Chapter 119 - 83: Huge Harvest

Chapter 119: Chapter 83: Huge Harvest

On the way back.

Lin Yi sighed inwardly.

He had been hoping for an opportunity to retrieve the Spirit Medicine his Mosquito Avatar had hidden.

But who could have guessed?

The Governor’s Office had actually ordered all Martial Artists to return.

He was given no chance to break away from the group.

Back on Blue Star.

All the Martial Artists remained silent.

They gathered together, waiting for new orders from the Public Security Bureau.

...

The war was over.

Now, the Star Gate only permitted First-Grade lifeforms to pass through.

Outside the Star Gate connected to the Pigman world, tank and rocket divisions were stationed. Under such a dense barrage of firepower, any mere First-Grade Qi and Blood Pigman that dared to show its face would be killed instantly.

In terms of security, there were no immediate worries.

However, the end of the war was only the beginning.

Governor Yang stood on a hastily constructed command platform, his expression grave.

There were still many things to be done in Yang City.

First, there was the cleanup of the battlefield.

After all, over a hundred thousand Pigman corpses lay outside Yang City.

Although it was now winter and the wind was bone-chilling, if this massive mountain of corpses wasn’t dealt with quickly, the moment the temperature rose even slightly, rot would set in. A plague would spread like maggots on a festering wound, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

Second, a three-layered defense system needed to be built.

The narrow, ten-meter-diameter passage of the gate of light had become a huge obstacle.

The massive, highly-efficient construction machinery couldn’t pass through at all.

The behemoths had to be dismantled into individual parts, transported through piece by piece like ants moving house, and then reassembled and calibrated in the world crevice on the other side.

Governor Yang was well aware of the difficulty and time this would all take.

And then there was...

the third matter, which he found even more troublesome—

recording the Battle Merits and distributing the bonuses for the Martial Artists who had fought.

Governor Yang quickly organized his thoughts.

His thinking was clear and methodical.

This was the professionalism expected of a governor.

Cleaning the battlefield and constructing defenses, while massive undertakings, were ultimately matters of "things" that could be handled by following established procedures.

But the Battle Merits and bonuses involved "hearts and minds"—the very Martial Artists who had stepped forward in the moment of crisis!

This war had broken out too suddenly.

A large number of civilian Martial Artists from Yang City had spontaneously rushed to the battlefield to fight and bleed, leaving no time to establish any system for recording military achievements.

The soldiers from the military and the Public Security Bureau had their own internal merit systems with clear records, which was easy to handle.

But what about the civilian Martial Artists from dojos, gangs, or even those who fought alone?

The battlefield had been a chaotic meat grinder, filled with earth-shattering war cries and rampant Qi and Blood Power.

Who had killed how many enemies?

Who had taken on the most dangerous tasks at critical moments, creating an opening for everyone else?

It was all a tangled mess, impossible to tally.

If military achievements couldn’t be accurately recorded, then how large should the bonuses be?

And what standards should be used?

Governor Yang’s brow was tightly furrowed; it was practically an unsolvable knot.

Delaying would only dishearten the people.

He took a deep breath, and the abundant Qi and Blood Power within him suddenly surged.

An invisible pressure radiated out from him.

It instantly suppressed the surrounding clamor and discussion.

He began to speak, his resounding voice reaching the ears of every weary Martial Artist:

"We were able to win this battle and preserve Yang City! For this, we must thank our brothers-in-arms from the Nanjiang Military District and our colleagues from the Public Security Bureau who risked life and limb, but most of all, we must thank—you!"

His gaze was like a torch, sweeping over the crowd of civilian Martial Artists below, their clothes stained with blood and their expressions varied:

"Thank you to all the civilian Martial Artists who came voluntarily to fight for Yang City!"

"If you had not stepped forward in our time of crisis, building a defensive line with your own flesh and blood, fighting bravely and fearlessly, Yang City... I’m afraid it would never have held on until the Nanjiang Military District reinforcements arrived!"

He paused, his voice growing louder and firmer, filled with unshakeable resolve:

"This time, all civilian Martial Artists who participated in the battle will be treated equally! As long as your participation is confirmed, regardless of your contribution, you will each be rewarded with one million in cash! The families of any heroes who unfortunately fell in battle will receive three million in compensation! Yang City will remember your sacrifice!"

As his voice fell, the field fell silent.

A bonus of one million was indeed nothing to high-grade Martial Artists who routinely spent huge sums on cultivation resources; it was a drop in the bucket.

But the number of combatants was simply too large, especially the low-grade Martial Artists.

To pay this sum, Yang City’s official coffers were almost completely drained.

Governor Yang also felt a trace of helplessness.

Fortunately, no widespread uproar occurred.

Just as he had expected, the powerful Third- and Fourth-Grade Martial Artists remained calm, some even looking indifferent.

To them, one million truly was just a small amount of money.

Lin Yi, standing at the edge of the crowd, merely flickered his gaze, feeling no ripples in his heart. He, too, looked down on such a sum.

His attention had already flown elsewhere.

He was already considering how he could enter the Star Realm again to retrieve the Spirit Medicine he had hidden.

But many of the low-grade Martial Artists, especially the First-Grade Martial Artists, showed hints of joy and satisfaction on their faces.

One million!

For many low-level Martial Artists still struggling to make ends meet and worrying about how to afford a few Qi Blood Pills, this was an enormous sum that could solve their most pressing problems!

It was enough for them to purchase better equipment, buy resources to aid their cultivation, and support them in going further on their path.

Governor Yang keenly caught the trace of disapproval in the eyes of some of the high-grade Martial Artists.

His thoughts raced, and he immediately added, his voice laced with generosity and temptation:

"Now that the defensive positions have been initially established, the threat from the Pigmen is temporarily resolved."

"All our comrades from Yang City’s Martial Dao community who participated in the battle may now temporarily withdraw from your positions!"