Chapter 243: Do You Want to Work?
Hearing Luo Er’s words, Yu Luo’s expression grew serious. She also wanted to know where these people came from.
Without hiding their movements, she and her group used their lightness skill to land directly in front of the approaching men.
The men leading the group immediately grew wary at their sudden appearance, gripping their wooden sticks tightly and assuming a defensive stance.
“What do you people want?”
The one who spoke was a man in his forties, dressed in tattered cotton clothes. The wooden stick in his hand looked well-worn, smoothed from years of use. His rough hands gripped it firmly.
At his signal, the large crowd behind him came to a halt, craning their necks to see what was happening up ahead.
The first row alone had forty to fifty men, and as soon as they saw Yu Luo’s group, they surrounded them without hesitation, encircling them completely.
“We live in this area. We saw a large group like yours approaching from a distance and got curious, so we came to take a look. Uncle, what’s going on? Why are so many of you coming this way?”
Yu Luo’s voice was soft and gentle, and she looked both kind and delicate. However, the men beside her, with their neat clothing and swords at their waists, clearly seemed like trained warriors.
The older man swallowed hard, sighing deeply.
His parched lips, ragged clothes, and bare, calloused feet made Yu Luo even more suspicious.
“We escaped from Jiuzhong Mountain. We were trapped there for years, forced to mine by mountain bandits. Then, one day, a group of government soldiers stormed the area and clashed with the bandits. Many of our fellow miners died in the chaos, so we fled down the mountain.”
“Exactly! We originally planned to run toward Pingyang City, but more soldiers kept showing up. Many of us are former exiles—if we went toward the city, we’d be dead for sure. If the government caught us, we’d either be executed or thrown back into prison. So, we made a desperate choice and ran toward the wasteland instead.”
As the older man finished speaking, a younger one beside him quickly chimed in.
Yu Luo was shocked by their explanation.
She had been planning to visit that gold mine again once she had access to the system. If she could get her hands on a few more invisibility talismans, she might have been able to sneak in. Otherwise, with her current strength, going there would have been suicide.
But now… the private mine had already been raided by the authorities?!
That was perfect!
Now, she didn’t have to worry about the gold and weapons she had stolen being discovered!
Hahaha!
The more she thought about it, the more delighted she became.
She had spent so much time worrying about this issue, only for the government to step in and solve it for her.
“Yes, we’ve been walking for almost a month now. We survived by hunting wild animals. We were lucky to finally find people from the Lan Yue Dynasty. Young lady, judging by your accent, you’re from Lan Yue, aren’t you?”
Yu Luo forced herself to suppress the joy bubbling inside her, maintaining a calm and composed expression.
Another man had spoken, drawing her attention back to reality. She turned to face him.
“Yes, I’m from Lan Yue. Many of the exiles from Lan Yue have settled in this area. Those from other countries usually settle closer to their own borders.”
“That’s great! Since you’ve lived here for a while, could you help us out? With so many of us, where do you think we should settle?”
“Settle? You’re not planning to wait for the soldiers to leave before returning to Lan Yue?”
Hearing the man’s question, Yu Luo’s suppressed excitement surged again.
She needed people—desperately.
If all these men stayed and worked for her, they could help farm the land, build the city, and train as soldiers. That would solve all her current problems at once!
As the thought took shape in her mind, she looked at the man with a newfound glimmer of expectation.
“Go back to Lan Yue? Ha! Are you joking, young lady? We’ve been mining for years in that hellhole, and the only way back is through Pingyang City. Do you think we’d make it past the government forces?”
“If we went back, we’d either be exiled again, thrown into prison, or forced to mine for the government instead.”
As he spoke, the man shook his head vigorously, his face full of fear.
“No, no, no! Just thinking about that fate is terrifying. Why would we go back? We all discussed it already—we’re staying in the wasteland. If the people already living here can survive, why can’t we? We’re strong and able-bodied. Maybe after a few years, the situation will change, and we can return.
“But honestly, that’s unlikely. Some of us were kidnapped and forced to work in the mines, while others are exiles. We don’t have travel permits, so we’d never be able to pass through Pingyang City’s checkpoints. We’re better off staying here, struggling to survive in the wasteland.”
Yu Luo’s heart pounded with excitement.
She barely managed to keep her face neutral as she nodded. Then, glancing behind the man, she looked at the seemingly endless crowd stretching far into the distance before turning back to him.
“How many of you are there? Have you counted?”
“There are 16,700 of us. But don’t worry, young lady. Even though there are hardly any women in the wasteland, and we haven’t seen a lady as pretty as you in years, we mean no harm. If you can just point us to a good place to settle, we won’t bother you.”
“Hah! You might be a large group, but we’re not afraid. If anyone dares to lay a finger on our Miss, we’ll slaughter every last one of you.”
Luo San sneered, making his stance clear right away.
“No, no! We wouldn’t! We’ve already been miraculously lucky to escape that mine. If we committed any terrible crimes, the heavens would surely punish us!”
“You’d better keep it that way.”
After Luo San’s warning, Yu Luo paused to think before turning back to the older man. She decided to get straight to the point.
“With so many people, survival is going to be a problem. You can’t just rely on hunting—if all of you start killing wildlife for food, you’ll wipe out the local animal population in no time.”
She took a step forward, her voice calm but firm.
“I’ve been hiring people to clear farmland. I pay one tael of silver per month, plus three meals a day. If you’re interested, discuss it among yourselves and let me know if you’re willing to work.”
