Chapter 710: Recruitment Successful (I)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The villagers who had just been berating Wang Chong were now staring in disbelief. If they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would have never believed that Wang Chong had this sort of ability.
After all, they had already tried all sorts of methods, including wujian grass.
“Chief! Chief! Chief!…”
The villagers quickly stirred from their daze and began rushing up in elation, gathering around the chief’s bed with excited expressions.
The Wushang were conservative and xenophobic, but they had also maintained their unadorned affections. The person most revered and of greatest status in Wushang Village was its chief, and he had watched many people grow up.
To many people of the village, he was their spiritual leader.
When their chief fell over, all of them had been helpless and dazed, unable to do anything. Many people even thought that the chief was about to ‘leave’.
Now that their chief had finally recovered and awakened, one could easily imagine their excitement.
While everyone else was rushing to the Wushang Chief’s side, only Wu Jiumei stood in the back, sighing as he looked at Wang Chong. His expression was a mixture of gratitude and shame.
Given the attitude of the Wushang during the day, a normal person would have thrown them aside and left. But this young man had forgiven old enmities and helped Wushang Village. This was the reason for Wu Jiumei’s complicated expression.
Wu Jiumei stepped forward and sincerely said, “Lord Marquis, my deepest gratitude!”
Before today, no one would have expected that this year would experience a rare lunar eclipse, when the Yin energy was at its thickest.
To the Wushang, this occasion was lethal. If not for the prompt arrival of this young man and his pills, the consequences would have been unbearable to imagine.
Wang Chong only smiled in reply.
“Grandpa!”
The weeping girl, seeing the old man wake up, excitedly rushed forward. Wang Chong stood in the back, silently taking in everything with a knowing smile.
No matter what happened next, he had helped the future Fang Xiaoyan, filled in one of her regrets. Now that everything was done with, he wasn’t necessary for what came next.
Without alarming anyone, Wang Chong quickly left the room.
……
“Has everything been taken care of?”
It was pitch-black outside the room, and that giant figure stood in the darkness like a looming mountain.
“I already had Gao Feng and Nie Yan take care of it. The one hundred pills we brought were dissolved into water and given to all the villagers to drink. Their conditions have already been stabilized.”
Li Siye’s vigorous voice came out of the gloom, suffused with an unusual texture that allowed one to sense his strength.
“Mm.”
Wang Chong said nothing more.
Carefully listening, he could no longer hear the screams and howls. The chaotic Wushang Village had gradually begun to settle down.
Peace was returning to the village.
Wang Chong almost imperceptibly nodded. It was clear that his pills had worked. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be so quiet.
“Tell the others to return as soon as they’re finished, to the place the Wushang arranged for us to stay!”
“Yes, Lord Marquis,” came Li Siye’s voice from the darkness.
Turning around, Wang Chong quickly began to make his way to the aforementioned place. But he had barely walked two steps when a voice rang out in his mind.
“Congratulations to user for completing the mission ‘Grand Marshal’s Summons’. All rewards will be dispensed after daybreak.”
The flat and emotionless voice of the Stone of Destiny sounded like heavenly music to Wang Chong’s ears.
Success!
Wang Chong stopped and slightly clenched his fists. ‘The heavens would not let down the perseverant.’ The Wushang were xenophobic and conservative, clinging to their traditions, refusing to bow to any power before the great calamity.
Even though he was the Young Marquis, a disciple of the Son of Heaven, and had the backing of the court, they had still not cared. This alone was testament to their resolve.
But Wushang Village’s ‘Night of the Lunar Eclipse’ had still presented him a superb opportunity.
The Night of the Lunar Eclipse was the most influential event in all of Wushang Village’s history. If he had not appeared here, Wushang Village would have suffered two or three thousand deaths, perhaps even more.
If he wanted to obtain the good will of the xenophobic Wushang before the great calamity, this was his only chance. And there was no doubt that his plan had worked.
In successfully averting this tragedy, he had won the favor of the Wushang.
The Stone of Destiny’s voice was the greatest affirmation of his success!
The only thing that surprised Wang Chong was that the Stone of Destiny would previously only make an announcement when the mission was completely finished.
Whether it was the ‘Regional Commanders incident’ or ‘The Empire’s Dirge’ in the southwest, this had always been the case. But things were clearly different this time.
He had only just finished giving the Wushang the water mixed with the pills and the event was still not completely over, yet the Stone of Destiny was already notifying him of his success.
Is it because Wushang Village is only a small village that isn’t on the main track of history, so its current influence still isn’t that great? Or is it because I first saved Wu Jiumei and the Wushang Chief? Took the higher route?
Wang Chong’s eyes turned as his mind whirred. After thinking it over, he concluded that it probably had to do with the fact that Wushang Village was an obscure mountain village.
Although I don’t know how you calculated it, if that’s what you’re really thinking, then you’ve made a big mistake.
An almost undetectable smile appeared on Wang Chong’s face as he thought this.
Wushang Village truly was very small. A population of fifty or sixty thousand in this world was truly a very small number, and they were also very conservative, xenophobic, and traditional.
They truly did have very little influence, but if he were given one chance, their influence would become immeasurable!
Five thousand Wushang Cavalry had been enough for him to campaign across the world, establishing a brilliant reputation for them. With the great calamity still in the future and the Wushang still whole and intact, it was difficult to imagine the flood of strength that fifty or sixty thousand Wushang would represent!
Rewards to be dispensed after daybreak… Interesting!
A curious look flashed in Wang Chong’s eyes as he recalled those last words, but he quickly regained his composure.
Gao Feng, Nie Yan, and the others began to return from their duties. The serenity of the night lasted until morning.
……
The moon set and stars sank away. Dawn broke in the east, the red sun ascending over the horizon, exuding its great light. Red rays painted the lofty peaks surrounding Wushang Village in the glow of daybreak.
It was daybreak, the agreed time of their departure!
“Lord Marquis, what should we do?”
Li Siye sat cross-legged on the floor at the door to the house, his back straight, his giant Wootz Steel sword on his lap, like some crouching tiger. He had apparently not slept, and his eyes were bloodshot. It was apparent that some serious matter had been greatly weighing on his mind.
“Do we really have to leave empty-handed?”
Li Siye’s face was full of struggle. The mission Wang Chong had given him had met with complete failure upon the Wushang Chief’s refusal. This was an unprecedented incident in Li Siye’s life.
As the agreed time of departure approached, Li Siye’s heart was filled with a deep reluctance.
“Haha, let’s leave! Why shouldn’t we leave? Gao Feng, Nie Yan, and the others are all awake, right? It’s about time. We should get ready to leave.”
To Li Siye’s surprise, Wang Chong had a relaxed expression upon waking. He seemed not at all downcast at the failure of the mission.
“Ah?!!”
Everyone was momentarily dumbfounded.
No one had expected Wang Chong to make the decision so easily and so carefreely. But since Wang Chong had spoken, no one dared to say otherwise. They all stood up and began to pack for their departure.
Wushang Village at dawn was peaceful and serene. No sign of last night’s chaos could be seen.
Wang Chong slightly bent down and exited the house. Outside, the morning sun had illuminated the towering mountains as well as the rows of stone houses and the wide stone plaza.
Bathed in the light of dawn, the scene was as beautiful as a painting!
Truly beautiful! I hope that it can always be so peaceful and serene! Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
It was precisely because he had seen the shattered landscape that he so cherished it now. No matter what, Wang Chong hoped that this paradisiacal village secluded from the world and the Central Plains that he stood on would always be able to maintain this picturesque beauty!
“Lord Marquis!”
A voice came from behind him, breaking Wang Chong’s train of thought. In a few moments, all his guards—Gao Feng, Nie Yan, Li Siye, his soldiers, and those who had been captured—had emerged from the stone house.
Last night, once everything had been taken care of, Wu Jiumei had released the captured soldiers.
“Let’s go!”
Without the slightest delay, Wang Chong set off, leading Li Siye, Gao Feng, Nie Yan, and the rest toward the mountains on the west side.
He had come through the western side, and Zhang Shouzhi’s group was waiting for him there. With matters settled here, he naturally had to return.
“Wait a moment. Lord Marquis, please hold.”
Just when Wang Chong was about to march his soldiers out of Wushang Village, a voice came from the other end of the plaza.
With this voice came the sound of many footsteps.
Wang Chong turned his head and saw that in the blazing light of the morning sun, a group of Wushang villagers was hurrying in his direction.
The one leading it was the white-haired Wushang Chief, and accompanying him were Wu Jiumei, Huang Botian, the rest of the elders and protectors, and the other core members of the village.
Even Fang Xiaoyan was mixed into the crowd.