It is the spring of March, when the spring is full of joy, inside and outside the main city of Donghai County, the green calyx is on the tip, and the thorn tung flowers are red, all red and green are just right.

Donghai County was originally one of the 36 counties of the Dongyue Shenlu Terran Race, and since the Terrans retreated to Donghai County 500 years ago and arranged the East China Sea Enchantment, it has enjoyed peace and tranquility here for 500 years.

The huge invisible barrier was like a dome of heaven, covering all the 12 counties and 72 villages of Donghai County to protect the human race here from the invasion of the Sand Demon Clan. On Baiyang Mountain, the highest in Donghai City, there is a nine-story tower, called Baiyang Tower, and the top of the tower enshrines the ancient spiritual treasure of the human race - Sumeru mustard seeds.

The Sumeru mustard seed on the top of the tower rose with a golden light to the sky, maintaining the Sumeru barrier all year round. Sumeru's golden light is warm and simple, not as domineering as the sun, it will shine so brightly that people can't open their eyes, and it is not like moonlight, it is cold and scattered, teaching people to be sad, it is a kind of bright power, shining people's hearts, so that people can still have hope of survival in adversity.

Under the Baiyang Tower, there is an antique pavilion and pavilion, which is where the county guard of Donghai County is located. On a pavilion, a white-bearded old man, dressed in green clothes, stood by the window, a pair of eagle eyes stared at the golden light of Sumeru, and his old face was full of solemnity, which showed his coldness. He looked at the golden light, his face was slightly worried, he muttered something in his mouth, his hand on the window lattice, his index finger tapped lightly on the window, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

"Father, the commander of the military camp, Cheng Xu, has visited. The old man's thoughts were interrupted, and when he looked back, it was his eldest son.

This old man is the county guard of Donghai County, and he is also the only surviving patriarch of the Li clan of the nine ancient clans of the human race.

Five hundred years ago, after the fierce battle between the Sand Demon Race and the Terran, the Terran was defeated very desolately, not only the emperor of the Terran fought against him, but even the eight major clans of the Nine Terran clans were all wiped out, and finally the Li Clan led the remnants of the Terran to retreat to Donghai County, and the ancestors of the Li Clan used Sumeru mustard cloth to lower the Sumeru barrier to block the attack of the Sand Demon Clan, so as to avoid the extinction of the Terran Race.

"Let him in!" The old man returned to the back of the table, sitting on the main seat in all directions, describing the majesty, which made people dare not look up, this is the power of the eighteenth generation patriarch of the Li clan, Li Yan, he and the Li clan behind him are the hope of the remaining 300,000 people in Donghai County to survive, without him and the Li clan, the army of the Sand Demon clan outside the Sumeru Barrier will destroy this place within a month, and kill all the human races here.

At the door is Li Yan's eldest son Li Zong, as the successor of the Li family, he has always acted calmly, not surprised by changes, quite a father's demeanor. After answering the yes, Li Qian saluted Li Yan and turned to retreat.

After a while, Li Qian led a person to arrive, this person was about forty years old, with a national face, a beard quite majestic, more than eight feet long, and a human general Junhu military uniform, very heroic.

The person who came was Cheng Xu, the commander of the Wuying Camp of Donghai County, before entering the house, he bowed to the ground, walked forward on his knees, and when he arrived in front of him, he bowed three times, and after the old man said goodbye, he got up, hung his head and stood aside, not daring to look up.

Under the prestige of the Li clan for five hundred years, everyone outside the Li clan saluted like this when they saw the patriarch of the Li clan, one was grateful to the Li clan for preserving the remnants of the human race, and the other was to hope that the Li clan could continue to protect the human race.

"Are you here to talk about the Li Ling Expeditionary Army?" Li Yan took a sip of tea, Donghai County is rich in products, tea, silk, salt and iron can be self-sufficient.

Cheng Xu didn't dare to raise his head, bowed down and said: "The county guard is wise, and he is like a god." Next year, 20 years will be completed, and the subordinates have issued a conscription order to all 72 villages in 12 counties according to the ancestral system, recruiting the county lieutenants of 12 counties and the heads of 72 villages to join the expeditionary force, assemble in Donghai City within a month, and prepare to train for a year, and then go on another expedition after the beginning of spring next year. ”

Hearing this, Li Yan put down the teacup and sighed: "Since the ancestors set this rule, they will launch an expedition every twenty years, hoping that our human race can contact the Shura clan of the South Wind Polar Land and the Snow Clan of the North Ice Land to jointly fight against the Sand Demon Clan of the Xihan Sand Land, and it has been five hundred years now, and a total of twenty-five groups of expeditionary troops have been out, totaling more than 5,000 people. It's a pity that so far, none of the expeditionary forces that went out have returned, and no news has been sent back, and I don't know what kind of dangerous realm is outside, let alone whether the Shura clan and the snow clan can agree to form an alliance with our human race. Cheng Xu, what is the point of sacrificing so many people just for an illusory alliance, and sending people to die like this?"

Cheng Xu's face twitched slightly, and he didn't dare to answer, Li Qian on the side befriended Cheng Xu, and hurriedly relieved him: "Father, although there is an enchantment to protect now, and the East China Sea is relatively rich, but if the children and grandchildren continue to multiply, sooner or later, the land will not be enough." Therefore, the Li Clan's sage who led the human race to retreat to the East China Sea set this strategy, and every twenty years, he selected elite and powerful spiritual cultivators to form the Li Ling Expeditionary Force and walked out of the barrier, one is to investigate the reality of the Sand Demon Clan, and the other is to contact the powerful races on the other two continents, hoping to form an alliance with them to fight against the Sand Demon Clan. Only by defeating the Sand Demon Clan and regaining the lost place of our Terran can I continue to survive my Terran. Otherwise, in another 500 years, the descendants of the East China Sea will multiply, and the population will be large, and they will inevitably kill each other and fight for land, which will be the time when the human race will be destroyed. ”

Li Yan waved his hand and said with a slight smile: "I only asked one sentence, and you answered me so much." I understand the reason, after 500 years, a total of 25 expeditionary forces were sent out, but there was no effect. The people who are sent out are separated from their families every time, and they are a mission with no hope. I sent two groups of men to them, and they both felt like they were being sent to death by my own hands. ”

Li Qian said loudly: "Father can't be merciful, for the sake of my clan's long-term plan, send thousands of people to die, if you can exchange hope, it's still worth it." What's more, our human race has enjoyed too many years of comfort, five hundred years have diluted too much hatred, and people are now only greedy for comfort, if there is no expeditionary force, I am afraid that people have forgotten that there are terrible sand demon clans outside the barrier, so the expeditionary force must go out according to the ancestral system. ”

Li Yan shook his head and said: "When I took over the position of patriarch back then, I was as enthusiastic as you, but after decades have passed, when you find that what you did back then is hopeless, you won't think like this." ”

Before Li Qian could say more, Li Qian raised his hand and stopped: "No need to say more, I know what you want to say." After a pause, Li Xiao asked Cheng Xu: "Since the conscription order has been issued, what is the situation of the recruitment?"

Cheng Xu replied: "After issuing a conscription order to the seventy-two villages of the twelve counties, according to the rules set by the sages of that year, only the county lieutenants and village chiefs of the seventy-two villages of the twelve counties were eligible to participate. ”

The edict of the expedition once every 20 years was at first a great honor, and it was necessary for the county lieutenant and village chief to be eligible to receive the conscription order. The county governor and the village chief all enjoy the highest worship in the place, and after the expedition, they can also shape the Baiyang Pagoda and pass on their name and image for future generations to admire, which is the supreme glory.

But a hundred years later, all the recruits have gone and never returned, because everyone regards them as a call to death, and after the settlement of Donghai County, the human race is greedy for comfort, and the selfishness of human nature has risen again, so that when there was an expedition four hundred years ago, no one applied.

At that time, the ancestors of the Li clan had no choice but to set the rule again, every 20 years, within each village and county, the county governor or village chief must participate in the expedition, if no one applied, the village and county would be punished. The Tokai County Code also stipulates that those who evade recruitment will not only be sentenced to death, but their families will also be reduced to slavery. It was only after this forced expedition that the evasion of recruitment was reversed.

But I didn't want the expedition order to be issued this year, and there was a village chief who refused to accept the call-up order, which was the first time in 400 years.

Li Yan sighed, tapped his index finger on the table and said: "Luohe Village, I remember, is a small fishing village in the easternmost part of Donghai County, facing the endless sea in the east, and the Luohe River flows into the sea there, which is a good place for outstanding people." I remember that when I organized the expeditionary force in my hands, the two village chiefs of Luohe Village were brave and resolute people, why did they not dare to accept the order after 20 years, the village chiefs elected by hundreds of their families?"

Cheng Xu hesitated for a moment, but still replied: "Naluohe Village is mostly a family with the four surnames of Chen, Yang and Luoxu, and I heard that the four families swore a blood oath back then, and there was an expedition every 20 years, and the children of the clan were selected in turn within the four surnames to go on the expedition. didn't want the Xu clan to take the turn to apply for recruitment this year, and the village chief elected by his clan actually fled overnight, so he never received the conscription order. ”

When Li Yan heard this, he smiled slightly bitterly, but Li Yan's face turned up, and he said angrily: "Since my human race retreated to Donghai County, the county guard has an alliance with all the clans in the twelve counties and seventy-two villages, but all the elected county captains and village chiefs enjoy the best worship in the county and the village, and my Li clan plants spiritual roots for the children of other clans every year to grow spiritual power. Then, when the expedition is held once every twenty years, these county lieutenants and village chiefs who enjoy the worship and have spiritual power and spells will take the lead and accept the conscription order to participate in the expedition and charge for our human race. After death, you can also shape the Baiyang Pagoda and enjoy the incense of the future generations forever, what a glory! No matter what the reason for this Luohe Village, since this person has been selected as the village head, he has not only obtained spiritual power from my Li clan, but also enjoyed the worship in the village, he must receive the conscription order!"

Speaking of this, Li Qian arched his hand at Li Yan and said: "Father, this case cannot be opened, if the village chief of Luohe Village refuses to accept the conscription order, the county lieutenants and village chiefs of the other villages and counties will generally refuse, so how can they organize an expeditionary force to go on the expedition? If he still refuses to obey the order and arrests and kills him, his Xu clan will be reduced to slaves, and the family property will be divided fairly! If no one in Luohe Village is recruited, all the villages will be punished!"

After pondering for a moment, Li Yan shook his head and said, "You are the deputy county guard of Donghai County, so you don't have to go in person for such a trivial matter." Your little sister is now the new Inspector Lieutenant, so it's good for her to go. ”

Li Qian was slightly surprised: "Father, the little sister is only sixteen years old, she ......" Li Yan raised his hand and stopped: "My clan was almost slaughtered by the Sand Demon Clan five hundred years ago, and the remnants of the clansmen here in Donghai County have long had a consensus, that is, Donghai County does not raise useless people, and both men and women must cultivate the fields and go to war. Your little sister is also a person in the military, so I will leave this matter to her, let her see more knowledge, and grow up as soon as possible. Speaking of this, Li Yan knocked lightly on the table and said: "If you are not at ease, let Cheng Xu go to Luohe Village with you." ”

Seeing that Li Yan said this, Li Qian and Cheng Xu took orders together, and when they were about to say goodbye and leave, Li Yan suddenly asked again: "By the way, what is the name of the village chief of Luohe Village?" Cheng Xu bowed and said: "This trip to Luohe Village is the turn of the Luohe Xu family to apply, and the village chief in their family is the most unpromising partiality brother, named Xu Yi......"