Chapter 1209
Chapter 1209 - 1195: The Wind Rises
1,444 words
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8 min read
"....It seems like nothing has changed."
Two months of tedious time flashed by, and when he just arrived at the surface, feeling the sea breeze blowing in his face, Lu Ping’an felt as if it was just yesterday.
Looking around, it was still an endless ocean.
"It’s all sea, and you can’t see any change at once. Moreover, the real significant changes are actually on the land..."
Lu and his companions had walked out from a "Sanctuary" on the ground.
This was a floating island above the ocean, surrounded by bustling people. In contrast, Lu Ping’an appeared like a lone tourist... Considering his age and the crowded people around him, even his greetings involved only a thin packet, making his appearance and actions seem somewhat immature.
Naturally, as with his previous journeys, the moment this ’easy prey’ appeared, a professional "guide" approached him voluntarily.
Lu Ping’an did not refuse the service, at least for now, for he still needed information support.
Time is the most magical magician, capable of turning friends into foes, and former protectors into aggressors. Lu Ping’an was not in a hurry to contact the "Lin Nu’s Church headquarters" for information support... He wanted to see with his own eyes what had happened over the past ten years, how many had changed, and how many had remained the same from start to finish.
".....Choosing not to land on the land was the wisest choice. It’s all madness there now, with Divine Beasts, the Salvation Army, and Abyssal Insects frantically competing for territory, especially those insects..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Ping’an frowned; he seemed to hear a name that was both interesting and familiar.
"The Salvation Army?"
"You don’t know? Oh, it looks like you really are new here. The Salvation Army is a generic term meaning ’warriors who expel foreign enemies and save the world.’ Anyone who meets this criteria can call themselves the Salvation Army...."
The Long Hand Clan in front of him was quite talkative, but what surprised Lu Ping’an more was his vigor.
The previously sickly state of his body and spirit was not the most deadly aspect; it was his lack of confidence to even look people in the eye that was almost incurable.
But now, this "young man" before him was chatting eloquently.
"...Do you often see humans going out from here?"
"Of course, aren’t you one of the divine soldiers from the Spark Church... Er, I understand the rules, I won’t ask what I shouldn’t."
This statement was quite informative, and after Lu Ping’an asked a few more questions, he understood the situation.
The Gods of the new world were deeply embroiled in this war, and their link to the world via the "Divine Boat," naturally established a direct connection to the native land.
Therefore, considering the high transportation costs in this world, using the Deity’s "Divine Boat" teleportation gate seemed like a good choice.
Of course, this was also thanks to the "permission" of the World Consciousness, even possibly with its intervention to help reduce the actual cost of teleportation.
"I hear that in the Divine Kingdom, there is endless sweet wine and countless honeydew, which is truly enviable. Unfortunately, I am among the rejected..."
This made things even more delicate.
Observing the Long Hand Clan in front of him, Lu Ping’an could not clearly discern his actual age. Judging by appearance alone, Lu Ping’an estimated that this man looked like an adult... But considering the local situation and his obviously different vigor from his predecessors, Lu Ping’an guessed he was quite young.
"Have you drunk Deep Vein Dragon Liquid? How many years have you been born?"
"Deep Vein Dragon Liquid? Oh, do you mean the Growth Spring Water? Of course, once during the full moon, once at one year old, then once every year after, and I’ll be three years old in two months. Then, I’ll have it again, and I can start planning for children. Heh, I need to earn more. I want to have five..."
Three years old? Having five? Watching this Long Hand, taller than himself, Lu Ping’an sighed.
Perhaps this was the taste of things being what they once were not, but the real trouble was probably just beginning.
"Tell me about the current situation," Lu Ping’an said, not hiding the fact that he was reinforcements from the Foreign Domain. "The passage outside has stabilized, and I am part of the first wave..."
Lu Ping’an did not care about the drastic change in the person’s expression before him. He knew some things would soon spread across the entire world, but before the changes occurred, he had to be prepared.
"...tell me about the local situation, the more detailed, the better."
Merely hearing the name Salvation Army, Lu Ping’an felt a tingling on his scalp... It seemed like something he had casually mentioned before.
"In these Chaos Times, it’s unrealistic to expect a complete command structure. You’ve seen our history—various rebel armies, so-called righteous armies, merely finding a slogan everyone can rally behind, like ’Overthrow the Qing to restore the Ming,’ ’White Lotus Salvation,’ or ’Expel the barbarians.’ Nothing too lofty, the broader and more universal, the better. As long as you stand by this slogan, we are allies..."
This approach has the advantage of potentially unifying more people; anyone with a flag and a couple of followers can recruit troops and form a righteous army.
The disadvantage is that they are disjointed, and after the external battles are over, a civil war is inevitable.
"....but to be honest, I don’t think you’ll face a civil war anytime soon because the external war is never-ending."
But obviously, Lu Ping’an still underestimated human nature.
"The Salvation Army now has at least a few hundred factions, with the most famous being around seventeen or eighteen. I heard that a couple of days ago, two factions clashed fiercely, and there might be one less now..."
Anytime there is a conflict of interests, even if the external war continues, internal conflict can still break out.
At this moment, Lu Ping’an’s feelings were complicated.
Being able to fight internally also signifies, in a way, that the situation at the frontline isn’t too dire—some still have the energy to cause trouble.
What troubled him was that once the gates were opened, although some reinforcements were on their side, the enemy’s reinforcements were several times, even dozens of times, greater in number.
".....The real test has just begun, and internal strife has already started."
However, after delving deeper into the situation, Lu Ping’an could somewhat understand.
"Land, they are fighting over land, and it’s said to be a treasured land, one where you can grow Fruit..."
Well, unsurprisingly, in the history of Intelligent Species, land, especially fertile land, is the most common trigger for wars.
There’s bad news and also good news—at least the "plan" has been largely successful, and the situation at the frontline remains relatively stable.
The Abyssal Insect Race experienced a "split," with part reportedly joining local powers and gaining recognition, known as the Returner Faction, and another part being expelled to a "Large Island," currently enduring a siege.
The Lava Clan had it the worst; when the world closed its gates to fight its own battles, they lost their support and were the target of overwhelming hatred, suffering the unpleasantness of repeated flooding.
Now, their main base is lost, merely lingering on in their own "World."
The overall situation at the frontline looks promising, and the relaxation has naturally led to more internal conflicts.
But if you delve into the details, it’s completely understandable... The territories you conquer are naturally yours, but land is always precious. Even amongst one’s own group, disputes can arise, let alone in a group that’s just superficially united.
"Chamber of Commerce, the Rebirth Chamber of Commerce, have you heard of it?"
What Lu Ping’an was most concerned about was still his own people.
"Holy Ship Commerce Association? Who doesn’t know it—I was born there. At that time, our tribe was doomed, and then the Black Ship appeared on the horizon, so I was named ’Zhao Zhaochuan.’ At that time, we truly were in despair..."
However, Lu Ping’an on the other side was feeling more and more that something was off as he listened.
"Uh, the more I hear, the less it makes sense, are you messing with me using mythology?!"
— End of Chapter 1209 —