135: Arrival at Xianshui Town

On the vast plain, over a hundred riders could be seen forming a long line, galloping away.

The leader was naturally Lu Ming, who had been ordered to Xianshui Town to carry out a mission. After reviewing the mission brief about Xianshui Town, he immediately led over a hundred riders and galloped towards Xianshui Town.

After all, these were horses bred by the Hundred Weapons Sect, and their endurance was comparable to military warhorses. In less than a day, they had covered most of the journey.

They were not the only people on the road. Along both sides of the official road, many emaciated figures with muddy faces could be seen. Their eyes were vacant, and their steps faltered.

Like living dead, they walked aimlessly forward, as if they could see hope for survival in their path ahead.

"What exactly is going on with these people?!" Lu Ming looked at the long procession. As he traveled, he had seen at least tens of thousands of refugees, and at this rate, their numbers seemed to be increasing.

"Reporting to your Lord, these people should all be refugees from Chong Province. In recent years, Chong Province has not only been plagued by continuous warfare but also suffered from famine, which led to a significant decrease in grain production. This forced these people to leave their homes and flee to our Yun Province to make a living," Wu Lei respectfully replied.

Hearing the unfamiliar words "famine" and "warfare," Lu Ming's gaze became somewhat distant. He was still influenced by his previous memories, and upon seeing the tragic scene before him, Lu Ming finally realized that he was in ancient times. Even with martial arts and powerful individuals possessing the strength to face ten thousand men, the lives of the common people had not changed much.

"My Lord, these people cannot be helped, and our Demon Suppression Division's mission is to slay demons and monsters. These matters are for the government to handle." Wu Lei cautiously spoke, seemingly discerning Lu Ming's thoughts.

A hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes. This was reality. Although Yun Province was generally stable and Silver Feather City was extremely prosperous, with officials and nobles enjoying daily festivities, the neighboring Chong Province was already embroiled in war, with seven or eight out of ten households gone, corpses strewn across the land, and demons rampant—a true depiction of its state.

There was nothing these common people could do. If they had a choice, who would want to live in a chaotic world? Everyone hoped for a stable life with some prospects.

"Their direction seems to be Xianshui Town?" Lu Ming did not respond immediately but instead asked.

"It should be. Although Xianshui Town just suffered a plague, many people died, so these people can Just right replenish the population. And the nearby Tianshi City should also send people to provide disaster relief," Wu Lei nodded.

Although he wished to help, Lu Ming also knew that these people could not all be helped. Without solving the root cause, refugees would continuously pour into Yun Province, and these matters were not something a mere thousand-household official like him could control.

"Everyone, only take two days' worth of food. Leave the rest behind." Lu Ming circulated his True Qi, making his voice resonate all around.

For this journey, Lu Ming had gathered his men and selected over a hundred elites from nearly a thousand people, each carrying five days' worth of food.

Now, at Lu Ming's command, his subordinates all affirmed and then unhooked their hanging dry ration bags, throwing them to the side of the road.

The refugees, who had been keeping their distance, saw this scene and their eyes widened, as most of them had not had a drop of water or food for several days.

Although a sense of fear still lingered in their hearts, when hovering on the brink of starvation, one's courage undoubtedly increased significantly.

Many people ran over to pick up the dry ration bags on the ground.

Lu Ming watched the scene before him indifferently. Aside from the scrambling crowd, no one expressed gratitude towards them.

However, Lu Ming did not care about this, as the food he distributed was merely a drop in the ocean for the entire refugee contingent, and he was not distributing it to gain gratitude.

"Let's go!" Lu Ming kicked his saddle and shouted... Xianshui Town.

Only half a day after distributing the dry rations, the group arrived at Xianshui Town.

As the saying goes, those who live by the mountains eat from the mountains, and those who live by the water eat from the water. Xianshui Town is located along a river, with several lakes nearby. Most of the townspeople living here make a living by fishing, and there are many related industries.

Xianshui Town has a large population. After many years of stable development, at least tens of thousands of people reside here. However, at this moment, upon the arrival of Lu Ming and his group, it appeared quite silent. Every household had white streamers hanging, and many white papers were scattered on the ground.

The air was filled with a bitter, unpleasant smell of herbal medicine, clearly indicating that the plague had not long passed. One could even see coffins placed inside through several half-open doors.

This was the current situation of Xianshui Town.

"Go, let's head to the local government first." Lu Ming glanced around and immediately ordered.

The people behind him followed closely, not hesitating at all despite the plague that had occurred there.

After all, they were Martial Artists with cultivation, and their bodies were full of Qi and blood. Even if they contracted the plague, which was fatal to commoners, it would only be a minor illness for them.

Entering Xianshui Town and walking on the main road, not many people could be seen. Even if someone passed by, upon seeing the group, they would merely leave in a hurry. It seemed like fear, but Lu Ming keenly noticed the wariness in their eyes.

The Xianshui Town government office was located near the west side. It didn't take long for the group to find the place.

In front of the yamen, two dozing yamen runners could be seen nodding off, looking very tired. They didn't even notice the arrival of Lu Ming and his group.

"Where is your chief official? Hurry and come to see our Lord!" Wu Lei shouted, startling the two yamen runners.

"Who dares to be so presumptuous in the yamen? Are you trying to..." One of them, with a rather short temper, immediately started to curse.

However, before he could finish his sentence, he saw over a hundred people standing in front of the yamen, their cold eyes fixed on him. Many had already placed their hands on their saber hilts, as if they would draw their blades and cut him down as soon as he finished speaking.

Instantly, the yamen runner, like a frightened chick, shrank his head, his eyes filled with terror.

"My Lord, this fellow is disrespectful. Should your subordinate cut him down?" Wu Lei eagerly requested.

Seeing this, the other Initial Realm Martial Artists felt some regret. Their hesitation had made them miss a good opportunity to show off, and they secretly cursed Wu Lei for being overly obsequious.

"Enough. Where is the chief official of this yamen?" Lu Ming waved his hand. He did not dwell on it but focused on the main task.