Immortal Cultivation and Life-Saving Guide

Chapter 259: Bran

Bingzhou, Tingzhou and Fuzhou are located in the vast plains in the hinterland of northern Xinjiang. The terrain is flat and you can take in the scenery from a high point.

Now, Wei Xi sat atop the high city walls, with a sweeping view of Bingzhou. This city, once known as a granary, had lost its former prosperity: emaciated figures, like skeletons, filled the streets, homes were wrecked and burned, and uncared-for corpses were everywhere.

After satisfying his no longer hungry stomach, Wei Xi adjusted his flying claws and landed steadily in this hell on earth.

"Wow," Lian Gou-yi came down from the wall, extremely shocked, "Is this Bingzhou City? The capital of a major grain-producing province?"

"How can refugees like this take over Bingzhou City?" Qin Feng, relying on his own agility, scaled the wall with his bare hands. As soon as he landed, he raised his doubts like a professional. "The regular garrison of the provincial capital has at least 8,000 soldiers, all armed with armor and swords. An ordinary person would be no match for them!"

The three of them were filled with questions, but they couldn't stay here for long. The state of the refugees in Bingzhou City was truly dire, making the preparations seem crude. Lian Gouqie used mud and ashes to paint the squadron's faces pale and thin, so that they wouldn't be out of place in the surroundings.

"That's enough," Wei Xi said, very satisfied after brushing off the water mirror. "These people are so hungry that they think with their stomachs. Just be careful when you act."

Just as Wei Xi said, the three of them successfully blended into the crowd of refugees. The refugees nearby didn't even open their eyelids, like living corpses.

In addition to completing the mission assigned by the sect, they came to Bingzhou City to investigate the mysterious cultivators suspected to be from the Dead Immortal City. The latter had made significant progress in the mass grave outside the city, while the former had only a tangled web of clues.

"First, ask the refugees about food." Wei Xi decided to start from the root of the disaster in Bingzhou. "With rumors and missing military rations, someone must know something!"

"Start with those who are full?" Qin Feng fully absorbed the experience of catching the little mice of the Wu family, sharpened his knife, and was eager to try.

Wei Xi held a different view, "Yes, but the situation is a little different."

"Those who are able to eat well in Bingzhou City right now are definitely not ordinary people. We can't alert them." Wei Xi patiently explained the situation. "The number of refugees is huge, and there are always people who cannot be controlled by various forces. This gives us an opportunity to take advantage of."

"Focus on finding strong men with families, those who are staying in places that are easy to escape or near a well, preferably with children." Wei Xi avoided the refugees and took out a few flatbreads from his pocket. "These are the bargaining chips to pry open their mouths!"

Middle-aged people may have participated in refugee riots and therefore know the inside story; those who come with their families and children are easier to persuade and have their own gag notes; a good location for their stay indicates that they entered the city relatively early.

Wei Xi was highly trusted, so the other two naturally obeyed him. They agreed to meet here half an hour later, and then the three of them dispersed to gather information.

Holding two pieces of bread, Wei Xi deliberately hunched over and checked the nearby wells one by one, trying to find a suitable target.

Wei Xi's luck was really bad. She went to several wells but couldn't find a suitable candidate. She felt very uncomfortable because she couldn't use all her tricks.

Time was running out, and in the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed. It seemed that they were about to return empty-handed when a young woman caught Wei Xi's attention.

The woman had a pretty face, neat clothes, and was surprisingly healthy compared to the people around her. She walked out of a tent, picked up a sleepy child, and hurried away as the people around her saw her off.

Wei Xi suffered from his young age: those obscure looks from the men were full of tacit lust, and from the women were full of superior disdain.

But this did not prevent Wei Xi from realizing that this person had a special identity, and that following him might bring him unexpected gains.

Following the woman through twists and turns, Wei Xi arrived at a shop that was still open - it took real skill and courage to find a shop still open at that time. She hid nearby, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

After entering the store, the woman took out a piece of silver from her clothes and wanted to buy some food.

"Oh, isn't this Madam He? After all, she's a servant, which is different. And she can still make money these days! What a talent!" The shop owner was a middle-aged man in his thirties, and his words were very harsh. Hearing this, Madam He's fair face felt like it was on fire. She reached out to cover the ears of the child in her arms, stiffening her neck and saying, "You're running a business, why do you care so much? I've already told you, General Wang, just sell me the things!"

"Get out!" the shopkeeper's voice suddenly rose. "Even if there's food, you can't eat it! What the hell! You're dirtying my land!"

"You!" Madam He was obviously furious. Just as she was about to argue with the other party, the child in her arms suddenly turned over, which touched the mother's heart.

"Brother Zhang, we're the only ones left now, an orphan and a widow. Please do me a favor and sell me some food... No, anything edible will do! Even chaff will do!"

"Where's the food?" the shop owner suddenly opened his eyes and shouted at the top of his voice, "That's nice to think about! Isn't your husband in charge of the grain? Where did the food from the government office go?"

"Humph! People are alike! Your man lost his life-saving food, and you shamelessly become a whore! Get lost!"

Wei Xi, who was hiding outside, had a sharp look in her eyes: Isn't this like she's found a treasure! This is a witness!
Wei Xi put on a full show, took off his shoes, smeared mud on his clothes, and rushed into the store like a gust of wind.

"Third uncle's second cousin! I finally found you!" Wei Xi was crying and performing very hard, with one hand tightly clamped around Madam He's fleshy wrist.

Mrs. He was so frightened that her brain stopped working. She was also so hungry that she saw stars. She had no idea who this madman who suddenly appeared was.

But she could see a corner of the bread slightly exposed in the madman's arms - the bread that could save the child's life, so Mrs. He chose to remain silent.

The shop owner, who had already been fed up with the situation, was now furious and picked up a broom to kick the man out.

Finding a quiet place nearby, Wei Xi crushed a soundproofing sheet, threw his shoes on the ground, put them on, and said to the stunned Madam He, "I want some information in exchange for some dry food."

Concise, but effective.

Madam He didn't even think twice and said immediately, "I do! Just ask me anything!"

"Is your husband in charge of the granary?"

"He works in the granary," Madam He added, "He's not a high-ranking official, just looking after the warehouse..."

"How did he die?" Wei Xi didn't care about the other person's feelings at all and kept poking at the other person's scars.

"He died at the hands of refugees," Madam He's eyes sparkled with tears when she mentioned this. "The food was lost, and those bastards took their anger out on him. Each of them stabbed my husband to death..."

"When did it happen?" Wei Xi handed Madam He a piece of cake, stimulating her to tell him the secret.

Madam He was a straightforward person. She took the pancake and said, "Today is the seventh day. At that time, the relief grain was delayed, the refugees in Bingzhou City rioted, the government office was surrounded, and the granary was also destroyed."

"These thugs wanted to wipe out all the land in Bingzhou City. Even though I had money, I had no way to buy food... I did some stupid things."

Wei Xi had no intention of comforting Madam He, who had been going through a lot of ups and downs in the past few days. She was frantically calculating math problems in her mind: How come Bingzhou City was besieged seven days ago?

　This...is mainly to express the cruelty of famine, nothing else...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)