Chapter 59: 59 Liu: Should I refuse him after all? (Seeking follow-up reads!)

Feeling Ning Mu's hot, burning heart.

Liu Qingmei's eyes flickered; she hurriedly gave a light cough and added, "Ahem, I definitely wear clothes underneath at all times."

【Notification: Congratulations to the Host for completing Task Three. Reward: 500 Cultivation Points, 50 Heroic Couple Points, Giant Breast Pill *1!】

……

【Notification: Number One Sub-System owner Liu Qingmei has completed Task Three. Feedback to Host: 50 Cultivation Points, Essence Storage Pill *1, Liu Qingmei Loyalty Value +2%!】

76%!

The opening of the second system is getting closer and closer! Ning Mu could not help but let his eyes shine, feeling incomparably excited.

And as this expression of his fell into Liu Qingmei's eyes, it immediately made her heart jump with fright! This brat... could it be that he can't hold it back anymore?

Should she refuse him or not? But if she didn't refuse, once the affair was exposed, the two of them would have no face left to stand in this vast world...

Just as Ning Mu and Liu Qingmei inside the carriage each received their system feedback.

While Liu Qingmei was infinitely conflicted inside.

Suddenly.

A voice rang out by the window.

"Young Master, Madam, there are so many refugees outside!"

It was Xia Chan's voice.

She originally did not intend to disturb or alert those inside the carriage.

But there were simply too many refugees, and there was already a faint trend of them charging at the horse caravan. If not for the deterrence of the giant beast, the Cloud-Treading Lion, which stood over a person's height, and the few Cangjian Villa Disciples in the caravan wielding Wuji, the refugees would have likely already rushed up to scatter the caravan and seize the supplies to fill their stomachs.

Inside the carriage.

Hearing Xia Chan's voice, Ning Mu and Liu Qingmei were both startled.

Sure enough, just by listening, there was a great deal of noise outside.

Ning Mu frowned slightly.

He also vaguely felt that the Cloud-Treading Lion was very agitated at this moment.

Liu Qingmei hurriedly picked up her clothes and put them on.

Ning Mu, meanwhile, blocked in front of Liu Qingmei, secretly opened a corner of the window, and looked at the situation outside.

On both sides of the official road were endless streams of refugees; there were old people and children, as well as young men in their prime but withered and thin. There was a young woman holding one in her arms, leading two by the hand, and carrying a pile of miscellaneous items on her back.

Almost all of them were disheveled, with sallow complexions and dull eyes.

A small portion kept their eyes fixed on the horse caravan; those pale eyes revealed ill intentions, but cowed by the deterrence, they dared not act rashly.

But the vast majority were cowering, not daring to clash with the caravan.

Clearly, the latter were mostly used to being oppressed.

"What is going on?"

Ning Mu asked Xia Chan through the window.

Xia Chan's small face was taut. While driving her horse to keep up with the carriage, she whispered in explanation, "Replying to Young Master, I have clarified it. The dam of the Loushui River was breached by floods. These are all the common people from the nine counties and fifty-four towns on both banks east of Yonghang Prefecture. They are homeless, and those who are still alive can only head toward Yonghang, hoping to find a way to survive."

The Loushui River is one of the branches of the Han River; it passes through the entire Yonghang Prefecture and flows into Xizi Lake.

Disaster victims...

Ning Mu's brow twisted. He could not help but think of the continuous, torrential rain that had fallen for nearly ten days just a few days ago!

Heaven is not kind! Ning Mu never considered himself a kind person.

He could, without any psychological burden, take advantage of Ye Bufan's severe injuries to use the system to entice Liu Qingmei.

He could, without the slightest pressure, devour Chunzhi and Xia Chan on the very first day they came to serve him.

He could, on Ning Xiaoxiu, who was a demoness of the Demonic Path, act recklessly and vent the evil thoughts in his heart, applying everything he had seen and heard in his previous life to her.

But...

Seeing these swarms of disaster victims, bloodless and with the color lost from their eyes, his heart could not help but twitch.

He recalled his previous life, when he could not afford school and had to run around early on just for a bite to eat, as well as his days as a servant in the stables in this life. Once upon a time, he and these disaster victims were all the same, at the bottom of society, suffering from oppression.

Filling one's stomach was already difficult, not to mention having grand ideals!

Subconsciously.

He intended to lend a helping hand.

But with a second thought, he stopped this unwise idea of his.

These overwhelming refugees, gathered on both sides of the official road and surging toward Yonghang Prefecture like a tide, likely numbered in the thousands or tens of thousands.

Relying on him alone, what could he use to help?

When all is said and done, this is a matter for the Imperial Court and those great philanthropists.

More importantly, the supplies carried by the caravan were not much; they were all needed for temporarily settling down in Yonghang. If some were taken out for the refugees, what would happen to those who did not receive any supplies? People do not worry about scarcity, but about inequality!

By then, it would inevitably incite the refugees' resistance against hunger and their hope for survival.

If a conflict occurred, charging the caravan would be a minor matter.

With so many refugees charging at once, it would inevitably become impassable.

Could he kill them? That would be too cruel.

But if he did not kill them, the charge would inevitably lead to serious stampedes, brawls, or even mutual slaughter! These were not things he wanted to see!

As these thoughts turned in his mind, Ning Mu lowered his voice and ordered, "Xia Chan, have the rear follow quickly and be prepared. Unless necessary, do not clash with the refugee group. Entering the city quickly is the priority!"

"Yes!"

Xia Chan received the order with a solemn expression, then turned her horse around to notify the rear of the caravan.

Ning Mu, using his intent to control the Cloud-Treading Lion, walked in the very center of the official road, trying his best not to brush against or bump into the refugee group, and sped toward the front.

Liu Qingmei, having finished dressing, opened the window and took a look outside.

"Xiao Mu, are you being too cold?"

Liu Qingmei frowned slightly, unable to bear it.

At a time like this, anyone with a kind heart should extend a helping hand; one should help as many as one can.

Ning Mu shook his head and began to explain carefully.

Hearing his words, Liu Qingmei suddenly felt ashamed, her eyes flickering.

So Xiao Mu's considerations were so far-reaching.

Her own considerations were not even as comprehensive as his! At this moment, Ning Mu sighed softly and continued, "It's not that I can't help, but with my current ability, I cannot provide them with better help. Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish. If I want to help them, the prerequisite must be to ensure they can survive. What good is simply giving them a meal of porridge? If they have this meal, how will they solve the problem of the next one?"

"So, what do you intend to do?" Liu Qingmei looked at Ning Mu in surprise.

These words couldn't help but reveal deep curiosity in her beautiful peach-blossom eyes.

It was as if she were meeting Ning Mu for the first time.

This handsome young man, who came from a background as a stable hand, was now her disciple, but their relationship was mostly forced by the system, and she hadn't understood him much.

She had always thought he was just a lecherous little brat.

Now it seemed he had thoughts and awareness far beyond those of a stable hand.

The things he said were always so simple and easy to understand, yet they seemed to contain endless philosophy.

Ning Mu smiled and shrugged, saying helplessly, "What else can I do? Helping them is the business of the government and those great philanthropists; it's not yet my turn, a small character, to exert effort."

Liu Qingmei's expression immediately collapsed.

Stinky brat.

Just when she thought he was decent, he said something like this again.

She pondered for a moment and said solemnly, "Then what if the government and the wealthy gentry ignore them?"

(End of this chapter)