The Eternal Way-Chapter 169: Mortals

Fang Cuiyuan curled up uncomfortably on the hard ground. The wind howled around her, cold and biting, making her shiver uncontrollably.

The young girl tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

If it were before, her mother would have covered her with a quilt and scolded her for not staying warm.

But now, she had no mother.

Unable to bear the cold any longer, Fang Cuiyuan got up.

Her father was a hunter. She remembered him saying once, drunk, that in the mountains, if you couldn't sleep due to the cold at night, never go to sleep, or you might catch a serious illness or even die.

One of their hunting companions had died because of this.

However, tonight felt different.

First, the soldiers came to drive them into a new formation, forming a circular encampment.

A hundred thousand people forming a circle was quite a sight, though she didn't understand its purpose.

Still, she felt more comfortable inside the circle. Her health was always poor, especially sensitive to cold. Her mother used to say she caught a chill when she was born, weakening her constitution and causing her to cough whenever it got cold.

But within this circle, although still cold, she didn't cough, which was miraculous.

She sat on the ground, wrapped in the only thick cloth she had, looking into the distance.

There, soldiers stood guard. During the day, these soldiers had risked their lives to protect them. She saw one young soldier, who had greeted her earlier, torn apart by demons.

Without them, they wouldn't know what to do.

Demons...

This demon attack wiped out six or seven hundred villagers, leaving only a few dozen survivors.

Everyone in her family was gone—her parents, her younger brother, her elder brother—only she remained.

Thinking about this, she lowered her head.

But tears wouldn't come.

At first, she cried so much it seemed she'd blind herself.

Now, however, she couldn't cry anymore.

Heartache and sorrow had limits.

Back then, she thought the pain would last forever. Yet, just a few days later, she felt almost nothing.

Perhaps this is what it means to be heartless.

Reflecting now, it seemed like something from the past.

Except for occasional moments of sadness, there wasn't much else.

Like—

Now.

In the past, when she sneaked out with a blanket to admire the moon, her elder brother would scold her and send her back inside because of her weak health.

Thinking of this,

Her heart tightened.

It became hard to breathe.

Yet, she couldn't cry.

She couldn't cry.

Sadness and bitterness welled up, but she couldn't shed a tear.

Just like Second Uncle's house next door.

She had seen it before.

Uncle Second Uncle's son, her cousin, fell into a water vat while climbing a tree to pick jujubes. Unable to climb out, he drowned.

Second Aunt cried bitterly, but Uncle Er just said grimly, "We can always have another child."

Back then, she thought Second Uncle was heartless, showing no emotion.

But now, thinking back,

He did feel something.

He just couldn't cry.

She suddenly remembered seeing Second Uncle circling the water vat at night, holding a stone, trying repeatedly to break it open.

Finally giving up, he smashed the stone on the ground and squatted beside the vat, smoking cigarettes.

After all, buying a new vat wasn't cheap.

Lost in thought, an old farmer approached and squatted beside Fang Cuiyuan. "Cuiyuan, why aren't you sleeping?"

The old man's skin was rough, his limbs thick and calloused from years of hard labor.

"Ah, Second Uncle, I can't sleep," Fang Cuiyuan looked up and saw Second Uncle beside her.

This Second Uncle,

He too lost everyone in his family, just like her.

His newborn cousins and Second Aunt were all eaten by demons.

"Crying is fine, but don't let it break your heart. Life must go on. Our Fang family now has only us two left. As your uncle, I won't let you starve. I'll build a house, cultivate some land, find you a good husband, and raise grandchildren for our family name," the old man comforted her.

"Um... Second Uncle, where are we going? Did the soldiers say?" Fang Cuiyuan asked.

"I asked; they said they'd take us to White Peak Mountain. It's sparsely populated with plenty of uncultivated land. We can farm there, build houses, and start anew," the old man replied.

"But others live there too. Will moving there be smooth?" Fang Cuiyuan worried.

"It's a hundred thousand people. If they don't let us settle, we'll find a way. Life goes on," the old man shrugged indifferently.

"How long will it take to get to White Peak Mountain?"

"They said they'd provide food until we arrive. Just avoid getting sick on the road," the old man reassured.

Speaking of which, he quickly stood up and handed her a bundled blanket. "I brought this for you. You're frail. This fur blanket should keep you warm."

"The demons came so fast. We only managed to grab some money and this blanket. Your aunt bought it, spending over a hundred coins, equivalent to half a year's harvest of twenty acres. But she didn't live to enjoy it. Now it's yours," the old man insisted, handing her the blanket and leaving without looking back.

At that moment, the moon hung high, marking midnight.

Shen Shuibei held the silver-furred rat, pondering but finding no answers.

So she gave up and went to sleep.

The night passed quietly.

Many among the ten thousand civilians and soldiers couldn't sleep.

Who knew how many would die on this journey?

The next morning, Li Qi and Zhang Lan woke up. Li Qi's energy replenished somewhat, though not fully recovered. His microcosm could generate some Qi naturally, easing his exhaustion.

As for Zhang Lan, Li Qi didn't know much about martial cultivation recovery methods.

The newly appointed deputy commander of the White Rhino Army sought out Li Qi early.

Carrying a steaming basket, he greeted them, "Mr. Li, Mr. Zhang, did you rest well? And Miss..."

"Shen, her surname is Shen," Li Qi corrected.

"Miss Shen," the deputy bowed respectfully, opening the basket to reveal dried meat, rice, and boiled green vegetables, freshly picked.

These were likely the best provisions they could prepare under current conditions.

"Eat something for breakfast. There are no cooks in the army, just mess cooks preparing simple meals. Please forgive the rudimentary fare," he apologized.

Zhang Lan dismissed it casually, "No problem, we've eaten worse. At least there's meat."

Li Qi nodded, "Food isn't important; saving lives is. Do you have any plans, Commander?"

They sat cross-legged, except Shen Shuibei declined the meal invitation and went off to write and calculate something.

"Don't mind her. Her cultivation method doesn't require food, and she prefers solitude. Let's discuss matters," Li Qi explained, picking up utensils and eating.

Since Li Qi took the lead, the others followed suit and began eating.

The food was simple—dried meat, wild vegetables boiled in water, and millet cooked with salt.

"Gentlemen, our immediate concern is rations. Initially, we had twelve thousand five hundred soldiers, now eight thousand three hundred forty-one. Normally, each soldier consumes three liters of rice per day, totaling three hundred fifty stones daily. Previously, we stocked monthly supplies, but now we have only seven thousand stones left."

"These civilians need less than us, perhaps one liter per day, but supplies won't last long. Even with rationing, reaching White Peak Mountain through the uninhabited wilderness, with only Guangyang City midway, will take about ten days. Some will inevitably starve. What solutions do you propose?" the deputy asked.

"Where are your rations stored?" Li Qi inquired.

"In special storage bags. If Guangyang City is the destination, I can reach it in five hours on my dragon horse. Give me your storage bags and a token, and I'll fetch the rations," Li Qi offered.

Zhang Lan clapped approvingly, "Good idea. I feared if I went, we'd lack protection against demons. Li, your speed matches ours, and your departure won't affect our combat strength."

Li Qi felt embarrassed by Zhang Lan's blunt honesty.

Though his words were crude, they made sense. Despite being strong, as a Ninth Rank cultivator, his impact in large-scale battles was limited.

Trained armies weren't mobs.

Even if facing thousands of unranked fighters with a few Ninth Ranks mixed in, Li Qi could handle them alone, albeit with effort. But against a disciplined army led by several Ninth Ranks, things would be different.

Facing such an army, Li Qi's abilities wouldn't easily disrupt their momentum, and he'd likely be overwhelmed.

Such a trained force, with banners and coordination, could challenge Eighth Rank opponents.

During the previous battle, the eagle-headed demon used its troops' morale to counteract powerful techniques, demonstrating the potency of military discipline.

Thus, Li Qi riding the dragon horse to fetch rations was indeed the best solution.

"Cough, leave the ration fetching to me. Can you give me a token?" Li Qi asked, suppressing his embarrassment.

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The deputy understood, handing Li Qi a rolled-up piece of cloth. "This is one of our military flags, rarely entrusted to outsiders. With this, the commander at Guangyang City will trust you."

With the ration issue resolved, the deputy unfolded a military map, discussing routes to White Peak Mountain.

All decisions involved discussions with Li Qi and Zhang Lan.

By mid-morning, they finalized all details.

Zhang Lan handled defense, while military affairs remained with the original officers. Li Qi's task was straightforward—fetching rations.

Shen Shuibei had freedom to act as she pleased, without assigned duties.

Civilian management tasks were delegated to respected elders and other trusted individuals.

Once everything was arranged, Li Qi prepared to depart.

Mounting his horse, Shen Shuibei suddenly appeared, nervously asking, "Can I come with you, Li Qi?"

Li Qi smiled, "It's a human city. You're highly skilled and better suited to protect the civilians here."

"Oh..." Shen Shuibei agreed reluctantly.

"But it's only a ten-hour round trip. Even with delays, I'll be back by tomorrow. Don't worry," Li Qi reassured.

Time was pressing. Ten hours wasn't long.

He wouldn't disappear forever.