The Demon Lords-Chapter 744 - 163 Chengjue_1
The updates from the frontlines arrived in waves. First, there was the great victory at Wang River, followed by the complete annihilation of the remaining wild people outside Snow Sea Pass. With this, the majority of the wild people who had invaded Jin State were wiped out. There might still be stragglers hiding in corners east of Wang River, but they no longer posed any significant threat.
Discerning individuals in power had already anticipated the course of this war when the initial news of the Wang River victory arrived. So, when the subsequent reports of the wild people's main forces being completely destroyed came, it wasn't too surprising.
However, for the vast majority of the common folk, the earlier victory at Wang River had merely brought a sigh of relief—they had finally won. It was the subsequent pursuit and annihilation of the wild people's main forces that truly ignited the passion of the people of Yan State.
Yan State was at the zenith of its National Destiny. Indeed, the common people of any nation experiencing such prosperity would naturally feel a simple and spontaneous excitement and elation at their country's continuous victories abroad.
「In Nan'an County」
Head Constable Yan once again found himself at the entrance of the teahouse. The teahouse owner came over and invited Head Constable Yan to take a seat inside. This time, he didn't refuse and went in, joining a local cloth merchant at a shared table. These merchants might not greatly fear the county magistrate, but they were very respectful towards the constable whom they saw frequently on the streets. They specially ordered a pot of fine tea for Head Constable Yan. Head Constable Yan accepted with a cupped-fist salute.
Mr. Guo, the storyteller on the stage, had recently returned from a trip to the capital, his expenses, along with those of his chubby apprentice, all covered by the shopkeeper. The purpose of this sponsorship was for Mr. Guo to go to the capital and bring back the latest tales. As the saying goes, "All literature under heaven is largely plagiarism." The same principle applied to storytellers' tales. One would go to the capital, listen to what peers were narrating, then make some inquiries around the city. Stories, after all, just needed to be about half true and half false. Too true, and they lost their flavor; too false, and the flavor became overpowering.
With a sharp rap of the announcing block, Mr. Guo began his tale. His apprentice was still by his side, chiming in with interjections like, "And then what?" "Oh?" "No way!" "That's right!" "Exactly!"
Mr. Guo narrated with such fervor that spittle flew, his energy seemingly soaring to the heavens. When he reached the exciting parts, he would frequently add gestures, vividly recounting how Lord Jingnan mounted the Pixiu and, with a single slash of his Kunwu sword, beheaded the wild people's king, as if he himself were that very sword.
Mr. Guo's story moved from the covert battles along the Wang River line to the thundering iron cavalry galloping over the frozen river surface, from General Shengle's "Thousand-mile Rush" to Snow Sea Pass, to the Sword Saint at Snow Sea Pass forcefully breaking into the Second Rank to slay the wild people's General, Geremu!
This great war truly offered a wealth of stories. The clash of golden lances and iron-clad horses on the battlefield, the crisscrossing Sword Energy on the street—all were encompassed within it.
Actually, the audience below wasn't particularly enthusiastic about Lord Jingnan's exploits. Deep down, everyone acknowledged Lord Jingnan's military prowess. No matter the opponent, if Lord Jingnan was in command, they could start preparing for the victory banquet. The problem was, some children, influenced by these stories, would play games at home with wooden swords, shouting, "I am Lord Jingnan! Who are you, villain!" Their fathers would immediately snatch off their own shoes and chase the children down the street, yelling, "So you're Lord Jingnan, are you! I'll show you Lord Jingnan! Have you lost your mind!"
Yet, Lord Jingnan was an indispensable protagonist in this great war. Mr. Guo had to tell his part, and the audience, however they felt, had to listen.
As the narrative shifted from grand scenes to finer details, the audience's enthusiasm gradually began to build. In any era, people never lack enthusiasm for "lone heroes." Shengle's ten thousand cavalrymen crossing the river by starlight; the Sword Saint, single-handedly seizing the Fengxin city gate with his sword and leading the iron cavalry into the city. What magnificent heroism!
Some figures from the street in the teahouse, upon hearing this, couldn't help but cry out in approval. The street scene of Yan had always lacked a certain something. Li Liangshen, one of the Four Great Swordsmen, serving as a General in the army, had, in a way, made the street life less exciting. Moreover, in recent years, with the rise of national warfare, the so-called street life seemed as flimsy as paper compared to the might of armies; there were very few incidents worth recounting. But now, the Sword Saint's performance in this eastern expedition was truly eye-catching.
Furthermore, with Emperor Jin having submitted to Yan, and the Situ Family being ennobled as Prince Cheng, the so-called Sword Saint of Jin State—well, to the Yan people, he felt like one of their own, fostering a sense of connection.
At this very moment, the Sword Saint, still lying ill in a bed at Snow Sea Pass, had no idea that his admirers had spread from the Three Jin region all the way into Yan State. Many wandering gallants even craned their necks and declared, "Sword Saint? Which Sword Saint are you asking about? Jin State is gone, so Yu Huaping is obviously our Great Yan's Sword Saint! Haven't you seen? He has already joined our Yan Army!"
When the storyteller recounted how the brothers Situ Yi and Situ Jiong were killed with filth by General Zheng, everyone in the teahouse roared their approval in unison. The people of the Yan region had always held a very simple view of ethnicity, a view formed over centuries of resisting extremely powerful barbarian tribes. Moreover, since the current Yan Emperor ascended the throne, he had been continually reinforcing this concept: internal conflicts are family matters, but colluding with outsiders is outright betrayal! This was, in fact, one of the Yan Emperor's political strategies—to blur the ethnic distinctions between the four great eastern nations, paving the way for his dream of future unification.
Therefore, the people of the Yan region harbored a bone-deep hatred for the Situ Yi and Situ Jiong brothers, who had colluded with the wild people. General Zheng's action was truly gratifying! This was precisely why General Zheng had acted as he did—to build prestige. One needed to know what kind of stories the populace enjoyed hearing to cater to the market.
Next, the tale of the surprise attack on Snow Sea Pass was truly a masterful display of military strategy! General Zheng's popularity, one could say, was also viewed in light of Lord Jingnan. After all, with Lord Jingnan having previously destroyed his own clan, his public reputation was hardly stellar—no one wished for their own son to become another Tian Wujing. But General Zheng, hailing from Beifeng Prefecture, did not carry such stains on his reputation. When the common people needed a hero, they naturally turned to him.
From humble beginnings to fame: his capture of Mianzhou City with three hundred barbarian soldiers, his second assault on Mianzhou where he beheaded thousands, and his recovery of Prince Fu's head—General Zheng had been the most dazzling star of his rank since his debut. Most importantly, in this war, General Zheng truly deserved the highest accolades!
Then, the story moved to the Sword Saint forcefully breaking into the Second Rank, slaying an enemy general, and annihilating a thousand cavalry! This instantly made the street life seem mysterious and alluring once more. The people of Yan favored sabers, but after the Sword Saint's story spread, many children were already pestering their Ah Daddies to swap the wooden sabers in their hands for wooden swords. Its influence was comparable to, if not greater than, that of modern gangsters on the younger generation in later times.
After that, came the bitter battle beneath Snow Sea Pass, where corpses piled up like mountains. The storyteller recounted how General Zheng led from the front, how he courageously slew the enemy, how he boosted morale, and how, despite being struck by several arrows and bleeding profusely, he held his head high, raised his saber, and roared, "Kill the traitors!"
Truth be told, if Head Constable Yan didn't know what kind of man that General Zheng truly was, he might have actually believed it.
Mr. Guo spoke with passion, and the audience listened with equal passion, coins clinking excitedly into the large collection basket. The teahouse owner, also excited, gave his wife's bottom a few extra pinches behind the counter.
Head Constable Yan quietly left the teahouse and stepped out onto the main street. He had listened to the story for so long that, unknowingly, dusk had fallen. He looked up with a touch of wistfulness, gazing at the moon in the sky. In his mind, he suddenly recalled the scene when he first encountered Zheng Fan in the desert.
Given your relationship with Lord Jingnan, a Commander's post must be waiting for you now, right?
Head Constable Yan rubbed his lower back and stretched. Then, he muttered to himself, Commander of Snow Sea Pass?
He added, I guess that's about right.
Then, Head Constable Yan smiled. If you're really made Commander of Snow Sea Pass, then what on earth is Lord Jingnan thinking?
There were some things others didn't know, but Head Constable Yan did. Back then, that fellow Zheng, when he was around, did nothing else all day but constantly try to incite him to rebel, rebel, and rebel again.
Like seeing a single leaf fall and knowing autumn is near, Head Constable Yan felt he understood Zheng Fan's true nature far better than the Emperor himself. It was just like how ministers looked up at the Emperor, high on his throne—a distant and blurry image. The Emperor sat too high; sometimes, it was difficult for him to see those below clearly.
As he smiled, Head Constable Yan's expression began to turn somewhat desolate. The man who once spoke of helping him rebel and seize the throne was now on the verge of becoming a Commander, garrisoning a key region. Given that young man's administrative abilities, with time, Snow Sea Pass might well become another powerful, semi-autonomous territory.
And what about himself?
Head Constable Yan looked down at the constable uniform he wore, then at the saber hanging at his waist. He swayed his body, swayed it again, and then once more. Finally, a small piece of broken silver fell out.
Head Constable Yan picked up the silver and walked towards a nearby stall that specialized in pork head meat. The stall owner was over fifty, short and stout, with a greasy, shining face. Yet, he had a daughter, born late in his life, who was truly pretty—so much so that she hardly looked like his own flesh and blood!
"Well, if it isn't Head Constable Yan! Looking to cut some meat to go with your drinks?" the stall owner asked with fawning enthusiasm.
Tea doesn't intoxicate; people intoxicate themselves. At this moment, Head Constable Yan's cheeks were flushed, and he swayed as he walked, looking thoroughly drunk.
THWACK!
Head Constable Yan grandly slapped the small piece of broken silver onto the chopping block. Leaning sideways, he pointed a finger at the little lady behind the stall owner. The little lady was looking at him shyly.
There was no questioning Head Constable Yan's lineage. Even in a constable's uniform, he exuded an undeniable handsomeness that naturally appealed to young women. Besides, in the eyes of a small stallholder, could a head constable possibly be looked down upon?
"Take the money, cut the meat." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
"Oh, I couldn't possibly, Head Constable Yan! If you're short of something to go with your drinks, this old one will personally prepare it for you. I really can't take your silver."
Head Constable Yan turned his body, continuing to gaze at the little lady. He swayed slightly, as if too drunk to stand steady, and said, "Tonight, if you dare to personally deliver this meat to my room, I'll make you an empress in the future. Do you believe me?"
