Chapter 121 - 85: Fairy, Don’t Be Impulsive

Chapter 121: Chapter 85: Fairy, Don’t Be Impulsive

"So when you hand things over to the officials from up high, please don’t show any resistance."

"We won’t, we won’t!"

Fan Li Zheng and Doctor Shen both waved their hands in haste. Hearing this, their spirits lifted.

In the past, whenever they received a decree from the officials above, they’d have to find ways to maneuver around it.

After all, those officials from out of town were completely unscrupulous. Most of the subsidies the Court allocated to the people of the Northern Three Prefectures ended up lining their own pockets.

They were only there to rack up achievements. Once they had their merits and their pay, they would just dust off their hands and leave. Why would they care if the local people were well off?

But since Fairy Luotang herself had spoken, there was no reason not to cooperate.

If the officials of the Northern Three Prefectures were all locals from now on, life would truly become much better.

"Then I thank you."

Only then did a hint of a smile touch Kan Luotang’s lips. She solemnly clasped her hands in a salute to the two of them.

She then mounted her white horse, adding as a final thought, "Oh, right! Miss Zhu Li couldn’t make it this time, but it’s not because she didn’t want to. She recently became an Alchemist and has raised a good sum of money for the people here. In a few days, she’ll exchange it for medicinal herbs and hire an Escort Agency to deliver them. When they arrive, I’ll have to trouble you two to receive the shipment."

"The Fairy is so righteous! And Miss Zhu Li as well!"

"Then I shall take my leave."

"Travel safely, Fairy."

Watching Kan Luotang depart, the two men were filled with emotion.

They were born in the Northern Three Prefectures, and they were destined to die in the Northern Three Prefectures.

This was a land of forgotten people. The Court tasked them with guarding the entrance to the ruins. And while the Court allocated resources in recognition of their sacrifices, it never gave them a chance to rise above their station.

The endless stream of Cultivators coming and going, seeking their fortunes in the ruins, left them unable to sleep peacefully at night.

The endless parade of officials, who came to "maintain stability" for the sake of their careers, would take the subsidies meant for the locals and stuff them into their own pockets.

The rallying cries were all very inspiring.

It seemed as if everyone was doing their part to reclaim the Northern Domain.

Only the people of the Northern Three Prefectures felt like outsiders to the whole affair.

They wanted the Great Yu to be strong, too.

But the strength of the Great Yu seemed to have nothing to do with them.

They just wanted to live a little more comfortably.

For the longest time, no one had cared about the Northern Three Prefectures except the people who lived there.

But now they had the benevolent Kan Luotang, the self-proclaimed heroine Zhu Li, and on top of that, the Tenth Prince.

Five thousand pills, used properly, would be enough for a good number of young people to reach the Qi Recognition Realm. Even if they couldn’t achieve Body Refining, Muscle Strengthening, and Bone Forging, they at least wouldn’t be plagued by illness their whole lives like their parents’ generation.

Never mind whether they could produce Cultivators; just having five thousand healthy, able-bodied workers would do much to alleviate the plight of the Northern Three Prefectures.

’How wonderful...’

...

Kan Luotang galloped north.

She was heading for the first town she had visited. The people there trusted her. After so many days, she was sure they would have finished compiling the list of names.

She hadn’t slept all day and was physically exhausted, but the anxiety churning in her heart wouldn’t let her stop for even a moment.

She fished an invigorating pill from her robes, popped it into her mouth, and continued to spur her horse onward.

By the time she reached her destination, the sky was already beginning to lighten with the dawn.

Without a second thought, she knocked directly on the Li Zheng’s door.

As she waited, her right hand clutched her collar, her palm slick with sweat.

"Who is it? It’s the crack of dawn."

A houseboy answered, sounding impatient. But when he opened the door and saw it was Kan Luotang, his expression turned to one of pleasant surprise. "Fairy Luotang! Are you done with your business? I’ll go get the Li Zheng right away..."

He invited Kan Luotang into the courtyard and hurried off to wake the Li Zheng.

When the Li Zheng heard that Kan Luotang had arrived, he hastily threw on his clothes and rushed out to greet her warmly. "Fairy, you’ve returned! I’ll go inform the villagers about the consultations..."

"Not yet! I’m not finished with my real business."

Kan Luotang got straight to the point. "Lord Jiang, the list I asked for... have you..."

Jiang Li Zheng replied hurriedly, "How could I dare neglect a task given by the Fairy? The list is ready. Please wait just a moment, Fairy!"

With that, he rushed off toward his study.

A moment later, he returned with a thick register, which he solemnly placed in her hands.

She flipped through the roster to confirm everything was in order.

Kan Luotang let out a long sigh of relief before asking, "Has the official decree come down yet?"

Jiang Li Zheng shook his head. "No..."

The relief Kan Luotang felt moments ago vanished, and her heart leaped into her throat. She said in a low voice, "If the officials from up high arrive, just tell them that I have already delivered the list to the Tenth Prince on your behalf. I have other matters to attend to, so I can’t linger. Farewell!"

"Travel safely, Fairy!"

Jiang Li Zheng saw her off at the gate.

After leaving, Kan Luotang rode directly for the next town.

In a single day, without a moment’s rest, she collected the rosters from seven towns.

Feeling the bulging satchel, her heart finally settled, if only a little.

She found lodging with a family for the night, and was on her way to the next town before dawn.

The first two stops went smoothly.

But when she arrived at the third town...

The Li Zheng’s answer was different from the others. "The decree just came down this morning. A Registration Official from up high came to see me. I happened to have just finished the list, so I gave it to them."

"You gave it to them?"

Kan Luotang’s expression tensed. "How many Registration Officials were there?"

The Li Zheng replied, "Three!"

Kan Luotang’s heart went cold. "Only three? What can three people possibly do? The decree had just arrived, yet your list was already complete. Weren’t they suspicious of the roster at all?"

Hearing this, the color drained from the Li Zheng’s face. "Fairy! Is... is something wrong? What do we do now?"

Normally, whenever a decree was issued, the officials from up high would find all sorts of ways to make things difficult, no matter how well the locals handled it.