Xu Xing woke up amidst the clamor, her head pounding, a symptom of a hangover. This headache upon waking after drinking could stem from two possibilities: consuming fake alcohol or drinking too much. Typically, recovery from such a state would take at least a couple of days.
Lin Yue, hearing the fervent cheers, smiled and remarked, "It seems everyone is shouting your name. You've become the 'Xian Immortal' in their eyes. It appears you've been deified in just a day and a night."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xing was stunned. She leaned towards the car window and looked out, immediately seeing countless people cheering. The crowd along the Yangtze River was endless, an immeasurable number of people hailing her.
Xu Xing was completely bewildered. Were these people shouting "Xian Immortal" truly welcoming her?
"How can this be? I haven't done anything. Why are these people welcoming me so enthusiastically? I don't understand at all," Xu Xing murmured.
At that moment, Lin Yue spotted Li Yiqiang and his group in the distance and said, "Guessing here won't get you anywhere. Why not go ask Li Yiqiang?"
Xu Xing suddenly realized a serious issue. "Wait a moment. These people are calling me Xian Immortal, treating me like a deity. That's not good. The City Lord is known as the Wind God. If I'm now called Xian Immortal, wouldn't that be disrespectful to the City Lord, implying I wish to rival him?"
"Oh, come on. The City Lord isn't that petty. It's just a title. Any title is fine for the City Lord, as long as it's not derogatory. As for you, just focus on dealing with the current situation," Lin Yue said with a smile.
In Lin Yue's view, Xu Xing was overthinking. Who was Shen Feng? He wouldn't be jealous of Xu Xing over a mere title. Shen Feng's reputation was already known globally. Xu Xing, at this moment, was being cheered by tens of thousands, even earning the moniker "Xian Immortal." However, ultimately, such a title could never overshadow "Wind God."
The Chinese people have a tendency to deify heroic figures and create rankings, much like the "Five Whites of the Central Plains" or the "Twelve Supremes." Anyone with outstanding abilities can be called a great god. Xu Xing was clearly experiencing such a phenomenon now, being referred to as "Xian Immortal."
Xu Xing, regaining her composure, became worried. "With so many people gathered along the Yangtze River, the people in Wine City will surely notice. If we're ambushed, the crowd could descend into chaos. What then?"
Lin Yue pondered. "If such a situation arises, then it will be up to you and me. Let's just hope the people inside the city don't use it as an opportunity to escape."
As the vehicle arrived at the camp, Xu Xing alighted from the car, and a surge of fervent cheers erupted around her. The people here had all heard that Xu Xing had come to save them. Oppressed by two demons, their suppressed anger ran deep. Xu Xing's arrival provided them with a rallying point.
Regardless of Xu Xing coming from Yuzhou, the fact that she brought back so many trucks of food was enough for everyone to remember her. Thus, as soon as Xu Xing emerged, she was met with a warm welcome. Wherever she went, numerous disaster victims looked at her with fervent eyes.
Seeing the countless fervent gazes surrounding her, Xu Xing was momentarily taken aback, having never expected to be so popular overnight.
Li Yiqiang stepped forward and addressed Xu Xing, "Lord Xu Xing, I have gathered the surrounding disaster victims as you instructed. There are over forty thousand disaster victims here, and more are still converging. By evening, the number of disaster victims may reach fifty thousand. The people have suffered greatly. Upon hearing that you would avenge them, they came immediately."
Upon receiving this news, Xu Xing thought, "Fortunately, Master Zhizhen's plan is proceeding smoothly. The next step is to surround Wine City."
When executing Elder Zhizhen's plan, Xu Xing was actually unsure of its success. However, as things had unfolded to this point, Xu Xing truly realized the high feasibility of Elder Zhizhen's plan. Almost every step was proceeding according to his design. Therefore, as long as they continued to follow the plan, they could proceed to slay demons and eliminate evil.
However, Lin Yue then began questioning Li Yiqiang, "What about the firearms from Steel City? When will they arrive?"
Li Yiqiang replied helplessly, "I've contacted them. They should arrive by evening at the earliest. The Yangtze River is currently in its dry season, and there are also those in Steel City who oppose our revenge for the boss. Mobilizing firearms is not a simple matter."
"Arriving only late at night? That's not good news. If the enemy escapes under the cover of darkness, our mission's completion rate will be compromised," Lin Yue said with a frown.
Xu Xing pondered, "I don't think Xue Ba and Dong Chao would give up so easily. They've worked hard to collect so much wealth in Wine City and achieved their current status. Why would they abandon their prosperity so readily? And their lackeys certainly wouldn't leave, especially since we haven't launched our attack yet."
Lin Yue considered this, offering no definitive opinion, as it was merely a possibility. Anything that hadn't happened yet couldn't be a certainty. As long as it wasn't a certainty, the enemy could still escape. One should never underestimate anyone's resolve.
Lin Yue whispered a few words into Xu Xing's ear, and Xu Xing suddenly understood. She then instructed Li Yiqiang, "Find some strong and reliable men to unload the grain first. Store the grain in nearby villages, then distribute it. Each person gets ten catties of grain."
Under Lin Yue's guidance, Xu Xing understood how to win over the people. She immediately put it into action. At this moment, as long as the disaster victims received food, they would be loyal. Taking advantage of this, they would secure the stronger individuals among the disaster victims. Next, they would attack the city, and the cooperation of these people would be essential.
...
Inside Wine City, within the palace, Xue Ba had summoned over twenty of his confidantes, including his second-in-command, Dong Chao. In normal times, Dong Chao would remain in the Buddhist temple, as he needed to project his status as a sect leader, appearing as mysterious as possible. However, now, the core members of Wine City were all gathered here. Dong Chao, a plump bald man, held a string of prayer beads, his face beaming with a smile, while Xue Ba wore a grim expression.
"Boss, why have you summoned us today? Are you bestowing rewards upon us? Or perhaps, are we holding a banquet?" several leaders chuckled, believing it would be like any other occasion for enjoyment. In the banquets held in the palace, there was wine and meat to satisfy appetites, and female slaves for release.
Thus, as they saw their boss gather everyone, they immediately anticipated the upcoming treatment, their smiles gradually turning lecherous, clearly thinking of pleasant things.
However, upon noticing his subordinates' disposition, Xue Ba immediately began to scold them, "What time is it now, and you're still thinking about enjoyment? We're on the verge of being overthrown, and yet you remain oblivious. What a bunch of fools!"
Dong Chao, while fiddling with his prayer beads, said, "This matter is quite sudden, so it's normal that they don't know. It's not the time to blame them. How about I explain what happened? As for how to deal with this crisis, we'll need to brainstorm together."
With Dong Chao having said this much, Xue Ba couldn't continue scolding and merely nodded. "Then please, brother, explain the situation."
Dong Chao then said, "This matter is truly unexpected. Even when I first heard the news, I couldn't believe it was true. Because from Yuzhou, Shen Feng wants to annex us. This is a particularly serious problem, so serious that we cannot afford to ignore it. Currently, forty to fifty thousand disaster victims have been mobilized outside the city. If these people storm the city, our foundation will be completely ruined."
Upon hearing this, everyone was greatly astonished. This was an attack from Yuzhou. Shen Feng of Yuzhou had never shown any signs of expansion, having spent years consolidating Yuzhou. Yet, at this very moment, Shen Feng was making a move against them. It was too sudden. Did Shen Feng intend to annex Wine City?
"Shen Feng, that bastard is truly shameless. We are all civilian organizations. It's one thing for him to fall out with the headquarters, but now, instead of reasoning with the headquarters, he's attacking us. This is completely unrighteous."
"Exactly. Didn't the second-in-command personally visit Shen Feng before? We considered him our boss. Whenever Yuzhou had any issues, we eagerly sent gifts, and they accepted them. Yet now, they've turned their backs on us so abruptly."
"Shen Feng is courting his own destruction. Yuzhou was originally the leader of all civilian forces. Everyone regarded Yuzhou as their boss. Yet now, they are attacking neighboring forces like us. Who will follow them in the future?"
The hall immediately became filled with righteous indignation. Everyone felt that Shen Feng of Yuzhou's move was unrighteous, and if this continued, it would surely alienate those who followed them.
Xue Ba continued, "I called Yuzhou, but they didn't answer. It seems Yuzhou is determined to act against us. Tell me, what should we do at this moment?"
The excitement and anger of the crowd were actually a cover for their fear. They were terrified because Yuzhou had a formidable reputation. Even in the apocalypse, Yuzhou had a population of five million, while Wine City had only two to three hundred thousand. The strength of the two sides was incomparable. If Yuzhou were to attack, most of them wouldn't be able to resist. Therefore, everyone was in a state of panic.
"Boss, how many people has Yuzhou sent?" someone asked the crucial question.
Xue Ba said indifferently, "Two people, but they are both ability users. What's troublesome is that there are already forty to fifty thousand disaster victims outside the city. These people, they haven't starved to death yet. I underestimated them."
"What? Only two people?" Upon hearing this, everyone relaxed. They had thought Yuzhou was sending a large army. It was said that Yuzhou had deployed a hundred thousand troops when eradicating the mutated beasts in the mountains, and Yuzhou indeed had such capabilities. Yet now, Yuzhou had only sent two people. Everyone doubted the veracity of this news.