Chapter Forty-One: Do All Protagonists Like Singing? (Part Two)
Today, when the orc youths heard Grant’s earlier words, stirred once again by the song they had just heard, many were on the verge of shouting, “Let’s slaughter him when he comes!” However, a few of the more composed orc leaders had specifically cautioned them beforehand: today was meant to show support for Grant; no trouble was to be caused, and no reckless words should bring disaster. If a fight broke out within the Revolutionary Group’s gathering, it would be disastrous. So, the orc youths who came truly held back, and many of them had fought alongside the Revolutionaries before, feeling somewhat like part of the group themselves, unwilling to cause trouble. This was why they forced themselves to remain silent.
But when Wei Wuji spoke just now, these already tightly restrained youths from the Peel and Mongk tribes could no longer hold back and began to chatter noisily.
“That’s right—kill as many as come!”
“I just don’t understand these humans—what’s there to be afraid of?”
“They’re timid, nothing compared to us Peel. If anyone dared to snatch our things, I’d be the first to rush forward and beat them up.”
“Your Peel tribe might be brave, but none of you are as bold as us Mongks…”
As the orcs began to bicker loudly, turning the discussion about how to deal with another Hendry into a contest of bravado, a sudden wave of sound erupted from the crowd below the stage—a tsunami of voices, human voices, strikingly united and clear:
“Damn them all! Long live Commingson!”
These sentiments had been brewing in most people’s hearts since the song began, but no one had dared speak them aloud—except Wei Wuji, the outsider, who cared little for caution. The path he cultivated was not one of brute force or plunder, but one of freedom and unimpeded flow; any obstruction would spur him to decisive action. Stirred by Wei Wuji’s words, the orc youths could no longer restrain themselves from babbling recklessly. The citizens of Gaul City had long been discontent with prior rule, and now to be looked down upon by orcs was truly unbearable, even for the elders.
The humans’ united voices swiftly drowned out the chaotic noise of the orc youths, delivering a sharp retort. Though the orcs were loud, humans held a numerical advantage, and when united, the orcs’ voices were but a stream flowing into an ocean.
The sharpest-witted Mongks were first to fall silent. In that surge of voices, they suddenly realized they were in a human city, home to more than a hundred thousand humans. Though humans were weak, their few thousand orcs would reap no good if they provoked such a multitude.
“Enough!” came a commanding voice from Grant, who alone spoke, but with the aid of the Dragon Elephant Prajna technique, instantly silenced the entire crowd.
It was as if a lion’s roar had been heard, calming the fierce emotions as all eyes turned to Grant.
“Well said! We can no longer tolerate those people lord over us, bullying us, stealing our property and daughters,” Grant declared passionately. “No matter who comes next, weI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.