Chapter 472: This Old Man's First Time Playing the Villain
Hejin County Town!
Shi Jian, with over fifty garrison soldiers, raced frantically through Hejin County Town, desperately shouting, "Folks, quickly, come with us! Leave Hejin County Town and head to Dragon Gate Ferry. Wang Jiayin's marauding bandits will be here soon. Everyone, evacuate as fast as you can!"
The Titanic Heavenly Lord also scampered through Hejin County alongside them.
Li Daoxuan had always considered himself a homebody, a devoted recluse. Yet, ever since he gained the ability to co-sense through his statues, he'd found himself surprisingly mischievous, eager to roam outside his usual confines.
Perhaps no true homebody was truly a homebody; they were merely people who hadn't discovered anything more interesting outside than inside. Once a greater fascination beckoned from the world beyond, they would surely venture out.
The Titanic Heavenly Lord, crafted from silicone, was indistinguishable from a real person unless examined closely. Dressed in ordinary clothes, he appeared even more lifelike. His darting movements through the city didn't lead anyone to mistake him for a monster.
He had initially approached this excursion with the carefree spirit of a tourist, but upon truly entering Hejin County Town and witnessing the streets ravaged by Bu Zhan Ni, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Burned-out houses stood everywhere, and gaunt, starving common folk wandered aimlessly.
Most of the villagers, hearing Shi Jian's shouts, quickly packed their belongings and headed out of the city. Outside, people were organizing them, guiding their retreat towards Dragon Gate Ferry, where arrangements would be made for them to build a water fortress and protect themselves.
However, a small fraction of the populace refused to budge.
What was the point of fleeing, they wondered? What difference did it make if they died at the hands of bandits or from starvation?
Li Daoxuan approached Shi Jian and whispered a few instructions.
Shi Jian reissued his orders, instructing his soldiers to change their plea, and once again, they roared through the city: "Everyone, go to Dragon Gate Ferry! There's relief food to eat, enough to fill your bellies every day. And if you're willing to help build the dock's water fortress, you'll even get paid daily!"
At these shouts, those listless refugees finally showed a flicker of spirit. If there was food to eat and work to be had, then perhaps fleeing wasn't so meaningless after all. It was certainly better than being slaughtered by bandits.
Consequently, another portion of the villagers began to evacuate Hejin County Town.
Yet, a stubborn handful remained, refusing to leave!
They didn't trust the officials, and they certainly didn't trust the soldiers.
They didn't believe a single word Shi Jian's subordinates spouted.
"Soldiers would kindly distribute relief food to us? How could that possibly be?"
"Work for soldiers building a fortress and expect to get paid? Dream on!"
What was to be done about such characters?
Shi Jian was on the verge of tearing his hair out!
The fifty-odd garrison soldiers were equally flummoxed. They truly weren't adept at public relations, finding themselves utterly helpless against such stubborn people.
A group of soldiers returned to Shi Jian and the Titanic Heavenly Lord, discussing in hushed tones: "What now? There are still over five hundred people in the city who refuse to leave. They don't believe anything we say, preferring to believe the bandits won't come."
One soldier couldn't help but suggest, "Centurion Shi, why don't we just abandon them and retreat?"
"Wham!" Shi Jian's fist sent the man sprawling to the ground. "Damn it, how can we abandon them? These people's stubbornness is our own fault, the fault of us soldiers for never having a good reputation. That's why such hardheaded folk exist in this world. And now you want to give up on them? That's unacceptable!"
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The beaten soldier clambered to his feet, covering his face, daring not to speak further.
Another soldier asked, "But if they refuse to go, what else can we do?"
The group stood bewildered, at a loss.
Shi Jian, also a little flustered, could only turn to the Titanic Heavenly Lord.
The Titanic Heavenly Lord climbed onto an unburned rooftop, surveying the half-ruined, dilapidated state of the county town from above. He thought: *This city is already ruined. Even if the bandits don't return, it will be hard for the common folk to live here unless it's completely cleared and rebuilt.*
Under these circumstances, those five hundred stubborn people *had* to be relocated.
He lowered his head and asked Shi Jian, "Have you heard the legend of Feilai Peak?"
The soldiers nodded. "We have! Master Jigong knew a mountain peak was about to fly in, so he told the villagers to evacuate. But they refused, so Master Jigong went into the village, snatched a young woman, and carried her away. The villagers chased him out of the village, and that's when the peak landed, flattening the entire village."
Li Daoxuan replied, "Good that you know it. During extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are warranted. Even if the methods seem a bit wicked, as long as the outcome is good, that's what matters."
Shi Jian's eyes lit up. "I understand! I'll go snatch a young woman now and make her family chase me."
Li Daoxuan blinked. "!!!"
Was this fellow trying to seize an opportunity to kidnap women for his own depraved amusement, satisfying some twisted, deranged fetish?
Li Daoxuan rolled his eyes. "Can't you think of anything else besides snatching women? You're soldiers! Be more menacing. Show them the ruthless, unreasoning side of a soldier!"
Shi Jian uttered an "Ah," finally comprehending. *Right! We're soldiers now, and soldiers can be truly wicked.*
Leading his remaining fifty-odd men, he put on a ferocious scowl and marched before the stubborn cluster of villagers. "All of you, get your asses to Dragon Gate Ferry!" he snarled. "Anyone who refuses, I'll chop them up and present their head as a bandit chief's to the authorities!"
The moment these words were spoken, the intimidation factor went through the roof.
The remaining five hundred hardheaded folk no longer dared to resist. They quickly exited the city and set off for Dragon Gate Ferry.
The total number of refugees from Hejin County Town exceeded ten thousand. This enormous procession, dragging children and carrying infants, wailing and lamenting, trudged for dozens of *li*. When they finally reached Dragon Gate Ferry, they expected nothing but hardship.
To their surprise, a massive cargo ship was docked at the ancient ferry pier. A small group of porters continuously unloaded grain from the vessel. A man who looked like a foreman shouted to the refugees, "What are you gawking at? Come help unload the grain, and we'll feed you!"
At the mention of food, to hesitate for even a second would have been an insult to the drought itself.
The refugees swarmed forward with a roar.
Immediately, a bustling, vibrant atmosphere erupted on the dock. The elderly, weak, women, and children instantly began preparing meals for ten thousand people, while the able-bodied laborers immediately started moving the cargo.
After a good while, the last stragglers arrived – the five hundred stubborn people, reluctantly "escorted" to the site.
They had expected to be pressed into forced labor by the soldiers, condemned to a life worse than death. Yet, to their surprise, upon reaching the dock, they saw that those who had arrived earlier were already working with fervent energy, and a rich aroma of noodles wafted from the pots set up by the elderly, weak, women, and children.
The five hundred stubborn people murmured, "Huh? The soldiers... they didn't lie to us this time?"
Only then did Shi Jian drop his ferocious scowl, saying with a wry, exasperated chuckle, "To save you hardheaded bunch, this old man had to play the villain for the first time in his life, damn it..."
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