"Wan Liu Chuan is your friend, not mine. Between your life and hers, how do you think I would choose?"
Wan Lei sighed and said no more. He looked up at the sky. The purple rain was getting heavier, showing no signs of stopping or lessening. The spiritual energy in heaven and earth had completely vanished. They couldn't obtain any natural energy to replenish their consumption after the great battle, and could only rely on the spirit stones in their storage bags.
However, with their cultivation levels, the spirit stones required to recover their cultivation would likely be an astronomical figure.
As Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu, filled with worry, were about to reach their tent, they suddenly heard fierce arguments from afar.
Looking closely, the sound came from the main tent.
The two walked over, entered the main tent, and saw the three leaders, Deng Yangge, Yan Kejun, and Wuliangshu, arguing fiercely. Judging by their positions, Deng Yangge was on one side, while Yan Kejun and Wuliangshu were opposing him.
"What's wrong? Why are you arguing so much?"
As soon as Wan Lei entered the main tent, he spoke directly.
"Greetings, divine being."
The three immediately stopped arguing and bowed in salutation.
Wan Lei's performance today had further enhanced his status in the hearts of the three natives. Especially among the tribe's people, Wan Lei was revered as a god.
"Tell me, what's the matter?"
Wan Lei, pulling Fang Xiaoyu, sat down as he pleased. The three stood in a line before him.
Seeing their hesitant expressions, Wan Lei smiled.
"Yan Kejun, you speak."
"As you command, divine being. Deng Yangge, that old man, has proposed to abandon all the old, weak, women, and children of our tribe, including the injured, and only keep the able-bodied to rush to the Great Wall."
"How can you do that? Those people are also our tribesmen. How can you just abandon them?"
Wan Lei was extremely disgusted by such an act of abandoning companions.
Deng Yangge, hearing this, looked wronged and said with clasped hands,
"I have my reasons. Our current speed is too slow. The old, weak, women, and children are seriously slowing us down. The Great Wall is tens of thousands of miles away. When will we ever reach it? We've been traveling for half a month, have we even covered a thousand miles?"
"You're spouting nonsense. You suggest abandoning the old, weak, women, and children because your tribe has no old or weak. You are tribes from within the Great Wall, and you came to the Land of Fate this time to attack us. You've surely brought only the able-bodied.
But what about us? My Yan Ke tribe and Wuliang tribe are native inhabitants. With your casual suggestion to abandon the old, weak, women, and children, those abandoned are all our tribesmen. Not a single one of your tribesmen is missing. You old fool, you have malicious intentions!"
"I think you're the one spouting nonsense. Don't you know our current marching speed? Your two tribes have so many old, weak, women, and children. This time, when we fought against the Bai Ze Great Tribe, they came with their entire clan.
During the battle, their warriors charged to the front, and the old and weak stayed behind. When the battle ended, it was the warriors who died. We captured over five thousand warriors, but gained over twenty thousand old, weak, women, and children.
These people contributed nothing during the fight, yet they consume our grain and need to be fed.
Now, we don't even have many Holy Beasts left to pull the carts. With the sudden increase of so many old and weak, they can only walk on the ground. But can they walk thirty miles on their own in a day?
During battles, when the enemy launches surprise attacks, we have to split our focus to protect them.
Now, let's calculate. The total population of all our tribes combined has over ten thousand warriors and over twenty thousand old and weak. On average, each warrior has to protect two people.
Fighting a war? What a joke! We don't need others to fight us; we'll collapse ourselves!"
Deng Yangge's beard bristled with anger. He sat on his stool and took a hearty swig of wine.
Hearing this, Yan Kejun and Wuliangshu also fell silent and sat down, leaving only heavy sighs.
Neither of them failed to understand these points, but who could have the heart to abandon their tribesmen and loved ones?
"How long will it take for the purple rain to completely submerge the Land of Fate?"
Wan Lei pondered for a long time and asked this most crucial question.
"According to historical records, it usually takes three to five years."
"And with our current progress, how long will it take to reach the Great Wall?"
"Well... if we are ruthless and have more low-level Holy Beasts pull the carts, and let the old, weak, women, and children ride the carts, we can travel a hundred miles a day...
It will take thirteen years to reach the Great Wall."
"Thirteen years?!"
Wan Lei's eyes widened, and his expression suddenly turned extremely grim.
"Yes, the distance is about five hundred thousand li. When we came, we traveled light, riding the fastest Holy Beasts, and it took us a full three years.
Now, with so many old, weak, women, and children, we can't travel fast. Thirteen years is a conservative estimate. If we keep encountering battles and the number of old, weak, women, and children increases, we might need to sacrifice a generation to reach it."
"Is that sacrificing a generation? That's sacrificing everyone. Not a single one will reach the Great Wall."
Wan Lei glared fiercely at Deng Yangge, but then he suddenly remembered that it was the latter who had just proposed abandoning the old, weak, women, and children to reach the Great Wall as quickly as possible.
"Could it be... could it really be necessary to abandon the old, weak, sick, and disabled?"
Wan Lei rested his chin on his hand, his fingers tapping the table intermittently. Each tap seemed to strike the hearts of the other three.
Fang Xiaoyu pondered for a moment and then said,
"But the problem is, even if we abandon the old, weak, sick, and disabled, will we definitely reach the Great Wall within three years?
When you came, you rode the fastest Holy Beasts, and it was downhill, so your speed was certainly fast. But going back, it's all uphill, and the speed is slower. Also, there are so many enemies eyeing us greedily. There are certainly many tribes coveting the heads of our Great Ascension stage cultivators.
At that time, with battle after battle, our progress will still be dragged down."
"Alas..."
Another round of sighs.
Wan Lei once again felt his powerlessness. He had initially thought that with his strength, combat power, and formations, he could lead a small tribe back to the Great Wall. But after experiencing it, he realized there were so many problems that couldn't be solved.
After a long silence, Wan Lei gritted his teeth and said,
"We will abandon the captured Bai Ze tribe this time and only take the people from your three tribes. All the Holy Beasts will be taken, as they are important combat power."
"Really?"
Deng Yangge's eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed.
"From now on, in any future battles, we will take all captured enemies and Holy Beasts. If any warriors want to follow us, they can. The old, weak, sick, and disabled will not be taken. Let them... fend for themselves."
Saying fend for themselves was as good as saying a death sentence.
Without them, those people were destined to be swallowed by the sea in the Land of Fate.
"It seems there is no other way."
Deng Yangge, Yan Kejun, and Wuliangshu all sighed.