Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Way to Stay Alive

After General Gong left the Weiwu Hall, the Assistant Prefect could not help but complain, "This young man has no sense of propriety. Disaster victims are still subjects of the realm; if we let the Prefect lead troops to slaughter them, what happens to our reputation? He himself is acting as if he treasures his own plumage dearly."

Shen Fang sighed and looked at Liu Shuyue, who stood dazed to one side. "I shall ask the Immortal Master once more: does the method for summoning convenient food truly require specific timing and favorable terrain? Can it not be done every single day?"

Seeing her remain silent for a long time, the Prefect knew it was likely impossible, so he shook his head and said, "Then I suggest you go outside the city immediately and persuade the victims to hand over their food. As long as they have no grain, I will not easily resort to blades and weapons; that way, the situation will look better..."

"Persuade them to do what?" Liu Shuyue suddenly spoke up. "Persuade them to die?"

Shen Fang fell silent.

"Without relief grain, asking them to surrender what they have—how is that any different from telling them to commit suicide?" The more she spoke, the more indignant she felt, the tragic scenes she had witnessed on the road flashing before her eyes. "Even ants cling to life, let alone living, breathing human beings!"

She possessed no immortal art to conjure food.

All of this nourishment was provided to her by Chen Xuan.

But could Chen Xuan provide it indefinitely? She could see that while his shop was mysterious, it was far from capable of creating something from nothing. Whether it was abilities or food, every transaction came with a price.

Even if she were to produce a few more tokens to exchange for a few more days of instant noodles, it would ultimately be of no use. Or rather, once she left Zhangwei, these precious, convenient food packets would only bring lethal disaster upon the victims.

"One can only... blame their bad fate," Shen Fang said.

"...Fate?"

"Indeed. All things in heaven and earth have their ordained numbers. They happened to encounter the Anba demonic disaster, and war is about to erupt on the borders; this is not a problem that can be reversed by human effort alone. As an Immortal Master skilled in divination, you should understand this better than I. Their destiny is such; why do you torment yourself?"

Destiny... a topic all too familiar.

Right, had she not discussed this with Chen Xuan just a short while ago?

"If the Immortal Master cannot bring herself to speak, then let me bear the infamy," Shen Fang said, turning to walk out of the hall.

"Wait." Liu Shuyue called him back.

"Does the Immortal Master have any instructions?"

"Since you, Prefect, had long ago discerned the direction of this matter, why did you not tell me from the start?"

"Ha, at the end of the day, this is merely a subject’s speculation on the intentions of his superiors," Shen Fang waved his hand. "It is fine if I guessed correctly, but if I were wrong, would it not be a laughingstock? Of course... the most crucial point is, even if I had told you, would you have given up? I can see that the Immortal Master’s efforts these past days are not for show, but are truly for the sake of the suffering people."

Yes... even if he had warned her, the outcome likely would not have changed.

"I will go talk to the victims outside the city," Liu Shuyue nodded and said finally.

"It is good that the Immortal Master has thought it through," Shen Fang seemed to heave a sigh of relief. "I will see you there."

...

...

At the city gate, fully armed soldiers had already finished lining up with torches in hand, awaiting their superior's orders.

The Prefect specifically told everyone to remain calm before letting Liu Shuyue pass out of the city. "Immortal Master, you have seen it yourself... those brutes cannot hold back much longer. I will give you half an hour; we shall use the sound of a gong as the signal."

Liu Shuyue passed through the side gate and, familiar with the path, arrived at the gathering place of the victims.

The sentries recognized her immediately.

"Immortal Master! It’s the Immortal Master!"

"Why have you come?"

"The remaining food—have you been keeping a close watch on it?" Liu Shuyue asked.

"Rest assured, how would we dare to be negligent with your instructions?" one man said, patting his chest. "It is all piled in the sheds, with two teams taking turns on watch. So far, there have been no problems."

That food was not just instant noodles.

Most of the bagged noodles had been sold to the city dwellers to exchange for larger quantities of flour cakes, millet, and beans. These foods had one advantage: they could be stored for a long time and were quite filling.

Liu Shuyue was clear about the food reserves; for the current group of over ten thousand people, these supplies would last about twenty days.

"Gather everyone here! I have something to say to all of you!"

Her command was quickly answered by everyone. In less than a quarter of an hour, a dark mass of people stood before the camp.

Countless eyes were fixed on Liu Shuyue—this Immortal Master whose status was worlds apart from theirs, yet who had brought them a glimmer of hope in their hour of despair.

Liu Shuyue was also hesitating.

Because once this decision was made, there would be no turning back.

When she was at the Lianyun Sect, everything she was taught revolved around the duty of "supporting the state." As long as the kingdom had not perished, she was supposed to serve it until the very last moment.

She suddenly understood why previous disciples had failed to leave even a trace of success... because they had never seen a world beyond this one, trapped their entire lives by the responsibilities imposed upon them by the sect.

Though she had seen it, actually doing it was another matter entirely.

Liu Shuyue wondered if she truly possessed the ability to walk to the end of a path no one had ever tried before.

But looking at the trusting gazes of the people, her hesitation began to fade. If that person hadn't entrusted her with the ability to lead the victims, she wouldn't even have been able to gather them together. Since she had already achieved the impossible, why not keep trying?

After all, this was true demon-slaying and caring for the people.

"The troops from the Royal City have arrived, half an hour ago," Liu Shuyue said aloud. "However, they are not here to provide disaster relief. They are all mounted, and they have brought no supply wagons!"

"No... no relief grain?"

"Then what are they here for?"

A commotion stirred among the crowd.

"The ridiculous part is, they are wearing armor, and their quivers are stuffed with arrows. Once a riot breaks out here, they will act without hesitation! That’s right, this troop is not here to save you, but to deal with you! As far as I know, there will be no relief grain coming later, because those at the top never intended to do so from the start!"

Unexpectedly, the scene fell into a deathly silence.

For once, no one was whispering.

By the flickering torchlight, Liu Shuyue saw real, tangible fear in everyone's eyes.

Even the victims knew that relying on those fine flour cakes and the food they had bartered for would not be enough to survive the entire famine; they ultimately needed relief and resettlement from the authorities to live.

But now, to learn that there was no relief?

After a long while, someone muttered, "How can that be... isn't this the duty the Imperial Court is supposed to fulfill?"

"There have been so many disasters in previous years... why should we be the only ones with none?"

An old woman pushed through the crowd and walked tremblingly toward Liu Shuyue. "Immortal Master... are we going to die? It doesn't matter if I die, but could you... take my child with you?"

Liu Shuyue recognized her; she was the old woman who had knelt to her when the food was distributed that day.

"No, I will take you all with me."

As soon as these words were out, everyone looked at each other.

"This is already a place of certain death, so you cannot stay here. I will take you all to find a path to survival. No matter what the final outcome is, I will face it together with you!" Liu Shuyue raised her right hand. "Of course, I will not force you to go... perhaps those who stay behind will find a turn of fate. Whether to go or stay, decide for yourselves! Those who are willing to come with me—"

*Clatter.*

It was not one hand or two, but a vast sea of hands. They were not raised with hesitation, but held high with firm resolve!

She never expected that before her eyes, an ocean of hands would appear!

The people didn't even ask where she was going!

"Immortal Master, take us with you!"

"That’s right, we will follow you, no matter where it is!"

"To hell with the Imperial Court! I saw long ago that this bunch of people were nothing good!"

"Damned 'parental officials,' all they know is how to bully us poor folk!"

Countless voices rose and fell; the victims seemed to be pouring out the anger and dissatisfaction they had suppressed for so long.

Watching this scene, Liu Shuyue couldn't help but recall Chen Xuan's words: "As long as you keep your interests aligned with theirs, they will support you from the bottom of their hearts. This is the core of this ability."

Keep them aligned, huh...

It turned out she had long wanted to break free.

Liu Shuyue couldn't help but smile. "Aren't you going to ask me where this path to survival lies?"

"Then... where does the Immortal Master intend to take us?" someone asked immediately, drawing a burst of laughter.

Even in such a dire moment, they could still laugh, simply because the Immortal Master was standing right there before them!

"South. We walk south, all the way south. Perhaps there is a place there that can shelter you all!" She pointed toward the south. "Let us pack up; we leave tonight!"

"This isn't right, this isn't right!" the Assistant Prefect narrowed his eyes and said. "Prefect, the movement of the victims is not right!"

Shen Fang also noticed this anomaly; the torches in the camp were forming orderly lines, just like an army about to set out on a campaign.

If they were just collecting food, there should be no need to go to such lengths...

And too much time had passed.

He had given Liu Shuyue half an hour to talk, yet now, there was no report back.

Come to think of it, were these people really the same displaced refugees from a few days ago? When had they started to change from a scattered mess of people who viewed each other with hostility into this state of fraternal unity?

"Does the Prefect intend to wait any longer? This subordinate does not wish to drag this out," the adjutant commanding the troops said impatiently. "Judging by the movement of the firelight, there is a risk of the victims rioting prematurely; we must act immediately."

"How can that be... the Immortal Master is still in the camp."

"Perhaps she was careless and was accidentally captured by the rioters." A cruel smile curled his lips. "If the Prefect cannot bear to see bloodshed, you may wait in the city for my good news. Men! Pass my order: the cavalry will flank from both sides, and once in position, they are free to slaughter!"

Seeing that he could not dissuade them, Shen Fang had no choice but to mount his horse and follow.

However, as the group charged out of the city, they saw one person on one horse blocking the path in front of the troops.

The person on horseback was none other than Liu Shuyue.