The Military Queen-Chapter 66 - 57: Completing the Beginner Quest

"KAO," Yu heard the incomprehensible shout of the towering man launching the sneak attack and hopped away on one foot in a panic.

A dignified Messenger Soldier, with a beaming smile watching him, held a beautifully crafted slingshot in her hand and asked with concern, "Lord Yu, are you alright?"

Just like that, Number 0, as Yu’s lifesaver, was invited into the Water Control Mansion.

The Bald Soldier, who had fled the "crime scene" earlier, hid in a nearby corner and took off the black cloth from his face. His usually stern face was now distorted with pain. If his subordinates saw Lieutenant Colonel Lu in this condition, they would surely burst into laughter.

"Damn woman, daring to ambush me... to brazenly hit me, if I encounter her again, I will for sure..." One of the vigorous leaders of the Rand Military District, the "Black-faced Yama," was feeling suffocated for the first time in his life. Since he became a leader of street children at the age of ten, until he was adopted by his foster father, until today, he had never been put at such a disadvantage.

His nose was swollen, instantaneously deducting 1% of his Physical Strength, plus the disgusting Leech Needle that had sapped 5% of his Physical Strength, Lu Xun had just lost 6% of his Physical Strength in a short time since he entered Military Road. Even when he killed that troublesome nine-tailed fox, Lu Xun only lost 2% of his Physical Strength.

In terms of strength, Lu Xun was definitely one of the top players among current players. His 5% of Physical Strength was equivalent to Number 0’s 50% of Physical Strength. If Number 0’s Loli Reconnaissance Skill were strong enough, she wouldn’t have taken the chance just now to take revenge on Lu Xun.

"Character Name: Yijie. Physical Strength: 1710, Spiritual Power: 500, Anger Value: 80, Military Merit: 500." Lu Xun, also known as the Bald Soldier, re-examined his attributes to confirm there were no other injuries, then pulled out the bullet that Number 0 had used to attack him.

Although that female soldier’s strength was poor, the "toys" she carried had some notoriety. In the dim light, Lu Xun could only make out the bullet in his hand by relying on his sharp eyesight. By touch, Lu Xun found that the slingshot bullet was different from what he had expected.

"Not shaped from mud, nor is it as hard as rock," Lu Xun squeezed it again and found that while the bullet had indented a bit, no stone chips or powder had fallen off. He sniffed the bullet at his nose, and his eyes suddenly widened, "Red copper!" More than 2000 years ago, for the Eastern Yi and Tushan, it was the first mineral to emerge in the world – red copper, to think it would appear in the hands of that female soldier.

"What is this?" Yu, who was having a late-night conversation with Number 0, took from the Messenger Soldier a gift said to be from Tushan Nujiao. It was a red "mountain stone" smoother than any other rock. Yu, who had traveled across many mountains, had never seen a stone like this, so dense yet so soft.

"Does Lord Yu still remember the place where you first met Lady Nujiao? On Tushan Mountain’s back hill, there’s a red mountain stone. Every evening, Lady Nujiao takes Master Qi to climb the mountain and look far into the distance. Year after year, looking to the north night and day. Over eleven years, the stone from afar has taken on the visage of Lady Tushan. The tribe people all call that red stone the husband-watching stone." Number 0 didn’t relay Tushan Nujiao’s original message but chatted about the daily anecdotes of Tushan Nujiao and Qi like family gossip.

After listening, Yu’s eyes teared up and his lips trembled uncontrollably. It had been eleven years; three times he had passed by his home without entering. Indeed, he had made Nujiao suffer.

"Lord Yu, if one’s own house is not in order, how can one pacify the world? Besides, the world is not solely yours anymore. The assassination tonight serves as a warning. The object Lady Nujiao has sent is only to tell you that Tushan is your true home, the only place that can support you." Those red mountain stones used as bullets, after being hammered and refined by craftsmen, were the earliest extractions of red copper ore. With the right methods, in some time, Tushan Tribe will become the first tribe to possess red copper.

"..." Yu pondered deeply. He had also heard of Lord Shang Jun’s actions, and Emperor Shun had criticized him more than once. But in private, he was still supporting Shang Jun’s power.

"I heard that you refuse to go home because the water disaster has not yet been resolved and the people’s hearts are restless. But once the water disaster is cleared, what’s the use of this Water Control Mansion?" Number 0 continued up the Yellow River; the river floods usually happen at the beginning of spring, when the ice at the Hukou breaks and melts. The recent water disaster would be next year; now, it is Yu’s time to take summer rest.

Yu’s father, Gun, was also a descendant of a noble family. Although his water control was fruitless, he also did not commit any offenses, but in the end, he was executed. Thinking of these, and linking it to the assassination from earlier, Yu couldn’t help but frown. Many years away from home, struggling without being valued, the pent-up frustration reached its peak tonight, articulated by the words of the Messenger Soldier.

Yu’s emotions were like a raging flood, violently surging and awaiting diversion. Number 0’s words precisely carved out the fragile breach within his heart, allowing his emotions, dissatisfaction, and ambition to spill forth all at once.

He clenched his fists with both hands and slammed them down hard on the stone table.

The red copper bullets in his hands were already hot and deformed from the rubbing. Yijie was still waiting outside when suddenly, his Military Merit Points underwent a change, and a new line appeared in his task book, "System Task 3 complete, pertaining to a collaborative project, all participating players each receive 250 Military Merit Points."

A figure emerged from the Water Control Mansion, none other than a neatly dressed Yu. He donned his brown straw coat and hat, with a stone shovel tucked onto his back. When Yu walked away, he changed from his previous heavy gait. The moon hung high in the night sky, and the once disheartened water saint, with the world in his chest and thoughts of the Tushan home in his mind, pressed on without a break towards Tushan. After returning from this journey, he truly would be Xia Yu.

"He did it. She actually convinced him," Yijie muttered to himself. He then looked towards the Water Control Mansion; Yu had left, but the Messenger Soldier hadn’t come out. He waited for a while longer, but she still didn’t appear.

Yijie cursed under his breath; there was no doubt in his mind that the cunning female soldier had sneaked away, "Next time, if I catch her, at the very least, she should let me know her name." Lu Xun was not a petty man; he was genuinely interested in befriending such a smart new recruit.