Master of Fangcun

Even though Li Shun and Li Qing were both cultivators, it still took them considerable effort before they finally managed to obtain some grain.

Things were exactly as the burly man named Han Kuang had described.

Under the influence of the Owl God Seizes Food Tribulation, nearly every crop in Yunguan County had withered away.

Starving refugees filled the streets, yet profiteering merchants continued hoarding their grain, driving the price of old, stale grain to a level that inspired only despair.

"The local authorities are truly standing by and doing nothing."

Li Qing spoke in a low, resentful voice as he heavily set down the sack of rations they had painstakingly acquired at the outrageous cost of one hundred thousand taels inside Han Kuang's home.

The burly man was already weeping uncontrollably. Dropping to both knees, he repeatedly kowtowed before the three of them until his forehead was bruised purple.

Duan Jiuzhang reached out and gently helped him to his feet. A trace of sorrow lingered in his voice.

"It is the imperial court that has failed you. At the very least, this grain should be enough to help you survive this difficult period."