Although the sun had not yet risen, the raging fires in the wilderness illuminated the sky in a fiery red, leaving no darkness whatsoever. However, this light brought endless suffering, with cries of agony rising and falling.

Because all the wheat fields were set ablaze, all the farming done in this village over the past six months was reduced to ashes and burned to the ground.

"Uncle Chen!"

Feng Zichuan knelt before the now lifeless steward, his voice trembling involuntarily, his emotions on the verge of collapse.

Not far away, the cavalry of Da Gan were chasing after the barbarian beastmen who were setting fire to the fields. The banners fluttering in the flames were enough to reassure the survivors, so they did not have to suppress their grief and sorrow.

This scene was just a microcosm of a war. More than a year ago, Emperor Chongming of Daqian disregarded the obstruction of his ministers and directly ordered a war to be launched against the Northern Plains Beastmen. His aim was to exterminate this group of Beastmen and bring that fertile grassland under the rule of Daqian.

Faced with a well-organized and powerful army, the Orcs, who could only forge bronze weapons, finally changed their tactics after losing hundreds of thousands of young warriors in several battles.

Under the command of the Beastman High Priest, the Beastmen who still had fighting strength no longer sought to engage in direct combat with Daqian's army, but instead chose to break into smaller groups and mainly use guerrilla tactics.

At the same time, a large number of elite troops were dispatched to infiltrate the territory of Daqian, burning, killing, and looting to disrupt the logistics of that large army and demoralize its troops.

Such tactics are extremely deadly and effective against a large-scale agricultural industry. Just as farmers were filled with joy and preparing for the autumn harvest, the fields they had worked on for half a year were burned to the ground by a raging fire.

Such a blow is absolutely unbearable for ordinary farmers. Although the economy of Dagan has gradually prospered, the vast majority of people still rely on farming. Without food, not only will they be unable to pay taxes, but they and their families will also starve to death.

The grain supply for the Great Expedition is generally tight, and one of the key factors is that several years ago, due to the influence of the Dragon King's flood, too many people were relocated, and all the expenses were borne by the government.

Not long after, the wise and powerful Emperor Chongming ordered the Bianse Legion to launch a war of annihilation and slaughter against the Beastmen.

Before an army can move, supplies must be prepared. The standing army of Da Gan is not large compared to its total population, only a few million. However, every soldier is a martial artist who has practiced martial arts, with plenty of blood and energy and a large appetite.

In the event of war, the consumption of warriors increases dramatically, all of which requires a sufficient food supply. If the food supply cannot keep up, let alone fighting, cases of mutiny in the army due to severe hunger are common.

Under these circumstances, the Northern Wilderness Barbarians chose to burn wheat fields and disrupt the autumn harvest. The destructive power of this attack was so great that even the legions that had ventured beyond the Great Wall had to retreat.

The Da Gan region is vast, and the beastmen can only destroy a dozen or so prefectures and counties bordering the Northern Plains, which is enough to affect the entire Da Gan region.

“Patriarch Feng, if we had arrived a step earlier, your steward wouldn’t have ended up like this! It’s our fault.”

Amidst the wailing and weeping of the village, a blanket of white stretched out before a cavalry general, his face full of apology, standing before a young merchant whose expression was etched with sorrow.

"This is not the general's fault. If the general had not arrived in time, my men and I would probably have lost our lives long ago."

Feng Zichuan was very polite, but the cavalry general in front of him, whose face was tanned dark red by the scorching sun and whose eyes were sharp, was even more polite.

He had already received instructions that the person in front of him was an extraordinary figure, whose wealth was so great that it could even alleviate the logistical pressure on the Northern Plains Army.

"This is my duty, and it is our dereliction of duty that has occurred."

The general's face showed shame, and the knights behind him also looked away, not daring to meet the eyes of the poor people in the village.

They belonged to the Zhenbei Army, which guarded the border. Their purpose was to prevent the Beastmen from going south and plundering. However, despite claiming that they had defeated the main force of the Beastmen, large numbers of Beastmen still crossed the border and infiltrated the heartland, burning, killing, and looting.

"The beasts are ferocious and savage; General, there is no need to blame yourself too much."

Feng Zichuan could only continue to reassure him, explaining that he knew the reason for the war. He had originally intended to pursue profits by exchanging the goods he brought for the unique specialties of Beiyuan, thus opening up a trade route.

Before he even reached his destination, he witnessed the cruelty of war. Almost without warning, an old man who was with him was shot and killed.

If it weren't for a patrol that happened to be nearby last night, he would probably have been in mortal danger. Those barbarian beastmen were carrying out a policy of killing, burning, and looting everything.

"Waaaaah~ How are we going to survive? All the food has been burned!"

The cries came from all around, and suddenly a scream came from afar. It turned out that a farmer who was about to hang himself had been snatched from the rope.

Seeing this, Feng Zichuan felt a pang of pity. He looked at the cavalry general before him, stopped exchanging pleasantries, and instead inquired about some crucial information.

"May I ask, General, are there many places like this in Wuyang Prefecture?"

“If others asked, I would naturally not say much, but since you asked, I will tell you the truth. This beast scourge is not only in Yangwu Prefecture, but I have heard that beast people also appear in the neighboring prefectures. This group of monsters has become extremely cunning now.”

"Has the imperial court made any arrangements regarding this?"

"We are these patrol riders."

"Will the people whose farmland was burned receive compensation?"

"I dare not hide it from you, Mr. Feng. The court is under great pressure right now. In the fortress, my colleagues' food rations have been halved. They can only eat their fill when there are missions or major battles."

"I see."

Feng Zichuan took a deep breath. Looking at the village, which was plunged into grief and tears, he recalled the classics he had read over the past ten years and made a momentous decision.

...

"Dad, what are you planning to do?!"

Above the Hidden Dragon Abyss, following behind his master, Feng Bingwen focused most of his attention on the Heavenly Book, which was covered in a layer of golden light. The Heavenly Book, which was already radiant, became even more dazzling at this moment.

When Feng Bingwen opened the Heavenly Book and saw that it had already broken through the 100,000 mark and was growing rapidly at a speed he had never seen before, he was somewhat stunned.

If he remembered correctly, the tens of thousands of merits he had accumulated when he entered the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had long been used up, but now, not long after all, his merits had actually broken through six figures again.

Under normal circumstances, he should have accumulated at most 20,000 to 30,000 merits, but now they have increased several times more without reason. The root cause of this is his own father.

Providing timely assistance is a meritorious act, and the reward is 3,000.

This is a newly emerging record. Following this record, Feng Bingwen can even see a short video: boxes and boxes of charcoal, neatly arranged, being transported to villages in county towns surrounded by scorched earth.

After he finished reading this record, more than a dozen more appeared in the Heavenly Book, with the amount of good deeds they accumulated ranging from a few hundred to several thousand.

Through these rapidly accumulated good deeds in a very short period of time, Feng Bingwen could basically conclude that his father, who had abandoned literature for business and pursued fame and fortune, seemed to have been subjected to some strong stimulus.

From what he could see, he seemed to be using his accumulated wealth at any cost to purchase various resources for the people and send them to one war-torn county town after another.

"..."

After figuring out the reason for his sudden surge in merit, Feng Bingwen fell silent for a moment, unable to express his feelings.

I wouldn't say I'm happy, but as for feeling gratified, there seems to be some issue with seniority. For a moment, it's quite a complicated situation.

What's the big deal about him just lying around and accepting good deeds?

Can one say he truly deserves to have such a kind and benevolent father? However, his father's ability to possess such wealth and influence is also inseparable from him.

However, his actions were quite reckless from all angles; it all depends on how magnanimous the emperor is. If he isn't, it doesn't matter; anyone with a brain should dare not act rashly.

"Fellow Daoist Feng, what are you thinking about?"

A questioning voice came from the side. Feng Bingwen looked over and immediately saw a familiar big face approaching him with great concern.

"Are you injured somewhere? I have one here..."

"I'm fine!"

Feng Bingwen shook his head, while Zhao Junxian, who was standing in front of him chatting with a seemingly old and decrepit immortal, turned around, glanced at him first, then paused, and then turned around to examine him carefully from head to toe.

"What's wrong, Master? Is there something wrong with me?"

Feng Bingwen was startled by such a gaze.

"What's the story behind this merit you've accumulated?"

Zhao Junxian's expression was somewhat subtle. In his eyes, his disciple was enveloped in a thin layer of golden light. Although the golden light was so thin that it was less than paper, it did not change its essence.

Merit shines like golden light!

This is something that countless cultivators dream of, yet it inexplicably appeared beside his disciple. This guy hasn't done anything lately, but he's been keeping a close eye on things. Where did he get his merit?

"Well!"

Feng Bingwen was at a loss for words. His master's eyes seemed to have seen far too much.

"It must be that this young friend's direct elder did some great good deed, and as a direct descendant, he received a share of the merit."

Hundred Alliance Book