Chapter 380 “Taking in an Old Aged Brother”
Under the frustration of everything, Ye Ling Yue could only write a letter for Flag City asking for help. She needs men and she needs them now to repair the city wall.
Unexpectedly, the reply came sooner then she thought.
Cold in the wording, the one responsible for the return letter didn’t try to hide their unfavorable response at all, claiming the military was in the middle of a complicated situation and had no hands available.
Though a tad rude and blunt, it’s as the letter says. After the promulgation about the rewards surrounding the hunt, who in their right mind would want to help build an unproductive wall for some city? Of course there are Hong Fang and Prince Hou Hong’s fingerprints all over this, but that doesn’t mean those below them didn’t think the same way.
For that reason alone, Dan City’s defenses remains untouched and unimproved for the next several weeks, thus leaving the citizens open for attack.
“Things cannot continue like this. Looks like I will have to personally make a trip to Dan City.” Frowning as she looked over the letter in her hand, Ye Ling Yue finally decides on this after several families were attacked and snatched away at night.
“That won’t do Ling Yue. You going there is the same as entering the tiger’s den, no way Hong Fang and that prince would let you off the hook. Plus, the Alchemist Hall and the city’s affair are all in your hands. With you gone, things would surely become a mess.” Disagreeing with the idea of going, Lan Caier protests strongly against the proposal, “Why don’t I go instead and look for General Nie and Auntie Ye for help.”
After some back and forth, the big girl ends up proposing she go instead. At the very least she has the halo of being a titled princess of Da Xia, no way Hong Fang would try anything out in the open.
“I say Ling Yue, although your sister I isn’t as capable as you, but I’m still a Dan realm master. At least let me go get some merits and become a company officer for once.” Thanks to the unending pursuit and nagging, Ling Yue can only yield on this subject and allow her big sister to go instead.
On this day, a couple of days after Lan Caier left for Flag City, the girl herself was currently overseeing the reconstruction of the wall when a series of ringing sound came from her cauldron.
“I say little lass, please have some sympathy and let me out. It’s been so many days since you stuffed me inside this thing. Out of consideration for my old age and to show some compassion, let me at least get a breather.”
Compassion, what’s that?
Her mother never taught her, nor has she seen it in the books. So, doing as her education taught her, she ignores the voice and continues to order the soldiers to work.
There’s not a chance she would let the old fella go, not when she’s constantly faced with the destruction before her eyes. Citizens displaced by the wild animals and a smoldering rubble of the once defensive wall, all of this was the works of this Jin Wu Monster.
Just as old fella was at a loss on what to do, ready to go back to his silent imprisonment, a idea suddenly struck him after hearing the voices of the working soldiers.
“Hey missy…”
“Shut up,” the girl turns vicious in her reply.
“My little friends, I actually have a way to help you repair the city wall.”
“What way!” The girl’s reaction was very fast and very harsh.
“Little Friend, what my plan involves doesn’t require any sort of reinforcement to the wall or stones or mud for that matter. So long as you release me then I can help you build the most solid wall you have ever seen on this continent. I guarantee you it will not fall even after a thousand years.” Boasting up to the heavens with his words, Jin Wu Monster had no qualms about exaggerating his ability. Then before he knew it, he was already spewed out of the cauldron.
“Don’t even think about running, I have already imprinted my seal on your soulfire. If you take so much as a step too far, I will crush your very soul with a flick of my will. Conversely, if you listen to me then I will not only release you, I will also help you regain a new body.” Using both the whip and the treat, Ling Yue instantly eliminated the old monster’s impulse to escape.
Truthfully, where else can he go now? The Jinwu Sect was now destroyed and he can’t exactly return to the Central Plains in his current form.
As per her words, Ye Ling Yue soon found a corpse suitable for the elder, it was a body of a middle-aged man killed not long ago by a wild animal attack. Of course, some minor scratches and a lethal wound was unavoidable on a dead man’s body. Nevertheless, Jin Wu Monster was in no position to pick under the circumstances.
Slowly returning color to that complexion, the refreshed Jin Wu Monster now returns to life in his new body: “Thank you lit…. I guess I should be addressing you as Chief Yue instead. Thank you for the second chance.”
This body was very good, strong and young, best part of all was that it’s also an alchemist before death. This naturally pleased the old elder.
“You don’t have to say so much flattery. I only want to know, how are you proposing we repair the city wall?” In the end, the most concerning factor for the girl remains the safety of the citizens here.
“Well, it’s to use the alchemists in the city. By having them work together and refining a large quantity of Yuan Iron, we can then pour the molten alloy into the makeshift cast and build from there. With a wall made of solid metal, such a structure will withstand the harshness of the world for millenniums to come.” The old monster sounded quite proud of his plan. In reality, his main job back in his younger years was exactly this, constructing his original sect’s defensive structures using metal. If not for an accident where he was forced to flee after offending one of the core disciples, he would still be working the very same job now.
As the old saying goes, gingers are hotter the older they get. In terms of experience, this Jin Wu Monster was definitely more insightful than Ling Yue so it’s likely only he would have the means to implement such a plan.
The only worry now was the matter of acquiring the needed resources. The numbers are too big.
“Regarding the resources, you don’t need to worry about that. I have my methods.” Since Ling Yue hailed from the Ye household, it’s easy for her to procure enough Yuan Iron.
Without delay, she immediately wrote a letter using her paper cranes for her grandfather. Three days later, a reply came back and that they will transport the needed alloys using the shortest time possible on land. This would likely take another half a month.