The Demon Lords-Chapter 614 - 103: Support_1

"Hmm, from Cheng State? Haha, you fellows are interesting. Your state is still at war, yet you're out doing business," Jin Shuke asked, looking at the man's documents with some incredulity.

"As you say, Officer, but just because there's a war, does that mean we stop eating or stop doing business?"

The caravan leader subtly slid a small bag of silver over.

Jin Shuke avoided it, not taking the silver, and said instead, "Is this what you often call 'risking your life for money'?"

"Life is indeed precious, but without money, one can't get by, can they?"

Jin Shuke nodded. "Makes sense. Go on in. We'll tally and register you later."

"Oh, thank you, Officer! Please accept this small token for your men to have some tea."

"Put it away, or I'll charge you with bribery."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!"

The caravan leader quickly put the silver away and bowed several times before signaling his caravan to enter the city.

At the city gate, large bribes couldn't be solicited, though small ones were common. However, under the "severe punishments" currently enforced in Shengle City, no one dared to try.

Risking one's career and life for a bit of silver? It wasn't worth it.

Jin Shuke gestured for a subordinate to come over and whispered in his ear, "Go inform Xue San's men that a merchant caravan from Cheng State has entered the city."

"Yes, sir!"

After giving the order, Jin Shuke stretched lazily and walked over to Yu Huaping.

The Shengle Army emphasized maintaining proper military posture, primarily so they would look good when General Zheng inspected the troops.

Every month, all units would assemble for drills, and they would be ranked, with the top three and bottom three identified.

Consequently, many officers had extremely high standards for their subordinates' posture during daily duties. Some even gathered their men after shifts to practice marching and other drills.

This, remarkably, greatly improved the "public image" of Shengle City.

Of course, maintaining military posture wasn't difficult for Yu Huaping at all; he could hold the same stance from dawn till dusk.

Jin Shuke took out a small vial, poured a little essential balm onto his fingertip, and dabbed it under his nose.

This was a new product from the workshop in the western part of the city—essential balm.

It had a good refreshing effect, so Jin Shuke had bought some for his own use.

Watching the Cheng State merchant caravan entering the city, Jin Shuke whispered, "Who knows, there might be spies from their side among them."

Yu Huaping turned his head to look at Jin Shuke.

"I've already notified our people," Jin Shuke continued.

Yu Huaping nodded.

For the past few months, Yu Huaping had been diligently performing his duties as a city gate guard. A Sword Saint of his generation, he truly was capable of enduring solitude.

Even General Zheng, who at first had been so enthusiastic he would visit the East Gate seven or eight times a day, had gradually lost interest and stopped coming. Yet, Jin Shuke had always paid special attention to this "subordinate."

It was as if he had recognized that this man was no ordinary person. He often shared his own experiences with Yu Huaping, explaining the purpose behind his actions.

So, in this world, some people truly deserve to get ahead. Not everyone possesses this kind of insight.

"Want to go for a drink after our shift?" Jin Shuke asked.

Yu Huaping shook his head. "No, thanks. You all go ahead."

Jin Shuke wasn't the least bit offended; in fact, he was used to such refusals. Apart from the time his own wife gave birth, Yu Huaping had never attended any of the other brothers' gatherings.

"Alright then." Jin Shuke reached out and patted Yu Huaping's shoulder, mimicking the way their master, Zheng Fan, used to pat his.

「After the shift,」

Yu Huaping put away his saber and started to head back.

On the way, he saw his apprentice waiting for him punctually at the street corner as she did every day.

The sword boy stood perfectly straight, a wooden sword hanging at her waist.

When Yu Huaping approached, she naturally fell in step behind him.

The master and apprentice walked into a small alley in the city, leading to a tiny, somewhat dilapidated courtyard that was nevertheless kept very clean.

The Sword Saint entered, picked up a water bucket, and went out again.

Meanwhile, the sword boy took a handful of candied fruits from her robe and began to tease the little boy who had run out of the house.

The master and apprentice seemed to have grown accustomed to this division of labor, both fitting into their roles quite naturally.

The Sword Saint made two trips to fetch water, filling the water cistern.

The little boy, having eaten his fill of candied fruits, rubbed his small belly.

An old woman watched this scene with a cheerful smile. When the Sword Saint returned, she enthusiastically pulled him over, wanting to measure his feet for shoe soles, saying she would make him two pairs of cloth shoes.

"You soldiers, those boots you wear are sturdy, alright, but they make your feet stuffy. And the smell, oh my! The cloth shoes I stitch are much better; your feet will feel so much looser and more comfortable in them."

The Sword Saint heard this, nodded, and said, "That they are."

「When it started to get dark,」

the woman from the perfume workshop returned home.

Just then, the Sword Saint and the sword boy were preparing to leave.

The woman pursed her lips and called out, "I'm about to make dinner. Why don't you eat with us tonight?"

The Sword Saint waved his hand. "Next time, next time."

With that, he and the sword boy left the house.

They returned to their lodgings at the post station, where the station manager brought them two bowls of noodles.

The Sword Saint and the sword boy each had a bowl. Master and apprentice both ate with a distinct lack of decorum.

"Master, why didn't we stay there for dinner?"

"It's not time yet," the Sword Saint replied.

According to the customs in the Jin land, if an unmarried man and an unmarried woman shared a formal meal together at the same table, it signified that they were becoming a couple.

The woman had extended the invitation, but the Sword Saint had consistently declined.

"Master, are you shy?" the sword boy asked.

The Sword Saint hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"I think that lady is quite nice. She seems like a solid, down-to-earth person," the sword boy commented.

"How old are you to think you can judge people?"

"Master, you know I can sense what some people are thinking."

The Sword Saint seemed to have a realization. He lowered his head and continued eating his noodles.

After master and apprentice finished their meal, the sword boy began her sword practice, while the Sword Saint took out the Longyuan and started carving.

He was making a rattle drum for the little boy Zheng Fan himself had named "Tian Tian"—the same child who had peed in his arms six times.

He also needed to make a small wooden sword for her son, Liu Dahu.

The Longyuan, one of the most famous swords in the world, was currently being used by the Sword Saint to carve toys for children. If the Chu State swordsmith who forged it knew, he would probably be angry enough to cough up blood.

The Blind One had once asked him if he wanted to continue as a city gate guard.

If he wished to continue, he could. He was also asked if he wanted a promotion. If he didn't want to continue, they would discuss other arrangements. Even if he decided to leave, he would have to attend a farewell banquet.

But he had decided to continue, to keep swapping his sword for a saber each morning and go to the city gate to watch the throngs of people coming and going.

The Sword Saint himself hadn't expected to be a city gate guard for so long.

What surprised him even more was that his cultivation, which had been stagnant for a long time and seemed to have long since hit a ceiling, was now showing signs of loosening.

The Sword Saint remembered the Blind One once answering his question about what kind of qi his sword possessed. The Blind One had said it was earth qi.

As he carved, a smile involuntarily touched the corners of the Sword Saint's lips.

The sword boy, who was practicing her sword forms, keenly caught this detail.

She didn't stop her practice, however, merely scoffing inwardly:

Hmph, men.

「...…」

"Where is the vanguard commander?" Zheng Fan asked.

"My Lord, he is waiting in the front hall."

"Heh."

Zheng Fan chuckled, tossing the military order from the Eldest Prince onto the table.

The Demon Lords had all set aside their tasks and gathered at the residence for a meeting because the Eldest Prince's grand army had reached the border and was about to enter Cheng State.

Xue Three spoke up, "My Lord, this Eldest Prince is too arrogant! He demands ten thousand conscripted laborers right off the bat and wants us to be responsible for the supply and transport of provisions for his left flank army. What the hell does he think he is?"

A Ming nodded. "He's acting like he's Tian Wujing."

When Tian Wujing entered the Snow Plains, Shengle City was responsible for arranging provisions and supplies, and they did a flawless job with logistics. Of course, Shengle City also made a huge profit from the spoils after the war.

The Eldest Prince clearly valued Shengle City's capability as a "logistics unit."

Zheng Fan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and didn't speak immediately.

Siniang then said, "Our Shengle City is currently operating at a huge deficit. It's only thanks to our substantial reserves that we can afford these losses for now. If we're to simply support a large army's material supplies again, it'll be a truly losing proposition. Even if My Lord's official rank gets another promotion after the war based on merit, what's the point?"

If we only provide material and food supplies, we definitely won't get a share of the spoils of war later, because we wouldn't have actually sent troops to participate, would we?

Liang Cheng spoke, "We can't be the ones to take this loss."

Zheng Fan then asked, "How has Chen Yang over at Xinsu City responded?"

Chen Yang was the garrison commander of Xinsu City, with ten thousand Jingnan Army troops under his command.

The Blind One replied, "My Lord, Chen Yang has held his position and did not go out to greet the Eldest Prince's main force when it passed through his territory."

With Tian Wujing not having given any order, who in the Jingnan Army would dare to welcome him?

Of course, one could welcome him. That would mean jumping out of the Jingnan Army system and into the Eldest Prince's embrace, seeking favor. It's one's own choice.

However, from Zheng Fan's perspective, he'd have to be out of his mind to abandon Tian Wujing and throw himself into the Eldest Prince's camp to become a sycophant all over again. Tian Wujing's son is still being raised in his own household, after all.

"Tell that vanguard commander that our Shengle is poor and has been struggling to make ends meet for a long time. We truly don't have the spare capacity to support the grand army."

Struggling to make ends meet was certainly true. In the Jin land, the Yan State garrisons in major cities like Li Tian City and Quhe City—former strongholds of the Wenren and Helian Family that were populous and had thriving trade—could manage. However, for the Yan Army stationed in other areas, the imperial court only provided half their rations and pay; the other half had to be procured by the garrisons themselves.

This had become something of an unwritten rule. The imperial court knew that these garrisons had their own ways to acquire funds and provisions, so their lives wouldn't be too harsh. This was similar to why, in later times, countless people would desperately try to get into certain government offices, even if the official salary was meager.

Zheng Fan then added, "Also, draw up a bill listing all the army pay, provisions, and other things the imperial court has owed us for nearly a year. Send someone to deliver it to the Eldest Prince. Plead for his pity, tell him our days are so impoverished we can barely survive, and that we hope for the Eldest Prince's support."