Bearing the blue sky

"My Great Sheng Dynasty is teetering on the brink of collapse!"

The fisherman in his straw raincoat also looked up at the sky and sighed.

He sighed, but didn't say anything more.

Zhu Ge could only remain silent as she and the two landed at the border.

Some of the emaciated soldiers didn't react much to this scene.

He neither came over to pay his respects nor gave them a second glance, but continued his patrol duties.

They landed on the city wall, and then the three of them went into the small, cramped, damp and hot space inside the city wall.

This border post has no civilians, only soldiers.

Moreover, it seems that because camping in the wild was more dangerous, all the soldiers ate, drank, relieved themselves, and slept inside the city walls.

The walls of this border fortress must have some kind of formation or mechanism, which is why they have been able to stand firm.

Inside, under the dim light of these torches, there was a mixture of various unpleasant odors.

Some wounded soldiers sat there blankly, seemingly oblivious to the smells, lost in thought.

Some soldiers were clearly under ten years old, while others were simply elderly men with white hair.

"Our Hekou Pass doesn't have much to offer, only some fish and river meat, but it's scarce. Please forgive us," Li Zhongguo said as he walked.

"Our dwelling is just ahead. Living near the city wall will allow us to be constantly on guard against attacks from river monsters or barbarians."

"Commander Li, you've worked hard." The fisherman in the straw raincoat looked concerned for the country and its people.

"It's a pity that the people around my Yuanyang City are also suffering! I only managed to collect three thousand shi of grain on this trip. On the way, I also gave two hundred shi of grain to the three villages of Menglapo because they lost a second-realm cultivator.

"I originally intended to continue guarding 500 shi of grain, but this time Yuanyang City is plagued by the plague, and food is extremely scarce. My superiors ordered me to not reduce the grain supply to less than 5,000 shi. I, I, alas..."

The fisherman in the straw raincoat raised his hand and wiped away non-existent tears from the corner of his eye.

Zhu Ge lowered her head and remained silent.

"Our human race is truly in dire straits." Li Zhongguo shook his head, his expression becoming even more solemn.

The two walked ahead, with Zhu Ge following behind, until they arrived at a slightly cleaner and cooler place.

The firelight here is not as dim as before, but slightly brighter, and there are even a few beds next to the wall.

"Please sit down." Li Zhongguo gestured to the bed in front of him. "Please tell me about the events in Yuanyang City, fisherman."

"Alright." The fisherman in the straw raincoat nodded, then looked at Zhu Ge: "Zhu Ge, there must be quite a few people here who need help. Go around and help them out."

"Yes!" Zhu Ge clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Wait, I'll have someone take you there," Li Zhongguo sighed. "Just do your best."

Immediately, Li Zhongguo summoned a slightly stronger veteran and led Zhu Ge away from there.

Zhu Ge's heart was heavy throughout the journey.

There were many barbarian tribes outside the Great Sheng Dynasty.

These barbarian tribes can actually be considered human in a certain sense.

However, these barbarian tribes' slaughter of the frontier surpassed that of other foreign tribes.

On one side is war and slaughter, and on the other is natural selection and survival of the fittest.

Regardless of which side, to some extent, in some sense, and under certain circumstances, they are all enemies of the Great Sheng Dynasty.

"Are you an attendant of that official in charge of the Awakening of Insects?"

After they had walked a distance, the veteran next to them spoke up.

"Yes." Zhu Ge nodded, unsure of what to say next.

"I have a question for you, come with me..." The old soldier's face was full of wrinkles, and he looked like he had been a farmer all his life and had been temporarily conscripted into the army.

"Ask me?" Zhu Ge raised an eyebrow, then subconsciously followed the veteran, turning left and right until they arrived at a quiet place.

In this corner stand four stone statues, each carved with an unknown wild beast.

The veteran gently touched an unidentified spot on the stone statue, and immediately a layer of light rose up.

"Alright." A smile appeared on the old soldier's deeply lined face. "Mr. Zhu Ge, neither my garrison commander nor your master's spiritual senses can enter this place now."

"What are you doing...?" Zhu Ge was stunned, her heart filled with vigilance.

"My lord wants to ask you..." The old soldier looked at Zhu Ge with a smile: "This Jingzhe official, has he done anything wrong along the way? Don't worry, my master is a third-realm martial artist, a mere fisherman is no match for him."

"If you tell the truth and make this Jingzhe official vomit up everything he's swallowed, my garrison will naturally protect you!"

"What you swallowed, you spit out?" Zhu Ge was taken aback:

"But my family has never eaten anything! We've seen countless starving people along the way, and each village has barely anything left!"

Zhu Ge retorted angrily, "We've faced countless dangers, traversing countless demon-infested lands, to finally arrive here, and you dare speak of us like this?"

Seeing Zhu Ge's expression, the veteran frowned: "Is everyone so distressed this year during the Awakening of Insects?"

"How could it be fake?" Tears streamed down Zhu Ge's bloodshot eyes. "Almost everyone in our village died, leaving only five people! Do you know what happened in other villages? If you don't, don't talk nonsense!"

Zhu Ge's tears were genuine.

But what he said was a lie.

It's very simple: Zhu Ge doesn't trust veterans!

I don't trust Li Zhongguo either!

No matter how square-faced, how tall and proud, or how loyal and reliable a person's name may be...

None of this can prove what they really think!

Therefore, Zhu Ge couldn't possibly believe someone just because of a few words.

Putting everything else aside, the fact that these four stone statues on the ground have the effect of isolating divine senses suggests they might be fake.

However, Zhu Ge's mind also began to stir.

Along the way, he laid out all sorts of spider silk, just waiting to reel it in.

Now, Li Zhongguo may be a genuinely good person, but he could also be an enemy who colludes with officials and protects each other.

Therefore, even if Zhu Ge cannot directly reveal the truth now, she can still make use of Li Zhongguo.

Whether Li Zhongguo is good or bad to him, at least he can be used as a clue to eliminate the fishermen in straw raincoats.

As for the border?

Zhu Ge sighed inwardly as she thought of the soldiers she had seen along the way, soldiers who could hardly be called soldiers.

"I'm not familiar with your parents, that's why I asked." The old soldier suddenly put on a fawning smile, then flipped his hand and took out a pale white fruit from somewhere.

"This is a gift from me, a mercury-rich fruit from the river beside us. It can be taken with warm water to treat injuries and illnesses. Please accept it."

"Oh?"

Upon seeing this, Zhu Ge's expression shifted, and he swiftly took the mercury fruit with his right hand. Then, he coughed lightly and said in a deep voice, "Ahem, I won't report this to my master, Jingzhe. Don't worry."

"Thank you!" The veteran smiled, then went to touch each of the stone statues on the ground one by one, opening the mechanisms as he spoke:

"By the way, I'm from Chicken Street Village, where there's a street that specializes in selling chicken."

The light curtain dissipated.

The veteran's face regained its previous silence and seriousness: "Since that's the case, then I won't ask any more questions. I hope my old mother can live."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ge immediately understood.

"I'll keep an eye out next time I pass through your Jijie Village," Zhu Ge nodded.

Afterwards, the veteran led Zhu Ge along the way, and Zhu Ge helped out whenever he could.

For example, carrying something or helping a wounded person.

They were all genuinely trying to help.

After all, no matter what, these "soldiers" guarding the river mouth pass are truly working hard and are doing it for a great cause!

By the time Zhu Ge and the soldiers returned, it was already late.

"Zhu Ge, let's go back."

"Return to Yuanyang City!"