Morale

The forced march was more than halfway done. During the midday break, Gu Shenwei sat among a group of Tianshan Swordsmen, drinking water and chewing dried meat. Everyone was silent. From time to time, someone looked up, met the Dragon King's gaze, and nodded in greeting.

Gu Shenwei ate quickly, then stood and gestured for Long Fanyun and the others not to follow. He took Chu Nanping with him and strolled off.

Most of the newly recruited soldiers in the Restoration Army were from the Shule Kingdom. They had heard plenty about the Dragon King but seen little of him, and curiosity filled their hearts. Their eyes followed him. When they realized he was walking toward them, they hurriedly lowered their heads and gulped down their food and water.

Gu Shenwei had already noticed the Shule soldiers' reaction, so he walked up to a small group of them and asked one, "What's your name?"

The soldier was very young, with the last traces of boyishness still on his face. Startled by the Dragon King's question, he hastily put down his food and wiped his mouth. Then he had no idea what to do with his hands. He shot his companions a helpless look, and, encouraged by them, blurted out, "My name is Xie Dezhi. The 'zhi' in 'the way of the sages,' not the 'zhi' in 'ambition.'"

He probably explained his name to people often, so the words slipped out even in front of the Dragon King. A moment later, his face turned red.

"Good name." Gu Shenwei suddenly realized he no longer knew how to deal with simple people. What could he possibly ask an ordinary soldier? With no clear objective, he felt as at a loss as the young man before him. "Why did you join the Restoration