Chapter 00089: The Suffering of Leaving Home Behind
# The Suffering of Leaving Home Behind
Chapter 89
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 89: The Suffering of Leaving Home Behind
Liu Sanjiu told him that he was originally a resident of Tusu City.
Eleven years ago, just before Tusu City fell, he fled to Wei City.
After finally settling down, he had to embark on the road of exile again after just a few years.
The old man in his family was already seventy-two, a rare age to reach in the current Panlong Wasteland.
Upon hearing that the Balin Army was approaching again, Old Man Liu refused to leave this time, clinging to a pillar, determined to die with the city.
Liu Sanjiu and his wife tried their best to drag him along, but they couldn’t do anything about it.
In the end, they had to bid a tearful farewell to their father and retreat eastward with their children.
As Liu Sanjiu spoke, his eyes were red, and it was hard to tell whether it was tears or rain on his face.
He knew very well that Old Man Liu understood he couldn’t move fast and didn’t want to burden his son’s family with his slow pace.
Such heart-wrenching tragedies were all too common among the fleeing refugees.
Any family you pulled out from the crowd would have their own tale of sorrow and hardship.
At this moment, Liu Sanjiu’s son also grew tired and asked his father to carry him.
He was only ten years old, and walking for hours in the rain across the plains had exhausted him.
Liu Sanjiu was already carrying his daughter, and the little donkey was weighed down by their luggage.
Adding the boy to the donkey’s load might have broken its back.
He Lingchuan couldn’t bear to see this. “Let me help you…” He initially intended to carry the child but then thought better of it and instead picked up a large bundle of luggage from the donkey’s back. “... I’ll carry this. You can put the child on the donkey.”
Being too enthusiastic might make him seem like a child trafficker.
In such fleeing crowds, children getting lost or kidnapped was not uncommon.
The luggage he carried contained only bedding and clothes—bulky, space-consuming, and of little value.
Liu Sanjiu immediately gave him a grateful look.
To encounter a kind person during such desperate times was truly a stroke of good fortune and a blessing.
From time to time, people would rush past Liu Sanjiu’s family, running ahead.
Fleeing from war was much like escaping a tiger—if you could outrun your companions, your chances of survival increased.
For commoners like Liu Sanjiu, there was nothing they could do.
Their current pace was already at its limit.
Occasionally, small groups of cavalry would arrive from the east, moving against the flow of the refugees.
The sight of the Great Wind Army brought a glimmer of comfort to everyone.
Liu Sanjiu pointed at them and told his young daughter, “These uncles will protect us. As long as we keep moving toward them, we’ll be safe!”
At that moment, a cry of alarm came from ahead.
He Lingchuan looked up and saw an old man in his sixties collapse to the ground, swaying a couple of times before falling unconscious.
His wife, sitting on a mule, hurriedly dismounted, and their son tried to lift his father, but the old man had already passed out.
The son, in his early forties, was gaunt and frail himself, barely able to stand.
He tried to carry his father but stumbled after just a few steps, splashing mud all over himself.
The other refugees silently watched and then walked past without looking back.
In this crowd, everyone was struggling to survive.
Who had the strength to spare for acts of kindness?
Liu Sanjiu and his wife exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads and led their donkey past the scene.
Just then, three cavalrymen approached.
The leader reined in his horse and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Sir, my father can’t walk anymore!” the man said tearfully. “Please, have mercy and help us!”
He Lingchuan looked up and was startled.
Thin eyebrows, long eyes, and a cold expression—wasn’t this an old acquaintance?
Wasn’t this the Great Wind Army commander who had attacked the Blackwater City forces in Panlong Wasteland and later escorted them out of the desert under the Black Dragon’s orders?
Back then, he had been a spirit, fierce and brave but unable to speak or communicate with He Lingchuan.
Now, he was a living person, and this was the first time He Lingchuan had heard him speak.
But He Lingchuan quickly lowered his head because the commander’s sharp gaze swept over him.
Though they hadn’t interacted much, He Lingchuan remembered all too well how this man had a habit of thrusting his spear without a word.
Fortunately, the refugees had gathered around by then, curious to see how the Great Wind Army would handle the situation.
The commander withdrew his gaze and, after a moment of silence, said, “Throw away your belongings and put your father on the mule.”
The donkey was already carrying an old woman and the family’s possessions.
The man’s face turned pale. “Sir, my mule is lame and can’t carry two people. Could you spare a horse?”
The commander replied, “Then throw away your valuables, put your father on the mule, and carry your mother on your back.”
The old woman stepped forward, clutching the horse’s reins and weeping. “My husband can’t walk anymore. Please, have mercy! You don’t lack a horse, but he’s a life!”
Her sparse white hair was plastered to her face by the rain, making her look pitiful.
The commander’s gaze swept over her face, then to the unconscious old man on the ground and the pleading man.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
Everyone could see he was hesitating.
The man immediately knelt and kowtowed several times. “Please, have mercy and lend us a horse!” He repeated this plea four or five times.
The commander let out a long breath.
Just as He Lingchuan thought he might relent, the commander pointed to a nearby hill. “There’s a cave on that hill where you can take shelter from the rain. I can send someone to help your father rest there, and we’ll come back for him in a day or two.”
The man was stunned. “My father on the hill? That’s a death sentence! What if the enemy catches up?”
The old woman wailed louder, and the man couldn’t help but shout, “Mother, stop crying!”
“You’ll have to gamble on this. Make your decision now!” the commander said coldly. “If the enemy retreats in a day or two, I’ll send someone to check.”
He waited a few moments, but when the man still couldn’t decide, he shook the reins and prepared to leave.
“Wait, wait!” The man gritted his teeth. “I’ve decided. Take my father to the hill. Please, help us!”
The commander gave a slight nod to his subordinate, who immediately helped the old man onto the saddle.
The old woman suddenly said, “Take me too. I’ll go with my husband!”
Her tone was firm, and the man mumbled a few words but didn’t object.
The cavalrymen took the old couple and rode toward the hill about seventy paces away.
The commander continued forward without lingering.
The man stood there for a while, watching with a desolate expression, then led the mule onward.
Now, only he remained of the family of three.
Liu Sanjiu’s wife whispered, “That man is so pitiful, and the commander is so heartless. I thought the Great Wind Army was kind to us commoners.”
Liu Sanjiu muttered, “They can’t afford to be too kind. Everyone here needs help.”
If the commander had helped the old couple, other refugees would have swarmed him, demanding assistance:
Why help them and not us? Aren’t we all refugees?
The soldiers’ duty wasn’t to rescue but to cover and defend.
If they were delayed here, unable to support the rear guard, they would only cause trouble for their comrades holding the line!
His wife was displeased. “You’re taking their side!”
“Who else can we side with now?” Liu Sanjiu said bitterly. “At least the Great Wind Army is here to help. We’re not even from Panlong City.”
(End of Chapter)