Chapter 345: Gifting Pears and Evacuating

"Is everything packed? Nothing left behind?"

"Everything is ready!"

"We just had a small victory, and the whole city's attention is focused outward rather than inward; it is the perfect time."

"Mm, I heard Zhou You broke through before the battle and became the youngest Martial Master. What a pity!"

"A real pity. If he could have done it sooner—not even much sooner, just half a month earlier—there would have been a reason to take him with us."

"This is his fate. Such talent, it is truly a loss to miss out on him."

"Gongliang City is already a dead end. If we don't leave now, the warning of Zunyang City is right before our eyes."

"Let's go!"

A mundane conversation took place in a corner of the Inner City, then vanished like a ripple on water.

Zhou You returned home surrounded by his subordinates like stars around the moon. After the great battle, the rebel army outside the city retreated several dozen miles, and the crisis came to an end.

However, the atmosphere presented around the streets was somewhat akin to a doomsday carnival.

Because it was close to the city wall, the Outer City had suffered the worst of the impact, having been almost leveled to the ground; it was covered in ashes and ruins.

The residents, whose homes were destroyed and families lost, had fallen into extreme poverty even if they had luckily survived, with nowhere to even arrange their next meal.

The once-prosperous shops and markets were even more desolate, with hardly a visitor in sight.

By contrast, the Inner City presented an unusual prosperity and bustle, with countless carts of wine, meat, jewelry, and brocade being transported inside to reward the martial artists who had performed meritorious service.

After a great battle, with their hot blood yet to cool, they naturally wanted to eat meat, drink wine, and play with women to vent thoroughly.

The major martial arts halls were rewarding merit, and the martial artists who had fought bravely were getting their hands soft from holding so much money.

In such a fervent atmosphere, Zhou You returned to his home in the Inner City.

"... That is how things are."

Qi Qingdi described what had happened earlier, "Grandfather and Grandmother were not frightened, and the ground has already been cleaned up."

The floor tiles had a faint red smear; that was the trace left by killing, as the blood had seeped too deep to wash away.

Zhou You patted Qi Qingdi on the shoulder, "Well done."

Although Zhou Laodie and his mother both had three or four Martial Master-level Amulets on them that could protect them in an emergency, it was easy to frighten the elderly if enemies broke through to their presence.

Qi Qingdi had handled it properly, having the family members hide in the cellar in advance, and had cleanly and efficiently dealt with the spy.

"Good child, you are also a person of merit for successfully repelling the enemy this time; come, drink the victory wine together."

Zhou You held Qi Qingdi's hand and asked while walking, "Have you been home to see your sister recently?"

"No, the family has been under martial law recently, and no one is allowed in or out; I haven't even been able to get through the door."

"My sister sent someone to deliver a basket of fruit, but after that, no news could be sent out at all. It's strange."

The Qi Family being under martial law was normal enough; Zhou You hadn't received any information from Qi Fengzhang for a long time either.

On a whim, Zhou You asked one more question, "What kind of fruit did she send?"

"A whole basket of fragrant pears. They are a rare variety collected by the family that outsiders cannot taste. Master, I only kept two, and I shared the rest with everyone for a taste. I specifically saved the biggest and sweetest ones for you."

Fragrant pears! Pear? Departure.

If this basket of fragrant pears represented something, then Qi Qingyao was undoubtedly sending a message to her younger brother.

Zhou You's heart suddenly jumped, and he stopped in his tracks. No, this wasn't right; the content of the conversation just now made him thoughtful.

"Is the Xu Family under martial law too?"

Qi Qingdi nodded, "It's the same. Both families have closed their doors to guests and forbidden entry or exit; even the servants and attendants are nowhere to be seen."

Closing their doors—could it be that they are planning to run? The more Zhou You thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

The rebel army had come aggressively, first destroying the villages and towns outside the city, razing the manors and fields of the noble families to the ground, and cutting off the channels for external supplies of grain, fruits, and vegetables.

One chain of traps after another! Although the defending side had won the battle of attack and defense just now, the Outer City had been almost completely destroyed.

This meant that the foundation of the lower classes that the noble families had entrenched themselves in Gongliang City to exploit and squeeze was already gone.

With no one to farm and pay grain, and no one to work and pay taxes, the city's ability to generate resources had already dried up.

Although there was plenty of stored grain, once it was exhausted, there might even be instances of people eating people.

Zhou You felt the hair on his body stand up; this was the worst-case scenario.

Once the two great noble families withdrew and fled to preserve their strength, the city would be leaderless, hearts would be restless, and it would surely fall.

It was just like a stock market crash; whoever ran early at this time would be the one to survive! "Quick, quickly call everyone over."

"Zuo Shier, go call Senior Brother Shen. Not just him, the whole family; call the Xu Ying family as well."

"Have the kitchen cook all the grain. Remember, don't make soup; make it dry."

Zhou You's expression was unprecedentedly serious. Once he started summoning everyone along with their family members, he didn't look like he was going to drink victory wine at all; it was truly strange.

He was a Martial Master now, with even higher prestige, so no one questioned him; everything was done as ordered, and the efficiency was high.

A moment later, his subordinate martial artists and their families all arrived at his residence.

The Shen Sijing and Xu Ying families also arrived dressed in their best. Since Zhou You was willing to give them face, they could not refuse; after all, they couldn't bypass him, a Martial Master, if they wanted to do business in Gongliang City in the future.

Master Shen's younger sister, Si Ying, kept her head down the whole time, following behind her parents, fearing that Zhou You would see her.

Master Shen stepped forward politely and cupped his hands, "Master Zhou, congratulations on your victorious return."

Others followed with compliments.

They had thought they were coming to a banquet, but the surroundings were cold and quiet, with no wine or food to be seen. Were they supposed to just stand there and drink the northwest wind?

Just as they were suspicious and uneasy, Zhou You spoke, "Everyone, this is not a dinner party, but rather I am going to take you to flee for your lives."

Once these words were spoken, the crowd was in an uproar. Fleeing for their lives? What was that?

The situation in Gongliang City was excellent; they had just repelled the rebel army's attack, and now it was as stable as Mount Tai.

Being in the city, especially the residents of the Inner City, none of them felt the danger approaching; instead, they thought the war was about to pass and that the peace and tranquility of the past would be restored in the future.

But only Zhou You knew that the peaceful life of the past was about to be gone forever.

"Master Zhou, could it be that you have received some news? Did the young master of the Qi Family send word?"

Someone asked tentatively.

Zhou You raised a hand, "Starting from now, there is only one hour. After one hour, I will take my family and abandon this place to leave Gongliang City. Those willing to follow me, I, Zhou, will do my utmost to lead you to a path of survival."

"Those who do not trust me, it does not matter; everyone can seek their own path to survival."

"This trip is to flee for our lives; it is best to bring nothing. I will cover the consumption of food and drink, so you need not worry."

After Zhou You finished this sentence, he stepped aside to wait for the crowd's response.

"Trial Project (Six-Star): Lead the crowd to escape a desperate situation; saving more people increases Experience Points."

Six-star, Zhou You was shocked; this difficulty rating already explained the situation well enough.

Zhou You had originally thought his assessment of the severity of the situation was sufficient, but now he realized it was far from enough.

He turned and returned to his room, took down the Hungry Tiger painting from the wall, rolled it up, and strapped it to his back.

Just as he had said, there was no need to bring anything; he had over a dozen Hunger Pouchs on his person, containing everything from firewood, rice, oil, and salt to clothing, bedding, pots, and bowls—more than enough to support as many people as he brought.

(End of this chapter)