Chapter 115: The Refugee Camp
Chapter 115: The Refugee Camp
September 25, 2017
With thanks to 'Baba Xini' for their generous support!
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Lu HaiKong was not at the mountain fortress when Wang Ti brought the news. He had led his troops about ten kilometers away from the fortress.
Within ten kilometers of the fortress, the locals either already knew the location of Lu HaiKong's fortress or were preparing to go there. Essentially, the groundwork had been laid, and all that was left was to wait for them to arrive.
Beyond ten kilometers, Lu HaiKong still had work to do, but he wasn't wandering aimlessly with his troops.
Wang Jun, in the midst of the people, had an important task besides leading them to build a fortified wall. He was gathering intelligence from these newcomers.
Where they came from, their reasons for being there, and whether they had family or others left behind—these were the questions asked of every new arrival.
These seemingly simple questions allowed Wang Jun to gather essential information about the people. If they had family or others in their village, Wang Jun would take note and ask them to stay in the fortress for a few days. Once they developed a basic sense of belonging to the fortress, Wang Jun would approach them individually and ask them to return to their villages to bring back their families or others.
Through this method, word of the fortress spread within a ten-kilometer radius, and the number of people in the fortress grew daily, especially after Lu HaiKong's return.
The reason Lu HaiKong had ventured ten kilometers away from the fortress that day was because Wang Jun had received information from a local about a possible refugee camp in that direction.
The refugee camps mentioned by NPCs were vastly different from Lu HaiKong's expectations and the refugee camps in the fortress-building game. In the NPCs' words, these camps were formed by people who could no longer make a living and had to leave their homes, eventually gathering together due to various circumstances to create crude shelters.
Life in these refugee camps was miserable. They survived on wild roots, and every winter, large numbers of people froze or starved to death.
However, this particular refugee camp seemed to be quite large and had been established for several years. Many locals in the fortress knew about the village, and some had even planned to seek a living there.
Upon learning of this refugee camp, Lu HaiKong immediately sprang into action. He led a hundred bandits, including Dian Wei, and set off with a guide.
Despite having a guide, they only had a vague idea of the camp's location. It was incredibly well-hidden, and even after reaching the general area, it took Lu HaiKong and his companions nearly half an hour to find the camp.
They discovered it by chance, as Lu HaiKong caught a whiff of a putrid odor. Following the scent, they found a corpse that had been mutilated, and by tracking the drag marks on the ground, they located the refugee camp.
The locals were right; the camp was indeed large. Lu HaiKong estimated that there were at least five or six thousand people, all of them gaunt and malnourished, indicating a difficult life. Notably, there were few elderly or children in this refugee camp.
The arrival of Lu HaiKong and his group quickly caught the attention of the refugees. From a distance, the refugees stared at Lu HaiKong and his men, and when they saw the fine horses they rode, Lu HaiKong noticed a greedy glint in their eyes, as if they wanted to devour the horses whole.
As Lu HaiKong surveyed the scene, his brows furrowed in concern. The living conditions of these refugees far exceeded his expectations, and not in a good way.
He wondered how long they had been living like this. The refugees seemed like a group of unrestrained, morally unbound primitives. If not for the weapons he carried, these people might have pounced on him, killed him, and devoured his horse without a second thought.
Lu HaiKong also noticed a massive tallow pile in the center of the refugee camp, surrounded by numerous animal bones, many of which were from horses, and a few scattered human remains.
Cannibals! The bloody and cruel word echoed in Lu HaiKong's mind.
"The situation is worse than I imagined. Can these people be brought back to the fort?" he wondered, feeling troubled. While it might not be difficult to lead them away, integrating them into the fort's community, alongside the simple and honest commoners, would undoubtedly present various challenges.
Just imagine the reports from his subordinates about citizens being eaten alive!
"Looks like this trip was in vain," Lu HaiKong sighed, preparing to leave.
In the end, he decided to abandon this group of refugees. Despite their shared humble origins as poor commoners, and their current plight, Lu HaiKong had no choice but to leave them behind. These people had forsaken their basic conscience for survival.
(End of Chapter)
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