After a long time, Ye Shuangluo finally slept in a bed for a night. Although this bed wasn’t as comfortable as the one in the Main World, it was still better than sleeping outdoors.
When he woke up, Ye Shuangluo walked out of the house and took a stroll around Dongfeng Village.
He noticed that many children were already up early, boiling water and cooking.
More importantly, he realized that there were no young or middle-aged people in the village.
Only children, no older than twelve or thirteen, and elderly people in their sixties or seventies.
It was practically a village of left-behind children.
Ye Shuangluo couldn’t help but shake his head. How pitiful.
Just as he was about to wake Shan Ren and continue their journey, he ran into the village chief.
The village chief was surprised. He hadn’t expected someone like Ye Shuangluo, who looked like a pampered young master, to be up so early.
“Young master, you’re up early. It’s not even the hour of Chen yet.”
“It’s not that early. I saw many children in the village up earlier than me.”
“Sigh.”
The village chief sighed deeply, as if he had an endless sorrow that he couldn’t express.
“We old folks can barely move, so we have to let the children cook.”
Hearing this, Ye Shuangluo’s heart stirred, and he directly asked the question that had been on his mind:
“Village chief, I have a question. I’m not sure if I should ask.”
“Young master, feel free to ask.”
Ye Shuangluo smiled slightly and voiced the question that had been buried in his heart since yesterday.
“Why are there only old people and children in the village? I haven’t seen a single young person.”
The village chief fell silent for a long time before he finally spoke bitterly:
“They’ve all been conscripted by the current Emperor.”
Hearing the word “conscripted,” Ye Shuangluo instinctively felt that he was about to hear something shocking.
“Sigh, five years ago, the current Emperor issued a new decree.
The decree stated that everyone from the age of 14 to 55, regardless of gender, must serve in conscription.
I was 56 five years ago, so I was spared. But my son and daughter-in-law…”
The village chief sighed deeply and continued:
“Sigh… As for when they will return… My son and daughter-in-law were conscripted five years ago. I haven’t seen them since.”
Ye Shuangluo found it hard to believe. It didn’t make sense.
Five years and they still hadn’t completed their conscription?
What was the Emperor up to?
According to what Ye Shuangluo knew, there was only one Royal Dynasty in this world, with no opposing countries or regimes.
So it wasn’t for building defensive structures.
The Emperor’s motives were baffling, at least to him.
“And three years ago, my grandson turned 14, and he was taken away by the soldiers to serve in conscription too.”
Hearing this, Ye Shuangluo felt deeply sorry for the village chief. He could hear the loneliness and confusion in the old man’s voice, but he didn’t know how to comfort him.
“Sigh… Judging by your age, young master, you must have paid the exemption fee?”
Exemption fee?
This was a new term. The village chief seemed to notice Ye Shuangluo’s confusion and explained:
“The current Emperor, wise and mighty, issued another decree five years ago, closely related to the first one.
If you don’t want to serve in conscription, you can pay a hundred taels of gold to be exempted. That’s the so-called exemption fee.”
This Emperor must be crazy for money.
That was Ye Shuangluo’s first thought. He had never heard of such a ridiculous decree.
If money could exempt you from the law, could you also pay to commit murder and arson?
Ye Shuangluo felt helpless to comment. This old Emperor, who had lived for two hundred years, must be senile.
Otherwise, why would he make such foolish decisions?
He suddenly thought of the numerous bandits in the Tian Nan Mountain Range and began to understand.
Of course, understanding didn’t mean they weren’t still deserving of death.
Perhaps because of his bad mood, Ye Shuangluo decided to leave immediately after bidding farewell to the village chief.
Returning to where they had stayed the previous night, he found that Shan Ren and White Tiger were already awake.
So, after saying goodbye to the village chief, they continued their journey.
Sitting in the cart, many children stood at the village entrance, curiously watching him.
Perhaps because he understood their fate, Ye Shuangluo felt an immense sense of oppression.
Those children, some as young as five or six, and the oldest around twelve or thirteen, would soon have to serve in conscription too.
The greatest suffering is not enduring hardship, but the inability and lack of awareness to change it.
As White Tiger began to run, the cart was pulled along.
After leaving Dongfeng Village, Shan Ren suddenly asked Ye Shuangluo beside him.
“Do you think they are pitiful, Brother Ye?”
“Quite pitiful… Many children in the village have never seen their parents since birth, growing up with their grandparents.
When they grow up, they too will have to serve in conscription. It’s truly pitiful and sad.”
“Haha, I thought Brother Ye was the type of person who believes in ‘a great hero rises from countless bones.’ I didn’t expect you to have such a sentimental side.”
“A great hero rises from countless bones? Why do you say that?”
Ye Shuangluo was genuinely curious why Shan Ren thought so. They had only known each other for two or three days, yet Shan Ren seemed to understand him well.
“Just a hunch.”
Ye Shuangluo knew Shan Ren was evading the question and clearly didn’t want to say more.
He knew that pressing further wouldn’t yield any answers, so he didn’t bother asking.
The two continued their silent journey towards the capital.
As they neared the capital, Shan Ren suddenly spoke again.
“Brother Ye, did one of those two foxes escape?”
It seemed like a question, but his tone was full of certainty.
“How did you know, Brother Shan?”
Shan Ren smiled slightly and began to explain.
“Compared to ordinary creatures, children born from the union of humans and magical beings are much more gifted.
They are born with the wisdom that magical beings take centuries to cultivate. This is a gift from their human parent.
But if they want to receive another gift from their magical parent, they need to pay a small price. Do you know what that price is, Brother Ye?”
Shan Ren’s sudden question caught Ye Shuangluo off guard, but after a moment of thought, he answered:
“Is it eating human flesh?”
Clap, clap, clap.
Shan Ren couldn’t help but applaud, praising as he clapped, “Brother Ye is indeed wise and talented, truly a man of both intellect and valor.
That’s right. If they want to awaken, they need to eat humans, and not just any humans.
Family, lovers, close friends, mortal enemies—these people are more effective.
But after eating humans, their value plummets. After all, high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants cherish their lives. How could they keep a man-eating monster by their side?”
Ye Shuangluo fully understood Shan Ren’s explanation. Just like in the Main World, man-eating beasts would be killed because once they tasted human flesh, they would add humans to their diet.
“These half-human, half-magical beings who awaken by eating humans are collectively called ‘demons’ by humans.
So, Brother Ye, the cargo you’re escorting has a major problem. This mark could hold you accountable. The Emperor might even punish you.”
For some reason, Ye Shuangluo felt that Shan Ren was trying to manipulate him.
[The enemy has used a Charm skill on you. You need to make a Will Judgment.]
[Demon Heart activated. You will ignore this Charm.]
Ye Shuangluo: Heh, nice try.
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