027 Enter the city

The journey to the city of filial piety was far from smooth.

Not to mention the lurking dangers of predators and venomous creatures, even the bandits who preyed on travelers and robbed them along the way were enough to instill fear. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Shen Tang and his companion endeavored to avoid camping in the wilderness as much as possible.

However, the immediate priority was to procure two sets of new clothes for Shen Tang, as even Qi Shen's wardrobe was running low. Emerging from the cloth shop, Qi Shen carried a bundle of cloth in his hands. With no time for custom tailoring, he could only select two sets of men's shirts of similar height to Shen Tang among the ready-made garments.

Both inner and outer garments were prepared, in addition to the outfit Qi Shen had lent to Shen Tang. Three sets for rotation should suffice.

"Shen Tang, it's time to depart," Qi Shen called out, intending to summon Shen Tang to head to the next village before nightfall. However, Shen Tang, who should have been waiting at the door, was nowhere to be seen. Where could he have gone in unfamiliar territory?

As Qi Shen prepared to search for the missing Shen Tang, he caught a glimpse of something familiar across the street—a pure white figure. It was the large white mule obediently kneeling on the ground. Despite the crowd of passersby gathered around, none could stop its restless tail from swishing.

Qi Shen: "..."

"Come and see, folks! Freshly picked green plums, three coins per pound, while stocks last..." As Qi Shen approached the crowd, he heard the familiar shouts of a vendor. There, he spotted the familiar figure of Shen Tang, sitting unceremoniously on the ground, tying up his hair into a bun with a grass rope. In front of him lay a piece of cloth piled with mountain-like green plums, accompanied by a large wicker basket filled with more plums.

Shen Tang seemed utterly unabashed as he enthusiastically sold his plums. Greeting each potential customer warmly, addressing them as "sir" or "madam," he sweetened his words, advertising the virtues of the plums—how they were both refreshing and beautifying, making them an essential summer fruit.

Observing for a while, Qi Shen noticed that most of the plum buyers were women, each purchasing three to five pounds. Not only were the plums ridiculously cheap, but being addressed as "madam" or "lady" by this handsome young man didn't hurt either.

If Shen Tang weren't so young, warm in demeanor, and handsome, with clear and pure eyes, the men on the street would probably have dragged him into an alley for a beating—what business did he have flirting with these married women and young girls?

After a short while, Shen Tang's plums were completely sold out. Dozens of copper coins were stashed into his money bag, and he dusted off the dirt from his backside, as if he had anticipated Qi Shen's presence nearby.

"Yuan Liang, are you done with your tasks?" Shen Tang asked with a smile, seemingly aware of Qi Shen's silent scrutiny.

Qi Shen, feeling slightly exasperated, suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, I'm done. What are you doing here?"

Others might be selling wine at a stall, but Shen Tang was selling plums on the street? Shen Tang shook the jingling money bag.

"I ran out of money, Yuan Liang. What's with the questioning?" he retorted. Did Qi Shen not know how destitute he was right now? He couldn't just ask Qi Shen for money, could he? They were neither relatives nor friends; they were merely tools for each other, owing nothing to one another. Shen Tang couldn't bring himself to treat Qi Shen like an ATM.

Under Qi Shen's complex gaze, Shen Tang returned the basket to another vendor, redeemed the wax seal that he had pawned earlier, and fastened it back around his waist. With the money he had earned, he bought some salt, wine, and other pickled vegetables.

"Why, knowing one's own financial constraints, would they still bestow silver coins upon the Tian family?" Qi Shen remarked as he tossed the bundle of cloth into the motorbike-drawn sack. Since discovering that Shen Tang could gather the motorbike for twelve hours a day without fatigue, the motorbike had been given a new purpose.

Both travelers entrusted their belongings to it, making the journey much easier. Two days ago, when bidding farewell to Tian Zhong and his group, Shen Tang had taken out a few silver pieces from her pocket and given them away, along with a dozen cakes.

"For one, those silver pieces weren't earned by me." They were scavenged from the first official who was killed, so she felt no attachment to them. "Secondly, Tian Zhong and his group are injured and penniless. Even if they have a place to seek refuge, they have nothing on them. They don't even know if they'll survive to reach their destination."

Even if she didn't have money, she wouldn't starve to death. After some deliberation, she decided to give up a few silver pieces. As someone who grew up during peacetime as a hermit artist, Shen Tang always felt compassion for the less fortunate and would lend a helping hand whenever possible.

Qi Shen seemed incredulous and asked, "Is that the only reason?"

Shen Tang tilted her head in confusion. "What other reason could there be? What, nowadays, performing acts of kindness warrants suspicion of conspiracy?"

Qi Shen: "..."

Seeing Shen Tang's genuine expression, Qi Shen's mind conjured up something, his expression changing unpredictably, leaving others puzzled.

Confused by Qi Shen's behavior, Shen Tang cautiously asked, "Yuan Liang?"

Qi Shen looked deeply into her eyes and sighed, "It's nothing."

But in the blink of an eye, he was already three feet away. Left behind, Shen Tang muttered, "Damn!"

If there's nothing wrong, why the heck did you teleport with your mind speech? Stop taking advantage of her inability to ride a motorbike and chase after you!

Due to extreme poverty, Shen Tang could only sell the biscuits, green plums, and malt sugar she produced along the way. The prices of the plums and malt sugar fluctuated depending on the attire of the local people; those dressed decently paid a few extra coins, while those with patched clothing paid less. The price of the biscuits varied according to the local vendors. Since it was a zero-sum game, she tried not to disrupt the market.

Qi Shen remained noncommittal about her considerations. Of course, Shen Tang had no idea what Qi Shen was thinking. Shen Tang was the most destitute wits user he had ever encountered, even when he himself was at his lowest.

But since Shen Tang enjoyed it, he had no right to criticize. After much hardship, the two finally approached the jurisdiction of Sibao County. Calculating the time they spent on the road, it was estimated to be slower than the pace of the second batch of exiled prisoners from the Gong family.

"Yuan Liang, I recently heard from the commoners at the market that Sibao County has four treasures, and the people are well-off... but why?" Shen Tang asked as she led the motorbike behind Qi Shen, looking around.

The streets were deserted, filled with dilapidated scenes. Occasionally, pedestrians could be seen, all looking emaciated, as if a bone were wrapped in a tattered sack, swaying in the wind. These passersby were particularly timid; if their gaze accidentally met the two unfamiliar faces of Shen Tang, they would shrink back like frightened rabbits, hurrying away.

Qi Shen sighed, "Sibao County was one of the first counties conquered by the Geng Kingdom. Of the nearby six counties, three were plundered empty, and Sibao County was hit particularly hard. It's difficult to restore its former prosperity..."

Every household was in mourning, with cries and sobs never ceasing. Such scenes of decay did not surprise Qi Shen. After all, the two countries' war zones were set in the Xin Kingdom, spelling tragedy for the people of this land.

However, when the two finally reached Xiaocheng after countless hardships, they discovered that the inside and outside of the city were completely different worlds.

Outside the city, corpses littered the fields, with desolate land stretching for miles. The mournful wails of the night wind seemed to echo the cries of thousands of lost souls and ghosts.

But inside the city—

Crowds surged, and festivities abounded.