On the street lined with shops, the owners, managers, and clerks of every grain store had gathered together.
Yunbi County's streets were only so long. Once the news spread into the city, everyone knew. The most anxious were naturally those whose livelihoods were bound to rice and grain.
Especially since their warehouse grain had just vanished early that morning. They were already burning with anxiety—how could they possibly sit still after hearing this news?
The owner of Donglai Grain Store stood at the street corner and shouted excitedly, "Where did that Daoist get his rice? Our rice disappeared last night, and today he just happened to be outside handing out porridge and grain. How could there be such a coincidence?"
The manager beside him covered his face and wailed, "That must all be our rice—our rice!"
Every one of them was ablaze with panic, stamping their feet without cease. "I was wondering where all our rice went. So that demon Daoist took it all!"
Someone immediately suggested, "Shouldn't we hurry out of the city and stop that Daoist? We absolutely cannot let him hand out all our rice."
Quite a few people in Yunbi County knew how formidable those strange wanderers of the martial world could be. "That Daoist took all our rice overnight. He must be one of those extraordinary people—how could he be easy to provoke? And there are so many refugees outside the city. How could we possibly fight him?"
"No matter how powerful he is, even if he's an immortal, he still has to be reasonable, doesn't he? That's our whole fortune and our very lives! Our entire household depends on it." With that, the owner of Donglai Grain Store hurried outside.
"Wait for me! We'll go together."
A group of grain merchants, wealthy gentry, and