Yunzhou is located on the border of the Yan Kingdom.
The sun was blazing, and the air was thick with the smell of burning heat.
A convoy from the Yan Kingdom was escorting a group of emaciated people, slowly approaching the borders of Yunzhou.
The people of Yan all had cracked lips and unfocused eyes.
Several of them were weak and were already swaying precariously, on the verge of fainting.
"Water, water..." someone groaned softly.
The Yan soldiers escorting the goods were also drenched in sweat, their uniforms soaked through. They snapped irritably, "What's all the shouting about? We're almost there! Just a little longer!"
Within the territory of Yan, large areas of land were cracked and rivers had dried up. The scorching heat was simply unbearable!
However, the moment they stepped into Yunzhou, a completely different atmosphere rushed towards them.
"Hmm?" A Yan state squad leader looked up in confusion and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
It's drizzling here?
He reached out his hand in disbelief, and the cool raindrops fell into his palm, bringing a slight sense of comfort.
Although the ground was somewhat damp and hot, it was nowhere near the barren and cracked landscape of the Yan Kingdom; instead, it carried a refreshing feeling after the rain.
More importantly, the breeze also carries a refreshing coolness.
"Boss, this, this is Yunzhou?" A young Yan soldier next to him also noticed something was wrong and asked in surprise.
The squad leader frowned: "Nonsense! I've been here so many times, how could I not recognize Yunzhou?"
All these changes were so unbelievable that the group of people subconsciously looked them over.
Not far from the border of Yunzhou, there stood a huge shade canopy!
The shed was constructed with large timbers and thick thatch, and was so large that it could accommodate hundreds of people.
Under the shed, shadows loomed.
There were quite a few people queuing up, seemingly to receive something.
Although the people queuing up were mostly dressed in patched clothes, their spirits were much better than those of the people being escorted; at least their faces did not have that look of despair and death.
"Newcomers, are you thirsty?" Several simply dressed but energetic locals from Yunzhou came forward, glanced at the newcomers from Yan, and called out loudly.
Their voices were loud and clear, full of energy.
"There's herbal tea bestowed by the Mountain Goddess in that shed over there. One bowl per person, it's really effective at relieving the heat!" One of them pointed to the long line under the shade shed. "If you really can't stand it, hurry up and get a bowl. I guarantee you'll feel refreshed all day long after you drink it!"
Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light appeared in the eyes of the Yan people who had been escorted there, and their chapped lips moved with longing.
Upon hearing this, even the Yan soldiers escorting them couldn't help but swallow hard.
The young soldier whispered to his sergeant, "Boss, how come Yunzhou is so different from our Yan Kingdom?"
"Yunzhou used to be part of our Yan Kingdom, didn't it? How did it become like this, so unbelievable, after that mountain goddess took it over?"
The sergeant glared at him and said in a low voice, "Stop talking nonsense! Be careful, the walls may be listening!"
Even so, his heart was also filled with turmoil.
The current dire situation in the Yan Kingdom is beyond even the Grand Preceptor's help, but what about Yunzhou...?
Looking at the scene in Yunzhou and thinking of the scorched earth within Yan, the young soldier couldn't help but say, "To be honest, boss, I... I don't really want to leave."
"This awful weather! Staying in Yan for even one more day would be too long. Yunzhou is simply paradise!"
"Shut up!" the squad leader hissed, but a complex look flashed in his eyes.
Just as the soldier hesitated, a fellow Yan native who had just received some herbal tea from the ranks carefully approached, carrying a bowl of still slightly chilled tea.
"Young man." His voice was a little hoarse as he handed the ceramic bowl to the young soldier. "You can have this tea."
The young soldier was taken aback: "For me?"
"Yes," the villager smiled warmly, his face glowing.
“We’ve already had a drink with you. You’ve come all the way from your hometown, and it must have been a long journey.”
He paused, scratching his head somewhat embarrassedly: "We are living much better now in the territory of the Mountain Goddess. We have food and drink, and we don't have to worry about anything. It really hurts to see the people in our hometown working so hard."
"So, this bowl is offered to the soldier."
The Yan soldiers, who had endured a very difficult time: "..."
The young soldier opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long time.
What's going on? When did their Yan state become a refugee camp?
On the contrary, the people who were "sent" here began to "pity" these genuine Yan people.
The squad leader also had a strange look on his face, but the dryness in his throat was real.
He looked at the bowl of clear tea, and then at the sincere eyes of the fellow villager.
He finally accepted it and said, "Thank you."
"Glug!" He gulped down the tea in one go.
A cool, sweet liquid slid down my throat, instantly dispelling the heat from my internal organs.
The squad leader breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much more energetic and his frustration from the past few days had dissipated.
"Excellent tea!" he exclaimed sincerely.
The other Yan soldiers watched longingly, their mouths practically watering.
At this moment, the believer from Yunzhou who had greeted them earlier came over again, with a warm smile on his face.
"Gentlemen, and fellow villagers, please don't stand outside in the sun!"
"Please come into the shelter and rest! There's plenty of space inside, and there's clean water and some simple food—all blessings from the Mountain Goddess!"
The young soldier couldn't help but ask, "We...we can go in too?"
He pointed to the Yan state military uniform he was wearing.
The believer laughed heartily: "The Mountain Goddess said that as long as one comes to seek refuge sincerely, there will be no distinction between them, and everyone will be treated equally! You are a guest from afar, please come in! It's cool inside!"
These people will all be important workers at the Yunzhou factory from now on, so of course they need to be treated well! We can't let them die of thirst on the way!
A group of Yan soldiers and civilians looked at each other with expressions of disbelief.
This mountain goddess is truly all-encompassing in her actions!
The sergeant hesitated for a moment, then finally waved his hand: "Let's go in and take a look!"
If he didn't go in soon, he feared his soldiers would really mutini.
Once they reached the shade shed, they realized that the light drizzle that had just fallen was not the most refreshing thing.
Inside this shaded shed, it felt as if hundreds of bowls of ice were inside; even the breeze was cool.
If you didn't know better, you'd think it had straight into autumn!
A group of people were shocked. How did this mountain goddess manage to do that? It was just a simple shade canopy, yet it felt like the four seasons were different.
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