Chapter 151 : Chapter 151

Chapter 151. The Warm Hospitality of Rift Valley Town

Hearing the belated system reward, Jiang Yichen smiled faintly.

He did not open it right away. Instead, he chose to enjoy the beautiful hour of the evening glow first.

“Let’s go. Life is better when you take it slow. There’s still plenty of time for the mission. The most important thing is keeping yourself in a good mood.”

Jiang Yichen looked toward the distant rows upon rows of single-story tiled houses. Although the greenery was sparse, the place still looked lively and prosperous.

He found it all rather novel. He had long grown used to the life of a young master, so he truly had no idea what a remote little town looked like.

He did not understand why, either, but ever since his rebirth, he had discovered that he was full of curiosity about new things.

Unlike in his previous life, when he had been stubborn to a fault and had thrown away his love for life for Lin Wan.

Jiang Yichen took a deep breath of the dry border air and strode toward the distant town.

Su Linyu walked beside him, pointing at the sunset on the horizon and praising its beauty, saying that paired with the desert and rocky wasteland, it had a unique charm.

As for Chu Xingchen and the other two, who wanted to finish the mission as quickly as possible, they could only look on helplessly.

“Aren’t any of you going to object to him? He’s slacking off on the mission!” Jiang Feng said coldly.

Tang Long curled his lip and sighed. “You really are a terrible younger brother. Let me ask you something. Back when you were preparing for the Team League, what was your team doing?”

Jiang Feng froze for a moment, thought about it, and said, “Training, of course. Fatty, what kind of question is that?”

“Who are you calling fat? I already lost twenty jin. You...” Tang Long bristled with anger, then sneered. “Your team was training, while we were lying around in the sun and slacking off. And in the end, your team still couldn’t beat us. That’s really embarrassing.”

Jiang Feng’s expression immediately darkened. “That’s impossible. If you don’t cultivate diligently, there’s no way your realm can improve.”

“What a coincidence. Mine did.”

Tang Long grinned. “Brother Yichen taught us a cultivation method. It was just one sentence: keep your state of mind pleasant, and breakthroughs will come naturally.”

“If you don’t believe me, ask Old Chu.”

Jiang Feng slowly turned to look at Chu Xingchen, and the latter gave a slight nod.

“That’s right. Yichen’s cultivation method really is effective, so I trust him,” Chu Xingchen said firmly.

This time, Jiang Feng was completely dazed.

What?

You could break through without working hard?

Then what had his twenty-odd years of bitter cultivation even been for?

His heart cracked a little.

Tang Long could not be bothered with him and tugged at Chu Xingchen. “Come on, come on. Ignore this brain-dead domineering CEO.”

Chu Xingchen hesitated for a moment, but in the end he still said, “Jiang Feng, come with us. Don’t fall behind.”

Jiang Feng paused when he heard that, then finally stepped forward and followed.

The five of them walked along the country road, stopping from time to time as they observed the townspeople resting in the shade beneath red brick and tiled houses, chatting and laughing with leaf fans in hand.

The moment those townspeople saw them in military uniforms, their eyes lit up with delight. They hurried back into their homes and came out carrying eggs and vegetables, quickly surrounding them.

“Officer, these are eggs laid by my hens. They’re fresh. Please take them.”

“And this too. It’s especially nourishing for men. It’s called desert ginseng, cistanche. Officer, take it. It’s just a small token of my appreciation.”

“My family doesn’t have anything valuable, only these potatoes. I grew them myself, so I promise they’re clean and safe.”

“...”

More and more townspeople gathered, surrounding Jiang Yichen and the others tightly as though they were heroes worthy of worship.

Even Jiang Yichen was stunned by the sight. Looking at the warmly enthusiastic auntie in her headscarf, he waved his hand and said, “Auntie, there’s no need. We can’t accept things from ordinary people.”

“Oh, what’s wrong with that? Don’t tell me you think my things are too shabby and beneath you.”

“...” For a moment, Jiang Yichen did not know how to answer.

Su Linyu immediately took the eggs from the auntie’s hands instead. “Thank you, Auntie. But why are you all giving us things?”

“What a lovely girl,” the auntie said with a broad smile. “If you people weren’t here protecting us, how could we possibly live the life we have now? Of course we should thank you.”

“Look, this is my child. A year ago, he ran into the Great Rift Valley after refusing to listen to me. If it weren’t for you soldiers, my child would’ve been eaten by the Snakefolk.”

As she spoke, tears shimmered in the auntie’s eyes with emotion.

Only then did the five of them understand. It was not because they themselves had accomplished some great feat, but because the soldiers stationed here were heroes in the eyes of the people living on the border.

But they themselves had not actually done anything, so accepting these gifts made them feel deeply ashamed.

In the end, it was the officer who had driven them here who stepped forward and spoke in a fluent local dialect.

“Alright, alright, don’t frighten these kids. They’re still recruits. They came here this time to carry out a mission.”

“No wonder they all look so neat and handsome, except for that little chubby one. Squad Leader Li, what mission are they carrying out again?”

Squad Leader Li smiled. “They’re going to thoroughly wipe out the Snakefolk active in the Great Rift Valley. After this, you’ll be able to pass through the Great Rift Valley safely.”

At those words, the townspeople’s eyes immediately shone with joy.

The Great Rift Valley was not only the only route connecting the town to the outside world, it also contained all kinds of minerals, mountain herbs, and other resources. It was their source of livelihood.

If the Snakefolk inside could truly be eradicated, it would be wonderful news for the whole town.

“Squad Leader Li, can they really do it? Even you people couldn’t solve it. Can recruits really manage?”

“That’s right, Squad Leader Li. You can’t let these little ones throw away their lives for nothing. The Great Rift Valley used to have only Snakefolk, but recently a lot of Demonic Beasts have appeared too. It’s dangerous.”

Squad Leader Li raised his hand to calm them. “These are geniuses transferred over from the First Military District. They’re far stronger than people like us.”

The townspeople looked at Jiang Yichen and the other four. They were so young, and their skin was so smooth and well-kept that they hardly looked like soldiers at all. Worry flickered in their eyes.

Life and death were common on the border. They had experienced the pain of parting from loved ones forever, so they took such things very seriously. They did not want Jiang Yichen and the others to go off and die.

“Alright, alright, everyone, disperse now.”

Squad Leader Li dismissed the townspeople, then turned back to Jiang Yichen and the others.

“Come on. I’ll take you to the military camp at Rift Valley Town. Someone there will guide you into the Great Rift Valley.”

A smile rested on his lips. “If you really can completely clear out the Snakefolk in the Great Rift Valley, you’ll save at least a dozen lives every year.”

“That definitely won’t be a problem. We absolutely won’t let the townspeople’s gifts go to waste,” Tang Long said, thumping his chest.

For the first time, Chu Xingchen cast an appreciative glance at Tang Long.

Meanwhile, Jiang Feng kept his head lowered, his right hand in his pocket, clutching the disc Zhou Yu had given him.

In his left hand was a piece of baked naan that an honest-looking uncle had given him.

“That would be wonderful. On behalf of all the townspeople of Rift Valley Town, I thank you.”

Squad Leader Li shook each of their hands, put on his military overcoat, and walked ahead to lead the way.

As night fell, Jiang Yichen also began to feel a trace of chill. The eastern border was always like this, with an enormous difference between day and night temperatures.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a warm fur-lined coat was draped over his shoulders.

Jiang Yichen froze for a moment and slowly turned his head.

Su Linyu looked at him with a smile. The two shallow dimples on her cheeks were a pleasure just to look at.

“Brother Yichen, the temperature difference between day and night is huge here. I knew you wouldn’t pay attention, so I prepared this long ago.”

A wave of sweetness welled up in Jiang Yichen’s heart. Although he was not afraid of the cold at all, this kind of care was truly enough to make anyone’s heart stir.