"Commander Qian, where did you purchase all these items?" the Queen asked, voicing Tang Wen's thoughts.
He was eager to know where the technological civilization had erupted.
What was the current state of civilization in the world?
Commander Qian didn't rush to answer but instead ordered someone to bring a scroll from the carriage he had arrived in.
The scroll was slowly unfurled by two dancers, revealing a map.
The starting point of the map was the camp, with everything around it—Black Mountain Camp, lakes, and mountains—clearly marked.
Heading west, camps, strongholds, and villages were scattered like stars.
Commander Qian introduced with a sense of nostalgia, "I've led my team to every place on this map. As for the goods this time, they come from a place called 'Xia City.'"
Tang Wen focused on the map, but the name 'Xia City' was nowhere to be found.
"Did you go to Xia City?"
Commander Qian shook his head, "No, it's too far. We only reached Tri-Alliance City..."
Pointing to the westernmost part of the map, he began to explain.
Tri-Alliance City was the territory of three major powers: Golden Mountain, White Stone City, and Peaceful State.
These three powers, much like Flame Camp and Black Mountain Camp, had been fighting each other for years.
Eventually, they realized that endless conflict was not the solution.
The strong among them stepped forward, shook hands, and established rules.
This time, the traveling merchant caravan took a boat downstream and arrived at Peaceful State after several months.
As he spoke, Commander Qian's tone was filled with envy, "There are buildings seven or eight stories high, strong young men pulling rickshaws on the streets, every martial arts school has Awakened, and even stronger beings. The city has grand factories belching black smoke... Ordinary people don't need to farm; they can support themselves and their families just by working..."
Tang Wen tried to control his expression, not wanting to reveal any strange emotions.
The others, based on Commander Qian's words, couldn't help but imagine what that place must be like, how prosperous and splendid it must be!
The banquet began.
Despite the ongoing drought, the camp had slaughtered pigs and sheep to welcome the returning caravan!
Dozens of caravan members, each a protagonist in their own right, excitedly shared their experiences with their hometown friends and other guards.
An air of superiority unconsciously seeped into their words.
At the same table with Tang Wen and Zhou Bing were two young captains whom Commander Qian had recruited outside. They spoke loudly and occasionally glanced at Zhou Bing.
Unfortunately, throughout the night, the ice beauty didn't even glance their way.
She was pondering Tang Wen's decision.
To step down as commander and focus solely on martial arts.
If someone as talented as Tang Wen needed such focus, should she continue as a commander?
The hall was filled with the clinking of cups and lively chatter.
The two of them ate and drank slowly, not joining in the festivities.
General Zhou led Commander Qian over to introduce him to Tang Wen and Zhou Bing.
Only then did the two caravan captains at the table realize in surprise that these two were commanders.
Weren't all the commanders in Flame Camp Martial Masters?
How could they be so young?
Commander Qian shared their sentiment, "Commander Zhou Bing, it's been a year or two. Congratulations on your breakthrough!"
Zhou Bing nodded slightly, offering a brief acknowledgment.
Commander Qian, familiar with her aloof nature, didn't mind.
He turned to Tang Wen with admiration, "Commander Tang Wen, a young hero indeed! Our camp is truly brimming with talent."
Tang Wen chatted with him with a sincere smile on his face.
Commander Qian was also willing to accompany him.
After a while, Tang Wen casually revealed his true intention: "I wonder if there are any books on historical records that I could borrow and read."
Commander Qian replied directly, "Of course, there are. Every time the caravan arrives at a new place, we gather information. We've collected quite a few history books."
One of the tasks of the traveling caravan was to explore the world.
They often brought back books.
Before dinner ended, Commander Qian had someone bring a box of thread-bound books and gave them to Tang Wen.
He stayed up all night.
Tang Wen read until dawn, finishing the entire box of books before finally lying down.
To be honest, he had never studied so diligently before.
Not even during the time leading up to his college entrance exams.
Staying up all night didn't affect his energy at all.
Tang Wen sorted through the information he had read in his mind.
First, regarding the historical origins of this world, almost all the books mentioned a similar term: "Doomsday Calamity."
However, some called it the "Great Upheaval."
Others referred to it as the "Destruction Cataclysm."
Those with extreme and ulterior motives called it "Godly Extinction."
All recorded history began after that day.
In other words: everything before us was built by survivors on the ruins of a destroyed civilization.
At first, the land was barren, with no grass growing, only desolation.
People had extremely short lifespans, rarely living past twenty or thirty years, often succumbing to severe illnesses.
The land was roamed by foul beasts oozing pus, and the waters were filled with grotesque, double-headed fish.
Tang Wen remembered his parents, who had died of severe illnesses in his original body.
Indeed, few ordinary people in the outer city lived to old age.
However, martial practitioners in the inner city, like Old General Xia, could easily live to eighty or even a hundred years.
Moreover, their vitality remained strong, and before their last breath, it was hard to say if they could kill martial practitioners of the same level.
But taking out a few martial masters was no problem.
Perhaps it was precisely to resist these severe illnesses that people desperately practiced martial arts to strengthen themselves.
The barren land, frequent severe illnesses, and severely damaged climate and environment resembled a world after a nuclear war.
"I don't know what weapons will be used in World War III, but World War IV will definitely be fought with stones."
Recalling a famous quote from his past life, Tang Wen looked at the box of pebbles in his room and chuckled. Indeed, it seemed like stones were the weapon of choice.
This world was relatively fortunate, having not only technological civilization but also martial arts civilization.
Many martial practitioners might survive the aftermath of a nuclear war.
Because of martial arts, the human population recovered much faster.
He wondered how many years had passed since the nuclear war.
The land could now grow crops, and lifespans weren't as short, likely several hundred years at least?
Thinking of the industrial civilization products he had seen during the day.
Tang Wen speculated that the "Xia City" mentioned by Commander Qian might have reached a technological level equivalent to Earth's 19th or 20th century.
For a moment, he even felt the urge to go and see for himself.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
What a joke, not to mention the impending drought, his martial arts level was still too low to venture out.
After pondering for a while longer, Tang Wen got out of bed and went to the courtyard to practice.
Yesterday, after the celebration banquet.
The two generals and the Queen discussed Tang Wen's resignation as commander.
As expected, the results should be announced today.
"I saw your light on all night yesterday. Were the books that interesting?" Tang Tang asked.
"The books say that Xia City is a paradise, with silver everywhere and rivers flowing with foxtail millet porridge." This wasn't something Tang Wen made up; some books actually wrote such nonsense.
Tang Tang opened her mouth wide, even stopping her sword practice. After thinking for a while, she shook her head and said, "That's a lie. If everyone had silver, who would work? Without farming, where would the foxtail millet porridge come from?"
Tang Wen smiled. His sister had always been sensitive about financial matters. "The books also say there are trains that can run without being pulled by horses."
"Run without being pulled? Do people push them from behind? Fake! It must be fake," Tang Tang declared, tilting her little face.
Zhou Bing also nodded in agreement.
Tang Wen then mentioned tall buildings and factories, but the two women couldn't determine whether these were true or false.
In the morning, at the palace.
The Queen, the General, and the Commanders were all present.
There were two major events today: one was the return of the distant trading caravan, and the other was that Tang Wen had killed a Superior Exotic Beast.
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