Chapter 220 The people of Ming County have suffered terribly.
Ming County.
Tang Chen quietly appeared in a side alley of a street, no longer recognizing anything there.
A thousand years have passed, and after the disaster, the layout of Ming County has completely changed.
Even as she stood in front of her house, the familiar yet strange atmosphere made her feel lost and disoriented.
The soles of my feet felt the scorching heat of the sun. Perhaps because Ming County was burned by divine fire a thousand years ago, the temperature in Ming County is still higher than in other places.
The gate to the small courtyard not far away was opened.
"My dear husband, we've lived here for generations, is it really so tragic?"
The woman helped her husband push the cart, which was loaded with packages of all sizes and innocent children.
The man sighed, his expression full of helplessness.
"Who wants to leave their hometown? It's just too hot here, getting hotter every year. The crops finally grow and then die, and even eating is a problem."
"Everyone has left. There are only a few households left here. If we don't leave now, we'll die of heatstroke here this summer."
In just two sentences, the man's face was covered in sweat, and his skin was dark red.
The same applies to women.
When I cry, my tears are scalding hot, and they evaporate instantly when they fall to the ground. I don't know if they are tears or sweat.
"Damn God, is he trying to kill us?!"
The group pushed the cart and disappeared from Tang Chen's sight.
She gazed at the once prosperous Ming Dynasty, now ravaged by a catastrophe that had plagued its people for millennia.
The guilt in her heart pierced her whole body, and her feet felt as if they were embedded with countless pebbles; even if she didn't move, it still hurt.
"Ah Zhan, it's my fault that they're in trouble." She murmured to herself, looking at the umbrella.
If it were back then, when Qingxuan first asked her if she was willing to cultivate immortality, she would have readily agreed.
If Tianxian had been able to do so, he wouldn't have set fire to her house, nor would he have allowed the fire from Jiuyang to spread throughout Ming County.
Tens of thousands of people were burned to death, and a thousand years have passed. I thought my hometown had slowly recovered, but I never expected it to be in such a tragic state!
She flew over the mountain and looked at the once verdant mountains, brimming with countless spiritual energies, which were now nothing but barren wasteland and sand.
In the past, when the water flowed endlessly down the terraced fields at the foot of the mountain, rice grew in the fields, rice grains grew on top of the rice, and fish and turtles were raised under the rice, as well as many plump crabs.
The people of Ming County can live a good life even if they just farm.
But now...
There are no terraced fields left at all.
As far as the eye can see, there is only desert.
There wasn't even a lake in sight.
She returned to her old home, which was in the right location, but there was no house and no one was there anymore.
"Young lady, you must be from out of town?" An old man slowly walked over. He was very kind, but his body was thin and withered.
Tang Chen turned to look at him, "How did you know?"
The old man was somewhat excited. “You’re holding an umbrella. It hasn’t rained in Ming County for a thousand years. I’ve only ever seen umbrellas in books.”
"It hasn't rained for a thousand years, so how have you survived?" Tang Chen asked, unaware that her eyes were already red.
The old man said, "Water is sold in the next county. Every household goes to the next county to buy water every morning. Once they bring it back, the whole family can drink it for three days..."
Such precious water could only be used for cooking and drinking. Even the young ladies of wealthy families could only take a bath once a month.
Despite being only separated by a boundary line, the two counties are so different.
More than half of the people in Ming County could no longer survive; they ran out of money and moved away.
The neighboring county, however, was incredibly wealthy. The magistrate there, seeking personal gain, forbade people from Ming County to move there.
Therefore, once the people of Ming County were relocated, they could only go to very, very far places, thousands of miles away from home, and never return.
Tang Chen felt very uncomfortable.
She went to stay at the old man's house.
The old man poured out the last drop of water from the water jug, leaving only half a bowl.
"Girl, please make do with this. People will die if they don't drink water."
Not only humans, but even animals and plants cannot survive.
A heart-wrenching cry came from next door.
Tang Chen frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"
The old man looked numb, then laughed mockingly, "People die of heatstroke here all the time, it's nothing unusual."
In order to have more food to live on, the deceased family members were not given a proper burial, but were buried in the ground and planted as seeds.
So that they could eat tender, juicy vegetables after the corpse had completely decomposed.
Tang Chen simply couldn't bear to think about what kind of lives the people of Ming County had lived for the past thousand years.
Even the Asura Hell is probably no better than this.
Tang Chen drank half a bowl of water from the old man's house, then turned around and bestowed a rain upon the people of Ming County.
As raindrops fell on the old man's face, he knelt down, weeping.
Immediately afterward, the people who heard the commotion came out one after another.
His numb expression instantly transformed into excitement.
The child, not knowing what rain was, could only shout, "Mother, Father, water is falling from the sky!"
"I've never seen the sky or the water before in my entire life!"
"We have water to drink, and now water has fallen into our bodies!"
"Quick, get some water! Thank God, thank the heavens!"
...
They knelt, worshipped, wept, and cheered.
A tear that fell from the corner of Tang Chen's eye turned into a river, nourishing this land.
—Ming County, a thousand years ago I wronged you, from now on I will protect you!
Ah Zhan said with a smile from inside the umbrella.
"It's good that you're back, Chen. Don't blame yourself. You are their savior."
Tang Chen smiled slowly, tears welling in her eyes, feeling much better.
From now on, Ming County will never be bullied again.
*
Tang Chen found a place to stay.
She skillfully used her magic to build houses, and never left her umbrella, carving intricate details with the tip of the umbrella.
Each person was settled in with an umbrella.
She took out the book of soul-chasing techniques from her bosom, landed, sat down, and opened it.
“Ah Zhan, Xia Jingheng is a smart and insightful person. I might not have believed his deductions before, but since I learned that Elder Gua has saved countless people, I have regained a glimmer of hope.”
"Perhaps our daughter was saved by then too?"
"A thousand years have passed. If we can find her descendants, I will do everything in my power to protect them."
He remained silent, still under the umbrella.
After a moment, he pondered, "Yes, the best outcome is one you don't have to hope for. Ah Chen, I don't want to see you sad."
Tang Chen agreed to his request.
He took out a worn-out brocade pouch from his bosom and carefully opened it.
It contains fine hairs.
Tang Chen looked at him, her eyes filled with love and tenderness:
"Fortunately, I have kept the baby hair that was shaved off when my child turned one year old."
These few strands of baby hair have been the only reason she has survived for thousands of years.
She went into seclusion to cultivate herself, carrying her daughter's belongings, as if the three of them were still reunited.
She placed the baby hair in her palm and slowly began to use the Soul-Chasing Technique.
As long as her daughter still has descendants, or even the slightest trace of life remains.
The baby hair will shine and recognize its owner.
The baby hair in his hand slowly glowed and suddenly flew out the door.
Tang Chen's eyes lit up, and she was so excited that she could hardly stand up.
Running towards the baby's hair!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com