Looking at the characters on the plaque above the main gate, Jiang Jin was somewhat surprised. This was actually an armory, and judging by the well-preserved state of the buildings, it seemed to still be in operation.
After walking a distance away, Yun Yu whispered, I didn't expect the armory to still be in use.
Xia Chanyi asked in confusion, Even a small county town like Gefeng has an armory?
Yun Yu explained, It's just a place for making bows and arrows, nothing more. They don't have other weapons.
Bows and arrows were the most commonly used weapons for defending a city. Setting aside the crafting of bows, one could never have too many arrows prepared. This made it easy to understand why Gefeng had an armory.
Sorrow filled Yun Yu's eyes. In the past, we had artisans specifically dedicated to crafting bows and arrows. I wonder how many of them are left now? Who knows if these people are currently being forced to make weapons for the Quzhao people.
Qiu Wu glanced at Jiang Jin and said, Even if these people are making bows and arrows for the Quzhao, it's likely because they are forced to do so just to survive.
Jiang Jin smiled faintly. I understand.
Yun Yu gestured in a certain direction. Over there is the military camp, and behind the camp is the horse pasture...
Gefeng County was indeed very small, with only the South Gate and North Gate as its entrances and exits. However, there was an archery tower built on both the east and west city walls.
Inside the city, there was only one main road leading straight from the South Gate to the North Gate; the rest were all alleys or narrow paths.
Jiang Jin estimated the distance from the South Gate to the North Gate to be just over a kilometer, and the width of the city was likely about the same.
In other words, the city covered an area of just over one square kilometer. She couldn't tell the exact figure at a glance, but she guessed it wouldn't exceed 1.5 square kilometers.
The closer they got to the North Gate, the fewer intact houses there were. Most were collapsed and ruined, with scorch marks visible in many places.
Weeds grew wildly everywhere, presenting a desolate scene. It was obvious that this large area was uninhabited.
The North Gate was currently open, also guarded by soldiers, though not many—roughly a dozen or so.
As a military officer stationed at the border, Yun Yu was relatively familiar with Gefeng.
Right now, there is nothing left inside Gefeng County. If the commoners in the city want to survive, they can only go into the mountains outside the city to forage for food and gather firewood.
Xia Chanyi frowned. Aren't the Quzhao afraid that they'll run away once they leave the city?
Yun Yu shook his head. That is why they keep the North Gate open. Once you cross the mountains over there, it's Quzhao territory. They have nowhere to run.
Of course, one could try to use the mountainous terrain to escape after entering the mountains, but with the entirety of the Yan Kingdom engulfed in war, where could they possibly run to?
And how far could they run with absolutely nothing on them? Qiu Wu added.
The Quzhao would inevitably inspect anyone leaving the city. If people tried to leave carrying large bags and bundles, their intentions would be obvious, and they would definitely be stopped or even killed.
Jiang Jin noted, Furthermore, their families are all still in the city.
Xia Chanyi came to a sudden realization, her expression turning incredibly grim.
The group did not get too close to the North Gate. They merely watched for a moment, and after getting a clear look at the number of guards, they left.
Qiu Wu pushed the handcart, leading the way into an alley. Jiang Jin and the others followed behind him, beginning to scout the situation in the various districts of the city.
Two hours later, the group had walked through the entire Gefeng County town and found a roofless house to serve as a temporary resting spot.
Qiu Wu and Luo A'man stood guard outside to prevent anyone from approaching.
Zhou Sui and Yun Yu took the baskets and other items off the handcart, then flipped the cart upside down.
Zhou Sui took a dagger from his robes, slid it along the wooden boards at the bottom of the cart, and pried up a thin plank. This revealed a hidden blade inside—it was exactly Jiang Jin's Tang sword.
Jiang Jin had recruited quite a few talents, among whom were carpenters. The craftsmanship was so meticulous that it was practically flawless.
Then, using the same old method, they retrieved the others' swords as well.
It was a pity that bows and arrows were too large to conceal easily, but it didn't matter; it was enough that the enemy had them, even if they didn't.
Jiang Jin and the other four sat on the ground inside the house and began discussing the situation in Gefeng they had observed today.
She spoke first. There are at least fifteen soldiers guarding the South Gate, and twelve at the North Gate. It's uncertain how many men are at the county magistrate's office, the armory, and the military camp.
There is a small squad patrolling the city, which might increase at night. I didn't see any soldiers patrolling the city walls, but the east and west archery towers each have two or three soldiers standing guard.
They had encountered the patrol squad while strolling around various places, and the other party had flashed them the same strange smile.
Suddenly remembering something, Jiang Jin asked, Why weren't there any horses at the horse pasture?
Zhou Sui smiled. They were probably let out to graze.
Since it wasn't wartime, letting the horses out to graze could save a lot of horse feed.
Yun Yu nodded. Right, and there's also the grain collection team.
When the soldiers went out to collect grain, it naturally wasn't possible for them to walk; they definitely rode horses.
The barbarian tribes are mostly skilled in horseback archery. Even though Gefeng is a small county town and might not have many horses, there are definitely forty or fifty of them, Zhou Sui said with certainty.
The smile on Jiang Jin's face grew brighter. These would all soon be hers.
As the group was speaking in low voices, faint cries and screams echoed from within the city.
Jiang Jin and the others exchanged glances. She whispered, I'll go check out the situation.
Yun Chengxuan hurriedly said, I'll go too.
Xia Chanyi added, And me.
Jiang Jin replied, ...Alright. Zhou Sui, you guys stay here. We'll go see what's happening.
Taking the two of them, she quickly walked toward the source of the sound.
After passing through several alleys, the noise grew louder.
Soon, they saw a sparse circle of people gathered ahead.
This was the first time Jiang Jin and her group had seen the ordinary commoners of Gefeng since entering the city.
Through the gaps in the crowd of onlookers, Jiang Jin saw a tear-stained woman kneeling in the center.
The woman had two old burn scars on her face, making her look somewhat terrifying.
She tightly held a five or six-year-old boy in her arms, shielding his eyes from the scene before them.
Kneeling in front of her was an old woman with a head full of white hair. The shrill, despairing cries were coming precisely from this old woman.
She was kneeling and sprawled over a mangled, partially devoured severed head, crying so agonizingly that she couldn't control herself.
A few people in the gathered crowd were also wiping away tears.
Jiang Jin understood what had happened. She pursed her lips, watching the tragic scene before her.
The discussions of the bystanders reached her ears.
Sigh, how are they supposed to get by? Old Li's family has lost their only strong laborer. How will the remaining orphans and widows survive?
Tell me about it. He knew the situation at home, yet he still went deep into the mountains. Now that an accident has happened, this widow and child probably won't survive either.
Why would you say that? It's precisely because the whole family relied on him that he had no choice. If he didn't go deep into the mountains, there would be no way to survive either. Where can you even dig up wild vegetables on the mountains now? Even the tree bark and grass roots are gone.
That's true. This whole family depended entirely on him digging up wild vegetables to survive. They were practically eating dirt.
Sigh, it's death either way, just a matter of sooner or later.
Was it Zhang Daniu who found Old Li?
Yes, they went deep into the mountains together. After reaching the deep mountains, they separated to dig for wild vegetables. At the time, they heard the roar of a wild beast, and... and they heard Old Li's tragic screams. They just didn't dare to move or step forward.
Hiss, who would dare make a move against that kind of creature? Going up there would just mean death. It's already good enough that they were able to collect his remains and bring them back.
That makes sense. Sigh, I heard that deep in the mountains there are not only tigers but also large bears. I wonder if there are wild boars?
"So what if there are? Do you really think you can take them on? Wild boars aren't necessarily easier to hunt than tigers, and from what I hear, they always move in packs."
