Hong San Is Awesome

As the Cathayan rushed over to grab his leg, Kang De's Dou Qi began to circulate, and at the same time, the gun in his hand was pressed against Hong San's head.

If this bastard dares to have any tricks up his sleeve, I'll splatter his brains in a heartbeat.

Unexpectedly, Hong San only cried and begged, speaking in words he couldn't understand.

Kang De frowned and kicked him away. "Stand up and speak properly!"

He then took a closer look around. Inside, the room was empty, with nothing but his "offering table" and other furnishings. It seemed to have been prepared separately for his "spirit tablet." Looking towards the door, he could see the stairwell and the building. He could vaguely hear noises coming from outside, in the town.

"What kind of hellhole is this?"

Kang De was annoyed—the teleportation location had inexplicably gone wrong, leaving him completely baffled, but what bothered him even more was that Iron Son was still waiting in that valley.

This is going to be a real problem.

Because there is no mobile signal in the other world, it is impossible to make phone calls. This possibility had not been considered beforehand, so no walkie-talkies were prepared, making it impossible to make contact at all.

However, Kang De was a man who had seen many storms, and even when faced with this situation, he remained remarkably calm. After a moment's thought, he came up with a solution.

Without navigation, lacking communication methods, and not knowing the exact location, it's not easy to find.

But there is still a location. It's not far from the border between Goth and the Empire. It's a village that was massacred and burned. He also took some pictures of the unique terrain and scenery along the way with his phone while he was traveling. After spending some time and asking around, he can pinpoint the approximate location. Then he can search that area. All he needs to do is sound the horn and fire his gun. If Iron Son is nearby, he will definitely be able to hear it and will know that this is a unique sound in this other world.

It's stable.

Kang De nodded to Hong San and said, "Your mission is over. Go do what you need to do. It would be best to return to the Empire immediately and not stay in Goth. If you ever hear that Tina and I have defeated the elves and rebuilt Goth, you can come back to see us if you are interested... but not now. Take care of yourself and live well. Goodbye."

Hearing Hong San's words, he seemed quite inclined to seek refuge with him, but he decided to let it go... He no longer harbored any ill will towards this Cathayan, nor was he bothered to angrily try to correct his character; instead, he felt a sense of sighing and gratitude.

Because his mindset has changed, he no longer needs to search for goals and motivation in this world, nor is he interested in any lofty mission. Everyone has their own way of living, so it doesn't matter anymore.

--But Hong San wants to follow him, which is not allowed.

Because he has so many secrets, how could he easily let others know them? Hong San's actions might earn Kang De a compliment like "You're not bad," but that's about it.

Right now, it's more important to reunite with the Autobots as soon as possible.

He couldn't be bothered to argue with Hong San.

Hong San said urgently, "Sir, please help me this time. I only know how to serve people, not how to manage them..."

"... Control people?"

Upon hearing this, Kang De's expression shifted. "Who are you in charge of? Have they become officials?"

"No..."

Hong San revealed a weary and disillusioned sigh.

He sighed, "I was ordered by the princess to travel west, leaving the imperial territory and entering Goth. My original plan was to head straight for the capital, but as you know, there's war going on here in Goth..."

War means the collapse of order and chaos. Goth and the elves fight each other. In this situation, the government's control is reduced, the level of public security declines, and without the suppression of violent institutions, all sorts of monsters and demons have their own ideas. In the end, it is the honest and law-abiding people who suffer.

According to Hong San, when he entered Goth territory and stopped to rest in a village, he encountered a group of war refugees who had been intercepted by bandits. The two sides were fighting each other, and surprisingly, there were many Cathayan among this group of refugees.

Hong San was hesitating whether to get involved when he was discovered by the bandits. Because of his yellow skin and black hair, he was naturally regarded as an enemy. Helpless, Hong San had no choice but to fight back and, by sheer coincidence, killed the bandit leader, which further turned the tide of the battle and ultimately led to the bandits' defeat.

Then he was given a hero's welcome. Many of his fellow villagers were moved to tears and thanked him, calling him their benefactor. This word was completely foreign to Hong San. He had been called a yellow-skinned pig, a lowly bastard, called "feeder," called "servant," despised for his self-degradation, rejected, and scorned. He had been called by many, many names and received many, many attitudes.

But no one had ever called him "benefactor" with such genuine gratitude.

Having accepted their gratitude and greetings, the refugees asked him where he was going. After receiving his answer, they earnestly invited him to come along. Looking into those eager yet timid eyes and hearing them address him as their benefactor, Hong San felt as if he had been given a spell—after all, he had never had such an experience in over twenty years.

For some inexplicable reason, he agreed to travel with them for a period of time.

In the days that followed, things happened more and more beyond Hong San's expectations.

He retrieved some previously unused knowledge from his master's teachings, selected the bravest and strongest among the refugees, gave them the weapons and equipment he had seized from the bandits, and reorganized them in a basic way. This way, they would have more power to resist when danger came. It went smoothly because the refugees admired him greatly because of his previous "heroic" performance, and therefore were very obedient.

Then things got really bad. The second time they encountered the bandits, they were prepared because they had spotted them earlier. They chose a narrow terrain as their battlefield, using several large carts in the group as cover. One group pushed the carts forward while he and his men crouched behind the shields in front of the carts and stabbed wildly through the gaps with their guns. Another group shot arrows, another group threw fire arrows, and the rest of the group used makeshift slings to throw stones. And incredibly, they won again, with virtually no casualties.

Another miraculous victory pushed Hong San's prestige to its peak, winning everyone's heartfelt admiration. With the acquisition of a batch of equipment, morale was further solidified. The team continued westward, with homeless refugees constantly joining along the way. There were even passionate young men who Goth Hong San's martial prowess and wanted to join his team.

After all, besides some Cathayan, there were also a considerable number of Goth People in the refugee group. These people had experienced those two victories and already highly regarded Hong San.

With the testimonies and invitations of these people, homeless and wandering Goth People gradually joined in.

So the line grew bigger and bigger.

In Hong San's words, "I had no idea what was happening, but more and more people just kept coming."

Farmers whose fields were burned, mercenaries who were killed and scattered, lumberjacks, craftsmen, small merchants... all kinds of people were there. This is the innate human tendency to stick together; by gathering together and helping each other, they can survive.

As his ranks grew, Hong San's prestige and status rose accordingly, becoming unshakeable.

The main thing is that this guy's social skills are truly off the charts. After all, he is willing to be a servant and has studied it as a discipline. His ability to read people's expressions and tailor his approach to them is simply superb.

Look, as a leader and military commander, he treats everyone with utmost courtesy, even remembering your name and family background, speaking to you without the slightest airs—aren't you moved?

What a kind and generous person he is!

"It's like a dream..."

This is how Hong San described his experiences over the past month.

As the number of people increased, the number of able-bodied young men who could fight also grew. Later, Hong San even dared to launch a surprise attack on a poorly defended bandit camp. He went all out and set up an ambush on the spot, killing all the bandits who were returning from their looting. He not only seized some equipment and food, but also rescued some innocent civilians who had been kidnapped and sent them back to their hometowns, causing a sensation.

This is great! His reputation is soaring, merchants are sending supplies and money to express their gratitude, and more people want to join Lord Hong's team... In short, all sorts of benefits are coming his way.

Then came the formation of societies.

The Cathayan in the group discussed it and felt that they needed a name, otherwise it would be improper. So, in accordance with their own tradition, they established a mutual aid organization and elected Hong San as the mountain lord.

Later, after a long journey, the group arrived at a large city, where they were warmly welcomed and treated with great courtesy by the mayor and military commander, who had long admired their reputation. They were also invited to settle down there.

This is it.

Valentan.

"That's a good thing," Kang De said. "So you're showing off?"

"What are you showing off for, my Master Kang?" Hong San said with a bitter expression. "I just want to run away as fast as I can."

Kang De frowned and said, "You're not exactly a nobody now, you have so many men under you, your brothers support you, and the mayor values you highly. Isn't it good to be a big shot?"

Hong San glanced around warily, listened for a moment, and then whispered, "Sir, you don't understand. I know my own limitations. To be honest, I'm surprised I even made it this far unscathed. And with the increasing number of people, I'm finding it harder to keep up, especially, sigh..."

He sighed, "Those old brothers from Cathay all have their own ideas, and several influential leaders on Goth's side are also getting their hands dirty. I know what they're thinking: forming societies and electing me as the leader. The Cathayan feel that there are more and more Goth People in their ranks, and they want to find a way to maintain their superior position. They think the same way as those Goth; they want to be big shots, they want to climb the ranks..."

"And this team is their capital..."

"As for the mayor and his men, their thoughts are even simpler..."

Hong San sighed and said, "Sir, I've seen a lot. In this world, there's no such thing as unsolicited kindness. Everyone has something to ask of you. The people who respected me before wanted my protection, and the people who came after me respect me for the same reason. They all have something they want. Ordinary people want stability and basic necessities, while those with ambition want a better life and higher status."

"As for the mayor..."

He said in a desolate tone, "There's a war going on. Valentan is a large city, exposed to the elven army. Once a major war breaks out, all available forces will have to be concentrated... He's counting on me to lead men to help him defend the city."

Kang De raised an eyebrow and said, "So you want to run away?"

Hong San wasn't embarrassed at all, nodding and saying, "I have nothing to do with them. I've done more than enough to help them. Now everyone has a place to stay and food to eat. In the end, those old brothers and leaders elected me as their leader to use my prestige and reputation. It's better for everyone if I run away. Those who want to make a fortune can see how many people they can gather and go fight for the mayor..."

That makes some sense.

Kang De nodded indifferently, then asked, "If you want to run, why don't you run yourself?"

Hong San chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Can I escape? Several prestigious and ambitious leaders are keeping an eye on me, and the mayor knows I'm the key figure in integrating this team... In the end, they don't value me, they value my reputation. I know my own worth..."

"That's none of my business," Kang De said. "But if you want to escape, I do have a way. However, I have important things to do after I leave, and I won't be taking you with me. You should know that."

Hong San was stunned for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll just go back to the Empire."

Kang De nodded, then bent down and picked up the Crimson Scroll from the ground. "We..."

But the next moment, a sudden change occurred. The Crimson Scroll suddenly burst into golden Flame, and at the same time, Kang De's body trembled. The inexplicable insights and rhythms he had felt after killing the elves the night before reappeared.

Hong San exclaimed, "It's glowing again! Just like last night!"

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PS1: Second update, 3500 words... Ah, time for bed. Hope I can sleep well tonight. Goodnight.