Chapter 828: Revitalize

Chapter 828: Revitalization

Staring at the elder before him, Li Huowang asked, “You can also enter the court to serve as an official?”

“Yes, after all, disciples of Minglun Hall are also Confucian disciples.”

“Is it just you?” Li Huowang asked again.

“Your servant is incompetent, and under these circumstances, it’s difficult to contact other fellow students. However, once the Great Qi court regains its momentum, they will surely hear the news and come to assist the immortal with all their might.”

After saying this, Liang Yuxuan paused for a moment before continuing, “Immortal, on my way here, I happened to meet the leader of the Mohists. Upon hearing news of Youdu, he specifically came to offer his assistance.”

“Oh? That’s good then.” At this point, whoever arrives first is fine—more hands make light work.

He was here to help Great Qi, but Li Huowang didn’t expect to rely solely on himself to handle such a massive task.

Hearing Li Huowang’s reply, Liang Yuxuan hesitated slightly, glancing at Chan Du beside him. His fingers paused on the Buddhist beads in his hand, and he spoke again.

“Immortal, there is something I’m unsure whether to say or not.”

“What do you mean by ‘when to speak and when not to’? Do I need to ask you to speak? Speak quickly.”

“The Mohists have a strange way of acting. Immortal, be cautious.”

Upon hearing this, Li Huowang recalled some rumors he had heard while working at the Observatory of Heaven.

It seemed the Mohists were divided into different sects. The Liang-Mo were relatively decent, whereas the Qi-Mo, from the perspective of the Observatory of Heaven, appeared to be evil cultivators?

“Evil cultivators?” Liang Yuxuan remained silent, as if acknowledging the truth.

Li Huowang glanced at the abbot of Zhengde Temple beside him. If even the orthodox sects were like this, what kind of evil could the Qi-Mo be to earn such a title?

“Is the Way of Forgetful Rest considered an evil path?”

“It is.”

“Fine, I understand. Go tend to your duties.”

Li Huowang temporarily refrained from wandering about and waited in Youdu for the arrival of the Qi-Mo.

Whether the Qi-Mo were truly evil or not, Li Huowang wasn’t particularly concerned. Unless they were completely insane, it was unlikely they would provoke conflict under these circumstances.

What intrigued him more was which celestial authority the Qi-Mo followed, and whether their powers could aid in the current situation.

Li Huowang settled in Youdu for the time being. Though he himself did not mind, seeing that the Bodhisattva hadn’t left raised morale among the people of Youdu significantly.

At some point, Li Huowang had become a central figure in many hearts.

However, what surprised him most was that the famine in Great Qi had been greatly alleviated—not by the Qi-Mo, but by a bag of millet that had grown mold and mushrooms.

“Did you grow these?” Li Huowang asked Feng Wanba, who stood nervously before him, looking into the cellar filled with clusters of mushrooms.

“Yes, I grew them!” Excitedly nodding, Feng Wanba began introducing his achievement to the Bodhisattva.

“These weren’t just hungry mushrooms—I saw them and thought maybe they could be eaten too, so I tried one.”

“To my surprise, they actually worked! And these mushrooms can be harvested every few days! They multiply faster than planting grains!”

“Are they safe to eat?” Li Huowang asked, pointing at the black spots on the mushroom caps.

“They’re safe! They fill you up! Just after eating them, you’ll get diarrhea, and your lips turn purple.”

Upon hearing this, Li Huowang immediately realized—this was poisoning. These mushrooms were not edible.

But it gave him an idea: grain was hard to cultivate and took long to harvest. These mushrooms were easy to grow.

More importantly, they grew fast, were quick to harvest, and wouldn’t drive up grain prices in Shangjing.

Li Huowang returned to Daliang immediately, gathering various kinds of mushrooms that were inedible, and sent them over.

Even though Great Qi was dying, there were still farmers. Under their care, various mushrooms began to grow, easing the pressure on grain supplies.

Gradually, the remaining survivors in Youdu started cultivating mushrooms. Not everyone had the talent, but it still significantly reduced the food shortage.

On the ruins of the Western Market in Youdu, Great Qi citizens carried baskets and set up stalls to sell goods.

Walking through the crowd, Li Huowang looked around. The items for sale were limited, including oddities like water lily grass shoes, but mostly things that could be consumed—clay earth, wild vegetables, mushrooms, goat milk, pork.

Food here wasn’t just merchandise—it was currency. As for gold, silver, and copper coins, they were worthless in Great Qi now—they weren’t even picked up off the ground.

When an old man placed four taels of white rice on display, it drew the attention of everyone, surrounding the spot tightly.

Rice was refined grain, and rarity made it precious. If those four taels represented anything in Great Qi now, it was obvious.

Watching the old man pick a few grains and chew them happily, others envied him immensely.

Still, only inquiries were made—no one dared to snatch.

At the center of the Western Market sat three military experts. Their bloodstained saber blades ensured that the orderly trade wasn’t disrupted by chaos.

Li Huowang was satisfied with this scene. Though it was still in its early form, order was gradually returning.

“Good job,” he said.

Liang Yuxuan slightly bent his waist, humbly replying, “This is merely my duty.”

Though he wasn’t skilled in this area, he had county magistrates and deputy magistrates under him. With so many people, soldiers and grain supplies, managing disaster victims was effortless.

“Immortal, Great Qi is vast. Mobilizing enough people for relief efforts is impossible. Moreover, we currently lack horses and carts, making transportation a problem.”

“Our plan is to revitalize Youdu first. Once Youdu thrives, it will attract people from elsewhere.”

“At that time, we can organize farmers to plant grain collectively. The real issue in Great Qi isn’t a lack of food—it’s that no one knows how to work.”

Giving out porridge only breeds half-dead lazybones. We must make them move to exchange porridge, make every citizen of Great Qi active. As long as everyone has work, the entire country will revive.”

Liang Yuxuan avoided formal rhetoric, speaking simply so the immortal could understand what they intended to do next.

“Act quickly. The sooner, the fewer will die.”

“You are absolutely right. Your servant will spare no effort to find a path to survival for the people of Great Qi.”

“My master once taught me: Those who wish to bring bright virtue to the world must first govern their country; those who wish to govern their country must first regulate their family; those who wish to regulate their family must first…”

“Shut up.”

Sixty-six thousand people.

Just then, a commotion erupted ahead. An old man grabbed a young boy by the arm, shouting, “You little brat! What you're selling isn’t clay earth! It won’t fill anyone’s stomach!”

“Stop slandering me! I eat the clay earth myself! You old rascal, don’t try to swindle me!”

A crowd quickly gathered around the two, and the two military experts came forward with their sabers to mediate.

Seeing this small dispute, Li Huowang turned to leave, but suddenly stopped. He noticed someone standing nearby watching the scene.

When Li Huowang looked over, the person looked back. Their eyes met, and Li Huowang instantly recognized who this was—he was the leader of the Qi-Mo.