The Young Lady

After a night of heated discussions.

The reputation of the schoolteacher, Yi Feng, had become known to everyone. From seventy-year-old men to three-year-old toddlers, everyone had heard that Mr. Yi possessed extraordinary luck and was blessed by the heavens.

As the saying goes, rumors are as fierce as tigers, and this statement couldn't be truer.

The sky had just begun to brighten.

Under the large locust tree at the street corner of Qinghe Town, a few elderly men taking a stroll were spinning tales that grew increasingly outrageous.

"Old Man Liu, have you heard? Our town's new schoolteacher is blessed by the heavens. Whenever he goes hunting, he is guaranteed a harvest, and he can pick up demonic beasts as easily as lifting a finger!"

"More than that! I heard that Mr. Yi has an extraordinary bearing, and the demonic beasts come to him on their own accord!"

"Hehe, what do you guys know! Mr. Yi is the reincarnation of the Wenqu Star from the heavens. Let alone demonic beasts, having all his wishes come true is nothing to him!"

"Hiss..."

"Scholars are truly terrifying!"

"Since Mr. Yi is so miraculous, why don't we go pay our respects to him someday?!"

The elderly men sat under the tree, whispering among themselves. Their stories became more and more mystical, speaking with such conviction as if they had witnessed everything with their own eyes and heard it with their own ears.

Just as they were getting fired up, the sudden sound of galloping hooves echoed from afar.

The old men turned to look.

They saw a long procession winding like a dragon. Over a hundred black-armored guards cleared the way, their neat military formation exuding an imposing aura. A soft palanquin was escorted in their midst, clearly indicating the arrival of a prominent figure.

Even more surprisingly.

The town mayor and the old clan chief were personally waiting at the street corner to welcome them. After exchanging a few pleasantries with the leading officer, they respectfully turned to lead the way, their attitudes exceedingly humble.

This scene instantly startled the elderly women nearby, making them stand up and give way.

In just a few breaths' time.

The neighbors were all alerted by this grand display. The long street, which had been somewhat empty just a moment ago, was quickly crowded with people on both sides. There were the old and the young, and some even rushed over while still putting on their clothes, watching the spectacle with heated discussions and eyes full of awe.

"Goodness gracious, where is this big shot from!"

"Whose child are you, speaking so disrespectfully! You don't even recognize our Ye City's Black Armor Army?"

"Black Armor Army?"

"Goudan, you better look closely. These soldiers are all from Ye City. Our Qinghe Town falls under Ye City's jurisdiction, and every few years, a prominent figure comes to inspect. You absolutely must not offend them!"

"I get it! But why would these big shots come to inspect our Qinghe Town? Are they here to give us food and clothes?"

"Most likely, a war is about to start again, and they are here to select strong young men to join the Black Armor Army!"

Listening to the explanations of the surrounding uncles, the dark-skinned youth looked on with yearning. Watching the majestic procession of horses pass by, his blood boiled with excitement!

"The Black Armor Army is so majestic, I want to join too!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, an old man beside him reached out and covered the boy's mouth.

This child was young and ignorant. Little did he know that joining the army might look glorious now, but in the future, it was highly likely he would return as a corpse wrapped in horsehide. A moment of careless speech could bring about disaster.

The elders shielded him behind them, their expressions turning somewhat heavy.

Gazing into the distance as the procession departed, complex looks of reverence and fear surfaced in their eyes.

The orderly military formation marched down the long street, only stopping when they reached the front of a large mansion.

The slightly plump figure of the town mayor bowed respectfully, greeting the soft palanquin.

"Please forgive us, Eldest Miss."

"Our Qinghe Town is rather impoverished. We can only wrong the Eldest Miss by having you rest temporarily in my humble abode."

The old clan chief also nodded and stood by his side, his expression steady.

The two waited for a few breaths.

The beaded curtain of the soft palanquin was slowly drawn aside. A beautiful woman, dressed in an embroidered long dress, stepped out steadily. Her red lips parted slightly as she looked down with cold eyes.

"There's no need for the trouble."

"I have come solely to select men for the army. If you have no pressing matters, take me to see the livelihood of the people in Qinghe Town first."

Her tone was extremely indifferent, yet it carried an unquestionable coercion.

The town mayor bowed even lower, hastily and submissively accepting the order.

"Your subordinate obeys."

"Eldest Miss, this way please."

Saying this, the town mayor immediately turned sideways to guide her.

Only after she took a light step forward did he dare to follow closely, bowing as he led the way toward the town's main street. Even though his household had hurriedly prepared everything, only for it to be completely disregarded, he didn't dare to have the slightest complaint.

After all.

The person before him was the daughter of the City Lord.

In a small place like this, calling her a princess wouldn't be an exaggeration. With such a prominent figure arriving in person, they had to do their utmost to curry favor with her.

Even though this Miss Chen hadn't ordered her soldiers to follow, keeping only a few personal guards around her, the town mayor and the old clan chief still felt immense pressure. They didn't dare to show the slightest negligence throughout the journey.

Walking dozens of steps down the long street, they submissively explained everything. Whatever Miss Chen asked, they naturally answered with everything they knew.

Although the roadside taverns and teahouses remained open, these businessmen were always sharp-eyed. Seeing this kind of grand display, they were all so frightened that they hid inside their shops, not daring to peek out. The entire small town seemed to become much quieter, with everyone acting cautiously.

Chen Yuxin, however, paid it no mind.

As the Eldest Miss of Ye City, she was used to all kinds of reverent gazes. In her eyes, such a scene was simply a matter of course.

Walking steadily forward, she observed the long street for a while.

It just looked like an ordinary small town, far less prosperous than Ye City, and even somewhat impoverished. Even the storefronts of the taverns and teahouses looked unappealing to her eyes.

Finally.

A hint of weariness appeared in Chen Yuxin's eyes as she glanced sideways at the smiling town mayor.

"I presume you have received the message. Before I arrived, I ordered you to prepare a thousand strong men. Is it done?"

Hearing this.

The town mayor's body stiffened, and his expression became somewhat troubled.

"Uh..."

"R-reporting to the Miss, your subordinate has already confirmed the list of these one thousand men. Most of them are the able-bodied adult males of our Qinghe Town, and they definitely meet the requirements for joining the army."

There were no flaws in his words, but his tone was somewhat apprehensive and strained.

Qinghe Town was nothing but an impoverished small town. The number of people who had lived here for generations was never large to begin with. Even with generations of branching out, the total population was only around ten thousand.

To put it harshly.

These one thousand strong men represented almost the entire fighting force of Qinghe Town.

If all these men were to join the army, it would be equivalent to draining the lifeblood of Qinghe Town. If demonic beasts were to invade in the future, they might barely withstand minor skirmishes, but if there was a large-scale invasion, relying solely on the old, the weak, women, and children would make it basically impossible to defend against.

Even if the war subsided in the future and the soldiers were able to return to Qinghe Town, after experiencing a massive war between cities, how many would be left?

By then.

The foot of the mountain would surely be filled with new graves.

Aside from empty praises about supposed glory, the small town would only have endless sorrow. From then on, its population would wither, never to return to its former prosperity.

This wasn't conscription; this was sending the young men of Qinghe Town to their deaths!

Thinking of this.

The town mayor bowed with trembling hands. His heart felt as if it were being twisted by a knife, and he simply couldn't bring himself to say the remaining words.

Seeing his demeanor, the coldness in Chen Yuxin's beautiful eyes deepened as she glanced at him.

"What?"

"Do you have some difficulty?"