Chapter 64: An Unconventional Hero

Chapter 64 An Unconventional Hero

And so, a year later.

Namely, the Datong Dynasty, the First Year of Dragon Slaying.

Qin Yuan was seventy-three years old.

One hundred miles underground.

Qin Yuan was practicing the Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Book.

It was precisely the same Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Book that the Supervisor had previously unleashed.

Qin Yuan had stumbled upon it while perusing the journals left behind by the Supervisor.

At first, he could not comprehend it, yet he was deeply astounded.

Now, he could comprehend it, and he remained deeply astounded.

This secret technique was simply too piercingly sharp, disregarding distance and taking lives without a trace.

It was entirely no weaker than that nameless incantation wielded by the Five-Fowl Immortal.

Carefully putting away the journal, Qin Yuan inspected his body.

His Dao Platform (Divine Sense) had transformed into two vast lakes.

The golden membrane remained at the Super Five Qi-Converging tier, now designated as the Spirit-Refining Realm (increased by fifty percent, based on his state at seventy).

His Qi sea had expanded to the size of thirty-four coal mountains.

The Five-Fowl Killing Technique remained at the Five Qi-Converging tier (increased by thirty percent).

The Tyrant Saber Technique remained at the Five Qi-Converging tier (increased by twenty percent).

The Beiming Rebirth Method remained at the Five Qi-Converging tier (increased by ten percent).

The Dragon-Slaying Art remained at the Half-Step Mountains-and-Seas tier (increased by five percent).

His Dharmic power had increased to four hundred and ten years.

"Another year has passed," Qin Yuan murmured to himself.

In the past year, Lin Dongze’s performance had earned Qin Yuan’s deep admiration.

What had he accomplished?

The promise of universal cultivation made previously had already been fulfilled by nearly half. The total amount of faith power in the Datong Country had multiplied more than ten times compared to before. The demons, gu-humans, and all sorts of bizarre entities that once ran rampant within the borders of the Datong Country had been nearly exterminated.

Agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries, which had been in complete disarray due to warfare and other causes, yielded harvests several times greater than before (the details of which need not be elaborated).

Lin Dongze not only practiced strict frugality himself, but he also compelled everyone else to be frugal. He ate the food of common marketplace folk, wore plain cloth garments, and resided in the former prefectural office. Furthermore, he reduced his own salary to a level even lower than those of the vice-ministers and ministers. Because he had to raise three children and had a fondness for buying books, his monthly salary was simply insufficient, forcing him to borrow money from Hu Bolong, the second-in-command of the Datong Army who hailed from a gentry background.

If Lin Dongze’s emergence was a blessing for the Datong Country, it was nothing short of a disaster for the Gu tribe, the Five-Fowl Immortal, the upper-echelon cultivators of the Datong Country, and many others whose vested interests were harmed.

"War will break out by next year at the latest," Qin Yuan frowned and thought.

Where should he go from here?

Should he slip away like before, or wait and see, and then slip away like before?

After pondering for a while without reaching a decision, he simply stopped thinking about it. With a single thought, he returned to the surface.

The dates on the jujube tree were ripe.

They were large, plump, and juicy, making one's mouth water at the mere sight.

They had not辜负 (failed to live up to) the new recruits he had buried over the past few years.

"A generation of new corpses replaces the old, gazing far at the sorrow and hatred of the former," Qin Yuan chanted a line of poetry, stepped forward to pluck a few, intending to give them away later.

After tidying up briefly, he mounted his beloved little donkey and left home.

The streets were visibly many times more prosperous than before, and the sallow complexions on many people's faces had diminished significantly. A confident radiance, never seen before, appeared on their faces, as if they had been reborn.

Among them, people possessing cultivation practices were as numerous as hairs on a cow, though none were at high levels.

In sharp contrast, the cultivation speed of those who had been practicing for a long time had slowed down noticeably.

Qin Yuan caught suppressed resentment in the eyes of quite a few people.

The war would likely arrive sooner than anticipated.

Qin Yuan raised his head to look at the sky.

It was gloomy and overcast, seemingly portending something.

Upon arriving at the Directorate of Astrology, Qin Yuan was astonished to find that the Directorate of Astrology had been turned into a massive medical clinic.

Everywhere he looked, there were heavily wounded soldiers of the Datong Army.

"Come and help quickly!" The newly appointed Supervisor, Yang Youqi, shouted upon seeing Qin Yuan.

Qin Yuan walked over to lend a hand.

Over the past year, he had studied apothecary, qi-observation, artifact-crafting, feng shui, array formation, and qi-refining.

Among them, the subject he studied most extensively was apothecary.

Aside from refining pills, an apothecary could also heal injuries and treat illnesses for cultivators.

"What is going on?" Qin Yuan asked while helping out.

"Over a month ago, the Datong Army and the demon army under the command of the Five-Fowl Immortal started fighting in Dongzhou."

Could it be that the Five-Fowl Immortal was hiding in Dongzhou?

A short while later, after finishing with the wounded person right in front of him, Yang Youqi said, "Go and treat that wounded man over there named Si Yunguang."

Yang Youqi pointed toward a bed deeper inside.

Qin Yuan walked over and glanced at him.

He knew instantly that Si Yunguang was beyond saving.

His Dao foundation had been shattered, and his primordial spirit was on the verge of collapse.

The only reason he was still clinging to life was the sheer support of faith power.

"Doctor... Doctor..."

Si Yunguang’s voice was extremely weak, buzzing softly like a mosquito.

Ordinary people wouldn't have been able to hear it at all.

Qin Yuan stepped close, took his hand, and asked, "Si Yunguang, do you have any last words?"

"I... I want to see the Acting Regent," Si Yunguang said, gasping for breath.

After the founding of the Datong Country, Lin Dongze changed his title to Acting Regent, meaning he acted on behalf of everyone to handle state affairs.

Ah, this... Qin Yuan hesitated for a moment and nodded.

"I’m stepping out for a bit."

He directed this remark to Yang Youqi.

"Mm," Yang Youqi, who had also heard him, nodded.

The Directorate of Astrology was not far from the Acting Regent's office, and Qin Yuan arrived swiftly.

After stating his purpose and surrendering his identity token, he was led inside.

As he reached the outside of a room, fierce arguments could be heard from within.

Along with the sound of objects being smashed.

It sounded like the second-in-command, Hu Bolong.

After listening for a short while, Qin Yuan understood the situation.

Hu Bolong believed that many cultivators required better Dao-soldiers, better pills, and superior medicinal herbs.

Lin Dongze’s attitude was: if we don't cut down the cultivation resources allocated to these people, how can anything be distributed fairly among everyone else?

On the surface, this matter seemed to be about taking care of a select group of people.

At its core, it was tearing the faction apart.

"At the very least, we must ensure priority for a portion of the Datong Army," Hu Bolong argued.

"The Datong Army is an integral whole," Lin Dongze corrected him.

Bang!

With a livid expression, Hu Bolong slammed the door and stormed out.

As he passed Qin Yuan, he even shoved against him.

Motherfucker... So impolite.

Qin Yuan cursed inwardly.

"I could have endured the dark, had I never seen the light."

Lin Dongze’s muttered voice drifted out.

Even Qin Yuan, who had weathered countless storms and witnessed the vicissitudes of the world, felt a stirring in his heart upon hearing those words.

The next moment, Lin Dongze appeared at the doorway. Seeing Qin Yuan, he asked, "What is the matter?"

Qin Yuan recounted the purpose of his visit.

"I will go with you."

...

Returning to the Directorate of Astrology, Qin Yuan was struck by the sheer charisma of Lin Dongze.

Si Yunguang, who had been on the verge of death, suddenly experienced a miraculous return of vitality.

He even attempted to sit up.

"Don't move," Lin Dongze walked forward quickly and pressed down gently on his shoulders with soft force.

"I was just talking casually... I... I didn't expect Your Excellency would actually come," Si Yunguang grinned broadly.

Qin Yuan: "..."

"You suffered severe injuries for the country and the people; it is my honor to come and see you."

"I... I wasn't for the country and the people. I just wanted the high bounty. I’ve been poor since I was a child, driven half-mad by poverty," Si Yunguang said with some difficulty, his breathing labored.

A sheepish expression appeared on his dark, rugged face.

Qin Yuan smiled wryly.

Compared to those who noble-mindedly fought for the country and the people, this fellow wasn't towering and lofty, but he felt much more vivid and endearing.

"Haha!"

Lin Dongze couldn't help laughing out loud.

Yet as he laughed, the smile faded from his face.

"Si Yunguang, go in peace. I will properly settle your family; I will never let a hero bleed and shed tears in vain."

Si Yunguang, however, furrowed his brows.

"My... my old man favors the eldest son. Ever since we were kids, whenever there was anything good, he only thought of the eldest. Once, he almost got me killed. How can my compensation go... go to..."

He paused to catch his breath before finishing, "Them?"

Ah, this... Qin Yuan and Lin Dongze exchanged identical expressions of speechlessness.

This hero differed slightly from the conventional ones.

"Still, give it to them, I suppose. After all, they raised and fed me, and after all, they are my brothers. Sigh."

A distressed expression surfaced on Si Yunguang’s face.

Clearly, he couldn't hold on much longer.

"Very well," Lin Dongze nodded.

"No, that still won't do. That's... cough, cough, too much of a loss."

After pondering for a moment, Si Yunguang added, "Make my eldest brother give his son in adoption to... to me."

Lin Dongze found this somewhat difficult, but in order not to leave the dying hero with any regrets, he nodded: "I will do my best to persuade your brother."

"Is... is this a bit too much?"

Si Yunguang asked in a low voice, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Qin Yuan rubbed his forehead.

He had seen people engaging in extreme psychological tug-of-wars with others, but this was the first time he had witnessed someone engaging in an extreme tug-of-war with themselves.

"Uh, it is a bit," Lin Dongze admitted with a nod.

"If it's a bit, then... then that's right."

Si Yunguang still wanted to negotiate further.

Heaven granted him no more time.

His pupils suddenly dilated.

His breathing stopped entirely.