Li Qi raced non-stop to the military granary.
The journey was smooth since they were near Guangyang City, where it was difficult for demons to survive in large groups.
Cities attracted human vitality, which connected everything.
In Li Qi's shamanistic view, a city's vitality connected heaven and earth like a towering mountain, immovable.
Demons couldn't possibly shake such cities.
If tens of thousands of demons ford an array, their martial energy would likely disperse upon encountering the city's vitality.
Thus, this place was absolutely safe, at least to Li Qi.
Arriving at the granary, soldiers guarded it lazily, lacking the sharpness of elite troops.
Li Qi understood; guarding a granary in the rear didn't require elite forces, who would naturally grow lax over ti.
Seeing soone approaching on horseback, they sprang to attention, raising their spears. An officer shouted, "This is a restricted area! Dismount and verify your identity!"
Hearing this, Li Qi imdiately dismounted, quickly showing his official docunt: "I have an order from the Sīmǎ! I need to requisition grain!"
The officer's face turned odd upon hearing Li Qi's words, asking in surprise, "An order from the Sīmǎ?"
"Yes, signed and sealed!" Li Qi held up the docunt.
"Hahaha, how novel! It's been two or three years since I last saw an order from the Sīmǎ. Fine, it checks out, go ahead." The officer laughed, stepping aside without guiding Li Qi.
"Drinking while on guard duty?" Li Qi frowned.
"What's it to you? You think I drink out of negligence? There's nothing else to do here! Hurry up and get your grain." The officer grew irritated.
Li Qi ignored him, stepping into the granary and placing the order on the formation.
The array recognized the Sīmǎ's seal, opening the gate.
Inside, Li Qi took out the White Rhino Army's mustard seed bag.
Halfway through, Li Qi froze.
Though the granary appeared larger inside due to spatial techniques, what stunned him wasn't its size.
It was empty.
Dusty everywhere, no spider webs, but the massive granary, capable of storing food for a million people, was completely empty.
Li Qi rushed out, shouting, "What happened?! Was the granary robbed?!"
"Shouting won't help! Didn't you hear earlier? No orders have co in years. Without orders, the granary only depletes. Where would there be any grain? Do you think I drink out of negligence? I'm just bored!" The officer mocked Li Qi.
"If there's no grain, how did Zhen Pass fight?!" Li Qi suppressed his anger.
"Aren't you from the military? Didn't you know Zhen Pass was abandoned months ago? Your general was recalled. Didn't he tell you?" The officer lazily replied.
Li Qi was stunned.
The White Rhino Army indeed had no general.
Zhen Pass was deserted.
Damn it, had Hundred Forests Country abandoned resistance?
Had they abandoned both the people and Zhen Pass? The only army gathering civilians had hidden the truth and fled?
Leaving behind soldiers to starve while protecting the people?
Would White Summit Mountain accept these refugees? If not registered, wouldn't they beco holess?
Tens of thousands of holess...
The beggars seen earlier weren't isolated cases.
Hundred Forests Country truly abandoned Zhen Pass and its people?
Watching Li Qi's changing expressions, the officer found amusent, offering him wine, "Don't be angry. At least you're in Guangyang City now. Here, drink so."
Li Qi finally regained composure.
Understanding why these soldiers were so lethargic, he realized their despair.
But he couldn't afford despair; tens of thousands awaited his return with food.
"Thank you, but I have urgent matters. Farewell." Li Qi bowed, leaving.
"Don't go! Are you planning to return to die? You're all fools." The officer drunkenly waved.
Ignoring him, Li Qi mounted his horse and rode off.
Silent along the way, Li Qi pondered deeply.
Old Horse slowed, worried about Li Qi.
"Don't worry, let's visit the Prefect." Li Qi reassured the horse.
Thinking, Guangyang's military supplies were rotten. The Sīmǎ neglected duties, neither collecting nor distributing grain, leaving the granary empty.
Did the Prefect and Treasurer know?
If yes, their inaction indicated deeper issues involving court corruption.
If not, perhaps poor communication caused this, solvable by reporting, though offending the Sīmǎ.
Offending people didn't bother Li Qi, but if both officials were as neglectful as the Sīmǎ, securing help officially was impossible.
Enough to feed a hundred thousand people for a month... no, that's not enough. To support those commoners after migration until the next harvest, it would take at least three hundred thousand bushels of grain as a baseline.
Short of official channels, where could he find such grain?
Li Qi thought harder, eyes closed, recalling Guangyang's state.
"Think carefully, think carefully. This Guangyang City has a population of several million. How much food is needed daily? Yet Guangyang City shows no signs of famine, which ans it must have its own thods of collecting and storing grain. If I can find those thods, a re thirty-odd thousand bushels would only be eight or nine days' worth of consumption for Guangyang City. Surely, Guangyang City can afford to supply it," Li Qi murmured to himself.
Two steps:
First, assess Guangyang's officials.
Second, find where Guangyang sourced daily food.
Then plan accordingly.
With few clues, options were limited. More knowledge ant more options. Planning ant using knowns to achieve desired outcos. Without knowledge, brute force was the only option.
Stopping Old Horse, Li Qi dismounted, pulling out a finger.
Beautiful, jade-like, severed cleanly—it was Shen Shuibei's.
From her, a Fifth Rank cultivator, immortal and unblemished.
Li Qi didn't take it out to touch but to perform a ritual.
By a nearby river, he set up an altar, offering jade and horsehair.
A small black snake erged, transforming into a beautiful woman.
"Greetings, Great Shaman. Forgive my rudeness. What brings you here?"
"I apologize for disturbing you, Water Deity. I seek your help, offering this ritual and pure water essence."
"I'll assist within my power," she said, accepting the offerings.
"This object's presence, please rember it. Deliver a ssage for ," Li Qi showed the severed finger.
Her pupils contracted vertically.
She recoiled violently, reverting to snake form, fleeing into the water.
After several minutes, she cautiously returned, asking, "Great Shaman... what is that?"
Li Qi sighed, underestimating local deities, but explained, "Do you rember its presence?"
"I won't forget it in this lifeti."
"This belongs to a treasure, leading to an Eighth Rank powerhouse. Please use your water network to deliver a ssage."
"Eighth Rank... what does that an?" she asked.
"You're currently at Golden Body Realm. Eighth Rank is roughly Spirit Soul Realm—three realms above you."
"Spirit Soul?!" She was shocked; far superior to her level.
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