131: A surge of refugees

Moonlight hung over the city walls as Shen Xiaochuan walked the road back to the city. The dirt path beneath his feet was damp, leaving a footprint with every step. He didn't look back; the dense forest behind him had fallen silent.

As he reached the South Gate, the night watchmen immediately stood at attention.

"God Shen."

He nodded and continued walking. The streets were clean, the newly laid stone slabs reflecting a faint light. Passing the square, he glanced at the recently erected statue—it was of himself, dressed in work clothes, left hand in his pocket, with a calm expression.

No one was gathered around the statue. Half the lights were out, and the wind blew a candy wrapper against the statue's shoe, where it got stuck.

He returned home to find the door open and the lights on inside.

His sister was sitting at the table with a bowl of soup in her hands. Seeing him enter, she immediately stood up. "Brother, you're finally back! We've been waiting for you for so long!"

His elder sister also came out of the kitchen, her apron dusted with flour. "Go wash your hands; the food has been reheated several times already."

Shen Xiaochuan took off his coat and hung it up, the copper gears on his cuff swaying slightly. He sat down, took the soup his sister handed him, and took a sip.

"Did you go to the forest today?" his elder sister asked.

"Mm." He put down the bowl. "I delivered the supplies to the Beast Girls. Qiao Yao categorized them very carefully—there were fabrics, pots, seeds, and even toys."

"Did they accept them?"

"They did," he said. "There was a Little Girl with rabbit ears who wouldn't let go of a cloth doll. A little wolf-boy got a balloon and smiled."

His sister's eyes lit up. "So they can live like us in the future?"

Shen Xiaochuan nodded. "Qiao Yao said they want to farm, build houses, and raise children. As long as they don't cause trouble, I won't cut off their supplies."

His elder sister glanced at him. "Are you tired? You're not saying much."

He didn't deny it. "My mind is still on tomorrow's matters."

"What's happening tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure myself," he said, lowering his head to eat. "But I have a feeling something is going to happen."

After finishing his meal, he went to his room and lay down. Before closing his eyes, he checked his terminal; it was 1:17 AM. The wind outside had died down, and the city was very quiet.

The next morning, just as dawn broke.

Karl kicked open the door to the council chamber, scroll in hand, his voice booming: "God Shen! A large contingent has been spotted thirty miles to the south!"

Shen Xiaochuan, who was looking at a farmland map on the sand table, turned around. "Who are they?"

"Not a defeated army," Karl panted. "The ranks are orderly, with young and old, horses, carriages, and tents. Their vanguard has passed Blackrock Slope and is heading for the South Gate."

Shen Xiaochuan frowned. "What banner are they flying?"

"A vine-wrapped sword." Karl unfurled the scroll. "It's the emblem of the Kingdom of Eldora."

Shen Xiaochuan was taken aback.

He remembered now.

Three months ago, in the Withered River Valley of the Western Wastelands, he had saved a woman besieged by Goblins. She was covered in wounds, draped in a tattered cloak, and clutching a jade plaque tightly to her chest. He had cleared the monsters with a summoning array, given her a bottle of medicine, and left.

Before he left, the woman had knelt and said, "My name is Lilivian. If I survive this, I will surely repay your kindness."

He hadn't taken it seriously. He had heard such words far too many times.

To his surprise, she was a princess.

"Are you sure they're coming to seek refuge?" he asked.

"They aren't here for war." Karl shook his head. "They sent a messenger bird saying they've come out of gratitude to seek protection. There are women, children, and wounded in the group, along with guards, but they aren't in a combat formation."

Shen Xiaochuan was silent for two seconds. "Open the South Gate. Set up three inspection lines. Verify identities first, then allow passage. Prioritize water distribution; don't let anyone go thirsty."

"What about food? With so many people, they'll need thousands of catties of rice a day."

"Open all Level 3 granaries and above," he said. "Half a catty of rice, one egg, and a bowl of meat soup per person per day. Set up tents for the medical clinic; anyone with a fever is to be quarantined immediately."

Karl's eyes widened. "Meat soup starting now?"

"Yes," Shen Xiaochuan said, looking at the sand table. "Let them know they've come to the right place."

Karl turned and ran out to make the arrangements.

Shen Xiaochuan stepped out of the council chamber and went up to the South Gate observation deck.

In less than an hour, dust rose in the distance.

The stream of people slowly appeared. At the front was a troop of cavalry, their banners depicting the vine-wrapped sword. Behind them followed ox carts and wooden-wheeled wagons; some people pushed wheelbarrows carrying the elderly and children. Men carried bundles on their backs, and women held infants. The line was very long.

The city gates slowly groaned open.

The first line had soldiers checking tokens. The second was for registration and issuing wooden passage plaques. The third line diverted people: the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled went to the eastern settlement area, while the able-bodied went to the western temporary camp.

Shen Xiaochuan stood on the high platform, looking down.

A child tripped, and their mother quickly helped them up. A nearby soldier immediately handed over a waterskin. The woman hesitated to take it, but the soldier pressed it into her hand. "Drink, it's free."

She froze, and tears began to fall.

The distribution point was at the edge of the square. Meat soup boiled in large pots, its aroma drifting far. Staff members distributed food according to the list: a bowl of soup, an egg, and half a piece of black bread for everyone.

An old man held his bowl, his hands shaking violently. Soup spilled out, dripping onto his clothes. He didn't bother to wipe it, drinking greedily as if afraid someone would snatch it away.

A young man beside him said softly, "Father, drink slowly."

The old man looked up. "I haven't tasted meat in thirty years. It's so fragrant."

Shen Xiaochuan heard this but said nothing.

He noticed a cloaked woman standing in a corner, her hood pulled low, watching the distribution process intently. Two guards beside her had their hands on their sword hilts.

That was the Ninth Princess, Lilivian.

She had never seen a city-state like this. There was no charity for show, no grandstanding; everything happened naturally.

She moved.

Lifting a corner of her cloak, she walked toward the observation deck.

A guard stopped her. "Please show your passage plaque."

She didn't speak, but pulled a jade plaque from her robes. It bore a vine pattern with an emerald in the center.

The guard recognized it and immediately stepped aside.

She walked up the steps and stood before Shen Xiaochuan, her voice soft but clear: "I am Lilivian, Ninth Princess of the Kingdom of Eldora. My people, numbering over five thousand, have lost our nation to war. We now sincerely seek refuge in Skydome City and request your protection."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at her.

Her face was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes; she clearly hadn't slept for a long time. But she stood straight, and her gaze didn't waver.

"You're the one who was surrounded by Goblins in the Withered River Valley?" he asked.

She nodded. "It was you who gave me the medicine and saved me."

"You shouldn't have come."

"Why?"

"If you come, you'll eat my rice, drink my water, and take up my land," he said. "Why should I take you in?"

She looked up, her gaze firm yet pleading. "You see it now. We aren't here to plunder; we have come to sincerely submit. If you don't believe me, I can swear an oath."

Shen Xiaochuan didn't respond.

He looked toward the square.

The meat soup was still boiling, steam rising upward. The staff had changed shifts and continued to hand out food. A Little Girl held her egg, reluctant to eat it, only peeling it after her mother coaxed her.

"What can you do?" he asked.

"Farming, weaving, smelting, and construction," she said. "We have blacksmiths, physicians, and teachers. If you give us a piece of land, we can survive."

"I don't lack people," he said. "But I lack sincerity."

She had expected to be interrogated, given a hard time, or even forced to negotiate terms. She had prepared for a long time. But he had asked nothing and directly given them a path to live.

"Are you... not afraid we are spies?" she finally asked.

"If you are, then you've come to the right place," Shen Xiaochuan said, looking at her. "I specialize in curing all kinds of defiance here."

Her lips moved, but she didn't speak. After a long while, she whispered, "Thank you."

Shen Xiaochuan didn't reply.

He watched the crowd in the square. Five thousand refugees were entering the city; some were crying, some were laughing, and some knelt to grab a handful of soil, clutching it tightly.

Karl walked up and said in a low voice, "Logistics reported in. Today we used 3,200 catties of grain, 1,800 catties of meat, and 4,000 eggs. The inventory can last another fifteen days."

"Keep the supply going," Shen Xiaochuan said. "Don't let them go hungry."

"But... what if more people come later?"

"If they come, we'll take care of them," he said. "As long as they don't steal or rob and follow the rules, I'll take care of them to the end."

Karl stopped trying to persuade him and lowered his head to record the order.

Shen Xiaochuan stood in place, hands in his pockets, watching the flow of the crowd.

In the South Square, the aroma of meat soup continued to drift.

An old woman finished the last sip of her soup and looked up at the observation deck. She couldn't see the person up there clearly, but she pressed her palms together and gave a slight bow.

Shen Xiaochuan saw it but didn't move.

He knew that from this day forward, this city would be different.

Lilivian stood diagonally behind him, looking at his back.

This man wore ordinary work clothes and stood casually, lacking an air of majesty. But when he gave an order, no one questioned him, and no one hesitated.

She suddenly understood why, that day in the Withered River Valley, he had been able to kill twenty Goblins alone.

It wasn't because of weapons, nor was it because of strength.

It was because he was a man of his word.

She took a deep breath, stepped forward half a pace, and said in a steady voice, "City Lord Shen, I wish to participate in the management of the refugees. I am familiar with my people and can help you reduce the chaos."

Shen Xiaochuan turned to look at her.

She did not look away.

The two of them locked eyes for several seconds.

He nodded. "Go report to the registration office and find Officer Li. Start with distributing supplies."

"Yes," she replied, turning to head down the platform.

The wind blew from the south, carrying the scent of earth and meat soup.

In the distance, more dust was rising.

It seemed more people were heading this way.