Immortal Techniques Summoned Forth

"Could it be a miraculous immortal art that can conjure grain...?"

The moment the thought surfaced, Shen Fang immediately shook his head and dismissed it. Impossible, absolutely impossible! Liu Shuyue wasn't the only disciple of immortal affairs; a handful would emerge every hundred years, not to mention variations and unorthodox methods that had been passed down. He had never heard of such a spell existing.

Ultimately, Immortal Masters were not divine beings. While they were strong in slaying demons, eradicating evil, and communicating with heaven and earth, they were no different from ordinary people in other aspects. For instance, Immortal Masters also needed to eat. Before every expedition, the local government had to prepare dry rations and alcoholic beverages for them, lest they slack off. If they possessed the means to conjure food themselves, why would they operate out of towns?

Moreover, Shen Fang trusted his intuition.

The last time the Immortal Master had loudly reprimanded them at Wei Wu Hall, it was an indirect admission that she was powerless to resolve this issue. Otherwise, she wouldn't have waited until the disaster victims gathered here. She could have simply produced a batch of grain in the west where the monsters were eliminated, and everything would have been resolved.

"Husband, Lord County Lieutenant, why do you both look so serious?" a beautiful woman entered the room, holding a pot of tea. "I thought it was a great thing that the disaster victims could all eat their fill?"

Shen Fang was momentarily speechless. He couldn't directly tell his wife she was wrong, so he feigned impatience and waved her away. "We are discussing state affairs, why are you, a woman, interjecting? Put the tea down here, he can pour it himself."

Though his words were harsh, his eyes were full of affection.

After his wife left, an awkward atmosphere settled between the two men.

Indeed, this would be fantastic news anywhere else, but it was precisely the opposite for Zhangwei.

If the disaster victims ate their fill and went home happy, His Majesty might not be so pleased.

"I'll go see for myself when we distribute the grain at noon," Shen Fang broke the silence. "This couldn't have been done by the Immortal Master alone; there must have been a powerful expert assisting behind the scenes."

The water in the large pot was boiling vigorously, sending clouds of hot steam billowing outwards.

"Immortal Master, the water is boiling," someone said, stepping forward.

Liu Shuyue looked at the more than ten rows of people lined up before her and nodded. "Distribute the bowls and noodles."

A cheer erupted from the crowd, as if it were a festival.

They orderly approached the pot, receiving their disposable bowls and chopsticks. The twenty or so people responsible for ladling the water poured boiling water into their bowls one by one.

Only those with a bowl of boiling water could receive their portion of noodles.

The noodles were placed on a carriage by the relief station, and there were also dedicated personnel for distribution.

One packet per person, with the elderly, children, youths, and women all treated equally.

Those who were still hungry could fill up with the relief porridge.

After the first day of trying the new food, the disaster victims were now quite skilled at preparing this convenient meal. Some impatient individuals even tore open the bag and stuffed the noodles into their mouths before they were even submerged in the hot water, treating the boiling water as mere decoration. Liu Shuyue did not stop these people either; as long as they didn't waste the food or hoard it, it was their freedom to eat it however they pleased.

Suddenly, the open space was filled with a tantalizing aroma.

This was no exaggeration; Liu Shuyue saw the soldiers at the city gate gazing enviously at the scene, as if the relief food were more appealing than the hardtack in their hands.

"Immortal Master, you are truly the savior of my family!" an old man with a child suddenly knelt on the ground. "I kowtow to you!"

Someone nearby immediately pulled him up. "Hey, Grandpa, didn't we say no bowing during meal distribution? It holds up the people behind. We all appreciate the Immortal Master's kindness, thank her after you've eaten!"

"Yes, just keep this kindness in your heart, and repay it when you have the chance!"

"My life was given by the Immortal Master, so kowtowing is the least I can do. Immortal Master, my name is Fu Jiaolu, a hunter. If you ever need anything, just call me!"

"Oh, come on, the Immortal Master wouldn't need someone like you."

"Hahahaha..." everyone burst into laughter.

Scenes like this occurred constantly—as soon as someone stood up to express their gratitude excitedly, someone else would step in to maintain order and stop them. While restraining the grateful person, their words would resonate with others, pushing the atmosphere to a new peak, until the next person couldn't hold back and jumped out of line to offer their thanks.

Liu Shuyue neither dodged nor responded, simply standing quietly at the front of all the lines, ensuring everyone could see her.

This was the best moment to establish her authority.

If she hadn't experienced it firsthand, she would have found it hard to imagine that just a few days ago, these people were hostile and wary of each other, eyeing others' food and fearing becoming targets themselves. Blind despair and sorrow permeated every corner of the camp.

Chen Xuan was absolutely right. If the disaster victims couldn't be unified, even distributing food would have led to disaster.

As the saying goes, without rules, nothing can be accomplished. The disaster victim camp had been chaotic due to a lack of order, but now she was giving these people a new order.

Food distribution department, storage department, organization department, security department... Drawing upon historical experience and knowledge, she divided the disaster victims into units, forcing them to cooperate to deal with this hunger crisis.

To further strengthen the rules she had established, she had to become the pillar of support in the disaster victims' hearts.

Liu Shuyue stood at the very front to let everyone know that she was the one who brought them life-saving food, that she had saved the people of Qingzhou from the threat of famine.

Although this was something she accomplished with the shopkeeper's help, she saw no need to reveal the inside story to the masses. This prestige was insignificant to Chen Xuan, but it could be of great use to her.

This was not an honor, but a responsibility.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the front of the line.

"May I ask if the Immortal Master could also give me a portion of relief noodles?"

A man walked through the lines and approached Liu Shuyue, cupping his hands in a question.

Although the vast majority of the refugees did not recognize him, his conspicuous official robes deterred them from acting rashly.

"Prefect," Liu Shuyue replied with a cupped-hand salute. "I'm afraid not."

"He is... the Prefect?" the common people whispered amongst themselves, their eyes showing a hint of fear.

"Even I can't?"

"These noodles are for the refugees; the quantity is fixed. If I give you an extra pack, one refugee will receive one less," Liu Shuyue said gently. "However, if the Prefect is curious, you can buy them. As long as you're willing to pay, these noodles aren't hard to obtain."

"Pay... to buy?" Shen Fang was taken aback.

"That's right. This way, the refugees can also buy food with the money, isn't that killing two birds with one stone?" she smiled. "Oh, right... several shopkeepers have already come to buy them today, and they're offering a good price. If the Prefect is too embarrassed to negotiate with the refugees, you can talk to those shopkeepers too."

"Where did these noodles actually come from?"

Shen Fang no longer wanted to beat around the bush. He lowered his voice and pressed for an answer.

When he saw packs of strange grain appearing outside the city, he almost couldn't believe his eyes. Having served as an official for so long, he could tell at a glance that this was not something Qingzhou could produce.

Just by soaking it in boiling water, it turned into a bowl of flavorful noodle soup. This was even more miraculous than any sorcery!

The County Lieutenant's judgment was correct.

If Liu Shuyue could continuously provide this magical ration, the famine in Qingzhou would disappear without a trace. The Immortal Master who saved the people from hardship would naturally become a savior revered by all, gaining unprecedented fame!

This was completely contrary to His Majesty's expectations.

"It's immortal techniques," Liu Shuyue stated calmly. "I summoned them using immortal techniques."

"Impossible!" Shen Fang couldn't help but raise his voice. "If you truly had this ability, why didn't you use it after exterminating the demons? If you had summoned grain from the start, the people of Qingzhou wouldn't have had to suffer this calamity and flee all the way here!"

The surrounding people all turned their gazes toward them.

Liu Shuyue's expression remained unchanged. "Naturally, I couldn't do it at the time. The Prefect should have heard that all immortal arts have their timing. The more profound the spell, the more it depends on the right moment. Only when both the time and opportunity are right can it be successfully cast."

"This..."

"Aren't you happy, Prefect? Why do you keep dwelling on whether the immortal techniques could work? The refugees can eat their fill, and the people of Zhangwei City can sleep soundly. This is clearly a great thing."

Shen Fang's heart leaped. "Of course, I'm happy—"

"Are you?" She paused, looked directly into the Prefect's eyes, and asked word by word, "Then why can't you smile?"

He subconsciously looked at the countless eyes scrutinizing him. It seemed everyone was waiting for his answer. After a moment, he slowly grinned, forcing a smile onto his face. "Ha... haha... How could I not be? I'm so happy I don't know what to do! The Immortal Master is indeed incredibly powerful. His Majesty is truly fortunate to have your assistance... hahahaha!"