Empty Granary

Li Qi rode non-stop and rushed to the military granary.

The journey was peaceful, as this was near Guangyang City, where it was difficult for demons to survive in large groups.

Where cities are located, people gather and all things arise.

Where people gather, five colors are connected, Heavenly Phenomenon. Its energy stabilizes all things, connects with the four seasons, and connects the energy above and below.

In Li Qi's Shaman view, the city's vitality was as vast as the sky and as immovable as a towering mountain.

Demons could never shake this city.

If those tens of thousands of demons encountered earlier had formed a Soldier's Qi, that Soldier's Qi would probably have collapsed after just one attack against the city's population.

Therefore, this place is absolutely safe, at least in Li Qi's view.

They rushed to the granary, where soldiers guarded the area, but they all looked carefree and lacked any of the fierce aura of elite Sha Qi.

However, Li Qi could understand. After all, they were guarding the granaries in the rear. Even the most elite soldiers would get tired after a few years, so they naturally couldn't be very elite.

But when they saw someone approaching on horseback, they tensed up, raised their guns, and one of the officers shouted, "This is a grain depot, no riding is allowed! Dismount and verify your identity!"

Upon hearing this, Li Qi immediately dismounted, ran over quickly, picked up the official document, and displayed it everywhere. "Sima's edict! I need grain!"

However, upon hearing Li Qi's words, the officer's expression turned extremely strange, and he asked in great surprise, "Sima's edict?"

"That's right, Sima's edict, with the seal and signature all there!" Li Qi held up the document and extended it in front of the officer.

"Hahaha, this is something new. I haven't received an imperial edict from Sima for two or three years. Alright, the item is correct. Go and collect it yourself." The officer chuckled and laughed heartily. He didn't lead the way, but instead hiccuped as he made way for Li Qi.

"You can drink alcohol while watching the guards?" Li Qi frowned.

"What's it to you? You pretty boy, what do you know? In this place, if you don't drink, you have nothing to do! Get lost, go get your rations." The officer became furious upon hearing Li Qi's words.

Li Qi naturally didn't want to make a fool of himself. He quickly walked into the granary and then pasted the edict onto the formation.

The array above automatically recognized the unique aura of Sima's seal and then opened the gate.

Li Qi went inside and took out the White Rhinoceros Army's military Mustard Seed Bag.

However, after receiving half of it, Li Qi was stunned.

The entire granary was much larger inside than outside, likely achieved using a method similar to "swallowing a large ocean with a small amount of water".

However, no matter how big it was inside, it wouldn't leave Li Qi stunned with surprise.

What truly stunned him was that the granary was empty.

The inside was covered in dust, though there were no cobwebs. But the entire enormous granary, enough to feed a million people, was now completely empty, without a single grain of food.

Li Qi immediately rushed out the door, shouting, "What happened?! Was the granary robbed?!"

"Shout, shout, shout! What are you shouting for? What's wrong with you? Did you just come back from the town? Didn't you hear what I just said? There hasn't been an imperial edict for years. Without an imperial edict, the grain here will only go out and not come in. Where will the grain come from? You think I'm neglecting my duties by drinking? I'm just bored!" The officer leaned against the door, mocking Li Qi.

"If the central government has no food, what's going on with the fighting at the border?!" Li Qi suppressed his anger and asked.

"Are you even a soldier? Didn't you come from Zhenguan? Don't you know that they've already been disbanded? It's been over three months since the news broke that Zhenguan has been abandoned! I remember your commander has already been transferred back, right? Didn't he tell you about this?" The officer picked at his ear with his little finger and said impatiently to Li Qi.

Upon hearing this, Li Qi was taken aback.

It seems that the White Rhinoceros Army does indeed lack a commander.

There was indeed no one in Zhenguan.

Damn it, the Hundred Forests Kingdom has given up resistance??

The people were lost, the town was lost, and the only army that was seen gathering the people was abandoned by its commander who concealed the truth and fled!

Only a squad of soldiers, who fought to the death, remained in place, starving, protecting the civilians and waiting to die.

If we really send the people to White Peak Mountain White Peak Mountain, will the local government there accept them? If they don't register them in the household registration system and refuse to take them in, won't all of them become vagrants?

Hundreds of thousands of refugees, and so on...

The beggars I saw in the city before were not isolated cases.

Is Hundred Forests Kingdom really just going to let the town and all the people in the surrounding area die?

The officer watched as Li Qi's expression gradually changed, from suppressing anger to astonishment and blankness, then to uncontrollable rage, then taking a deep breath, and finally becoming a complex and indescribable expression.

His face changed from white to red, then from red to green, before he let out a long sigh and returned to normal.

The series of changes amused the officer. He took a sip from the wine flask and handed it to Li Qi: "Alright, stop being angry, brother. At least you're in Guangyang City now, instead of waiting to die. That's a good thing. Here, have a drink to calm down."

Upon hearing this, Li Qi finally regained his composure.

He glanced at the officers and listless soldiers and finally understood why they were so dejected.

In this situation, it would be strange if one didn't feel dejected.

However, he could not give up; tens of thousands of people were still waiting for him to return with the grain.

"I appreciate your kind offer, but I have important matters to attend to and cannot drink. Farewell." Li Qi took several deep breaths, cupped his hands in greeting, and then turned to leave.

"Hey, hey, don't go! What military business do you still have? You don't want to go back to your deaths, do you? You guys from the garrison are all idiots. How many fools like you have I seen in the last few months? Don't be so stubborn." The officer watched Li Qi leave and drunkenly waved at him.

But Li Qi didn't turn his head. He quickly walked to the Old Ma, mounted it, and rode away.

Throughout the journey, Li Qi remained silent, his mind constantly pondering matters.

"Neigh, neigh, neigh..." The Old Ma neighed and slowed down, seemingly worried about Li Qi.

"Don't worry, let's keep going. We're going to pay our respects to the prefect," Li Qi said, stroking the Old Ma's mane to reassure it.

Old Ma shook his head, realizing that his consideration was pointless, so he simply gave up and continued running.

Riding on horseback, Li Qi continued to ponder.

The military supplies in Guangyang City are probably in complete disarray. The Guangyang Sima is obsessed with Buddhism and completely neglects his duties. He has neither organized the collection nor distributed grain, and the granaries are now empty.

So, did the Guangyang Situ, who was in charge of taxation, and the Governor who oversaw the overall situation know about these things?

If they know this, and yet they still don't address it, it means things are getting serious and probably won't be so easily resolved; it likely involves even more corrupt elements within the court.

If they don't know, it might just be a communication problem with Sima. Reporting it might resolve the issue, but the downside would be offending the Sima of Guangyang.

Li Qi wasn't afraid of offending people; at worst, he could just run away. He didn't live here, so he wasn't worried. In the best-case scenario, that's how things would be.

But there is also the worst-case scenario.

That is, the Guangyang Situ and the Prefect of Guangyang are the same as the Commander of Guangyang.

That's where the problem gets really complicated. It means that Li Qi can't get any help from the government; he'll have to raise supplies on his own.

Enough to feed 100,000 people for a month... No, not enough. To ensure that those people can survive until the next harvest after they migrate, at least 300,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain is needed.

Aside from official channels, how could any other place possibly gather so much grain in such a short time?

The more Li Qi thought about it, the more he felt that things were hopeless. However, with the lives of more than 100,000 people on his shoulders, how could he simply dismiss it with the words "hopeless"?

Li Qi closed his eyes, lost in thought, and unconsciously muttered to himself, while recalling the current state of Guangyang City that he had seen along the way.

"Think about it carefully, think about it carefully. Guangyang City has millions of people. How much food would they need every day? Guangyang City doesn't seem to be suffering from famine yet, which means they have their own methods for collecting and storing grain. If I can find such methods, a mere 300,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) would only be enough for Guangyang City to consume for eight or nine days. Guangyang City can definitely afford to supply it," Li Qi murmured.

So, let's take two steps.

The first step is to examine the true nature of the officialdom in Guangyang.

The second step is to find out where the grain and meat consumed daily in Guangyang City come from.

We'll make further plans once we find some clues.

After all, there are too few clues now, so there is little room for maneuver. The more you know, the more you can do. Planning is actually about using what you know to try to achieve the outcome you want. If you don't know anything, then there is no point in planning. In the end, you can only rush in recklessly.

Thinking this, Li Qi simply told the Old Ma to stop.

Old Ma was puzzled, but he still obediently braked.

Li Qi dismounted and then took out a finger from his pocket.

Looking at this finger alone, it seems very beautiful, tender as a green onion. Although it is broken, it still seems to be alive. The broken surface is very smooth and does not look like a bloody mess, making it seem like a jade finger.

It's really beautiful. It feels cool to the touch, like touching some kind of high-end material, which makes you feel very comfortable.

However, since it's just a severed finger, it's still somewhat horrifying.

This severed finger belongs to Shen Shuibi.

She picked it and gave it to Li Qi back when they were on White Snake Mountain.

After all, it was the body of a fifth-grade cultivator, Immaculate Body, immortal and invincible, so it was no different from when it was in her hand; touching it felt just like touching her hand.

Of course, Li Qi didn't take out his finger to touch her at this moment.

He landed on the ground because there happened to be a small river near Old Ma at that moment. Li Qi didn't know the name of the river, but that didn't stop him from coming over.

Arriving at the riverbank, he took out the precious jade he had prepared for his daily rituals and practices.

As the saying goes, "Fine jade and pure sacrificial animals are offered to the river god."

First, an altar was erected, and then jade was offered.

Then he ran back to Old Ma's side.

Old Ma snorted, rolled his eyes in a human-like manner, and looked at his mane with heartache.

One day, Li Qi will shave himself until he's bald.

Li Qi a small knife to cut off a small tuft of mane.

The so-called livestock refers to clean and pure livestock.

Although it might sound a bit odd, Old Ma fits the requirement perfectly.

The mane of Dragon Steed was offered as a sacrifice.

Use jade to make a fine piece.

The sacrificial verses are recited, and the Sacrificial Ritual is completed.

But then they saw bubbles rising and bubbling in the deep, dark water.

A small, bluish-black snake with stripes quietly rose from the water.

Then, she swam from the water to the shore, and in a flash, she transformed into a beautiful woman with lovely features, a graceful figure, and a slender waist that swayed gently, captivating all who beheld her.

Despite her demeanor, she appeared very serious. After bowing to Li Qi, she solemnly asked, "I was truly impolite not to prepare a banquet in advance to welcome you, Great Shaman. I hope you will forgive me. May I ask what brings you here so late at night?"

"This sudden disturbance has already startled the Water God, but I truly need your help with some matters, so I offer this Sacrificial Ritual along with a wisp of pure water vapor, hoping for your assistance," Li Qi said politely, cupping his hands.

"I will do my best to help you if it is within my power," the water god said as he accepted the Sacrificial Ritual.

"Please remember the aura emanating from this object, Water God, and convey a message to me." Li Qi took out his severed finger and showed it to the Water God he had summoned.

The water god looked up, and his pupils suddenly shrank into vertical pupils.

Then, as if struck by lightning, she was thrown backward, her entire body flying out. Her clothes came off, and a bluish-black water snake darted into the water and hid.

There was no other reason than her sixth sense detected intense fear.

Magnificent, vast, and serene, it is like the full moon in the sky, eternally unchanged, hanging high in the heavens.

It is a noble existence that must never be touched, a sacred thing that can only be admired from afar but never reached.

If anyone disrespects her, a single glance could crush her soul and body, leaving her no chance for reincarnation.

The mere presence of this aura terrified the river god, causing him to reveal his true form and flee.

Several minutes passed before she cautiously swam back, asking in her snake form, "Great Shaman... what, what is this?"

Li Qi sighed, realizing he had overestimated the mountain and water deities of these small places. However, he still asked, "Has the water god remembered the aura emanating from this object?"

The water god smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid I'll never forget it in this lifetime."

"This item is a treasure, but I won't go into details. The aura on it leads to an eighth-rank powerhouse... I would like to ask the Water God to use the power of water to connect the four directions and perform the method of transmitting messages through mountains and rivers to deliver a message to her for me," Li Qi said again.

"I dare not refuse the request of the Great Shaman, but... what does the eighth rank mean?" the water god asked.

"Uh, the Water God cultivates the Divine Path Method, what realm are you at now?" Upon hearing this, Li Qi felt a headache coming on, so he asked another question.

"As for me, I am now at the Golden Body Realm. Why is the Great Shaman asking this?" the Water God asked.

"If it's the Golden Body Realm, then the eighth rank... is roughly the Spirit Soul Realm. You can make a comparison; it's about that level," Li Qi estimated before speaking.

"A divine soul!?" The water goddess was startled. This person was three whole realms higher than her! The type who could crush her with one hand.