Chapter 76: Famine Victims

"'Ice Glass Fairy' Long Xiuyun comes from the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce and is the daughter of the Chamber's leader. At a young age, she has already reached Internal Qi Perfection. It is said that her beauty is unparalleled, clear and elegant, and she is one of the two fairies of the righteous path."

"'Clear River' Fairy Chen Xi, this is the current Emperor's eldest princess, the apple of His Majesty's eye, titled Princess Clear River. How could these two be dueling?"

Someone wondered.

"I heard that these two fairies established two organizations, the Ice Glass Pavilion and the Clear River Tower, gathering famous and talented female jianghu heroes. Usually, there are no disputes, mostly discussing martial arts or private matters. I don't know why they are facing off this time."

"Ice Glass Pavilion and Clear River Tower?"

Many young heroes' eyes lit up.

Even if the two fairies were far away in the clouds, wouldn't it be a great joy in life to find a like-minded partner and accompany each other in the jianghu? For a time, some couldn't sit still and agreed to go to Chizhong Prefecture to see for themselves.

Jiang Ding saw Gong Caiyu's expression shift.

Jiang Yuan's small face was shocked, counting on her fingers how many days were left until the final exams.

(Author's note: This novel is first published on 【Platform】, please go there to read!)

Moving further and further away from East Province.

"Young Master, thank you for your great kindness!"

Sunday, after 6:00 PM.

"... There are 185 days left until the college entrance exam. Teachers who set the questions and respected seniors in the academic world have been invited to the Immortal Capital Ministry of Education to formulate the exam papers for the 11127th year of the June college entrance exam, and then they will undergo six months of closed-door cultivation under the protection of the central Array Spirit computer..."

"Still on the way."

"... This Immortal Sect college entrance exam is supervised by the Minister of Education, Nascent Soul cultivator, True Person Dinghai Zhang Zhen..."

"Old man, where are you going?"

Mostly road disputes triggered by high-tier cultivators, eventually leading to the suppression of various left-wing heresies, resulting in the current reality.

Jiang Ding answered softly. Without waiting for her response, he tapped his toes, his figure leaped into the forest, and he disappeared after a few bounds.

Even in a famine, there would never be a lack of food for jianghu people who controlled power.

Two people wearing bamboo hats watched this scene.

"East Spirit Prefecture?" Jiang Ding asked.

The surrounding famine victims were restless, and several strong men showed longing, but upon seeing the long swords in the hands of the two jianghu people, they calmed down and continued forward.

This was also why he never dared to expose this world; if a single Golden Core cultivator were stimulated by greed and lost their reason, his entire family would fall into extreme danger.

Jiang Ding spread out the map.

The old man took a sip of water, his eyes teary: "My family was originally from Lingwater County, Bianchi Prefecture. We had over a dozen acres of thin fields, but this year there was a great drought, and the government pressed us too hard. We couldn't survive, so I brought my family to East Spirit Prefecture to seek a way to live."

Jiang Ding looked at the neon lights and traffic starting to light up outside the window, feeling inexplicably relaxed.

"Thank you, Young Master, thank you, Young Master!"

"What's wrong?"

"Thank you, Young Master."

In the vast East Spirit Prefecture with over a million people, the probability of encountering people from the Marquis's estate was actually very low.

On the way to Yuejing, Chizhong Prefecture was indeed an important node and would not be a detour.

She keenly felt that the green-robed youth in the bamboo hat before her was suddenly in a very low mood, though she didn't know why.

The old man's eyes held hope: "A few years ago, a relative of our family couldn't go on, so they also went to East Spirit Prefecture to flee the famine, and eventually settled down. They even came back to pay respects to the ancestors."

"I wonder how many Immortal Sect seniors in history sacrificed themselves for this prosperous age and the lights of ten thousand homes..."

If this isn't a living hell, what is? He had heard the news of the Marquis of East Town rebelling, but he laughed it off, thinking it was absolutely impossible to succeed. How could such a person win the hearts of the people and sit on the world? It must be a temporary success, followed by rapid suppression from all sides.

There were clearly several large-scale civil wars in history books.

Carriages of various merchant teams and jianghu people walking on the road, famine victims walking on both sides—the distinction was clear.

Originally, he thought East Spirit Prefecture was already a living hell.

"Hmm." "Young Master, are you leaving?"

People from the Marquis's estate wantonly plundered young boys and girls and jianghu people to refine blood pills. People with martial power in the jianghu and government bullied the common people at will. A large number of landless farmers and urban poor had to become bandits.

After a long silence, he quietly placed a silver ingot in the old man's pocket, bid farewell to the old man's family, and the two continued on their way.

Jiang Ding's worldview was impacted again.

After leaving the room, his clothes automatically transformed into a shirt and jeans style.

On the official road, many famine victims with sallow faces moved slowly. From time to time, someone would collapse with a thud. No one looked twice; only their families would wail a few times before catching up with the refugee troop.

!.

Gong Caiyu said in panic.

"Ah! It's almost finals!"

"This world..."

Jiang Ding had horror in his eyes. The image of humans collapsing and dying from hunger replayed in his brain, greatly impacting his worldview.

"It happens from time to time." Gong Caiyu thought for a while: "Uncle Ziteng said there seem to be more in recent years, but this is a government matter and has nothing to do with us jianghu people."

This is an opportunity.

After dinner, the family watched TV together.

"This... what is it?"

"Young Master, I want to go to Chizhong Prefecture." Gong Caiyu said softly: "I once traveled the jianghu with my parents, visited seniors, and had met Princess Clear River a few times, and we talked happily."

"So, I want to see if I can use her power to save my mother."

The old man in tattered clothes looked at the food excitedly, first handing a portion to his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, then wolfing down the steamed bun in his hand.

Jiang Ding nodded and said softly: "Next, I will go out to handle some business alone for a while. You continue on your way. Before entering Chizhong Prefecture, I will find you again."

Most cultivators are certainly good, but there must be a portion of high-tier cultivators who yearn for the 'I am the only one supreme' situation of high-tier cultivators outside the realm. They only obey Immortal Sect laws because of high pressure.

He glanced at his phone. The last batch of Blue Fluorescence Butterflies was on the way. According to the contact person at the Beidou University Affiliated Biological Research Center, it would take about a month to produce the 'Blue Gold 2431 agent'.

"Yes, Young Master."

However, he was lost now.

Jiang Ding got up and left. After Gong Caiyu replenished some food, the two didn't delay much and left the town directly.

Jiang Ding stopped an old man's family fleeing the famine, took food and water from Gong Caiyu's hand, handed it to them, and asked softly.

As long as they were lucky and didn't happen to encounter the malice of people from the Marquis's estate, the old man's family still had hope of surviving. Now the Marquis's estate was recruiting soldiers and people on a large scale and stockpiling grain, so there were relatively more job opportunities.

Jiang Ding sighed in a low voice and asked: "Is this kind of drought and famine common?"

"... True Person Dinghai served for four hundred years in the 32nd Heavenly Gang Orbit. The flagship 'Dinghai Zhenyuan' space carrier repelled invasions by cultivators from outside the realm many times. During his service, he killed twelve Nascent Soul cultivators from outside the realm and participated in repelling three attacks by Soul Transformation cultivators. He was awarded the 'First-Class Space Hero' medal, with brilliant military achievements, and was impartial..."

He would only help out of convenience; more reliance had to be placed on oneself.

"For a period of time, you should pay more attention to honing your survival skills alone."

If luck is bad, then one has to be buried in a foreign land, but it is still better than staying where one is.

Gong Caiyu's eyes lit up.

The old man had lived for most of his life and should know the principle that wealth should not be exposed; there was no need to remind him. Jiang Ding did not persuade the old man's family not to go to East Spirit Prefecture, where war was breaking out.

"Go, Dingding!"

Lin Wanqiu cheered Jiang Ding on.

"Hmm, okay."

Jiang Ding smiled.

He was thinking in his heart: On the space carrier, with a Nascent Soul cultivator sitting in the flagship as the core, and the escort fleet of Golden Core cultivators, and a large number of space fighters piloted by Foundation Establishment cultivators forming a grand array in the starry sky—what would that look like?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 77 =====