Chapter 318 ·The Flexible Blood Race

While ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍the two were displaying their ‘deep mother-daughter affection’，an old woman hurried past them holding an object tightly wrapped in linen in her arms。

Mitia ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍subconsciously turned her head to take a look，the other party lowered her head and glanced left and right，her rather furtive appearance aroused Mitia’s curiosity。

There ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was definitely no sense of danger，there was not the slightest Magical Fluctuation on this old woman，just as she was preparing to investigate whether she was a Human Trafficker，a young man suddenly rushed out from the alley beside them，and the two collided head-on。

“Ouch...”

The ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍old woman was knocked to the ground，the things in her arms also fell to the ground and rolled twice，revealing vegetables and flour inside while large amounts of Paper Currency fluttered through the air。

The ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍man quickly climbed to his feet，ignored the money scattered all over the ground，grabbed the Vegetable Basket and ran away directly。

The old woman struggled to raise her head and looked at the fleeing robber in anger and panic：“Ouch！He stole my vegetables！He stole my vegetables！Help！！！”

“Without food how are the children in my family supposed to survive！”

Mitia glanced at the guards around them，one of them nodded and activated Magic to quickly chase after the young man。

Kate poked her head out from where she was nestled in Mitia’s arms and glanced at the Pue Lent Paper Currency on the ground whose denominations were all covered in zeros：“Tsk，these notes are probably worth less than the paper they were printed on。”

Mitia shook her head：“The nation is already gone，so naturally its Paper Currency has also lost its Purchasing Power，no matter how much there is it’s only fit for burning as fuel。”

Having one’s Wealth wiped out was merely one of the most basic side effects of war，if her guess was correct，those vegetables and flour were probably things distributed free of charge by the Alliance，there was basically no Market to speak of。

Because as the Main Battlefield，Pue Lent had almost completely ceased even the most basic cultivation of its land

Everyone who could be mobilized had been requisitioned to build Trenches and Fortifications，and the remaining elderly、children、women and weak working the fields could at most cover only part of the consumption。

Wars between nations in the old era were far crueler than in any other period，perhaps their casualties on the frontal battlefield were not as enormous as those of later times，but the depletion they inflicted on the deep foundations of a nation was immeasurable。

After all when Productivity could not keep up，other than increasing Productivity the simplest solution was to reduce consumption。

If obtaining supplies was far slower and less than their losses，then if you had food you ate your own food，if you had none you robbed others，if others had none either then you ate people。

In any case people died on the battlefield，people starved to death at home，continuing until internal and external losses and supply reached a balance，and when that point would finally arrive was uncertain。

Otherwise Opening the Granaries and Distributing Grain would not always become one of the mandatory policy choices regardless of the era，without a supply of food everything else was nonsense。

The old woman’s Vegetable Basket was recovered by the guard，and when he returned two Surian Patrol Soldiers were accompanying him，amid the old woman’s endless thanks everyone left the area。

The fact that Pue Lent was this miserable actually had a great deal to do with Mitia as well，among the Industrial Equipment she exported overseas in large quantities during the early period，the Cotton Gin was one of the machines she especially promoted，its selling price was generally cheaper than other machines and came with more favorable terms。

And the ultimate objective was to use it to guide the nations of the Continent away from food crops and toward planting the Cash Crop cotton。

This was an utterly vicious scheme，except for a small number of uniquely favored regions，planting cotton in the overwhelming majority of areas brought a hundred harms and not a single benefit，early irrigation required enormous quantities of Water Resources，later rainfall could not be too high，while harvesting also required a great deal of Manual Labor。

Moreover cotton was a Deep-tillage Crop with deep roots，every round of cultivation caused almost irreversible damage to the land，if all kinds of Fertilizers could be supplied for replenishment the process could be delayed to some degree，but if they relied purely on the fertility of the soil it would take less than ten years to squeeze a fertile piece of land dry。

It required enormous quantities of Water Resources，yet rainfall could not be too high，and it also required huge amounts of Labor，what these three requirements meant for an ordinary Agricultural Nation went without saying。

If this were under the control and allocation of a single nation these problems could still be avoided to the greatest degree，but under the Fief System which Lord would care about that？If I saw you making money planting cotton naturally I would plant it too，and I would plant more than you，earn more than you。

As one rose and the other fell every Lord’s territory ended up containing large numbers of Cotton Plantations，and when combined nationwide the total quantity became extremely terrifying。

It could be said that she was the one calling for the abolition of Slavery，yet it was also precisely because of her that resistance to abolishing Slavery on the Main Continent was enormous，making it practically impossible to accomplish。

And despite paying such an enormous price，the regions and nations cultivating cotton might not actually earn much money from the Alliance，the money they spent would be earned back several times over during the second round through Textile Products and Food Exports。

Because cotton had fairly high yields and many nations cultivated it，it was true that there was no worry about selling it，but it was equally true that it could not command a high price。

Even while the two Camps fought each other to the death across the Continent，the Trade Routes of both sides remained open throughout，suffering very little impact。

While Pue Lent continuously fed the lives of its people into the Meat Grinder，it would rather let starving corpses litter the land than stop finding ways to maintain the harvesting and ginning of cotton from last October，before selling it cheaply to the Alliance。

Wasn’t it absurd enough to make one laugh and cry，but there was no helping it，they needed Alliance Currency to purchase food and other Civilian Supplies from the Alliance，even most of the Surian Wealth they had plundered flowed back to the Alliance through various channels。

A tiny white cotton flower both ensured that the Main Continent could never free itself from Slave Labor that could minimize Labor Costs to the greatest degree，and also reduced the total amount of Arable Land used for food cultivation，causing the other side to develop a dependence on external food supplies。

With large numbers of Slave Laborers existing，Vested Interest Groups would forever obstruct the advancement of Slave Emancipation，so the nation would continue maintaining a Slave Registry Circulation System that allowed Ordinary People to fall into slavery。

And in order to maintain this system against challenges from below，you could wait eight lifetimes without seeing universal education，internal contradictions remained numerous and sharp，and Industrial Development would never be able to exert its full strength。

A gentle breeze passed over the Cotton Fields，stirring up red waves。

Economic Warfare，sometimes really could produce effects far beyond what Cannons、Aircraft and Tanks could achieve。

Bared Port

Countless Allied Army soldiers rushed out in panic from the Large Teleportation Gate，while the Defensive Army led by Aldahir’s Adjutant stationed near the Teleportation Gate continuously fired warning shots to signal the other side to stop their behavior of charging toward Headquarters。

Just as the main force finally calmed down slightly and began being able to understand the signals，waves of screams and roars came from the rear，the Corpse Beasts mixed among the crowd instantly shattered the Allied Army’s newly stabilized mentality again。

The Corpse Beasts also seemed to have undergone a certain degree of Evolution，changing from the original transformation immediately upon contact to transformation after an Incubation Period of 30 minutes-3 hours，every time the forces regrouped and reorganized there were always several soldiers inside who suddenly transformed into Corpse Beasts。

After this happened once or twice all of them became Startled Birds，possessing no trust whatsoever toward the comrades around them。

Aldahir still had a batch of high-level Juvenile Corpse Beast Kings kept as his final hidden trump card

Originally he had prepared to rely on this group of Saint-level Squads to command the Corpse Beast Army at a critical moment and break through the Allied Forces’ Defensive Line，but when the situation deteriorated and he wanted to activate and use them，none of them responded to his commands，and in the end they simply killed a batch of his Personal Guards before breaking through the encirclement and escaping。

Without question，his ally had abandoned him at the critical moment。