With the Blade

Chapter 305: Chapter 256: The Road Home

"So are we almost there?"

"Almost, we’ll be there soon."

"How soon is soon?"

"In any case, it’s soon."

In the group of refugees, Yang Xuan was patiently answering the children’s questions. He could feel that these children were very tired from the journey, as even he himself was exhausted.

Since leaving Ji’nan, they had traversed various provinces. These refugees had traveled more than a thousand miles... Although they had stopped to rest and set up temporary camps, the lingering fatigue still weighed on them.

Ultimately, these refugees understood that whether it was a temporary camp or a city where they paused, those places were not truly theirs. They were only stopping temporarily.

Those places were not their home; not somewhere they could truly settle in peace.

After war had destroyed their homelands, they became like rootless weeds, drifting wherever the wind blew. In this increasingly chaotic world, under this perilous sky, where could they find their footing, their true home?

But now, the wind has finally found its path home.

"Once we arrive, I want to build a big martial arts training ground!"

At the front of the group, Du Chengfeng, riding a horse, was imagining the wonderful life to come.

"I’ll train there, and everyone can come to train too. By then, I’ll be the head coach, and young Cui can be the assistant coach. And everyone’s physical fitness will improve in no time... What’s that? You’re saying I’m just doing it for my own amusement? Well, even if it is for my activity, I built it myself. Why don’t you hit me?"

"Why would I hit you."

Liu Bolun, sitting in a carriage, had surprisingly stopped drinking.

"I’m saying, it’s a waste to have such a large area just for that. How about we build a few more study halls and send the kids there to study... What do you mean by replacing me? Do I really seem that unsuitable to be the headmaster? I’m the one who actually learned things from the old man, right? Only I can hang the plaque of Ziyang Academy."

"Please, even the gate-keeping child disciples are more dependable than you."

Du Chengfeng mocked Liu Bolun ruthlessly.

It wasn’t merely verbal abuse but an objective fact. Although Liu Bolun was exceptionally talented, he had devoted all his energy to drinking. When it came to teaching, he might not even be as capable as those gate-keeping children who had systematically learned from Ruan Shantao.

Moreover, with Qian Yu in the group, it was clear that this old man was far more suitable to manage an academy than a drunkard.

At least with Qian Yu leading, the students could go directly to the headmaster’s study instead of checking every wine jar.

"By the way, who was it again?"

At this point, Du Chengfeng turned to look at the ex-cavalry general from the prairie beside him.

"What was your name again? If you want to set up a horse farm, you might have to wait a while. We don’t necessarily have enough fodder to support so many large animals for now..."

"That’s no problem; we can tend sheep for now."

The prairie general Zheerhu was not wearing armor at the moment but donned a leather coat, making him look like a usual herder.

Or rather, many of these prairie warriors were originally from herding backgrounds, attaining elite status through bravery and a willingness to risk their lives. It was quite a relief for them to have normal lives as surrendered soldiers.

Besides, it feels different.

If they were still serving the Khan, going from warriors to herders would mean demotion. If they went into hiding as deserters, going from warriors to herders would mean having nothing. But now, as warriors turning into herders, it brought a sense of relief.

After all, they risked their lives and fought on battlefields just to earn a few days of peaceful life.

"Keep up the good work, aim to get everyone some meat."

Du Chengfeng patted Zheerhu on the shoulder.

At that moment, the prairie veterans finally felt they were genuinely part of the group of refugees.

Anyone willing to use their own hands to build a home was always welcomed by Du Chengfeng.

Not just a few people, but all the villagers among the refugees were dreaming of future lives—some wanted to cultivate more land, some wanted to build more houses... Suddenly, the whole group became lively, and even the usually low-key Cui Yuan joined the discussion.

"Anyone who wants to learn swordsmanship, they can come to me."

The usually sword-obsessed Cui Yuan showed a hint of sociability for the first time. Although not many wanted to learn swordsmanship, his idea still received unanimous praise.

It was at this moment that Du Chengfeng paused, stopping beside the wooden man next to Li the Carpenter.

"Old brother, are you okay?"

Looking at the wooden figure on the cart, Du Chengfeng was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Do you have anything you want to do?"

"I..."

The wooden man was silent for a moment and ultimately shook his head with a bitter smile.

In the past few days, although it hadn’t shown on the surface, the doubts hidden in its heart had never faded—was it truly Li the Carpenter, or did it merely carry a memory? If it was really Li the Carpenter, then what was this staff in its hand?

"Brother Du."

Sighing, the wooden man picked up the staff and handed it to Du Chengfeng.

"Perhaps... he is your brother, and I am just..."

"Hey, don’t say that."

Du Chengfeng shook his head repeatedly.

"Now’s not the time to talk about this. At such a time... alright, if you must ask me this question, I honestly don’t know how to answer."

Looking at the staff handed over by the wooden figure, Du Chengfeng scratched his head.

"But on the bright side, I only had one big brother in the world, and now it’s two. Isn’t that a good thing?"

"You..."

The wooden man froze for a moment.

"Seems like it."

"Right?"

Du Chengfeng nodded.

"So there’s no need to dwell on this, no need to overthink. At least now, you can do what you want to do; you’ll have a carpenter workshop, create lots of things... you can even pass on your craft to your children, let it be handed down..."

"That’s the thing."

The wooden man thought for a moment and still scratched its head.

"Actually, that’s what I find most problematic."

"Oh? How so?"

"You see, there are two of me now, right?"

The wooden man pointed at itself and then at the staff.

"So who should the kids call dad?"