Return of the Pearl

When Xiao Yun saw the heartbreaking scene, a surge of pity surged in her heart. She slowly turned her head and fixed her eyes on Qianlong. She saw that Qianlong's face was as gloomy as the sky covered with dark clouds. There was deep worry hidden between his furrowed brows, and his eyes were full of sadness and helplessness.

Xiao Yun could no longer suppress the emotions in her heart. She reached out and gently tugged at Qianlong's sleeve, her movements cautious, as if she was afraid of disturbing Qianlong. Her voice was filled with urgency and pleading, "Hongli, why don't we give this woman some food and water?"

Qianlong looked at Xiao Yun, his eyes filled with complexity and helplessness. His slightly trembling lips moved slightly, and he slowly shook his head. He said in a low and weak voice, "Yun'er, the food we brought is limited, and even if we give it to her, she may not be able to keep it."

After hearing what Qianlong said, Xiao Yun was still confused. She frowned, her eyes revealing doubt and unwillingness. "Hongli, it's just a little food. It shouldn't be a problem, right?"

After hearing what Xiao Yun said, Qianlong sighed helplessly. That sigh seemed to be filled with endless bitterness and helplessness. "If you don't believe it, you can go and try it."

At this time, the surrounding environment became more and more desolate. The cracked land seemed to be bursting into sparks under the scorching sun. Dust was flying and filled the air, giving people a dull and depressing feeling. The desperate eyes, thin faces, cracked lips, and pleading of the victims were like sharp blades piercing Xiao Yun's heart.

Xiao Yun looked at the poor victims in front of her, her heart filled with pity, so she took some dry food and water from her horse without hesitation, and walked towards the haggard woman with firm steps.

When Qianlong saw Xiao Yun's actions, his brows furrowed tightly, and deep worry appeared on his face. He shouted loudly: "Erkang, take your men and follow them. You must protect Yun'er's safety! If these people riot or do something bad to her, you must make sure she can escape safely!" Erkang did not dare to delay when he heard the order, and immediately followed with his men.

Xiao Yun came to the woman and handed the dry food and water to her. The woman held the child in her arms, tears welling up in her eyes with excitement. She kowtowed continuously and murmured, "Thank you, young lady, thank you, young lady..." Her voice was full of gratitude and sorrow.

However, before the woman could take a few steps, a shocking scene occurred. The victims, who had been starving for a long time, seemed to be overwhelmed by hunger. They rushed forward like a group of crazy beasts and instantly snatched the dry food and water from the woman's hands. They snatched frantically and the scene became chaotic.

Xiao Yun was deeply shocked by the scene before her. She widened her eyes, which were full of disbelief and sadness. The crazy behavior of those disaster victims made her feel extremely heartbroken. What shocked her even more was that after those disaster victims snatched the food, they actually surrounded her and shouted: "Girl, since you gave her water and food, we want them too! If you don't give it to us today, don't even think about leaving!" Their eyes were full of desire and greed, as if Xiao Yun was their only hope.

Xiao Yun was a little confused and puzzled. She didn't understand why these people treated her like this when she was clearly doing good deeds. At this moment, she finally understood why Hongli didn't allow her to give them food and water. It turned out that he had expected this situation to happen. Her heart was filled with helplessness and sadness. Looking at these irrational victims, she didn't know what to do.

Seeing this, Xiao Yun was shocked and subconsciously took a few steps back. However, these irrational people refused to give up. Instead, they pressed forward and surrounded her even tighter.

Their greedy eyes were fixed on Xiao Yun, and they kept shouting, "If the girl doesn't leave some food and water today, then you can stay for yourself. You look tender and delicate, and I'm sure you can feed us for a few meals!" These words were like sharp blades, piercing Xiao Yun's heart.

Xiao Yun's face turned pale in an instant, her eyes filled with fear and helplessness. She never expected that her kind act would result in such a result. Her body trembled slightly, her heart filled with despair and grievance.

The surrounding environment seemed to become more depressing and dull, and there was a suffocating atmosphere in the air. The crazy appearance of the victims made Xiao Yun feel extremely shocked and heartbroken. She didn't understand why these people became like this. Could hunger really make human nature so distorted?

Just when Xiao Yun was panicking and wanted to call out to Hongli, Erkang came over like a gust of wind with his men. The irrational victims no longer had any scruples at this point, like a group of hungry wolves, with greed flashing in their eyes.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "Come on, everyone! There are so many of them, we can eat many meals!" This shout made the already crazy victims even crazier. They rushed up like a tide, trying to break through the defense line of Erkang and the guards.

Erkang's face was stern, and a hint of fierceness flashed in his eyes. He and his guards surrounded Xiao Yun tightly in the middle, like an indestructible fortress. These victims had been hungry for a long time and were weak. They had no fighting power at all and only relied on their numbers.

The battle broke out in an instant. Erkang and his guards were agile and their moves were fierce. They were like tigers, charging left and right in the crowd. Wherever they went, the victims fell to the ground. In just a few breaths, Erkang had subdued all of them.

Xiao Yun was surrounded by guards and returned to Qianlong. Her tears fell like beads from a broken string. "Hongli, I'm sorry. I didn't know it would be like this... I thought it was just some food, it would be okay..." Xiao Yun said sobbingly.

Qianlong held Xiao Yun tightly in his arms and said softly, "Don't cry, Yun'er, it's okay. I know that no matter how much I tell you, you won't believe it. There are some things that you will only understand if you experience them yourself. It's not that I am cruel and don't want to give them food, but this food is just a drop in the bucket for them.

After we finish dealing with things here, we should rush to Shandong as soon as possible. Cangzhou and Shandong are just adjacent to each other, and it has already become like this. You can imagine how serious the situation in Shandong will be. Only by solving the problem at the source can we turn them back into human beings.

Qianlong's words were a bit harsh, but Xiao Yun knew that these disaster victims could not really be called "people" at this moment. They were too crazy. The air around them seemed to be solidified, and was filled with a sad atmosphere. The cracked land, flying dust, and these crazy disaster victims all formed a heartbreaking picture.