Promise!

Chapter 103, Sit and Watch

Medicinal fields outside the city.

Zhuang Jin brought two teams with him. Lin Hong and Bi Kai were the team leaders, and Qian Wende, Wu Hao, Du Yunqi and others were also among them.

——The Shen family intended to let the street guard retain his team and supported this behavior; furthermore, the new street guard also needed to form his own core team. He took his trusted subordinates away and made room, which just made it convenient for the other party. It was something they wished for, and it could be considered a mutual agreement.

The medicinal field being guarded this month is no longer the previous black jade herbal field - naturally, the Six Classics strength has to shoulder greater responsibilities and make the best use of people. What they are guarding is a lotus herbal field, which is one of the main ingredients of Shuluo Pills.

Miao Lun was also a student of the Six Classics and came from the same workshop as Zhuang Jin. He also had a Lotus Herb Farm, which was located right next to Zhuang Jin's.

The district commander above them (corresponding to the district commander in the north of the city) is a seventh-level warrior named Luan Zhenyun. He is over fifty years old and his hair is a little gray. Compared with Xing Yan, he lacks a lot of sharpness and vigor.

"The Lotus Herb Field is more attractive to exotic beasts than the Black Jade Herb Field. Exotic beasts appear more frequently, and their strength is also relatively stronger. We even occasionally see exotic beasts at the Perfect Skin Polishing stage... Stronger ones are unlikely to appear, and your strength is more than enough to handle them..."

The exotic beasts at the Flesh Refining Realm are equivalent to warriors who have reached the Seven Classics or above. According to Luan Zhenyun, they basically will not appear here due to environmental reasons. The meat of the exotic beasts at the Flesh Refining Realm on the battle merit exchange list is all allocated from the state capital, and there is not much supply from the medicinal fields outside the city. He did not elaborate on the specific reasons, and left in a hurry after a brief explanation.

Zhuang Jin could see that this Luan Zhenyun, the guard, was old and his energy had declined. He was the type who just wanted to get by here. It was enough for him to complete his basic tasks without making any mistakes. He would not cause trouble for his subordinates, but he also did not want his subordinates to cause him any trouble.

Zhuang Jin assigned tasks and arranged two teams. When they arrived at the residence, Chen Yun had already taken care of everything and was hanging a scroll in the middle of the living room.

This is the painting of the Old Man in the Moon that I mentioned before, the one with red silk in one hand and a cane in the other, with a childlike face and white hair, running in the mist that is neither smoke nor fog... Chen Yun brought it here.

According to legend, the Old Man of the Moon is in charge of marriage. Therefore, every new moon and fifteenth day of the lunar month, Chen Yun would burn incense and pray, thanking her for meeting Zhuang Jin and praying that they could live together until old age.

At the beginning, Zhuang Jin's evaluation of Chen Yun's behavior was: pedantic and childish piety. He did not believe in gods or Buddhas, but believed that: asking gods for divination is not as good as making decisions on your own, and chanting Buddha's name and reciting scriptures is not as good as having your own abilities.

Zhuang Jin expressed his opinion, and Chen Yun did not argue, saying, "I've heard that sincerity is the key to success. Perhaps it's not the gods who hear and bless us, but rather that this ritual, like marriage, makes people realize how hard fate is to come by, and thus cherish it even more in their hearts!"

Zhuang Jin agreed with what he heard and followed suit later. At first, he was more accompanying Chen Yun, but gradually he became more cautious and sincere.

The couple worshipped the Old Man of the Moon together.

Zhuang Jin discovered that after returning to the medicinal fields outside the city, Chen Yun's mood was visibly much better. He knew why and felt deeply moved.

——In the past two months in the north of the city, every time Zhuang Jin went out, Chen Yun was worried that he would encounter danger. She waited at home, her heart anxious. She had to wait until she saw Zhuang Jin return safely before she could sleep peacefully. But now she doesn't have to worry about those things.

……

That evening, Miao Lun came over to have a free meal - when they were in the north of the city, the three of them would get together every few nights, and it had become a habit.

Chen Yun prepared good wine and delicious food.

"My sister-in-law is a good cook. Now that she is at the medicinal field outside the city, she has taken off the heavy burden on her shoulders and the food tastes even more delicious." Miao Lun praised.

On the north side of the city, it was easy to gain military merit, but it was also very nerve-wracking - those who were careless and not cautious had already died.

Now that I have arrived at the medicinal fields outside the city, I can finally relax.

"Yes!"

Zhuang Jin also had this feeling. In the north of the city, even though the war seemed to be going very smoothly in the second half of last month, he was still cautious and his heart was tense. Now he can finally relax, enjoy some wine and snacks, watch the clouds roll by, and laugh about the outside world... He deeply feels that this is the life a human being should live!

"We can be where we are now thanks to those warriors of the Fourth and Fifth Classics who took the initiative to go to the north of the city this month."

Miao Lun jokingly commented, "I see those people going there hoping to take advantage of the 'war merit loan,' hoping to collect military merit. I'm afraid they may not succeed."

There was a hint of sourness in his tone when he said this - when the 'War Merit Loan' was launched, he had already broken through the Six Classics, and he himself did not enjoy this benefit. Instead, Duan Tao, that Shuluo Pill was not successful, after recovering from his injuries on the night of September 18th, he applied for another Shuluo Pill on the 'War Merit Loan' and finally broke through.

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly after hearing this. "The Medicine King Gang gives me the impression of being cunning and ruthless, just like wolves. If they really just pick up their war trophies on the ground, they'll get into trouble sooner or later."

"Yeah, it's a pity that Brother Duan didn't come, otherwise our Dongqiaowu Iron Triangle could have gathered together for another table."

Following the voices of the fourth and fifth classics warriors at the Shen family headquarters and the medicine fields outside the city, each district in the north of the city must give up at least two street guarding positions this month. However, if they are willing, it would be better to give up more. However, Duan Tao is carrying a "war merit loan" and it is not easy for him to come.

"Brother Duan is not blind to the situation. He just wants the second Shuluo Pill to break through the bottleneck. He has no choice but to bear the debt of military merit!"

Miao Lun sighed as he spoke of the bottleneck, "I've been stuck at the bottleneck between the Fifth and Sixth Classics for years. It was only with the sudden rise of the Medicine King Gang and their struggle with the Shen family that I began to refine Shuluo Pills... Otherwise, I'd probably be stuck here my whole life!"

"Yes, opportunities are brought about by changes." To a certain extent, Zhuang Jin is also a beneficiary of this background, otherwise he would probably not have the opportunity to come into contact with the extraordinary.

Miao Lun thought of Zhuang Jin's background and said, "Ever since the Shuluo Pill was released in May, the number of casualties among warriors in the north of the city in the past two months has almost caught up with that in the south. The recruitment of martial artists has also been expanded twice in succession. Now, like the Medicine King Gang, they don't even charge the one or two taels of silver registration fee."

"But this is not a good thing for those warriors, because the war in the north of the city is not the same as before. Just come here..." He shook his head slightly and didn't say anything else.

"Free is the most expensive!" Zhuang Jin thought to himself.

If recruiting students was a good opportunity before, it's not now. The risks are too high, and the chances of success are too low. "Alas, let's not talk about this. I can't control it, I can't control it! Let's talk about the bottleneck. Now I've broken through the Six Classics. Once I complete the Six Classics realm accumulation, I'll face the bottleneck from the Six Classics to the Seven Classics..."

Miao Lun poured a bowl of rice wine for Zhuang Jin and filled another for himself. He drank it in one gulp and let out a long breath. "The bottleneck from the sixth meridian to the seventh meridian is more difficult than the third meridian to the fourth meridian. Even the Shuluo Pills are useless... Alas, I am afraid that in this life..."

Zhuang Jin didn't have a bottleneck, so he couldn't experience this kind of feeling. He comforted him, "Hasn't the Shuluo Pill been launched now? There's still a chance."

"Shuluo Pills, haha, how easy is it to get one? One Shuluo Pill costs 6,000 Merit Points. Moreover, even if you have accumulated enough Merit Points to reserve one, you still have to wait in line. You never know when you will get it!"

Miao Lun gave an example: "Take our garrison commander, Lord Xing, for example. He booked the Shuluo Pill the very first month it was released, but he still hasn't received it. He's been rushing to get the Ten and Eleven Classics... Let alone our Six Classics. Even if we gather enough military merits to book it, we'll still be ranked far behind, and it'll take forever."

"Our Shen family is fighting with the Medicine King Gang. As you said, brother Zhuang, there are opportunities in the changing situation. It can be said that a gap has been opened, but this gap is too small and it is difficult for ordinary people to cross it!" His sigh was full of unwillingness.

Zhuang Jin listened to this with mixed feelings: "It seems that I don't have a bottleneck, how lucky I am! This is just the bottleneck in the front, and it makes people so sad. If it's the back..."

All I can say is that the further he progresses, the more terrifying his talent becomes, with no limits, and he will leave those around him far behind.

Perhaps he came to the medicinal fields outside the city to relax, or perhaps he was lamenting the difficulty of martial arts and touching upon his inner thoughts. At noon that day, Miao Lun was slightly drunk and said a lot. He expressed his gratitude to Zhuang Jin for saving his life, and talked about his brother who was studying the Seven Classics in the south of the city. He had been secretly competing with him since childhood and wanted to catch up with him, but he stopped at the Five Classics and wasted time in the north of the city. Now he has reached the Six Classics. It seems that he has made a step forward, but in fact he feels even more desperate.

If it weren't for the special circumstances today, no one would have thought that this person who usually looks amiable and kind has so many things hidden in his heart.

"Husband, Miao Zhenshou..." Chen Yun cooked some sobering soup and brought it over.

"Let me take him back!" Zhuang Jin supported Miao Lun and sent him back to his residence. The stars were twinkling that night, and the stars made their shadows very long.

……

The third day of October.

At noon that day, Miao Lun hurried over and said, "Brother Zhuang, something big happened in the north of the city last night."

"Last night, our Shen family launched another offensive in the north of the city. Guess what? The Medicine King Gang took advantage of the early morning mobilization to secretly transfer some Six Classics warriors from the south of the city. They even deployed six Six Classics warriors to guard the streets below the first block... It's simply insane!"

Zhuang Jin listened with a slight shock: "I said that the Medicine King Gang would not admit defeat and there would be an even more ferocious counterattack, and sure enough, it has come."

This time, the Medicine King Gang went even further than last time, skirting the line even more, practically teetering on the edge of the line. But to be honest, they didn't violate any taboos or rules. The monthly street changes and arrangements are also normal. The only special thing is that the little incense master of the Medicine King Gang in the north of Yuecheng is a little bit stronger.

"Brother Zhuang, you're right. Fortunately, we... uh..."

Even if the two of them stayed in the north of the city, nothing would happen, but a thrilling experience was inevitable. Miao Lun felt that he owed Zhuang Jin a favor again. Considering the life-saving grace on the night of August 17, he could never repay it!

"This is a blessing in disguise. When we left at the beginning of the month, many people thought it was foolish, but now it seems to be a wise move."

Zhuang Jin asked, "Our Shen family has suffered a considerable loss this time, right?"

"Isn't it?"

Miao Lun replied, "Even with the 'Military Merit Loan,' the street guards in our Shen family's ward haven't reached that level. The combined strength of the two wards is enough to make it difficult... Not to mention, at the request of the Shen family headquarters, the medicinal fields outside the city, and the four and five classics warriors, there's another rotation this month, and two people from each ward have gone to 'earn military merit'... Given this comparison of strength, our Shen family is at a big disadvantage this time."

"Of course, the heaviest casualties were suffered by those with connections who were out to 'reap their war credits'... Hehe, this time they ran into trouble, rushing in, and ended up getting hit head-on with such bad luck."

He sighed, his tone tinged with gloating, clearly disliking those relatives: "Once these relatives die, the Shen family headquarters and the medicinal fields outside the city that we occupy will be left without an owner. We can at least stay for a few more months, and even a long time is not impossible."

From this perspective, the death of these people with connections is actually a good thing for them.

Zhuang Jin nodded slightly and asked again, "How is the situation in Dongqiaowu?"

"Our Dongqiaowu is fine."

Miao Lun calculated for Zhuang Jin, "Brother Duan used the 'war merit loan' to take a Shuluo Pill and broke through the Six Classics. Du Shiyuan and Wei Xun both used the 'war merit loan' to break through the Five Classics. The two new Four Classics disciples also used the 'war merit loan' to break through. Pingshuipo, another district we've joined forces with, broke through two Five Classics this month. Because of the 'war merit loan', they ended up with two Six Classics and four Five Classics..."

"To sum up, there are four Six Classics and eight Five Classics. The ratio of Six Classics warriors is six to four, but there are eight more Five Classics. It's just that those with connections are less powerful. We outnumbered them and suffered some losses. But retreating is not difficult... If the two of us were still here, we might be able to fight back."

——Indeed, after the failure on the second night of the Lunar New Year, Xing Yan sighed, 'If my subordinate Zhuang Jin was here, this would not have happened'. Well, this is the third day of missing Zhuang Jin.

"That's good. One's position and their policies are what the higher-ups need to consider more... Besides, we're currently in the medicinal fields outside the city. Even if we wanted to, we'd be powerless, unable to reach them..."

Zhuang Jin picked up the wine bowl and said, "Let's drink the wine in front of us and watch the rivers flow eastward with a smile."

"Well said! Well said!" Miao Lun raised his wine bowl and clinked it together, causing wine to splash everywhere, just like the turbulent situation in the north of the city at that time.

In the gentle breeze, the two sat opposite each other, drinking rice wine and savoring snacks, talking about the north of the city last month, the south of the city, and then the Medicine King Gang... In the end, all the changes in the outside world went into their stomachs along with the wine.

……

(End of this chapter)