Chapter 102 | Playing Goddess in a Dying Dynasty

Inside the discussion hall.

Cheng Ji shifted restlessly in his seat. He took a sip of the cold tea on the table, barely managing to suppress his anxiety. “Young Master Shen, how many days has it been since the messenger left for Xindu?”

“Two days,” Shen Yu replied quickly, clearly keeping close track of the time. “Even with a fast horse, a round trip takes three to four days. Add to that the time needed to gather the grain and transport it... It will take at least seven days for the grain to reach Yecheng.”

Seven days.

Another silence fell over the hall.

At this point, Yecheng had completely run out of food and resources. Forget seven days—some of the common people probably could not even last a single day.

Cheng Ji turned to his subordinate official. “Has the messenger sent to Chaoyang City brought back any word?”

Even though he knew the chances were slim, he could not help but hope for a miracle.

The subordinate official shook his head, his voice hoarse. “The messenger said the Governor of Chaoyang did indeed want to send grain. However, when the merchants of Chaoyang heard about the plague in Yecheng, they submitted a joint petition to stop him. They are all afraid that the yamen runners transporting the grain might catch the plague and bring it back to Chaoyang.”

Cheng Ji slumped dejectedly in his chair. He felt resentful toward the merchants of Chaoyang, but he could also understand their fear.

Whenever a great plague struck, the death toll was always catastrophic, and almost no one ever survived it.

Because of this, everyone fled from the plague like the wind.

In all his years as an official, the only people he had ever seen who did not fear the plague, who cast aside their own safety to enter a plague-ridden city to treat the sick, were these followers of the Divine Lady from Xindu.

“We cannot just sit here and wait for death.”

Shen Yu stood up and looked at the clouds outside the window.

“The Divine Lady once said that only when everyone becomes a spark can we gather wood to make a blazing fire.” His voice grew more resolute as he spoke. “An individual's strength is tiny, but we must unite all the forces we can to find that line of life!”

Everyone was slightly taken aback.

They had never heard such words before.

Yet, upon closer thought, it made perfect sense.

Ignoring their reactions, Shen Yu continued, “Governor Cheng, our only option now is to lead some men outside the city to try our luck and find anything edible. As long as we can hold out for five days until Xindu delivers the grain, everything will get better.”

Unlike Shen Yu, who was absolutely certain that Xindu would deliver grain to Yecheng, Cheng Ji was deeply worried, haunted by the warning of Chaoyang's refusal.

“Young Master Shen, this plague strikes terror into everyone's hearts. What if no one in Xindu dares to transport the grain either...”

Shen Yu cut him off, saying resolutely, “The people of Xindu are all followers of the Divine Lady, educated under her guidance. They are not even afraid of an evil dragon, so why would they fear a mere plague!”

These words were undoubtedly a reassuring balm, giving Cheng Ji and the other Yecheng officials a glimmer of hope.

A search party was quickly assembled.

Shen Yu led the men out of the city.

Outside, the landscape was a bleak scene of late autumn.

The crops in the fields had long been harvested, leaving only dry, withered stalks standing crookedly.

Shen Yu led the team further and further away.

Three li, five li, eight li...

Yet they still could not spot a single intact wild herb.

Just when everyone was beginning to think it was impossible to find food, someone spotted a large tree.

The tree's branches were gnarled and vigorous, its leaves withered and yellow, but the tips of the branches were laden with bright, golden-orange fruits.

“They're persimmons!”

Everyone ran toward the persimmon tree in excitement.

Not far away.

Yun Shu was observing their every move.

The System snuggled in her arms. “Host, it's a good thing they didn't give up just now. Otherwise, with so many persimmons you ripened using the Goddess of Harvest Set skill, the two of us definitely wouldn't have been able to finish them.”

Yun Shu toyed with the hand-held accessory of the Miao Holy Maiden Set, the Illusionary Sound Gu Flute, and chuckled softly. “It's not a big deal. If they hadn't walked this way, I would have had plenty of other ways and means.”

The flute was carved from thousand-year-old cold jade, translucent like frozen frost. Silver threads wound along the flute's body to form a totem, and a carved mandala at the top was slowly blooming.

The little fox's ears twitched.

It was terrified whenever it saw the Illusionary Sound Gu Flute, because that thing could summon all kinds of venomous insects and snakes.

On the other side.

Shen Yu stared blankly at the baskets overflowing with persimmons.

He was by no means a foolish man.

Within a ten-li radius, there were not even wild herbs to be found, yet here were so many fruiting persimmon trees.

This could not possibly be a coincidence.

Since it was not a coincidence, there was only one answer.

“These persimmon trees must be a blessing from the Divine Lady.” His eyes instantly filled with tears, and he choked out, “The Divine Lady is heavily injured, yet she still remembers us mortals...”

Although the Divine Lady had not shown her face, he would make sure that every single thing she did was etched into the hearts of mortals and passed down to future generations.

“No wonder there are so many persimmon trees out here in the wild. It really is a blessing from the Divine Lady...”

“The Divine Lady is truly merciful and compassionate...”

The crowd knelt on the ground, bowing repeatedly toward the sky.

【Shen Yu Shock Value +100】

【Shen Da Shock Value +100】

【Li Si Shock Value +100】

【...】

【Current Shock Value: 787,500】

Yun Shu glanced at the bowing crowd, then used the teleportation array of the Mirror of Retrospection Set to return to Xindu City.

Estimating that Yecheng could hold out for another two days, she wanted to take this opportunity to go to Xindu and read Luo Daoqing's memories, making it easier to carry out her subsequent plans.

Shen Yu and the others returned to Yecheng with baskets of persimmons. Although persimmons were not proper grain, they could barely fill their stomachs.

Everyone tightened their belts and endured for another two days.

The dried persimmons had finally run out.

A group of people sat in the Governor's estate, staring at one another in silence.

They all knew very well that over the next three days, many citizens of Yecheng would likely starve to death.

Suddenly.

A yamen runner ran in, panting heavily.

“My Lord!” He fell to one knee to report. “Outside the city... a troop of people has arrived outside the city!”

Cheng Ji stood up abruptly. “What troop?”

“The leader says they are looking for Young Master Shen!”

The yamen runner reported.

“Could it be people from Xindu?!” A flash of ecstatic joy crossed Shen Yu's eyes.

Before long, a group of people rushed to the city gate.

The heavy city gates were slowly pushed open.

The twilight poured through the gap in the gates, revealing the scene outside to everyone.

It was a travel-worn convoy.

And behind this convoy...

One could faintly see handcarts, one after another, pressing heavily onto the dirt road, leaving deep ruts.

The carts were piled high with bulging sacks stamped with the names of grain shops, completely filled with grain.

It was a massive, endless bounty of food that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Cheng Ji stood at the city gate, staring blankly, his eyes uncontrollably turning red.

A female general clad in armor dismounted her horse and strode purposefully over to Shen Yu.

She cupped her hands and spoke in a clear, loud voice, “Young Master Shen, Miss Pei suspected that Yecheng was suffering from the plague and that the city might have run out of food and resources. Thus, she ordered us to escort grain and medicinal herbs to Yecheng.”