CHAPTER 269: 228_2

Several people emptied out the contents of Mo Junhua’s house, and looking at the empty room, Chunhua smiled with satisfaction. Why should the belongings her brother bought be left for those who come after?

Mo Junhua, with his package on his back, while Lan Tian complimented her on her small bag, took one last deep look at the door behind him. Only when he saw the door slowly close did he carry the hemp sack and descend the stairs with the group. Su Qing, Zhang Tian, and Ding Lei, among others, were already waiting for him downstairs. Su Qing, that idiot, burst into tears as he threw himself at Mo Junhua, crying as if Junhua was about to die, which made Lan Tian wince.

Zhang Tianjiang and Jiang Xiaoshan quickly pulled Su Qing away, before Mo Junhua could lose his temper.

Mo Junhua’s gaze swept over them, one by one. These were all soldiers he had personally led, those who survived two battles. They were troublemakers but also the finest soldiers he had under his command.

"Don’t think that you can turn the world upside down just because I’m gone. Stay in line and behave yourselves from now on. If I hear you’ve been causing trouble behind my back, hmph."

A cold snort indicated the terrifying consequences, causing Su Qing, Zhang Tian, and Ding Lei to stiffen, stand tall, and salute crisply, with military boots snapping together. "Yes, battalion commander, mission assured."

Mo Junhua left, leaving the artillery brigade, leaving the third company. No one knew if he could ever return.

The vehicle rattled along, exiting the artillery brigade, with the scenery swiftly receding on both sides. Mo Junhua looked out the window, lost in thought, while Lan Tian closed his eyes to rest.

Things were different now. The storyline of this world had deviated far from his past life. Mo Junhua was exiled to a farm, and if things went south, he might spend his whole life there as a farmer. Lan Tian didn’t know if this was good or bad. Could Mo Junhua ever ascend to the lofty position he held in his previous life? Would Heavenly Dao count this karmic retribution against her?

"Battalion commander, you’ll have to walk the rest of the way. The road is impassable for the car; this is as far as I can take you." The vehicle had been traveling since morning and it was now four or five in the afternoon when the driver suddenly spoke to Mo Junhua sitting in the back.

The resting Lan Tian sat up and saw a three-way intersection ahead. A road about two to three meters wide on the right led into the woods where military jeeps could drive in. The driver was in a big truck used for brigade supplies, too large to enter.

"Walk about five or six li ahead and you’ll reach the farm. There’s a two-story building there, and I think the brigade has arranged for some people to guard it." He wasn’t sure how many people were there, as he had driven one or two people over before, but he had never picked up anyone from there.

"Okay, you can drop us off here. Thank you, Old Zhang, for bringing me over." Mo Junhua handed a pack of cigarettes to Old Zhang as a token of appreciation. "The farm isn’t far from here, we’ll walk the rest. Have a safe drive back and be careful on the road."

After politely refusing a couple of times, Old Zhang accepted the cigarettes, opened the truck’s rear door, and helped unload the hemp sacks.

Lan Tian waited by the roadside while Mo Junhua, carrying his belongings, said goodbye to the driver who then drove away.

The two men didn’t have much to begin with. Lan Tian had stowed her belongings in the Qiankun sleeve, while Mo Junhua had a backpack and two hemp sacks filled with food supplies like grains, oil, vegetables, and meat.

From the direction they had come, Lan Tian guessed this was deep within the mountain range behind the brigade headquarters.

Lan Tian looked around. This place was very remote and desolate. To the left was an orchard cultivated from cleared land, with peach, pear, and chestnut trees stretching as far as the eye could see. The fruit trees were sporadic and not properly cultivated, bearing meager and unattractive fruit, not even matching a single tree in the hills behind her house.

On the right was a pond, its autumnal waters rippling, reflecting the blue sky, with green lotus leaves spreading across the surface like a verdant path leading to the distant horizon.

The pond’s surroundings were dense forest, with towering trees lush and verdant, yet desolate and uninhabited.

"Let’s go!" Mo Junhua glanced around and, carrying his sacks, headed down the rough path, with Lan Tian following behind. Watching Mo Junhua step by step, a little further ahead, her thoughts slowly drifted into nothingness.

Having only walked a short distance, Lan Tian suddenly looked back and asked, "Mo Junhua, are there still troops around here?"

"No longer." Mo Junhua knew the terrain nearby well since he had led troops in training here before, and he was even more informed than the driver.

There were four people guarding this rural farm, all hardened veterans transferred from different brigades, those who resisted authority. To put it nicely, they were reassigned, but in reality, it was similar to Mo Junhua’s situation—exiled here, with little chance of returning to their original units unless they accomplished something significant.

Looking around the area, the chance of making a significant accomplishment seemed even harder than ascending to the heavens.

Is it possible to cultivate an Immortal Blossom on the farm? Obviously not. The military career he might have had in this lifetime would end up being spent on the farm. If he refused to accept this, well, he could aim higher, but if he left the army, he wouldn’t need to stay cooped up in the mountains.

Lan Tian pointed behind them and said, "But look, there’s a military vehicle coming our way."

The road, running alongside the pond, had a wide-open view, allowing visibility for a great distance. They could see several jeeps heading in their direction.

Mo Junhua turned around, following Lan Tian’s pointing finger, and indeed saw a few cars coming from afar. He squinted his eyes in thought; it might indicate a troop arrival to the area for reconnaissance—they would scout the terrain beforehand just like he used to do when leading his men into unfamiliar environments.

"It has nothing to do with us; let’s go." This time, Mo Junhua allowed Lan Tian to lead, and after they hadn’t walked far, the sound of honking ’toot toot toot’ came from behind them. They stepped aside to let the vehicle pass.

"Battalion commander."

Someone called out from behind for the battalion commander, the voice sounded like the fool Su Qing. Lan Tian turned and saw Su Qing leaning out of the car window, waving and shouting at them.

Mo Junhua heard it too, and turning around, he saw Su Qing leaning on the car window with Ding Lei sitting inside and Zhang Tian standing in the back of the truck. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. What were they doing here?