In front of the Immortal Official Manor, the wide square and streets were packed with people. As far as the eye could see, the crowd was so dense that not even a drop of water could trickle through, a sea of black, bobbing heads.
The people wore headscarves, clutched hard, dry rations to their chests, and carried shovels, back baskets, and other such items.
They had come to Sky City from villages all over, and were now whispering amongst themselves, exchanging news.
“Is it true we’ll get pork every day for digging the river channel?”
“I heard that in the neighboring Hongfu Prefecture, they only get to eat pork on New Year’s. You only bring out two cured hams if you’re arranging a marriage for your son.”
In this day and age, if one were to describe a place as bountiful and prosperous, the most they could conjure up was the beautiful dream of “eating pork every day.”
A more well-informed person continued, “Those hams, they look rock-hard, but when you slice off a thin piece, lean with a bit of fat, it’s all greasy and savory in your mouth. Salty and fragrant. One bite, and you’ll be craving it for the rest of the day. And what’s more, when a couple has their wedding banquet, the food isn’t boiled in water—it’s all stir-fried in lard. The smell of the oil lingers all night.”
A series of gulps could be heard.
“What do you think food stir-fried in lard tastes like?”
“Don’t know. It’s not like we’ve ever had it. It’s all just hearsay.”
Someone mumbled, “My heavens, the people of Hongfu are so lucky. How much virtue did they accumulate in their past lives!”
Before the sounds of swallowing saliva had even faded, this statement was refuted.
“I’m from Flower-Rock Village on the border, so listen to me. Life isn’t easy in Hongfu this year either. Both banks of the Black River were flooded, and a lot of people drowned. The fields were ruined, the houses collapsed, and the piglets were all washed away and drowned before they could grow up.”
“The dead floated in the river. By the time they were fished out, they were all bloated. But the living still had to pay their taxes, not a single coin less.”
The sounds of envy and jealousy immediately subsided, replaced by sympathetic sighs.
“Good heavens, why does it get harder every year?”
“The drought-stricken die of drought, and the flood-stricken die of floods!”
Those who have endured suffering are more likely to empathize with the suffering of others.
“Stop your whining. Once we’ve dug the river channel, the new Immortal Official will cast a spell and divert the water over. Then Hongfu won’t flood, and we won’t have a drought.”
“That’s right, Thousand-Ditch has Song Xian Guan now! The notice said every village will get a canal. Our village won’t have to travel ten li to fetch water anymore.”
The mountain roads were rugged and difficult to travel. The water carts were heavy, and half the water would be spilled along the way. A moment of carelessness could lead to the cart overturning and people getting injured, with not even half the water left.
The common villagers held Sky City and the Immortal Officials in awe and did not dare to shout loudly. Thus, despite the dense crowd, it was not noisy.
The moment Zhou Xiaoyun stepped out of the manor, she was stunned by the scene. No wonder they hadn’t heard any commotion inside and had thought no one had come.
“Which township and village are you from? Are you really here to build the canal voluntarily?” she asked the person at the very front of the line.
The farmer rubbed his hands nervously and asked back, “Will we really get pork for building the canal?”
The person next to him hissed, “How dare you speak to an Immortal Master like that! Even if we don’t get any, we’d all still be willing to come!”
Ji Xing tried to persuade some of them to leave, pointing at the sky. “Summer is here, and the sun is getting stronger by the day. The work will be hot and tiring. The elderly and the children should go back first.”
No one in the line moved.
The men in their fifties and sixties looked old and weathered, but they worked in the fields just the same on any other day and didn’t consider themselves elderly.
The boys of fifteen or sixteen still looked young, but some were already married and didn’t consider themselves children.
Every single person believed they were “able-bodied labor,” in the prime of their working years.
Xu Kanshan and Qiu Dacheng had no choice but to announce a threefold standard based on height, weight, and age.
After the first round of screening, those who left were filled with regret. The remaining two thousand people all gathered together, unwilling to leave, racking their brains to recommend themselves.
“Immortal Master, pick me! I’m nimble and a fast runner.”
“Immortal Master, I’m sturdy. I can carry four baskets of earth on one shoulder.”
Ji Xing discussed with the four members of the chicken delivery team, “Why don’t we form smaller teams and set up a rotation?”
Zhou Xiaoyun nodded. “Work in shifts and rest in shifts. That won’t delay the construction schedule.”
Xu Kanshan announced in a loud voice, “We’re not screening anyone else. From now on, everyone will work according to a schedule. You’ll work for half a month and then have three days of rest. That will be just enough time to go home, see your families, and bring them the grain and meat you’ve been given.”
The crowd hurriedly agreed, though they were puzzled.
What in the world was a “rest day”? And why would they be allowed to go home?
…
As far back as sixty years ago, there was no clear boundary between Hongfu and Thousand-Ditch. There was even a small market on the border of the two prefectures.
Residents would trade grain and cloth, salt and livestock there. The term “Thousand-Ditch refugee” didn’t exist. Girls from Thousand-Ditch married into Hongfu, and men from Thousand-Ditch took wives from Hongfu.
Later, when the great disaster struck Thousand-Ditch, the Hongfu Minister of Military Affairs had a wall built on the border and sent guards to suppress the riots.
The bodies of refugees were hung high on the city wall by the guards, to be devoured by vultures and eagles.
It was a nightmare. The weather was cold and gloomy, blood flowed like rivers, and under the gray sky, vultures shrieked and circled.
Now, no one dared to cross the border illegally anymore.
This sixty-li-long earthen wall had become a monstrous steel beast, blocking the disaster victims of Thousand-Ditch.
Before the wall lay a barren land of death; behind it, an unreachable land of life.
Liu Hongshan was standing on that very wall at this moment.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his posture ramrod straight. The warm summer breeze blew against his face, stirring his whitening beard and his magnificent magic robe.
The sunlight was clean and gentle, making his whole body feel comfortable.
Outside the wall, Thousand-Ditch was a thousand li of red earth and vast, dusty plains. Inside the wall, Hongfu was lush with greenery and glistening with wetlands.
Liu Hongshan sighed with feeling, “A day in the mountains is a thousand years in the world. With a single thought from an immortal, the mortal world is transformed.”
“Excellent poetry!” the Hongfu Minister of Military Affairs praised repeatedly. “You are practically the Star of Literature descended to earth!”
“Add two more lines,” Liu Hongshan said, glancing at him coolly.
The Minister of Military Affairs scratched his head, finally managing, “Thousand Canals has no canals, but Hongfu has your great fortune.”
“Not bad!” Liu Hongshan smiled with satisfaction.
Seeing him in a good mood, the Master of Rites took the opportunity to report:
“Tie Sanniu from Hexi Village has presented a ‘Water Management Map.’ He claims to have observed the river’s water levels for thirty years and traveled along both banks to draw this map. He wishes to help you rebuild the dikes and dredge the river channels…”
Liu Hongshan’s smile faded. “Wasn’t disaster relief grain distributed? Was it not enough?”
“Yes, yes, it was enough, but we don’t know about next year—”
Liu Hongshan interrupted again, “Will the floods delay this year’s offerings to the God Temple?”
“Well, no, that won’t be delayed,” the Master of Rites said in a small voice.
“Then what are you showing this Immortal for?!”
Sweat poured down the Master of Rites’ face as he nodded obsequiously. “I’ll send him away at once.”
Sounds of struggle and cries for help rose from not far away, soon turning into pained shouts. The sounds grew more and more distant until they could no longer be heard.
Liu Hongshan frowned with impatience.
Mortals had a low Domain and did not understand reason—
The jade moon waxed and waned every month, and the rivers flooded every year. This was the cycle of the Heavenly Dao, the law of nature. Man should comply with the times. How could he possibly manage it?
He fancied himself a good Immortal Official, providing relief when there was a disaster. But repairing river channels was time-consuming and laborious.
Compared to a raging flood, cultivation was, of course, more important.
Unlike Zhao Ren, who was desperate to leave the quagmire that was Thousand-Ditch Prefecture, Liu Hongshan was very satisfied with the rich and fertile Hongfu Prefecture, even though the Spirit Qi in the mortal realm was not as dense as on the mountain.
Within the Huawel Sect, Golden Cores were as common as clouds. Even True Person Xuyun’s daughter was about to break through to the Golden Core stage.
He thought with a touch of sourness, That Chen Hongzhu is just a spoiled little girl. Who knows how many resources the sect has piled on her. If they gave me the same things, I would have formed my Nascent Soul long ago.
In his family clan, the old ancestor presided over the distribution of resources, with the direct lineage and talented younger generations getting priority. He held no advantage there either.
Only in Hongfu Prefecture could he monopolize the luck of an entire prefecture, have the final say in everything, and not have to face the pressure and restrictions of higher-level cultivators.
Liu Hongshan planned to leave Hongfu Prefecture and return to the sect as a Nascent Soul cultivator after his breakthrough.
A Nascent Soul cultivator could occupy a peak of their own. Only then would he feel he had truly made his mark.
“There’s an immortal ship on the other side. It should be Song Xian Guan’s party!” the Minister of Military Affairs exclaimed.
Under the azure sky, the Seven Absolutes Treasure Ship approached at high speed, transforming from a tiny black dot into a behemoth.
It descended continuously, the fierce wind kicking up dust and smoke, its presence overwhelming.
Liu Hongshan said coldly, “Master of Rites, send the ceremonial team to receive them.”
If I hadn’t been in seclusion the other day and hit a bottleneck that was difficult to break through, leaving me with nothing to do, this Elder wouldn’t have the leisure to stand here waiting for someone, he thought.
High-level cultivators from prestigious backgrounds were mostly proud of their status and rarely associated with low-level young cultivators of mortal origin.
But Song Qianji was different. Never mind the treasures left by the Sages, he had a full two hundred thousand Spirit Stones on him.
News had just come from Purple Cloud Temple that the second batch of jade slips had sold out again.
The game record of “Three Calamities of Plucking Stars” was already known to everyone. Yet, Formation Masters and chess enthusiasts were still willing to buy a copy of the Purple Cloud Temple jade slip for their collection.
This might be the last game the Chess Devil passed down to the world, and it was feared to be his final masterpiece.
Song Qianji was about to come into money again, who knew how many hundreds of thousands more.
So young, what does he need so much money for? He has nowhere to spend it, Liu Hongshan thought with disdain.
The treasure ship landed smoothly, and three people walked down from the bow. The ceremonial team was still playing music, the festive and stirring melody echoing through the clouds, but they saw that the treasure ship had already been put away.
Liu Hongshan was somewhat surprised. Song Qianji was said to have over a thousand followers, yet he had only brought two people this time?
Excellent! It was as if he could see three bleating, fat little lambs walking towards him, their soft wool trembling.
The powerful clans of Thousand-Ditch had just sent letters and gifts begging him for help, and now Song Qianji had delivered himself to his doorstep.
Liu Hongshan subconsciously ground his molars, as if sharpening a knife.
The three of them, led by the master of ceremonies and the honor guard, ascended the city wall, two in front and one behind.
The white-robed youth in front wore a high ponytail, full of vigor, like a newly unsheathed sword. The brocade-robed youth wore a purple and gold coronet, his entire bearing grand and imposingly wealthy.
Liu Hongshan’s gaze shifted between the two.
Finally, with a beaming smile, he went forward, grasped Meng Heze’s hand, and shook it vigorously for the sake of two hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
“Junior Brother Song. I have long admired your great name. It is true that seeing you once is better than hearing about you a hundred times. From now on, we will be neighbors. As fellow cultivators, we should visit each other often to sit and discuss the Dao!”
After Song Qianji was nearly taken as a disciple by the Calligrapher Sage and the Chess Devil, his seniority had immediately skyrocketed. Even Xu Yun now addressed him as Junior Brother.
“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Liu. I’ve long heard of you,” another voice sounded from behind.
Song Qianji smiled.
“It’s not me,” Meng Heze said, pulling his hand away and shaking off a wave of goosebumps.
He couldn’t help but cast a suspicious glance at Song Qianji.
Could it be that Senior Brother Song always hides in the back precisely to avoid having his hand grabbed by these people?
Liu Hongshan was a little embarrassed, but having seen his share of the world, his expression remained unchanged as he turned to Song Qianji.
He clearly knew that Song Qianji was here to divert water and dig a canal, yet he pretended not to.
“Junior Brother Song, are you here to discuss the Dao with your senior brother?”
Song Qianji revealed a sincere smile. “Precisely.”
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