Startling News!

Though suspicion had arisen in his heart, Qiu Yan did not ask further. The two drank and ate, quickly sweeping an entire tableful of dishes clean.

"After eating so much Shu Region cuisine these past few days, I've had a different impression every time." Yan Yongjie patted his belly, looking utterly satisfied.

"Only natural," Qiu Yan said with a smile. "Even in the previous dynasty, someone once described Shu Region dishes as 'prizing rich flavors and delighting in pungent fragrances.'" Though he had not been from Shu in his previous life, his incarnation had grown up here and inherited those memories, so he naturally knew something of it.

"From the sound of it, Brother Qiu knows a thing or two about the culinary arts as well?" After this meal, the two had grown considerably closer.

Qiu Yan shook his head. "Just armchair theories. If Brother Yan has the time, you might as well stay in the city for a few days and taste your way around. Azure Prosperity City may be small, but it has all its vital organs. It won't disappoint you."

"That won't be necessary. Now that your family has entered the city, I'll set off tomorrow to seek an Immortal opportunity. South of Qingchang lies a vast stretch of mountains and rivers. I've long heard that Immortals dwell there, so I cannot let the chance slip by." Yan Yongjie smiled, took a few more bites, then said, "Today you were the host. When the chance comes, if you leave Shu Region and this old brother still hasn't found his Immortal opportunity, I'll treat you to the delicacies of other places. Compared with Shu cuisine, each has its own strengths."

The two exchanged a few more words. Seeing that night had grown late, they got up to leave. Before departing, however, Qiu Yan had the shopkeeper wrap up and sell him every flatbread in the restaurant. Though puzzled, Yan Yongjie did not ask.

As they walked, Qiu Yan asked Yan Yongjie for guidance on several martial arts matters, and the latter answered them one by one.

Though Yan Yongjie's realm was not high, merely Foundation Establishment Peak, he had immersed himself in martial arts all his life. He possessed deep knowledge and understanding of training methods and combat techniques, and explained matters in a way that made the profound seem simple. Qiu Yan gained much from it.

As they walked and talked, Qiu Yan suddenly slapped his forehead. "That's right, I nearly forgot. My family passed down two pages that seem to be from a martial arts manual. The wording is obscure, and no one has ever understood them. Meeting Brother Yan today must be fate. Why not come by tomorrow and take a look? Perhaps you can spot some clue."

"Such a thing exists?" Yan Yongjie froze for a moment, then nodded. "All right. If you trust me, Yan will certainly do his utmost tomorrow."

The story about the book pages was naturally fabricated, an excuse Qiu Yan had come up with to lend Yan Yongjie a hand.

After the two took another couple of steps, three ragged men and women suddenly rushed out from beside the road. They were skin and bones, each holding out both hands, their gaunt faces full of pleading. "Good sirs, have mercy... give us something to eat..."

Their voices were as faint as mosquitoes, feeble and breathless.

Pity rose in Yan Yongjie's heart, and he was about to reach into his robes for some copper coins when Qiu Yan stopped him.

"Money won't be of much use." Having stopped Yan Yongjie, Qiu Yan instead took out a flatbread from the oil-paper wrapping, tore it into three pieces, and handed them to the three people.

The moment they saw the flatbread, their eyes lit up. They hurriedly thanked him, took the food, and immediately began wolfing it down.

"This won't do," Qiu Yan said, shaking his head. "Gorging oneself after prolonged hunger is no good. But even if I told them now, they would not listen. We can only make do for the moment."

As he spoke, figures rapidly gathered from the surrounding streets. Quite a few disaster victims had caught wind of the food and come over.

Yan Yongjie's expression changed slightly, and he was about to warn Qiu Yan when Qiu Yan suddenly stamped his foot!

With a boom, the ground trembled faintly. The paving stone beneath Qiu Yan's foot shattered into powder, and fragments of rock flew in all directions.

At the sight, the figures rapidly closing in halted, vaguely preparing to retreat. Even the first three people showed fear on their faces and slowly backed away.

"There must be Order," Qiu Yan said again. At the same time, he untied the oil-paper wrapping, revealing a stack of flatbreads. "This food is hard to swallow. You have all been hungry for days and cannot eat too much. I will divide these into portions and give them to you. Come one at a time. No disorder, no scrambling."

After days of hunger, flatbread held tremendous temptation. Though they still had doubts, once a few people ventured forward and each received a small piece, the others immediately grew anxious. Yet they feared Qiu Yan, so they came forward as instructed, one after another, without any disorder. Yan Yongjie watched from the side, clicking his tongue in amazement.

Having traveled far and wide, he naturally knew that disaster victims were difficult to manage. With the slightest mishandling, a good deed could turn into a bad one. Yet Qiu Yan had used one hand of flatbread, one foot to shatter the ground, and then a few spoken rules to truly make the starving people keep Order without chaos.

With this skill alone, he could at least serve as an official. This Qiu Yan is certainly no simple man; his future achievements will not be simple either.

Before long, the stack of flatbreads had been completely distributed.

Qiu Yan clapped his hands and looked at the starving people, each holding a small piece of flatbread. Though the power of Karma around him had loosened considerably, his heart grew ever heavier. When he saw several tiny, emaciated children among them, he frowned even more deeply.

Even without karmic entanglement, I cannot simply stand by and do nothing. But now that the flatbreads are gone, there is no use in my staying. I should make long-term plans and proceed step by step.

Thinking this, he called out to Yan Yongjie and left directly with him.

Behind the two, the ragged starving people watched Qiu Yan's retreating figure with fearful yet grateful eyes. Then came the sound of bodies hitting the ground from within the crowd—several elderly people had directly knelt and kowtowed.

"I never expected Brother Qiu to have such a Bodhisattva heart," Yan Yongjie could not help remarking as they walked.

Qiu Yan shook his head. "It was merely a chance encounter. Such trifling kindness cannot solve anything. To aid these disaster victims, far more is needed."

"Brother Qiu speaks wisely." Yan Yongjie sighed and lamented, "These days, disorder is everywhere. There are already many starving people in your city. In another two or three days, when the postal riders arrive, I fear there will be another bout of chaos."

"Hm? What do you mean by that, Brother Yan?" Qiu Yan asked.

"This place lies on the frontier, so blocked news is only to be expected. This time, I entered Shu from the Central Passes, riding hard all the way. I am faster than ordinary postal riders, but only by two or three days. Within the next day or two, news of the Emperor's death will likely arrive."

"What? The Emperor has died?" Qiu Yan was startled.

This was no minor piece of news, but earth-shaking news. Great Rui occupied the Central Divine Land, carrying Heaven's mandate and serving as the rightful orthodoxy of Heaven and Earth. Great Rui's Emperor was the Son of Heaven, with his Fortune connecting Heaven above and Earth below. An Emperor's death meant the Dragon Lair shifting and the Dragon Vein turning over. If it happened in troubled times or an age of flourishing prosperity, celestial signs and strange phenomena might even emerge in endless succession.

Yan Yongjie nodded. "Indeed. Before long, death notices will be sent to government offices everywhere. Disorder is already beginning to show itself in the Central Passes. I heard that the Crown Prince has ascended the throne and promoted that famous Black-faced Chancellor. People in the streets all say the young Emperor intends to reform the laws—that the country is about to fall into chaos, and everyone is terrified."

"Black-faced Chancellor? Reform?"

Qiu Yan frowned. His former self had been confined to Shu Region, devoted wholeheartedly to study, and knew little of the great currents of the realm. But he did know of the Black-faced Chancellor.

In this world, chancellor did not merely mean husband; it was also an honorific. Scholars with academic distinction could generally be addressed as chancellor, but when the term was used in court, it was no trivial matter—it referred to the prime minister.

This Black-faced Chancellor's surname was Wang. He had originally been a Grandmaster of the literary world, then entered court and became prime minister, standing alone in his own school. His face was dark, and he was impartial as iron. Even when his own younger brother committed an offense, he rebuked and demoted him all the same. Over time, he gained the title Black-faced Chancellor.

However, Qiu Yan's frown was not due to dissatisfaction with the Black-faced Chancellor, but because he was considering how this matter would affect him. Though he was but a scholar and court affairs had nothing to do with him, he intended to take the Imperial Examinations in the future and fulfill the Karma of this body. He therefore needed a certain understanding of court policies, so that during the examinations he could seek advantage, avoid harm, and aim with purpose.

The Emperor's death itself is nothing much. Great Rui's policies emerge from the Two Offices; it is ultimately the Two Offices that govern the country and control the court. The Imperial Examination topics have always been weather vanes, displaying precisely the positions of the Two Offices. If they truly intend to reform the laws...

After parting with Yan Yongjie, Qiu Yan pondered all the way. He stopped by the inn to notify Liu Huai and the others, then headed toward the north of the city. Passing through streets and alleys, he soon arrived before a shabby little courtyard.

The courtyard gate hung crookedly, and its lock lay on the ground, clearly smashed off by someone.

At the sight, Qiu Yan's heart stirred. He raised a hand and pushed, and the gate toppled to one side.

"Burglars actually came here? What sort of thieves would not even spare such a ruined courtyard... Oh no! The books!"

He suddenly shuddered, remembering something. He broke into a run toward the courtyard and charged straight into a side room.

The lock on this room had also been smashed. It opened with a push, and upon seeing the scene inside, Qiu Yan immediately let out a sigh of relief.