Xu Yuan learned for the first time that the Heaven Character True Words actually included an incantation for "Scram."
The moment the word fell, a burst of force hurled him out of the cave.
Perhaps out of deliberate spite, Tianyan had laced it with a peculiar spiral of force. Xu Yuan tumbled and spun endlessly through the air until he crashed into a soft, fragrant embrace.
Ran Qingmo caught him a hundred meters in the air. Her quiet, cool eyes lowered slightly, and she asked in a clear voice, "Are you all right?"
"..."
When he came to his senses and looked up, the full moon hung high in the sky. Her long hair drifted in the wind as though rimmed with silver, radiating a tranquil, otherworldly beauty.
Xu Yuan fought off the dizziness and circulated his cultivation technique for two cycles before flashing a grin at her. "Nothing much..."
"..."
Ran Qingmo hesitated, glancing back toward the cave.
That single glance met Tianyan's clear gold eyes.
The slender figure stood alone at the cave's mouth, staring coldly at the two in the air.
A single glance felt like ten thousand years.
In the end, Xu Yuan broke the silence, sensing that things would only spiral out of hand if they kept staring. "Ran Qingmo, let's go. Tianyan is injured. She won't pursue us until she heals, which gives us plenty of time to get away."
Ran Qingmo withdrew her gaze and looked down at him in her arms. "Oh."
"All right, let's—"
Before he could finish, the black-clad woman pouted slightly and let go of him entirely.
"..." Xu Yuan.
***
As the heavy snow began to thaw, tender green buds sprouted along the branches.
Beside an imperial highway, an exceptional woman clad in ink-black robes wore a veiled hat. Through the hanging veil, one could only vaguely discern her tall, graceful silhouette. Beside her walked a handsome young nobleman dressed in fine brocade robes.
Xu Yuan observed the travelers passing by.
Because the big block of ice had stubbornly refused to fly with him over the past few weeks for some inexplicable reason, and because they had no map, the two of them had wandered aimlessly through the Wanxing Mountain Range for nearly a month before finally finding their way out.
Upon encountering an imperial highway, they had followed it to arrive at the scene before them.
Travelers streamed endlessly along the road. Few were commoners; most were merchant caravans, chivalric wanderers, or mercenaries, many bearing stains of dried blood on their clothes.
Xu Yuan looked around and shook his head gently.
There was no telling how much of that blood belonged to humans and how much to beasts.
It seemed that due to the demonic beast riots in the Wanxing Mountain Range, this area was far from peaceful.
Great Yan's imperial highways were bustling, extending in all directions to connect nearly every town and city in the empire. In breadth, they were hardly inferior to the expressways of his past life.
The people of this world clearly understood the adage: "To get rich, first build roads."
The sprawling highways and water transport fostered flourishing trade routes, giving rise to prosperous merchant guilds.
Yet the supernatural power in this world ensured there was no fertile ground for capitalism to take root.
No matter how thriving a merchant guild or chamber of commerce became, it could only ever be a dog serving the transcendent factions.
Of course, perhaps a peerless powerhouse might descend from the heavens someday to change that, but who could say?
As they walked along, the refugee camps cropping up on both sides of the highway soon caught Xu Yuan's eye.
This was not the first time Xu Yuan had seen such camps.
Local authorities along the imperial highways routinely scattered a substance known as beast-repelling powder.
Refined from special organs harvested from the corpses of high-tier demonic beasts, this powder gave off a potent scent that terrified low-tier demonic beasts, keeping them at bay.
In addition, local branches of the Directorate of Celestials were required to organize regular patrols along their assigned stretches of highway to keep the roads clear.
Every region in Great Yan placed far more importance on maintaining the imperial highways than on protecting rural towns and villages.
This created an ironic reality:
Monsters and fiends wrought havoc across the countryside while the authorities lacked the manpower to intervene, yet the imperial highways remained entirely unimpeded.
Consequently, refugees whose homes had been destroyed by demonic beasts naturally fled to the margins of the highways. The makeshift wooden shacks they built lined the roads almost continuously.
For these refugees, the highway meant safety—a place where they could cling to life for a little longer.
Walking along the shoulder, Xu Yuan let out a soft sigh.
He could clearly see the squalor among the shanties. He saw several blood-stained men armed with blades dragging a bare-chested man into a shack; he saw a pack of emaciated children beating another child who was desperately shielding a scrap of food; and he saw withered arms buried beneath the snow...
Had he not left the imperial capital, Xu Yuan might never have witnessed such a sight in his entire life.
No matter how much Zhou Chen had told him before, hearing it could never compare to seeing it firsthand.
The peaceful prosperity within Great Yan's cities was built upon mountains of dry bones.
The Great Yan Dynasty was vast.
So vast that even with local decay running so deep, its surface still flourished.
***
Half an hour later, looking at the refugee camp that still stretched beyond the horizon along both sides of the highway, Xu Yuan could not help but frown slightly.
There were too many people, and the camp was too sprawling.
Even with a nearby water source, a camp this massive was unheard of.
It was several times larger than any refugee camp Xu Yuan had seen on their journey.
Many of the crude wooden shacks looked newly constructed.
Were all these refugees fleeing the demonic beast riots in the Wanxing Mountain Range?
Could gathering so many refugees here really avoid brewing disaster?
A faint sense of unease began to creep into Xu Yuan's heart.
After an unknown amount of time, Ran Qingmo spoke.
"Xu Yuan."
Xu Yuan returned to his senses and turned his head slightly, answering in a low voice, "What is it?"
Beneath her veiled hat, Ran Qingmo stared at the refugees on either side. After a moment of silence, she shook her head. "Nothing."
Xu Yuan glanced at her and sighed softly. "The emergence of refugee camps like this is an inevitable outcome of the current situation."
"Inevitable?" Ran Qingmo looked puzzled.
Xu Yuan did not immediately elaborate. Instead, he asked softly, "Have you never seen a place like this before?"
Ran Qingmo pondered briefly and shook her head. "I have. Before I went out to travel, Master took me to see many things, including places like this."
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "What did he say to you?"
Ran Qingmo thought for a moment and said in a quiet voice, "Master told me not to interfere in conflicts between people. But if demonic beasts harass commoners, I must help as much as I can, or there will only be more of these pitiful people."
Xu Yuan went silent for a moment, then shook his head. "That's not what I asked. Did he tell you why there are refugees in this world in the first place?"
"..."
Ran Qingmo's eyes flickered, and she nodded. "He did."
"What did he say?"
"Master said that, on one hand, court officials are corrupt. On the other hand, the court only allows our sect disciples to operate within strictly designated boundaries, yet the court itself lacks the strength to manage these regions. Even though commoners are harmed by demonic beasts, the court refuses to let us go and help."
"..."
Hearing this, Xu Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words.
What Ran Qingmo's master said contained truth, but it was also misleading.
The court forbade sects from establishing permanent local presences; it did not forbid them from going out to slay demonic beasts.
As for official corruption, it certainly existed, but it was hardly the primary cause.
Noticing the expression in Xu Yuan's eyes, Ran Qingmo hesitated and asked quietly, "Did I say something wrong?"
Looking at the slush of blood, filth, and melted snow churning into mud across the refugee camp, Xu Yuan sighed. "You're wrong, and you're not wrong."
"Mm?" Ran Qingmo looked baffled.
Looking at the pristine, unstained woman beside him, Xu Yuan remained silent for a few breaths before speaking softly. "Ran Qingmo, what do you think a sect is?"
"It's home," Ran Qingmo answered as a matter of course.
"No, I mean to the Great Yan Dynasty."
"An ally in governing the realm."
"..."
Xu Yuan suddenly felt an urge to laugh, a genuine urge.
Because Ran Qingmo's answer was the exact official rhetoric recorded in the annals compiled by the court.
"What are you laughing at?" The big block of ice seemed somewhat disgruntled.
Xu Yuan cleared his throat lightly and shook his head. "In the beginning, perhaps. But not anymore."
"Why?" Ran Qingmo asked.
The wind fluttered the veil of her hat, faintly revealing the fair skin beneath.
As he walked, Xu Yuan said in a calm voice, "Because the court is close to losing its grip over the sects.
"In other words, the court and the sects are fundamentally on opposing sides now. To the court, the sects are no longer allies, but parasites."
"..."
Beneath the veil, Ran Qingmo pressed her red lips together.
Xu Yuan pointed toward the shantytown. "Ran Qingmo, your master wasn't wrong that the court doesn't let sects expand outward, but what he meant was that the court forbids sects from establishing branch sanctuaries outside their lands."
"Why?" Ran Qingmo asked.
"Why what?" Xu Yuan countered.
"Why won't the court let sects set up branches?"
Ran Qingmo asked with complete earnestness. "Master said that if sect disciples have to travel all the way from Mount Tianyuan to hunt demonic beasts, the journey is too far and wastes too much time. They must establish branch sanctuaries in other regions to swiftly eliminate beasts that threaten the people. If branch sanctuaries were established, our sect disciples could stay stationed there permanently, and the commoners could seek our help directly whenever trouble arose."
Xu Yuan rubbed his temples and spoke with mild helplessness. "It sounds simple, but a precedent cannot be set. The sects already pay no taxes. If such a precedent were allowed, once your sect established a sanctuary in a region, it would be nearly impossible for the court to take it back. In ten years... no, ten years is too short. In a hundred years, the Great Yan realm would be completely devoured by sects until it became a world ruled entirely by them.
"Therefore,
"the court would rather leave these commoners to fend for themselves than allow your sects to take over."
"..."
Hearing this, Ran Qingmo looked at him, half-understanding. "Is there no way to solve it?"
Xu Yuan chuckled faintly at her question, his tone languid. "Actually, solving the problem of these displaced people is simple.
"All it takes is for either the sects or the court to back down. If the sects are willing to pay taxes, or if the court is willing to let you establish branch sanctuaries—either path would allow these homeless people to live and work in peace. After all, Great Yan's national strength right now is genuinely formidable."
At this point, Xu Yuan shook his head, a strange, mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Except that's impossible. The Emperor will never surrender authority, and the sects will never yield. That is precisely why my father intends to destroy your Tianyuan Sword Sect."
"..."
As his words faded, a heavy silence fell, and Ran Qingmo's beautiful eyes dimmed slightly. "It seems... there is no room for compromise."
She finally recognized the chasm that lay between the sects and the imperial court.
Xu Yuan raised a hand and patted her arm.
Ran Qingmo looked up, gazing at him through the veil.
He offered her a gentle smile. "Don't worry. I'll do my best to carve out room for you."
She bit her lip and nodded lightly. "Mm."
Neither of them spoke again, proceeding in silence.
The refugee camps continued to stretch along both sides until, in the distance, the outline of city walls came into view, and the wooden structures flanking the highway finally grew sparse.
Shengshan County.
This was the frontier city where his fourth sister had set up the Phantasm Grand Array.
As they drew closer along the imperial highway, the city walls of Shengshan County appeared somewhat dilapidated. Pitted and gouged across their dozen-meter height, the formations inscribed on the walls flickered dimly when sensed with his intent-soul.
That woman Zhou He, whom he had met on the road before, had not lied to him.
Had Xu Xinrou not intervened in Shengshan County, the place would likely have been reduced to ruins within a few years.
Because of its proximity to the Wanxing Mountain Range, many mercenaries, martial apprentices, and chivalric wanderers hunting demonic beasts used this county town as a staging ground. And because of these hunters, numerous caravans came here to purchase beast parts and materials.
Later, however, the caravans dwindled drastically due to frequent beast tides attacking the city.
Now, perhaps thanks to the protection offered by the Phantasm Grand Array, the caravans had returned, and Shengshan County had gradually regained its bustling prosperity as a frontier trade hub.
It was teeming with life.
Unlike other counties and commanderies Xu Yuan had visited in Great Yan, Shengshan County, as a border outpost, possessed a markedly rougher and fiercer atmosphere.
Eight out of ten pedestrians carried weapons.
There were martial apprentices, cultivators, and sect disciples who had come here for experiential training.
Travelers moved to and fro, creating a mixed and chaotic populace.
Ran Qingmo's attire was not conspicuous, but Xu Yuan's fine brocade robes drew quite a few looks.
Many female sect disciples in the city chose to veil their faces to avoid unnecessary trouble, whereas pampered young masters rarely came to such a rugged frontier for leisure; most people here were dressed in practical martial garb.
Walking through the bustling crowd, Ran Qingmo looked around. "Xu Yuan, what are we doing now?"
Xu Yuan answered naturally, "Purchasing a few supplies..."
Halfway through his sentence, Xu Yuan suddenly halted his steps, his gaze fixing on a living shrine in the distance.
A crimson gleam flashed in his eyes.
Inside that living shrine, he saw a statue of a woman who appeared gentle as water.
Perceiving his pause, Ran Qingmo followed his gaze and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
The crimson light in Xu Yuan's eyes dissipated, and he shook his head with an inscrutable expression. "Nothing. I just didn't expect Shengshan County to actually erect a living shrine for Fourth Sister."
Understanding dawned on Ran Qingmo, and she asked softly, "Do you want to go take a look?"
Xu Yuan shook his head. "No need. Setting up the Phantasm Grand Array brought peace to this region, which was quite good of her."
With that, he turned and walked away.
After circling through the city, the two stood before an imposing, multi-story building with its courtyard gates firmly shut.
Xu Yuan looked up at the four large characters reading "Fenghai Chamber of Commerce," murmuring with an odd look on his face, "I remember Shengshan County is Wanxiang Sect's territory. Why did their chamber of commerce and restaurant close down a month ago? That makes no sense..."
When purchasing supplies, chambers of commerce run by major sects were usually far better stocked than those of lesser sects.
Shengshan County had no branch of his family's Tian'an Chamber of Commerce, so Xu Yuan had settled for the next best option, only to find it shut tight as well.
Standing beside him, Ran Qingmo asked quietly, "Is it very strange?"
Xu Yuan glanced at her and nodded with a wry smile. "Of course it's strange.
"Sects pay no taxes, but they aren't permitted to touch local tax revenues either. If they want to accumulate wealth, they do so by controlling local commerce.
"The Wanxiang Sect spent a fortune to set up the Phantasm Grand Array outside the city. Now that Shengshan County has finally flourished again, the profits from the demonic beast trade are enormous. Run properly, a hundred-odd thousand taels of silver a year would be a modest estimate.
"Logically speaking, there is no way the Wanxiang Sect would abandon—"
As he spoke, Xu Yuan faintly sensed that something was amiss.
Chapter 140