The next day, they set off again.
On the road, they encountered disciples from Panshui Cave blocking the way. The first village they reached had been brutally wiped out, making Lu Zheng think they were entering a chaotic era.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case…
Eastern Sichuan, after all, was still under the Great Jing’s rule. Though they later encountered demons devouring people, no further villages were annihilated.
However, due to relentless floods, many had died, causing several ghost kings from the Netherworld to appear in the mortal realm, collecting souls and stirring chaos.
Along the way, Lu Zheng dispatched several century-old ghost generals and repelled a minor ghost king.
Distributing food, treating the sick, building shelters, slaying demons…
The group traversed fields, villages, and hamlets in the mountainous valleys, saving more and more people.
Another month passed, and Lu Zheng’s group covered the easternmost Junzhou in Eastern Sichuan. The floods finally subsided.
Indeed, over two months had passed since the floods began, well beyond the peak rainy season. The court’s supplies were fully deployed, and the Anomaly Suppression Division, military, and various cultivators had spread across the region.
The hidden powers behind the scenes never intervened. Minor demons and ghosts that retreated quickly survived; those that didn’t became prey to the swords of the Anomaly Suppression Division and other cultivators.
A flood disaster affecting several southern provinces of Great Jing finally came to an end.
…
“We only got a lucky start. I thought we’d find more treasures later, but nothing turned up.”
Lu Zheng and his group had returned from Eastern Sichuan to Northern Ling, entering Yuzhou’s borders.
Hearing Lu Zheng’s words, Du Yueyao and the women from Five Elegance Manor couldn’t help but laugh.
Since the incident with the crimson spiritual fruit, knowing Eastern Sichuan’s mountains were remote, Lu Zheng had shown great enthusiasm, constantly venturing into deep forests, hoping to find more spiritual plants or fruits, almost obsessively, ignoring even Liu Qingyan’s advice.
But as Eastern Sichuan grew safer, minor demons and ghosts posed no threat to their group, so they let Lu Zheng roam unchecked.
Lu Zheng, meanwhile, thought himself quite the actor.
Did he not know spiritual fruits were rare and hard to find?
But without an excuse, how could he slip back to the modern world to visit Lin Wan or retrieve food and medicine?
In the month spent in Eastern Sichuan, their consumption of food and medicine matched what they used in Northern Ling.
No one knew the size of Lu Zheng’s gourd storage, and their absolute trust in him meant they never asked.
If they knew the details, they might have grown suspicious.
The only one with doubts was Liu Qingyan, who had long noticed Lu Zheng’s occasional disappearances.
Yet…
The one who trusted him most was also Liu Qingyan.
So…
Whatever Lu Zheng said, she believed. Whatever he didn’t mention, she never asked.
Hearing his words, Liu Qingyan laughed with the others, then said, “Eating too many spiritual fruits, with too much spiritual energy in the body, isn’t good.
Just that one Zhu Fruit boosted our cultivation by over ten percent. We mustn’t be too greedy.
After all, cultivation can’t rely solely on spiritual fruits, or every famous mountain and river would be overrun by cultivators.”
Lu Zheng nodded in agreement. Master Mingzhang had told him many times that external aids like spiritual fruits or treasures were merely supports; one’s own strength was the foundation.
Well, except in combat; that was different.
…
“Lady Qingyi!”
“Lady Qingyi is here!”
Shouts drew everyone’s attention.
They had just entered a town they’d helped during the relief efforts.
Seeing Lu Zheng’s group, children and passersby called out, and the town came alive.
Old and young poured out, crowding around.
“Thank you, Lady Qingyi, for saving our lives!”
“Thank you, Master Lu, for your life-saving grace!”
“Thank you, ladies and heroes, for saving us!”
The town, with thousands of residents, quickly gathered around, expressing gratitude and offering homemade food for them to accept.
Welcoming the saviours with food and drink was nothing less than a hero’s reception.
“Please, elder, stand up!”
Lu Zheng hurriedly helped an old man trying to kneel, unaccustomed to such gestures.
“If not for Lady Qingyi and Master Lu, our town would’ve lost half its people to the plague, mothers losing sons, husbands losing wives, children losing fathers,” the old man said.
“Not at all!” Lu Zheng protested.
“It’s true! Fifty years ago, I lived through a flood myself. It’s vivid in my mind. The town lost forty percent of its people, mostly to disease or starvation, and it took over a decade to recover.”
The old man continued, “This time? Apart from the dozens swept away by the initial flood, not one more died!
Shelters for warmth, food to fill our bellies, medicine to cure the sick—it saved over a thousand lives!
I may be old, but I’m not foolish. Don’t I know who saved my life?”
“Exactly! Exactly!”
“Thank you, Lady Qingyi and Master Lu!”
Amid the gratitude, the group entered the town.
It was noon, and despite their efforts to leave, the townsfolk’s insistence kept them there. They ate at the mayor’s house, accepted local specialties, and left amid waves and farewells.
“Too enthusiastic!”
“Couldn’t handle it!”
The two guards each held a pig’s trotter, given by an auntie who saw their sturdy builds and insisted they eat more, leaving them stuffed and greasy.
…
After this, the group avoided main roads or detoured around places they’d visited.
Lu Zheng’s gourd held tents, and they had ample food, so a few more days of travel didn’t bother them.
Days later, they crossed northwest Northern Ling, entering Yizhou.
…
As they walked the main road, a group emerged from a roadside pavilion.
“Father!”
Du Yueyao cried out, rushing to Du Yuru, who led the group.
“Lord Prefect!”
The two guards hurriedly saluted.
“Lord Chu! Brother Duan! Sister Du!”
Lu Zheng hadn’t expected Chu Jin, Duan Changzai, and Du Huan from Yizhou’s Anomaly Suppression Division to be there.
“Brother Lu! Miss Liu!”
Duan Changzai laughed heartily, “You’ve made quite a name for yourselves this time!”
“Lady Qingyi, saviour of countless lives!” Du Huan smiled, taking Liu Qingyan’s hand. “Thanks to you, many in Great Jing live. Your merit is boundless.”
Liu Qingyan blushed, “I only did what little I could.”
“No pride, no arrogance—a fine ‘little’ effort,” Du Yuru praised. “Even His Majesty heard of Miss Liu’s deeds and issued an imperial commendation.”
Not just Liu Qingyan, but Lu Zheng was stunned. “The Emperor?”
He hadn’t even left Yizhou, and now he was reaching the Emperor?
