Chapter 131: Preparations in Tianfeng

“Brother Ye Lin, we’ve reached Tianfeng,” Yenir announced.

“Besides myself, I’ve brought along the deputy leader from the Zhenbei Security Zone. He’s a third-tier expert and one of my father’s trusted men—absolutely reliable!”

“Wang Zheng also brought his father, Wang Tian. We didn’t call anyone else but the necessary personnel.”

“Rest assured, if you’re here to discuss business, you can speak freely.”

Within the inner city of the Tianfeng Security Zone, Yenir glanced over the news sent by Chen Yong and gave a slight nod.

Efficiency was impressive—it was clear Chen Yong was committed. The tone was so intense that one might think I had summoned him to stage a coup in the Security Zone…

Smiling, Yenir casually replied:

“Meet outside the city tomorrow morning.”

After sending the message, he didn’t waste another word. Surveying the soldiers on patrol, it was evident that the message he sent a second time had been confirmed by Xiao Hai. Not bad—Xiao Hai, as a leader in the Security Zone, was clearly fulfilling his basic duties.

However, while heading out for the assembly, Yenir noticed someone tailing him.

With his keen perception, he immediately recognized them as personnel from the Tianfeng Military.

Trailing me? Could it be that the message has drawn some unwanted attention?

Unaware that he had nearly driven Xiao Hai to the brink, Yenir assumed they were simply monitoring him because of the message. But regardless of the reason, he remained indifferent.

“Tomorrow, we make our move—all skills at the ready.”

“Just like before, I’ll keep Dimensional Slash in reserve in case of emergencies. Those two skills should be enough to handle a third-tier within the corpse tide.”

“Though, maybe after this, I can ask Chen Yong and the others for an advanced sword technique manual?”

Recalling the empty slot in his skill set, Yenir couldn’t help but contemplate leveraging both the Military and the Merchant Guild. Before participating in the third-tier promotion trial, it was best to keep one’s battle power as high as possible.

He hoped he could acquire a skill akin to Dimensional Slash…

He wasn’t worried about his battle power; his primary focus was on his survival. His attack output was off the charts, yet he remained too fragile.

As for the skills beyond the third tier, those would naturally be drawn from the national treasury.

Who knows what the official S-tier skills would evolve into once enhanced by the Sword God’s talent?

Lost in thought as he walked, it wasn’t long before Yenir arrived at Tianfeng’s Supply Trading Center.

The familiar scene greeted him: survivors loudly hawking equipment and weapons, akin to shoppers at a bustling market, all eagerly picking out the weapon of their choice.

Navigating through the crowded throng with ease, Yenir immediately spotted Wang Kun’s stall.

It still appeared somewhat desolate.

The taciturn middle-aged man, who had the air of a teacher, sat silently at his stall, meticulously crafting crossbows.

“Brother Wang, has your child’s condition improved?”

Bending down with a smile, Yenir casually waved his hand in front of the middle-aged man.

Startled by the familiar voice, Wang Kun, who had been busy carving crossbow bolts, suddenly jerked his head up and hastily stood.

“Y-Yenir, brother!?”

Flustered yet delighted, after roughly wiping some polishing oil from his clothes, he stuttered as he reached out to grasp Yenir’s hand.

However, not being skilled in social niceties, he ended up saying nothing at all.

“It’s fine, just keep working. I’m here to check on you and ask how your child is doing,” Yenir said warmly.

“If you’re short on Credit Points, I’ve got some extra here.”

At Yenir’s words, Wang Kun’s nose twitched with emotion as he quickly waved his hand:

“Alright! My child is fine now!”

“Yenir, you gave me way too many last time! I still have plenty left—you really don’t have to worry about it!”

Before he could finish speaking, he decisively pulled a card from the pouch at his chest.

“There are still 1604 points on here. Take it back!”

“I owe you 400 points and I’ll repay you as soon as I can! Or if you don’t mind, take whatever you fancy right now!”

Watching the middle-aged man fumble through his stall, Yenir let out a small sigh and firmly grasped his calloused hand, saying earnestly:

“Brother Wang, as long as your child is alright, that’s all that matters.”

“Keep the extra Credit Points. Consider it a little help to buy some food for your kid.”

Yenir smiled easily. Seeing that the kind-hearted middle-aged man who had helped him so much in his past life was still the same kind soul, he couldn’t help but reflect. In these end times, kindness and honesty were hardly advantages.

Take Wang Kun, who had struggled all his life, working diligently with his craft without earning much extra. Life itself was a constant battle. Meanwhile, that slick, portly owner at the auto shop seemed to be living comfortably in comparison.

Signaling that he really didn’t need any more help, Yenir didn’t intend to stay long.

His presence here only added an immense “pressure” on Wang Kun.

“Brother Wang, try to avoid the Outer City these days—or better yet, don’t go out at all. If nothing urgent comes up, I’ll take my leave.”

“If you encounter any trouble, just let me know.”

With that, Yenir turned and left, politely declining the extra help Wang Kun offered.

Watching Yenir gradually meld into the crowd, the typically steadfast middle-aged man stood there in a daze, uncertain why Yenir felt compelled to help him. All he knew was that he was deeply indebted to him.

“A good man…”

“He’s bound to be rewarded someday…”

Murmuring to himself, he wiped away tears that no man his age should shed. The dark polishing oil smeared across his weathered face gleamed like polished coal.

……….

Outside Tianfeng City, massive troops were assembling.

Under the military’s stern shouts, the survivors gathered in the encampment along the city walls looked around in anxious bewilderment.

“Sir, what’s going on here?!”

“Are we really under attack by monsters?!”

After what seemed like a prolonged period of peace,

tens of thousands of survivors huddled together, anxiously questioning the soldier delivering orders.

It had only been a little over twenty years since the last corpse tide siege, and hearing such news once again drove many into panic.

“Don’t ask too many questions!”

“Everyone, immediately retreat to the Outer City behind the Security Zone! We need to clear this area as a staging ground! If you’re late, don’t say we didn’t warn you—lives are at stake!”

No time for pleasantries—the soldiers’ sole task was to rapidly organize the evacuation of survivors.

Words were meaningless when dealing with such large numbers; you’d find every type from the stubborn to the unruly.

“Move… further back?!”

“Sir! All our belongings are here! Moving them means risking our lives!”

“Exactly! How can we move everything in just two hours?!”

The crowd grew agitated and frantic.

Once this area turned into a battleground, it would mean the end of their homes.

Evacuate to the encampment behind the Security Zone? There’s no way that place could accommodate everyone. Each shelter in every direction was already overflowing. They might end up sleeping in the trash—or worse, not even having a place to stand!

Bang!

Bang!

A series of gunshots rang out.

The soldiers clearing the Outer City staging area fired into the air emotionlessly, intending to intimidate the crowd.

“No more nonsense! If I tell you to retreat, you retreat! If you refuse now, it’s on you when things go south!”

There was no time for further debate. Although the Outer City staging area wasn’t needed immediately, if the wild front couldn’t hold off the corpse tide, they would soon face the worst siege of their lives. Then, not only would those poor people lose their homes, Tianfeng itself might be in jeopardy!