.

Floods are not enemies on the battlefield. No matter how powerful a divine weapon is, invulnerable to swords and spears and capable of fighting a hundred enemies, can it stop the river?

He couldn't help but question, "If he's telling us to jump into the river to block the breach, are we supposed to go and die?"

He didn't try to lower his voice, and many people around him heard it and turned to look at him.

Rain dripped from the tip of his nose, but he didn't care. He just stiffened his neck, as if he was about to say everything on his mind.

One of the veterans immediately turned and glared at him, retorting sharply, "How could Lord Lin possibly use our lives to pay for this?!"

The voice cleaved through the rain, the last syllable cracking, "The adults definitely have their own methods; we just need to obey!"

The young soldier curled his lip and muttered loudly, "Who knows? He hasn't done anything but supply weapons!"

He then looked at those who were glaring at him with an expression that said, "You're all hopeless," and even shook his head and sighed.

"You all think too highly of Lord Lin! This is a natural disaster! How could he possibly defend against it with just a few thousand men?!"

The soldiers immediately started arguing.

The veterans who had followed him all the way from the North firmly defended Lin Ye, believing that Lord Lin must have his own methods, and that they would just follow along.

Back when Lord Ye was in the Northern Border, every time it seemed like a dead end, he managed to fight his way out. Lord Lin is Lord Ye's brother, how could he be any less capable?

Their faces flushed red as they loudly proclaimed the deeds of Ye Lin and his companion. Veins bulged on their necks, and rainwater streamed down their veins, as if a fire was burning inside them, which even the torrential rain could not extinguish.

Most of the locals in the capital, as well as some newly enlisted soldiers, were dismissive and full of complaints.

They believed they should wait until the natural disaster was over before trying to appease the public, and that they should only try to save as many people as possible. The rain hadn't stopped, and flooding could continue in various places at any time; going to provide disaster relief now would be tantamount to sending people to their deaths.

Some soldiers were caught in the middle, wavering between the two sides, feeling that both sides had valid points.

They didn't want to offend those menacing veterans, nor did they want to venture out of the camp in this weather to fight the flood. So they could only shrink back, looking down at their feet, and dare not utter a sound.

He put his hand on the edge of his helmet to block everyone's view, and shuffled one foot uncomfortably in the mud, wishing he could shrink himself into a tiny dot so that no one would notice him.

The atmosphere on the training ground grew increasingly chaotic, with the sounds of rain, arguments, and clashing weapons all mixed together, like a pot of boiling muddy water.

Wang Meng stood on the reviewing stand, his face growing increasingly grim.

As he listened to the increasingly loud argument, his head buzzed, the veins on his temples bulged, and his fists clenched behind his back cracked.

"That's enough!"

Wang Meng couldn't take it anymore and shouted out loud. His shout was like a thunderclap that exploded from the ground, making the rain on the training ground seem to pause for a moment.

The noise seemed to be cleanly cut off with a knife, and silence fell instantly. Only the sound of rain and heavy breathing remained.

It rained harder and harder.

The leaden-gray clouds pressed down, as if covering the entire camp under an overturned iron pot.

The wind blew in from one side of the training ground, carrying raindrops that swept across everyone's face like a fine whip lashing their flesh.

The drainage ditch along the edge of the drill ground had become a turbulent muddy river. Withered leaves, grass clippings, and tattered rags that seemed to have come from nowhere swirled on the surface of the water, only to be swept into the shadows in the blink of an eye.

The old locust trees outside the camp fence were blown about by the wind, their leaves rustling loudly, and a few broken branches fell down and floated in the puddles.

Wang Meng's sharp gaze swept across the entire area, as if he wanted to see through every single soldier.

"Lord Lin said that everyone who goes must obey him, so this time I will not force anyone to go; it is entirely voluntary."

He lowered his hands from behind his back, took two steps forward, and stood on the edge of the platform. His boots were on the edge of the wooden planks, and one foot was halfway off the edge. Rain dripped from his chin and splattered on the wooden planks beneath his feet.

"Those willing to go with Lord Lin, line up on the right. Those unwilling, stay where you are. I, Wang Meng, will not hold any prejudice against anyone because of this. But!"

His voice suddenly rose half an octave, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Those who choose to go, you must listen to Lord Lin properly. Anyone who deserts halfway or is found to be disobeying Lord Lin will be dealt with according to military law!"

Wang Meng knew better than anyone how good Lord Lin was. He looked up at the sky, the rain hitting his face, but he seemed oblivious to it.

His gaze pierced through the thick curtain of rain, and he vaguely saw that person's sky reappear.

The gloomy clouds seemed to transform into a giant screen of light in his eyes, and on that screen, he once again witnessed countless magical scenes.

Smooth roads, fast-moving metal boxes, towering houses, giant flying iron birds...

What an incredible sight that was!

Now that Lord Lin says he's going to help with disaster relief, he must have a way! I'm definitely going to go with him anyway.

I wonder what kind of magic Lord Lin will use this time; it's sure to be an eye-opener for everyone.

Thinking of this, Wang Meng couldn't help but feel excited. He swallowed hard to suppress his surging emotions.

When his gaze returned to the soldiers in front of him, his voice became even colder.

"As for those who aren't going, there's no going back. Don't come crawling back later trying to claim credit!"

After he finished speaking, the training ground fell silent for a brief moment, as if everyone was lost in thought.

The sound of rain seemed amplified at that moment, pattering against everyone's armor, helmets, and weapons.

Soon, someone made a move.

The first to move was a middle-aged soldier in the front row with a dark complexion and an old scar across his left eyebrow.

The scar stretched from the brow bone to the cheekbone, the skin and flesh turned outwards and then healed, leaving a raised, slightly lighter-colored mark.

He braved the wind and rain, stepping straight out of the line and striding to the right, each step landing firmly, making a splashing sound as he stepped into the puddles.