Don't Be Afraid

Hong San was a man of great prestige.

Even though his words implied that his old comrades had their own plans and even a hint of trying to sideline him, treating him only as a figurehead and mascot to maintain morale, he still held considerable authority.

Only he could win the hearts and minds of both the Cathay and Goth factions within the team.

He fought his way through battles, sheltered refugees and civilians, and helped people through their troubles, achieving victory after victory. Everyone witnessed this, and that's what true prestige is.

Therefore, Hong San was afraid because he knew his own limitations. In his view, his current achievements and status were nothing but castles in the air. The reason he had won battle after battle was only because his opponents were insignificant mountain bandits. He concentrated his forces, used the strength to defeat the weak, and employed the strategies taught by his mentor, which naturally made him invincible. However, if he faced a well-trained and well-equipped regular army, then no matter how many ingenious strategies he had, he would only suffer defeat.

And so-called prestige, popularity, and respect can be completely wiped out with just one crushing defeat.

The problem is, he knows it, but nobody else does, and that's the most dangerous thing...

But regardless, this prestige is still useful now.

He introduced Kang De directly to everyone, saying that this was his martial uncle and that he wanted to take him as his strategist. The leaders were naturally unwilling, after all, this pretty boy who appeared out of nowhere was definitely on the same side as the mountain lord. It was fine if he was incompetent, but if he was truly capable, wouldn't that greatly enhance the mountain lord's power and strength?

But they were unable to question or refute it.

After all, Hong San said that was his senior uncle. In this day and age, respecting one's teacher is as important as filial piety. If you question the competence of someone's senior, it's like slapping the mountain lord in the face.

Who would do something so foolish and tactless?

The Leader Song, was the first to react. Song was a short, stout, dark-skinned man with an earnest and loyal appearance. He immediately bowed and said, "Since you are the senior disciple of the mountain lord, you must be a man of great talent and wisdom. With the strategist's assistance, our society is destined to prosper. I am Song Baoyi, greetings to the strategist!"

Seeing this, the remaining two leaders cursed inwardly, but also composed themselves and bowed down.

The burly, dark-skinned man glanced at Kang De a few times, noticing his fair skin and gentle eyes, and casually cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "I am Chen Honghu, and I greet the strategist."

The last man, compared to Leader Chen, was more composed in both demeanor and expression. He smiled slightly and said, "Huang Jintong, you're just a roughneck. Please give me some pointers, strategist."

Kang De nodded and said casually, "Hello, no need to be so polite."

His absent-minded response, lacking any courtesy, politeness, or self-introduction, was somewhat disrespectful, thus highlighting the differences between the three leaders.

Leader Song remained smiling, unperturbed, with a very amiable expression. Leader Huang also stood smiling, but his smile faded somewhat. Leader Chen's face, however, turned rather ugly, and he even let out a soft snort.

It was Song Baoyi again. Seeing the tense atmosphere, he immediately said, "Mountain Lord, Strategist, the three of us have come here because of the major event that has just occurred. The mayor has closed the city gates, allowing no one to leave, and the Propaganda Officer has posted notices throughout the city, ordering shops to close and people to return home. It seems a great battle is about to break out, and the mayor is determined to gather all available forces to fight the elves. Our Heaven and Earth Society definitely part of his plan..."

Heaven, what's going on?

Kang De never asked Hong San what the name of this dynamic social group was, assuming that these uncultured people couldn't come up with a good name. He never expected it to be so damn cool.

Damn it, they said my alias "Long Aotian" was too powerful to control. Well, your Heaven and Earth Society even more arrogant then.

And Hong San, you can't even stand up straight, do you even deserve to be the leader of the Heaven and Earth Society?

Kang De inwardly grumbled, but didn't show it on his face, and simply listened as Leader Song continued speaking.

"When we arrived here, the mayor gave us a warm welcome, providing us with housing, money, and the best food and drink. Now it seems he had this planned all along. If we want to leave now, it won't be so easy. They'll definitely want us to help defend the city; how could they let us just walk away?"

Leader Song said, "This matter is too great, the future is uncertain, and war is fraught with danger. We are just barbarians, and we cannot possibly manage everything. Whether to fight or retreat, we still need you, brother, to make a decision. Fortunately, we have the assistance of a strategist, which would be even better."

This person speaks with absolute precision.

Leader Chen said, "To fight or to flee? Can we even flee? If we dare to flee, the mayor will be the first to punish us. Even if we manage to escape in disguise, we'll be doomed if we encounter elves outside. Besides, we now have over a thousand men under our command, are treated with official courtesy, are surrounded by attendants, and live a comfortable life. Do we really want to sleep in the wilderness and live in constant fear? Since we can't flee, let's fight it out!"

He declared decisively, "Why not take advantage of our troops now and gamble for wealth and power? Although the mayor has his own ambitions, he is simply fulfilling his duty and is a reasonable man. If we help him defend the city and achieve merit, he will surely reward us handsomely. If we can secure an official position, we will be among the elite!"

Both leaders shared their opinions, and all eyes turned to Huang Jintong.

Huang Jintong revealed a simple and honest smile, "I will listen to Brother Hong."

"He's not a pleasant person either."

Chen Honghu looked at Kang De and said in a gruff voice, "I wonder what brilliant ideas the strategist has?"

Kang De ignored him and said to Hong San, "Call me when the mayor's men arrive."

After saying that, he went upstairs on his own.

Having been caught off guard, Leader Chen's face grew even more grim, almost dripping with rage. Hong San inwardly groaned. After Kang De went upstairs, he whispered, "Brother Chen, my martial uncle is just like that. Please bear with him; he's not very worldly-wise..."

Leader Song patted Chen Honghu on the shoulder and said, "As a senior disciple of the Mountain Lord, you must possess extraordinary talent. It's not surprising that such a celestial being would look down on us mere mortals."

Leader Chen snorted, and without saying goodbye, turned and left.

"Ah, Brother Chen!"

Song Baoyi called out a few times, but seeing that the other person didn't turn around, he said, "Brother, I'll go and try to persuade him."

Seeing that the two had left, Huang Jintong felt it wouldn't be right to stay there, so he made an excuse to take his leave as well.

Only Hong San remained in the room, watching the three figures leave, and sighed, "When there are too many people and the roads widen, this is what happens..."

Kang De's voice came from the second floor. "What has it become?"

Hong San didn't turn around. He had been troubled for many days and had no one to confide in until Kang De arrived. The two knew each other well, so Hong San didn't need to hide anything or pretend in front of him.

He said, "My lord, the hierarchy, the ethical order, are all predetermined by birth. Some people are born to toil in the fields, but by some twist of fate, they stumble upon opportunities and inexplicably achieve great things. Then they lose sight of themselves, become arrogant, think they are extraordinary, and develop greed and inappropriate thoughts. They then do foolish things, become arrogant and make one stupid move after another, ultimately ending up dead at the hands of others, and even dragging others down with them... The human heart is truly lamentable."

Kang De frowned and said, "You're spouting this nonsense again."

Hong San shook his head and said, "How can this be nonsense? In the past month or two, I have personally witnessed the changes in these old brothers step by step. At first, they were just trying to protect themselves. Later, they became leaders, had servants to do their bidding, ate better and better, and had people to wait on them. Then their ambitions slowly grew, and they felt that they could achieve even greater things... Once they think like that, they are really not far from death."

He sighed, "The most important thing about a person is to know their own limitations. Eat only what you can handle, and never overstep the bounds or break your duty. Otherwise, dying yourself is your own fault, but harming others is truly unforgivable. So, I wanted to run away, but I'm not cut out for it. Now, my old brothers are forcing me, and the city lord is holding me back, to go defend the city and fight the elves. I don't know how many people will die..."

He closed the door, Kang De came downstairs, saying casually, "Your old brothers are all shrewd, and Chen Honghu is the easiest to deal with."

Hong San said, "So if anything happens in the future, he'll definitely be the first to die."

Kang De then asked, "With a great battle approaching and the city lord summoning you, what are your plans?"

Hong San replied without hesitation, "I'm trying to run away."

"..."

Kang De was both amused and exasperated. "Didn't you hear Chen Honghu's analysis just now? Although he's stupid, he's not wrong about this matter. With your prestige and the respect and trust of everyone, don't you want to take this opportunity to make a fortune, get an official position, and become a person above others, instead of doing the work of serving others?"

Hong San answered with absolute certainty, "I don't want to."

"..."

Kang De made a move as if to strike, Hong San shrank back and retorted, "Sir, does becoming an official mean you've turned your life around? I only managed to get a minor position under the mayor, and I still have to serve him. Even if I become mayor, I still have to serve my superiors. So what if I'm the Grand Duke of this country? The elves can beat you up whenever they want, and the empire can scheme against you whenever it wants. Even the Twilight Moon Queen and the ruler of the empire are still under the control of the gods. To put it bluntly, even the gods, who knows if there's no one above them to keep them in check?"

"Besides, even if I became an official, I would still be living under someone else's roof. I am from Cathayan, and this is Goth. How could the mayor completely trust me? He would definitely be on guard against me every day. I would be living in constant fear, afraid that the mayor would send me to my death one day, afraid that I would lose my life for no reason. What am I doing this for? I'm serving them anyway, so I might as well go and be a servant in his house. At least I would have some peace of mind."

Kang De covered his face and sighed, "You're fucking hopeless..."

Hong San didn't care at all. He treated other people's insults and ridicule as a gentle breeze. Besides, Kang De's words were not malicious at all. He said, "Sir, I'm not like you, with great talent and ability, born to do great things—I'm just a nobody, so of course I'll do whatever makes me comfortable."

This person spouts fallacies and heresies, yet their logic is self-consistent and forms a closed loop, leaving one speechless.

But Kang De, having honed his skills in the murky world of the internet, immediately retorted viciously, "However, you, a nobody, are favored by the mayor, at his mercy. Even without an official position, you have to serve him and fight for him. What can you do about it?"

Hong San's expression stiffened, and he slowly sighed, "Yes, I don't care. I can just run if things get bad. But all these people who have followed me all this way just want a peaceful life. They finally got here, have houses to live in, and hot food to eat, but I never expected they'd have to go to the city to move stones..."

"They are all pitiful people, powerless to control their own lives and fates. In times of chaos, human life is as cheap as grass. They have done nothing wrong, working hard every day and paying their taxes without fail. In the end, the country not only cannot protect them, but also forces them to fight and die..."

When Kang De heard this, a look of expectation appeared in his eyes. All the struggles in this world have their roots. It is not something that can be accomplished by sitting at home and thinking about it, but by truly seeing, experiencing and feeling, that the seeds of resistance will sprout and that one will be able to tell the world a better story.

... Then he heard Hong San sigh, "It's all fate. Hope you'll be reborn into a better family next time."

Grass.

Chinese and English bilingual.

Kang De was both amused and exasperated, yet also furious at their lack of ambition. "Don't you want to change all of this?"

Hong San looked bewildered. "Change? How can I change it? I'm just an incompetent and unambitious nobody who only ended up here by a twist of fate. I don't have your abilities, nor my master's talent, so how can I change these people's fate? How can I save them from their suffering?"

Even if they survive this ordeal, even if the elves retreat, these people will still have to farm, work, and pay taxes. When war comes, they will still be displaced. This is the fate of the lowly, whether here or in Cathay, whether now or in ancient times, it has always been this way...

He turned to Kang De, looking bewildered, and asked, "What should I do? What can I do?"

Kang De was stumped by his question.

Yes, what can be done? Five thousand years of China Civilization, a long history of humankind, the suffering of the people has always been an inevitable cycle. And in the long annals of history, who has ever changed all of this?

"Even if there were a way, it's not something a nobody like me could do. You're the one who's going to do great things." Hong San asked blankly, "Sir, do you have a way? Can you change all of this?"

Kang De opened his mouth, but remained silent.

It's not a matter of whether there's a way or not, but whether you want to or not.

When the elven army arrived and the city was on high alert, he was thinking about how to get out of the city, and even prepared for a conflict with the mayor. He never thought about how many people would die after the city was breached, nor did he think about what kind of situation Hong San and his group would face after being forced to participate in the defense of the city.

Just as Kang De was about to speak, there was a knock at the door. "Lord, the mayor is holding a military meeting and requests your attendance in the council chamber. The envoy is waiting outside."

Hong San rubbed his face and said to Kang De, "Master, let's go now. If you think that mayor is alright, reveal your identity and ask him to let you out of the city. The elven army is no joke. No matter how powerful you are, you can't fight against an entire army. Preserving your life is the most important thing, so we can wait for later..."

Kang De remained silent.

Hong San pushed open the door, and there were several people standing in the courtyard outside. There were three leaders he had just met, as well as other people he didn't recognize. All eyes were on Hong San.

They said in unison, "Mountain Lord."

Kang De watched from behind.

He knew what was going on from the meeting just now and what he had seen and heard before. Hong San had great prestige, but his brothers had their own ideas and plans. Hong San could not control them, or did not want to control them, so the leader became too powerful. Even Chen Honghu no longer had much respect for Hong San.

But now, everyone is looking at Hong San. Even Chen Honghu is solemn and composed, his eyes filled with a hint of trust and reliance that he himself may not even be aware of.

This team was ultimately built up by Hong San, who led them all the way to where they are today.

Hong San cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, brothers."

He walked towards the main entrance.

Kang De followed behind him.

The other people in the courtyard followed him until they left the courtyard.

The streets were packed with people, and even from the walls of houses, pairs of eyes were watching. Among the crowd were the old and the young, men and women, Cathayan and Goth People. All eyes were on Hong San, filled with trust and reliance, but also with fear and panic.

News of the elf attack spread quickly and could not be suppressed.

These displaced people, who had just seen hope, discovered that danger was approaching again.

They were all powerless mortals; how insignificant was an individual's power in a chaotic world! They could only passively rely on those they could trust, even if it was just a lifeline.

Because they can do nothing but pray.

They could only pray that Lord Hong San could lead them once again, guide them, and allow them to survive.

Kang De followed behind Hong San, only to find that Hong San was the sole focus of attention; everyone's eyes were on Hong San, and no one paid any attention to Kang De, this stranger.

All those hopeful and trusting gazes were fixed on Hong San.

No one knew that the leader they trusted and followed so much was, at heart, a cowardly person who was complacent and willing to be humble. An unprecedented burden was placed on the shoulders of the person who should not have to bear all of this. How ironic and cruel this was.

--This applies to both these individuals and Hong San.

Standing behind Hong San, Kang De could clearly see the beads of sweat on Hong San's neck.

He was afraid; he was terrified.

It wasn't the fear of impending war that terrified him, but rather the fear of so much trust and hope... He had never intended to bear these burdens, yet countless lives were placed upon him, on the shoulders of a man without ambition, without aspirations, and even without dignity.

Suddenly someone shouted, "Mountain Lord!"

This is a young man from Cathay.

Someone else shouted, "Lord Hong San!"

This is a middle-aged Goth People.

The shouts blended together, rising and falling, even including the cries of young children. The voices contained even more emotion; people's helplessness, fear, and dependence transformed into a surging tide, rushing towards Hong San from all directions, engulfing this insignificant figure like dust in the center.

Suddenly, Hong San lost his footing and fell forward.

With his martial arts skills, it's simply unimaginable for him to trip and fall... unless his emotions are extremely turbulent, causing him to lose his mind, and fear and anxiety overwhelm his brain and heart.

At that very moment.

Kang De casually took a step forward, reached out and hooked his arm around Hong San's shoulder to steady him. His voice was low and calm, reaching Hong San's ears.

"Don't be afraid."

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PS1: Five thousand words, two chapters combined, this is the only chapter for today. I'm sleepy, time for bed.

PS2: Why the hell didn't I write Hong San as a woman... a super masochistic [beep--] Ike-type maid or something... (stares into the distance)