TO ACHIEVE IMMORTALITY, I CULTIVATE USING QI LUCK

Chapter 993: Chapter 411: Blundering Through All the Way Chapter 993: Chapter 411: Blundering Through All the Way The early morning mist lingered over the river.

The sunlight was obscured by the mist, creating a gloomy atmosphere; the cold river breeze blew past, skimming over the stretch of water.

“So cold, early in the morning, and absolutely nobody comes.

I have no idea what Shangguan is up to—what’s there to guard?

It’s more comfortable to stay in bed.”

Wang Qing muttered to himself, drawing his thin cotton coat tighter around him.

The heavy armor plates felt bone-chillingly cold under the mist, penetrating his robes and reaching his skin.

Having to rise from a warm bed early in the morning to change guard was naturally disagreeable.

But there was no choice, once guard duty was assigned, it became a Military Order.

Military Orders were as immovable as mountains and could not be altered.

“Stop talking nonsense.

Right now, our relations with Chu State are tense.

I’ve heard that over in Yangxia County, the fighting has led to mountains of corpses and seas of blood, countless dead.

We’re actually quite fortunate to be guarding this port in the south.

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At least we’re not on the battlefield risking our lives.”

Old Qin, the older guard beside him, couldn’t help but chide upon hearing Wang Qing’s complaints, “And it’s good to be cautious.

All the countries in the north are desperately trying to penetrate our Liang territory; how could Chu in the south not feel the same?

Being careful now might just save our lives.”

Wang Qing, however, remained unconvinced, “The Chu people have been living peacefully in Jiangnan for over thirty years.

I’ve seen their era of peace and can’t help but feel envious.

Why would they, in their right minds, choose to attack us?

Do they really think war without casualties is possible?

This time, too, if the Chu want to take Zheng’s Yangxia County, just let them have it—it’s not as if they’re trying to seize land from our Liang State.

Now, look at what’s happened—the government stubbornly refused, and the two countries have gone to war.

Jiaodong has become a mess with countless deaths and expenses, and the land is likely ruined.

Even this river mouth here, because of the hostilities between Liang and Chu, hasn’t seen a Chu merchant ship for months.”

Wang Qing vented his frustrations, showing extreme resentment towards the warfare between the two countries.

Old Qin looked at him and sighed softly.

He understood why his comrade felt this way because he himself was also dissatisfied with the two countries’ conflict.

As guards of the port, their role sounded like that of soldiers, official soldiers.

But in reality, they were not part of Liang’s formal military establishment; they were fundamentally civilian workers conscripted from local areas and forcefully assigned to guard the port.

As conscripted civilian workers, their service as guards counted as Corvee Labor, a duty owed by citizens registered in Liang State.

They received no wages, and had to provide their own food and provisions, bearing all costs associated with their period of service.

The duration of Corvee Labor was short, perhaps a month or two, but it could last up to half a year—everything depended on the whim of their superiors.

One can only imagine how burdensome this was for an average local citizen.

Fortunately, as guards stationed at this small port, Wang Qing and his colleagues could exploit the opportunity to charge a docking fee when merchant ships arrived at the port.

Although the bulk of the fee had to be handed over to their superiors, what remained after that— their extra income—belonged to them.

Thus, collecting docking fees became a steady income for all port guards; their higher-ups were aware of this but turned a blind eye.

Liang’s own merchant ships could get away with paying less due to connections.

Chu’s merchant ships, with fewer connections, could be charged a higher fee.

Over the years, this had been the practice for all guards.

But now, due to the warfare, Chu’s merchant ships stopped coming entirely.

And Liang’s merchant ships, with Chu closing its trade ports, couldn’t head to Chu either.

Consequently, this vital source of extra income for all the guards vanished.

It wasn’t just the loss of income—they had to increase their vigilance for a potential Chu invasion.

Assigned to take night watches and called to duty early in the morning, they faced the biting river winds and freezing cold.

Finances dwindled, and life itself hung in the balance.

Combine the two, and one could understand the depth of resentment harbored by low-level guards like Wang Qing.

But unfortunately,

Becoming enemies with Chu was a decision made by the upper echelons, a decision by Chu itself.

The thoughts and opinions, the words and voices of lowly local guards like them, went unheard and uncared for by anyone.

Wang Qing and his ilk were only expected to follow Shangguan’s orders, obediently comply with the Military Order, and perform their minor roles.

He still complained because he was young, having seen less cruelty and suffered fewer beatings.

He didn’t understand what life was, or that calamity comes from careless talk.

But Old Qin, already in his thirties and a grandfather, although still a lowly figure, had a much broader perspective.

So, after listening to Wang Qing’s complaints for a while, Old Qin simply shook his head, then interjected, “Enough talk.

Just man your post.

So much chatter is unnecessary.

You know if Shangguan heard what you just said, it would be enough to get you decapitated.

It’s alright to talk to me about it, but with others…”

Old Qin was in the midst of counseling the younger generation.

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Truthfully, if Wang Qing weren’t a fellow villager with parents on good terms with him, he wouldn’t bother so much.

But before he could finish, Old Qin’s speech suddenly cut off, his eyes fixed on the distance, his whole body momentarily stunned, fear visible in his eyes.

In the dense fog from afar, countless dark shadows appeared, and as they drew closer, one by one, towering and terrifying warships crossed the river, heading towards the port from the south.

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