Lin Yi did not doubt the truth of the orc boy's statement. The hatred between the Dragon Empire and the tribe is so deep that it can no longer be described by the word "feud". It is not an exaggeration to call them "enemies of life and death". Whether it is the empire or the tribe, the long-term war has exhausted both sides, and the top leaders are eager for peace. Ironically, the biggest obstacle to peace now is not the top leaders, but the people at the bottom, who do not seem to want to end the war. Previously, a leader in the tribe tried to make a truce with the Dragon Empire. His efforts encountered unexpected obstacles. On the night when he proposed a truce, his family was kidnapped by unidentified people, and various threatening letters poured into his home like snowflakes. The walls of his home were maliciously painted with insulting words such as "traitor" and "shame". Moreover, his proposal for a truce was strongly opposed by civilians in the tribe. Since then, whether in the Dragon Empire or the tribe, the top leaders have avoided talking about the word "truce" for fear of repeating the mistakes of the leader.
The protracted war has almost dragged down the Dragon Empire and the tribe. After hundreds of years of war, the economies of both sides are on the verge of collapse. The reason why it can barely hold on now is that the royal family diverts contradictions and attracts the attention of the people by exposing and punishing corrupt officials, making the people mistakenly believe that the economic difficulties are mainly caused by corrupt officials. The plight of the tribe is even more serious. Economic problems exist, but the more urgent one is the population problem. The continuous war has caused a sharp decline in the population of the tribe, especially those races with low fertility rates, such as trolls and dwarves, whose fertility rates have fallen below the warning line. The tribe is not only the five major races today, but also includes other races such as the Centaurs and the Fairies. Why can't we see these races now? The reason is simple. The cruel war has caused them to perish and disappear in the dust of history. In the Longteng Empire, members of the extinct races can occasionally be seen, but they have become slaves, the last remaining representatives of their race, because the other members have died on the battlefield. Even more cruel is that the Longteng Empire now uses an extreme method, that is, once a female member of the tribe is found, a special slender dagger is used to pierce her womb, and completely deprive her of the ability to get pregnant by stirring. This behavior undoubtedly intensifies the hatred between the two sides. The long-term war has brought the hatred between the Longteng Empire and the tribe to a peak. In the past, the war between the two countries was mainly to compete for resources and divert domestic conflicts. But now, the situation has gone beyond the control of the upper level, and the upper level leaders are instead swept up by the people's will to fight, and have to continue this endless war. At present, the two sides are in an endurance competition to see who can hold out longer and whose collapse will come later. Judging from the current situation, the Longteng Empire seems more likely to hold out until the collapse of the tribe. Although there are corruption problems within the Longteng Empire, it still has some reserves of military supplies and other aspects. In contrast, the logistical capabilities of the tribe seem to be stretched. "My Lord, this is the Holy Dragon Academy."
The little boy took Lin Yi to a place very close to the palace, and then pointed to the building in front of him. The Holy Dragon Academy is located in a lush royal forest. The ancient and solemn stone gate is open, welcoming every scholar who comes to seek knowledge. The architecture of the academy does not pursue splendor, but is mainly composed of calm gray stone. The exterior lines of the building are simple and smooth, full of the sense of precipitation of time. The roof is covered with dark gray tiles, which shimmers with a faint luster in the sun. In a restaurant near the courtyard, several scholars are sitting around a dining table, enthusiastically discussing an academic issue. One of the older scholars, holding a feather pen, wrote quickly on the paper, and his eyes flashed with a thoughtful light. A young scholar next to him was excitedly expounding his views, with exaggerated gestures, as if he wanted to fully express his thoughts. Other scholars nodded or raised questions, and the atmosphere was tense and active. Their discussions were one after another, accompanied by the gently falling leaves in the courtyard, forming a vivid academic picture. "It just so happens that I'm in need of a slave recently, and you're the one." Just as Lin Yi was checking the environment of the Holy Dragon Academy, a man suddenly appeared in front of the two of them. He was writing with a pen in his hand, and seemed to be immersed in some profound problem. After accidentally touching the little boy's body, he grabbed the little boy unceremoniously and planned to take him to the Holy Dragon Academy. The little boy's face immediately showed a look of horror, and his eyes turned to Lin Yi, with a light of help in his eyes. "I saw this slave first, can you please consider changing someone else?" Hearing Lin Yi's voice, the man finally came back from his contemplation. "Hmm? Teacher Lin, you're back too. Since you found this slave first, I won't take it away from someone else. I'll go out and find another one later." Obviously, the man also knew Lin Yi. After a few brief polite remarks, he walked towards the street again, looking like he was going to find other suitable slaves to conduct his experiments. "Okay, go home quickly." Lin Yi took out two gold medals from his pocket and placed them in the little boy's hands. The little boy looked at Lin Yi and Su Xiao gratefully. He carefully hid the gold list, turned around and trotted all the way into a nearby alley. For such beggar children, alleys are like their safe haven. It is much safer to walk through them than on the streets. Although there are various robbers, thieves and gangs lurking in the alleys, these dark organizations have their own set of operating rules. The little boy has lived in this area for a long time, so he naturally knows the distribution of forces here. He knows whose territory is where, so he can avoid danger. Compared with the dangerous streets, the alleys provided him with a certain degree of security. At least he wouldn't be suddenly dragged away as a test subject by the alchemist of Holy Dragon Academy like he did on the street. Fifteen minutes later, the little boy returned to a simple shack. This humble shack is made of rough branches, leaves and discarded fabrics. Although it is simple and crude, it is a warm nest for the little boy and his sister to rely on each other in this difficult world.
The interior space of the shack is small, but it carries the endless hopes of the two children. Some simple living utensils were hung on the walls, and a shabby blanket was spread on the uneven ground. Whenever night falls, they hug each other tightly and spend cold nights on this blanket, each other's body temperature and heartbeat becoming the most solid support. The little boy and his sister are slaves in this area. They must pay a certain amount of taxes on time in order to survive. "Brother, you are back." The little girl's voice was weak and trembling, revealing her deep dependence on her brother. Her little face was pale and thin, and her constant coughing was distressing. The little boy felt a pain in his heart when he saw his sister's sickly appearance. He knelt down, gently held his sister's cold little hand, and said softly: "Don't worry, my brother has made money from this trip, and he will be able to take you for treatment soon." After saying that, the little boy carefully carried his sister on his back and walked towards the black clinic in the slum. In this place full of poverty and injustice, as long as you have money, almost anything can be done. Although black clinics have a bad reputation, they are the only hope for lower-class people like them when they get sick.