Chapter Ninety-Six: The Two Soldiers—Fat and Thin

At this moment, Wang Yuanfeng arrived at the place where the army had vanished. He saw the boats occupied by refugees. Initially, he intended to blend in and observe the situation, but entering risked misunderstandings, and since he was not skilled in disguise, he chose to watch from nearby instead.

After observing for two or three hours, he realized these were people who had escaped from the southern region’s territory, mostly young men, with very few elderly, weak, women, or children.

At first, there were nearly a thousand people, and within two hours, several hundred more arrived, mainly those in their prime. Although some were old or weak, or women and children, they were rare.

Whenever a woman appeared among the refugees, the group would stare like wolves, and if there were few people around her, they would immediately snatch her away.

“Elderly and weak people probably find it hard to escape, and these strong young men are likely lazy freeloaders, mostly alone,” Wang Yuanfeng thought silently.

Indeed, most were single men without families or jobs, unburdened, able to eat their fill alone without worrying about others, free to go wherever they pleased.

In chaotic times of war, no one wanted to become a soldier unless they had family estates to defend the homeland or were outstanding talents.

Those with self-awareness would never willingly serve others, which is why people were forcibly conscripted.

Wang Yuanfeng felt he had seen enough. The boats had only been dismantled; their frames remained intact. Once the army had time, they could reclaim them and perhaps even recruit these people.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard voices. After some thought, he decided to observe a little longer. Finding a concealed spot, he saw two men, one fat and one thin, dressed in what looked like military uniforms, building a house.

Although their clothes were similar, their colors differed—one wore red, the other blue—and each carried a knife at their side.

As they worked, the fat soldier said, “Brother, how many escaped from your place?”

The thin one replied, tossing a piece of wood to the fat man, “Several hundred escaped from our side. These days, you have no choice but to flee—who doesn’t want to survive?”

The fat soldier placed the wood on a stone-built wall and said, “Yeah, I’m single, never touched a woman. Losing my life would be truly regrettable.”

The thin soldier fell silent, pounding a pile of mud with a stick, as if venting all his frustrations onto it.

After a while, he picked up a wooden shovel, scooped up some mud, and placed it on the stone roof, while the fat soldier had already spread straw over it.

The thin soldier shoveled mud onto the makeshift house, and the fat soldier smoothed it out on top.

Wang Yuanfeng saw that they intended to settle here for a long time.

After some time, the thin soldier spoke, “When you mentioned this, it really upset me. Seeing those great lords with their wives and children by warm fires—it makes my heart ache.”

The fat soldier, also uncomfortable, replied while working, “Who isn’t frustrated? In times of war and chaos, survival comes first. Marrying? Who can even think about that?”

“Brother, how many escaped from your place?” the thin soldier asked the fat soldier, who was sweating profusely, sweat dripping onto the mud, yet seemingly unaffected by the heat.

Without looking up, the fat soldier said, “Over a thousand, I guess.”

After a moment, he added, “Those with families fled deep into the mountains. They found empty land, cultivated a few acres, built a couple of houses, and could keep their wives and children warm. The rest of us, the extras, just escaped.”

The thin soldier chuckled bitterly, “Same for us. I came out looking for a way to live, hoping to settle down and marry someday.”

“That’s all we can do—find a way to live first. Save up for ten or fifteen years, then marry. That would be enough,” the fat soldier said thoughtfully.

The thin soldier agreed—leaving home still left hope. Who would want to abandon their home unless survival was impossible? Then he said, “If someone offers me a way to live, I wouldn’t even frown at killing or setting fires.”

“That would be good,” the fat soldier said weakly, finishing the roof and climbing down. “Let’s keep asking around, see if anyone knows where there’s a chance.”

The thin soldier nodded, pleased with their temporary shelter. “Let’s stay here a while longer, gather information on places still peaceful. Once we know, we can move out. With our strength, guarding a wealthy family’s estate should be easy.”

“Right,” the fat soldier said, looking over their handiwork. “We’re still young. If we find a way to live, ten years or so of work, it won’t be late to start a family.”

Hearing this, Wang Yuanfeng began to understand why so many fled: it all boiled down to wanting to marry. If given a chance, they would work hard. They were neither lazy nor irresponsible.

Suddenly, an idea struck him: if he could offer them hope, could he gather these people, give them a way forward, and have them work for him? It seemed fair.

With that thought, Wang Yuanfeng stepped out into view.

The two soldiers, sharp and alert, gripped their knives when they saw him deliberately reveal himself. Though not fearing a deadly threat, they prepared defensively.

Used to ragged people, they found it strange for a finely dressed, distinguished young man to appear suddenly, unsure of what to say, standing cautiously.

Seeing their stance, Wang Yuanfeng smiled and said, “No need to be nervous. I just want to ask you a few questions.”

The thin soldier exchanged a glance with the fat one and nodded. “Sir, anything we can say, we won’t hide.”

After some thought, since they had little to lose and Wang Yuanfeng didn’t seem hostile or a practitioner of dark arts, they relaxed slightly.

“Do you want to rise above your current state?” Wang Yuanfeng asked.

At this, both tightened their grip on their knife sheaths, muscles tense and ready, their alertness heightened. The fat soldier said, “You were nearby earlier, weren’t you?”

Wang Yuanfeng nodded silently. Whether in peace or chaos, one must first protect oneself before anything else.

One must never wish harm on others but always be wary. Without self-protection, one risks being devoured entirely. He had noticed simple traps on his way here, likely set by these two.

Though not a challenge for Wang Yuanfeng, it showed their determination.

“Just as I suspected,” he thought.

Reaching into his pocket, Wang Yuanfeng produced a piece of gold and tossed it to them. “I have a task for you. This is a deposit. Complete it, and you will rise.”

The thin soldier caught the gold, weighing it in his hand, then nodded to the fat soldier.

The fat soldier recognized it as real gold, worth dozens of silver taels—enough to make future endeavors easier—a windfall.

Both were tempted but remained cautious. The fat soldier said, “Sir, though this gold tempts us, we only accept money for helping others. If your request involves killing or burning, something wicked, we cannot accept.”

Wang Yuanfeng nodded inwardly, grateful they were loyal men. Seeing the thin soldier about to toss the gold back, he gestured to keep it.

Relieved, the two relaxed a bit. Honestly, their fascination was natural, and their favor toward Wang Yuanfeng grew.

He said, “I see you are honorable men. Let me be brief: I want you to organize these refugees.”

They hesitated, knowing it was a great opportunity—one step to the top—but looking at their ragged clothes, they felt embarrassed.

Wang Yuanfeng laughed, realizing he hadn’t explained well. “Initially, just organize the people. I will find ways to provide food and money. Your task is to build a town here and settle.”

Hearing this, they breathed easier—their livelihood secured. “May I ask your honorable name?” they inquired.

“Wang Yuanfeng,” he replied simply.

They exchanged a knowing look, then knelt, saying, “We are Zhang Yi and Li Zhong, at your service, Lord Wang Yuanfeng. Whatever you command, we will risk fire and water without hesitation.”

They lowered their heads nervously. Wang Yuanfeng saw their tension, understandable—people strive upward while water flows downward. It’s natural, especially since no evil deeds were asked.

They were agile men; it made sense they would submit to him.

“You two sure know how to climb,” Wang Yuanfeng said, looking at them on the ground. “Originally, I only wanted you to do some tasks. Whether you will be trusted more depends on your performance.”

The two tightened momentarily, then relaxed, inwardly relieved to have grasped a sturdy branch but still too nervous even to look up.