The Lost People of Teyvat

Chapter 277 Voice
"You are...Uncle Pingchuan?!"

Teppei was surprised and delighted. He immediately thought of giving up his position and leading Pingchuan back to their temporary base. But then his pupils shrank and he noticed the injuries on Pingchuan's body: "Uncle Pingchuan, how did you get here? But the shogunate army is going to launch a general attack?"

The rebel soldiers on the three or two small boats around shrank back upon hearing this, and looked in the direction of Pingchuan with fear on their faces. They saw that there were no neatly arranged and mighty shogunate warships on the sea in the distance, and there was no figure in the sky that mortals dared not look directly at. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

When Pingchuan saw them like this, he couldn't help feeling sad.

The morale of these rebels has been completely destroyed. The reason they are still stationed here is not because of their bravery, but because they are afraid of the shogunate and the gods. Kaigi Island is blocked by a thunderstorm, and they are in an awkward situation where they can neither advance nor retreat.

But this cannot be blamed on these soldiers. How can mortals contend with the power of gods?
I heard that thousands of years ago, the Liyue Qianyan Army formed a battle formation and was able to fight against the demons, showing their might on the battlefield. Although I was amazed when I first heard it, I was not too shocked. After all, there are strong and weak demons, and some are not good at fighting.

Perhaps the Qianyan Army was only fighting against this kind of weak demon god. Maybe the Inazuma Army could also make a similar name if they saw an opportunity.

But now it seems that they underestimated the Thousand Rocks Army, overestimated themselves, and even despised the Demon God.

In the previous battle, the mere appearance of Narukami deprived the Umijima army of their minds and caused them to be routed.

Sometimes, even if the demons are not good at fighting, as long as they appear beside their people, with the blessing of faith, the fanatical and devout people will naturally tear apart all obstacles for their gods until they die.

Pingchuan sighed, his eyes turned to these rebels, and he opened his mouth: "We escaped, there was no general attack, it's hard to explain at the moment, first..."

He paused, noticing the changes in the soldiers' expressions, and sighed again: "It's like this..."

Pingchuan carefully chose his words and told them everything they had experienced bit by bit, concealing only the top-secret information that he and his secret agents had obtained with great difficulty - he would never tell anyone before meeting Lord Coral Palace.

"Uncle Pingchuan, are you telling the truth?!"

Teppei's expression was excited, and his voice became uncontrollably high. He glanced at the cabin again and quickly lowered his voice: "Uncle Pingchuan, can we...really get through the thunderstorm and return to Kaigi Island?"

The other rebels were equally excited, and it felt like they had suddenly seen light in the midst of despair.

In the Battle of Yakumo Island that day, the rebels were completely defeated and fled in panic. General Goro took great pains to find his old subordinates and formed an organization. He gathered the defeated soldiers while retreating, and finally seized the warships and retreated to Wuming Fort, intending to use the terrain to resist the shogunate army.

However, the shogunate army's pursuit troops never arrived. General Goro was worried that something had happened on Kaigi Island after the news from the front line came back, so he arranged for his deputy general to garrison Muming Fort, and he led a dozen of his personal guards back to Kaigi Island.

However, not long after General Goro left, Kaigi Island was blocked by a thunderstorm, causing their remaining troops to be trapped in Wuming Fort.

Pingchuan nodded solemnly, and Zheping and other resistance soldiers were all very happy. They knew Pingchuan's character and the current situation, and there was no need for Pingchuan to lie to them. So they controlled the boats one by one to make way, invited Pingchuan to the temporary camp of the resistance army, and secretly surrounded the small boat Pingchuan was riding in the middle, carefully escorting it.

Zheping even abandoned his own boat, came to the small boat, and picked up the oars diligently.

Soon, several boats docked at a slightly larger island. There were collapsed stone pillars and the remains of buildings with only the bases left on the island. It looked like a relic that had been abandoned for who knows how many years.

Ying and Paimon got off the boat and glanced around amid the respectful, curious or grateful gazes of the rebels, feeling somewhat confused.

Logically speaking, since this is the rebel base, even if it is temporary, it shouldn't be so deserted.

There weren't even any soldiers on duty.

It seems that something has happened. Well, it is normal to have unexpected changes in such a difficult and critical situation... Ying seemed to be thinking about something.

Zheping led the three of them through the ruins, and from time to time they saw wounded soldiers lying or sitting, with military doctors treating their injuries. However, their methods were too crude, and there were few medicines, so it was better than nothing. The wounded soldiers either groaned softly or kept their lips tightly shut and gritted their teeth in silence.

The group did not stop, and soon arrived at a tent set up against a broken wall.

Zheping whispered to the three to wait for a moment and went into the tent to report.

A few exclamations were heard in the tent, followed by footsteps. A young man who did not look strong and had a bandage on his left arm walked out of the tent. He glanced at Ying and the other two and immediately locked his eyes on Ying.

Although he tried to control his expression, his eyes were still filled with excitement. He took a step forward and, because of his injured arm, made an awkward salute: "Greetings, Mr. Traveler! Sir, are you sure you can lead us through the thunderstorm?"

Teppei followed the young man and introduced him, "Master Traveler, this is Master Hisada, the deputy commander of our resistance army."

"Of course, I never lie."

Ying nodded, looking sincere. But she suddenly thought of Chen Tianfeng, how he always sincerely said he didn't lie, but in the blink of an eye he lied more sincerely.

"Great! Great!"

Hisada was excited and kept saying "that's great" several times. It took him a long time to calm down. Noticing the way Ying, Paimon, and Pingchuan looked at him, he couldn't help but say awkwardly, "Excuse me for making a fool of myself... The resistance army was already in a desperate situation, and when they suddenly heard the good news, they lost their composure."

"Kyuta, what is the current situation of the resistance army?"

Pingchuan also noticed the abnormality of this stronghold along the way, and hesitated and asked: "Also, why are there so few people here?"

"Ugh."

Hisada sighed, "Uncle Hirakawa, come in and talk... Never mind, let's find a place outside to talk in detail. At least there's some fresh air."

He laughed at himself and led everyone to a more spacious area on the side, where some large stones were placed, which could barely serve as stools.

"Mr. Traveler, Uncle Pingchuan, the resistance army of Wumingzhai... now only these are left."

Hisata rubbed his cheeks and said in a hoarse voice, "The environment of Wumingzhai is different. Even fish and shrimps are unwilling to approach the waters near the island. If you want to catch fish, you have to go far away. But now the thunderstorm has surrounded Inazuma and Kaigi Island. Looking around, the only direction left is Yayun Island."

The rebels suffered a crushing defeat, and the shogunate army was watching covetously. Going to the waters near Yamashita Island to fish under the guise of rebels was tantamount to seeking death.

"General Goro said that after he finishes dealing with the affairs on the island, he will come back with the next batch of food and other supplies. But who would have thought... Alas." Zheping sighed with a sad expression.

"So someone came up with an idea, saying that they could take off their military uniforms and pretend to be pirates to go fishing. The Inazuma pirates were bold and reckless, and as long as there was profit to be made, they would not care about the Battle of Yabujima or the shogunate troops stationed there."

Jiutian looked a little unhappy, and gritted his teeth: "I thought it was a good idea, so I agreed to their idea. But I didn't expect that they would never come back!" "They..."

Pingchuan's heart skipped a beat. He had some vague guesses, but he still held on to hope: "Has the shogunate army discovered it?"

"No." Hisata shook his head and said hatefully, "These traitors actually became pirates! They even killed several brothers who refused to join them by surprise attacks! If it weren't for the brothers who managed to escape, no one would have dared to think that these people would dare to do such a thing!"

Ying glanced at him and didn't think it was too strange.

Many times, without sufficient awareness and belief, without strict discipline and correct ideological guidance, the transformation from soldier to bandit takes only a moment.

What's more, when Shadow appeared on the battlefield, the only future the rebel soldiers could see was death.

Faced with the pressure of life and death, coupled with the shortage of supplies, not mutinying on the spot, but finding an excuse to escape and change their identities was already a relatively mild approach.

"After this incident, the atmosphere in the barracks changed."

Hisata sighed again, his expression half numb and half sad.

Most people would not want to die like this if they had a choice. So that night, several groups of people got together and sneaked to the boat anchorage, planning to steal the boat and escape.

"I led people to stop them, but when I saw their expressions, I knew I couldn't stop them. People's hearts were scattered, and morale had long since collapsed. The resistance army... at least our resistance army, is already dead in name only."

"So I left a few boats and told everyone that anyone who wanted to leave could leave and become an ordinary fisherman, or surrender to the shogunate army... As long as they didn't become pirates, it was fine. Ha, I don't know if those who left would still be willing to listen to me, but if one of them listened, there would be one less damn pirate, right?"

Hisata grinned, "So now we are the only ones left on the island who don't want to leave. The resistance exists in name only, but it still has a name. I really don't want the Inazuma people to think of those damn pirates first when they mention us or the resistance in the future."

He recalled his experiences of the past few days, feeling ashamed and ungrateful for General Goro's trust. He blamed himself for it, and it took him a while to come back to his senses. He wiped his eyes hastily and looked at Ying: "I'm sorry for saying too much without realizing it... Mr. Traveler, is there anything I need to prepare in advance for passing through a thunderstorm? Just tell me!"

Ying thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have enough ships?"

"It's enough. We can take away everyone, including the wounded."

Jiutian nodded quickly, then hesitated: "Master Traveler, will you get hurt if you go through a thunderstorm? Some of our brothers are seriously injured, I'm worried they can't hold on."

"Don't worry, as long as they can withstand the journey, there will be no problem."

Ying looked up at the sky and said, "Hurry up and arrange for people to board the ship. We will set off as soon as possible."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Mr. Traveler!"

Hisata quickly stood up, thanked him again and again, and called Teppei to help him arrange for the remaining rebel troops to board the ship.

There was nothing much to pack up in the temporary base, and the things we were most reluctant to give up were the large and small ships.

The rebels quickly gathered, carried the wounded onto the ship first, arranged corresponding caregivers, and then the rest boarded the remaining ships, large or small, in turn.

There were not many boats, even including the small fishing boats, there were no more than ten in total.

At Hisata's insistence, Ying did not choose the original small boat, but boarded the largest warship sailing in the front.

The fleet left Wuming Fort and headed towards Haiji Island.

When the sun sets, you can see the terrifying thunderstorm standing on the deck. The deep purple thunder moves like a long snake, and it seems to be rooted between heaven and earth.

The terrifying lightning shone on the fleet, making it hard for people to breathe.

The rebels could not help but hold their breath and concentrate, some even closed their eyes, as if praying devoutly to the gods. Some prayed silently in their hearts, while others prayed quietly.

Some people couldn't help but sigh when they heard the prayers. Just when they were about to pray together, they suddenly realized something and stared at the person who was praying quietly beside them with a nervous and terrified expression: "Stop! Stop now! Who the hell are you praying to?!"

"Ah? Of course it's the General...hiss!"

The person who was praying reacted and his face turned pale instantly.

The people around him quickly dispersed, looking at him as if he were the god of plague.

Not to mention that the General may no longer protect them, let's just look at the current situation - they are trying to smuggle through the thunderstorm brought down by the General under the leadership of the Traveler. Praying to the General at this time, do they think they have lived too long?

"I...I'm used to it! I believe in the General!"

The man suddenly collapsed and cried, "Why should we go against the general? Why aren't the people of Coral Palace Inazuma people?"

There was silence all around and no one knew how to answer him.

It has been a thousand years since the death of Umi-Omikami, and a thousand years since Umi-Ima has been under the rule of Inazuma. Naturally, the people of Coral Palace have changed their beliefs, believing that they are the people of Narukami, and that the people of Coral Palace are also Inazuma people.

There are quite a few people like this.

Even if they joined the rebels, their initial purpose was to rebel against the shogunate, not the shogun. It can be said that when the rebels and Umijima were swept up by the tide pushed by people with ulterior motives and shouted the name of Umiji Daigokami, these people were the most confused and the most painful.

The rebel soldiers were silent until one moment, when someone noticed the change in the environment. Looking up, they saw that the terrifying thunderstorm was left behind. They shouted in surprise, "Thunderstorm! We passed through the thunderstorm! The traveler really took us through the thunderstorm!"

The soldiers were silent for a moment, and then burst into cheers that seemed to resound through the heavens and the earth!
The man who collapsed and cried was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at the gradually retreating thunderstorm. Suddenly, there was a burst of great surprise in his eyes. He cried and laughed, kowtowed towards the direction of Ming Shen Island, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "General, you have not given up on me! General, you have not given up on me!!"

His shout was very loud, but unfortunately it was drowned out by the even more intense cheers and seemed so small that it could not be heard clearly.

(End of this chapter)