Chapter 545: Suhe of Qingtan Village, Forced Labor, and Reunion |
Caiqiu Calendar Year 300, Second Day of the First Month, Night
Deep within Evergreen Valley, south of Qinghua City, Whitewater Commandery, Qingtan Village
"Sir, including the village chief, all 13 Warmth Realm cultivators and all 629 Digging Realm cultivators have been mobilized. The village truly cannot spare any more able-bodied men. We don't even have people to hunt now. Relying solely on foraging simply cannot fill our stomachs. The village's remaining food stores are not much. If this continues, I fear people will starve to death!"
Su He, the youngest son of Qingtan Village Chief Su Lie, forty-three years old this year, was hunched over, bowing and scraping as he stood before five armored soldiers. His face was full of bitterness as he clasped his hands in apology. Even though the five soldiers never once looked him directly in the eye the entire time, he could only keep a forced smile on his face, his posture humble to the extreme.
Although Evergreen Valley was Caiqiu's territory, Caiqiu had never placed any importance on this place. The entire Evergreen Valley covered an area of approximately 8,000 square kilometers with a total population of over 1.2 million. Yet, those who had achieved commoner status or above numbered less than 6,000.
After further subtracting the seventy to eighty thousand people with slave or base status, the remaining one million-plus people were all unregistered black households without any official status.
What were black households?
They were people without normal identities, who didn't even have the qualification to enter the major cities under Caiqiu's jurisdiction. They couldn't move freely within the territory. Their hunting and foraging were limited to the surrounding areas, and they had to do it stealthily. If discovered by registered individuals, those people had the right to kill them on the spot.
It could be said that Evergreen Valley was a region abandoned by Caiqiu.
Evergreen Valley was located on the northern side of Mo'ao Mountain. Normally, being adjacent to such a resource-rich treasure trove like Mo'ao Mountain, Evergreen Valley should have been highly valued. Unfortunately, the eastern and western sides of Evergreen Valley were both fault zones.
What were fault zones?
They were areas where the mountain body had suddenly collapsed without any buffer zone. What kind of majestic mountain was Mo'ao Mountain? Its collapse was naturally earth-shattering.
The mountain walls on the east and west sides of Evergreen Valley were at least ten thousand meters high at their lowest points, slightly higher points reaching twenty to thirty thousand meters, with the highest points unknown to anyone. Such terrifying fault terrain resulted in the entire valley's over 8,000 square kilometers area having not a single mountain pass entrance found.
Within Evergreen Valley, there were, of course, mountains, rivers, Frost Beasts, and various vegetation resources. The problem was, compared to Mo'ao Mountain, the difference was too great.
Caiqiu's territory spanned 120,000 square kilometers, with numerous resource zones within its borders. A mere Evergreen Valley, if not for the Bone-Erosion Path connecting to the Southern Foothills region, would probably never have been noticed.
The consequence of not being valued was the lack of strong individuals to provide support.
The survival and development of human camps in the Ice Abyss fundamentally operated on the logic of the strong leading the weak. Without strong individuals to guide the way and seize top-tier resources for the camp, no matter how numerous or talented the ordinary people below were, at best they could only reach the Warmth Realm.
Evergreen Valley was probably exactly this situation.
Caiqiu didn't value it. Out of the entire valley's over one million people, the registered individuals totaled only about 80,000. More than ninety percent of those were registered with slave or base status. As a result, there was even less talk of any development.
For many years, Caiqiu's attitude towards Evergreen Valley was basically one of laissez-faire, entirely delegated to Qinghua City of Whitewater Commandery for management.
Qinghua City basically didn't govern either. Apart from establishing Slave Status Villages in the valley's largest few districts, they didn't even glance at the rest of the place.
It was easy to imagine. After all, Caiqiu was a Feudal Town with extremely high productivity levels and numerous resource zones within its territory. For a region like Evergreen Valley with relatively scarce resources and a lower-quality population, where would they find the inclination to manage it?
To say these black households of Evergreen Valley didn't live too poorly wasn't entirely wrong. After all, no one managing them meant relatively high freedom. Although they couldn't enjoy the Feudal Town's various precious resources, as long as they kept to their own small plots, even without great development prospects, at least they wouldn't starve.
But in recent years, the situation had slowly begun to change.
The Feudal Town often had important figures needing to travel south through the Bone-Erosion Path, reportedly going to some Southern Foothills region. Initially, Su He was quite happy. After all, the continuous arrival of important figures meant Evergreen Valley might attract the attention of higher-ups.
But before the attention of the Feudal Town's higher-ups arrived, bad news spread first.
Rumors said that within the Bone-Erosion Path resided a powerful Abomination called the Black Wind General. Whoever wanted to pass through the Bone-Erosion Path had to pay him a passage fee, and this passage fee referred to human lives.
That Abominations were murderous was no secret in Caiqiu, so once the news spread, people immediately believed it seventy to eighty percent.
Combined with the fact that over the past few years, whenever important figures came, they would conscript a batch of young men from each village, claiming to take them to the commandery city for long-term labor. Yet, not a single one of those young men had returned to this day. This rumor was basically confirmed.
Those important figures were clearly deceiving the villages' able-bodied men, then using them as passage fees to hand over to the Abomination.
This news only fully spread from the end of last year. When Su He and his father Su Lie first heard it, they fell silent for a good half day.
The reason was simple. Four years ago, their village had also experienced such an incident. Several Prefectural Guard Army soldiers came, demanding 500 people under twenty-five to go to the commandery city for long-term labor. The villagers were overjoyed, and the 500 slots were immediately snatched up.
Later, a small portion of those five hundred people escaped back and told everything that happened in the Bone-Erosion Path that year. So Su He and his father Su Lie had actually known about it since four years ago.
But knowing was useless!
If they widely publicized such news, it would only bring disaster upon Qingtan Village. After all, villages like theirs, full of black households, could be wiped out with a wave of the hand in the eyes of Qinghua City's important figures.
That's right!
The entire Qingtan Village didn't have a single registered individual, not even anyone with slave or base status.
Of course, including the village chief, his father Su Lie, Qingtan Village had 13 Warmth Realm cultivators. By rights, obtaining slave or base status should have been easy. But his father Su Lie had some pride. He didn't want to go to Qinghua City to be someone's slave, nor was he willing to engage in base occupations. For commoner status, his cultivation was slightly lacking. So he simply stayed in Qingtan Village, leading the entire village's over twenty thousand people to make a living.
Qingtan Village's cohesion was fairly good; over these years, although some Warmth Realm cultivators left one after another, it was overall maintained. Among the surrounding dozen or so villages, its strength was also ranked near the top.
Of course, even if Qingtan Village ranked first in strength, in the eyes of the Feudal Town's important figures, it was probably insignificant.
Small people also had their survival wisdom. Four years ago, after learning about the Bone-Erosion Path's Black Wind General incident and confirming that the Feudal Town's important figures' conscriptions were sending people to their deaths, from then on, Qingtan Village no longer lightly trusted anyone. This included several subsequent times when Prefectural Guard Army soldiers came. Village Chief Su Lie immediately hid all the young men, then cried and wailed before the soldiers, saying the camp had suffered a disaster. Only in this way did they manage to ward off several disasters.
But this year's conscription was somewhat different.
The night before last, these five Prefectural Guard Army soldiers suddenly showed up, demanding to conscript the village's able-bodied men for forced labor service, to prepare for Caiqiu's army's southward advance.
Because the five arrived too quickly, his father Su Lie didn't have time to react. The five's attitude was also extremely rigid, strictly ordering all the village's Warmth Realm and Digging Realm cultivators to be mobilized. His father, helpless, could only lead everyone to go.
Su He was initially somewhat worried, given the incident four years ago. But after later personally going to the forced labor site and seeing his father and the others actually laboring together with people conscripted from other villages, he set his mind at ease.
And the labor service was clearing snow paths.
The cleared snow paths were extremely large in scale. Combined with the Prefectural Guard Army soldiers saying it was preparation for the southward advancing army, it was clearly for troop movement.
By this point, even though he remained in the village, Su He could basically guess that Caiqiu was going to use military force against the Southern Foothills region.
"Just the sixteen villages in the Qingyu Gully area alone conscripted nearly ten thousand people. The entire Evergreen Valley probably conscripted no less than a hundred thousand laborers. With a hundred thousand people working together, what snow path couldn't be cleared? They actually still want to conscript more people…"
Although Su He's face currently wore an ingratiating smile, inwardly he was continuously cursing.
He had grown up influenced by his father Su Lie, developing an extreme loathing towards Caiqiu's higher-ups. He wished he could cut these five bone-devouring Prefectural Guard Army soldiers into a thousand pieces. Unfortunately, his strength was insufficient, so he could only bow low and act small.
How many troops Caiqiu was sending south, he didn't know. But these five Prefectural Guard Army soldiers had already taken away his father and the other 13 Warmth Realm cultivators, including all the village's Digging Realm cultivators, the night before last. Now they actually came running back, saying they still needed to conscript more able-bodied men.
Qingtan Village had a total of over twenty thousand people. The Warmth Realm and Digging Realm cultivators were basically all gone. The remaining able-bodied men all only had Lumberjack Realm cultivation.
Reserve food stores were something only powerful camps had. For bottom-tier camps like Qingtan Village, most of the time, food was insufficient. Only when the hunting team had a good harvest could they store some beast meat.
The night before last, after his father left with the village's pillars, the village immediately activated the reserve supplies. Su He had calculated that relying on these supplies, they could last at most ten-some days.
The problem was, after conscripting the people, these Prefectural Guard Army soldiers didn't say when the forced labor would end. After ten days, if his father and the others didn't return, what should the people in the village do?
So Su He had started thinking of ways since yesterday. After nightfall, he led the village's experienced Lumberjack Realm cultivators out to forage for fruits, hoping to stockpile a bit more food to last until his father and the others returned.
But after just one day, the Prefectural Guard Army actually came running again to demand people.
While Su He's mind was racing with thoughts, those five Prefectural Guard Army soldiers still didn't look him directly in the eye. Even his forced smile was useless.
The leading soldier finally turned his head to look at him, his eyes full of disdain and contempt.
"Audacious…"
His voice wasn't very loud, but as he spoke, he quietly mobilized his blood and qi, pressing down on Su He.
This soldier had Warmth Realm cultivation, 12 zong strength. Su He only had Digging Realm Extremes cultivation, with strength merely over 50,000 jin. How could he withstand this blood and qi pressure?
Caught off guard by the sudden press of blood and qi, Su He staggered, almost kneeling on the ground. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, slightly bracing his knees to forcibly steady his body.
"Our Feudal Town's army is going to fight externally. Speed is crucial in warfare. If the march timing is delayed because the snow paths aren't cleared, failing to seize the initiative, can you bear the responsibility?
This conscription isn't asking you to go to the battlefield. It's just having you clear snow paths. Such a small matter, and you don't even want to do it. What does the Feudal Town keep you people around for?"
Did the Feudal Town keep us?
Su He was inwardly cursing, but on his face, he absolutely dared not show it. He only put on a terrified and apprehensive posture, continuously apologizing.
The other four soldiers, however, seemed to have taken interest, relentlessly continuing to speak up from behind.
"We risk our lives to protect your safety, and you make excuses and delays over such a small task. No wonder so many people in Evergreen Valley can't get registered. With such limited vision, you can only remain stuck in this valley bottom, living this sunless life."
"It's just conscripting people to clear snow paths. Are you too stupid, or are you deaf, unable to understand our words? Clearing snow paths, Lumberjack Realm cultivators can completely do it at night. The army will arrive at Qingyu Gully tonight. If they come and the road connecting to the Bone-Erosion Path isn't cleared yet, forget your little village, all the villages in Qingyu Gully will suffer!"
"Hurry up and gather the able-bodied men from the village for me. Lord He has already said each village must provide at least 1,000 people. I don't want to repeat myself. Get going and call people."
………………
Even his father Su Lie, when facing Prefectural Guard Army soldiers, only had the outcome of nodding and bowing. How much more so for Su He, who only had Digging Realm cultivation?
Furthermore, his father Su Lie was also a black household. The so-called village chief position had never received Caiqiu's official recognition. These Prefectural Guard Army soldiers naturally wouldn't take him seriously.
Su He's lips trembled slightly. He still wanted to open his mouth to say something. But those five Prefectural Guard Army soldiers directly turned their heads to glare at him. The leader even placed his hand on the saber hilt at his waist, the threat in his eyes very obvious.
Qingtan Village's cohesion was fairly good; over these years, although some Warmth Realm cultivators left one after another, it was overall maintained. Among the surrounding dozen or so villages, its strength was also ranked near the top.
By now, he had no other choice.
Of course, even if Qingtan Village ranked first in strength, in the eyes of the Feudal Town's important figures, it was probably insignificant.
If he didn't follow instructions, losing his own life was nothing, but he would probably implicate others in the village.
"1,000 people… can only try to scrape them together…"
After notifying his subordinates to gather all the village's able-bodied men, Su He himself turned and walked under the corridor. After pondering for a moment, his eyes were full of sorrow.
Clearing snow paths indeed wasn't a difficult task. But to say there was absolutely no risk was absolutely impossible.
Evergreen Valley had not been valued for many years, its regional development abnormally backward. Especially their Qingyu Gully, located deep within the valley, was even more so.
Between the major camps, although there was a connecting road, it was perennially in disrepair. Plus no one maintained it. Usually, Frost Beasts frequently roamed there, and occasionally even Abominations appeared.
In the Ice Abyss wilderness, one thing humans most dreaded was gathering in large groups.
Because the five arrived too quickly, his father Su Lie didn't have time to react. The five's attitude was also extremely rigid, strictly ordering all the village's Warmth Realm and Digging Realm cultivators to be mobilized. His father, helpless, could only lead everyone to go.
But what about these temporarily conscripted laborers like them?
"Uncle He, don't worry!"
Just as Su He was lost in thought, a soft female voice suddenly came from behind.
He suddenly turned his head, his eyes looking towards the rear with surprise and doubt, clearly extremely unfamiliar with this soft female voice.
A woman in white had actually, at some unknown time, quietly stood inside the room.
The cleared snow paths were extremely large in scale. Combined with the Prefectural Guard Army soldiers saying it was preparation for the southward advancing army, it was clearly for troop movement.
"You… you are………… Xing'er?"
"Uncle He, long time no see!"
The white-clothed woman didn't speak, but at this moment, several dozen figures quietly emerged from deep within the room. The leaders were three young men. As they approached Su He, their faces simultaneously revealed smiles.
Seeing clearly the three young men's appearances, Su He's face was full of shock.