There were not many people in the convoy heading to Stronghold 178 from the Central Plains. Although Ren Xiaosu was seriously injured and could not move in the backseat, he could roughly make out that there were about 20 people in the convoy. The convoy consisted of six off-road vehicles, and there was another vehicle in the rear that specialized in transporting supplies.
The people in charge of the convoy were probably the siblings named Wang Shengzhi and Wang Shengyin. However, the two of them did not seem to put on any airs and looked very easygoing. The others in the convoy did not feel any pressure when facing them.
As they were advancing, Ren Xiaosu checked on his wound. The torn wound on the right side of his abdomen was very shocking. Fortunately, these people had stitched up the wound. Otherwise, he would have died before he could wake up and use the black medicine.
The stitches on the wound were neat and tidy, and it could be seen that the person who stitched it up was very careful and attentive.
After listening to what these people were saying, Ren Xiaosu realized he had been carried more than 100 kilometers away by the flood. He did not even know how he survived.
During mealtime, Wang Shengzhi's subordinates would bring the heated fast food to Ren Xiaosu. Meanwhile, Ren Xiaosu would just eat quietly in the vehicle without saying a word.
However, everyone in the convoy knew that he had just been through a disaster, so they thought it was normal for him to be quiet.
After sunset, the convoy set up camp on time. Ren Xiaosu listened to them discussing the situation in the Northwest and Southwest around the campfire. A man said, "Why did a war suddenly break out here? Hasn't there not been a war in decades? We didn't even pay attention to this area before."
However, Wang Shengzhi said with a smile, "In the past, transportation was inconvenient, and the clans in the Central Plains were not interested in the Southwest. They couldn't even sort out their own affairs, so how could they have the time to care about what's happening here? We don't have much interaction anyway."
The geographical location of the Southwest meant that it was destined to be a semi-isolated area. But it seemed that due to the sudden outbreak of war, some people in the Central Plains had also turned their attention here.
"It's said that Qing Zhen is a very powerful figure." Wang Shengyin thought for a while and said, "Although we don't know the details of this war, after the Kyung Clan and the Yang Clan defeated the Lee Clan, it seems that the Yang Clan was also manipulated by Qing Zhen. We must be careful of such a belligerent person."
In the eyes of outsiders, it was as if Qing Zhen was the mastermind behind this war. From the beginning to the end, it seemed as if Qing Zhen was the mastermind behind this war.
However, only those who were involved in the situation would understand that Qing Zhen had only been planning to protect himself along the way.
Just as Qing Zhen himself had said, if he had two acres of fertile land, how could he be worthy of the Kyung Clan's commander's seal?
In the torrent of that era, those who were content with the status quo would eventually perish. On the long road of darkness, no one could turn back before they saw the light.
Someone suddenly turned around and asked Ren Xiaosu, "Aren't you from the Northwest? Do you know how this war started?"
Ren Xiaosu shook his head. "I don't know. I'm just a refugee, so how would I know about these things?"
The person who spoke scratched his head. "That's true. These things are too far away from you. Hahaha, I asked for nothing."
When Wang Shengyin heard this, she asked Ren Xiaosu, who was half-sitting in the car and eating, "By the way, I haven't asked you yet."
Ren Xiaosu paused for a moment. "My name is Ren Xiaosu. My family was also washed downstream by the flood. If you meet anyone in the Central Plains looking for me, please tell them that I'm still alive."
This was the first time Ren Xiaosu had spoken so much in the past few days.
Ren Xiaosu had wanted to conceal his identity, but these people did not know much about the Southwest and Northwest, so Ren Xiaosu gave up on the idea. Moreover, he also hoped to find his lost family and friends. His name should be quite special as there were fewer people with the same name. If Liuyuan, Wang Fugui, and the others heard his name, they would definitely come looking for him.
In fact, he also wanted to look for Yan Liuyuan and the others now. But it was too difficult to find people in this vast world, and he had more important things to do.
Ren Xiaosu wanted to repay all the pain and despair the Soong Clan had brought him during this period of time.
However, his strength alone was limited. Ren Xiaosu was thinking about how he could borrow strength.
Now that this group of people in front of him seemed to want to open up the trade route to the Northwest, perhaps this would be his chance.
Thinking of this, Ren Xiaosu suddenly felt like he understood Li Shentan very well. Back then, he felt that Li Shentan was like a demon. But now, Ren Xiaosu understood that when you were not personally experiencing hatred and pain, you should not try to persuade others to be magnanimous.
Of course, understanding was one thing, and being friends was another.
Ren Xiaosu suddenly asked, "Is there a war in the Central Plains?"
Wang Shengzhi looked at him and said, "It's a place where military strategists fight for."
Ren Xiaosu was taken aback. What Wang Shengzhi was implying was that there was also a war in the Central Plains. He asked, "Didn't you say that the Central Plains is prosperous and affluent?"
Wang Shengzhi smiled. "It's precisely because it's prosperous and affluent that there's no conflict between the two."
Ren Xiaosu did not pursue the matter any further. That was not in line with his current identity as a refugee. However, Wang Shengzhi seemed to be in the mood to chat. "What do you refugees in the Northwest usually do?"
Ren Xiaosu said calmly, "Farming, making bricks, and digging canals to irrigate crops."
"How long does it take to make a kiln of bricks?" Wang Shengyin suddenly asked.
Ren Xiaosu replied, "It takes 13 days to make the green bricks, but the exact time depends on how long it takes to add water. We've never made red bricks before, so we don't know how long it takes to make them."
Wang Shengyin nodded and did not ask any more questions. That question might have seemed unintentional, but it was actually intentional.
But at this moment, several military transport trucks suddenly drove over from the Northwest. Everyone stopped talking and looked over. When Ren Xiaosu saw the saber emblem on the trucks, his heart sank. It was the emblem of the Soong Clan's consortium.
They were still at least 100 kilometers away from the Soong Clan. Why would they suddenly appear here?
He moved closer to the car and hid his face in the shadows of the car.
However, Wang Shengzhi and the others did not seem worried at all. They were still sitting around the campfire.
The vehicles stopped next to the campsite, and three platoons of the Soong Clan's regular army got out of them. The leader was a tall man who looked like he was an officer of the Soong Clan. He frowned and asked, "Who are you people?"
Wang Shengzhi turned his wheelchair around to face the officer and said with a smile, "We're from the Central Plains to Stronghold 178. Who are you people?"
The officer did not answer Wang Shengzhi's question. Instead, he continued asking, "Why are you going to Stronghold 178?"
"To do business," Wang Shengzhi said succinctly.
"This road passes through our Soong Clan's territory. Why don't you all follow me back to the Soong Clan first? We'll let you all pass after we've figured out the situation," the officer said. It seemed like the officer did not know the identity of the newcomers, so he spoke rather politely.
But Wang Shengyin said, "Then won't we have to take a detour? We'll just go our own way and mind our own business with the Soong Clan."
When the Soong Clan officer heard Wang Shengyin say that, he did not stand on ceremony anymore. He said to the soldiers beside him, "Take them back."
Then he heard the Soong Clan officer say to Wang Shengzhi, "I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to pass through here."
Ren Xiaosu was suddenly puzzled. Could the Soong Clan be trying to isolate Stronghold 178 from the Northwest to prevent Stronghold 178 from communicating with the Central Plains?
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
