Chapter 819: Go to the Capital

Chapter 819: Shangjing

"Eat slower, or you'll choke," Li Huowang said, crossing his arms and knitting his brows as he watched the famished man before him devour the food like a beast.

By the looks of it, the man seemed intent on forcibly choking himself to death with sweet potatoes, determined to become a well-fed ghost.

He was so haggard that Li Huowang had barely recognized him at first.

Only upon closer inspection did he realize that this grass-chewing fellow was Niu San, the refugee from Great Qi who had once sneaked into the kitchen of Niuxin Village to steal grain.

It seemed he had lived in Niuxin Village for a time, which was precisely why he had reappeared at this exact spot upon his return to Great Qi, stumbling right into Li Huowang.

Hearing Li Huowang’s words, Niu San shook his head vigorously, his cheeks bulging with food, and knelt by the water’s edge to gulp down mouthfuls of water.

Once the water washed the food down his throat, he offered Li Huowang a strained smile and returned to ravenously devouring the rations Li Huowang had brought.

This time, however, he mumbled an explanation through mouthfuls of food: "I dare not slow down. Right now, this isn't just grain—this is my life."

As he spoke, he suddenly burst into a bitter, aggrieved wail. "Godfather! Tell me, what kind of godforsaken mess is this?!"

"I, Niu San, finally managed to become the militia instructor of Niuxin Village, and I finally got four mu of land to till. The good life was just about to begin."

"And yet, right in the middle of a perfectly fine New Year's eve dinner, I was mysteriously sent right back to Great Qi! Look at this wretched place—there's nothing but grass anywhere! How am I supposed to survive?!"

Having vented his grievances, an utterly miserable Niu San grabbed a raw sweet potato and took a ferocious bite.

Li Huowang scanned their surroundings, then lowered his head to question Niu San further. "What about the other people of Great Qi? Are they all like this?"

"Pretty much. Everyone huddles together, and there isn't even enough grass to go around, so they've all scattered to dig up roots and search for food. Some of the weaker ones have already starved to death."

"Starved to death?" Li Huowang felt a sudden jolt in his heart. It appeared that Great Qi was not afflicted by the Scourge of Death.

"Have you encountered any dangers here? For instance, followers of the Fa Sect, or strange waters that make extra limbs grow on people's bodies?"

Great Qi seemed to have returned to normal, but Li Huowang could not put his mind at ease. Great Qi was vast, after all, and if some hidden trap had been left behind, it would mean immense trouble.

"Danger? Great Qi has absolutely nothing left, what danger could there be? Right now, the greatest danger is that there's nothing at all!"

Noticing Li Huowang's furrowed brow and contemplative look, Niu San froze for a moment, then pleaded frantically in an agitated voice, "Godfather, can you send me back? Take pity on me, please send me back! I... I'll kowtow to you!"

With that, he dropped to his knees and began thumping his head repeatedly against the ground before Li Huowang.

"Stand up!" The moment Li Huowang spoke, Niu San's knees locked tight, and he snapped upright as rigidly as a corpse.

"Great Qi is your home. Where else would you go? Stay here and adapt!"

Hearing this, Niu San wept, his crying incredibly pathetic. "But my newlywed wife is from Great Liang! She's carrying my child in her belly!"

"If I have to spend the rest of my life in Great Qi, does that mean I'll never lay eyes on them again?"

"You certainly cannot go back. Even if you manage it, you'll only be sent back here again. However, I could bring her over to Great Qi... But look at this place now. Do you truly want your wife and child to suffer alongside you?"

Upon hearing these words, the freshly hysterical Niu San froze instantly. After a long silence, he shook his head with utter dejection. "Then... never mind."

"Wait." Li Huowang stared at Niu San, an unsettling suspicion creeping into his mind.

"If all the people of Great Qi have returned, then what about Gao Zhijian?"

Gao Zhijian used to be the dragon vein of Great Qi, but now he had become that of Great Liang. Which side did he belong to now?

At the thought of a potential disaster, Li Huowang immediately slashed open a rift and stepped back into Great Liang.

Without even pausing to explain things to Gou Wa and the others, Li Huowang gave a few brief instructions and set off without a moment's delay toward Shangjing, the capital of Great Liang.

Hurrying day and night, even with the aid of his cultivation, it still took Li Huowang two days and two nights of relentless travel to arrive at the city of Shangjing.

Shangjing remained the same Shangjing as before, bustling and prosperous. No matter what cataclysm had unfolded previously, it left no trace of an impact here.

Since this concerned the dragon vein of Great Liang, Li Huowang dared not be careless. Bearing a face of pure exhaustion, he charged straight toward the imperial palace.

Gao Zhijian must have given prior orders, for Li Huowang stormed right through the main gates without a single guard stepping forward to stop him—in fact, barely any eyes even lingered on him.

By the time Li Huowang finally saw Gao Zhijian, the emperor was already seated firmly upon the dragon throne, prepared for the audience.

Compared to before, Gao Zhijian’s appearance had altered slightly. He now wore a full beard and his face had grown somewhat rounder, which lent an invisible aura of majesty to his formerly simple, honest countenance.

"What brings you here?" Xuan Pin’s crimson Daoist robes rose slowly from beneath the smooth floor tiles.

Once he understood the purpose of Li Huowang's sudden visit, Xuan Pin shook his head and offered words of reassurance: "Since the Heaven of Fubao has retreated, the half-step Great Qi had taken into it has naturally been pulled back as well. This is a good thing; there is no need for worry."

Noticing Li Huowang's gaze shifting toward Gao Zhijian atop the dragon throne, Xuan Pin added, "There is also no need to worry about His Majesty. Since he is already bound to the dragon vein of Great Liang, Great Qi no longer has any connection to him."

Hearing Xuan Pin’s explanation, the weight in Li Huowang’s heart finally lifted. It seemed he had overthought the matter.

Still, where the critical matter of the dragon vein was concerned, Li Huowang felt far more reassured having come to see it for himself.

"As long as everything is fine. With such a massive disturbance, I thought it was some great calamity."

"Alright then. Since it's good news, I'll leave you to your business." Letting out a yawn, Li Huowang turned around, preparing to head back.

"Senior Brother Li, it wasn't easy for you to make this trip. Stay for a simple meal before you leave. I didn't even have the chance to return for the New Year." Gao Zhijian's words caused Li Huowang to turn back.

He studied Gao Zhijian on the dragon throne for a moment, then took half a step back. "Let it be, Your Majesty. You are busy as well."

"I insist, I insist." Sensing Li Huowang's distance, Gao Zhijian hurried down from the dragon throne, grabbing Li Huowang and pulling him toward the inner palace.

Before long, Li Huowang found himself seated before a table laden with one hundred and eight dishes.

Shark fin and crab soup, chicken stewed with mushrooms, ham stewed with fish maw, shark skin in chicken broth, mock leopard placenta, steamed camel hump, and sliced pears tossed with steamed civet cat.

Forget having tasted them, Li Huowang had never even heard of such dishes. For the first time, he truly experienced what imperial extravagance meant.

With Gao Zhijian, he did not bother with polite restraint. He ate in large mouthfuls while listening to Gao Zhijian proudly introduce his children.

"Senior Brother Li, look, this is my Si'er. He is the eldest son, and naturally, the Crown Prince."

A plump, chubby prince was brought before Li Huowang.