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Chapter 15: Having trouble? Find a shop.

This is truly a human tragedy, Chen Xuan thought to himself. No wonder she was so emotional during the argument earlier.

It's true that great disasters can turn people into something more terrifying than demons... but they were all human before. If Liu Shuyue were to draw her sword against them and kill thousands or tens of thousands of them, it's hard to say what her mentality would become.

To ensure his client's mental well-being, he felt it necessary to lend a hand.

“I see. I have a second question… Could you take me to see where these disaster victims are gathered?”

Liu Shuyue hesitated for a moment, "It's possible, but..."

"The more detailed the understanding of the situation, the greater the effect of ability trading."

"I understand..." she could only agree, "I'll go prepare a carriage for you."

Half an hour later, the two arrived outside the city.

This was Chen Xuan's first comprehensive observation of Liu Shuyue's world. Zhangwei was undoubtedly a large city. From the government office to the outside of the city, one had to cross two city walls. The ground wasn't a muddy dirt road, but a uniform stone-paved road. Shops lined the streets one after another, their cries of vendors rising and falling, and pedestrians, porters, and mules and horses came and went in an endless stream. If he had to describe it in one word, it would be "lively." Looking at the scene on the street, he couldn't help but think of the painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival."

The painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" depicts Bianjing, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, but Zhangwei was not the capital of the Great Qi Dynasty. This shows that although the sect was far removed from the secular world, its various magic arts and cultivation methods still had a profound influence on this place.

Once you step outside the city gates, the scenery changes completely.

Patrolling guards could be seen everywhere along the official road, and any refugees who approached were driven away and beaten. On the muddy ground four or five hundred meters from the city wall, many tents were erected, looking like crowded hills from a distance. Countless figures moved between the tents, and the noisy arguments, shouts, and cries could be heard from afar.

“That’s where the refugees gather,” Liu Shuyue said. “Two days ago there were only a little over three thousand people, but now there are almost seven thousand. But that’s far from the limit. Zhangwei is located on a vital passage to the north, with the Jiuqu River and swamps on the left and right. Most of the disaster-stricken refugees will gather here.”

Chen Xuan wanted to get closer to take a look, but she stopped him.

"Are you really going over there?"

"Well, what happened?"

“…Then you follow behind me.” After saying that, Liu Shuyue overtook him and then drew the long sword from her back.

Upon seeing the outsiders approach, a throng of heads gathered around, their eyes fixed intently on the two. For a fleeting moment, Chen Xuan had the illusion that they weren't disaster victims, but rather wolves with predatory eyes. However, the ferocity and restlessness in their eyes were suppressed by the green blade in Liu Shuyue's hand. Their feet writhed for a long time, and in the end, they dared not take more than five steps.

“These people cannot represent all the disaster victims…” the girl whispered in their defense, “They have been starving for too long.”

"Sir...please give me something to eat!"

"My lords, please take my child! I'll only ask for a few pancakes, please!"

When exactly can we get into the city?

"That's right, my relatives are in Chengzhou, why won't they let us go there!?"

Compared to those who wanted to rush up and snatch, there were many more people pleading and questioning. Their voices were so numerous that they blended together, making it almost impossible to tell who was speaking.

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream drowned out the noise of the crowd.

Liu Shuyue frowned and immediately turned to walk towards a tent. The people around her did not dare to stop her and made way for her.

The sound came from about ten meters away. A middle-aged man lay in a pool of blood with a short knife stuck in his waist. His wife, kneeling beside him, was pale. Several other young people were hurriedly squeezing into the crowd.

Liu Shuyue shouted, "Stop!"

Everyone froze in place, unable to move.

This time, Chen Xuan realized he wasn't included. He followed Liu Shuyue forward and saw that the group was clutching a cloth bag tightly in their hands.

She snatched the bag, opened it, and found several strings of copper coins and some loose silver inside.

"Let me go! That's mine!" the leader of the robbers shouted menacingly.

"Please, please spare me! I know I was wrong!" His accomplice pleaded repeatedly in fear.

Liu Shuyue didn't want to see them anymore. She summoned the guards and briefly explained what had happened. The guards pulled out ropes, immediately tied the woman up, and after a beating, dragged her back into the city. Only then did she return to the tent with her money bag, intending to return the stolen silver to the woman.

When the two returned to the open-top, they found the woman lying silently on top of the man, no longer breathing. Her hands were clutching the short knife, the blade turned upside down and plunged into her own chest.

"She can't live without a man."

"Yeah, she has no use for that money... Why don't we share it? At least we can buy some pancakes!"

The people around them chimed in with their own opinions.

Liu Shuyue looked at Chen Xuan, seemingly wanting to say something, but hesitated to speak.

Chen Xuan took the money bag and said, "I've looked enough, let's go back."

Sitting in the swaying carriage, Liu Shuyue couldn't help but say, "If there had been enough food, those people wouldn't have ended up like this..."

Seeing her shifty eyes, Chen Xuan suddenly understood her initial hesitation and why she had repeatedly defended the disaster victims. She hadn't just learned about the situation in the camp today; she was worried that after witnessing the disgraceful behavior of these people, she would see them as incorrigible thugs and be unwilling to offer any more help.

"Isn't Shen Fang distributing relief food? Why hasn't the situation of the disaster victims improved at all?"

Chen Xuan saw a temporary wooden platform in front of the tent area, with several large pots on it, which should be a porridge distribution point arranged by the prefect.

“The amount is too small… They’re still distributing it according to the previous amount for three thousand people, and each person is only given one bowl of thin porridge per day. But the number of disaster victims gathering these past few days is increasing rapidly, and this amount of porridge is simply not enough,” Liu Shuyue said helplessly. “I’ve already mentioned this to Shen Fang, and he promised to increase the amount of alms as soon as possible, but…”

But plans never keep up with changes. Chen Xuan knew what she meant; by the time the relief porridge quota was increased to seven thousand people, the number of disaster victims arriving here would probably exceed ten thousand.

“Since you’re reluctant to give them porridge, why not just let them head north? It would be better to let these disaster victims pass through Zhangwei City in batches than to concentrate all the pressure outside the city gates.”

“Perhaps this is also a dereliction of duty for the prefect—he allowed the people of Qingzhou to wander around without travel permits, which would be a stain on his record and could affect his future career.” Liu Shuyue seemed indignant. “But even so, he is still the prefect of Zhangwei, a respected prefect, and he is already better off than most people. He is unwilling to pay even such a small price.”

Back in the shop, the girl asked impatiently, "You've seen the situation, when can we trade abilities?"

Chen Xuan gestured for the other party to remain calm.

Can the famine problem be solved?

of course can.

However, the solution doesn't primarily rely on ability... but rather on money.

But he couldn't tell the other person so directly.

After all, he was running a power shop.

After a moment's thought, Chen Xuan picked up the barcode scanner and aimed it at Liu Shuyue.

……

……

"Reporting to Lord Shen, the Immortal Master just took that man to the west gate." The subordinate truthfully reported this news to Shen Fang.

"Why would you take your lover to a place like that?" Prefect Tang asked, quite surprised. He had just been inside the Martial Hall and had personally witnessed the Immortal Master leading a young man to his lodgings. Although the guards claimed that the two hadn't returned to their room and had disappeared halfway there, this shocking discovery immediately changed everyone's attitude towards the Immortal Master completely.

You should know that she usually speaks with a coldness that keeps strangers at bay, making people afraid to come within three steps of her.

"Those servants have such foul mouths, did you really believe them?" Shen Fang shook his head with a smile. "If there was any suspicion about him before, now I can be sure that he is not a lover."

"Then who could he be?" The prefect recalled his strange attire when he appeared; he couldn't possibly be a local. "Could he also be from a sect?"

“It’s said that the Lotus Cloud Sect only sends one disciple to each country every hundred years, but that’s unlikely,” Shen Fang denied the speculation. “However, I’m certain of one thing: the Immortal Master probably doesn’t want to give up so easily. That person’s status should be comparable to hers, so she doesn’t mind getting close to him. She can’t handle this alone, so she needs help.”

"The only people who can help the sect disciples... are those from unorthodox sects, right?" The prefectural governor showed a look of disgust.

It's not only the Lotus Cloud Sect that produces cultivators in this world; countless people have tried to glimpse the secrets of heaven, but unfortunately, most of them have gone astray and are not recognized by the world.

Sometimes they were even targets for joint extermination by the Lotus Cloud Sect disciples and the government.

"Who knows? It might turn out to be a crime when things come to a head." Shen Fang sighed, "It's still a pity..."

"What is the Prefect regretting?"

"What a pity for Master Liu. It's clear that she genuinely wanted to help those fleeing disaster."

The prefect glanced around and then suddenly lowered his voice to ask, "Does His Majesty really intend to crack down on the Immortal Masters?"

"It's been five years... and she's still outside the central government. No one can rest easy about her," Shen Fang said calmly. This wasn't exactly a secret. Any official who paid attention to politics and knew how to read the emperor's mind had heard the rumors. For example, in the Yue Kingdom in the north, male immortal masters had become the queen's patrons, and the immortal techniques they offered were enough to arm an elite army; the other kings were doing much the same, all trying to extract as much immortal power as possible, except for Liu Shuyue.

He heard from his teacher, the current prime minister, that the emperor had repeatedly berated the immortal master for being ungrateful and failing in his duty to assist the state. Coupled with some rumors circulating in neighboring countries, the King of Qi would likely not allow the situation to continue.

"So that's why the Lord disagreed with her proposals?"

"At this time, it is wise not to get involved with her in any way, otherwise, if the Emperor blames us, we will both suffer."

"Can saving the people also lead to punishment?" Magistrate Tang suddenly hesitated.

"You've served as my prefectural magistrate for two years, and you still don't understand the reasons behind this?" Shen Fang sneered, while also feeling a sense of shared misfortune. "If you want to find fault, there's no problem you can't find. Saving the people is a good thing, but once you go against the will of the emperor, a good thing can turn into a bad thing. The Immortal Master is still a subject after all. As long as she is a subject, there will always be a way to control her. After all, the king's orders cannot be disobeyed; these are ironclad rules written in the contracts between the sect and the kings."

He paused here, then said, "Speaking of which, do you know where those unorthodox and heretical secret techniques and methods come from?"

The prefectural magistrate shook his head, "I hope the prefect will inform you."

"I wouldn't say I'm telling you, but I've heard a rumor that you can listen to as well," Shen Fang said casually. "Some people say that they are all derivatives of the Lotus Cloud Sect's immortal techniques."

The prefectural magistrate pondered the connection and his eyes widened in astonishment.

The Prefect let out a long sigh.

"Do you now think... whether saving the people is a crime or not is still important?"

For Wang, disciples of the sect are treasures that come along only once in a century.

This is not a description, but a fact—they are treasures from head to toe, their hands and feet can be used as weapons, their magical arts can enhance their strength, and their offspring are smarter and healthier than ordinary people.

Assisting the state means assisting the king.

The only thing he can do in this matter is to keep himself out of it and stay as far away from this vortex as possible.

Two chapters, each over 6000 words! Please add to your favorites and recommend!

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(End of this chapter)