249: captivity

“Stirring up great disasters, harvesting faith.”

Jiang Ning’s pupils constricted.

He frowned and asked, “This great drought and famine, was it caused by the Prefect?”

White Immortal chuckled.

“It can’t really be said that the Prefect caused it. He merely fanned the flames. Creating such a great disaster for these lowly commoners is actually a waste of Incense Power.

Look, as long as the people below don’t build water conservancy facilities.

At the same time, in the year before a major drought is predicted, increase taxes and collect all the seeds.

Then, when the great drought arrives, turn a blind eye to it, and even encourage county magistrates in various places to be more brutal.

Isn’t that intentionally creating a year of famine?”

“If the people below do this, won’t they…”

At this point, Jiang Ning stopped.

He still had the mindset of an Earthling.

Wouldn’t the common people rebel if they couldn’t survive?

But this was the Cultivation World.

The deterrence of a supreme combat power was even much stronger than an atomic bomb.

Moreover, those Loose Cultivators who cultivated the Incense Dao also hoped to steal some Incense Power at this time.

At this stage of the Cultivation World, essentially, “Cultivators” and “Mortals” can no longer be said to be the same kind of people.

Although these Mortals were called the “tinder of the Cultivation World,” in fact, no one looked down on these Mortals.

They were like Mortals who had mistakenly entered the Heavenly Palace.

Even though those “deities” also came from Mortals, they despised “Mortals.”

In the eyes of Cultivators, these “Mortals” were not people, but like “cattle and sheep,” they were their “assets” on their Cultivation path.

Jiang Ning felt a deep sense of sorrow.

White Immortal smiled helplessly and said, “Immortal Venerable, I know how you feel. I was also a Mortal before, and I groveled to a female Cultivator for a long time before I got a little Cultivation Technique that she didn’t want.

I know Immortals treat Mortals like ants.

So I think the Incense Dao is quite good. At least the relationship with people is closer. At least, it doesn’t intentionally harm people.”

Jiang Ning nodded.

The Incense Dao is closely related to people. If the Incense Dao always follows the righteous path, it is actually good.

As for Spiritual Cultivation, it depends on oneself. Looking at Mortals, it’s truly a matter of acting as one pleases.

“But didn’t you obtain this Cultivation Technique in a ruin?”

“Ah, ha ha ha…” White Immortal’s face flushed. “When you’re out, your identity is something you give yourself. I just wanted to make myself look better in front of Immortal Venerable.”

“Understood, a gigolo!”

Jiang Ning smiled.

Although White Immortal didn’t understand what “gigolo” meant, he knew that it generally referred to a man’s flesh trade.

He didn’t speak.

What was there to say? That was his past.

Now, he had already reached Qi Refining, and that female Cultivator had already fallen.

In the Cultivation World, sometimes it’s not about who has a higher Realm, but who can last until the end.

Only by living is there hope… A major event occurred in Yunjian County.

It had already alarmed the adults in the Prefectural City. The Prefect was furious and dispatched the adults of his personal guard, the Canglan Guard, to investigate.

It is said that the adult was a master of the Late Stage Golden Core, and although he brought few people, only ten, each of them had the strength of Foundation Establishment Perfection.

After they arrived at the county magistrate’s residence, they said nothing, but simply carried out basket after basket of minced meat.

Upon seeing this, the common people were enraged.

Damn it, the common people couldn’t even afford to eat, yet the county magistrate’s house still hid so much meat, and it was even moldy!

It was outrageous!

The rich had wine and meat to spare, while the poor froze to death on the roadside!

“You sons of bitches!”

A Loose Cultivator in green robes, after hearing the gossip from the common people, slammed his sword onto the table.

He was furious.

“If we Cultivators don’t work for the people, for our families, or for the country, but only for ourselves, then what kind of Immortal are we cultivating for?!”

After the Loose Cultivator finished speaking, he rushed directly to the county magistrate’s doorstep.

“Corrupt official! You only act for yourself! With so much meat in your house, you’d rather let it rot and stink than give it to the hungry common people!

Are you worthy of the title of county magistrate? Are you worthy of the salary the Great Qian Dynasty gives you?!”

The scene at the entrance attracted a crowd of people.

Everyone turned to look.

Some dared to agree, while others only dared to watch.

Not long after.

The gate of the county magistrate’s residence was opened.

Two Canglan Guards walked out. Their clothes were made entirely of dark blue silk, adorned with patterns of clear seas and blue skies, with a Kunpeng sweeping up waves.

As these two emerged.

Everyone fell silent.

Are you kidding? These were elite Canglan Guards at Foundation Establishment Perfection!

Everyone stared at each other in a daze.

However, the Canglan Guards looked quite “amiable.”

The two Canglan Guards exchanged glances.

They laughed loudly.

“Good! I’ll give you the meat that you say the Yunjian County magistrate hoarded. Do you dare to take it?”

The crowd was silent.

The Loose Cultivator from before gritted his teeth.

“What’s there not to dare to take! If you dare to give, we dare to take!”

“Alright!”

One Canglan Guard waved his hand, “Not only will I give it to you, I’ll even cook it for you! But if anyone doesn’t eat it…”

He narrowed his eyes.

Spiritual Qi burst forth suddenly.

The Spiritual Qi pressure belonging to Foundation Establishment Perfection directly made the people in front of the county magistrate’s door go weak in the knees.

Some knelt directly, while others gritted their teeth and bent over, trying to hold on.

The Canglan Guard smiled and dispersed the pressure.

He directly used Spiritual Qi to make a fire and set up a large pot.

A basket of minced meat was directly put into the oil pot.

This Canglan Guard was quite skilled at cooking. After frying and then braising, in a short while, a dish of braised pork chunks was ready.

In this year of famine, people in the county town might not even get enough to eat.

At this moment, smelling the aroma of the meat, they instantly became hungry.

“It smells so good!”

“Indeed.”

“The meat is a bit fatty!”

“It’s good enough to have meat to eat!”

“The Canglan Guard adults are very good! Who said before that the Canglan Guard adults were all fierce and evil?”

The Canglan Guards heard this and exchanged smiles.

Since joining the Canglan Guard, it was the first time they had heard others praise them as good people.

How peculiar, how peculiar… A group of people began to gather around the pot to eat, some even fighting because they couldn’t get any meat.

After the pot of meat was finished.

Someone asked, “Adults, are you here this time to punish the county magistrate? This corrupt official lives in peace and luxury every day, but doesn’t care about the lives of the common people!”

The Canglan Guard smiled and said, “We are indeed here because of the county magistrate, but not to punish him, but because the county magistrate was killed.

He and his colleagues were cut into pieces of minced meat and laid out in the banquet hall…”

Hearing this.

Everyone was stunned.

The county magistrate was killed, and even chopped into pieces… They suddenly remembered that someone said they saw the Canglan Guard carrying baskets of minced meat at the county magistrate’s residence.

Then… what was that?!”

Their stomachs couldn’t help but churn with nausea.

Someone asked, trembling, “A-adults… then this meat…”

“Yes.”

The Canglan Guard curled his lips, smiling happily.

“Weren’t you looking for the county magistrate? I brought him over. Didn’t you hate the county magistrate? Now, you’ve eaten him.”

Another Canglan Guard continued, “Not just the county magistrate, but also other corrupt officials you mentioned!”

Ugh—

Everyone could no longer hold it in.

They bent over and began to vomit violently.

The entire street echoed only with the sounds of vomiting and the loud laughter of the Canglan Guards.