This Is No Hard Task

Have you given up yet?

I'm impressed.

And she's very well-behaved.

Those who were shouting at Hong San just moments before all fell silent, trembling with fear.

No one dared to meet the gaze of that arrogant Goth officer.

Their faces showed resentment and fear, but no one stepped forward.

They simply turned their gaze to Hong San, habitually hoping he would do something for everyone.

Imagine if Hong San had stood up and argued his case, or even had the audacity to cut down the Goth officer, and then raised his arm and called on everyone to rush out of the city—then most of these people who were trembling with fear before the blade would have immediately transformed into a pack of bloodthirsty wolves, tearing the Goth army to shreds.

Now imagine if Hong San led his troops to storm the city gate, only to be besieged by the city lord's well-prepared army. If Hong San were killed or captured, the bloodthirsty wolves would likely scatter like sheep in an instant, and when settling scores later, they would direct all their blame and resentment at Hong San.

How interesting, humans.

The stark contrast between the two situations made Kang De sneer inwardly. He looked at the silent Hong San and shook his head inwardly—this is the kind of people you want to protect? If it were me, I wouldn't put up with this kind of humiliation.

Either walk away or beat them into submission. Damn it, they still dare to talk back to me? They're asking for trouble.

Even when faced with such an ironic contrast, Hong San remained silent.

The officer swaggered around, intimidating everyone, then said to Hong San from afar, "Mr. Hong San, please be sure to carry out the mayor's orders properly. After all, in this critical moment, when Valentan's survival is at stake, there's no room for so-called Civilization or mercy. Threats and ultimatums are only being issued this once."

He surveyed the people around him with a sharp gaze and said coldly, "Mr. Hong San, if you don't have extraordinary means to subdue your subordinates, you can ask for help. Goth soldiers are more than willing to serve you."

In the deathly silence, Hong San said quietly, "Thank you, I understand."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the officer led his men away... oh no, he didn't leave; he lingered and patrolled the area, his intentions self-evident.

The streets remained quiet, so quiet that the combined gazes created an immense, oppressive pressure that was almost unbearable.

Hong San raised his head, looking into the complex emotions in those eyes, and said softly, "I know you all don't want to fight, but there's no escape. The Valentan People won't allow us to flee. Even if we break through, such a large force will be captured by the elven scouts. The only way to survive is to help defend the city. If we hold it, we'll live, and even if I die, my wife, children, and parents will live..."

"In a life-or-death situation, the mayor won't reason, nor will the city of Valentan. We have no other choice but to fight for our lives. If we disobey, the mayor's knife will come down first."

"So, everyone knows what to do."

Hong San said slowly, "This is a real war. The enemy is the regular army of the elves. I really have no confidence, and I don't know what I can do. The only thing I can guarantee is that, brothers and sisters, I will always stand at the forefront, just like before... That's all I can do."

He sighed bitterly.

"Therefore, I declare that all..."

Just then, Kang De patted him on the shoulder, stopping Hong San from speaking.

He shouted, "Hey, you three respected leaders, surnamed Chen, Song, and Huang, start conscripting troops! Eight hundred able-bodied militiamen and eight hundred reservists, get the quotas together by today. If you fail to do your job properly and slack off, the Goth People's military law unit will be here soon!"

Damn it, these bastards were all ambitious to fight and make a name for themselves, but they let Hong San play the villain. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Hong San can't refuse his old brother, but I don't have that kind of concern. What kind of dicks did you guys shoot out of?

The three leaders' faces instantly turned ashen when he called their names. Since ancient times, conscription has been one of the most hated acts—what the hell have you done to me?

They looked expectantly at Brother Hong San, hoping that the usually compassionate mountain lord would understand their difficulties. Unexpectedly, Hong San hesitated for a moment and said calmly, "That's settled then. I'll leave it to you brothers... The war is dangerous, and I need to inspect the city walls beforehand to ensure that more people can survive."

That one blow sealed the deal.

Amidst the crowd, sobs could be heard from two or three individuals.

Kang De pulled Hong San and walked towards the street. People remembered how always Hong San was responsive to their requests, so they gathered around, wanting to beg him with tears and wails. After all, there was nothing to lose, and what if it worked?

However, while Hong San might be kind and benevolent, the newly arrived strategist was a cold-blooded and ruthless man. After patiently explaining a few points of reason, he turned hostile.

He also said earnestly, "Your husband is a husband, but other people's husbands aren't husbands? If you let your husband not participate in the fight, what will other people's wives think?"

The discovery was ultimately useless.

Because the other side simply refused to reason, had no shame, and just cried, stomped their feet, and even threw a tantrum, repeatedly saying things like, "Please have mercy, sir, he can't do it," and so on.

Kang De then realized that he had been experiencing some kind of illusion.

There's a saying on the internet about the three great illusions of life: she likes me, I can win back my love, and my phone is vibrating. There are many other illusions too, such as successfully losing weight, finding a girlfriend whenever I want, and definitely going to bed early tonight.

But actually, these are not the biggest illusions in life.

For well-educated students, it is only after entering society and truly experiencing the world that they discover they have been living with a huge illusion for the past twenty years.

That is, believing that the world is reasonable.

Realizing this, and that the people opposite him wouldn't listen to reason, he drew his axe. Having experienced the Battle of Glittering Sand, Kang De's killing intent had fully materialized. Coupled with a chilling laugh, his feinted slash was extremely intimidating. These people, used to Hong San's kind face, subconsciously forgot what power was.

Now they finally understand.

The crowd instinctively moved aside, making way for them.

Perhaps Kang De's intimidating presence was too strong, because even as he walked out of the street corner, people simply watched him go, and no one dared to call out to Lord Hong San —but perhaps, these people felt a sense of disappointment and alienation.

It turns out that even the invincible Hong San wasn't all-powerful; he too had to bow his head.

Several people chased after him, calling out, "Brother, brother!"

The two men turned around to see the three leaders running towards them. Goth's two leaders stood watching from a distance. Chen Honghu said, "Brother, we can't do this..."

Before Hong San could speak, Kang De said, "Hey, you were just saying the other day that you wanted to make a fortune and become an official under Nick. What, you can do it by sending people to their deaths, but you can't do it by conscripting soldiers?"

His voice was loud, and he spoke in an otherworldly language, so much so that some people on the other side could hear him. His intentions were extremely malicious. Chen Honghu realized this and flew into a rage. "You..."

The conversation had barely begun when a strong gust of wind swept over them.

He only felt a blur before his eyes, and Kang De charged towards him with a fierce killing intent.

With surging Dou Qi and immense force, the force of the strike was doubled, and five loud booms were heard. Five deep footprints appeared on the ground, and spiderweb-like cracks spread out in all directions.

Kang De grabbed Chen Honghu by the neck and slammed him against the wall behind him. With a loud crash, the axe grazed Chen's face and slammed into the wall, the Element force exploding outwards.

Caught off guard, Chen Honghu was defeated in one move, like a child. He was first shocked and dumbfounded, then furious and indignant. He struggled with all his might, wanting to fight back. When he opened his eyes, he found that Kang De's left eye was shining with a solemn light. The hands of the sacred dial moved around, exuding an indescribable sense of holiness, which gave people great shock.

He was deeply shocked. "You..."

Kang De said calmly, "I have three things to tell you. First, Mayor Nick is cunning and calculating. Ever since this group entered the city, he has been planning to have you help defend it. Everything is under his control. Even if you incite the group to mutiny, you will still face certain death, and a very terrible one at that."

"Secondly, you can pack your belongings and run away with a few close followers, but it's very difficult for a Cathayan to hide in this city. Nick will offer a bounty for you. If you are caught, there's no need for Valentan to carry out military law; I will have you skinned alive."

"Thirdly, you lot, if you want to make a name for yourselves by using the corpses of your subordinates to pave the way for your advancement, and think that it doesn't matter how many of them die... then you should see for yourselves that these people who don't care how many die also have parents."

He released his grip, pulled out the axe, and returned to Hong San's side.

Chen Honghu slumped to the ground, breathing heavily.

Huang Jintong and Song Baoyi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

This... this is a strategist?!

"Do your jobs well, and fight for your own lives," Kang De said. "Go, work together, and perhaps you can survive."

Seeing that the mountain lord remained silent, and that Kang De, the strategist, had displayed a rather berserker-like side, the three of them could only leave dejectedly. Chen Honghu kept glancing back as he walked, his face showing lingering fear.

Kang De withdrew his gaze. "How do you feel?"

Hong San was silent for a moment, then said, "It's complicated. I have a lot on my mind... but I also feel relieved. After today, they will know that I'm just an ordinary person."

Kang De shook his head and said, "You are not an ordinary person, and they... you've seen it yourself, haven't you? Even so, you've decided to stay and live and die with them? If..."

Before the words were finished, footsteps sounded, and the Goth officer who had been swaggering earlier walked over.

Kang De had no choice but to shut his mouth.

The other person removed his helmet and said, "Mr. Dong Zhuo, Mr. Hong San, I said we would meet again."

He was the messenger who notified the two of them to attend the meeting that day.

Kang De was taken aback at first, then said, "You are indeed no ordinary person."

"Mayor Nick is my brother." The officer extended his hand. "Preston Valentan."

Kang De shook hands with him.

"I've come to apologize to both of you. While I believe my actions were necessary, my attitude was still somewhat impolite. Although I don't regret it, I still want to express my apologies."

The officer said, "I hope you two won't mind my offense."

Kang De said, "I don't mind. In fact, you've been a great help. Without you, I would probably have been the one to play the villain."

Preston laughed, "I don't think Mr. Dong Zhuo would mind playing the villain."

He looked towards the street, where the air must have been heavy, and said, "But even if I were to play the villain, recruiting and organizing them wouldn't be an easy task... I'm curious, if Mr. Dong Zhuo were to do this job, what would you do?"

Kang De thought for a moment and said, "That's not difficult."

The officer asked curiously, "Could you tell me about it? To be honest, my brother is also struggling with how to recruit and mobilize reserve forces. You know, brave men are always in the minority."

Kang De calmly said, "Each of the leaders has men similar to personal guards, who normally serve as the armed force. These men are destined for the battlefield, facing immense risks, and may not return. In that case, let their families help persuade the families who need to be conscripted—what do you think of this method?"

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PS1: First update, 3500 words. Ah, it's another year of college entrance exams. I wish everyone good results. -- Although those who see this tonight are probably a bit cheeky, good luck!