An Unforeseen Calamity
This concerns all the cultivators of Northern Liang.
Even Daoist Master Fuqing dared not be careless.
After a brief moment's thought, he decided to gather his fellow Daoists for a chat and a proper discussion.
This will also help to deal with the demons' plot here.
Zhenke nodded immediately upon hearing this.
I already feel guilty for not being able to find the perpetrator.
She would readily agree to help with anything she could at the moment.
"By the way, fellow Daoist, it would be good for you to stay here for a while. Fellow Daoists from Rising Tide Valley will also be coming. Rising Tide Valley has always had more female cultivators. You can exchange ideas with each other and perhaps gain some insights."
After Daoist Master Fuqing finished speaking, he immediately had someone take Zhenke away to rest.
He then turned around, preparing to contact other fellow Daoists to come and have a chat.
"We're heading closer and closer to the capital of Northern Liang. Dinggui Mountain seems to be just ahead."
Fang Zelin took down the wine gourd, sipped the wine, and then glanced at the map.
They found themselves walking forward, but they were getting closer and closer to Dinggui Mountain.
That would be rather strange.
Those demons, no matter what their schemes, shouldn't be approaching Dinggui Mountain at this time, right?
If we get caught, wouldn't that be a huge problem?
Fang Zelin frowned as he thought of this.
"Let's keep looking; these fairies are really hard to find."
Fang Zelin thought for a moment, then continued walking forward.
By sunset, no place seemed to be filled with Yao Qi, and they hadn't even seen many demons.
This made Fang Zelin feel even more strange after seeing it.
Could it be that these demons were all bewitched and went to plot together?
If that's the case, the situation might be quite bad.
Fang Zelin pondered this point, and continued walking slowly forward.
"Young man in front!"
A voice sounded from behind.
Upon hearing the sound, Fang Zelin turned around and saw an old man pulling an oxcart, struggling to move forward.
The place that used to be used by oxen has now become the home of this old man.
"Could you lend me a hand? This stretch of road is really difficult to walk."
Upon hearing this, Fang Zelin put down his wine gourd, responded, and then went to the back of the oxcart, gently pushing it forward.
The old man was taken aback when he saw this; he had quite a lot of stuff on his cart.
This person looks fair and clean-cut, how can he be so strong?
"Young man, your strength surpasses that of a peasant like me!"
The old man felt a sense of relief wash over him, and pulling the oxcart became much easier. He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"I used to train my legs and feet a bit, so I have some strength."
Fang Zelin responded to this, and from there he could see a red mark on the other person's back from the straps, which puzzled him.
"Old man, where's your ox?"
This oxcart, generally speaking, is pulled by oxen, right? If the other party occupies the ox's spot, wouldn't that be incredibly tiring for them?
"Alas, last year there was a severe drought in the fields, and we were on the verge of starvation, so we had no choice but to sell the cattle."
At this point, the old man couldn't help but sigh repeatedly; that ox had been with him for decades.
However, it was for this reason that he had to sell the cow, which still made him sigh deeply when he thought about it.
How extensive is the drought affecting?
Upon hearing this, Fang Zelin couldn't help but ask further questions.
"Young man, are you not from Northern Liang? Last year's severe drought caused several prefectures to suffer complete crop failures, and grain prices skyrocketed, leaving countless people hungry."
"If it weren't for some stored grain at home, and the sale of a cow, my grandson who was born last year would have starved to death too."
The old man shook his head repeatedly as he said this.
Was the drought this severe last year?
Fang Zelin frowned upon hearing this.
Judging from this, things aren't looking too good for Northern Liang either.
On the other hand, the Great Qian Dynasty is currently enjoying favorable weather and abundant harvests.
Fang Zelin pushed the oxcart for a while, and then a village came into view in the distance.
Upon seeing the village, the old man's face lit up with joy. "Young man, it's getting late. Why don't you come to my house for a meal?"
If it weren't for the other person's help, he really felt he might not have been able to get back.
Fang Zelin smiled upon hearing this, then shook his head. "No, I still have a long way to go. If I travel a bit further, I should be able to reach the next post station before dark."
Knowing that the other party's family was not well-off, Fang Zelin naturally had no intention of staying for a meal and politely declined.
Hearing this, the old man was slightly taken aback, and wanted to say something more.
Seeing Fang Zelin's resolute attitude, he could only nod and not press the matter further.
After a short while, Fang Zelin delivered the oxcart to the other party and then turned and left.
But when they reached the village entrance, Fang Zelin stopped and used a spell to summon the local earth god.
Worried that someone might witness this, Fang Zelin even cast Law Technique.
"My esteemed immortal, is there any important matter that you have summoned me from here?"
After the local earth god appeared, he leaned on his cane and bowed respectfully to Fang Zelin, saying, "..."
"I've come all this way to inquire about the severe drought that struck this area last year."
Upon hearing this, Fang Zelin didn't stand on ceremony and directly inquired about last year's severe drought.
The demons were plotting, and last year's severe drought had ravaged several prefectures, leaving Fang Zelin no choice but to pay close attention.
Therefore, Fang Zelin wanted to find out more details.
While Fang Zelin was standing in front of the Land God Temple asking him some questions, many villagers in the distance were already heading home.
One of the women carried the child on her back into her arms as she walked home.
Although it was a bit tiring, the thought of her own child brought a smile to her face.
But when she looked down at her own child, she was momentarily stunned.
They saw their child looking towards the Land God Temple with a happy smile on his face.
The little hands kept waving, and it made babbling sounds.
The woman followed her child's gaze and saw that the local Land God Temple temple was completely empty.
Upon seeing this, the woman felt a chill run down her spine.
"Good son, don't scare me!"
The woman whispered something to her child.
However, her words had no effect; her child continued to smile happily in the direction of the Land God Temple.
The woman felt a chill run down her spine upon seeing this, and slapped the baby hard, instantly making the baby in her arms cry loudly.
Hearing her child cry, the woman felt a sense of relief and instant peace of mind.
He immediately picked up his child and strode away.
When Fang Zelin, who was standing at the Land God Temple, saw this scene, he felt both amused and exasperated.
This child suffered an undeserved misfortune.