857 Pre-war, Prey

Liu Lijin gently turned her head to look at the maid behind her, her eyes full of smiles, and said softly, "Ling'er, in the blink of an eye you're already a big girl. Have you found it boring in the mountains these past few days?"

Ling'er gently shook her head, her face flushed like a ripe plum, revealing a shy yet resolute beauty. She whispered, "Wherever Miss is, I will be there. I want to follow Miss for the rest of my life!"

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet it conveyed a deep affection for Liuli Jin, as if she were an older sister or even a mother.

Upon hearing this, a hint of tenderness and emotion flashed in Liuli Jin's eyes. She gently pulled Ling'er into her arms, embracing the lovely and innocent maid with both arms.

Liu Lijin said softly, "Silly girl."

Ling'er gently shook her head, burying it even deeper into Liu Lijin's embrace. The moment was so warm.

Young Master, please wait a moment!

Ling'er said softly, "Miss, in recent days, intelligence from various places has been compiled and summarized. Demons have been appearing frequently, which seems to indicate that a chaotic world is coming."

Moreover, demonic cults have frequently appeared in various places, involving a complex array of forces.

Moreover, within the spiritual land, the spiritual energy is gradually thinning in various places, as if it cannot be retained, which may soon cause even greater turmoil.

Liu Lijin nodded slightly, gently adjusting Ling'er's adorable hair accessories, and softly replied, "Ling'er's hair is so neatly styled now. It makes me so proud."

Upon hearing this, Ling'er's cheeks flushed again, but her eyes sparkled with joy.

She said in a soft, shy voice, "Miss."

After a slight pause, Liu Lijin nodded slightly. "In the spiritual land, the spiritual energy is thin, which will inevitably accelerate the consumption of spirit stones. I'm afraid the income from spirit stones will be insufficient to cover the expenditure. While the price of spirit stones has increased significantly, the spiritual veins are still limited."

Such a desperate measure is probably not the style of some major sects, unless absolutely necessary, but the consumption of spirit stones will ultimately be greater than usual.

Moreover, the spiritual energy is scarce, making it difficult for spiritual herbs to grow steadily. This is not only true for ordinary sects, but also for sects like the Fire Spirit Sect, where the lack of key alchemy herbs inevitably leads to slow cultivation of their sect's techniques, making the competition for resources even more brutal.

This will inevitably bring this competition to ordinary people.

His tone was soft and unwavering, seemingly lonely and desolate, showing little concern for the common people.

Simply observing, not caring, and too lazy to ask more questions, it seems that the affairs of this world, which began in childhood, have ended completely. Without seeds, how can there be flowers and leaves?

A hint of pity flashed in Ling'er's eyes as she softly asked, "Miss, in this way, the common people will probably suffer even more, and all opportunities will likely be plundered by these sect disciples."

Liu Lijin nodded slightly and sighed softly, "The struggle for opportunities has always been so cruel. Not competing means stagnation, and the scarcity of resources will naturally lead to a downward spiral. This is not something that can be accomplished overnight."

Her eyebrows remained calm, without much fluctuation. She had seen all the injustices in the world, but she didn't care much. Changing all of this was always difficult, very difficult.

For example, the Holy Emperor was decisive in rewarding and punishing. During his reign, the country was relatively peaceful. Occasionally, there were misfortunes among the people, but such things never stopped. However, there was retribution, which was considered to be a kind of justice.

Moreover, chaos is emerging, especially in the State of Qi. On the streets and alleys, people look pale and ragged, and children shiver in the cold wind. Their eyes are filled with longing for food and confusion about the future.

Originally, they owned no land and only worked as laborers to make a living. Now, due to the chaos and the struggles between sects, the land has become barren and desolate, with meager crop yields, making it difficult to even feed themselves.

It's as if I can see the elderly people, their backs hunched, rummaging through the garbage with trembling hands for scraps of food to fill their stomachs!

Young people are forced to leave their homes and join seemingly prestigious sects, only to become tools for them to compete for resources, their fates uncertain.

As for those young girls, some were sold into slavery into wealthy families due to the hardships of life, while others were forced to become victims of political marriages between factions.

Even worse, some people, unable to bear the exorbitant taxes and levies, lost their families and homes, and could only build simple shacks in the wilderness, using the sky as their blanket and the ground as their mat, struggling on the edge of life and death day after day.

Their hearts were filled with despair and helplessness, as if the whole world had abandoned them.

Perhaps they had many thoughts on this, or perhaps they had grown accustomed to the prosperity of the capital during the reign of the Holy Emperor. Although there were纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) who harassed and bullied the common people, most were still able to continue their lineages. Now, the powerful families are as fierce as tigers, and the gangs are as venomous as tigers.

Unconsciously, Ling'er's eyes reddened slightly, as if she were about to sob.

Liu Lijin shook her head slightly, not bothering to peek into the future. Ever since she learned that this cultivation technique had caused the destruction of her family and that she had almost been tricked into sacrificing her lifespan and soul for her enemy, she had been filled with disgust for the technique.

Aside from spying on and plotting the death of her enemies, Liu Lijin no longer wanted to peek into the future. Those who peek will always be devoured by the glimpse they have seen.

When you gaze into the future, the future gazes back into you. You expect the future to bring you a foreseen destiny of wealth and honor, but destiny has already marked the price and taken the reward in advance.

Liu Lijin did not try to dissuade her. If Ling'er had the world in her heart and was willing to dedicate herself to saving the common people, Liu Lijin would not stop her too much. In the end, one must walk a certain path on one's own to see the world's prosperity and suffering.

If it ends prematurely, I won't care too much; I chose this path, and I have to bear all the consequences myself.

Ling'er composed herself and apologized softly, "Miss, I made a mistake."

Liu Lijin smiled gently and comforted her, "Ling'er, just follow your heart. Life is full of disappointments."

Ling'er nodded gently and said softly, "From what I've observed, in the Great Dragon Prefecture, this border town, Young Master He Chen has created an unprecedented situation. If I have the opportunity in the future, I'd like to go and see for myself. Is that truly the case?"

Liu Lijin felt a sudden stirring in her heart, as if she were deep in thought.

The mist swirls around, as if white fog is slowly falling into the deep mountains, undulating like the sea.

Time flies, and three days passed quickly.

Outside Nanhe Prefecture, more than 5,000 troops stood tall and imposing, their momentum like a dragon emerging from the sea, stirring up clouds and rain, seemingly about to tear the sky apart.

Within the military camp, the blood and qi surged straight to the sky, transforming into a ten-thousand-foot-long crimson light that rivaled the sun and moon in brilliance, illuminating the entire sky as if it were stained with blood.

It shines as brightly as the sunset!

They surrounded without attacking, seemingly waiting intentionally. Their aura was like a fierce tiger laughing proudly in the mountains, or a dragon swallowing clouds and spitting out mist.

Before the war drums sounded, a deafening roar resounded through the heavens, the fighting spirit of the soldiers, gathered into a vast, surging sea. Its power soared to the sky, capable of shattering mountains and destroying temples; even a slight aura suggested a raging storm, as if it could topple the walls and towers of Nanhe Prefecture.