Looking Out For Each Other?

Having one more blacksmith made the roster look a little better.

As for whether this kid would get his head chopped off at the front lines because he couldn't swing a hammer?

That was none of his business.

"Fine."

The old officer dipped his pen into the inkwell and wrote two characters heavily on the crumpled registration form: Blacksmith.

"Take the tag and go squat over there," the old officer tossed over a piece of rotten wood carved with a number. "Don't think about running. This training ground is surrounded by a ring of alchemical landmines. If you don't want to turn into minced meat, stay put."

Su Li reached out and caught the wooden tag.

Number 1111.

"Thanks for the tip, Officer."

Su Li hooked the tag onto his belt, picked up his small bundle, and turned to walk toward the "recruit camp" enclosed by a fence.

Calling it a recruit camp was generous; it was really just an oversized animal shed.

The roof, originally from a vegetable market, had been half-ripped away, exposing a gray, hazy sky.

The ground was covered in moldy straw, and several hundred people were crammed together like sardines in a tin.

The stench of sweat, feet, and the fermented odor of some kind of excrement mixed together—the smell was more potent than Old Buck's socks after ten years of wear.

As soon as Su Li stepped inside, the previously noisy crowd suddenly went quiet.

Countless eyes turned toward him.

Some were numb, some curious, and a few malicious gazes scanned him without restraint, as if calculating how much profit could be squeezed out of this "fat sheep."

Su Li ignored these looks.

He found a relatively clean corner—though the only difference was that it had two fewer mysterious black stains—threw his bundle on the ground, and sat down.

[Sword Spirit Root] was still operating tirelessly.

The foul air around him was drawn into his body, filtered through that miraculous cycle, and turned into wisps of coolness that seeped into his heart and spleen.

Although the environment was harsh, Su Li's current physical fitness meant he no longer took such things to heart.

Compared to the days of hauling heavy bags on the docks in his previous life, this bit of suffering was nothing.

"Hey, kid."

Su Li hadn't even sat down for long before trouble arrived.

A burly man with a bare chest and chest hair as thick as a black bear walked over. He was followed by two shifty-eyed lackeys; they looked like the local "mountain kings."

The burly man stopped in front of Su Li, his massive shadow completely engulfing him.

"New here?" The burly man grinned, revealing a mouthful of black and yellow teeth, while toying with a sharp-edged stone in his hand. "Know the rules?"

Su Li looked up at this "black bear."

"Don't know them," Su Li shook his head honestly. "My family was poor, never went to school."

A few suppressed chuckles came from the surrounding crowd.

The burly man clearly felt he was being played, and the flesh on his face twitched.

"Stop playing dumb with me!" The burly man kicked Su Li's bundle. "In this place, the ground is mine, and the air is mine. If you want to stay here, hand over all your money! And that outfit, take it off! I happen to need a rag to wipe my feet!"

Su Li sighed.

In this world, why were there such blind idiots everywhere he went?

Did he really look that much like a soft persimmon?

"Big brother," Su Li leaned against the wall in a more comfortable position. "I really don't have any money. When I entered the city earlier, that bearded officer robbed me clean. If you want it, you'll have to ask him for it."

Hearing the words "the bearded one," the burly man's eyelids twitched. That was the leader of the patrol, famous for being ruthless.

But he clearly didn't want to lose face in front of his underlings.

"No money?" The burly man sneered and reached out to grab Su Li's collar. "Then pay with your body! I haven't tasted someone this tender and delicate in a while..."

His hand hadn't even touched Su Li's collar yet.

"Smack!"

A crisp sound rang out.

No one saw what happened.

They only saw the burly man, who had been so aggressive a moment ago, get hit as if by an invisible bull. He spun three times on the spot and then fell to his knees with a "thud."

The burly man covered his face; half of his cheek swelled up at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the imprint of five fingers was clearly visible.

He was stunned.

His head was buzzing, as if countless flies were holding a meeting inside.

"You..." The burly man pointed at Su Li, wanting to curse, but found a bloody tooth falling out of his mouth.

Su Li remained in the same position, not even shifting his backside.

He brushed the non-existent dust from his hands with measured deliberation, his tone remaining as flat as if he were discussing the weather.

"I don't like others touching my clothes."

Su Li looked down at the burly man kneeling on the ground, his handsome eyes devoid of emotion, as if he were merely observing a stone by the roadside.

"Also, I don't swing that way. If you're short on men, that gap-toothed old man over there looks sturdy enough; you could go try your luck with him."

Those who had originally intended to watch the show retracted their necks one by one, terrified of catching the attention of this malevolent star.

Who could have guessed?

This frail-looking scholar, who seemed like some young master out experiencing life, would strike with such ruthless efficiency?

The burly man was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. That slap had sobered him up, and he realized he had kicked an iron plate today.

Clutching his face, he didn't even dare to utter a harsh word; he scrambled up in a dejected heap and ducked deep into the crowd with his two lackeys.

The world was quiet again.

Su Li closed his eyes and continued to doze.

The night was far from peaceful.

From time to time, new unlucky souls were thrown in, their wailing and crying enough to give anyone a headache.

There were also a few suicidal rats who tried to pilfer his pack while he slept, but Su Li, eyes still closed, rewarded each of them with a pebble, sending them howling in pain.

When the sky just began to pale, a piercing gong sound jolted everyone awake.

"Get up! Everyone get up!"

"Look at what time it is!"

The bearded man from yesterday rode in on Su Li's black horse, brandishing a whip as he charged into the camp. He lashed out at anyone in his path, regardless of whether they were still asleep.

"Assemble! Get your food! Then move out!"

Su Li stood up and stretched his stiff neck.

Breakfast was black bread.

Su Li didn't complain.

After eating, several hundred people were herded into a long line.

No armor, no weapons.

This group of so-called "new recruits" hadn't even been issued decent uniforms.

They simply wore their own tattered rags, swaying and stumbling out of the city gates like a herd of livestock being driven to the slaughterhouse.

Su Li blended into the middle of the line.

Leaving Grey Gull Port, the column headed north.

The scenery along the way grew increasingly desolate.

The once-fertile farmland had turned into overgrown wasteland, and occasionally, one could see corpses lying by the roadside, gnawed into unrecognizable fragments by wild dogs. Crows circled overhead, letting out "caw-caw" sounds that made one's heart flutter with unease.

"Have you heard?"

Walking beside Su Li was a thin, small young man, looking to be about seventeen or eighteen, with a face that screamed chatterbox.

He likely found Su Li's appearance approachable and took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

"We're headed to the Blackstone Fortress."

The young man lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously, "I heard the fighting there is fierce. The Baris's magic cannons are too powerful; one shot and half the city wall is gone. We're just being sent over there to fill the holes."

Su Li glanced at him.

"Someone has to fill the holes," Su Li said indifferently. "Otherwise, when that cannonball hits, you won't be able to run either."

"That's true." The young man sighed and ruffled his messy hair. "I'm Pete. I used to collect night soil in the city. I was just working last night when I got snatched. Can you believe this? I hadn't even finished dumping my bucket; I wonder if it'll stink up half the street."

Su Li twitched the corner of his mouth.

That was certainly a fragrant background.

"Su Li," Su Li stated his name.

"Brother Su, I can tell you're a martial artist." Pete squeezed closer to Su Li. "I saw it all last night—that slap was really something! When we get there, could you... could you look out for your little brother? I don't have any real skills, but my nose is sharp; I can sniff out food wherever it is."

Su Li didn't speak.

Look out for him?

In this meat grinder, who could look out for whom?

He was a clay bodhisattva crossing the river, barely able to save himself.

"We'll see," Su Li replied noncommittally.