Chapter 00091: Temporary Conscription
# Temporary Conscription
Chapter 91
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 91: Temporary Conscription
Before he could finish speaking, the commander's spear was already at his neck.
He was startled and took two steps back, but the spear's cold light followed him like a shadow.
In truth, the spear tip was still three inches away from his throat, but the chilling aura was close enough to graze his skin.
The overwhelming killing intent made Young Master Sun feel like he couldn't breathe.
"Say one more word, and I'll cut off your head and send it to Prefect Sun!"
Young Master Sun's face turned ashen, and he swallowed the rest of his words.
With him cowed, the other servants and guards of the Sun household naturally didn't dare to interfere.
The process sped up, and the two-horse carriage was quickly replaced with three, then five horses, significantly increasing its power.
The ten crates of military supplies were soon hauled up the muddy slope.
As for the other crates belonging to the Sun household, they were either pushed aside, dragged down the slope, or thrown into the river.
The commander turned a blind eye to the civilians who were stealing the Sun household's belongings.
In the face of crisis, catching thieves and maintaining order were no longer priorities.
The key was to get the group moving quickly to escape.
Once the road was clear, the group cheered, and the commander turned his horse around, ready to head to the rear.
At that moment, chaos erupted at the back of the group.
Civilians were crying and screaming as they desperately ran forward.
The enemy was closing in.
The crowd panicked, scrambling up the slope.
Several people lost their footing and fell into the river.
Commander Xiao shouted, "All those who can fight, step forward! Grab your weapons and join us in holding the rear! Those who survive will be richly rewarded!"
He shouted three times, his voice echoing across the land.
Liu Sanjiu, a man in the group, couldn't help but look back, seemingly tempted.
But his wife immediately grabbed his arm and cried, "Don't even think about it! You have children!"
If the man died, how difficult would life be for his widow and orphans in a foreign land?
Thinking of this, Liu Sanjiu had no choice but to abandon the idea.
He glanced back guiltily, then picked up his child and ran forward.
Among the fleeing crowd, more than a dozen men gradually stopped.
Some turned around immediately, while others hesitated but eventually moved closer.
Commander Xiao pointed to the crates that had just been opened by the Sun household and said, "You are temporarily conscripted into the army! If you survive today, you'll be promoted, given more rations, and land! Now, pick your weapons and a horse! Those who can shoot, climb the slope or the trees and get ready!"
The men quickly chose their weapons.
Among them were some weaker-looking men, but they understood that if the Wind Army couldn't hold the line, the group ahead would suffer, and their families would be slaughtered.
In this battle, no one could stand aside.
It was better to take a big gamble.
If they made it through this, they could have a good life in a foreign land.
This area wasn't exactly mountainous, but due to the dry season, the water level had dropped, exposing a large stretch of the riverbed.
The group was walking on the riverbed, which was about three to four zhang (ten meters) below the riverbank above.
This was the shortcut to the territory of Panlong City.
Only the Wind Army, familiar with the terrain and seasons, knew this route.
Otherwise, the fleeing group would have to detour around the stone forest above, adding a full three hours to their journey.
Three hours could change the outcome of a battle.
But the enemy had caught up.
The fall of Weicheng had happened faster than expected.
Archers climbed up the riverbank, preparing to shoot from above.
The rest donned light armor and gripped their weapons.
One man shouted, "Let's move the carts back to block the road and slow the enemy's advance."
The Sun household's crates, filled with belongings, had been left by the roadside along with the carriages.
Earlier, they had blocked the civilians' path.
Now, they could block the enemy's advance, serving as effective fortifications.
Commander Xiao nodded in approval.
"Good idea. What's your name?"
"My surname is He," the man replied with a grin, revealing white teeth.
"He Lingchuan."
He had already decided that since the worst outcome was simply waking up, there was nothing to fear in this dream.
He might as well go all out.
Fleeing with the refugees, even if he survived, what kind of life would that be?
"The rear guard knows the terrain and will definitely retreat here. Leave a gap in the cart formation for them to pass through," Commander Xiao said as he dismounted and joined the others in the mud, struggling to move the carts back up the slope.
It was hard work.
Even the horses couldn't pull the carts, so it was even harder for the men.
The Wind Army had to chant in unison to muster the strength to drag the carts.
No one complained because the harder it was for them to move the carts now, the harder it would be for the enemy to move them later.
To make things even more difficult for the enemy, they dug deeper holes under the carts, increasing the resistance when dragging them.
He Lingchuan stayed close to Commander Xiao.
The heavy rain soaked his clothes, clinging to his body.
When he exerted himself, the muscles in his shoulders and neck bulged, outlining a stern figure.
Just the two of them could drag a cart.
After moving two more large crates onto the cart, before they could straighten up, Commander Xiao asked He Lingchuan, "You're not from Weicheng, are you?"
He Lingchuan was startled but feigned confusion.
"Huh?"
"Your accent and clothing don't match," Commander Xiao said, tilting his head toward the slope.
"People from Weicheng are generally shorter."
A few archers were lying on the slope.
He Lingchuan looked up and saw that they were indeed on the smaller side.
"No," He Lingchuan replied quickly, knowing that a wrong answer could be fatal.
"I'm originally from Tusu City!"
Tusu City had been conquered ten years ago, so it made sense for refugees to flee to Weicheng.
He Lingchuan then asked, "Will we have reinforcements?"
Otherwise, holding this position would be a death sentence.
"Yes," Commander Xiao said firmly.
"At most, one hour!"
His voice was loud, and the soldiers around him felt a surge of morale.
They only needed to hold out for one hour, and reinforcements would arrive!
The men rummaged through the Sun household's crates, hoping to find more useful supplies.
However, most of the military supplies had already been transported away, leaving only one crate of weapons.
Of course, scattered among the crates were also many gold and silver items.
The newly conscripted men couldn't help but eye them greedily as they walked past.
He Lingchuan saw one man stuff a gold plate into his chest.
Commander Xiao noticed but didn't stop him.
He only reminded them, "Those things are heavy and will slow you down. If you survive, you can take whatever you want from here!"
The men's faces lit up with smiles.
He Lingchuan opened a crate and was stunned by its contents.
"Is Prefect Sun a glutton or something? Why did he pack all this junk to take with him?"
Commander Xiao walked over, took a look, and couldn't help but laugh.
"This is useful! It's not military supplies, but it's definitely useful. Let's set it up now."
He Lingchuan glanced at the scattered crates filled with gold, silver, and other valuables, then had an idea.
"I have another thought. How about..."
Commander Xiao agreed to his plan.
After some time spent setting things up, more and more fleeing refugees began to pass through the gap in the cart formation and climb up the slope.
Half an hour later, the sounds of battle grew closer.
Commander Xiao and the others stood ready on the slope, fully focused.
The rain beat down on their faces, but no one felt the cold.
(End of Chapter)