Chapter 90: Human Nature in All Its Diversity

Accepting the displaced people was not Dragon City’s obligation.

His wife choked, thinking, "They are already homeless; what standing could they possibly have?"

He Lingchuan whispered, "That man is not a good person. His mule is a bit old, but it can still carry two emaciated elderly people."

The old couple were both very thin; together, they weighed at most 170 to 180 jin (about 85 to 90 kilograms).

His wife was astonished: "Then why did he...?"

She stole a glance and saw that while the mule had a slight limp, it was actually walking quite steadily.

"He just couldn't bear to part with his belongings," He Lingchuan explained. "The commander saw this and told him to discard his possessions and help his father onto the mule. However, without money, that man would struggle to establish himself in a new place, and his elderly parents couldn't work to earn, plus they'd be two extra mouths to feed."

"He refused, and of course, the commander wouldn't force him," He Lingchuan continued. "The old woman going up the mountain on her own also understood her son's intentions. She was either utterly disheartened or simply couldn't bear to leave her husband."

The Liu Sanjiu couple listened, looking at each other in silence.

Some things couldn't bear close scrutiny; when examined, they were utterly sordid.

They continued walking for another quarter of an hour when cavalry from the rear shouted loudly, "Hurry up, everyone! Hurry up, the enemy is catching up!"

The rolling thunder in the sky was less startling than those words. Screams and wails immediately erupted from the long line, and their pace visibly quickened.

Falling behind now truly meant certain death!

Traveling on a rainy night was not easy. He Lingchuan saw many people stumbling as they ran, falling to the ground only to struggle back up.

Many of the old and infirm, however, fell and were trampled underfoot, never rising again.

He Lingchuan involuntarily closed his eyes.

Although he knew history had drifted away and everything before him was an illusion, he had been there and witnessed it. His heart felt heavy, as if a large stone was pressing down on it.

What difference was there between human lives on this plain and the grass beneath their feet, or the chickens in cages?

They were to be slaughtered at will, their lives cheap and easily disregarded.

Just then, the procession's speed abruptly slowed as a commotion broke out ahead.

People from behind pushed forward, causing a jam.

He Lingchuan, with his keen hearing, could make out the curses from up ahead.

Crowds were like that: the more rushed and chaotic, the more prone to errors.

From where he stood, he could only see the backs of the heads of those in front. He Lingchuan set his bundle on the ground and swiftly climbed up a nearby half-withered poplar tree.

In such extreme weather, standing high risked a lightning strike, but he accepted that danger.

Fortunately, the next two lightning strikes occurred far off, incidentally illuminating his view. In the flashes of light, he saw dozens of carriages jammed by the riverbank ahead.

The carriages were all loaded with large chests, clearly indicating that wealthy households were also among the fleeing crowd.

Those that had already passed were no longer an issue, but perhaps the contents of the chests were too heavy, or the ground was too muddy, because seven or eight carriages simply couldn't make it up the slope. No matter how the drivers whipped their horses, the animals whinnied pitifully, but the carriages remained stuck motionless in the mud.

Behind them, another twenty or thirty carriages were lined up, waiting.

By this point, the procession had reached the riverbank. With a cliff on one side and the river on the other, the path in between was narrow, at most allowing three carriages to pass abreast.

Adding to the difficulty, it was also a steep slope.

All those who came after were blocked.

Empty-handed people like He Lingchuan could still climb over the carriages; but who flees without their household goods? Those leading oxen and driving carts, with all their possessions, were completely trapped.

With pursuers behind them, the refugees' eyes were bloodshot with desperation. They didn't stand on ceremony but immediately began pulling at the carriages.

Unexpectedly, shouts erupted from within the carriage formation, and about twenty bodyguards rushed out. One hand gripped gleaming weapons, while the other shoved refugees back, shouting, "Step back, all of you! Are you out of your minds?"

Both sides began to hurl insults.

Of course, in the current situation, insults wouldn't solve the problem; they would only add fuel to the fire.

Thus, after a few dozen seconds, the refugees made the first move. Someone grabbed mud from the ground and threw it at the bodyguards. The latter immediately retaliated, and the scene devolved into a chaotic brawl.

He Lingchuan counted. In just a few minutes, at least a dozen people were injured.

Not a single carriage had been moved, however. It had to be said, these bodyguards were quite dedicated.

The commotion here quickly attracted the attention of the Great Wind Army. He Lingchuan's old acquaintance arrived once more, this time with over ten subordinates trailing him.

The situation was clear at a glance. He didn't waste time listening to either side's excuses, simply ordering, "Whose carriages are these? Step forward!"

A portly man in brocade clothes scurried out from the carriage formation. "Sir soldier, may I ask your esteemed surname?"

"Xiao."

"Master Xiao, I am Steward to Governor Sun! These are all belongings of the Sun Residence; please help us push them up..."

The commander waved his hand. "Move them immediately and make way!"

The portly man grew anxious. "Sir soldier, this entire batch consists of valuable supplies, including military provisions Governor Sun is transporting to Dragon City. This was all pre-arranged between both sides! For instance, there's armor and weapons useful for your army..."

By this time, Dragon Plateau had long been mired in a prolonged war, and military supplies and food were the city's lifelines. The commander, hearing this, took it seriously and immediately ordered, "Open the chests for inspection!"

The merchant convoy obeyed the order to open the chests, but some were faster than others. The first chests opened indeed gleamed with military supplies like weapons, armor, and medicine.

The portly man called out loudly, "Sir soldier, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

The commander waved his hand, and the cavalry stepped forward, opening all the remaining chests.

From his vantage point, He Lingchuan immediately saw that out of those dozens of cart-loads of chests, only about ten contained military supplies. The rest were filled with all sorts of valuables: gold, silver, jewels, expensive jewelry, clothes, antiques, small pieces of furniture, and so on—anything imaginable was packed in there.

Just then, a flash of lightning illuminated a chest of gold items, making them glitter. Among them was even a small, golden toilet...

The portly man wiped his forehead, unsure whether he was wiping away sweat or rain.

The crowd fell silent for a few seconds, then curses erupted like a tide.

The commander, expressionless, ordered, "Unload the horses and drag the military supplies up! As for the rest, push them all aside!"

The portly man grew frantic, rushing up and grabbing the commander's hand. "You can't do that, you mustn't! If you abandon Governor Sun's possessions, you won't be able to answer to the Commander-in-Chief!"

The commander shook off his hand, and a gold ingot flew out. "Push them quickly, what are you waiting for! The sooner the path is clear, the sooner we can move!"

This was a military order. Would they obey willingly?

The onlookers: Of course!

They swarmed forward, helping the Great Wind Army push aside the Sun Residence's private goods. They then unhitched all the horses and added them to the carriages carrying military supplies.

In the process, of course, some commoners grabbed valuables from the Sun Residence and secretly stashed them away. Seeing this, the Sun Residence's servants rushed forward to catch the thieves, making the scene even more chaotic.

Just then, a man of about thirty years old rushed over from behind, roaring, "Who dares touch my Sun family's property!"

He pointed at the commander and cursed, "How audacious! My father, Governor Sun, and Commander-in-Chief Zhong have supported each other for ten years, sharing life and death! Now that Weicheng has fallen, you unscrupulous soldiers dare to kick us while we're down and loot my family's wealth..."