Chapter 355 - 167: The Jiangbei Defense Line Has Taken Shape

Chapter 355: Chapter 167: The Jiangbei Defense Line Has Taken Shape

"Cultivation."

"Martial King."

The recruiting officer, who had not looked up the entire time, finally raised his head from his desk. After sizing up Shao Qiu for a few moments, he gave a slight nod. "Thank you for joining. Your number is 179, assigned to Squad 71 of the Third Battalion on the No. 7 Defense Line. Go to Wooden House 31 to the East and report to your captain. He will tell you which area you are responsible for defending."

"What’s the monthly salary?"

Shao Qiu asked instinctively. ’So many people here,’ he thought. ’Far more than I ever imagined. The cost of their monthly salaries must be astronomical.’

The recruiting officer’s pen froze in mid-air. He looked up at Shao Qiu, his gaze drifting past him to the line of Dark Pavilion members standing behind. After a long pause, he spoke softly.

"Not from around here?"

"From the Guanxi Plain."

"Why do you want to join the No. 7 Defense Line?"

"I’ve traveled a long way. The people’s suffering is unbearable to watch. I want to join the No. 7 Defense Line to do my part in protecting the Guandong Plain. In these chaotic times, someone with some Cultivation should be able to help."

"..."

After a long silence, the recruiting officer grabbed the crutches beside him and hobbled to his feet. He waved over a younger man from nearby, gesturing for him to take over recruitment. The officer then started toward the base of the City Wall alone, waving a hand and saying hoarsely, "Follow me."

Shao Qiu’s pupils contracted as he watched the middle-aged man’s back. Only then did he notice the man’s legs were amputated, cut off almost at the waist. He moved entirely by swinging his two crutches forward, one after the other.

But he said nothing.

He simply led the members of the Dark Pavilion and followed.

...

There were Suspended Baskets to get up to the No. 7 Defense Line.

But the middle-aged man leading them didn’t take one. Instead, leaning on his crutches, he began the arduous climb up the winding stairs, step by step. Panting slightly, he glanced back at Shao Qiu’s group and said with a smile,

"The more a man lacks something, the more he wants to prove he has it. I may be disabled, but I refuse to let people look at me with pity, thinking I’m useless. So, unless it’s an emergency, I stubbornly take the stairs."

"It’s a bit childish, I know."

"But once you’ve been here a while, you’ll see. There are hardly any normal people left."

"The moment you asked about a monthly salary, I knew you weren’t from around here. The No. 7 Defense Line doesn’t pay one. Everyone here gets food and lodging, but no salary."

"All sorts of people join the No. 7 Defense Line, but they all have one thing in common: they don’t want to live anymore."

"This world is a complete mess."

"Some people want to hide in the back, praying the front line holds so they can survive this crisis." ℯ

"Others want to stand on the front lines. Even if their bodies are never found, at least it’s a spectacular way to die."

"If you don’t want to live, what do you need Ghost Stones for? The No. 7 Defense Line doesn’t even have enough for itself."

"Besides—"

"The main thing holding back the Ghost Tide is the defense line itself. Even with a Martial King Cultivation, you’re almost useless when facing the tide head-on. You can join the Clean-up Team. They’re mainly responsible for handling the Ghost Objects that break through our firepower and get onto the City Wall during a battle."

"There aren’t many people around right now."

"Most people are asleep. After all, the Ghost Objects only come out at night."

"Those with lower Cultivation are mainly responsible for transport—Ghost Stones, corpses, food, and the like. After dawn, they go outside the City Wall to dig up Ghost Stones, retrieve Exotic Treasures, and so on."

"And those with high Cultivation are responsible for the clean-up."

"I have to say, I never expected people from the Guanxi Plain to come help the Guandong Plain."

"..."

Following behind, Shao Qiu frowned. "The No. 7 Defense Line isn’t just for the Guandong Plain. It’s for the Guanxi Plain, too. If the Guandong Plain falls, how could the Guanxi Plain possibly hold out?"

The middle-aged man in front suddenly stopped. He turned, his eyes red-rimmed, and looked closely at Shao Qiu and his group. After a long moment, he abruptly broke into a laugh, then turned and continued walking.

His voice grew somber.

"If only everyone could be as reasonable as you."

"The Guanxi Plain has no defense lines of its own. They’re nestled in the middle, acting as if they’re perfectly safe. There were many reasons the No. 7 Defense Line was breached during the rainy season. One of the main ones was that we ran out of Ghost Stones."

"Before the rainy season started, we knew we wouldn’t have enough Ghost Stones. We sent out messages to all the factions in the Guanxi Plain, asking for support... but in the end, only a few dozen factions sent us any aid."

"And of the most powerful factions in the Guanxi Plain, only one—the Slaughter Immortal Holy Land—was willing to help. The others turned a deaf ear, acting as if they never even received our message."

"A lot of the time..."

"I find myself thinking, why not just let the No. 7 Defense Line fall for good?"

"When the Ghost Tide crashes into the Guanxi Plain, I’d be very curious to see the looks on the faces of those factions. I want to see if those city walls they’re so proud of can stop a Ghost Tide surging up from the bottom of the sea."

"But..."

"That’s just something I think in moments of weakness. The No. 7 Defense Line cannot break."

"My father and my son both died here. They gave their lives to hold this line, so I can’t be a deserter. Everyone who joins the No. 7 Defense Line has had family die at the hands of Ghost Objects. They’re all here for revenge."

"We aren’t fighting to protect everyone in the world."

"We’re fighting for revenge for our dead loved ones."

The middle-aged man stopped again and turned to face Shao Qiu. "I’m grateful that you’ve come all the way to the Guandong Plain to join the No. 7 Defense Line, but... I don’t want you holding onto that idea of fighting to protect the world. Because—"

"When you realize the people of this world aren’t worth fighting for, your conviction will shatter."