boyutpedia #293 - Sima De: Immortal, are you willing to exchange?
#293 - Sima De: Immortal, are you willing to exchange?
“Greetings, Immortal Master.”
“May I ask how to address you, Immortal Master?”
“My surname is Xu, a cultivator under the White Maiden.”
“Immortal Master Xu, you have come from afar. What brings you here?”
“Isn't it boring to pretend you don't know, old man?”
No one paid attention to the group of people who had fallen from the sky, been thrown onto the central avenue, and were now crying and screaming as they rolled and crawled to avoid the horses' hooves.
Two sides.
One above, one below.
The Taoist on the city wall, and the three family heads on horseback below the city wall.
With almost no pleasantries, they went straight to the point.
It was clear that neither side wanted to waste time.
Although the reasons for this were different for each.
The three family heads of the Zheng family did not want to be surrounded by the common people.
If they could, they would even like Xu Chengxian to enter the city and go to their respective residences, or choose a good place without outsiders, to eat and talk.
Xu Chengxian was too lazy to waste words with these guys who couldn't make decisions.
But given that the guys behind the scenes were hiding too deep, and didn't seem to be in Lingzhou City.
Then he would clear these puppets in front of the stage first.
But the scene just now gave him an idea.
Before clearing the stage, it wouldn't hurt to have some fun.
So, while responding, he gently patted his main body on his waist.
He created some powder, and with a flick of his horsetail whisk, he sprinkled it towards the city wall below.
Silently, it mixed into the strong wind caused by the thunder tribulation.
It also didn't trigger any reaction from the protective magic items on the family heads below the city.
Coincidentally, Sima De's position was where the most powder was inhaled.
“Hmm?”
He twitched his nose.
He smelled a fragrance.
But he didn't pay too much attention to it.
He thought that the porridge sheds outside had secretly added meat to curry favor with this Immortal Master Xu.
He knew very well what kind of character his subordinates were.
Not only was he not angry, but he also thought that the other party was very clever. When encountering someone who didn't necessarily have to be an enemy, it was the best choice to cater to their preferences.
“Immortal Master Xu, have you come because of… the disaster in Lingzhou?” Zheng Family Head was old and his five senses were dull, so he didn't smell the fragrance. After a slight pause at Xu Chengxian's directness, he asked tentatively.
“That's right, our White Maiden is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see the people suffer such hardship.” Xu Chengxian smiled and said, “So she specially sent me to inspect various places with General Mao Shijiu of the Night Patrol.”
“Unexpectedly, it was a demon causing trouble!”
“General Mao Shijiu was furious when he saw it, and after reporting to the Maiden, he killed all the demons he encountered.”
He spoke lightly, but it fell into the ears of everyone under the city, and together with the last thunderbolt that happened to fall in the air, it shocked everyone's hearts.
It was true.
The things they had heard before, which they thought were rumors, about the demons being killed.
Were all true.
This Immortal Master Xu wouldn't tell such an easily exposed lie.
The Zheng Family Head even believed that Xu Chengxian's words confirmed their prediction.
— Showing a strong posture, demonstrating the strength to take a share of the benefits.
“The White Maiden is merciful.” Xu Chengxian smiled and continued, “She asked us to come to Lingzhou City to see if there are any demons causing trouble here as well.”
“Lingzhou City is a place of outstanding people and abundant resources, it's unlikely that there would be demons.” Zheng Family Head immediately replied.
“Oh? Is that so?” Xu Chengxian smiled dryly, “If there are no demons, why don't the people have food to eat?”
“The price of grain has risen, who is to blame?”
The people have no savings, who is it that is plundering them?
“Immortal Master lives in the immortal mountains, drinking immortal dew and jade nectar, eating jade marrow and golden essence, so you don't know about the affairs of the mortal world.”
Sima De suddenly opened his mouth and said.
“In this mortal world, in the second and third months, the autumn grain from last year has been eaten up over the winter, and this year's summer harvest has not yet arrived.”
The meaning in his words was very clear.
You are a Taoist, why are you asking about the affairs of the common people?
Since you are a cultivator, you should stay far away from the mundane world!
“At this time of year, when the new harvest is not yet in, there is a shortage of grain everywhere. Scarcity makes things expensive, so the price of grain has risen, which is a common occurrence and nothing to be surprised about.”
“There are often disaster victims gathering outside the city seeking food?” Xu Chengxian raised an eyebrow, “I heard that Lingzhou is quite prosperous, how can the people be so poor? As soon as the price of grain rises, they can't afford to eat?”
“Immortal Master, Zheng Brother just said that it is because they don’t know how to save, which leads to their poverty.”
“Lingzhou has a population of hundreds of thousands, with tens of thousands in the city. Now, the disaster victims under the city have gathered from all directions, but there are only a thousand of them.”
“It can be seen that most people still know to save some money to deal with this time of grain shortage.”
Although cultivators and ordinary people live in the same world, they already seem to belong to two different realms.
This Taoist cultivates magic power, he should not interfere in the affairs of the mortal world!
Sima De only felt a fire in his heart, which made him want to speak freely, but reason suppressed him, he could not speak rashly, but that fire was burning more and more vigorously.
So his voice became louder and louder.
He turned a blind eye to the eyes of Zheng Family Head and Wang Family Head who were trying to stop him.
Anyway, he had never cultivated any skills, and there was no trace of magic power in his body, so he was not afraid of this Taoist attacking him.
A cultivator with real skills will definitely take into account the rules of heaven.
What's more, he has a protective magic item on his body.
And the enshrines of his family are already by his side.
So not only did he speak loudly, but he was also very impolite, even sarcastically criticizing Xu Chengxian for being ignorant and talking nonsense.
“I see.” Xu Chengxian said.
Of course, he didn't think Sima De's words made sense when he said I see.
But after unblocking the barrier and listening to the person's inner voice under the city, he suddenly understood a few things.
One thing was that no wonder the person who argued with Sun Dahe just now opened his mouth and said that even an upright official can't settle a family dispute.
It turns out that in the eyes of ordinary people, cultivators are beings on another level. They are 'one family', and the cultivator who intervenes and has the power to change the outcome is the role of 'official'.
Interesting.
The other thing he understood was that Sima De was complaining in his heart that they had come at the wrong time.
It's not that they shouldn't have come, but that they shouldn't have come so early.
Not enough people have died.
Even more people are about to starve to death.
Sima De reported the population of Lingzhou City, which shows that he is very clear about this.
He was still thinking about waiting for one-third of the people to starve to death, and the remaining people would be even more grateful to those who gave them a way to survive.
The power of incense offered would be more pure and fierce because it was more pious.
“Demons, tsk.” Xu Chengxian shook his head slightly.
Demons and ghosts?
If you want to play tricks.
It's these people who have become like this.
“Immortal Master, human power has its limits, it is not something that human power can reverse.” Sima De was even more proud when he heard him say that he understood. “You just…”
“But the White Maiden is merciful and cannot bear to see the people go hungry.” Xu Chengxian interrupted him and said, “Why don't you take out some grain for disaster relief?”
How could that be!
Zheng Family Head and Wang Family Head's eyelids twitched, and they were about to open their mouths.
“Immortal Master Xu! The grain that we have is also grown with hard work.” Sima De had already said first, “Besides, if we take out grain for disaster relief because we feel sorry for the disaster victims, then there are too many pitiful people in the world!”
“Even if we ruin our families to relieve the people's difficulties, we still can't save them all!”
After he finished speaking in a sharp voice with a fake smile, he looked at Xu Chengxian again, “If there is an epidemic, and the Immortal Master's blood is needed to save lives, would the Immortal Master be willing to trade his life for the safety of the people?”