From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 374 The Old Man
The river flows mightily, and hundreds of boats race against each other.

Seeing the bustling crowds at the dock, though slightly less vibrant than during the upheaval in Songhe Prefecture, there was still a sense of revival.

Zhao Jingsheng led the way, but instead of focusing on Meng Yuan's cultivation, he introduced the changes in the area.

Since the heavy snow last year, Qing Guangzi has attained enlightenment as the Holy King of Light here, slaughtering the entire city, with less than one in a hundred surviving.

Later, Qing Guangzi fled, and the demons who had been lured away scattered, most of them escaping to the nearby mountains.

The Demon Suppression Bureau sent people to search, and they killed quite a few wild demons in the mountains. After the corpses inside and outside the city were cleared away, people were relocated to populate the city.

More than half a year passed, and not many people migrated to this place. Those who were willing to come were afraid of monsters causing trouble. After Ying Rushi arrived, she sent letters to various places and asked passing merchant ships to spread the news that land and houses were being allocated here. Only then did many more people arrive intermittently.

However, having experienced the massacre of the city, the sudden influx of so many people led to a shortage of food and supplies, which resulted in an even more prosperous flow of merchant ships.

"When the new prefect heard that his master had arrived, he stopped going out to manage affairs. Now, his master has invited Mr. Chen Shouzhou from Qingshui County to take charge of this area." Zhao Jingsheng pointed in the direction of Songhe Prefecture City.

"What do you mean by not going out to handle affairs? It's just that the orders can't be carried out. The country is in chaos, and no one is supporting the new prefect. The third young lady has a high reputation, so this is not surprising." Lin Yan had been around in the capital and knew this kind of thing very well.

As they talked, they did not enter the city, but instead headed towards Chongxu Temple.

Chongxu Temple was located on a low hill by the Canglang River. At this time, many people had gathered at the foot of the mountain gate, and many simple houses had been newly built.

According to Zhao Jingsheng, this place should have been newly built for people to rest in.

"My benefactor!" As he walked forward, a man in the standard robe of the Demon Suppression Division rushed forward and knelt down before Meng Yuan.

This man was not old, somewhat thin, with a tanned face and a long knife hanging at his waist; he was clearly Zhang Hua's younger brother, Zhang Jiao.

"What are you doing here?" Meng Yuan helped Zhang Jiao up, and when he reached out and grasped Zhang Jiao's wrist, he knew that Zhang Jiao had made good progress and was about to enter the eighth rank of martial arts.

"The centurion said I have a connection with my benefactor and am considered one of the Third Miss's people, so he let me wait for orders outside Chongxu Temple!" Zhang Jiao said happily. He added, "Our garrison is now under the command of Centurion Gong."

That must be Gong Zihua. Meng Yuan smiled, then asked another old acquaintance, "Where's Zhang Lingfeng?"

"He's currently a deputy." Zhang Jiao was very excited, his eyes reddening. "My benefactor, when are we going to take revenge?"

"Soon." Meng Yuan patted Zhang Jiao on the shoulder and turned to look in the direction of Songhe Prefecture.

The city remained unchanged, with voices rising and smoke billowing.

Upon seeing these old acquaintances, Meng Yuan couldn't help but think of his two mentors, Nie Yannian and Zhang Guinian.

Only half a year had passed, but Meng Yuan felt as if he had been separated from his predecessors Nie and Zhang for a very long time.

"The hatred of the people of the city, the hatred of relatives and friends, must all be avenged." Meng Yuan gripped the hilt of his sword, his voice firm.

Without saying anything more, the group went up the mountain and entered the mountain gate.

The main gate of Chongxu Temple remains as dilapidated as ever, and the interior is also the same as before, except that there are many more people coming and going than last year, making it more lively.

Continuing forward, past the main hall, they arrived at the back mountain. Ying Ru was still staying in the courtyard where she had stayed during her spring outing. "Brother?" A man was guarding the gate of the courtyard with his hand on his sword. When he saw Meng Yuan, his eyes lit up, and he immediately rushed over, grabbed Meng Yuan's waist, and lifted him up.

Tie Niu was not good with words. Although he was very kind to Meng Yuan, he didn't know how to say anything. He always did the same thing as his father, Zhao Datou: he would pick up the person and weigh him. If he was heavy, then he was doing well; if he was light, then he had suffered outside.

"Brother, the Third Miss said you were coming back. I thought she was joking, but I didn't expect you to actually come back!" Tie Niu put Meng Yuan down, his joy barely concealed. He squeezed Meng Yuan's arm. "Brother, did you suffer out there?"

Tie Niu wasn't as thorough as Xiang Ling in his examination, but once he saw that Meng Yuan wasn't missing any limbs, he was relieved.

"I'm doing well outside." Meng Yuan saw that Tie Niu was getting stronger and stronger, although his face was getting darker and darker. However, his strength in his hands and feet was also increasing, which showed that he had made a lot of progress in the past six months.

"Senior brother!" As the two young brothers were catching up, a gate opened and a girl came out.

The girl was taller than average, with a knife at her waist. She was beautiful, with a black cloth tied around her waist and a tight-fitting robe that made her chest appear even more extraordinary.

"Senior brother, you're finally back!" Hu Qian pushed aside Tie Niu, who was blocking her way, grabbed Meng Yuan's arm, and looked up at him intently.

"Hu Sheyou, you have a baby? How come it's gotten bigger?" Xiangling was hiding in Meng Yuan's clothes, only her head was showing. She stretched out her two little paws and peeked forward. "Still not quite the same as the eldest daughter-in-law!"

Hu Qian blushed, flicked Xiangling's head, bowed to Mingyue and Lin Yan, and then pulled Meng Yuan towards the courtyard, saying, "Third Miss is waiting for you!"

Seeing Meng Yuan follow Hu Qian into the courtyard, Lin Yan smacked his lips and muttered, "My junior brother, hehe..."

The courtyard was arranged as usual, with pine trees standing tall, broad sycamore leaves, and pink flowers already blooming.

There were low tables and stools under the trees. This place was not as spacious as Jingyuan Garden, nor was it surrounded by a lake. Occasionally, cicadas chirped, making it all the more tranquil.

A person sat cross-legged in front of a low table, with a pair of wooden clogs beside them, but their beautiful feet were hidden in front of them.

She was dressed in a wide, flowing robe, holding a book in her hand; she was still stunningly beautiful, her beauty beyond compare.

Every time Meng Yuan saw Ying Rushi, he felt that this woman had a unique temperament. Although she was wearing a Taoist robe, he felt that she was worthy of being the mother of a country.

She appears dignified, but occasionally displays cunning, is extremely witty, and possesses great wisdom.

Beside Ying Rushi were two women: one was Xunmei, Meng Yuan's first benefactor, and the other was the young girl Jiang Tang.

Xunmei bowed to Meng Yuan without saying a word, only smiling.

Jiang Tang was also exceptionally well-behaved. She nodded to Meng Yuan and then bowed to Lin Yan and his wife. When she saw that Mingyue was right next to Meng Yuan and very close to him, she widened her eyes.

Xiangling spent the most time with Jiang Tang. When she saw Jiang Tang's eyes, she quickly jumped onto Jiang Tang's shoulder and whispered in Jiang Tang's ear, while occasionally glancing at Mingyue.

"Your spirit and energy are abundant, and you are in perfect harmony. Meng Feiyuan has taken another step forward on the path of the Great Dao." Ying Rushi smiled as she looked at Meng Yuan, then at Mingyue. "You have already shown some differences after traveling to distant lands. It seems you have also gained something."

Mingyue blushed slightly, but didn't argue. She immediately sat down opposite Ying Rushi.

"Everyone, please sit down." Ying Rushi smiled, her eyes fixed on Meng Yuan, lost in thought.

(End of this chapter)