Chapter 417 Slums (Please subscribe, please vote)
Lin Yi did not doubt the authenticity of the orc boy’s statement.
Nowadays, the hatred between the Soaring Dragon Empire and the tribe is so deep that it can no longer be described by the word "feud". It is not an exaggeration to call it "enemies of life and death".
Whether it is the empire or the tribe, the long-term war has exhausted both sides, and the top leaders are eager for peace.
Ironically, what is most hindering the realization of peace now is not the high-level people, but the people at the bottom. They seem unwilling to let this war end.
Previously, a leader in the tribe tried to have a truce with the Soaring Dragon Empire.
His efforts encountered unexpected obstacles.
On the night when the armistice was proposed, his family was kidnapped by unknown persons, and all kinds of threatening letters poured into his home like snowflakes.
Insulting words such as "traitor" and "shame" were maliciously painted on the walls of the home.
Moreover, his truce proposal met with strong opposition from civilians within the tribe.
Since then, both within the Soaring Dragon Empire and within the tribe, senior officials have avoided talking about the word "truce" for fear of repeating the same mistake as that leader.
The protracted war has almost brought down the Dragon Empire and the tribe.
After hundreds of years of war, the economies of both sides are on the verge of collapse.
The reason why it can barely sustain itself at present is that the royal family diverts conflicts and attracts the public's attention by exposing and punishing corrupt officials, making the public mistakenly believe that the economic difficulties are mainly caused by corrupt officials.
The plight of tribes is even more severe.
Economic problems certainly exist, but what is more pressing is the demographic problem.
The ongoing war has led to a sharp reduction in the tribal population, especially those races with low fertility rates, such as trolls and dwarves, whose fertility rates have fallen below the warning line.
The tribe is not only the five major races today, but also included centaurs, elves and other races.
Why can’t we see these races now?
The reason is simple. The cruel war has led to the subjugation of their country and their species, and they have disappeared into the dust of history.
In the Dragon Empire, you can occasionally see members of those extinct races, but they have become slaves. This is the last remaining representative of their race, because other members have died on the battlefield.
What is even more cruel is that the Dragon Empire now adopts an extreme method, that is, once a female member of the tribe is discovered, a special slender dagger is used to pierce her uterus and completely deprive her of the ability to get pregnant by stirring it.
This behavior undoubtedly exacerbated the hatred between the two parties.
The long war has brought the hatred between the Soaring Dragon Empire and the tribe to its peak.
In the past, wars between the two countries were mainly about competing for resources and diverting domestic conflicts.
But now, the situation is beyond the control of the upper-level leaders. Instead, the upper-level leaders are coerced by the people's will to fight and have to continue this endless war.
Currently, the two sides are engaged in an endurance competition to see who can last longer and whose collapse will come later.
Judging from the current situation, the Soaring Dragon Empire seems to be more likely to survive until the tribe collapses.
Although there are corruption problems within the Longteng Empire, it still has reserves of military supplies and other supplies. In comparison, the tribe's logistical capabilities appear to be stretched thin.
"My lord, this is the Holy Dragon Academy."
The little boy took Lin Yi to a place very close to the palace, and then pointed to the building in front of him.
Shenglong Academy is located in a lush royal forest. The simple and solemn stone door is open, welcoming every scholar who comes to seek knowledge.
The architecture of the college does not pursue splendor, but is dominated by calm gray stone.
The exterior of the building has simple and smooth lines, full of a sense of time. The roof is covered with dark gray tiles, which sparkle with a faint luster in the sunlight.
In a restaurant near the courtyard, several scholars were sitting around a dinner table, discussing an academic issue enthusiastically.
One of the older scholars, holding a quill, was writing quickly on the paper, his eyes shining with thought.
A young scholar next to him was excitedly expounding his views, with exaggerated gestures, as if he wanted to fully express his thoughts. Other scholars nodded or asked questions, and the atmosphere was both tense and lively.
Their discussions, accompanied by the gently falling leaves in the courtyard, formed a vivid academic picture.
"It just so happens that I'm short of a slave recently, and it's you."
Just when Lin Yi was inspecting the environment of Shenglong Academy, a man suddenly appeared in front of the two of them. He seemed to be immersed in some profound question.
After accidentally touching the little boy's body, he grabbed the little boy unceremoniously and planned to take him into Holy Dragon Academy.
The little boy's face immediately showed a look of horror, and his eyes turned to Lin Yi, with a look of help in his eyes.
"I saw this slave first, could you please consider a different candidate?"
Hearing Lin Yi's voice, the man finally came back from his thoughts.
"Huh? Teacher Lin, you are back too. Since you discovered this slave first, I will not take away anyone's love. I will go out and find another one later."
Obviously, this man also knew Lin Yi.
After a few brief polite words, he walked toward the street in a dazed manner, seemingly intending to find other suitable slaves to conduct his experiments.
"Okay, go home quickly."
Lin Yi took out two gold medals from his pocket and placed them in the little boy's hands.
The little boy looked at Lin Yi and Su Xiao gratefully.
He carefully hid the gold list, turned around and trotted all the way into a nearby alley.
For such beggar children, alleys are like their safe haven. It is much safer to walk through them than on the streets.
Although there are various robbers, thieves and gangs lurking in the alleys, these dark organizations have their own set of operating rules.
The little boy has lived in this area for a long time, so he naturally knows the distribution of forces here. He knows whose territory is where, so he can avoid danger.
Compared with the dangerous streets, the alleys provided him with a certain degree of security.
At least he wouldn't be suddenly dragged away as a test subject by the alchemist of Holy Dragon Academy like he did on the street.
Fifteen minutes later, the little boy returned to a simple shack.
This humble shack is made of rough branches, leaves and discarded fabrics. Although it is simple and crude, it is a warm nest for the little boy and his sister to rely on each other in this difficult world.
The interior space of the shack is small, but it carries the endless hopes of the two children.
Some simple living utensils were hung on the walls, and a shabby blanket was spread on the uneven ground.
Whenever night falls, they hug each other tightly and spend cold nights on this blanket, each other's body temperature and heartbeat becoming the most solid support.
The little boy and his sister are both slaves in this area. They must pay a certain amount of tax on time in order to survive.
"Brother, you are back." The little girl's voice was weak and trembling, revealing her deep dependence on her brother.
Her little face was pale and thin, and her constant coughing was distressing.
The little boy felt a pain in his heart when he saw his sister's sickly appearance.
He knelt down, gently held his sister's cold little hand, and said softly: "Don't worry, my brother has made money from this trip, and he will be able to take you for treatment soon."
After saying that, the little boy carefully carried his sister on his back and walked towards the black clinic in the slum.
In this place full of poverty and injustice, as long as you have money, almost anything can be done.
Although black clinics have a bad reputation, they are the only hope for lower-class people like them when they get sick.
(End of chapter)