Chapter Eleven: The Eve of the Great War

  The early morning in summer is the freshest time of the day.

  Due to his work experience at the Holy Dragon Library, Feng Yu had been forced to cultivate the habit of waking up early and was now strolling alone through the city that was still hovering between dreams and reality.

  The city of Linyu Pass was so quiet in the early morning, most people had not yet bid farewell to yesterday's beautiful dreams, only a few farmers and small vendors, as well as soldiers on duty, were busy in the city.

  It has been a month since the storm entered the city, and he, busy with all sorts of trivial matters, hasn't even had a good look at his own territory.

  Lun Yu Guan has long surpassed the definition of a pass, with roads and buildings crisscrossing each other in an orderly manner. This city was built over 700 years ago during the prosperous era of the Holy Dragon Empire, when people from all directions came to pay homage and nations submitted to its rule, this military fortress became an important symbol of the sacred power of the empire.

  At that time, the northern grassland nations, the various kingdoms in the west, and even the merchants from distant Da Shi, Rome, and Gaul traveled thousands of miles along the continental highway, passing through this ancient city to catch a glimpse of the majestic appearance of the Holy Dragon Empire and the prosperity of the Central Plains.

  It was precisely because of this that it became a gathering place for people from all ethnic groups, and the residents coming and going here included foreign merchants, inland commoners hoping to make a living, and the families of soldiers stationed on the border. As time went on, the city expanded again and again, and the population grew more and more numerous.

  Although the Holy Dragon gradually weakened afterwards, before the invasion of Hulan, it was still self-proclaimed as Tianchao, and the surrounding small countries still respected it as their overlord. Merchants also continued to pass through here to trade with the Holy Dragon. The only change is that the Holy Dragon increased the city's defenses five times in thirty years to guard against the increasingly powerful Hulan Empire.

  It was through this series of changes that today's famous and supposedly most impregnable city came into being. In fact, the city can be said to have witnessed the rise and fall of the entire Holy Dragon Empire.

  "Who would have thought that even the general would get up this early!"

  A voice as melodious as silver bells interrupted the wind and rain that were lost in thought.

  As the wind and rain lifted their heads to take a look, it turned out to be Ou Jing, the master of Worry-Free Valley. She was wearing a light yellow casual outfit today, with a white gauze draped over her, and under the gentle breeze, she seemed like an immortal fairy slowly descending into the mortal world. The strands of hair blown by the morning wind danced randomly in the air, evoking endless reveries.

  Ou Jing's face turned red as she stared blankly at him in the wind and rain, calling out softly once again.

  The man who was dazed suddenly came to his senses, but immediately afterwards he started scratching his ears and cheeks, saying things like "Today's weather is really good, has the master had lunch?" and other nonsense that lacked any substance, completely unlike the wisdom and composure he showed when facing enemies on the battlefield or in the intrigue of politics.

  "I heard that the general intends to have a big battle with the Hulan people here?" The beautiful woman broke the silence again.

  When it comes to military strategy, Feng Yu regained his normal thinking. He said with a smile: "That's right, our army needs to mature on the battlefield. Rather than struggling for survival in an uncertain environment in the future, it is better to take the initiative to fight in a place where we have the support of heaven and earth, and undergo training in blood and fire. In this way, losses in both material and human resources will be much smaller."

  "Do we have to fight? Why can't Hulan retreat and let everyone live in peace?" Ou Jing said excitedly. For a long time, she had been influenced by her father's ideals, hoping to establish a peaceful nation where there was no war, no oppression, no ugliness, and everyone was equal and got along harmoniously.

  But reality disappointed her, whether it was her brother or Bai Qi, they all yearned to make a name for themselves in the war. There was also that military genius who had defeated the Hulan people and made the war seem winnable, someone she had admired greatly and unknowingly placed her own political ideals on, now intentionally wanting to fight a war that could have been avoided.

  To know how many lives must be sacrificed! And yet she hoped to build that ideal land with him, the Lian Yu Guan.

  The storm didn't expect her to react so fiercely, and at the same time felt disappointed that she wanted to persuade herself. Although the storm understood her idea, it couldn't agree with her, because the storm didn't think there was true equality in the world.

  Everyone's abilities are different, and the capable and incapable receiving the same treatment is unfair in itself. In reality, under the same survival environment, it is inevitable that those with stronger abilities will occupy an advantageous position and receive better treatment.

  If inequality arising from differences in ability can still be considered fair, then the existence of those who inherit power and status without having the corresponding ability, and those who have ability but no opportunity to display their talents, makes a mockery of fairness.

  The incompetent in high positions plunder and maintain their power by any means, while the able but lowly placed are discontented and wish to rise above others, all of which leads to war and strife.

  All this is fundamentally unavoidable under the grand rule of human heredity.

  Thinking of this, Feng Yu looked at Ou Jing and continued to say: "Sorry, we must fight this battle. Hulan's retreat is only the beginning of the war, and in the future, the Divine State will become chaotic due to the struggle between the four major families and the imperial family. Therefore, it can only be consumed here A batch of Hulan's main force can avoid greater harm to our homeland when Hulan invades again; also, we can only rely on the current favorable terrain to train our troops well, in order to withstand the blood rain and wind in the future, avoid greater losses, and take on the responsibility of sweeping away all sources of chaos and establishing a unified and orderly country!"

  At this point, the wind and rain paused for a moment. Looking at Ou Jing's disappointed expression, he couldn't bear to say in a low voice: "No matter what, I can promise you that for the rest of my life after the storm, I will do my best to bring benefits to the people."

  "Are you going to use force and conquest?" Ou Jing was clearly not convinced by Feng Yu's words.

  "Something's wrong, the Hulan people have come to kill!"

  The alarm of battle interrupted the overly serious topic between the two.