Gathering Inspiration in the Eighteen Camps

Beep!!

As the scenery outside the car door gradually changed from wilderness and hills to areas with human habitation, some small houses were built by the roadside.

The Mountain-Crossing Centipede began to slow down, and white steam and smoke billowed from the boiler, accompanied by a long, piercing horn warning sound.

People within a ten-mile radius could hear this sound.

Every train line in the Long Continent Kingdom has a freight station, which is actually a bunch of warehouses built next to the railway tracks.

However, after the white ape infiltrated and caused damage, these warehouses were the first places to be destroyed.

Today, the Eighteen Camps, is nothing but ruins, with large swathes of yellow rock foundations exposed to the air.

Tortoises, blue elephants, and brown-scaled horses—these creatures domesticated by the Fangfeng Clan —were all waiting here, pulling large carts.

Since the freight station can no longer store goods, the only option is to move the goods to various locations in the town as soon as possible.

The blue elephant and brown-scaled horse are similar in size to real-world elephants and pack horses, while the bull tortoise is quite unique.

This strange beast resembles a giant tortoise with a bull's head. Its shell is the color of dry, grayish-white rock, and its four feet are covered with thick, bluish-gray skin with rough and powerful claws.

Its height is almost the same as that of the elephant next to it, and its width far exceeds the elephant's shoulder width.

In terms of speed, it is not as fast as an elephant, but its load-bearing capacity and endurance are truly amazing.

Before war, this was a vehicle favored by the Fangfeng Clan. It could forage in the water, plow the fields, and carry the whole family on its back.

Because they had the largest stockpile in the past, even if the cow turtles are not suitable for battlefield transport, they will inevitably be mobilized to do some work of transporting supplies when war breaks out.

The owners of these carts are mostly middle-aged and elderly men.

Leading the group was an elderly man in a tight-fitting outfit with his hair tied back in a gray turban. He held a leaf in his hand, put it to his lips, and played a melodious flute tune.

A strong wind blew, and the wild grass flew everywhere.

The wisps of hair at their temples fluttered slightly, and they remained as silent as a group of iron-willed men.

But the pig iron was also listening to the flute music.

Listen to his melodious rise and fall, listen to his sorrowful yet joyful voice, listen to his flute music echoing the sound of the wind.

Like the hot wind flowing in the blood of the Fangfeng Clan.

As the train arrived, the sound of the whistle from the leaves gradually faded away.

The old man jumped off the cart, lit three incense sticks, and bowed towards the train.

The Mountain-Crossing Centipede is a mobile altar, borrowing the supernatural powers and mysteries of the true mountain centipede clan, its energy containing hidden spirituality.

The charioteer must know how to appease the driver.

Those receiving the goods should also know how to respect the train.

Elder Feng!

The three carriage drivers quickly got out of the carriage and greeted the old man.

Chu Tianshu followed.

When the old man saw Chu Tianshu, a stranger, he smiled and nodded as a sign of greeting, then waved for everyone to get on the vehicle and receive the goods.

Everyone around the cart sprang into action.

Upon seeing the train arrive successfully, they smiled, and the soldiers who had accompanied the train chatted and expressed their gratitude.

"The railway line in the northwest of the city had completely broken tracks. The Mountain-Crossing Centipede was two days late, and the ride was so bumpy that I vomited as soon as I got off."

"Ugh! Don't even mention it. We also encountered a water monkey on the way. I guarantee that monkey must have some status among the water monsters; it was incredibly ferocious. Luckily, we met a brave warrior..."

Food was brought to the soldiers accompanying the wagons, and the wagons carrying goods quickly got to work.

Fang Xun stayed in the car.

Fang Liang and Fang Zhen followed Elder Feng into the city to oversee the arrival and placement of the goods, and to conduct a handover of the goods on the list in front of the current leaders of the Eighteenth Camp.

Several people sat on the backs of several blue elephants, including Chu Tianshu.

Fang Liang was telling Elder Feng about the white ape and describing how Chu Tianshu had saved him.

Throughout the journey, Chu Tianshu observed the people in the Eighteen Camps towns.

The carriages and horses entered the long street, where there were large houses and tall buildings everywhere, but also some traces of dilapidation, and people were making repairs.

The three carriage drivers harbored a hidden fear of the war, only showing sudden anger when the attack actually occurred. Otherwise, they maintained a tense demeanor, suppressing their anxiety and not revealing it.

The people here are completely different.

They seemed to be divided into two extremes: one was that their expressions were rather numb and lazy.

They do whatever they are told to do, and the more they are instructed, the more they do. But if there are no instructions, they just stand there blankly, or lean against the wall, or squat down and do nothing.

Another type of person walks briskly, their clothes billowing in the wind, with slightly bloodshot eyes.

The person in charge has a loud and clear voice, works efficiently and decisively, and is always swift and efficient in everything they do.

Many women even wrapped their young children, who were not yet able to survive on their own, in a large cloth and carried them on their backs, while their hands were busy handling the tasks assigned to them.

These people might grumble, complain, and argue, but usually, they'll only exchange a couple of words before someone nearby calls on them for help.

People who are still arguing will immediately turn around and join in to help.

The entire town was filled with a vibrant energy.

It's not the vibrant life force of tender tree leaves.

Rather, it is a kind of moving courage, as if the scars are still on the body, yet one dares to face the wind and sand with those scars.

Even those who seem apathetic and lazy are actually being motivated by this atmosphere.

They all possessed a frankness and openness that carriage drivers lacked.

The people here have truly experienced war.

Some of them were original residents of the Eighteen Camps. During the war, they witnessed people around them being suddenly stabbed to death by spears, and when they were resting at night, they heard that their neighbors had already sacrificed their lives.

Some had fled from elsewhere, enduring great hardship along the way, and some were even left as the sole survivors of their families.

The cruelty and horror of war deeply affected their minds.

Perhaps I only have three days left to live, or maybe only one. How am I supposed to live then?

There are many answers to this question.

The people here seem to have already found their own answers.

If we only had one day and one night left to live, then everything we do and say could be seen under the bright light of the sun and moon.

When happy, laugh; when angry, curse; when wanting to sing, sing. All emotions arise from events and cease with events.

There's no need to worry about the next moment.

There is only one feeling that you don't need to constantly remember, yet it permeates your entire being.

Any evil spirit that tries to take our lives will have to pay the price.

Chu Tianshu looked at the people who were leaning against the wall in a daze, and then were called away to help them. He breathed a sigh of relief.

The resilience of all living beings always filled him with peace and admiration.

Even when faced with a sudden and unexpected war, this place did not remain mired in a nightmare atmosphere for long.

However, the fact that the entire Eighteen Camps town has been able to maintain its current state certainly owes much to excellent guides.

"... I should thank you very much, my lord!"

Elder Feng Baili's voice brought Chu Tianshu back to his senses.

He smiled and looked back, "Elder, you flatter me."

"Night Wandering Lad seek stories, each with their own preferences, but I travel far and wide collecting folk tales, and having seen so much, I only feel that sorrow is harmful to the body, so I generally dislike seeing cruel and tragic things."

Chu Tianshu's voice was gentle, "That white ape has violated my taboo."

Feng Baili had white eyebrows, a angular face, and a thick, bushy beard. He couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

When did you arrive in the Long Continent, my lord?

Fang Liang and Fang Liang were both startled.

Could it be that this young man is not from the Long Continent?

Chu Tianshu remained calm. "A little over a month ago."

He didn't intend to be recognized as a human from the mortal world, but he also didn't intend to continue pretending to be Long Continent Kingdom.

To obtain sufficiently important intelligence, one inevitably needs to encounter experts.

Although Long Continent is a vast place, a master who has lived there for decades would naturally have an impression of the other formidable opponents.

His sudden appearance, coupled with his insistence on pretending to the Long Continent Kingdom, makes him seem suspicious.

"At that time, I had just traveled to the Zhenze area when I saw a small, two-headed snake in the distance. It was quite adorable, so I rode a crane to chase after it..."

Chu Tianshu took out the two-headed snake from the brocade pouch and played with it in his hand.

"Unexpectedly, a thick fog enveloped me, causing me to lose my way. After searching around, I realized I had arrived in the Long Continent Kingdom after the fog cleared."

"This place has been isolated from the world for nearly a hundred years, hasn't it?"

Xiao Zuo obediently stuck out his tongue.

Bubai looked around, seemingly trying to see what treasures Zhongdu the town.

Feng Baili nodded, his eyes filled with reminiscence. "I heard that back in my father's time, travel between the Long Continent and Zhenze was quite convenient."

"Since the strange fog enveloped Long Continent, there has been no news for nearly a century. It wasn't until the water demon landed and the fog became turbulent that many foreign spirits and monsters mistakenly entered our land."

Feng Baili laughed, "As expected, my lord is one of them."

"Since you're Night Wandering Lad, our Eighteen Camps happen to have a place for you to gather inspiration."

(End of this chapter)