Chapter 188: Scavenging for Supplies
Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Scavenging for Supplies
However, trust had to be earned through strength.
What Zhu Ge lacked now was a way to show these people a path forward—a feasible goal, a tangible hope.
Long-term goals were grand and glorious, but in the short term, people needed to see concrete benefits.
Zhu Ge declared in a loud voice, "Since you believe in me, I will now tell you what we stand to gain after we are victorious!"
He stretched out a hand, pointing south—in the direction of Mengzi City.
"Eagle City is one of the Thirteen Cities of Red River Prefecture! It is rich in resources, with tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, silver mines, grain, Cultivation Techniques, and our own brothers and sisters waiting to be rescued!"
"If we can reclaim Eagle City, we will gain these resources. With resources, we can train more Martial Artists, more Confucian Scholars, and more Artisans! With people, we can reclaim more cities!"
"This is a cycle. Victory brings resources. Resources bring strength. And strength brings more victories."
"When that time comes, your families will no longer have to live in tents; they can move into brick-and-mortar houses! Your children will no longer have to follow you, living in constant fear; they can attend academies to study or Martial Arts Halls to train!"
"You yourselves will no longer have to risk your lives for a few copper coins, because you will have a salary, a share of the spoils of war, and merit points."
"This is the meaning of victory: to allow us and our families to live good lives!"
After speaking, Zhu Ge looked at the crowd.
"Now, I ask you one more time: are you willing to obey my command?"
"We are!"
The voices of twenty-four hundred people merged into a torrent, echoing above the ruins.
Zhu Ge nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Now, everyone, on my command—form ranks!"
"Zhao Tieshan, you are a Second Realm Mountain Shattering Martial Artist. You will be in charge of the First Realm Martial Artists. Arrange them in three horizontal rows by height."
"Yes, sir!"
"Li Qingquan, you are a Second Realm Scholar. You will be in charge of the First Realm Confucian Scholars. Have them form two horizontal rows behind the Martial Artists."
"Yes, sir!"
"Ma San Dao, you’re in charge of the toughs from Dog Street and the regular Soldiers. Form up at the very back in five horizontal rows..."
As the orders were issued one by one, the twenty-four hundred people began to move.
Though it was still chaotic, with some unable to find their positions and others who couldn’t tell their left from their right, it was already a great improvement.
Zhu Ge watched all this, not with impatience, but with a measure of satisfaction.
Discipline wasn’t built in a day, but as long as they had made a start, things would only get better.
The next objective was to save Eagle City from the Demon Beasts and bring it under their control.
Of the Thirteen Cities of Red River Prefecture, six had already fallen, aside from Yuan Yang City, Mengzi City, and Jianshui City.
These six cities were excluded from the plan, because people were the most important resource.
Among the remaining cities, four were on the brink of collapse: Eagle City, Yilong City, Fenshui City, and Lvchun City.
And the one closest to their current position was, naturally, Eagle City.
There was an Eagle Mountain there, which was the lair of a Third Realm Demon Beast.
But this mountain also held rich silver mines.
It should be known that the silver here was not the same as the silver Zhu Ge knew from his previous life.
Like the materials used to forge Zhu Ge’s Purgatory Star Rod, this silver ore had special properties and could be used to craft weapons and armor.
In the past, Eagle City and the Three Realms Eagle of Eagle Mountain had kept to themselves, never interfering with one another.
That was why, even under the assault of the Demon Beast tide, Eagle City could still manage a stalemate with the Three Realms Eagle. Perhaps there was something fishy going on.
"Palace Master Zhu, I’ve got a question."
It was Zhang Laoshu speaking again, a slightly embarrassed look on his face. "You said earlier we weren’t allowed to loot money, so... can we take this stuff here in Shayi Dam or not?"
As soon as this question was asked, everyone pricked up their ears.
Yeah, he’d just said no looting, but now he was telling them to form up and move out.
In that case, what were they supposed to do with the money they had already taken?
Zhu Ge looked at Zhang Laoshu, then at the others, and suddenly smiled.
"You can take it."
Take it?
The crowd was stunned.
"Not only can you take it, you must take everything." Zhu Ge dismounted, walked to the edge of the ruins, and picked up a rusty iron hoe from the ground. "Look, what is this?"
"It’s a hoe," someone answered.
"Correct, a hoe. But do you know what this hoe can be used for?"
Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what Zhu Ge was getting at.
"This hoe can be melted down and reforged into sabers, spears, swords, and halberds," Zhu Ge said. "Shayi Dam may have been slaughtered, but the things here remain. The ironware, the bronze items, even the shattered pottery jars—they all have a use."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "What I want you to scavenge now is not money, but materials."
"Materials?" someone asked, confused.
"Yes, materials." Zhu Ge smiled.
"Iron, copper, tin, lead—these things can be used to forge weapons and armor. Grain, salt, cloth—these things can feed more people. Even the wood and tiles can be taken back to build houses."
"The war we have to fight won’t last a day or two, or a month or two. It will last for years, even decades. We need materials—lots and lots of materials!"
"If these things in Shayi Dam are left here, they will only rot, rust, and be destroyed by Demon Beasts."
"But if we take them, they can be turned into weapons, into armor, into food, into houses."
"This is the meaning of scavenging—turning the possessions of the dead into strength for the living!"
As the crowd listened, they gradually began to understand.
"But, Palace Master Zhu," Niu Dadan scratched his head, "this stuff is so heavy. How are we supposed to fight while carrying it?"
"You don’t have to carry it all." Zhu Ge pointed at the ground. "Bury it on the spot. Mark the location, and we’ll retrieve it on our way back."
He looked at Niu Tiezhu. "Niu Tiezhu, take the Artisans from Slaughtering Village and handle this. Gather all the usable ironware, bronze, tin, and so on, find a hidden spot to bury it, and draw me a map."
"Yes, sir!" Niu Tiezhu clasped his fist.
"Everyone else, form teams of one hundred and scavenge in designated sections. Remember, only take what is useful. Leave what is useless."
"You can take coins, but prioritize ironware, bronze, grain, and cloth."
"All scavenged materials are to be handed over to Niu Tiezhu for processing. If anyone is caught hoarding, don’t blame me for being merciless."
"Yes, sir!"
The twenty-four hundred people dispersed and began scavenging through the ruins of Shayi Dam in an orderly fashion.
This time, there was no fighting, no shouting.
They knew these things weren’t for their own personal gain, but for winning the war.
’They’re reasonably disciplined...’ Zhu Ge stood in the center of the ruins, watching everything and nodding to himself.
Two hours later, the scavenging was complete.
Niu Tiezhu and the Artisans finished tallying the materials and reported to Zhu Ge, "Palace Master Zhu, we have about three thousand jin of ironware, five hundred jin of bronze, two hundred jin of tin, about forty shi of grain, and a number of copper and silver coins. It has all been buried in the large pit to the east, and I’ve drawn a map."
"Good." Zhu Ge nodded and vaulted onto Mazhu. "Let’s move out."
The column set off once more.
This time, the formation was much more orderly.
While one couldn’t yet say their discipline was ironclad, at least no one broke ranks without permission or rushed into ruins to loot anymore.
They knew there was a battle to be fought ahead.
Only by winning could they return alive.
Only by returning alive could they retrieve those materials.
And only by retrieving those materials could they forge more weapons and win more battles.
It was a virtuous cycle.