When Adversity Still Allowed One to Rise, How Should One Choose Between Leaving and Staying?

Qiu An's demeanor has changed somewhat. Compared to before, he seems more approachable and no longer has that blank, indifferent look. Moreover, his appearance is quite unusual.

Ginseng Baby perched on his shoulder, a long sword gripped his hand, and an Incense Burner rested in his other. Above his head, Eight-Character Ancient Seal Inscription flowed, while cats and dogs accompanied him at his feet.

If this appearance were to enter the Central Plains, it would surely cause chaos. But on this Grasslands, with its vast sky and open land, no one would be too alarmed. As for the people in front of them, they had just escaped with their lives and had no time to worry about such things.

Besides, the Ginseng Baby and other items were usually cooped up in their packs and were feeling quite stifled. Now that they were finally away from the convoy and roaming freely on the vast Grasslands, they had fewer worries.

There's a story behind Qiu An's presence here.

In Dingchang City, after Qiu Yan left the caravan, he was led into the military camp by Yang Zhong, while Qiu An did not follow. Qiu An himself possessed cultivation, and his consciousness was condensed divine power. Qiu Yan did not know what changes would occur if he rashly entered the military camp. In addition, Qiu An's apparent identity was only that of a servant, and he was not qualified to follow.

Subsequently, Qiu Yan received Old Kai's last words, left a promise, and left the military camp, heading east. Qiu An also received the news at the same time, left the box containing the head of the Left Wise King, and followed him.

Over the next two days, Qiu Yan rushed into several tribes, with Qiu An by his side. Qiu Yan took the opportunity to test him, making him constantly approach the gathering places of the herdsmen to explore the effects of the Qi and Blood and qi suppression.

The settlements of the Grasslands people are different from military camps. Although most of the men are agile and can become valiant warriors on horseback, the tribe also has many women, children, and the elderly. Since there are no Qi-Blood Grand Formation, the suppression of extraordinary Divine Ability is limited. What truly restrains cultivators is the Karma entanglement of killing.

Qiu Yan charged into the tribe, causing the soldiers to surge with excitement. Only when their Qi and Blood were abundant could the true influence on the Divine Path power be seen. However, the result was quite unexpected. Qiu An's Incense Faith, thoughts, and divine power were only affected by Ling Ding and were not strongly affected.

Moreover, Qiu Yan unexpectedly discovered that the divine power that had evolved into Qiu An's will had undergone a significant change. It resembled a thought, but was very pure, and the mark belonging to the Divine Spirit Body was gradually fading away, as if it were about to become a mind without a master.

Strip away all color, and what remains is emptiness.

This discovery caught Qiu Yan's attention, and he planned to observe it carefully in the future.

Qiu An was also present when the slaves were being released. He was recognized by everyone, and now he suddenly spoke up in the crowd. He moved silently, and the people in the conversation did not notice him at all. Only when he spoke did they suddenly become alert.

Not far away, Cui Ping, who had been whispering, quickly stopped, revealing a hint of surprise. Fu Yong also frowned, looking worried, while Shi Jin chuckled and glanced at Qiu An with a provocative expression.

Ran Lian, however, remained calm, turned around, clasped his hands, and said, "I don't know what you mean by that, benefactor? We have no ill intentions towards Qiu Xiuzhuan. We were just suddenly rescued and were filled with emotion. Our words may have been inappropriate, please forgive us." He was about to Fu Yong. After all, being rescued and then gossiped about behind his back would inevitably lead to criticism. Being told to go with him would inevitably cause worry.

Qiu Yan and Qiu An were only two people, but they entered the Hu Tribe as if it were empty, which shows their ability. Ran Lian and the others couldn't help but be wary, but while feeling threatened, they also knew how dangerous it was.

For the past two days, Ran Lian and the others have been able to recover their strength thanks to the prey brought by Qiu An, which provided them with food. Among the prey were many ferocious beasts from the Grasslands, which were huge in size, but Qiu An carried them on his shoulders several times a day, which was enough to satisfy the daily needs of hundreds of people.

Cui Ping and the others couldn't see the implications; they simply assumed Qiu Yan had sent a servant out hunting. But Ran Lian, being a military man, was certainly aware of the situation.

Why do tribes fight and migrate south across the Grasslands? Isn't it all for resources? To have enough to eat and wear, to ensure the continuation of their tribes. But even just securing basic sustenance is enough to give them headaches, forcing them to migrate back and forth in search of pasture. If everyone had Qiu An's abilities, even just a dozen or so people wouldn't need to endure such a arduous journey.

Therefore, he dared not underestimate or belittle Qiu An in the slightest.

"Don't misunderstand," Qiu An shook his head. "My young master meant no harm. He just asked me to pick some promising people to go over so he can ask them some questions."

Ran Lian frowned slightly, about to say something more, but Fu Yong Fu Yong out and patted her on the shoulder.

"Ran Lian, if Qiu Xiuzhuan wanted to make things difficult for us, he wouldn't need to rescue us at all. With his cultivation and status, he is certainly not someone that ordinary people can compare to. His magnanimity and tolerance are naturally higher than others. There is no need to worry. Let me go and take a look."

Fu Yong's words inevitably carried a hint of worry, but his tone was very firm, indicating that he had his own plans.

On the one hand, he didn't want Ran Lian to say anything more, lest he anger the other party; on the other hand, he sensed an opportunity in Qiu An's words.

Seeing that Fu Yong his opinion, Ran Lian didn't press the matter further. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "In that case, may I also pay a visit to Scholar Qiu?"

"Huh?" Qiu An was Fu Yong aback, while Fu Yong was anxious, afraid that Ran Lian's unauthorized request would anger the other party. However, to his surprise, Qiu An nodded and said, "Alright, Young Master said that anyone who actively wants to see him should also be brought along."

Fu Yong hearing this, Fu Yong's anxiety subsided. He glanced at Ran Lian, seemingly lost in thought.

"If this is an opportunity, then Ran Lian obtained fortuitous opportunity unintentionally. In that case, this person might have some Fortune."

With these thoughts in mind, Ran Lian and Fu Yong were led up the hill.

Qiu An led the way, his feet barely touching the ground as he climbed the mountain path. Each step covered a distance of ten feet, quickly leaving Ran Lian and Fu Yong behind. Fortunately, they knew where Qiu Yan was, and without a guide, they eventually reached their destination.

However, their previous life as slaves, filled with all sorts of torture, had greatly weakened their physical strength. Although the hill was not high, they were still panting heavily after climbing it, Fu Yong immediately collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat.

Comparatively speaking, Ran Lian was in much better shape. After catching his breath and recovering, he looked ahead and realized that besides the two of them, there were already four or five other people gathered there. Judging from their appearance, they were all leaders of other groups.

At the edge of the hill, Qiu Yan stood with his back to the others, gazing into the distance. What he could see with the naked eye was something that no one else could, leaving everyone present completely bewildered. Since Qiu Yan remained silent, they dared not utter a sound, and the atmosphere quickly became oppressive.

On the other side, after Ran Lian and Fu Yong came up, Qiu An nodded to the two of them, turned around, and went down the mountain again. Not long after, he returned, followed by two more people, a man and a woman, both of whom were physically strong. The woman who had survived in such harsh conditions was not some delicate and beautiful woman. Such beauties often met a more tragic end, and once captured, they had no chance of survival.

After the two men came up, Qiu An went down the mountain again and returned after a while, but this time he did not follow them.

He reached Qiu Yan's side and said something. Only then did Qiu Yan turn away, turn around, and sweep his gaze over everyone. Those whose gazes fell upon him felt a sudden weight on their bodies and a surge of pressure in their hearts.

"Gentlemen..."

Qiu Yan finally spoke; her voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"You are all people who can rise up even in adversity, gather good fortune, and maintain your integrity. It is evident that you are all exceptionally talented. If the time is right, you may all be able to seize the opportunity and achieve great things. Therefore, you should not belittle yourselves because of temporary setbacks, nor should you let your thoughts and nature run wild because of the current low point."

His opening remarks surprised everyone. Instead of a reprimand, a reprimand, an encouragement, or an incitement, he uttered these words, simple yet powerful, and his expression seemed to come from the heart.

Upon Fu Yong this, Fu Yong gradually grasped some of the points, and his thoughts became clearer.

On the other side, Qiu Yan changed the subject. "I don't need to play hard to get. I saved you all and gathered you here for a reason. I'm sure you all harbor some resentment about being captured and enslaved..."

As he spoke, he turned and pointed into the distance, which, in everyone's view, was just a vast Grasslands.

"In places you cannot see, there are tribal settlements."

Upon hearing this news, the expressions of the people present varied. Some showed resentment, some had uncertain expressions, and some remained calm.

Ignoring them, Qiu Yan continued, "I'll give you two choices." He glanced at the crowd again, increasing the pressure on them, "First, leave this place and return to the Central Plains. You'll be responsible for any dangers you encounter along the way."

Seeing that someone was about to speak, he waved his hand to stop them and continued, "The second option is to obey Qiu's command, attack the tribe, rescue the slaves, and return them to their rightful place. What do you all think?"

After these words were spoken, someone finally seized the opportunity to retort, "You are an official of the imperial court, and we are commoners of Great Rui. Isn't it your duty to save us? Since you have saved us, why didn't you ensure our safety? You should have escorted us back to the Central Plains! Why force us to fight against the ferocious Hu people? Isn't this like throwing lambs to the slaughter?"

The man in question was very tall, but extremely thin, suggesting he had suffered a great deal of torment.

"Do you think you can solve everything once and for all once you go back?" Qiu Yan shook his head. "Besides, I and you are both human, but I have cultivation, which is why I was able to rescue you. However, human strength has its limits, and it's impossible to be all-encompassing. After you leave, you will naturally have to bear the risks yourselves. Moreover, those who stay behind are not here to fight, but to rescue people, to rescue those in the same predicament as you!"

The phrase "in the same situation" startled the man, and his face instantly turned red.

"Commissioner Qiu, please forgive my rudeness." At this moment, Fu Yong was thinking about reminiscing, spoke up, "In my opinion, relying on just the people here, your plan will absolutely not succeed!" (To be continued...)

P. S.: Thanks to "Guancha" and "My Sister Is Xuanxuan" for their monthly votes!