Chapter 355: I am greedier than they think

The leaves at the end of autumn withered, and the cold wind blew incessantly.

Countless refugees arrived empty-handed, only to leave empty-handed, followed by even more refugees who stumbled and swarmed in.

Viewed from afar, the main street adjacent to the Wulu Trading House was packed to the point of bursting, impassable, like a temple fair, with a cacophony of noise that never ceased.

As the grain shovels scraped against the plump millet, creating a constant rustling sound, bags of relief grain were continuously sent out, only to be loaded by these refugees—who were being used as tools—onto the carts of the cultivators, then hauled away by the cartload.

As if by prior agreement, such scenes appeared in every corner of the six continents of Qingyun, growing ever more intense.

The price boards originally hanging in front of the trading house had been ignored, and some were even torn down due to the jostling of the refugees.

This formed a stark contrast to the earlier scene where the high prices had made everyone's vision go dark, causing cultivators to shy away, and it left people sighing.

After all, as the refugees entered the city, the so-called "sales" had evolved into a situation where one could only watch helplessly as others engaged in daylight robbery.

The arrogance of "I have the grain, buy it or don't" had been shattered to pieces, trampled underfoot by the noble families.

"I never expected the situation to turn out like this. Seeing this scene, I can't help but feel a trace of pity."

"Pity? Why don't you think about the prices he set initially? That it has come to this today is entirely his own doing!"

"Brother Fang is right. It is entirely self-inflicted. After all, we immortal sects and noble families value our reputation. If he hadn't opened his mouth like a lion, what would have been the harm in paying real silver for it? It's truly a case of trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice."

On the terrace of the tea pavilion on the second floor of the Zuixian Tower, Fang Jincheng and a group of cultivators looked down from their high vantage point at the crowded main street, clapping and cheering at this sudden reversal.

The young masters and noble ladies from several families in Zhongzhou followed suit, echoing his sentiments.

They hadn't expected the noble families' actions to be so swift and effective.

In just a few short days, they felt as if they had seen the Wulu Trading House being breached, countless grains being taken for free, and the scene of Ji You being at his wit's end.

At almost the same time, in front of the Chong Prince's mansion, a group of officials from the Pro-Immortal Faction also watched this scene, their eyes fixed and silent.

They had long anticipated such a result, so they naturally didn't feel surprised.

Before the Immortal Supervision Bureau made its debut, they were the group that had always served the immortals, so they naturally knew just how little bottom line those immortal sects and noble families had.

Wanting to suck blood from the noble families? Ji You clearly still wasn't qualified enough.

Just imagine, if this were the property of a direct disciple of a holy sect, suppressed by the might of an immortal sect, who would dare to use such methods?

Unfortunately, even though his talent was so astonishing that it made people gasp, and he had suppressed countless peers, leaving them far behind, his background was still insufficient.

This was also why, even though his combat power had reached the Boundless Realm, in the eyes of the thousand-year noble families, he was still only fit to marry into their families as a son-in-law.

In this world, the strength of one person could never be counted as true strength.

"How long does Father think such a situation will last?"

"It will last until those noble families feel satisfied," Chong Prince answered calmly, twisting his beard.

"And what level would count as satisfied?"

"That is for them to decide. If they feel unsatisfied, it will continue until the granaries of Fengzhou are completely empty."

"Are those immortal sects and noble families not afraid that the commoners who support them will truly starve to death this winter?"

Chong Prince waved his left hand, which wore a thumb ring, gently: "After Fengzhou is hollowed out, the noble families will naturally choose to provide relief to those refugees themselves, and they might even earn a reputation for saving the suffering. Isn't that so?"

As the head of the Pro-Immortal Faction and the uncle of the current Great Xia Emperor, Chong Prince, who had operated for many years, saw the current situation very clearly.

Those immortal sects and noble families would not allow the commoners who had supported them for generations to die in large numbers. After hollowing out Fengzhou, they would certainly choose to let some surplus grain slip through their fingers for relief.

But the prerequisite was that Ji You must be hollowed out, helpless.

Both the stored grain and the arrogance he had shown in the face of the noble families over these years must be hollowed out.

"I hope he can learn a lesson this time and learn to restrain his arrogance a little."

Zhao Yunyue turned her gaze calmly to the west, looking far away at the Wulu Trading House, whose threshold was about to be worn flat.

Five years ago, she saw Ji You behead Chu He and enter the Inner Court, and she had specifically sent a message wanting to arrange a marriage with him, only to be rejected. That arrogance had always been something she loathed.

Since then, she had always wanted to see him suppressed, so she had contacted Liu Junchi of the Merging Dao Realm and had even specifically gone to watch the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan's preliminary competition where sword arts were forbidden.

It was just that Ji You had turned every misfortune into a blessing, making her unable to get what she wanted, to the point where her Dao heart was obstructed and her realm had stagnated.

And at this very moment, she felt that she could finally see his arrogance being ground to dust.

"..."

"Brother Kuang, the grain reserves at the various trading houses are running low."

West of the Fengzhou government office, at the granary, hearing the steward's report, Kuang Cheng couldn't help but look up at the sky.

The weather since the Frost's Descent had been consistently poor, gloomy every day, and there was a faint, undulating sound of thunder, looking as if a wind and snowstorm were brewing.

This was similar to the situation before the snow disaster last year, making people feel worried and anxious.

Wei Rui was accompanying him, and the look in her eyes as she gazed at her lover was full of worry.

Because in her eyes, the Wulu Trading House truly seemed to have fallen into a quagmire, unable to stop, and continuing would only be more painful.

Thinking of this, Wei Rui couldn't help but reach out and gently hold his hand.

"Continue distributing the grain."

"Yes."

Under the overcast clouds with limited daylight, the long line of carts continued to carry grain, driving toward the border, the deep rumbling along the road looking like an earth dragon trying to turn over and soar.

Cultivators from all over the world were watching with great interest, watching the grain carts from Fengzhou drive into the city in a mighty procession, watching the grain being unloaded bag by bag, then watching the refugees take them away at the front gate, and then watching the refugees send them into the carts of the noble families.

This seemed to be the most pleasing program since the disaster descended upon the human race.

Of course, there were also no shortage of people estimating exactly how much grain Fengzhou had.

The Beginning of Winter arrived in a flash, and the distribution of relief grain at the Wulu Trading House had just reached its peak. The grain carts from Fengzhou had replenished the grain several times in the meantime, but those noble families still showed no signs of stopping.

However, as the temperature plummeted and the winter chill became severe, those commoners who had signed labor agreements with Fengzhou but had not received a single grain of rice became true refugees, quickly flowing back into the city with their starving families.

Without grain, it would be very difficult for them to survive this winter, and their only hope was to enter the city to beg.

Thus, for several consecutive days, the streets of the major cities were filled with refugees sitting with their knees curled, lining the curbs, holding earthenware bowls in their trembling hands.

"Isn't this all Ji You's fault?"

"That's right. If he hadn't raised the price of grain so high, how would we noble families have resorted to such desperate measures? Perhaps they would have received the relief grain long ago."

"Angering the noble families of the world, how could there be any good outcome?"

"Clearly it was his own willfulness, yet he insists on making the commoners of the world suffer for it. I wonder what Ji You is thinking now."

"He must also be in a panic, yet he is at his wit's end."

Amidst the discussions throughout the city, the number of refugees entering the city to beg began to increase, which also made those cultivators look forward to the next development even more.

In less than half a day, the Wulu Trading House, which had been continuously distributing relief grain, finally began to take action.

At that time, in the back courtyard of the trading house, a group of workers moved out long tables, and then the kitchen helpers from the city's restaurants appeared, beginning to boil porridge in the cold wind.

The aroma of food soon drifted toward the entire city, attracting countless refugees.

And the boiled rice porridge was scooped, one ladle after another, into the earthenware bowls in their hands.

Seeing this scene, the cultivators in the teahouses and wine shops couldn't help but look at each other.

In fact, since the noble families of Qingyun began using refugees to demand grain, many cultivators were afraid that Ji You still didn't know he had suffered such a great setback, and couldn't lower his head because he hadn't truly felt fear.

And seeing the Wulu Trading House begin to distribute porridge, they confirmed that Ji You knew.

Because if he didn't know that the relief grain taken away by the commoners was all being put into the hands of the noble families, why would he order the distribution of porridge in Fengzhou, thousands of miles away?

But he was truly at his wit's end, and could only take it one step at a time.

Heavenly Tian Shuyuan, Inner Court, Purple Bamboo Zen Forest.

Because the matter of the Wulu Trading House was being discussed everywhere, no one had the heart to cultivate. A large number of disciples were paying attention to this matter and had been discussing it for a long time.

In their view, Ji You being able to stir up the winds and clouds of the world with his own strength was already something countless people wanted to do but couldn't.

But they also truly understood that this game had already revealed its murderous intent.

"Junior Sister Xiang, how much grain does your Fengzhou actually have?"

"This... I don't know either."

In the Inner Court, Xiang Fu, who was from Fengzhou, was sitting quietly at the tea table when she was questioned by Wang Gaocen.

But she truly didn't know the grain production data of Fengzhou, especially since the Qingyun disaster occurred, Fengzhou hadn't had actual statistical data, and the only person who could know this was Ji You.

But the problem was, the amount of stored grain had nothing to do with this matter.

Because those noble families didn't need to spend money to take the grain from the Wulu Trading House; they could take as much as they wanted.

Wang Gaocen withdrew his gaze and looked at the others: "You say, will Ji You directly cancel the distribution of relief grain and change it to all porridge distribution? I think this is a way."

"You don't say, this method isn't impossible. What's eaten into the stomach, how can others take it out?"

"This matter must not be told to Ji You, lest he really turns the tide."

Gu Zetao smiled upon hearing this: "You can think of this method, and Ji You can't?"

Wang Gaocen leaned on the table upon hearing this: "People say that those involved are confused, while bystanders are clear. If he could think of it, how could he have distributed so much relief grain while knowing that the noble families were waiting like mantises stalking cicadas?"

Just as the two were talking, a group of elders suddenly walked up the mountain.

They were also looking down the mountain with calm eyes, watching the refugees who were constantly wandering in the city, silent.

Seeing this scene, the disciples in the Purple Bamboo Zen Forest immediately stood up and bowed to these elders.

"What were you discussing just now?"

"We were saying that if the distribution of relief grain were changed to all porridge distribution, the Wulu Trading House might be able to get out of the current predicament," Wang Gaocen replied.

His grandfather, Elder Wang, narrowed his eyes upon hearing this: "You all think too simply."

"Is it not possible...?"