Chapter Forty-Nine: Returning to Hangdu

As wisps of dark energy drifted from his palm, Zhou Bai found himself holding a sapling the size of an ordinary person’s arm. On its lone leaf, the emblem of the Yin-Yang Eye could still be discerned.

Wen Meng was somewhat surprised; this was not what he had expected. He had thought Zhou Bai would simply produce a tree seed, never imagining such a situation.

“In truth, breaking through the Object Mastery technique is rather simple…”

“It seems your talent in Object Mastery is also remarkable.” Wen Meng was momentarily speechless. There had been precedents in the history of the Nether Canon Bureau where someone broke through a technique in a short time, so he could only force himself to accept it.

Zhou Bai nodded slightly and withdrew his natal ghost artifact back into his dantian. The sapling re-rooted itself, its branches and leaves swaying discontentedly.

“I was worried my own predicament might recur in you, but it seems I was overthinking it.” Wen Meng shook his head with a bitter smile. At that moment, the survivor was escorted down Mount Yue by officials, looking thoroughly dispirited. He turned and headed down the mountain.

Zhou Bai scratched his head, not in a hurry to follow. Instead, he took out the two spinal bones of the snake demon and tiger demon.

He channeled dark energy towards his storage pouch, and as he felt his energy nearly depleted, the pouch grew heavy in his hand. A suction force pulled the bones inside.

Despite the addition of such heavy items, the pouch’s own weight increased only by a few pounds. Zhou Bai couldn’t help but marvel at the mysterious workings of this magical artifact.

Even so, the storage pouch was considered crude by the standards of the Three-Flame Monks.

Though his mastery of the Brewing Technique was only at one percent, he had gained considerable knowledge of it in his mind. With the points he’d earned from this encounter, he could fully grasp the technique.

These bones would serve well either for brewing wine or selling, though Zhou Bai preferred the former.

He then carefully cleaned himself. The earlier battle had left him drenched in the blood and innards of the monsters, emitting a stench that even he could not bear.

Once all was settled and he had rested, it was already the next day.

Zhou Bai leisurely made his way toward Hangdu. Upon reaching the main road, he encountered several waves of refugees, though their numbers had dwindled.

He continued walking for most of the day, and as dusk approached, he saw the gates of Hangdu in the distance.

Compared to before, the scene was far more lively. Hundreds of tents had been erected outside the city gates, and Prefect Zhao had gathered all the refugees outside to reduce chaos within Hangdu.

Zhou Bai nodded inwardly. The newly arrived refugees were being registered under the watchful eyes of the constables, then assigned to different tents.

Inside the city, grain merchants were proactively distributing food, and fragrant porridge shops sent enticing aromas wafting through the air. The refugees queued in an orderly fashion in front of the porridge stalls.

He made his way toward the city gate and inevitably passed by one of the porridge shops, overhearing the staff whispering.

“This Prefect Zhao is quite capable. The ruffian causing trouble in Qinghe has already been apprehended, and things have become much steadier now.”

The older attendant was more thoughtful: “If not for this relief effort, how would the various grain merchants in Hangdu have managed—those with grain contributed food, those without lent their labor. If you ask me, Prefect Zhao is bound for promotion sooner or later.”

“Let’s just hope that after his promotion, he’ll remain here in Yangzhou.”

…

Zhou Bai lowered his bamboo hat. Prefect Zhao was indeed a capable man. Using the Qinghe demon incident as leverage, he had managed to mobilize the grain merchants of Hangdu.

Hangdu, as Yangzhou’s granary, was never short of food. With this system in place, no matter how many refugees arrived, the crisis could be handled with ease.

From a modern perspective, once these refugees regained their health, Prefect Zhao would likely begin opening up new farmland.

Soon, vast fields and villages would spring up. Even if the chaos in Xu Prefecture ended, most of these refugees would probably choose to stay.

In less than ten years, Hangdu’s prosperity would double.

Originally just Yangzhou’s trading hub, it might seize the opportunity to become the center of the entire south.

It was no wonder the Tang and Song dynasties had flourished for over four hundred years—the government and the Nether Canon Bureau complemented each other. Barring foreign enemies, internal crises were rare.

Zhou Bai reached the city gate, where the number of constables had increased. A dozen stood at the entrance, with many Hangdu residents watching from atop the city wall.

“Who are you? Wanderers are not allowed inside.” A constable blocked Zhou Bai’s path.

These constables were unfamiliar faces, likely recruited recently to maintain order.

Zhou Bai removed his bamboo hat and retrieved a token from his coat, just about to prove his identity when a familiar figure emerged from among the constables.

“Xiao Wu?” He was surprised. The young tea house attendant had seized the opportunity and become a constable.

Xiao Wu grinned, his teeth gleaming white. His clothes were neat and crisp, especially the sword at his waist, which was spotless—a clear sign he had put much effort into his appearance.

“Well, Brother Bai, how do I look?”

“Very good. This uniform suits you,” Zhou Bai replied, patting him on the shoulder. In the Tang and Song dynasties, being a constable was considered a respectable job.

“Haha, I think so too.” Xiao Wu placed his right hand on the sword hilt, though his stance was somewhat awkward and unrefined.

“And this is…?” another constable asked.

Xiao Wu quickly replied, “The owner of the meat shop at the west end of town. He’s always been good to me, so there’s no need for a search, right?”

The constable glanced at Zhou Bai, whose attire didn’t resemble a butcher, and said stiffly, “According to regulations, a body search is required. Sorry, Brother Bai.”

“But…” Xiao Wu was anxious, about to protest, but Zhou Bai stopped him and produced the Nether Canon Bureau’s token.

Before entering the government office, Prefect Zhao had instructed Chief Constable Sun to brief everyone, especially regarding the Nether Canon Bureau. Many recognized the token immediately.

The constable who had tried to block Zhou Bai turned pale and hastily apologized, “Sir, please forgive my lapse.”

Zhou Bai was unconcerned; they were merely doing their duty. “It’s fine. May I enter now?”

“Certainly. Also, Xiao Wu—”

Xiao Wu, still dazed, was nudged to attention.

“Yes.”

“Since you know the esteemed officer of the Nether Canon Bureau, accompany him inside.”

“Uh… alright.” Xiao Wu agreed, his mind reeling. The Nether Canon Bureau was an official of high rank; it was hard to imagine knowing such an important figure.

As Zhou Bai walked along the main road into Hangdu, Xiao Wu gradually came to his senses. Looking at the unassuming man before him, he sensed that something about him had indeed changed.