Chapter 1091: Chapter 1078: The Backbone of the Country Chapter 1091: Chapter 1078: The Backbone of the Country Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

Soldiers clad in black armor marched in neat rows across the increasingly desolate street, silence reigning wherever they passed, as residents on both sides of the street watched the soldiers with bated breath.

After the troop of soldiers had passed, the street remained quiet for a long time before some sounds finally emerged. Gradually, it became livelier, but no matter what, it could not compare with its former prosperity.

For everyone was deliberately keeping their voices down, as if they feared startling or provoking something.

They were now people of a fallen nation, while those who had just marched past were the conquerors who had annihilated their country’s ruling class.

“The wolves and tigers of the Gai Nation!” In the market street, someone looked in the direction the troop of soldiers had just passed, eyes brimming with hatred.

War brings death, and when the army of the Gai Nation stationed itself in this city, it signified that the forces resisting them had been broken.

“Shut up, your brother is already dead, do you want to drag our whole family to die with him?”

As soon as these words were whispered, a robust woman beside him slapped him across the face.

Under that slap, the youth’s face immediately bore a bright red handprint as he clenched his fist and tugged at the very uncomfortable robe he was wearing, not saying a word.

“Go, take your nephews to school, don’t get in the way here.”

“We are people of the Neil Nation, we shouldn’t learn the language of the Gai Nation.” The youth, upon hearing his sister-in-law’s command, immediately showed a look of indignant displeasure.

“The Neil Nation has perished, now we are people of the Gai Nation.” The woman grabbed the thick wooden stick beside her, assuring herself that if her brother-in-law said any more disaster-inviting words, she would show no mercy.

“We are Neil Nation people.” The youth, seeing the wooden stick in his sister-in-law’s hand, couldn’t help but shrink his neck, but still stubbornly muttered.

Whoosh!

Hearing this, the woman said nothing, just picked up the stick and started beating the youth before her, yet even though it seemed as if she was striking randomly, she actually hit parts of his body where the flesh was ample.

So, even though the youth howled in pain, in the end, he only suffered some minor bruises and would recover after a few days of rest.

“Tell me, what nation’s person are you now?” The woman who had just beaten her brother-in-law held the wooden stick, staring at the youth, her eyes fiercely sharp.

“Gai…Gai Nation person.” Under the compelling gaze of his sister-in-law, the youth said very unwillingly in a low voice.

“Isn’t that right?” Hearing the youth’s answer, the woman nodded in satisfaction.

“Big sister-in-law, you force me like this again, just like when those officers made us wear the clothes of their nation, you did the same.” The subdued youth complained to his sister-in-law with some dissatisfaction.

“If I didn’t force you to wear them, do you think you could have lived until now? Look at those who adamantly refused to wear the Gai Nation’s clothes, what happened to them – all were taken to excavate soil. Do you also want to go dig soil?”

“I don’t want to.” The youth immediately shook his head subconsciously, remembering the events when the Gai Nation’s army entered the city, everyone who resisted, including their families, were all captured and taken for forced labor.

It was said these people would be demoted to slaves, and some of the physically strong would be given to those in the Gai Nation with military merits as servants.

“If you don’t want to, then hurry up and take your nephews to school, they must learn the Gai Nation’s language before they turn ten, and you need to learn it too,” the woman instructed the youth, feeling no sense of belonging to her own country, her only resentment against the Gai Nation was that they killed her husband.

But now, a mother of two children, she could only bury her hatred deep. For her children to live well, they must do so as people of the Gai Nation.

“I don’t want to learn, the language and characters of the Gai Nation are too hard.” The youth’s face showed reluctance.

“I want to learn, but it’s not appropriate at my age to go to school. Hurry up and learn, then come back and teach me.”

“Oh.” The youth, upon hearing his sister-in-law’s words, reluctantly got up, rubbing his behind as he went home to prepare to send his two little nephews to school.

…

“Neil Nation’s history books, biographies, these all are forbidden books that our army ordered to be confiscated and destroyed after entering the city, yet we found so many in your house. How should we deal with this matter?”

The military officer clad in black armor stood within a rather elegantly decorated hall, pointing at a pile of books half as tall as a man and inquired of an old man who appeared to be well-nurtured.

“I am a man of the Neil Nation, collecting historical documents and biographies of the Neil Nation, what wrong is there in that?” the old man bellowed back angrily upon hearing the question.

“Hehe, my dear sir, I must remind you, this is the land of the Gai Nation, and living here makes you a person of the Gai Nation, understood?” the officer said with a sly smile.

“I am a man of the Neil Nation,” the old man replied resolutely, showing no weakness.

“Sir, before you utter such words, you might want to consider your family,” the officer said as he gestured toward a huddled group of shivering men, women, and children, all of whom were being pointed at with swords by soldiers, all relatives of the old man.

“Is this the way of the Gai Nation? To threaten an old man by using his relatives?”

“No, no, no, this isn’t a threat. It is simply a friendly reminder. Given your current behavior, I could quite easily reduce your entire family to slaves.”

“What do you want?” the old man asked, his face turning ashen.

“I hear, sir, that you are a scholar of great learning, fluent in the languages of the surrounding nations, and so I would like to employ you as a teacher at the School, to instruct our local children to learn the language of the Gai Nation,” the officer said as he explained his intentions with a smile. This man held great prestige locally, and persuading him to teach at the School would further strengthen the rule of the Gai Nation in the area.

“Impossible,” the old man replied without a second thought, flatly refusing the offer.

“You are old, and your sight and hearing are failing. Perhaps you didn’t hear the ban we imposed, so we could overlook these prohibited books we found in your home,” the officer spoke as if he hadn’t heard the old man’s response, “If you refuse to cooperate, though, don’t blame us for taking the matter seriously.”

“You have destroyed my country, and now you want to eradicate our script, our customs. You aim to sever our roots, I will never yield to you,” the old man exclaimed as he stood up from his seat. He had witnessed everything the Gai Nation’s army had done after their invasion — prohibiting the commoners from learning or using their original script, abolishing the traditional currency system and units of measure, and promoting the language, script, customs, clothing, currency, and measurements of the Gai Nation throughout the country.

“The Neil Nation has been eradicated, and naturally, everything about them must be erased as well. This is the way of the world,” the officer retorted impassively.

Seeing that the old man maintained his stubborn response, the smile gradually faded from the officer’s face. “If you cooperate with us, everything can be amiable, but if you maintain this attitude, I will have no choice but to enforce the laws of the Gai Nation. I advise you to be sensible. You surely do not wish to see your kin become prostitutes and slaves,” he warned.

“You…” the old man trembled with anger. He turned to look at his relatives for a moment before turning back and closing his eyes, “No matter what, I shall not cooperate.”

“Heh, such a stubborn old man, truly rare,” the officer commented.

“Then I’m sorry to disappoint you,” the old man retorted.

“But no matter how tough your bones, they’re no use,” the officer chuckled dismissively. “Did you truly think I have no way to deal with an obstinate old man like you?”

“Who among you wants to become a slave, step forward,” the officer said as he slowly walked in front of the old man’s relatives. No one moved; they all looked at the plain-faced black-armored officer with fear.

“You all want to keep your current way of life and continue to live, don’t you?” the officer smiled radiantly, “If so, then why not convince your family patriarch to cooperate with us?”

“My grandfather is stubborn, and what he decides is not for us to influence,” a child with some soft yellow down on his upper lip said timidly.

“Then there’s nothing to be done,” the officer feigned regret as he shook his head, and the terror on the faces of the huddled men, women, and children grew even more intense.

“Of course, there is still a way. If your family patriarch won’t cooperate, then perhaps you can cooperate with us instead.”

“Rascal, what do you want to do?” Upon hearing the officer’s words, and seeing a change on the faces of his sons and grandsons, the old man’s face flushed with rage.

“Nothing much, just to make use of your reputation to bring more peace to this city,” the officer said with a wave of his hand, and two soldiers stepped forward, grabbed the old man, and dragged him toward the back of the house.

“If you dare…” As the old man was dragged away, he tried to look at his relatives and issue a warning, but as he started to speak, his mouth was stuffed with a rag.

“Your task is not very complicated, just to accompany us officers for meals, walks, and casual conversation,” the officer ordered, reminiscing about everything he had learned at the military academy, about how to leverage the influence of local dignitaries or regional powers for more effective rule in the post-war setting.

“Hmm, Miss, may I ask your age? Are you betrothed? I have a nephew…” After giving his orders, the officer’s gaze landed on a young girl, his eyes brightened, and suddenly a new idea formed in his mind…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read