I can bless thousands of magical powers.

A magnificent city appeared in front of Zhang Yuan and Mo Huaian.

The city is backed by rolling mountains and faces a vast plain. There is also a river winding nearby, which controls the main transportation route from the south to the north.

Yong'an, the capital of Yongzhou!
The closer you get to Yong'an City, the more densely populated it becomes, with villages of all sizes scattered all over the place, and farms crisscrossing the fields.

But due to the severe drought, the situation here is extremely bad.

On both sides of the official road leading to Yong'an City, displaced victims can be seen everywhere. Many of them lie on the ground, exposed to the sun, motionless, with no signs of life.

Many ragged beggars knelt by the roadside, holding broken bowls and begging from passing merchants and travelers.

Their lips had long been cracked and bleeding, and the sounds coming from their throats were more like the last wail of a dying beast.

The nearby creek was completely dry and the soil was cracked into pieces.

All the vegetation is dead!
Such a situation made Mo Huaian feel extremely heavy and terrible.

He was so angry that he couldn't express it in words: "What on earth is the Daqian court doing?"

Along the way, Mo Huaian did not see any action taken by the Yongzhou government in response to the drought.

Instead, they encountered a grain-collecting team that went to the countryside and levied heavy taxes.

Zhang Yuan said calmly: "This is not our business, let's go."

In fact, Zhang Yuan was also quite confused.

Because Daqian has been established for hundreds of years, although it has long fallen from its peak, it is still far from the end of the dynasty.

The power of the imperial court is still very strong.

Yongzhou is a big province. Even if it is not in the core hinterland of Daqian, it is impossible for the imperial court to be unaware of the situation when it encounters such a serious natural disaster. How could the situation be so terrible!
Are all the officials in Yongzhou dead?

I'm afraid all the answers can only be found in Yong'an City.

But Zhang Yuan felt that no matter what the truth was, such a big event was not something he and Mo Huaian could participate in.

In fact, Zhang Yuan's previous massacre of the grain-collecting team was already an act of "treason".

Under normal circumstances, he would be labeled a gangster and a traitor and be wanted with a reward!

Mo Huaian sighed, shook the reins in his hand, and quickened his pace to catch up with Zhang Yuan in front.

The two of them galloped all the way and soon arrived at the Yong'an city gate.

There were two long rows of chevaux de frise in front of the city gate, with a sentry every three steps and a sentry every five steps. Crossbows were set up above the city wall, and fully armed soldiers were patrolling back and forth, with the security extremely strict.

What they were guarding against were the countless victims of disasters and starving people gathered outside the city!
"Stop whoever comes!"

A group of soldiers blocked Zhang Yuan and Mo Huaian's horses, and one of the sentries said in a deep voice: "Please dismount and show your credentials!"

Mo Huaian jumped down first, then took out a Taoist letter from his sleeve and handed it to the other party.

The sentry officer took the certificate, unfolded it and took a look at it, his expression suddenly became solemn.

"It turns out that it is the Immortal Lord Shang Jingtian who has come to visit!"

The sentry officer bowed respectfully to Mo Huai'an and said, "May I ask why you are here in Yong'an, Immortal?"

He was obviously worried that Mo Huaian would be angry, and quickly added: "It's not that I am nosy, but the superiors have issued a strict order that anyone entering Yong'an must be checked for their identity, so please forgive me, Immortal!"

As he said this, he bowed deeply to apologize.

This person obviously knew Shang Jingtian quite well, and his fearful and respectful attitude was almost impeccable.

As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person. Mo Huaian is not a rude and unreasonable person. He immediately explained: "I am here to visit Uncle Fang Hui of Qingfeng Temple."

The sentry officer suddenly realized: "So that's what's going on!" He immediately stood up and waved to the guards behind him: "Get out of the way!"

The sentry officer nodded and bowed to Mo Huaian again: "Master, would you like me to lead the way? I have been to Qingfeng Temple several times and have met Master Fang."

Mo Huai'an hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and replied, "Thank you very much, no need to bother."

The other party's attempt to get close to him was too obvious, and the young wizard didn't like it very much.

The sentry officer bowed his head and said, "You are too polite, Immortal. Please come in."

Mo Huaian took back his Taoist certificate, nodded slightly at the other party, and then entered Yong'an City with Zhang Yuan.

Yong'an is worthy of being the capital of Yongzhou. The scene inside the city is completely different from that outside the city.

Entering the city, you will see a street as straight as an arrow. The deep ruts on the bluestone road bear witness to the long history of this city. Shops are lined up along the street, and wine flags and tea signs fluttering in the wind.

White mist wrapped in the aroma of wheat rose from the steamed cake shop. In front of the shop, shop assistants were unloading wooden boxes filled with goods. The street was bustling with people coming and going, and there were no homeless beggars to be seen.

Such a prosperous scene made Zhang Yuan and Mo Huaian feel unreal.

Is this really the state capital under severe drought?

In comparison, if the outside of the city is hell, then the inside of the city is simply heaven!

The two men led their mounts and walked along the long street.

The Qingfeng Temple, where Mo Huaian's uncle Fang Hui is the abbot, is very famous in Yong'an City, so Zhang Yuan just asked a passerby and found out its exact location.

This Taoist temple is located on a mountain in the north of the city. The two of them crossed half of the city before reaching their destination.

Qingfeng Temple was built on the mountainside. Climbing up the steps, he arrived at the gate of the Taoist temple. Seeing the Taoist boy guarding the gate, Mo Huaian handed over his Taoist certificate as usual: "I am Jingtian Mo Huaian, may I ask if Master Fang is here?"

The Taoist boy was immediately shocked and hurriedly welcomed Mo Huaian and Zhang Yuan respectfully into the Taoist temple.

While serving fragrant tea, he notified the manager of the Taoist temple to come and receive them.

The Taoist temple manager came very quickly. After reading Mo Huaian's Taoist certificate, he immediately bowed and said, "It turns out that it is Senior Brother Shang Jingtian who has come. May I ask if you want to see Master Fang?"

Mo Huaian nodded: “Yes.”

"That's a pity."

The Taoist temple manager smiled bitterly and said, "Master Fang has been in seclusion for three months and has not come out yet!"

In seclusion?
Mo Huaian was stunned for a moment, feeling that the problem was a bit tricky.

He originally came to Yongzhou simply to visit his uncle whom he had not seen for many years. However, after entering the state, he discovered that there was a high possibility of a drought demon appearing in Yongzhou, so he changed his purpose.

Given Fang Hui's identity and cultivation level, if a drought demon really appeared in Yongzhou, it would be impossible for him to be completely unaware of it.

What Mo Huaian didn't expect was that Fang Hui had actually gone into seclusion three months ago.

The latter is his only connection in Yongzhou.

The Taoist temple manager observed his expression and said, "Brother Mo, you have come all the way here, it's hard. Why don't you rest in the small temple for a few days? If the abbot comes out, it will be worth the trip."

"good!"

Mo Huaian felt that what the other party said made sense, so he nodded and said, “Then I’ll trouble you.”

The Taoist temple manager beamed with joy: "It is my honor to serve you, Senior Brother!"

So under the arrangement of this manager, Mo Huaian and Zhang Yuan temporarily settled down in Qingfeng Temple.

Waiting for Fang Hui to come out of confinement. (End of this chapter)