The First Hospital of Dawn City.
Duke Garava lay in his hospital bed, gazing listlessly at the first streak of light creeping over the windowsill that morning. His pallid face resembled soone recovering from a serious illness.
These days, he had experienced whole nights of insomnia, and whenever he closed his eyes, nightmares would startle him awake soon after, drenching him in cold sweat.
He couldn’t understand why.
Why had the trump card crafted by the Weilante People lost?
Even more incomprehensible was how they had lost to a re force of just over five hundred.
"...technology?" he murmured with quivering lips. His eyes were murky, but a glimr of realization seed to flash within them.
The malady that the court doctors couldn’t cure seed treatable here, with soone ntioning it was due to so sort of technology and techniques.
What astonished him the most was that not only royals like him could get help here, but their dical resources were so abundant that they could even afford to equip impoverished-looking commoners with chanical prostheses.
Even Niyan had ntioned that they had established sothing called the Ho of the Refugees. Survivors who lost limbs could receive an interest-free loan to replace their basic chanical prostheses if they were willing to learn living skills and accept work arrangents.
The now composed Duke Garava felt his back soaked with cold sweat again.
Only now was he beginning to realize what kind of opponent they had provoked.
However...
This failed probe might not be entirely a bad thing.
At least, he had found a way to strengthen the Empire.
He relaxed his shoulders, letting his head sink into the pillow. Duke Garava comforted himself, feeling slightly better.
"...I need to get my hands on so technology," he thought.
As he pondered, footsteps were heard outside the door.
Startled by fears that his thoughts had been overheard, Duke Garava broke out in a cold sweat again — until he saw the figure at the door was his confidant Niyan, which allowed him to relax his tense shoulders.
"My lord, have you awakened?!" Niyan stood at the door holding a stack of papers, looking at the now-open eyes of Duke Garava with surprise.
Duke Garava looked at him somberly, about to call him in, when he took notice of the stack of papers Niyan was clutching — and felt his heart constrict.
"Take the newspapers away!"
He didn’t want to see those things now.
It was foreseeable that the news would not be good.
"This...these aren’t newspapers, my lord, it’s a ceasefire proposal drafted by the Alliance side," Niyan said gently and honestly, seeing the Duke’s agitated reaction. "Shall I throw it away for you?"
As soon as Niyan finished speaking, Duke Garava sprang from the bed as if he had been shocked by an electric current.
He didn’t look like a patient at all, with his bloodshot eyes almost bulging from their sockets, and he reached out with all his might.
"Bring...it to !"
"At your command, my lord."
Niyan nodded respectfully, walking forward with the draft in hand, a flicker of undetectable disappointnt crossing his hidden face.
It was a sha.
The conflagration he had fanned with all his might should have toppled the teetering jenga tower, but it was held in place by an unseen hand.
If the war had continued to its bitter end, bleeding out the putrid blood once and for all, drowning the parasites sucking blood from the giant’s body, his holand might still have a glimr of hope for rebirth.
But now, all he could do was bemoan his ill fate...
...
The war was over.
At least for the ti being.
At Jinjaron Harbor, in front of the Governor’s Mansion ruins, the faint sll of blood could not be washed away, even after many rains.
A group of clothed people knelt on the ground praying with their hands clasped together, thanking the guardian spirits for protecting them from death and disaster. Others in raggedy clothing were carrying baskets, scavenging among the rubble, tossing anything of value into their containers.
The corpses and the weapons next to them had long been taken away by the militia from the settlents, but there were still so items worth salvaging.
Like the brass casings that fell on the ground or the bullet heads stuck in the walls.
These orange-yellow tals were sought after goods, with a pound fetching a handful of beans, and so rchants near the port were buying.
Suddenly, soone unearthed a leather belt with ammunition pouches from beneath a pile of rubble, and in a frenzy of joy, lifted it over their head, waving to the guard seated not far off.
The guard yawned, rose from his chair, approached, and examined the belt. After a while, he counted and tossed a few notes to the scavenger.
The scavenger bowed with a fawning smile.
"Thank you, milord!"
The guard waved dismissively and, not deigning to utter a word, returned to his chair.
Everyone cast envious glances at the lucky finder, their scavenging efforts redoubling in the remains.
It was rumored that the Inland Port had not had a barge dock for a long ti since His Majesty ordered the seal of the downstream ports, cutting off any food supplies coming from the west.
As the price of beans continued to rise, many sensed the odor of famine.
They needed to prepare for the future...
In the distance, more scavengers attempted to enter but were stopped by a group of strong young n.
These youngsters wore short shirts, wielded clubs in their hands, skinny yet fierce, baring their teeth like hyenas on the plains.
"Get lost! This is our ho!"
"You roaches!"
"Either pay up, or go sowhere else!"
The ragged scavengers clearly were no match for this gang, and while so pulled out two West Winds coins to hand over to these young fellows, others, either unable or reluctant to fork out the cash, cursed and moved along to other places.
Elsewhere, the dignified people who had finished their prayers slowly rose from the ground and bid farewell one last ti to the land where they had lived for so many years.
As they left the ruins, they nodded in thanks to the young n holding clubs and standing guard at the edge of the Wasteland, appreciating that, out of neighborhood camaraderie, they had been spared from paying even a coin.
And when looking at a certain young mber of the Rat Clan, what was written in those eyes was nothing but respect and gratitude.
They were the ones who should have been groveling in the dirt picking trash.
Had they listened to that wolf clansman scoundrel, Vikram, and demanded more from the Iron n, they’d probably now have nothing but a pile of broken bricks, and might have even had to fight over scraps with a group of scavengers who wandered over from another district.
Basking in their admiring gazes, Ah Xin nodded back at them gently, but without too much enthusiasm.
He could probably feel that what lay behind those grateful glances was not actually thanks but an awe they themselves might not even realize, akin to their reverence towards the gods.
It’s hard to be a great man; however, mimicking a great being isn’t difficult, and he knew better than anyone the true colors of these people.
All he needed was to maintain a proper distance and dignity, and to bestow occasional small favors, and they would praise his kindness and generosity.
It was all too easy for him now, and it didn’t even require spending money.
As repaynt, they would go ho and tell their kids or young siblings to be as cautious as rats at night and to emulate the good young man called Ah Xin, to beco soone of worth like him.
Afterward, he wouldn’t even need to speak; their children would find him on their own, treat him like an elder brother, and from him, seek a piece of work that could lead to prosperity.
These people had beco his most solid support base.
Perhaps he should start thinking of a na for his clan.
As he watched the neighbors depart, Ah Xin’s gaze moved from their retreating figures to his most loyal servant.
"Kunal," he said, "we won this war."
Kunal was montarily stunned.
"We?"
Wasn’t it a war between the Iron n and the Empire?
He didn’t rember enlisting himself in the battle.
For those two days, he was with his family, following Ah Xin’s directive, staying in the warehouse by the port that he had purchased.
Seeing Kunal’s bemusent, Ah Xin just nodded slowly and began to speak.
"Yes, and not only did we win, but all the survivors of Jinjaron Harbor did as well."
Kunal looked at him, not quite understanding, his eyes full of confusion.
Knowing what puzzled him, Ah Xin smiled faintly and said,
"Could you have believed that a mber of the Rat Clan would own a 200 to 300 square ter mansion on Tulip Street two weeks ago?"
The touch of spirited confidence that danced in his expression matched his age—after all, he was only a seventeen-year-old lad.
Kunal shook his head subconsciously, but quickly caught himself, rembering that his own boss was of the Mouse Tribe, and carefully added a sentence.
"I didn’t an to offend you..."
"I know," Ah Xin didn’t mind, just squinted towards the Governor’s Mansion and continued, "Two weeks ago, a poor devil from the Mouse Tribe could never dream of being neighbors with those nobles there, not even having the eligibility to pay; but now, as long as you have money, it’s fine."
He didn’t feel at all sorry for the destruction of Jin Galun Harbor; it had never been his ho, but that of His Majesty.
Rather, he thought it was better to smash this rotten pot to pieces and build a new ho on these ruins with their own hands.
That would truly belong to them.
As for those high and mighty nobles and those citizens who would call the dirt their father and the earth their mother after a few als, let them cry their eyes out. After all, when he himself was starving, they had never spared him a single coin, so he had no reason to sympathize with them.
But to be honest, he was actually sowhat surprised when he saw their reactions.
Especially when he found that those who had lost the most were not crying but even quicker to adapt than he was, who had nothing, it nearly overturned his original impression of those fellows.
The more he thought about it, the only things he lacked compared to those people, apart from status, bloodline, and a pampered lifestyle, seed to be just education.
Those guys in clothes, gnawing on white bread, could read and had studied a few books. Now, he had everything except for this one matter where he couldn’t catch up to them.
And this made him determined to hire a teacher for his younger brother and sister or simply send them off to study in the City of Dawn.
Also—
He must find literate sisters-in-law for them!
However, Kunal didn’t completely understand all that he said, or rather, he only heard the word "money."
Money was indeed a good thing.
When he was hanging out with Vikram, it was quite prestigious, but at most, it could only make those poor devils bow their heads; well-dressed citizens would not spare him a second glance for his Wolf clan identity and would disdain him for mixing with a bunch of bad company, bringing scorn upon himself as well.
But now everything had changed, ever since he had money in his pocket, even girls in skirts would look his way and even take his hand to talk about poetry and dreams. One girl had promised him that she would do anything as long as he was willing to buy her a ticket to Silver Moon Bay.
"Boss, you’re right... we need to figure out how to make more money," Kunal said in a muffled voice, "collecting managent fees from the scavengers is too slow. Saving up one coin at a ti, we’ll never get a ship in our lifeti."
Ah Xin paused, not knowing why this simpleton would want to buy a ship, but he agreed with the first part of his statent.
They did indeed need money.
And a lot of it...
"Kunal, my servant, we obviously can’t get rich collecting money from scavengers, but don’t underestimate the business of a few coins; money we scorn is naturally valued by others."
He pointed with his chin at those lads holding sticks, continuing to speak.
"It’s not just us who need to stand out; they too need to beco the pride of their families. We grant them the authority to collect managent fees here, and they get dignity and money from us. When we need to deal with so guys that we can’t handle ourselves, they will take action for us."
A flash of realization crossed Kunal’s face, as his mind seed to clear, but then he quickly continued to ask.
"What about us?"
"We do bigger business," Ah Xin glanced at the ruins before them, slightly squinting his eyes, "This place is right next to the Governor’s Mansion. If we build a block of buildings here, guess how much it will sell for?"
Kunal was stunned for a mont, but he didn’t think about the money issue, instead nervously asking.
"But what if the Empire’s people co back?"
And this is the Iron Man’s shooting buffer zone. Those people were paid to move them out, how could they possibly let them back in?!
Ah Xin grimaced.
"You’re talking about the Empire? Impossible, they’ve been scared shitless. If they were planning to co back, they wouldn’t have withdrawn so far. And even if they did, the battlefield would be outside the settlent, in those trenches."
He had already asked about this yesterday from an adult called "Family."
Those Iron n aren’t happy to see such a large piece of land go to waste, especially land so close to the port area.
They are completely different from the governor. It seems that they can’t bear to see people live too miserably, which might have sothing to do with the Great Antler God they believe in.
Regardless of what they want to do or what they want, he would cater to these masters’ likings and serve them well.
Moreover, he also saw potential in this land.
Lately, both the rich and poor want to live closer to those Iron n. Building houses on this wasteland could definitely fetch a good sum of money.
Just so happens, he had so capital on hand.
So when he proposed taking on a contract for this land, the adult nad "Family" was only surprised for a mont before cheerfully slapping his shoulder in agreent, though he did ntion sothing about land taxes and transaction taxes.
However, he didn’t need to worry about those things before the houses were built, or even before selling them. The situation might change in the future, but at least for now, their most urgent wish was to get the buildings up quickly, not how much money they would make.
The adult was a bit eccentric, but a good person nonetheless.
Ah Xin could feel that unlike a scoundrel like himself, he genuinely wanted to do good deeds, even refusing the kickbacks he had offered out of respect.
It was for this reason that he swore to "Family" that he wouldn’t disappoint his expectations and cultivation, promising to take care of this matter perfectly.
For the land to be successfully and safely built upon, the first step was to get rid of the unexploded duds and explosives.
So he let those guys who once lived on the sa street spread the word around that there were treasures to be found here, things the Iron n didn’t care for.
Not only that, but he also deliberately arranged for so "plants" to discover "treasures" buried under bricks every now and then, showing them off to the scavengers and exchanging them for money from the guards.
The scavengers, lured by the rumors, turned into red-eyed vultures, eager to dig three feet into the ground.
These cost-free laborers, who even brought him money, would lick the battlefield clean, not leaving a single bit of residue behind.
Then, he could start hiring people to work here.
"...Kunal, I’ve thought about it. Unity is very important, maybe even a little more important than the knowledge we lack. The Empire’s lackeys fall apart so easily because they’re not united. They’ve managed to offend everyone they could in this settlent, knowledgeable or not, and we definitely can’t make the sa mistake."
The young face showed a maturity beyond his years. Kunal felt a sudden mont of unfamiliarity with him.
Watching the servant nod in confusion, Ah Xin paused before continuing.
"So I plan to have everyone live together."
Kunal didn’t understand and asked.
"Live together?"
Ah Xin did not directly answer.
"For a long ti to co, it’s probably only safe near those Iron n, as a lot of dirty things will erge. Don’t look at the ruins that only interest Scavengers now; once blocks of buildings are erected there, all the rich people in town will pounce on this place just like them. I bet you that a single brick here will buy their entire outfit, even their brothers and sisters, their sons and daughters."
Kunal held his breath, seemingly shocked by this astonishing fact, and struggled to choke out a response.
"But... the Iron n forbid the sale of people."
"How can you be as dumb as a pig? Did I say I was going to trade in people?"
Ah Xin’s frustrated kick was followed by a pat on the shoulder as he looked at his servant’s aggrieved face and then hooked his arm around him.
"Listen, Kunal, you’re the first person to stand by my side. Even though you’re officially my servant, I’ve always considered you a friend, a mber of the family... I’m not telling you all this to brag about how rich I’ll be in the future, but to let you know that you’ll also own a part of this, an entire building!"
"An, an entire building?!" Kunal was stunned, his voice stamring.
"Yes, they can only get a set of rooms, but you can get a whole building," Ah Xin pointed at those young n in the distance and then patted the breathless Kunal on the shoulder, "So you have to take every word I say to heart. From now on, everyone on this street, they are our family. No matter how they’ve treated or you or others in the past, don’t go settling scores with them. Be courteous to them, not too nice, of course. Only by winning them and their relatives over can we face outward with a united front and prevent others from bullying us."
Kunal hurriedly swallowed and nodded nervously. He wanted to shut his mouth right there but couldn’t help asking another question.
"Alright, boss... may I ask you one more question?"
Ah Xin let go of his shoulder, giving him a casual look.
"Ask."
Kunal carefully inquired.
"What exactly... do you want to do?"
Hearing this, a rare mont of confusion flashed through those fierce eyes, but it was only for an instant.
He quickly replied.
"I haven’t figured it out yet, maybe I’ll think about it later. For now, I just want to make money and protect my family."
He did not have the ambition to beco an emperor, a bit far-fetched for a Rat Clan man, and besides, he had already obtained a fortune beyond his wildest dreams, satisfying him both spiritually and materially.
Now, his only thought was to guard it.
However, that was not easy.
For that, he needed a matching force.
He was well aware that the Iron n cooperated with him not because he was strong or rich; ironically, those were exactly what he lacked.
Their real reason for choosing him was that he could persuade so people, do so things for them that they couldn’t do themselves, or even talk about.
To not lose everything he now possessed, he had to keep the snowball he held in his arms rolling, and it had to keep rolling on and on.
If he didn’t want to be eaten by other Hyenas on the Wasteland...
...
Ah Xin was not the only one feeling uncertain about the future; Laxi, who had just won a battle, was also lost in confusion.
Looking at the Killer Dagger that brought the ceasefire notice, he felt a breath stuck in his chest, blocking all the flas in his stomach.
Unable to resist the burning ambition his soul, he for the first ti raised his voice, shouting at the Iron Man clad in an exoskeleton.
"Why should we cease fire? The Emperor’s army is no match at all! With your help, we could completely break into Tiandu! By then, all their treasures, palaces, everything would be yours—we only want their blood! Nothing else!"
Once he had cleansed the land of those mongrels flowing with the blood of the Sun People and Cow People, he would be able to rebuild the dynasty of the Moon people!
He would beco the new Emperor and correct the mistakes of the past. When the reckoning was over, he would even add a bit of Alliance ideology into the doctrine of Thousand Tribes and Thousand Gods, such as unity, equality, and the abolition of slavery, just like what the desert kings were doing.
The cursed cycle plaguing this land would finally end at his hands!
And the Empire, reborn from the ashes, would be even more stable and united than before!
Honestly, Killer Dagger didn’t particularly like this guy, even though there were quite a few people on the Forum who liked this NPC.
That was normal; not every joy-seeker sought joy in the sa things.
For instance, Brother Mosquito enjoyed watching explosions, Ah Wei wanted to give cute girls a ho, and Debt Giant Eye was the sa, only he exerted force in a different direction.
It was undeniable, though, that compared to those slaves driven only by hot blood, there was sothing about him.
"Calm down."
Looking at this guy with a flushed face and thick neck, Killer Dagger didn’t even move a shoulder but simply said calmly.
"You should be aware, it was with whose help that you were able to crush the Grey Wolf Army so decisively. We don’t deny your achievents in battle, but you need to recognize who you are; you and your n are no match for that Arai Yang, we could crush them as easily as they could crush you."
Laxi looked at him, surprised.
"Aren’t we friends?"
Knowing that the surprised expression was a sly act, Killer Dagger ignored it straightforwardly and continued speaking calmly.
"Yes, but they have their own friends too, farther west... Even by boat, those big-noses are closer to this place than we are. Do you get what I’m saying? If we keep fighting, it’ll be total war, where we not only have to spend hundreds of millions of silver coins but also risk giving more dangerous enemies a chance. Ask yourself, is the current you worth that much money to us?"
It wasn’t just about the money.
The attitude of the faction leaders was more important than money; they had to constantly consider whether their actions conford to the overall interests of the Alliance.
But that wasn’t necessary to tell him.
Realizing his impertinence from the sharp tone, Laxi took a deep breath, trying to control his agitated emotions.
He didn’t know what the greater threat was, but he still wanted to make one last effort for the people on this land.
Looking at the Instructor, he said sincerely.
"Please let et Mr. Fang Chang!"
Killer Dagger spoke seriously.
"That was Mr. Fang’s idea, and also the result of our discussions."
Laxi completely despaired.
No—
It wasn’t exactly despair.
It was just that perhaps the fla called ambition in his heart had been doused slightly by a bucket of cold water.
He realized that relying on the strength of outsiders to beco the Emperor was unrealistic; no one was generous enough to go out of their way for their sake.
And his own power was far too small to match his ambition.
Perhaps—
He should be more realistic, starting from being a military faction leader or sothing similar; the throne could be planned slowly.
His Adam’s apple moved, then he continued speaking.
"What about those Grey Wolves? Those captured ones, what do you plan to do with them?"
Killer Dagger looked at him strangely, not understanding why he had suddenly asked about this.
However, he was pleased that the guy didn’t keep harping on the previous issue, so he said in a more conciliatory tone.
"We plan to have them build a POW Camp outside the city; using labor to reform those who need reforming is a usual practice where we co from."
Laxi paused, then asked subconsciously.
"Why not just hold them at Lowell Camp? We could move into that camp instead!"
Killer Dagger stared blankly at this guy who suddenly lost his mind, not sure who the real Killer Dagger was.
"That’s a POW Camp, are you insane?"
Laxi took two steps back with his arms wide, then put his hands together in a pleading gesture.
"Please, I’ve promised my subordinates that I would put those beasts in cages... At least let them experience what we went through, feel the anger of us slaves towards them!"
He needed to humiliate those people to raise his prestige among his subordinates.
His request wasn’t high, just let them stay there for a few days!
Not knowing what exactly was in this guy’s mind, Killer Dagger seriously considered his request.
Although he had thought about telling these folks that venting anger on their equally hoodwinked kinsn was unreasonable, he quickly rembered what Fang Chang had said to him before—
So things were too advanced for them.
With that thought, Killer Dagger spoke.
"Your request is reasonable; I’ll discuss it with the others, but it can only delay for a week at most. Our demands on the prisoners are not solely for punishnt; we also hope to use their labor to rebuild Jinjaron Harbor, construction is the primary concern at the mont."
Laxi was overjoyed at his words, quickly saying.
"Thank you! It doesn’t need to be that long, three days will be enough!"
Killer Dagger nodded.
"Wait for my ssage."
Having said that, he got into the armored off-road vehicle parked at the entrance of the camp and drove towards the direction of the port, with Laxi respectfully watching him go...
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